Warhammer Army Project/Dwarf

This article needs rules updates. Upgrade plz.

Why Play Dwarfs

Pros

• Because you like to piss people off by legally taking 20 war machines in 3,000 points matches.
• You also like Leadership Standard of 9 and a Toughness Standard of 4.
• Also if you have a thing for alcoholic midgets (Who doesn't like that?). Also, DEM BEARDS IN HELICOPTERS and zeppelins.

Cons

• Your movement is an abysmal 3".
• Your initiative is equally pathetic for the majority of your army.
• While you can bust magic like a champ, you lack casting.
• Your entire army's lost a lot of armour, so you're far from the unbreakable colossi of yore.

Notable Changes

Dwarf strengths have been absolutely weakened in the book, or relatively weaken from the edition changes, in a lot of cases both. The opposite can be said about your weaknesses- Dwarves in 9th have less of a shooting advantage, mobility, armour, steadfast, deathstars, and powerful rune characters than ever. I imagine Mathias Eliasson often faced a Dwarf Player who pushed all the cheese of 8th edition. The list probably included an unkillable Lord, a Thane o' Pane and enough warmachines & Gyrocopters to make the Royal Artillery Museum doubt itself.

Pros

• Better Armour. Ironbreakers are sitting at a cool 1+ save. what is given can be taken away.
• New resolute...?
• With Casting Value bonuses lowered from +4 to +2 on level 4 wizards, your dispelling is easier than ever.
• Your CV normal dispel boost went from a maximum of +4 (Natural Resistance +2 and Master Rune of Valaya +2) to a maximum of +7 (Runelord +2, Natural Resistance +2, Master Rune of Spellbinding +1 and Master Rune of Valaya +2,).
  • This is before regular Magic Resistance, if a spell was targeting a unit with Three Runes of Sanctuary and Runelord this would increase to a +10.
• Cheaper cannon and bolt thrower.
• Some runes are cheaper or better (Rune of Adamant with a 40% reduction, second Rune of Might 25% reduction).
• More runes
• Runelord channels like a level 4 wizard.
• Gromril Armour makes your characters have the best Armour saves in the game without eating into magic item allowance or buying a mount. Your armour save is now less than an empire knight. Thanks Mathias.
• That is pretty much it, Mathias Eliasson is going in the book.

Cons

• 9th Edition does not favor infantry, Dwarfs will feel the impact hits and get their Steadfast broken more often. On top of that, infantry weapons that got the largest buffs are bows and spears. Both absent from the whole Dwarf Book.
• Shield wall is no longer a near-universal trait. Now only on Iron Breakers.
• No +1 Str on the Charge.
  • with the changes to charging your infantry's maximum charge range is 9 inches. In addition, models get an initiative bonus when charging.
• Cannons and Bolt Throwers were nerfed across the board, Dwarfs included.
  • Bolt Throwers are more accurate at long range but don't ignore armour anymore, so they're generally better against anything with worse than a 3+ armour save.
• Universal heavy armor is gone.
• Characters are slightly weaker due to lower runic item allowances putting them in line with most other army books (Even Runelords/smiths whose job is to create magic items).
• Shield Bearers no longer create a +1 save, 5 wound monster without spending a point in magic allowance for 40 points.
• Need to have at least as many units of Warriors as Longbeards.
• Organ Gun (and Grudge Throwers) can no longer have a rune of forging.
• Your ability to field gyrocopter/bombers is reduced to two in a 2000pt game from eight in a 2000pt 8e.

Special Ruless

Ancestral Grudge: Hatred Skaven/Greenskins/Hobgoblins; No more is the table of additional hating, and we are writing this down in the book.

Resolute: When taking Break tests, models with this special rule count as having lost the combat with 1 point less than they actually have.

Relentless: No Leadership test for marching close to an enemy. Good, even though Leadership isn't too much of a problem.

Natural Resistance: Unless you're letting an allied wizard tag along you get +2 base to dispel. NEVER EVER FORGET THIS.

GROMRIL ARMOUR: add a +1 Armour to the armour type your wearing.

Equipment

• Dwarf-Crafted: Your basic handguns, Pistols, and Crossbows re-roll 1s to hit.

Slayer Skills

Dragon and Daemon slayers have a tidy list to improve themselves as legendary warriors. Daemon Slayers can take two, while Dragon Slayers can only take one.

• Wards of Grimnir: 20pts. 6++ Ward Save and Magic Resist 6+ against missiles of all kinds. Unless you bought a Master Rune of Grimnir, this is all you'll get.
• Skavenslayer: 25pts. Extra attacks based on how many models are in b2b, making this ideal against horde-heavy armies.
• Beastslayer: 25pts. Wounds dealt are doubled for Combat Resolution., add this to Skavenslayer and you could one dwarf route many things.
• Killing Blow: 20pts. Right there. It's a rule.
• Vampire Slayer: 15pts. Adds Multiple Wounds (d3) against enemies above T5.

