Dwarven Ale Hall: Share your tactics here

[Outlawstar15a2]

I couldn't find a thread like this. There was one but it didn't seem to have a lot of tactics. Basically I'm offering to use this thread to pool together knowledge of Dwarven tactics that works in the campaign. I played I think two Dwarven games since 1.0 and I want to play more of them but they are grossly underpowered against the Greenskins. So let' share some tactics and see if we can find ways to improve our Dwarven skills.

[Amonero]

I play Greenskins, and one of the hardest challenges I face is if my army is mainly Boyz, and I've gotta leg it up a right steep 'ill to clobber some stunties.

Most dwarves can hold back even blacks and big'uns on a slope, and if you do a standard setup of quarrelers and thunderers in front, warriors in the middle and mortarts/cannons behind, you're going to do some wicked damage to the greenies comig in. That is, of course, terrain-dependant.

If you're more unlucky and play against a balanced army with some boars, gobbos for taking bolts and shot, and a nice backbone of boyz..I'd say defend,defend,defend.Can be a problem if you're the aggressor since you're out-manouvered at every turn. Like all dwarves should, having hefty artillery enable you to sit back and force him to come to you. The AI will, eventually.

[Evil_Ewok]

My tactic for Dwarves on VH/VH difficulty is as follows:

Until you can develop your cities and assemble a decent army for field excursions, limit yourself to drawing in larger more powerful armies into sieges on your settlements.

When you do, place more expendable units on gatehouses only, and remove all your elite units to the last inner-defences and await your foe. With luck, enemy artillery will use all their ammo on your walls or gates, and your single units guarding gate houses will man the towers and wear down many more their number before the defences are breached and they fight and sacrifice themselves in defence of the city.

When the enemy (or if) finally gets into your inner defences place miners inside to rain explosive death on the first through the gates, this will break most units and they retreat back through to face more punishment. If they do get through, attacking from two sides will rout them. Additionally, if you can field mortars these are superb weapons for random carnage on the enemy in your city as they plod to their doom.

Against Vardek Crom's three uber Chaos stacks of about 2,600-800 warriors my mediocre 900 troops got elite victories and the same was also so for those thrice-accursed Night Goblins as they magically spawn around Karak Eight Peaks and attack.

Once you develop your mortars, Slayers, Longbeards and Hammerers your sieges are much easier to win. Always direct artillery personally, never let them autoaim as sometimes they can fire at lesser priority targets when you want to wear down the most powerful foe.

If you are drawn into open battle early place concentric rings of Quarrellers/Thunderers/Rangers and any mortars on whatever high ground there is. Wear down your foe until the final moment then send your elite troops into the centre to break them. Never chase units, use ranged weapons. If you use grapeshot with your cannons you can mow down many enemy and break them easily, and miners in front of mortars for last line defence is magic.

Also make use of bridges for bottlenecks, which can easily lead to victory against many size your number.

Learn the terrain because as a Dwarf general you lack speed so must use the terrain to maximise your firepower in order to win.

These tactics are the ones I employ, and have much success, although you must be responsive, especially in sieges when you must keep some units in reserve for when that unit of Blood Dragons storms through your lower tier warriors and you lose a gatehouse early or those Black Orc Destroyers shrug off your mortars to reach your front line.

Anyway, I've made it to turn 50, crushed the Orcs, Night Golbins and Vampires and am now waging war against the annoying Beastmen just to save those weakling Empire...

[azgard]

There is a big difference in playing dwarfs after 1.4, mainly coz of changes in orks, and a loot less problem with karaks.

But start form the begining. Form me the main aim playing as a dwarf is to recapture my strongholds, specialy the Mount Gundbad, coz of it's mines. Build up your roads, place your watchtowers, and focus on defending in first turns.

Now you got much less revolts, and much less paluges, so you can focus on fighting, not worring about your karaks. Be prepare for night goblins atack on Karak Eight Peaks, i got constant ctd's here, so i keep there half stack of weterans, or full stack of core units to autoresolve. Then you must think about chaos atack, full stack of veterans will be helpful here.

Remeber that the Karak Kadrin will be on constant sige, keep there some slayers, and core warriors, in time they will get expirience and will be unbeaten by any army.

Do not keep ranged units, like crosbowmen, or thunderers in keep, they can't shoot form walls, so are usles, i try to have atleast one unit of mortars in every Karak.

