Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Edition 1.1/Dispossessed

Wargear

Shields: Your shields are down-right amazing. If you don't charge or run your dorfs can create a shield wall, allowing them to re-roll all of their failed saves in the combat phase untill your next movement phase.

Banners: Dorfs have access to 2 banner types: the first banner, the Clan banner, halves the number of models remobed from battleshock. Kinda crappy since you already have so many buffs to battleschock, but it could help in a pinch. The second and much better banner, the Runic Icon, gives you a 5+ save against casting attempts on units with the icon. This is arguably more reliable than wizards, and is a great way to make you even MORE durrable.

Musicians: Musicians are almost a must in the dispossessed list. Since dorfs are so slow, having a guarenteed 4" run is a more reliable way to position your dorfs.

Warscrolls

Heroes

• Warden King: Your rock. This guy hits hard, can take punishment like a champ, keeps your units from running and can make your Dorfs killier with his Command Ability. Never leave home without one of them. Unlike their 'legacy' counterpart, Warden Kings ALWAYS have a rune weapon and shield. The shield is arguably better than the older version (4+ rerolling vs. a flat 3+) and now your warden king can take an oathstone, which gives all dorfs nearby the ability to use his bravery, which makes them even MORE defensive. Stat-wise, your Dorf Lord is a Vampire Lord with a better save. Yes, that's awesome.

• Runelord: Here's your... priest? Okay, so he can strike runes to grant effects to your dorfs, giving them either a 6+ save-after-the-save for even hardier units or better Rend on their weapons for even more murder. It should be noted that this latter ability applies to ALL weapons the unit carries, yes, even to your already awesome Drakeguns. Two more things to note about the Runelord: First, he "prays" better than any other Priest, succeeding on 2+ and never hurting himself, second, you can argue (if you're a dick) that he doesn't actually "pray", so things like the Rain of Sigmar, for which Priests have to forgo praying, can be done even after your Runelord struck a rune.

• Unforged: Just as slow as any other Dorf, with only a 6+ save to keep him alive, no buff auras whatsoever and nobody wants him within 50 clicks of their Monsters. Yeah. If he manages to reach a monster, he'll hurt it something fierce, but any army with even a token ranged unit will focus fire him down. It's also worth noting that he's great at dealing with slaves to darkness units, since most of them have more than a single wound, he's wounding on a 2+ with double damage against most of their army.

Troops

• Dwarf Warriors: Your basic infantry and overall not a bad one. They have a choice between weapon and shield or great weapon, with the great weapon swapping To Hit and To Wound and having better Rend. Generally though you're better off with the shield, since the hand weapons are still decent and the shields are amazing: You need to forgo charging and running, but for that you may reroll your saves in melee, going from 33% saved to 52% saved. They also gain bonuses during your opponent's melee phase, so yeah, shield wall the hell out of them and never charge and they're awesome. They also have a choice of banners. The Clan Banner halves the amount of models that flee, which with all your awesome Battleshock abilities is rather meh or a Runic Icon, which negates spells cast at them on 5+, which is rather awesome.

• Quarrelers: Dorfs with Crossbows. They have great range and their weapons are okay, though not stellar. Get 20 or more of them and they can each shoot twice, at which point Sigmarines with Crossbows start feeling insecure. Really though, you use them because they can reliably mow down very light infantry from far away. If you want to fell big game, look elsewhere. They can also take Bucklers to give them the same awesome shield wall ability as the normal Dorfs, but they're shooty, so that's not really their point. However, unlike other ranged units, Quarrelers are surprisingly not awful in melee, being only one point worse at Hitting and otherwise the same as Dorf Warriors. They are also passable in close combat: being the same stat-line as state troops and other generic infantry.

