Help Me to Dwarf?

[ElectricPaladin]

I don't actually want to learn how to Dwarf, myself. However, I have a cousin who is curious about starting Warhammer Fantasy, and I'm hoping to run a demo game for him next Thursday. The trouble is, I don't know the first thing about Dwarves.

Would anyone out there be willing to throw together a 1.5k Dwarf list? We're going to be proxying left and right, so don't worry about the models.

Help a geek out? It's in the name of expanding the hobby!

[Chronowraith]

Characters
Dwarf Lord
Rune Smith
Thane w/ BSB

Core
20x Warriors w/ Full Command, Shields
20x Rangers (Quarrellers) w/ Full Command, Great Weapons

Special
20x Hammerers w/ Full Command
Cannon
Grudgethrower
5 Slayers

The above totals roughly 1310 points points which gives your friend 200 points to deck out characters and units with runic items/banners. Additionally they could purchase an additional cannon or grudgethrower and still have points to throw around for runic items.

A few tips with this specific list

1- The Slayers are the chaff. Put them in front and use them to redirect as best as possible. Dwarves don't redirect well because of limited movement, but it can still happen (Gyrocopter is too many points for a redirect unit)

2- The Rangers are a real threat from the get go. Having a ranked unit with Scout is a pretty tremendous ability.

3 - Warriors are the anvil unit, hammerers are the hammer unit.

4 - Cannons go after monsters, grudgethrowers go after ranked infantry.

5 - Magic items, runic items, banners, etc should make units more killy, more defensible, or otherwise fill gaps. Don't forget that warmachines can have runes applied to them as well. Flaming cannons are pretty common for dwarves to deal with monsters with regen. I wouldn't worry about trying to make dwarves more "speedy". Nothing out there will make them fast enough without be horribly overcosted.

6 - While I always recommend using a BSB, the Thane BSB in this list could be swapped for a Master Engineer.

7 - This isn't specific to this list but, when in doubt, Dwarves should go with Great Weapons. Why? At I2 there isn't much that will swing after them.

[Mr Mystery]

And a plea.....please please please don't let him just sit on a hill and wait for you to cross the board.

It's dull for both players.

[Chronowraith]

And a plea.....please please please don't let him just sit on a hill and wait for you to cross the board.

It's dull for both players.

Agreed, that's why the sample list I gave him had limited shooting. Enough to be effective at softening up units but not enough to be a true gunline.

[chrisloomis13]

I wouldn't suggest he run out and get flanked and broken either.

Dwarfs have infantry and warmachines. The infantry is tough and can handle most infantry, and anything they can't handle they shoot first to soften it up or kill it outright. Cannon and Grudgethrower are big parts of Dwarf armies. I'd suggest trying to fit an Organ Gun in too, they are fun and help protect the other 2 machines. Hammerers are the staple elite unit, supported by warriors.

I'd also be mindful not to spend too much on characters. A BSB to keep the line together and a runesmith for magic defense should be plenty. Since it's his first game he may want a Lord to do some smashy smashy. If he wants that, then spend the runic allowance on defensive runes, a great weapon is plenty good enough for his offense. Rangers and Miners give some mobility to a pretty static army, but if this is his first game it may be better to skip these for now, and let him focus on coordinating his line and shooting the artillery.

I'm not sure what list you will be putting up against him, but if you have something big, fast, and scary, you can hardly blame him for not running out to meet it.

edit: forgot to mention, check out http://bugmansbrewery.com they are an old Dwarf community and you can get plenty of ideas and advice from their forums