Ancestral Heirlooms

• The Red Axe of Karak Eight Peaks: All those Orcs, Goblin and Skaven grudges have to count to something. Great if you are going up against those two armies... Otherwise, you paid 40pts for making your attack magic.

• The Hammer of Karak Drazh: For 20 points you get a magic weapon that grants +3I and causes anyone you hit to drop down to I1. Good against high Initiative ASF units for taking away their re-rolls and against some characters/monsters for allowing your troops to attack before the enemy they're fighting, which is incredible for only 20 points.

• The Magnificent Armour of Borek Beetlebrow: For 35 points, it gives you a 3+ armour save and a 3++ ward against S6 or higher. It's great if you plan on taking on lots of monsters, and even without the 3++ Ward, you can still have a parry save if you grab a shield.

• Silver Horn of Vengeance: Even more grudge-holding. For 30 points it gives 1 turn of all dwarfs within 6" devastating charge (good for when the enemy reaches a gunline), and once used, causes fear in all elves. This can really bring the hurt with your Longbeards and Elite units, everyone striking with two attacks and at S5 or S7 with great weapons will crush everyone in its path, and it also has good synergy with Slayers armed with two hand weapons.

• The Fiery Ring of Thori: For 35 Points you get an S4 flaming breath weapon. This is a great item, and there's very little reason why you cannot put this on a character (even if it's a minor one), Breath Weapons are perfect for dealing with the hordes you'll be up against.

• The Golden Sceptre of Norgrim: For 40 points, you give the unit +1 to either armour, movement, or strength for the turn. Any of these are a good choice granting Average movement, boost a unit's strength to 4 or 5, or make a unit even more unkillable. Auto Include, Beastmen have to pay 50% more on a BSB to get 1/3rd of the effect.

• The Banner of the Lost Holds: For 60pts it's unit rerolls to wound. That sounds good but it can only be put on your BSB and is usually not the best choice for doing so. It can also be used by a slayer unit if you field Ungrim Ironfist!

Runes

Runes come in many different flavors: Weapon runes, Armour Runes, Talismans Runes, Banner Runes, and Warmachine Runes. An important thing to note is that apart from Warmachine runes, all characters can use any kind of runes. However, some specific runes only allow certain characters to use them (e.g., Runefolk). Also, remember that Slayers (Dragon / Daemon) can only equip weapon runes. Like before, Runes come with rules. They boil down to only 3 runes a weapon, no duplicate rune combination, and runes can only be put on Hand Weapons, so don't buy other weapons for your Dwarf. Runes stack now; for example, It costs 25 points to get a basic dispel rune but costs 45 to get 2. And then when you take 2 stacked dispel runes on one character, they do not have the same effect as 2 separate dispel runes on 2 different characters. They've changed a few as well, and maybe not for the better.

Weapon Runes

• Master Rune of Alaric the Mad: 25pts. The generic ignores armour thing. With how common ward saves are now (and with how high Dwarf Lords can increase their Strength) armour isn't really that much of an issue for you anyway. If you are up against things like Heavy Cavalry, this can help if you put it on a lesser character.

• Master Rune of Death: 30pts. Heroic Killing Blow. It's pretty pricey, but it gives you a way to kill monsters instantly.

• Master Rune of Dragon Slaying: 30pts. This one isn't worth it, any dragon out there can easily avoid your Dwarf Lord with this rune making it pointless, and its effects can be duplicated almost just as well with Runes of Might. And that's if you intend on fighting it rather than letting your war machines run it down.

• Master Rune of Smiting: 35pts. Multiple Wounds (d6). Works well on character killer builds, and even if you cause only one unsaved wound you'll still kill nearly every Lord character 50% of the time.

• Master Rune of Skalf Blackhammer: 20pts. Your cheapest master rune at 20 points. You wound everything on 2+ and everything in magic armour on 3+. It works fine against high Toughness targets, but then you're usually stuck fighting them in combat for a few turns anyway.

• Master Rune of Breaking: 25pts for breaking any weapon or armour (magic items) only on a 2+, when you hit (pick randomly if they have multiple). This one is pretty great, especially with how many magic items will be showing up in an opponent's army. If you have the points to spare, it's well worth taking.

• Master Rune of Snorri Spangelhelm: 25pts for ALWAYS hitting on 2+s. Awesome, there's seldom a reason for not being able to fit this in your loadout somewhere.

• Master Rune of Swiftness: 25pts for ASF on dwarfs. This is amazing. It also gives you rerolls to hit against any army with Initiative 3 and lower (aka most human armies) and can be stacked with the Rune of Speed for rerolls against almost everyone.

