Dwarven campaign help

[Outlawstar15a2]

I'm just starting a campaign as Dwarfs for experiment. And it's a interesting position but to me the few battles I fought against Orcs. Dwarves seem underpowered. I sent a full stack with good mix against a savage Orc stack and though I hurt them badly I was routed. I noticed a fatal lack of AP units which is odd to me because Dwarves use alot of axes and hammers. I'm currently looking for some sort of tactical advise because the way it is now I need to spam Dwarves just to win fights as I never seem to kill enough Orcs and I don't know why. Also two full Night Goblin stacks just spawned behind Karak Eight Peaks and I was gonna move my capital there. I guess I won't be now...

I like the Dwarves I just need some advice on how to survive. I'm currently sending a expedition to take the three Orc settlements but it ain't looking too good. I already had my faction heir brought back to me on his shield....

EDIT: I'm playing still playing 1.01 right now. Will upgrade to 1.02 later...

[Denzel]

I agree that the dwarf position is an interesting one, and I always liked the dwarfs. However I also feel that they are slightly underpowered and afaik that is a common belief. I mean the basic dwarfs arent really better than most other basic infantry, in fact I feel they die way too easy, their elite units are pretty good, but then again so are the other races, you dont really feel that your dwarves are stronger than other races which I believe should be the case, stronger and fewer.

Also their campaign is made even harder with the fact that orcs spawn 3 huge armies to the west, usually using them to attack you very early, and if you are unlucky sylvania will siege zhufbar with another huge stack, if that happens you will be very hard pressed to save it. After this as you said about 7k night goblins spawn and instantly siege Karak-Eight Peaks, now goblins are easily broken but in my case I had moved the army in Karak-Eight Peaks to confront and orc horde in the field and was caught offguard with only 600 dwarves in the castle when the attack came. When you have weathered this storm soon enough Tzeentch will come a-knocking with 5 huge stacks of elite chaos warriors, very much superior too yours. But it all makes the campaign interesting.

One thing I think I made right with this campaign is this, build mines asap in all settlements that can and military structures in those that cant, then try to keep buying units as they become available, your castles can support very many free upkeep units and you will need them. Try to keep a large force in each of your bases and have a way of noticing incoming stacks, I find watchtowers to be good. You will be able to recruit artillery in time before chaos arrives and I feel they will play an instrumental role as quite frankly their chaos warriors are superior to your troops. In addition almost every dwarf unit seem to be able to place sharpened stakes so abuse those against their knights. I think playing defensively until you have broken the spawned chaos army would be the best way to go.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

The best defence is defence when you play Dwarfs at least at the beginning
- stay behind your walls on which the greenskin filth will break
- when defending Karaz-A-Karak or other fortresses or citadels forget about outer walls and concentrate your forces on the inner ones,
- deploy your forces just behind the gates, crossbows on the walls and wait for those suckers to come to you,
- try to upgrade you castles asap
- use this to make the boiling oil working correctly http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=324911
- oh, and when you upgrade to 1.02 and download the 1.02 fix remember to NOT implement descr_projectile.txt (it messes the way crossbows work - very strange/odd/improper change),
- after the initial waves you can start building up your forces and expand after turn ~25.

Hope this will in some way help you. Good luck!!!

[Action Fighter]

Autoresolve is the key expanding as Dwarfs. I win battles on autoresolve i lose in the battle map. Even alot of Heroic Victories has been made for me on auto resolve. Alternative is to buff them yourself in the EDU.

[Beregond]

use more gunpowder. Thunderers and Cannons are a must have. they break greenskins' morale very quickly

[PSIHOPAT]

Don't forget miners.

This mo**ers make in the enemy line an real massacre,and are able to broke the morale of any unit who don't have lock morale.

[Pantsalot]

I'd agree that they're underpowered, need AP & I'd even say the thunderers are not much better than their
quatermasters. Beware of Varek Crom's march on your capital, I'd say it's only possible to hold it for the first
battle (against 3 armies) until they send in the rest (another 3), my PC CTD's after the first battle -.- .

Since of these scripted armies I'd suggest to keep a good garrison in your cities bordering the Orcs & Goblins
at all times & then slowly create a force from your outlying forts to attack the Border Princes Goblin Castle
(forgot the name) in the West & then focus on the East.

