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New to WHFB 7th. Have 2 boxes of BFSP painted up. Leaning toward Dwarfs and waiting on the Army Book to arrive.

From the contents of the starter and from the postings I've read here and elsewhere, Dwarfs look very slow or even stationary. Is there a way to make them a mobile force versus a gun-line?

I'm thinking of fielding blocks of 20 warriors with the 20 thunderers I already have. Any suggestions for making a starting Dwarf force quicker?

Thanks in advance.

Look to the runes.

Strollaz's Rune under Runic Standards, page 45

Allows units within 12" make an additional move (march or normal) before the game begins.

Rune of Brotherhood under Runic Talismans page 47

Allows a character to join a Ranger unit that deploys as scouts.

I don't really know Dwarfs, but I remember I watched someone
use these runes to good effect in a 2k game.

privateer4hire wrote:New to WHFB 7th. Have 2 boxes of BFSP painted up. Leaning toward Dwarfs and waiting on the Army Book to arrive.

From the contents of the starter and from the postings I've read here and elsewhere, Dwarfs look very slow or even stationary. Is there a way to make them a mobile force versus a gun-line?

I'm thinking of fielding blocks of 20 warriors with the 20 thunderers I already have. Any suggestions for making a starting Dwarf force quicker?

Thanks in advance.

Strollaz Rune on bsb, miners, gyrocopters and the rune of challenge to force enemy come to you.
In 2k+ games anvil of doom is your best bet (and is especially nasty with miners).

Strollaz rune, and make your lord a Runelord with Anvil. Throw in a couple of units of miners, and maybe a gyrocopter or two. Your dwarves now can play aggressively.

The anvil, in particular, is key. This allows one of your units, anywhere on the table, on a roll of 2+ (or a d3 units on a 4+ if you get desperate) to move in the shooting phase (including charging), with no way for the enemy to counter it. This is SICK. Dwarves without it are susceptible to the enemy just moving around their flanks. With it, your flank units just turns (1/4 move) and moves (their remaining 2.25”) towards said flanking enemy in the movement phase. Then charges 6” in the shooting phase. Basically, no enemy unit is safely out of your charge arc; they HAVE to be more than 8.25” away from your sides or rear, or more than 12” from your front.

When your miners walk on from anywhere on the table edge on turns 2-3, you can immediately use the anvil to make them charge an enemy warmachine or shooting unit, or maybe even the rear of a more-expensive enemy unit what was foolish enough to be within 8” or so of the table edge.

Gyrocopters fly 20”, can march block the enemy to slow them down, and have a flame template weapon to deal some pain to lightly-armored enemy units.

Combine this stuff with some hard blocks, and a few shooting units to soften up particularly tough or fast enemy units, and you have a dwarf build which competes in all phases. You do want to make sure you have Stubborn (Hammerers), Unbreakable (Slayers) or unflankable (Oathstone) units on the flanks of your advancing line, as the enemy WILL try to outmaneuver you anyway, and you want your line to hold.

I've never played with Dwarves, mostly because they aren't as mobile as say.... High Elves. However, I know some people that have converted some models for "Dwarf Cavalry" using bears, ponies, etc. Though you wouldn't be able to use them in a tournament, in friendly games they might be pretty cool. Also, considering their levels of technology, you may convert up a few Dwarf Tanks. Once again, this doesn't conform to the army lists. Aside from that, you can always take mercenary allies.

Sturmtruppe wrote:I've never played with Dwarves, mostly because they aren't as mobile as say.... High Elves. However, I know some people that have converted some models for "Dwarf Cavalry" using bears, ponies, etc. Though you wouldn't be able to use them in a tournament, in friendly games they might be pretty cool.

Why not? Just use them as a mercenary Dogs of War cavalry unit.

I just accept that my Dwarves are relatively slow. With their ability to always march though they can make it 36" across in a typical game (combined with starting near the front of their zone this means that can cross the whole table) - more with pursuit moves. You just need to make sure you have enough firepower to make the enemy come to you.

I'm a Dwarf player and I'm also someone who wanted to play "Mobile Dwarfs" since I wasn't too big on the whole static army thing.

The Anvil will give you a ton of Mobility and the ability to beat a lot of armies that would otherwise give you fits (all Cav Bretts for example). Miners usually suck, but in tandem with the Anvil they are an incredible unit. Here is a list I wrote up a few months ago but have yet to actually try at 2k Points:

Lord
Runelord - 393
Anvil, Shield, RoPreservation, RoResistance, RoStone, Tailsman of the Forge, RoSpellbreaking

Core
24 Warriors - 231
Shields, Standard, Musician

25 Warriors - 240
Shields, Standard, Musician

20 Longbeards - 315
Shields, Full Command - RoBattle, RoStoicism

Special
Cannon, RoForging - 125
BT w/ Engineer, RoPen - 85
BT w/ Engineer, RoPen, RoBurning - 90

20 Miners - 270
Full Command, Steam Drill

10 Miners - 110

Rare
Gyro Copter - 140

I could probably mix it up so that I had an extra rank in the 10 Man unit and only 2 Ranks in the big unit of Miners and the list would probably be a bit better.

Also the reason I haven't played this list yet is because you get grief when you use an Anvil, at least that's been my experience. I'm sure when I try it with the Miners combo, at least this heavily, people will get upset.

Is there a way to play mobile without the Anvil or are Dwarves pretty much slow OR Anvil-having?

privateer4hire wrote:Is there a way to play mobile without the Anvil or are Dwarves pretty much slow OR Anvil-having?

You can try using rangers and miners and some Gyro's without an Anvil, but it won't be nearly as effective and you will require much more shooting.

i have a mate who uses bugman and takes two units of longbeard rangers, 3 bolthrowers,a unit of 14 warriors,a thane, and loads of quarrelers

orkyboss30000,

please refrain from posting in a thread that has been dormant for over a month unless there is some major new news or pressing need to do so.

In this case, the original poster has almost certainly long since gotten on with figuring out how to play his dwarves.