• Master Rune of Banishment: 20pts. Let's you reroll to wound the undead, Ethereal, and Vampires. Only bother against the Tomb Kings and Vampire Counts.

• Master Rune of Flight: 20pts. It gives you a single 12" attack with your Lord that always hits on a 2+. Not a good idea to take this on its own as one more wound usually won't help you all that much; stack it with the Rune of Might for monster/character sniping.

• Master Rune of Kragg the Grim: 5pts. Let's a Great Weapon take runes, opening up some flexibility.

• Rune of Demon Slaying: 25/50/100pts. It only works on Daemons, but if you're tailoring a list and don't mind your Lord choice being pretty squishy, go ahead and get it 3 times. The first two ranks are good facing Daemons, but the third is not so great as it leaves you without any additional magic defenses.

• Rune of Fire: 5/35/55pts. One rune isn't anything to write home about, but two runes are awesome with how great Breath Weapons are.

• Rune of Fury: 15/25/50pts. All around really good, Frenzy is much more easily reigned in than before (and Dwarfs have great leadership across the board anyway), and the third rune is fantastic if you plan on getting stuck in combat against its horde armies.

• Rune of Cleaving: 5/20/35pts. All three of these runes are pretty decent choices, and they have great synergy with nearly every other weapon rune. If you have any points to spare, you can't go wrong with one or two of these runes.

• Rune of Striking: 10/30/40pts. This can be useful, especially with the loss of the grudge table. If you're after Hordes, then go up to the second level. The first and last levels aren't worth it as Dwarfs already have a high enough Weapon Skill.

• Rune of Might: 25/35pts. Good for a monster hunter character or a character killer. Two of these plus the Master Rune of Swiftness pretty much guarantee you'll drop any monsters/Toughness 5 characters stupid enough to attack your Dwarf.

• Rune of Dismay: 15/25pts. Grants Fear or Terror. Don't bank on Terror being a game-changer.

• Rune of Parrying: 20pts. Another great rune if you're making a Lord who murders in challenges or wants to protect a character against low WS opponents (making them hit the Dwarf on 6's).

• Grudge Rune: 20pts. Perfect for character killers, this and 2 Runes of Cleaving are formidable in challenges.

• Rune of Speed: 5pts. Same as before, +1 initiative for each copy. Great way to get magic attacks for only 5 points.

Armour Runes

• Master Rune of Adamant: Gives the wearer T10 for 50pts. If combined with the Rune of Parrying, the character becomes nearly invincible against anything that doesn't auto-wound him, making a fantastic tarpit that deals good damage if you give your Dwarf a great weapon. Especially if you stack that greatweapon with The Master Rune of Kragg+2 Runes of Speed to offset the Initiative penalty. If you want to try something else, get Master Rune of Swiftness and pick whatever for your remaining 15 points.
• Master Rune of Steel: Forces enemies to reroll to wound. If you spend more on your weapon and want a security policy, this won't go wrong.
• Master Rune of Gromril: Unmodifiable 1+ armour save for 20pts. In every army other than dwarfs, it would be epic. Sadly, this is easily achieved by a rune of stone that you would take anyway. If you want to take it, though, put it on a thane and send him off to bother lower-tier heroes. NO YOU DRUNK FOOL, BUT IT ON A BREWMASTER WHO DOESN'T ALREADY HAVE A 2+!!!
• Rune of Fortitude: 20/50/60pts. The first rank is fantastic, who doesn't want a T6 character? The next two ranks are not as worth it, you can get a better Ward Save elsewhere and ignoring Multiple Wounds, while useful, leaves you with a lean weapons budget.
• Rune of Iron: 15/35/45 pts. The first two runes are fantastic, combine those with the Rune of Fortitude and shieldbearers and you have a T7 6W character that still has a decent amount of points to spend on magic items. ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶r̶d̶ ̶r̶a̶n̶k̶ ̶i̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶t̶h̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶R̶e̶g̶e̶n̶ ̶S̶a̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶e̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶a̶f̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶W̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶S̶a̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶a̶ ̶b̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶W̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶S̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶e̶l̶s̶e̶w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶.̶ In the 9th edition, regen saves apply after Ward saves, but don't work against flaming attacks or killing blow, and the wounds still count towards combat resolution. ?
• Rune of Preservation: 10pts for Immunity (Killing Blow/Heroic Killing Blow). This one is a bit situational and is only great if you're list tailoring.
• Rune of Resistance: Lets you reroll armour saves. You already have some damn good armour, but this can save you in a challenge against other heroes or lords.
• Rune of Shielding: For q5pts you get a 2++ against shooting. Put it on a Runelord on an Anvil, but otherwise, you can do just fine with the "Look Out Sir!" rule.
• Rune of Impact: If you have 5 points to spare, then one impact hit plus Strength Bonus (1) isn't that bad. Consider its +1 Strength plus another attack that auto hits for only 5 points.
• Rune of Stone: Same as before, 5 points for +1 armour. The epic rune that ignores the rule of pride (e.g, can take it on each of my thanes), the only reason you won't take this on everyone is if you used up your full points allowance elsewhere.

Talisman Runes

• Master Rune of Kingship: 40 pts. Gives a Dwarf Lord Stubborn and Immunity to Terror. While it all sounds nice, it's also half your allowance down the drain.
• Master Rune of Balance: 50 points for stealing a power dice (no longer require a dice roll). Not as good as it once was, but if you have the points to spare there's no harm in adding it to a Runesmith.
• Master Rune of Spellbinding: 30 points for +2 to dispel is a pretty neat grab.
• Master Rune of Spite: 30 pts. Generally, your points are better spent on armour so that its effects don't have to come into play, though if you're making a Slayer-themed list this one can prove useful.
• Master Rune of the Challenge: 15 pts. Single-use power to force an enemy to charge you or run away like sissies. Might have used if you want to lock up an elite unit, but it's just as likely to be a trap.
• Master Rune of Passage: 10 pts to auto-pass Dangerous Terrain tests. Good on a Runesmith or thane for helping a Horde pass through terrain pieces.
• Rune of Warding: The easy Ward Save runes. These are a bit better than before since with Hand Weapon and Shield, your character has only a 6++ Ward Save by default when in close combat against S8 and lower (aka everything he wants dead), so the second and third rune will help you, and "Look Out Sir!"/Master Rune of Grungni should protect your character well enough outside of combat.
• Rune of Spellbreaking: Dispel Scroll that can be taken on more than one Runefolk. Same price as a dispel scroll. For 20 more points, you get the stack which is the same, except you have a 50% chance to remove the spell from the wizard. 1 is a must take (and you can take them across multiple Runesmiths), though 2 stacked are only really worth it if you know your opponent is going to be using spells like the Purple Sun or buffs like in the Lore of Life.
• Rune of Fate: 2++ Ward against your first wound. Too situational, don't bother.
• Rune of Luck: This rune can be worth it if you have a point sink, Lord, that you don't want to lose to a characteristic test, otherwise it's more of a way to bypass the Rule of Pride concerning Talismans.
• Rune of Furnace: 2++ ward against flaming attacks for 5pts. A great way to bypass the Rule of Pride and how common flaming attacks are becoming can be handy to have on a character. Also very important when facing Lore of Metal.
• Rune of Brotherhood: Dirt cheap at 5 points, but not allowed on those on Oath Stones or Shieldbearer. Now your dude can scout with rangers or ambush with miners.

Banner Runes

• Master Rune of Groth One-Eye: 75pts. Dwarfs have great leadership and Resolute across the board, and giving everyone within 12" stubborn means you'll almost never fail a break test, especially if the general is nearby. A great choice to put on a unit of Hammerers.

• Master Rune of Stromni Redbeard: 60pts. An extra +1 combat res to all dwarf units within 12", can be great in larger games but is usually outshone by Runes of Battle if you want to take it any way it stacks fairly well if you have another unit with the Runes of Battle.

• Master Rune of Valaya: 25 point drop for a total of +3 to dispel (+2 for being Dwarfs, +1 for the banner), and at the start of each magic phase, each Remains in Play spell is dispelled on a 3+. A fantastic rune and for general lists and the one rune you never want to go without. With how powerful magic is, this is the best protection you have against Init test or die spells (like the Purple Sun), as well as making the opponent's army much weaker because you can almost always dispel spells like Throne of Vines every turn without wasting power dice.

• Master Rune of Grungni: 60pts. It is another fantastic rune and perfect for gunline lists since it gives your cannons within 12" the 5+ Ward Save.

• Master Rune of Fear: 25pts. Grants an entire unit fear, rather than Rune of Dismay only giving it to one, and only for 10 extra points.

• Rune of Battle: 20/40/60pts. The first two runes are good, but the third can only be put on the BSB and costs a bit much to be worth it since you'll already be getting +3 combat res from just the banner alone, attacking in one more rank is usually overkill at that point.

• Rune of Slowness: 20/30/50pts. The first two runes are good for ensuring your enemies fail their charge and then get countercharged by you (or shot at again, which can do more damage), and it has good synergy with the Silver Horn to get you those extra attacks when you charge. The last rune-giving opponent's ASL is still really helpful with your Initiative 2.

• Rune of Sanctuary: 10/20/30pts. Magic Resistance isn't as great as it used to be, and it won't stop that Purple Sun from wiping out a unit, but you can still make use out of the first level, as adding/not adding it allows multiple units to take the Rune of Battle on their banners too.

• Rune of Stoicism: 50pts. Another easy way Dwarfs can get stubborn. A good banner if you didn't want to put the Master Rune of Groth One-Eye on that unit of Hammerers. Put it on and have fun, never running away.

• Rune of Guarding: 30pts. BSB only. Since this only grants the bearer a 5++ Ward Save, one might as "why?". That is a very good question because the Master Rune of Grungni exchanges the Ward in combat for giving it to multiple units.

• Rune of Courage: 20pts. All of the Dwarf units that can carry this will not get much use out of it anyway, it doesn't work well with other banner runes, and Dwarfs already have great leadership. It might be somewhat handy if you're up against many Undead or Daemons, but there are generally better banner runes.

• Strollaz' Rune: Vanguard for 10pts. Nice on dwarfs, you can build an army around this rune (since you can put it on more than half an army), consider it an extra turn without getting shot at. But don't bother taking this on Rangers since they still have to remain 12" away from the foe and still can't charge the first turn, if you go first. Works well with Irondrakes.

• Ancestor Rune: 10pts. This is another rune you can build an army around, With the Master Rune of Groth One-Eye giving you Stubborn, you can essentially make a unit Unbreakable in combat for one round (or even without Stubborn if you didn't lose by much). If this rune had a downside, it doesn't stack well with the other runes for normal units.

• Rune of Kadrin: 20pts. Anything that lets you reroll hits is a welcome blessing, even if you need to roll a 1 for it to work.

• Rune of Determination: 15pts. Why did they copy the Ancestor Rune?

• Ancestor Rune (Copy): 10pts. Despite also being Ancestor Rune, this one works differently. Rather than breaking at a very small chance, this gives a chance actually to become Stubborn.

• Master Rune of Grimnir: 50pts. It gives Slayers within 12" of this a 5++ Ward against missiles, which is their lone protection against anything shooty.

Engineering Runes

• Master Rune of Immolation: The ultimate Greater Good Rune. For 20 points you can detonate your Warmachine at will, after combat, to cause 2D6 S4 flaming hits to enemies. Not bad, and it can help you screw over war machine hunters and prevent them from running through the rest of your gunline.
• Master Rune of Defence: 20pts. Ward save (3+) against all missile attacks.
• Master Rune of Disguise: 15pts. Not a bad rune/way to get hardcover if you don't want to pay for more Master Engineers.
• Master Rune of Skewering: 20pts. If you ever decide to bring a bolt thrower, this makes a guarantee that one hit will make it through on a 2+ to hit.
• Rune of Penetrating: 30/40pts. The first rune is excellent on every Warmachine besides cannons. The second one isn't nearly as good, you can almost always spend those 10 extra points elsewhere.
• Rune of Accuracy: For 20 points you get +1 BS or reroll the scatter dice if you use one. Almost mandatory on Grudge Throwers (can't be taken on Organ Guns anymore).
• Stalwart Rune: 5/10pts. Does a good job at speed bumping Warmachine Hunters, but for more the Master Rune of Immolation which can kill those hunters outright. Take it if you already have the Master Rune of Immolation on something else, or think your crew can win a fight with hunters.
• Flakksson's Rune of Seeking: For 15 points your bolt throwers get +1 to hit against flying foes. This won't help too much against flying units, but it can cause lone fliers like those overpriced HQs a lot of grief.
• Rune of Fortune: For 10 points you can reroll an artillery dice whenever a misfire occurs... Almost mandatory on Cannons and Organ Guns.
• Valiant Rune: Yet another means to make your war machines speed bumps by making them Stubborn for 5 points. If you're really hurting for a price, this can quickly fit into your list.
• Rune of Burning: For 5 points you get flaming attacks. This is arguably the best rune in the book because it allows you to set up different warmachines with very similar runes and bypass the rule of pride and it makes anything with regen, flammable, or Ethereal (Runed cannons are magical) wet themselves.

Unit Analysis

Note: A lot of the units in this army perform a function that a cannon can do much better, and as dwarfs cannons are so cheap some units you should just drop in favor of another cannon, or in some cases another three (see slayers).

Lords & Heroes

Named Characters

Note: Named characters are almost always overpriced. That's not to say they're worthless; named characters do have some unique abilities and combos, but make sure you're getting your points worth. In most cases, it's easy to emulate their abilities from scratch and save quite a few points.

• Thorgrim Grudgebearer: At 500 points, he's more usable than he was before and can be fielded now in 2000 point armies. Thorgrim is more of a buffer than a close combat machine, the biggest of which is giving his unit Hatred while letting them have the effects of Hatred (O&G/Skaven) last every turn. His axe wounds on a 2+ ALWAYS except against magic armour (3+), has Always Strike First and against giants has multiple wounds (D6). 18" inspiring presence and his unit gain Immunity (Psychology). An interesting little rule states that he MUST be your general and that if he dies, your entire army gains frenzy. On the downside, he cannot "Look out Sir" when he joins a unit (but with 7 wounds it's not a deathknell).

• Thorek Ironbrow: 330 points!. You can play him in 2000pt games now, though he's overpriced for what he does. Re-rolling one dice for the Anvil of Doom per turn (though another 1 kills his understudy), +1 to cast, has a new spell (grants Fear to Dwarfs within 24") and the costs 145 points more than a normal Runelord on Anvil. Lastly, as the anvil is a Warmachine, Pit of Shades, Dwellers Below, and Purple Sun all instant kill him with no saves allowed even if he has a 1+ save.

• Belegar Ironhammer: 290 pts. The true Close Combat Lord, he's geared for character killing, able to unleash a total of 8 close combat attacks (only once per game though) as well as take anything most other characters can dish back. The downside is that you can make a Lord character just as good, if not better, from scratch.

• Kazador Thunderhorn: King of Karak Azul. When you put his gear together, he's a pretty hardy mofo, with 5+ armour compensated by T6, 4 S5 HKB attacks at WS8, and I4. He also has a single-use horn that forces enemies within 24" to test Ld to charge.

• Ungrim Ironfist 325 points. He's a pretty nice hero or monster killer due to Slayer, Strength 6, Killing Blow, and D3 wounds on monsters; he's also pretty tough when facing Dragons due to his 2++ Ward vs. Fire. That, along with a slew of other foes because Flaming is omnipresent in tournaments to get rid of regenning units. Other than that, he'll fuck up a few Lords, and he'll weather a few hits, overall cool for Slayer-themed lists, but otherwise, he'll be slightly fucked because he can only join Slayer and Doomseeker units (which are now Core, thanks to him). Something that is often overlooked is his ability to buff your slayers; taking Ungrim means 1 slayer unit in the army can buy +1S and Wards of Grimnir. Slightly overpriced at 325 points, but WS9 and T6 is pretty nice, meaning that even Tyrion hits you on a 4+.

• Alrik Ranulfsson: King of Karak Hirn. He is another mandatory general who places severe restrictions on the war machines, guns, tanks, and other fun things the Dwarfs get. His axe is an excellent weapon with the Grudge and Breaking runes, his heavy armour gives a 2++ Ward Save against all shooting and a 5++ otherwise. On top of this, he carries his book of (avenged) grudges to confer him Hold Your Ground and can ferret out hidden assassins. Take him only for a mob-heavy army.

• Byrrnoth Gundadrak: Voyager-King of Barak Varr. He's a pretty strong thane with a good axe, though only a 5+/5++ save.

• Kragg the Grim: Master Runelord of Karaz-a-Karak. Here's a proper foot-slogger of a Runelord, except he's bafflingly even slightly more expensive than Thorek. He throws 3 S10 flaming attacks each turn and has a 1+/5++ save, making him a secret nightmare. He also has Dispel Runes and a Rune of Balance to ensure that he can actually do more in the magic phase.

• Kadrin Redmane: Runelord of Karak Varn. He's not much as a combatant, with his weapon demanding the enemy test Ld for the thing to even negate armour. Meanwhile, his shield offers a 2++ against mundane and magic missiles. The best thing he has is his 175 point price tag.

• Grombrindal The legendary White Dwarf. He's a costly character but what an awesome guy at 450 points: LD 10 with M3, 1+\4++ save, a magic axe with +2 strength and re-rolls hits and wounds, and Hidden. Despite being Unbreakable, he can join all units, though this will bite him in the arse when his team flees and he's left to fight independently.

• Garagrim Ironfist: War-mourner champion of Karak Kadrin. He's a Dragon Slayer that deals d6 wounds to enemies T5 or higher with Deathblow and, while never the general, lets a Giant slayer unit take a weapon rune. His axes are even better since they have Thorgrimm's rule of wounding at 2+ on top of nominating a sworn enemy (for +! to hit and wound them) and Impact Hits on the charge.

• Burlok Damminson: Guildmaster of the Engineers. He's got two special perks: ASF and a special attack that's S6 ad his base Initiative of 2.

• Grimm Burloksonn: The Master Engineer to trump all others, especially now that he has such a fabulous cost of 95 points. Able to unleash a good amount of firepower on his own and decent in close combat, though he's better staying back and buffing your units with one of the following (unlike regular Master Engineer only on a roll of 2+ though!):
  • Artillery Adjustment: Allows a friendly War Machines to his BS of 5 and the ability to re-roll an Artillery Dice, which can be the bounce on a Cannon or a Flame Cannons scatter. Useful for all war machines, especially due to the Organ Gun changes, use it if you want to snipe that enemy wizard or kill squishy things with stones.
  • Increased Range: Does what it says on the tin. Increases the units Crossbow and Handgun ranges by 2D6, so your horde of 40+ Quarellers can now hit more things! Use it if that one enemy unit is just out of reach.
  • Superior Volley: Models in the unit may re-roll any to-hit rolls. Again, useful for Bolt Throwers and Organ Guns (Organ Guns roll to hit now). IRONDRAKES. For Organ Gun, you would use Artillery Adjustment because it also grants that re-roll for the artillery die.