• Thunderers: Thunderers want to be the slower-shooting but more powerful Quarrelers, but they don't really succeed. Sure they Wound better and have better Rend, but that's where the good stuff ends. Get 20 of them together and they don't shoot twice but instead Hit better. Woo. They're also shorter ranged than Quarrelers and left their axes at home, so they Wound one worse in melee, too. Ultimately, their guns look sweet, but that's just about all that can be said for them. Alternate Opinion: They’re shorter range than Quarrelers, but with a unit of 20+ they both hit, wound, and rend better than the Quarrelers. A unit of 20 with Forgefire from a Runelord has taken a Bloodthirster down to half health. I say quality of shots over quantity of shots.

• Longbeards: On first glance, Longbeards are simply Dorf Warriors + 1, with a better save and better Bravery, but without the ability to take a Runic Icon. On second glance, the wonky wording in their description allows them to take Great Weapon and Shield together. Then, on a third glance, there's their special rule (You no longer have to complain with them, but you still should for the lulz), which is awesome. In your hero phase, the longbeards start complaining about things, which gives them an 8" buff aura for one of 3 things. You can either give all Dorfs around them an extra 5+ save against fleeing, rerolls of 1s to Wound in melee, or let Dorf Heroes use their Command Ability without them being your Warlord. You know what else can do that last one? Settra and Archaon. Yeah, Longbeards are fucking awesome. Unfortunately, this list only has 1 hero with a command ability, though having 2 Warden kings declare Grudges is pretty sweet.

• Hammerers: There is nothing subtle about Hammerers and you wouldn't want them any other way. They swing a big Hammer, which has two swings at 3+/3+/-1/1, a rather nice profile, they have a 4+ save and don't take Battleshock if there's a Dorf Hero within 16". Unfortunately, they are somewhat outclassed by Ironbreakers and Irondrakes. Though really, that's an unfair comparison, because most any infantry is outclassed by them.

• Ironbreakers: The actual Dorf Warriors + 1. They get twice as many swings, their saves are one better and they have more Bravery. In addition, they can take a Runic Icon and ignore all Rend worse than -2. These are your anvil. So, they're reasonably safe from magic, about 90% of weapons can't rend their saves and in melee, they get a rerollable 4+. Yikes. The only thing that can reliably bring them down are non-magic-inflicted Mortal Wounds, so keep them away from stuff like Paladins, because your Ironbreakers hate Starsoul Maces with a passion. Other than that, they never ever fucking die and can dish out surprising amounts of hurt. Wound-per-Wound, they leave most infantry in the dust. Their leader can also opt to swap out his axe and shield for a pistol and bomb or a brace of pistols. While the extra damage at range is nice (as is the once-per-game ability to inflict d3 mortal wounds) it's not really worth ditching a little bit of durrability. Remember: These dorfs are the anvils, not the hammers.

• Irondrakes: If Ironbreakers are anvil and tongs, Irondrakes are the hammers. Any unit held in place by Ironbreakers (or any dorf infantry, for that matter) is already dead and only too stupid to realize it if you have Irondrakes nearby. Why? They get a pretty good missile weapon, being pretty much exactly a Judicator with Bow, only with 16" range. If they don't move and there's no enemy within 3", they shoot twice. So, wound per wound, they shoot four times as well as Judicators. Yikes. Their champion can take a Trollhammer Torpedo, which has better Rend and deals D3 damage (D6 if the target's a monster), but you can't fire that twice, so it's your call whether to use it. Much like the quarrelers, these guys are also no slouches in close combat: Having the same melee attacks as quarrelers and the same armour as Ironbreakers (albeit lacking rerolls)

Battalions

Grudgebound War Throng:

Allied Armies

• Dorfs: Bringing Dwarfs as allies is really only good if you plan to use them for access to older warmachines, named heroes, or the differently equipped Dorf Lord. It's also worth noting that the Dispossessed Clan Throng and the Dispossessed Artillery battery are both great for their points.

• Fyreslayers:

• Ironweld Arsonal: Your cannons. Use these guys to relive the glory days of 8th and cannon gun-lines.

• Free Peoples: While the armies are similar (both being defensive armies with good shooting) they mesh well together.

External links

Rules are here