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I'm starting a dwarf army and it seems like it would be alot of fun to have 12 halfling skirmishers running around. What kind of uses could these little guys have for a dwarf army?

olympia wrote:I'm starting a dwarf army and it seems like it would be alot of fun to have 12 halfling skirmishers running around. What kind of uses could these little guys have for a dwarf army?

"My cocks charge your horses."

They would definitely prove to be a decent distraction. I'd use them to attempt to slip behind my opponent's units on one flank and march block them. With a dwarf army you already cause a ton of damage with massed shooting from thunderers and quarrelers.
The advantages they'd have over your other dwarven units are : 1) M4 vs M3 2) skirmishers (I don't think there's a skirmishing unit anywhere in the dwarf army book) and 3) the ability to move and shoot (except for quarrelers I don't think anything else can do that).
Disadvantages would be: 1) toughness 2 vs 4 2)strength 3 shots vs strength 4, most with armor piercing 3) no armor saves vs average to very good armor 4) poor close combat capabilities
You would definitely need to support them well to prevent them getting chased off the board rather quickly. Their leadership is fairly solid, so panic tests due to shooting shouldn't be too bad. Your opponent may decide to ignore them as they would, on average, manage only 6 2/3 strength 3 hits and that's with 0 negatives. Meanwhile your warmachines, thunderers and quarrels would pose a muchhigher threat.
My ultimate advice is "if you like them, take them". As long as you realize what kind of work they are for and do your best to apply them in that role they should do you well enough to warrant keeping them. If anything, it'll keep players from crying cheese as much against you.

Really the greatest benefit would be the extra march blocking from a skirmishing unit. The Rangers are tough to use in a traditional scouting unit role, and anything that slows your enemy down on the way to a Dwarven gunline is going to make things unhappy.

RZ

I want to hear an old man with no teeth say this

" my cock negated your rank bonus"

just dont charge the rear of a unit.

Red_Zeke wrote:Really the greatest benefit would be the extra march blocking from a skirmishing unit. The Rangers are tough to use in a traditional scouting unit role, and anything that slows your enemy down on the way to a Dwarven gunline is going to make things unhappy.
RZ

The problem will be getting them into position to march block, being that they are movement 4. It'll be hard to slip behind your opponent's line unless he lets you or just doesn't know any better.

LunaHound wrote:
I want to hear an old man with no teeth say this
" my cock negated your rank bonus"

while funny, skirmishers can't negate rank bonuses.. I kinda wish they did. But with strength 2, toughness 2 and weapon skill 2, charging them into the flank or rear of a unit would give your opponent more combat resolution from killing them than they'd give you..

I think having some horses would be better. A unit of those empire mercenary knights would do nicely in a slow moving dwarf force.

But to answer the question, I think they would be good as a screen or a unit to support units in combat or make a distraction.

Do they not scout? I guess I just assumed that they did, and you'd be able to march block from some woods. My mistake.

RZ