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Do you prefer using hand weapon and shield or great weapons for units such as warriors and longbeards? I am a new Dwarf player and am asking because I find my longbeards with great weapons often take many casualties before getting into battle (from magic, handguns, arrows, etc) and also take heavy casualties in HTH combat (because they go slow with great weapons and have less armour to survive attacks before getting their own attacks in - the ones that can attack).

Why not take both great weapons and shields. that way you get your extra armour to magic and shooting, and then you can evaluate using your great weapons on a case by case basis. if you are going up against something with high strength and good weapon skill, use your hand weapon and shield for the extra two to armour. if you get the charge(and that is a big if) or you are fighting average weapon skill and average strength, then use your great weapon. remember you are very rarley going to have the higher initiative, so if going last is a big reason why you would choose not to take a great weapon, it shouldn't be.

If your scrounging for points and its either or, maybe try hand weapons and shield for warriors (keeping them cheap) and go for special units with great weapon as most special units come with this option essentially for free (plus all the other cool things they can do). Miners, Hammerers, Slayers all come with great weapons. If you are saving your special slots for war machines then go with the Longbeard upgrade on a unit of warriors and give them great weapons. LBs have the same WS and STR as the better units in the special slots. Yes they are more expensive than some special choices but this way you get to take an additional war machine.

I would try to absorb frontal attacks with the hw and shield option and flank with great weapon units as much as possible. The hand weapon and shield increase your survivability and chances of absorbing a charge. Also smaller flanking units of great weapon weilding dwarfs are cheaper points wise.

Regular warriors and longbeards, always go HW/Shield.

The 3+ save, coupled with T4 is a bugger to get through.

Not much point having great weapons if there is noone left to fight in the front rank....

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. GWs make Warriors very good at dying. Nothing else. And the only thing Dwarf Warriors are good for is not dying. You need them alive. With HW+Shield, they're 9 pt combat resolution machines: WS4, T4, Ld9, and a 3+ in CC. If you want to kill something, buy a choppy character.

Yep...HW/Shield. What gets great weapons in my Dwarven army? Rangers.......

I've played Dwarves for a number of years now, and I've found that combining shield/HW Warriors with a GW Thane is a darned effective combo. Essentially, absurd staying power/combat res/survivability combined with 3 S6 attacks, often with other rune goodness thrown in the mix. I've defeated many a Chaos Warrior or KOTR charge this way.

Thanks for all the advice.