The Dwarfs are one of the most ancient races of the Warhammer World. They have always made their homes in the World's Edge Mountains, the vast mountain chain that marks the eastern boundary of the Old World. Here in ancient times the Dwarfs built their massive underground strongholds. At its height the realm of the Dwarfs spread from the far north to the distant south, their mines stretching far beneath the earth itself. The days of glory are now long gone; many strongholds lie in ruins or are occupied by evil creatures. The great achievements of the south are now but memories and ancient sagas sung in the halls of the survivng Dwarf strongholds.
The Dwarf army is difficult to play because of its lack of mobility and the specialization of its troops. In order to win, you have to use your lack of speed as a tactical tool against your opponent, and choose the right combination of troops to take your army to victory. This article provides a look at the Dwarfs, their units and special rules, and how you can best use these to your advantage and consistenly win.
Dwarf Special Rules
The Dwarf army has a number of special rules that both work to its advantage and disadvantage. The most noticable of these is the lack of any traditional magic. This can sometimes be seen as a weak point for the army, but with the additional dispel dice the army is given you're not at much of a disadvantage. You can gain extra dispel dice from taking Runesmiths, and a Runelord will also allow you access to the expensive Anvil of Doom, which will provide you with some runic "spells" to cast. When choosing what spells to dispel, only go for those that will have a major affect on the game. A crafty opponent will cast a few minor spells before casting a more important spell in order to drain your dispel dice pool. Don't fall for this!
Ancestral Grudge is a rule that only comes into play when fighting Greenskins. It's a grand advantage for your troops, but don't let yourself get drawn into useless combats or assaulting a unit they cannot break. Relentless makes up somewhat for your lack of mobility, allowing you to march within 8" of the enemy, which will get your troops in better positions to charge (or move past enemy units, as the need arises).
Resolute is the double edged sword that catches most Dwarf players. While it seems like -1" to your flee moves is an advantage at first, it can also hurt. There are times when your Dwarf will flee and, due to the Resolute rule, will not have the extra inch of movement needed to escape a pursuing foe. The -1" on pursuit moves can be a disadvantage quite often because you won't catch fleeing units as often as you would otherwise. However, there are times when a situation will be set up to draw a pursuing unit into combat with a unit it has no chance of beating, in which case it may be useful to have the extra inch dropped off. Even so, this could leave you in a bind, an inch away from an enemy unit that is quite able to charge in its next turn.