If you got luck, Border Princes will become your ally, this is great option, your trade will develop, AI will atack them instead of you, and they will help you with orks.

About battles, i use 2 types of armies. For defending Karaks, consisting mainly slayers, warriors, and some units of elite dwarfs. When defending i do not deploy on gates, habit form 1.3 when orks were "immute" for range atacks. Place your sticks on gates, and main roads, to kill the cavalery. Make boxes of warriors, and slayers, and keep them on narrow streets, they will stop evyrything. Manually use your mortars to kill strongest oponents, and remeber about miners, they can deal loot of damage, and will reduce morale of the enemy.

For field battles, i relay on my superior firepower. Got army consisting thunderers, firethrowers for close morale braking, and canons, with grape shoot they can blow up half of enemy unit. Use your warriors to deploy sticks in crucial places, and defend using longbeards, and ironbreakers, slayers are helpful too for pushing enemy back from your lines. Ofcourse remeber about miners, loots of people do not use them, but they are really great unit! Forget about flank atacks, rush, or something like that, you use only infantry, that is heavy, and got short leegs Dwarfs is all about defending.

And thats will be all, there is no philosophy in palying as a dwarf, you got sutbborn, nasty, and drunk warriors who love only gold, got twisted imagination about honor and reputation. They are slow, got good armors, and great canons. Live underground, and lackly leave homes. Make your line, and defend it, dwarfs refuse to die, and thats help a lot

[boatie]

I like your tips azgard but how dare you say dwarfs are nasty? we are not "nasty," - disagreeable yes, do not like to bathe yes, get mean when we drink yes, but nasty? Never!

[azgard]

I was playing in an Warhammer RPG as a dwarf for near 4 years, i nearly become a dwarf so i know what am i saying. They are the nastiest race in whole know world, dwarf will never forget, dwarf will never forgive, there is no escape for dwarven anger, and vangece, thats why they are nasty

[LittleDwarf]

They are not 'nasty'. Just proud and honorable. Do not forget that honor = vengeance as well. There's nothing unhonorable in demanding recompense for the wrongs commited by your enemies.

[azgard]

i know i know, but this are just an sympthoms of my specific humor

I really like dwarfs, compared to humans they are close to mix of samurai, same freaks about honor, serve to his clan, and master, achive awesomnes in martial arts, and all aspects of life, and viking, with their religion, no fear, and bloodlust.

Playing as a dwarf in CoW allways make me RP I try to be as much a dwarf Than as i can, try to think, and act like them.

@LittleDwarf

Think about ordinary human from empire, they are not so honorable as dwarfs, and for them, dwarf thinking is wired. If you will mess with dwarf, he will hunt you, he will never stop, and will seek vengace in every way, at every time, man, this is nasty, belive me... And the worst ide is to harm, or kill that dwarf, coz previus you just got problem with one dwarf, than you will get problem with him, all his friends, and his caln, and you do not wont this.

[Himster]

Against greenskins (in 1.3) was to gather one army very quickly and march straight towards the warboss's camp, there destroy grimgor and his small elite bodyguard army. Bye bye orcs. It's important to do that before you lose Karak Kadrin. Retreat from Karas a karak before Crom, take karak vlag from the goblins, defend against the two or three armies crom sends, then attack Karaz a karak. Then help the empire in their crusade against the Von Carsteins. Now you're free to unite the lost holds and cross out many wrongs in the book of grudges.

1.4 doesn't sound too good yet, I'll get it eventually.

[RedDwarf]

First, I missed this yesterday@ Outlawstar15a2 "Hail and well meet, glad ye has joined the bearded brotherhood!!! Ye have me thanks for opening this grand hall for me and me brethren to drink sing, eat. But of more impotance, the talk of killing them no good, booger colored, gutter trash, swine faced, rat munching, no honor, beardless greenskins!!! Aye they get me Ire up. But what dwarf dont recall the grudges we be having with them! Aye makes me whant to march out right now and put me hammer and axe to work. After a few more flagons, a couple sips of some fine dwarven spirits ill share me tell. Until then bugger off im drinking."
@boatie & LittleDwarf yes we can be Dwarf Nasty:sharply unpleasant, disagreeable, difficult to understand or deal with, causing severe pain or suffering, extremely hazardous or harmful , mean "in battle".
Non dwarf
Nasty: disgustingly filthy, physically repugnant, indecent, obscene, tawdry, lacking in courtesy or sportsmanship, psychologically unsettling

@azgard perhaps next time you should use tenacius: not easily pulled apart, persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired
Might not rile your fellow dwarves so much
@ All Just remember they are opinions regardless of if you agree or not ((((Tho mine are right))))
Also some good tips in there keep it up. Ill post some of mine with screenshots later. Got alot going on right now.
"Hammers high with Axes sharp"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is my first turn, Enjoy ill post more later when I have the time. Next 3 Turns for sure. If you have ???? about it ask away. I did moves faster than I should have so if you need me to clarify

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Here are a few screenshots of good resource locations.

[azgard]

I watched your 1st turn, it's almoust same as mine

But, i try to place watchtowers next to roads, not on them, you got much less rebels in 1.4, but still it's can drive you crazy when you need to leave your always at sige karaks to hunt them down.

And got question, where do you send your merchants? In 99% i build them at Karak Kadrin, and send on norsca for gold and silver mine, and chaos wastes for gold, and warpstone, and up north on goblin lands for gold mine.

There is one change i do not like now, merchants give less money, and dwarfs love, and need gold badly

@Himster
I never lost any of my karaks, i'am a defensive juggernout And i never, never, never! leave them for my enemys!

Yes Karak Kadrin is on constant sige, but i keep there like 4-6 units of slayers 4-6 units of warriors 1-2 mortars, and miners, and it's ok, i can slay any enemy. In time i give there some longbeards, or ironbrakers, but not more than 2 units.

Another tip, enemy is a moron on sige, specialy when got more than one army. He often lose some units in city, they just stay in one place all battle. From time to time he do not use his second army. On upgradet keeps i always defend the flag in last circle. Enemy usualy waste much of hist time to blow up my walls, march from circle to circle, destroying gates, and got just tiny time to capture my square, and he face my whole army in line, or boxes of units in narrow streets when i do not have fully build keep.

[Himster]

@Himster
I never lost any of my karaks, i'am a defensive juggernout And i never, never, never! leave them for my enemys!

I always find that even when victorious in a scripted siege the game crashes, so I don't bother anymore, I just autoresolve and therefore lose everytime. So it's best to limit the damage, maybe my version is just more glitchy than others.

[azgard]

Well i can't play battles against goblins now, but still win on autoresolve.

You know when scripetd battles happen, so try to keep in your karaks best infantry you have at this time. Specialli efective are those with expirience, or upgrades like armors, and weapons.

Give it a try, if you lose, just load, and try again, or abandon your mines, homes, tresures, and... beer...

[RedDwarf]

I watched your 1st turn, it's almoust same as mine

But, i try to place watchtowers next to roads, not on them, you got much less rebels in 1.4, but still it's can drive you crazy when you need to leave your always at sige karaks to hunt them down.

And got question, where do you send your merchants? In 99% i build them at Karak Kadrin, and send on norsca for gold and silver mine, and chaos wastes for gold, and warpstone, and up north on goblin lands for gold mine.

There is one change i do not like now, merchants give less money, and dwarfs love, and need gold badly

@Himster
I never lost any of my karaks, i'am a defensive juggernout And i never, never, never! leave them for my enemys!

Yes Karak Kadrin is on constant sige, but i keep there like 4-6 units of slayers 4-6 units of warriors 1-2 mortars, and miners, and it's ok, i can slay any enemy. In time i give there some longbeards, or ironbrakers, but not more than 2 units.

Another tip, enemy is a moron on sige, specialy when got more than one army. He often lose some units in city, they just stay in one place all battle. From time to time he do not use his second army. On upgradet keeps i always defend the flag in last circle. Enemy usualy waste much of hist time to blow up my walls, march from circle to circle, destroying gates, and got just tiny time to capture my square, and he face my whole army in line, or boxes of units in narrow streets when i do not have fully build keep.

True enough about the towers but rebels cause devestation so need to kill them anyways. Yes warp stone, silver, gold, correct. But I have also noticed on this campaign that I cannot trade both warp stones at I think its middlehiem or something. So game might have adjusted to make it harder to monopalize resources. For exact one I hit ill post a screenshot. Also will show in later vids.

Also I absolutely will not abandone the true Karacks as a dwarf I cannot even think of it As a tactic sure maybe but when it comes to "me bearded avatars!" "Until blood turns cold!"

[azgard]

Yep but rebels tend to ocupy the watchtower, if you put them next to road, they will go there, and will not block trade, cosing less unhappy, and do not slow down your economy.

[Jerat]

And got question, where do you send your merchants? In 99% i build them at Karak Kadrin, and send on norsca for gold and silver mine, and chaos wastes for gold, and warpstone, and up north on goblin lands for gold mine.

I always send two merchants to the warpstone at Mordheim north of Sylvania. The rest are send to gold and silver mines at Grunburg (Reikland). I also try to conquer the settlement from the Orcs and give it back to Reikland. You get more money if the region owner has trade rights with you.
The biggest income for most of the factions are from the mines near Mount Gunbad, but because the dwarves are near that area, they get less money from that.

There is one change i do not like now, merchants give less money, and dwarfs love, and need gold badly

Merchants give the same money as before, they are just not as experienced as with previous versions when you recruit them. Now they are starting with no or maybe only one experience-point, in 1.3 they started with 4 or even 5 points. If they have developed after staying some rounds, they produce the same money as before.


My current dwarves campaign developed in a funny way: The 5 armies of Krom spawned east of Karaz-a-Karak but unfortunately the Orcs had some fullstacks in that area and destroyed 3 of them. The remaining 2 stacks of Krom even lost with autoresolve against my one stack in Karaz-a-Karack (I had some hammerers, longbeards and slayers inside). Nice help by the Orcs. They also had many casualties and now they way is free to march to Mount Gunbad. Lucky little Dwarves.

[azgard]

I try to put my merchants away from the centers of trade. When i get them in empire they usualy get out of buisnes in couple of turns, need to recruit new, and recruit slots are precious to me, need to sacrifice couple of turns to get them on resource... waste of time for me. I chose a spots that are never visited by any other merchants, in chaos wastes, and norsca. By this way i have constant flow of cash, specialy when my merchants become a masters of trade, they can easily stay on gold mine for whole game

About chaos invasion... they never came to me on full strenght, in any of my games But this time there was a hilarious situation: they went to Karaz-a-Karak, the passed it... went on black water lake, than the "general" stack autoatacked my karak... there was a sound of sword clash teleported from black water lake to Karaz-a-Karak, got owned... and remaining stacks just went north.

I got this situation in 1.4, now playing as Empire faction coz of big impresion that invasion got one me Maby next time they will not blow it up so badly

[Fallen Angel Ezekiel]

Very rarely play with dwarves but when I do I concentrate on breaking the enemies back. I do this by putting my strongest infantry in the midddle and throw it at the centre of the enemy army.

Once the centre is routed and broken I swing the units in the middle on the flanks and mop up the enemy infantry.

Of course I would use siege engines and missile troops to weaken the enemy and try to wipe out the enemy cavalry.

[RedDwarf]

Very rarely play with dwarves but when I do I concentrate on breaking the enemies back. I do this by putting my strongest infantry in the midddle and throw it at the centre of the enemy army.

Once the centre is routed and broken I swing the units in the middle on the flanks and mop up the enemy infantry.

Of course I would use siege engines and missile troops to weaken the enemy and try to wipe out the enemy cavalry.

Same
First post updated with some screens.

[sithi]

Everyone knows that dwarves are the very epitome of MANLINESS!, much unlike those pansy gay elves...I can't stand those guys.

Ah, that reminds me, the biology of the dwarves.

Dwarves have exactly sixteen organs: The beard ( it is common knowledge that the beard serves to transform air into vitamin C)
The boozehole ( sometimes called 'mouth', the boozehole serves to transform alcohol into sustenance...although some dwarves might be whiny about all this 'starve to death' stuff, just don't listen them.)
The Scottish accent
Thirteen livers (They do exactly what a normal liver does, just...thirteen times better)
and an Axe (It is a common misunderstanding that the axe is a tradeable good, after all which dwarf would give up his Axe? The axe is not a good, but actually the prime example of a fully detachable organ.)

What Dwarves like to do as pastime is to kill Goblins, kill Orcs, kill Daemons, kill- er, I mean, tragically lose several elvish diplomats.
Dwarves most often live in dwarven Strongholds, which they built with their bare manly hands, yes, their bare hands. Only pussies use a pickaxe!