# Versus... Dwarfs (7th)



## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

Hi all,

Continuing with the Fantasy Versus... series, next on the list is Dwarfs (suggested by The Son of Horus). If you want to add your suggestions as to who Fantasy Versus should deal with next, go here for the general thread.

So, Dwarfs (or Dwarves if you prefer :wink, how do you combat these bearded stunty nuisances? Their gun lines can devastate even the toughest unit of knights or cannon snipe your precious general on his expensive mount, they have a tiresome habit of shutting down all but the most persistent of magic phases and when you get to them it often isn't easy going.

So how do you plan to combat them? Do you have a preferred unit or tactic that works every time? Do you prefer to mob them with cheap, disposable infantry or play them at their own game and shoot them to bits?


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## kungfoomasta (May 8, 2008)

mob em like no other and whatever you do dont let them cannon snipe your mages!!!!


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

Dwarves are one of the easiest armies to outmaneuvre - only complete Empire Gunlines are less manuevrable.

Dwarves strengths lie in their Artillery, and their Elite warriors, although their Core are rather tough as well. Dwarf Thunderers have extra potential over Empire Handgunners, due to the ability to Move and Fire. Although Dwarves don't tend to move too much to take advantage of it.

Lords and Heroes have the advantage over most other races, in that they are capable of taking an extra 25-50pts worth of Magic Items - although the Dwarves have a unique way of looking at it - via the Runic System.

As with the Common Magic Items for all other races, there are generic runes, such as +1A, or +1 S, but it isn't limited to those combinations - if you aren't playing a tournament style game, and have a list ready to take all comers, and your opponent knows what you are likely to be taking, instead of just choosing characters where you are weak, he can actually design the weapons to be a strength against a weakness, or a counter to a strength.

Dwarf Lords are tough. Vampires and Chaos Lords have the benefit of not only being able to move faster, and be stronger in combat, but they are far and away more expensive. However, while the basic layouts seem to be far more favourable in such armies favour, it is not too hard to increase the power of your Lord to a standard where he matches their abilities at a fraction of the cost.

Heroes are much the same - special mention goes to the BSB - with nearly a dozen runes to choose from, which range from enhancing the combat resolution of nearby units, to creating a unit which counts as double its unit size, or making them immune to Fear and Terror.

The Elite Core of Hammerers around the Lord and General, usually with the BSB in the ranks, to bolter the surrounding units nearby. Ironbreakers, and Longbeard form the support on either side, with Great Weapon armed warriors, miners and rangers near to the sides. Quarrellers, Thunderers and the Artillery is interspersed throughout the line.

Charging at any one unit will undoubtably put you in fields of fire of 2-3 ranged units and the artillery. The simplest way to beat the gunline is down the flanks. If you have a large scary unit on the flanks, your opponent will turtle up.

So put a big shiny flashy unit in the front. Typical units include Tomb Kings on Chariots in Chariot units, Chaos Lord with Knights, Empire Grand Master and Knightly Orders, Treemen, Phoenix Guard, Cold One knights, Ironguts. But on the flank, put something that is equally nasty, but a bit less obvious. Monstrous Infantry, (Dragon Ogres particularly, with their 14" Charge, but *Chaos* Ogres (not Ogre Bulls), Trolls, Treekin, and Ushabti all do well. Minotaurs are perhaps one of the harder hitting units, but due to Bloodgreed/lust/whatever, they are unsuitable) work well, due to fear causing. Varghulfs do nicely in this role.

A dwarf army then has to concentrate his firepower on something. The two are usually very tough - and cannons can usually only target a single model of such a unit. While the D6 wounds is something to watch out for, it's neither an automatic kill. Move as fast as possible towards the Dwarves. However, for flankers, watch out for speedbump units of Slayers. While they aren't as tough, they are unbreakable, and any left alive can hurt thanks to Slayer Axes.

Outmaneuvre is the main way. Choose your charges, and tie up the ranged/nasty combat units first. Try and get 2-3 units in at the same time, so a dwarf won't decide to charge out with his combat troops.

Units which I find excel against dwarves are - 

Chaos Knights with Banner of Wrath (Tzeentch/Nurgle knights as well, nearly doubling their life expectancy).
Tomb Scorpions
Tomb Guard
Screaming Skull Catapult
Knightly Orders
Counter Battery Fire (Elven repeaters, and Empire cannons/mortars, Hellblasters not as much).
Magic, though taken in huge great numbers. Skaven, Tzeentch, and Elves work wonders with it, but any lore will do well - Heavens with Casandora is particularly specatacular against massed dwarves, Fire, and Metal are very tasty, as is Pit of Shades.