Also in your fortresses you should make sure to have about 2 mortars units, keep them on the last wall of defenses
& fire down onto advancing siege equipment, normally outlasting a massed enemy in the siege is best,
which is also why I recommend to only keep ranged units on your outer defences & all your meleé in the
centre.

[cedric37]

Slayers + thunderers can overcome any orcish army (at least the AI ones); and as sayed before, try to defend at first. Then once you get sufficient slayers & thunderers it is quite easy to crush the orcs. Longbeards with shield are also usefull to stand the ground, but alone cannot really win the battle.

[PSIHOPAT]

Dwarfs are not underpowered.

They are very strong,and their artillery is killing machines.
But...can be made some improvements...

I proved how powerful the dwarfs are....
And this...in battle....not talking..
Just watch the spectacle...

Dwarfs attacking
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...46#post6605946

Dwarfs defending
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...72#post6588072

[Ethien]

Dwarfs get a bit of a buff in 1.02, especially the artillery.

Their basic infantry is still terrible though and tires out quickly. Considering the threats the Dwarfs face, they still have a hard time of it.

[PSIHOPAT]

Dwarfs get a bit of a buff in 1.02, especially the artillery.

Their basic infantry is still terrible though and tires out quickly. Considering the threats the Dwarfs face, they still have a hard time of it.

They are not terrible.Watch what i made with they and you will see i am right.I play very rare with they,just in custom battle,and even so i made an massacre against a enemy who has appeared far superior.The battle balance from start of the game,has told me "defeat is a certain possibility".It seem was not like that.If is a problem with dwarfs...is a problem of person who lead them...not otherwise.But still they can be improved.

Dwarfs tire quick if are used bad.For they,artillery,gunners,crosbows and miners are elements necessary in any battle. The role of the dwarven artillery is to destroy enemy from range forcing them to attack.If enemy is out of range,they will march in organized formation,until the cannons and mortars are able to shot.After beginning of the dwarven artillery fire,enemy will decide if will run toward dwarfs,or will stay and will be destroyed from the distance.If not entirely...elite units for sure.

Simple.

[Ethien]

You need to leave out assumptions about player skill, and I have not lost a battle as the Dwarfs against the Greenskins. Because I have effectively won against the Greenskins, and even the three stacks of Tzeentch warriors at Karaz-A-Karak, does not mean the very basic infantry does not need to change. I could provide screenshots if this is needed.

You once told me to give you a "brake" with the advice about tactics, despite not advising you on how to play at all. Because there is critique of one or two basic units, does not mean the overall faction is pathetically weak, and that was not implied either, at least not by me.

Using a conjunction of a faction's units is typically the method to winning a battle, and that much is obvious. However, as you also did admit "they can still be improved."

I personally have no issue with them, except it's a challenge to expand when fighting not only the Greenskins, but Tzeentch as well. I'm currently playing a County, and I saved the Dwarfs when they had only Karak Hirn left. I have not yet seen them do well, unless I, the player, was actually in control.

Since I'll have to be exact so assumptions won't be made, the basic infantry that I criticize, tires out quickly in battle. I use them in numbers to make them effective, and the losses are typically heavy in defense, and like any line infantry, they're used in bulk. Whereas my special units serve as shock troopers, in addition to artillery adding to my supplementary firepower.

With Dwarfs, I expect fewer numbers, and more durable line infantry in comparison.

Also, my advice would be to play them in the campaign at anything above easy. While victory is possible, it is still quite difficult to expand. Sylvania attacking Zhufbar, Crom's Chaos spawning, Night Goblins spawning, and Greenskins encroaching from the east. Often you have to spend your time with full stacks in your Karaks, and I think that can be reasonably agreed upon.

[PSIHOPAT]

You tend to agree with me and say about another problem,not mentioned by me => problem who come from bad position,surrounded by enemy,and scripted armies.
This is another thing and some may like very much the challenge...but also,another not.

But...as i told...they are good and not bad...but nothing is perfect...and they can be improved.

[Ethien]

I'm able to agree with one point, but still point out what I don't agree with. As my point stands, that the line infantry needs improvement.