• Josef Bugman: The epitome of a dwarf grudge holder, and at 185 points, he sits between a cheap Lord or a wallet-killing Thane with stats more toward the former. As long as he's alive, his unit rolls on a 2D6 table, of which two of the results are great, and one result can hurt you, while his unit can heal a wound each turn.

• Brok Stonefist: 290pts. A Dwarf Miner Lord from back during the time of the War of the Beard. Make 2 Miner units core and let them reroll their Underground Advance. has a Great weapon with rune of Breaking and Alaric the Mad, Gromril armour with Rune of Gromril and Steel, and a Regen(4+).

• Crazed Khargrim: 100pts. A Dragon Slayer from the War of the Beard. A Loner Hero and always counts a haven charge every combat.

Generic Characters

Note: While named characters are judged against their generic counterparts, generic characters are examined based on their role in your army.

• Dwarf Lord: Generic combat lord. A good combination of rune items can make him incredibly nasty in close combat. Oathstone is a decent choice to put him on since you're unlikely to be moving around much but better yet are Shieldbearers, 5 points for +2 additional WS5 S4 I3 attacks plus he counts as infantry still so he gets his lookout sirs.
  • Be advised, Runes can only be put on Hand Weapons so if you want to get one, getting him a Great Weapon will be pointless without the Master Rune of Kragg the Grim, and that's already 15 points of runes spent...

• Runelords/Runesmiths: Runesmiths are your closest equivalents to Warrior Priests filling the role of Wizards. Always take 1 with a dispel rune for 85pts or buy a scroll. Though they have lost their free dispel dice, they now channel dispel like wizards, grant Armour Piercing to whatever infantry unit they're a part of, and have Magic Resistance. Sadly Runelords have taken a serious hit with the new Army Book as anything that they can do can usually be done by a much cheaper Runesmith besides the Anvil of Doom. Unless you want the anvil, do not bother taking the lords.

• Daemon Slayer: Same as before but forces successful ward saves to be re-rolled and does D3 wounds to Monsters. It's nice now that when kitted out properly, he can be guaranteed to kill a Daemon prince; with some weapon runes, he comes out at a good price and is a worthy consideration. Each Daemon Slayer you include (but probably not more than one unless in 3k gams) can add one Troll Slayers unit as core (where you want your suicide units to pay by). Be careful, as he can get focused and destroyed quite easily, and at much greater impact being a lord choice, unlike dragon slayers, with the only consolation being that they aren't ever your general.

• Thanes: Very solid Hero. He comes in two builds, the 'Thane o' pain' and the 'Tank thane.' Basically, the names say it all. Tank thane concentrates on staying alive, and therefore uses armour runes. The Thane o' pain operates on the philosophy that if the enemy is dead, then it won't attack you back. Use a rune of Snorri Spangelheim, a rune of cleaving, and either a grudge rune if you have it in for one particular character, a rune of FUREH, or, when fighting tough enemies (orcs and ogres, etc.), a rune of might for strength 8.

• Master Engineers: Buffs your artillery, and can make one entrenched (counts as being behind heavy cover and enemies take -1 to hit it). Great if you are playing a shooty list. Also gives your cannons and grudge throwers free artillery die-rolls, which can save your ass many times over. If you take one, they work best with an organ gun, which takes the most advantage of their BS 4 and an artillery re-roll.

• Dragon Slayer: Deals D3 wounds on each attack against monsters. When cheaply kitted out these guys can do some nice damage. Worth taking one and run him alongside the rest of your army as a threat to monsters if you don't have cannons or Warmachine hunter defense.

• Brewmaster: The generic version of Bugman. He's far more of a support hero than a combatant and gives a unit's front a bit more protection. He also has a bunch of casks to share with his team, though you need to roll a d6 and avoid a 1 that gets them hammered and less fit for battle: Bugman's XXXXXX (+1 Strength), Dwarf Special Reserve (Immunity to Psychology, which is more a fringe benefit), and Troll Brew (Regen (6+)).

Mounts

• Shieldbearers: Lords only. Have 2 Dwarfs hold up your Lord to make him more intimidating. For 5pts, you add 2 mount attacks and 2 to the unit strength. Because they are infantry, your lord still benefits from Look Out Sir.

• Oath Stones: Lords and Thanes only. They're fairly inexpensive and gives a hefty defense, so you can never go wrong with taking one thane with this. Your unit can never flee a charge, but they are never disrupted, can parry any attacks to their flanks or rear, and gains another MR(1).

