Need help playing as the Dwarves

[Dragonchampion]

So I love the Dwarves. Love them to death out of all the other Tolkien races, except maybe the noldor. But... I can't play as them. When I do... I have some insane losses, even more than if I had just auto-resolved. I don't know how to use them correctly, as all the armies I play with are largely archer-centric so as to take enemies out with minimal losses.

Can someone please direct me to a walkthrough, guide, tutorial, or help teach me how to play the dwarves?

[Bcman]

To play the dwarves right is really quite simple. All you need is a lot of heavy infantry ( mainly dwarven warriors because they are the most numerous and non costly unit at your disposable and they can go one on one with nearly all the Orc infantry types.) and if you want to take control of them in a battle I usually line all my units up in 2 line formation of all units that can form shield wall in the front line and then all my axe men and crossbow man in the 2nd line. And if certain points of the 1st line are about to be overrun I send a unit of axe men to hack away. Also if possible get a unit of dale riders to round up routing enemy's for randsom. I have had numerous campaigns using this strategy and it hasent failed yet. I have one 90% of my battles using a full stack and fighting a full stack against any evil faction and even some pesky elves.


There are also numerous AAR that are based on the dwarves that can be useful if this dosent seem to help.

[Dragonchampion]

I always thought Shield Wall HINDERED melee fighting...?

[Swad]

I always thought Shield Wall HINDERED melee fighting...?

It does hinder fighting ability when the shield wall is being attacked from the sides and the rear, but it absolutely devastating from the front. Simply from how many dwarves you got squished together, you often have several dwarves in front for the enemy's one hacking away.

[kahnage]

I always thought Shield Wall HINDERED melee fighting...?

Shield wall, if used correctly, can be devastating in both offense and defense.

An example would be taking Dol Gudur (i know thats not spelt right...damn memory) as gondor using 5 units of gondor swordsmen to breach through the gate.

Had em in shield wall and they pushed the ENTIRE enemy army (which outnumbered them 3 to 1) all the way back up the hill nearly to the plaza whilst only taking about 30 casualties.

then took them off of shield wall and the whole thing descended into a mixed melee. I did have to eventually send in my spearmen and fountain guards, but shield wall had been the decider.

[Petite Wolf]

Shield Wall is a great defensive ability. I can see how it would hinder you if your units were the aggressors, but as for defending? It is amazing.

[Dragonchampion]

Well the thing is for a lot of battles is the computer just sts there and waits for me to send MY troops after him. It's a pain, but it means I can't use shield wall effectively...

[dannyalex]

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=369598

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=525633

this will help u a bit..i think

[Dragonchampion]

Is it good to sell Thorin's halls and Kubil Dum first turn to dale and buy their two towns south of Erebor?

[menawati]

Is it good to sell Thorin's halls and Kubil Dum first turn to dale and buy their two towns south of Erebor?

I did something like that once. But I took the two rebel settlements nearby first. Then traded those to get some Dale towns. Usually the ones you give Dale in the west go rebel soon and you can take them again with your western army and resell them to Dale
It actually all worked really well, easy to buy those western towns back later for your victory conditions.
But it did all feel a bit cheap and underhand and weakened Dale a lot.

Another way is to attack the High Elves and take all their western settlements. You get pretty rich quite fast doing that and they agree to peace easily afterwards.

[FC Groningen]

I don't think they will agree to that, considering that those are their main settlements, including a large city.

[hameem123]

who the heck will sell the Western part of the Dwarves? (i think its called Blue Mountain,i really don't know),mainly i use my Western settlements for money making while i focus the battle strategy in the East.

[oOIYvYIOo]

who the heck will sell the Western part of the Dwarves? (i think its called Blue Mountain,i really don't know),mainly i use my Western settlements for money making while i focus the battle strategy in the East.

All said.

[Bcman]

If you are attacking then just send all your axe men to attack first the send you normal infantry to fight.

[Dragonchampion]

I'm really, REALLY getting angry at myself here. I did any auto-battle when taking Luneaith, which had 2 units of peasant archers and 3 units of huntsmen (javelineers) and had 66 casualties. I rammed down a portion of their wall that was undefended, and took the fight to them... only to have an entire unit of dwarven warriors reduced to 20 dwarves (normal unit size, so that's 2/3 of the dwarves gone) and a unit of miners reduced to 32 from 77... and I haven't even killed the last unit of Javelineers yet! This is just getting infuriating... if I can't win against peasants, then how can I expect to win against the javelin-heavy armies of the Orcs of the Misty Mountains?

I followed the guid, but it's turn 7 so I have only the axethrowers I started with, and if I use them they get annihilated by archers and javelinmen. Their axes seem horribly pathetic. I'm using MOS, as well.

[FC Groningen]

Use your general units. Their numbers replenish and are really good.

[Dragonchampion]

Yes, but the fact is, HOW are you guys doing all this? My dwarves die to freaking PEASANT HUNTSMEN. So much for being the "best infantry in middle earth"...

[GiddeeUpp]

have you tried loose formation to lessen the AOR type attack of javs/arrows?

[Dragonchampion]

Yes. they were all in loose formation, but the javelins utterly decimate them.

[Radzeer]

I remember I had the same problem, and was quite puzzled in my first two Dwarves campaigns before I figured out how to operate the "best infantry on Middle Earth". Shieldwall is one solution, but in the early campaign when you have miners and such, just charge the rebel javelin units right on, not to allow them multiple volleys. They are also on skirmish, so they would start to run (except on the main plaza of course). The other trick is to deploy your troops so that you could box them in, otherwise they just run you around the battlefield (once I lost a battle because a single Rhun javelin unit ran around long enough to beat the clock). Also, as others have said, use generals and hire Dale cavalry to round up the routers before they recover.