Fighting Dwarves... How do I do it effectively?

[VinceBlack]

I am an O&G player and enjoy running my army. I have a friend who's main army is dwarves. Whenever we play he uses the turtle shell technique employing a bunch of cannons, boltthrowers and thunderers to back his rock hard Iron Breakers. I have played him 3-4 times and never beaten him but in a small 750 engagement. Any time we get to around tourny sized lists he just has way too much ranged. He just cannons my warmachienes and uses his bolt throwers with runes of strength (str7) to demolish my chariots and then pummels me down on the march with thunderers till I either break or am to weak to to win combats... Also when I do get close he has his units close to protect flanks so I cant break his ranks. What should I be doing/using to combat this list?

[BilboBaggins]

Lots and lots of cheap troops (Goblin, Night Goblins) in front with Orcs and Black Orcs behind them. Doom Diver and Rock Lobber into the massed Dwarfs. Bolt Throwers into Heaviest armored troops. Run the Horde of Gobbos/Night Gobbos forward. The orcs forcing them forward, those Gobbos are a meat shield. Take a Fanatic in each unit of Night Gobbos, S5 and -3 AS is a good thing. Use a couple of cheap units to hold the table quarters (assuming Dwarf is turtled into one corner.)

Orcs and even better Black Orcs are good can openers when charging Dwarfs with Great Weapons. If charging with Choppas you will likely strike first in second round of combat.

If you usually use magic against him and he takes a lot of magic defense (dispel runes, extra runesmith) take no magic and use those points on a killy hero. If he doesn't take runesmiths/runelord or Anvil then you may want to go magic crazy with maagic casters (3 level 2's goblin/orc shamen at 2k more point more casters).

Then pray to the dice Gods.

[Randroid]

Fast Cav like Spider Riders can also work well to shut down the warmachines.

[a ghost]

You may want to try a skirmish line of some type. Perhaps a wide, thin line of Squig Hoppers might do wonders. Immune to Psych, relatively fast, and enough of a threat to draw a lot of his fire while the rest of your force moves in for the kill.

[bryce963]

Also, I don't think he can put the same rune on multiple bolt throwers, unless he uses different combinations. May want to check that out, accidental cheating is still cheating.

[BilboBaggins]

Also, I don't think he can put the same rune on multiple bolt throwers, unless he uses different combinations. May want to check that out, accidental cheating is still cheating.

That is correct, you cannot use the same exact combo of runes on any items in the army.

[Vlad]

There is an interestig trick wich I used several years ago as O&G player.
Use a single giant. All shooting will be directed at it, while you will advance forward an extra turn

[Warmaster]

The easiest thing is to get some fast movers to threaten while your better stuff moves up and only engage his shooting elements. Just don't fight the nasty iron breakers, kill all his shooting and that will be enough of a points difference for you to win the game.

[VinceBlack]

Thanks for all the advice, I will take all of this into consideration.

[Lord Azaghul]

Ok - as a fan/player of both armies let me first let you know that O&G are fighting an up hill battle.

2nd - look at the kind of list your opponent fields. Dwarves have solid ranks, good shooting, but they are slow, and have plenty of soft targets (warmachines and shooters)

Now obviously its best to avoid the blocks - at least from the front, and do not engage then untill you are ready.
In my 2250 greenskin list I like to run 4 chariots - 2 orc and 2 goblin.
I also like 4 unit of fast cav - 3 wolves, 1 spider(5 each). I also take a couple of units of NG with a fanatic or two just for disruption
The punch in my army are two unit of savage boar boys 5 each one with butchery.
I have two heroes on chariots,
and of course 1 gaint - who draws a goo amount of fire
and my lord on a wyvern.
Forget trying to out shoot dwarves - they have better guns!

The trick with the greenskin army is speed - lots of speed. The other issue is targets. You want your chariots, you fast cav and your boar boys all trying to fight either small unit of shooters or warmachines before they fight any thing else. This means marching your army right up into the teeth of the dwarf guns.
This is why wolves are so fantastic - they are very fast - you charge a WM or shooter unit on turn 2, - pull them out of position - don't expect to win the combat - just pull them closer so the rest of the army has a target!
ALso - consider your entire army expendable - don't be afriad to sacrified a unit of fast cav to accomplish something - just has screening boar boys or chariots!