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Due to my new job as a kind of Warhammer "tutor" at our local gaming store I have played more often since 6th edition has taken over than the last 3 years. So some of my observations might be of interest to you. Due to my new job as a kind of Warhammer "tutor" at our local gaming store I have played more often since 6th edition has taken over than the last 3 years. So some of my observations might be of interest to you. First of all; dwarfs are still dwarfs but almost everything else has
changed! Not for the worse but for the better. Lately I have seen a dwarf army list that used a Emperor dragon and about 6 organ guns (5th). Forget all about it. And to be honest I didn't like such ways of playing. Generally speaking almost every unit has become cheaper and characters aren't what they used to be. So the new Warhammer is more about RnF-troops. When we have a look at the new dwarfen army book we also have to have in mind that all other races have already changed or will change
as well. I won't go into detail but have a brief look at the available units. Characters; The heroes are good and solid fighters, while the general and the runemaster have some abilities to become some of the most dangerous leaders in the game. Especially the master of runes and his anvil (which is optional) might surprise some enemies. Dwarfs and magic is possible now!

The shooters;
Whether one chooses x-bows or handgunners is on the one hand a question of taste (I prefer the long range of the x-bow) on the other hand a question of how to play. More aggressive players should opt for handguns as you are more flexible while x-bows are still capable solide defense weapons.

The hth-units;
Warriours, the ordinary dwarfen warriour is not to be underestimated! With just 9p. you get a solid dwarf who has WS4, T4 and a 3+ armour save in hth. The special units all come at about the same cost. Hammerers, Ironbreakers, Slayers or Long beards have all their uses. Slayers are perhaps the most difficult unit to play as you should hide them behind other units. Otherwise they won't see a foe against shooty armies.
Hammerers are very usefull against high-T armies and Ironbreakers are capable of handling most situation.

The special forces:
Miners have now the ability of entering the table from the second turn on. With their double handed weapon they are quite dangerous. Just do not rely on them totally. I have seen my miners enter the table too late to be of any use. Of course if the scenario says that table quarters have to be secured the are a No.1 choice. You decide where to enter and it doesn't matter if they come a bit late, normaly they help you to another
table quarter. Rangers are very usefull too. Here you have to decide whether to equip them fully. With x-bow and shield you really get some Marines like guys but then they are very very expansive (18 points each). On the other hand I have seen 10 Rangers deal with a unit of elvish Swordmaster (first they shoot at them, then the hacked them) and still be able to secure the quarter they were in!

The warmachines:
Some think that this is the real strength of dwarfs. And yes, I think that dwarfs still have the best artillery compared with other armies. Cannons, Flame cannon, stone thrower and bolt thrower haven't changed that much. Gyrocopter and organ gun are not as strong as before but still usefull. My personal favourite are stone throwers. With a rune or two they are still not too expensive and combine long range with armour ignoring hits!

Observations from the battlefields:
The following statements might be very personal but I have observed over 30 games with dwarfs against different foes (sometimes I have fought with dwarfs sometimes I have battled them and sometimes I just observed other players) and this is the outcome:
-In terms of shooting the Empire are the only match for dwarfs at the moment. The new army composition rules do not allow batteries of cannons any more and some of the other armies' artillery have been toned down (like the RBT).
-Even with the possibility to go the full 6" every time, fast armies are still the dwarfs nightmare. Empire armies that relied heavily on knights have caused most troubles.
-It is almost useless to try magic (which in general is much weaker in 6th) against dwarfs. I have seen a Lizards' army with 3 shamans and a slann just being able to cast a single spell!
-Rangers and miners have added some new possibilites to the playing style of dwarfs. But still many dwarfen generals aren't too sure how to use them. Personally I think that both are great for securing table quarters. Rangers are helpful as you can position them without having to march to certain positions. While I use my empire huntsmen mainly for "real" infiltrating and getting rid of magicians and/or war machines, my dwarfen rangers are more likely to secure flanks.
-Dwarfs are still outnumbered by most of their opponents but if you make use of your standard troops you might end with quite an impressive force. I have seen some armies containing of mainly warriours and thunderers performing very well!

So what is my advice?
First of all get rid of 5th edition tactics (of cours eno one is forced to use 6th. And I know some gaming clubs that simply refuse to jump on the train. But I really would suggest to give 6th a chance. Much more tactical and less "the one with the big furry monster wins"), they won't work.
Army composition is much more important than ever. Most games take place with 1500-2500 points, so you are limited in your choice. There are two ways of creating proper army lists. The first is to try and make a very balanced army, the second to finetune an army against a certain opponent. Normally I try to make a balanced army. Much more realistic to stick to a single army than changing it every week. The tactic that worked often was to have a healthy mix of long range weapons and some strong hth units. Dwarfs are still no attacking force, not even when you heavenly use Miners and Rangers. SO try to annoy your opponent as much that he simply has to advance (some armies might attack you anyway!)
Keep your force together!!With the exception of the special forces you shouldn't have more than 2 blocks of units. Stretch out your battle line too thin and your opponent might use his speed to attack one unit after the other.

To illustrate, here is a kind of sample army for 6th:

Appr. 2000p:
Characters:
1 Thane
2 Runesmith
Core:
2x15 xbows
2x20 warriors
1x15 miners

special:
1x20 Ironbreakers
2 stone throwers

rare:
1 flamcannon

This is obviously a quite defensive formation. The x-bows and the ironbreakers form the center of the battle line with the warriors at each flank. Stone throwers are deployed behind, flame cannon in the center. The miners are hold back; either to help if there is a part of the battle line in danger or to enter the game at your opponents side. With the stone throwers and the x.bows you are able to hit your opponent from the beginning. Magic shouldn't play a role with 2 runesmith in your army. Stone throwers ignore armour, so try and get rid of such troops first. Remember that dwarfs with x-bows, shield and light armour still make formidable hth troops.

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Page Updated Sat Jun 30, 2001 11:29am EDT