Warhammer/Tactics/6th Edition/Dwarfs

THE ORIGINAL BLUE BOOK

Army Special Rules

• Ancestral Grudge: your dwarfs hate all types of Greenskins. Orcs, Goblins, Night Goblins, hobgoblins, everything.
• Resolute: Flee and pursuit roles are 2d6-1" instead of 2d6". Supposedly this is to represent a dwarf's "determination not to abandon their position", but we all know it's because dwarfs are natural sprinters (and very dangerous over short distances).
• Relentless: Dwarfs may march even when enemy units are within 8". This is excellent: use it to evade enemy manoeuvres and make sure you can't be tied down by the ol' fast cavalry lock.

• Slayer: Your Slayers, Daemon Slayers and Dragon Slayers have this one. Whenever you find yourself facing a unit with a higher Toughness than your Strength, you can increase your Strength to match it for that round of attacks only. This counts both for wound roles and for calculating armour saves. You do not need to decrease your Strength for weaker targets, mind.

• While not technically an army special rule, Dwarfs also generate 4 dispel dice (see the big rule book) instead of the usual 2. You also get more for each Runesmith or Runelord present in the army.

Units Analysis

Named Characters

• King Alrik Ranulfsson of Karak Hirn:
• Thorek Ironbrow:

Lords & Heroes

• Lord:
• Runelord:
• Daemon Slayer:

• Thane: With an above-average stat line (WS6 and S4, wow) for a low cost, Thanes are reliable backup characters who aren't only useful for carrying around the Army Standard. With a 50pt runic allowance, they can be turned into virtually any sort of hero, be they a toolkit support hero or a combat beast. Comes with the usual option and, uniquely, the option to take either a crossbow or a handgun alongside a pistol.

• Runesmith: Gives you +1 dispel dice just by being on the table, and access to a whole 75 points worth of runic items, as opposed to the measly 50p of magical items most other heroes have to contend with. Can take all the armour options, including Gromril armour and a shield, making him quite tanky, and his statline's comparable to a Thane's, with the only difference being one less WS and Attack. The 15pt cost increase over that of a Thane is pretty reasonable just for the extra dispel die.
  • The real reason you take this guy is for his unique runic talisman items. Runes of Spellbreaking (dispel scrolls in all but name) and their mightier cousin the Rune of Spelleating, which not only auto-dispels but also prevents wizards from casting that same spell again for the rest of the game; the Master Rune of Balance which steals an enemy power die and adds it to your dispel pool each turn; and the Master Rune of Spellbinding which just adds +1 to all your dispel attempts.

• Engineer: A weaker statline, but with the option to take either one pistol, two pistols, or a handgun. It's not like you want this guy in combat anyways: his job is babysitting your artillery, which he can join (becoming an additional crewman). His Artillery Master rule lets you guess twice for cannon and stone thrower ranges, although not for those newfangled flame cannon contraptions, or re-roll misses with a bolt thrower. If he does so, he cannot shoot on his own that turn, and if a warmachine he has joined explodes then he dies with his crew.

• Dragon Slayer: Has the Loner rule, which means he can only join Slayer units. For 10pts over a Thane you're getting an extra point of initiative and the Unbreakable and Slayer rules... if you're running Slayer units, he might be be worth the consideration. His 50pt rune allowance can only be spent on Weapon runes, not talismans or armour runes (he's naked, duh).

Core Units

• Warriors:
• Crossbowmen:
• Thunderers:
• Miners:
• Rangers: Scouts AND move through forests. Pansy elves won't know what hit them.

Special Units

• Hammerers
• Longbeards
• Ironbreakers
• Slayers
• Cannon
• Bolt Thrower
• Stone Thrower

Rare Units

• Organ Gun:
• Flame Cannon:
• Gyrocopter:

THE SECOND BOOK

Units Analysis

Named Characters

• High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer:
• Thorek Ironbrow:
• Josef Bugman: Okay, this lad has been around before time itself began. I'm not sure about his cost-effectiveness but this guy is just so characterful that he should be given a special privilege to be allowed even in tournaments where special characters are not normally allowed.

Lords & Heroes

• Lord:
• Runelord:
• Daemon Slayer:

• Thane:
• Runesmith:
• Engineer:
• Dragon Slayer

Core Units

• Warriors:
• Crossbowmen:
• Thunderers:
• Miners:
• Rangers:

Special Units

• Hammerers
• Longbeards
• Ironbreakers
• 0-1 Slayers

• Cannon
• Bolt Thrower
• Stone Thrower

Rare Units

• Organ Gun:
• Flame Cannon:
• Gyrocopter: