Dwarven Block strategy

**stoogeofstooges** · February 18, 2011, 07:49 AM

Hello all, first want to say I love the mod, great job. Second, I came up with a strategy for the dwarves that I based off of the "pike and shot" formation from Medieval 2. I don't know if anyone has already done this or not, credits to them if i'm not the first one. Basically it involves:

1. a unit of vault wardens(pikemen)

2. A unit of dwarven halberdiers

3. An infantry unit, works better with shield wall units

You place the vault wardens down first in spearwall mode. Then you place the halberdiers on top of them so that the first line of halberdiers is right in front of the first line of vault wardens. Then you place the infantry unit (dragon slayers are my favorite) on top of them, with the first line (or shield wall line instead) right in front of the first line of halberdiers. These "blocks" would form the center of your army, and should be covered on the flanks. They repel almost all infantry, including Olig Hai Trolls. The trolls caused casualties on the charge but then got cut down. Infantry hits the shield wall, the pike wall and halberd wall use their long reaching weapons to attack, and the enemy get slaughtered. It works pretty much like a buzz saw. Just make sure you group the units so when they move they stay in formation. Have fun, and please criticize!

**Thefallenhun** · February 18, 2011, 08:37 AM

Yeah people frequently tout the benefts of stacked unit formations, I know some guy in the SS forums was talking about his "modified tercio formtion" that worked similarly but ith musket units

**stoogeofstooges** · February 18, 2011, 09:03 AM

Since the dwarves have the best heavy infantry, I guess it just works well with them. Could also work with Gondor and their spearmen.

**eugenioso** · February 18, 2011, 01:37 PM

but, like any strategy, it has its weakness:

one good shot of a catapult/ballista/snaga skirmishers and half of them are dead.

**brapollo** · February 18, 2011, 03:22 PM

I've been fighting a lot of later Mordor armies recently and they bring lots of catapults. It's much better to space out your army- dwarf, Gondor, etc... to minimize damage from enemy siege weapons than to bunch them up for the slaughter. And let the trolls run through your shallow lines and then engage them with a powerful reserve unit or two. They'll be surrounded and isolated and easier to kill.

**Leesin** · February 18, 2011, 04:01 PM

This sort of thing works best for siege defenses or against smaller forces, but against a large army if you stack like this you just make your battle line even smaller, increasing the chances of becoming surrounded.

You also pretty much make the chance of having a 'reserve' unit or two extinct, a fresh unit to send into combat halfway through a battle against tired enemies is an awesome weapon. But then again we are talking about fighting the AI so it probably wont matter unless there is a crazy force attacking you lol.

**Ngugi** · February 18, 2011, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by brapollo

I've been fighting a lot of later Mordor armies recently and they bring lots of catapults.

They always do. And their catapults got great range and the troll crews so its hard to either blast them or sneak around and easily take 'em out behind the enemy front line... gaaah...

Dwarves with a lot of infantery should get problems with this (dont know myself, haven't played naugrim for so long in any campagn game)?

**Mikail Mengsk** · February 18, 2011, 05:27 PM

So, 3 units in the same tight place?

Seems the dream of heavy good archer... It can do well against weak-missile factions but i won't try it against Rhùn, Elves, Arnor and Dale.

**Dangor** · February 19, 2011, 03:32 AM

It works splendid against the lesser orc factions (the shield wall seems to soak up most arrows) you have to keep close watch though since dwarven warriors in shield wall formation tends to move forward all the time, breaking formation (it helps if you put two rows of halberdiers in front of them).

**jinjo** · February 19, 2011, 06:10 AM

dwarves have the faction, which is strong and hard to defeat all time(early game, middle or late game).

**Evan MF** · February 19, 2011, 07:28 AM

Good thing it has a weakness: archers

Evan

**shikaka** · February 19, 2011, 08:04 AM

This is quite similar to the stacked phalanxes from Rome.

I find this (and 'tercio' stacks in M2) very boring in multiplayer

**alreadyded** · February 19, 2011, 10:18 AM

If you put your units in phalanx or shield wall and march them THROUGH your enemies (instead of clicking them to attack) your army will cut them to pieces. Plus the enemy archers eff up their own guys so that is a bonus. Even just send two units stacked together in shield wall up the middle will cut huge armies in half in no time, then you just flank and mop up the mess. Tactics like these are cheap though, the AI is easy enough to beat without taking advantage of it.

**Dangor** · February 19, 2011, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by alreadyded

If you put your units in phalanx or shield wall and march them THROUGH your enemies (instead of clicking them to attack) your army will cut them to pieces. Plus the enemy archers eff up their own guys so that is a bonus. I have cut huge armies in half in minutes. Tactics like these are cheap though, the AI is easy enough to beat without taking advantage of it.

This has its disadvantages though, especially with dwarves and their small companys. I've left a group of dwarven warriors unattended several times and then suddenly when I look back they've cut themselves a path through the enemy army and thus have become surrounded, often happens even if you do not order them to.

**stoogeofstooges** · February 19, 2011, 01:15 PM

Well, the Dwarven campaign isn't very entertaining yet anyway with all the corruption in my cities. Seriously Gimli, how much money do you really need? I gave you a large pig farm and this is how you pay me back?

**Minas Moth** · February 21, 2011, 03:58 PM

Dwarves packed so tightly together? it's a recipe for disaster if facing even WEAKER arcehr units(by weaker I mean non-elvish ones)... a 3-4 units of Uruk archers would decimate them... combine that with fast flank and rear warg attacks, and you have a meat supper, or lunc, or dinner, or luncheon, or whatever... bottom line is: GOODBYE DWARVES!!!

**Lemoniser** · February 21, 2011, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Minas Moth

Dwarves packed so tightly together? it's a recipe for disaster if facing even WEAKER arcehr units(by weaker I mean non-elvish ones)... a 3-4 units of Uruk archers would decimate them... combine that with fast flank and rear warg attacks, and you have a meat supper, or lunc, or dinner, or luncheon, or whatever... bottom line is: GOODBYE DWARVES!!!

well it must be breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, lunch, dinner or supper. Surely it isn't too difficult too choose