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## Othiem (Apr 20, 2008)

Vaz said:


> Dwarf Thunderers have extra potential over Empire Handgunners, due to the ability to Move and Fire. Although Dwarves don't tend to move too much to take advantage of it.


Nope, thunderers are move-or-fire just like standard handgunners. 

I'm a big fan of magic vs dwarves. Even with their extra dd you can still get at least one spell through a phase, and they can't shoot anything back at you. Like Vaz said, pit of shades is hillarious vs dwarves, it'll definitely draw out the dispell runes. 

Dwarf lords are tough, try and tarpit them if you can. Dwarves are one of the few armies where you can actually choose which unit to tarpit instead of having to position and pray. 

Don't be afraid of dwarf warriors. Sure they're tough, but WS4 I2 A1 is mediocre, a unit of spears will hold against them more often then not. Use this time to position your hard hitting units into a combined charge.

That's my basic strat against them, tarpit the scary units, then buy time with the blocks of infantry so that the knights can charge together. Fast cav to screen your knights, as a few bolt throwers can ruin their day. 

Haven't had much luck with scouts against warmachine crews, as the buggers are tough and never run. It only gets worse if they've used a master engineer to fortify. 

Basically play their game. They move slow, and they fight slow through attrition. Use that time to take advantage of your superior mobility to set up charges that will win combat, then take them down a unit at a time.


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## Green Knight (Feb 25, 2008)

Use of flyers works well to take out the gun line, the main army the best way to sort them out is, by outmanover them by fast cavery or any units with more than 4movement


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## beenburned (May 15, 2008)

Othiem said:


> Nope, thunderers are move-or-fire just like standard handgunners.


Yeah, this is true. However, they have a +1 to hit, counting at an effective BS4. Pretty nice for handgunners. (although I prefer taking crossbows for fluff reasons - I take a no gunpowder army)


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## retiye2 (Oct 20, 2008)

OK, as a fantasy dwarf player first (40k second) I will try and out line the dwarf list in an easy to explain way.

First of all some common misconceptions people have about dwarfs

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS


1. The rune system. You cannot believe how many fools believe you can get an ASF GW. IT CANNOT HAPPEN PEOPLE!!!! To make a GW runic (and not lose all its good bonuses like +2 str) you have to give it the Master rune of Kragg the Grimm, and since a weapon can only have 1 master rune on it you cannot take the ASF rune (MRO Swiftness)

2. GW nerfed a lot of good things when they updated the list but some people haven't cottoned on to this. This includes those people who still believe that Thunderers are Move and Fire, and those who believe that Rangers still have the Foresters rule (no penalty through difficult terrain)

Posts moved to Dwarf Tactica where they are more relevant - squeek


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

*2. GW nerfed a lot of good things when they updated the list but some people haven't cottoned on to this. This includes those people who still believe that Thunderers are Move and Fire, and those who believe that Rangers still have the Foresters rule (no penalty through difficult terrain)*

Meeeeee =D

Nice job. But Dwarves are bad enough - please don't give them any other ideas =D, this is for when you're against Dwarves, not playing them.

Also, instead ofdouble (triple?/Quadruple?), please keep all your post in one. It's far easier that way, unless you're doing a WIP/Tactica.


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## retiye2 (Oct 20, 2008)

Yes sir!! Will do in the future, about not giving the dwarf players any ideas well, you have to know the worst that dwarfs can put out in order to fight against it don't you?:grin:

anyway thanks for the support (and the rep.) Dwarves and Conversions are my things so you might see some other tut like thing coming from me.:wink:


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## arhain (May 6, 2008)

Hide in a corner throwing comets at them


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## squeek (Jun 8, 2008)

I have moved retiye2's excellent tactics write up to form a seperate thread - Dwarf Tactica, since it is far more useful in that format as a useful tactica for Dwarf generals - squeek


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## retiye2 (Oct 20, 2008)

Thanks Squeek, because it was orrigionally written for here it was a bit how to kill them but I changed it in the new topic


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## Lord Sinkoran (Dec 23, 2006)

don't let them snipe your characters wth cannons its humiliating and really anoying. Try and trick your opponent in telling you if his lord has an oth stone cause if he does you ned an army to move him and his unit (usually ironbreakers). Weapons items that make you strike first are usless and a point sink against dwarves as they are I2 so spen the points else where. don't try and out shoot them coz its gunna be a up hill struggle for you from turn one unless you are a fast cavelry army like glade riders. Lore of metal is a must if you have access to it.


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## Dafistofmork (Jan 9, 2009)

oh, you can have an ASF gw-hand weapon, MRo swiftness, 2 Ro cleaving-ASF, +2 S. costs 65pts, but well worth it.


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