Dwarves: Need Help

**lacrossepl9** · December 30, 2009, 10:40 PM

So I am playing as the Dwarves and its around turn 150, amazing campaign so far I have turtled most of the game and only have around 10 settlements. I only spread as far as Wormcove in the Misty Mountains and focused more of my attention on Rhun. I just took Rhomen after a long and bloody war with Rhun and I finally crippled their armed forces. But Rohan is destroyed, Gondor is being massacred by Isengard, Harad, and Mordor combined. The Silvan Elves have been dropped all the way back to their two northern most settlements, and now Mordor and Rhun are focusing their attention on Dale who is down to 2 cities but is holding well. Meanwhile I am rebuilding my armies and preparing for the inevitable, I do not want to retake Dale for going to war with Mordor would be suicide, but if Dale is lost I lose the one buffer state between me and the evil powerhouses. Rhun and I have a ceasefire and they do not have the armies to fight a 2 front war. The real threat is Mordor, should I invade Dale and retake their lost cities and give them back to my allies?

**Disco_Stu** · December 30, 2009, 10:54 PM

how are the high elves and eraidor doing in the west? if their not powerful you might as well give it up... unless you have the OOTMM taken out... in that case make the misty mts. your stronghold and prepare to withstand the black ocean that is about to decend upon you haha

**Danny_K_1** · December 30, 2009, 11:42 PM

Well if Dale is holding with the 2 settlements and they are rather comfortable at the moment, go conquer Rhun and give Dale some settlements to get back on their feet and then turn your attention to the other evil factions.

**Alphonse** · December 31, 2009, 06:04 AM

I was also looking for some help on dwarven tactics... I may as well post here and not create another dwarf help thread. I tried playing with these heavily armored troops but in the end it just seems to be too much.

I frequently spend the whole of a battle chaseing skirmisher units around the map for the full hour long battle time limit without gaineing a foot on them, and there arent enough crossbowmen to justify the dificulty.

I know you can recruit dale horsemen, but on the other side of the map, I'm well and fully boned for cavalry units.

Are there some tips or manuvers for this pointy eared elf, used to useing bows and fleet of foot infantry to chase down enemy archers [or punch them full of arrows], switching to Heavy, slow dwarves?

**Lordinquisitor** · December 31, 2009, 06:13 AM

Avoid Field battles entirely, if you see some skirmishers. Try to siege castles and towns directly- Dwarves are very strong in both assault and defense of a town.

**Strong_Bow** · December 31, 2009, 06:53 AM

If a siege is impossible and you have to fight on the open field, what I usually do is use units like Dwarven Warriors, Iron Gaurd etc, put them in the shield wall formation and allow the skirmishers to pepper them with javelins. Hopefully, you should have only a hand-full of casualties once the skirmishers have spent their ammo and you can charge them head on with your superior heavy infantry.

But, if that idea doesn't appeal to you then try boxing them in by closing in with units from every side, the enemy will have no choice but to run into one of your companies.

**lacrossepl9** · December 31, 2009, 09:45 AM

Thanks everyone for the quick replies, the HE and Eriador are very strong in the west as in the West I only took Lunelaith (which is one of my best cities right now financially) and so Eriador and the HE expanded far and are huge buffer states. The Misty Mountains however are still held strong by the OOTMM, luckily I am making alot of money now after the capture of Rhomen so I have a pretty nice garrison of fresh new troops in Erebor ready for the attack from Mordor, Dale has been taken they are now left with Araw and Esgaroth which are both being sieged by Rhun and Mordor. Dale is not well defended right now as Mordor is committing its forces to the Silvans and southern Dale, so I am gathering my forces and having the Dwarves sally forth and try and retake Dale, if this is the end I am going out with a fight haha.

**Maverock** · December 31, 2009, 10:25 AM

Good luck

hope you can hold Erebor in the East and then retake your strenght in the West with the help of Eriador and HE.

**lacrossepl9** · December 31, 2009, 12:16 PM

It worked, turn 170 now and my retaking of Dale completely caught Mordor off guard! Mordor had committed all its forces to fighting the remaining settlements the Silvans had and left only about a few half stacks with a ten star general to defend their regions in Dale never thinking the Dwarves would rise up with 3500 soldiers and march on all their cities. I've retaken all of Dale with just 1 stack and only in about 5 turns its a blitz where I just siege, assault, sack, give to Dale, siege, assault, sack, give to Dale. Now Dale is back to its former strength and Mordor is reeling back into Mirkwood with no army to stop me. The only threat I have now is Rhun who is strong on their south western border, but their south east is almost undefended so I will march down that way and hit them from the rear. This is by far the greatest campaign ever!

**tallstark** · December 31, 2009, 12:58 PM

Oh, you are not done yet by a long shot LOL. If OOTMM are still pretty strong, Rhun is alive and well and Mordor simply retreated out of the woods, there will be an invasion of Dale called within 15 turns, guaranteed. Go throw everything you got at Moria if you can swing it. If not, take out Rhun now. The one good thing you have is that most of Rhuns homelands have mines, and you have mining bonsues as a dwarf etc... so secure one border or the other. Mordor WILL be back, and with more trolls. OTOH, you are playing the only faction that can go toe to toe, so thats just more fun!!

**lacrossepl9** · December 31, 2009, 01:03 PM

I am ready for it, but like I said I gave Dale all its lands back including Dale so I am safe behind 6 settlements of Dale strongholds now lol, that I secured for them. My stack has one more city to take and liberate for Dale then its heading home retraining and going back into the fray. If an invasion is called I will send the stack back to Dale to act as reinforcements. Its basically Dale, whats left of the Silvans, and myself vs. Rhun and Mordor, the OOTMM are busy in Eriador and have no forces close to my borders so its really 2 vs. 2 as the Silvans are all but destroyed. Let's see if Dale and I can hold these guys.