• Anvil of Doom: Runelords only. 2 wounds, a 5++ ward save, and some guards to fight alongside your Runelord though they get no upgrades. It adds a bonus die to all power and dispel pools. It also gives some bound spells to use to buff a dwarf unit anywhere on the battlefield. The big weakness? You're now a War Machine. An Initiative 3 War Machine makes you an ideal target for spells that target your Initiative.
  • Hearth & Home: Makes a Dwarf Stubborn or unbreakable if already stubborn. The entire army already has little to worry about with morale, so why use this?...
  • Stone & Steel: Gives a unit +1 to their armour save. You will want this a lot, especially when combo'd.
  • Wrath & Ruin: Blasts a unit within 24" with 2d6 S4 hits.
  • Oath and Honour:an Infantry unit makes an out-of-phase move. Your Slow (you now marching on 6") so extra speed to flank.

Core Units

• Dwarf Warriors: These are your bread and butter beard and ale. They have Toughness 4, Leadership 9, and medium armour as standard, and you can begin to approach your 'ard past or spend two for Heavy armour. Give them shields if you don't want them to die, or give them great weapons if you want them to kill shit. Always take them in big units of 30+ with full command.

• Longbeards: 4 points more than a dwarf warrior in heavy armour. They are better at killing shit, not running away, and being immune to panic. They also allow nearby units to reroll failed panic tests when not fleeing, which is nice if your BSB is out of range. Generally better with a hand weapon and shield at S4 and suitable for ensuring your flank units don't run away, but in close combat, hammerers and ironbreakers are better for points in all regards.

• Quarrellers: Reduced to Light Armour for a money-saving option to mitigate for the hick of missile weapons. BS3, but the rerolling 1 boosts that. They can still take shields or Bucklers and great weapons. Shields are good if you want to get into a shooting match with Wood Elves. Take these guys as your general core, as crossbows will generally outrange most other armies at 30", and great weapons will still allow them to hit any kind of anti-archer unit and come out smiling. 16 man unit of these stubbies with great weapons is a scary prospect to charge against, especially with new and improved stand-and-shoot.

• Thunderers: Handgun Dwarfs. Similarly demoted to Light Armour and the same points, they still put the hurt on units plus with Shields or bucklers and a rune of Groth One Eye nearby, they make a surprisingly tough anvil to set up a beautiful countercharge with that unit of Great Weapon Quarrellers you have sitting beside them.

Special Units

• Hammerers: Same obligatory unit that you love, except they cost 2 more points. Still stubborn with a Chaos Warrior stat line but with less initiative. Toss your general in the unit for immunity to Fear/Terror.

• Ironbreakers: Elite Tarpit. For 14 points each, you get WS5, T4, Ld10, a rerolled parry (used to be a 5++) 2+ armour save. These guys got the most love in the update, and NO one wants to get into a fight with a horde of these with a Runesmith. Keep them near your BSB. Being so unchangeable, it's even more of a threat that the champion can get close and chuck a big bomb at an enemy after marching 6".

• Miners: Your ambushers got the actual ambusher rule with their cover upon entry, for a true miners' entry rule stolen from the Tomb Kings, being a telegraphed ambush before turn 1. They are perfect against static armies that take war machines and the like with their Great weapons. Take in small groups of 10 or so and go war machine hunting or rear charging with them. As far as upgrades go, the drill on the champion isn't bad, providing 2 S6 attacks that don't degrade after the first battle round while reducing the chance of not showing up. That Quick to Fire on Blasting Charges now Grants an additional burst of damage when the unit charges for 20+ more points. By the way, Your miners should do the charging. They shouldn't be charged.

• Troll Slayers/Giant Slayers: This unit has changed a good deal, and it's debatable if it's for better or worse. Slayers still wound on 4+ instead of raising their strength unless they needed a lower result. They are armed with a Greatweapon for monsters and can-opening plus AHWs for more attacks. If they die, that will make a single attack back. Slayers operate as mass suicidal melee damage dealers, at least compared to the more expensive guys in armour. To help in the job, Vanguard gets you closer to people's faces, and upgrading to Skirmishers or a bunch being around a Master Rune of Grimnir grants mobility/protection from missiles that would deny them the honorable death.
  • Giant Slayer: 5-point upgrade for +1 WS, S, and Att. For Targets that need a more skilled suicide unit (like chaos warriors).

• Rangers: Sadly, the days of scouting hordes are over. Having been moved to the special section, rangers now have the same role as chameleon skinks, shades, and shadow warriors. If you have any Quarrelers with Great Weapons to spare that aren't fulfilling your core requirement, you should swap them for Rangers because they have throwing axes and scout for two points cheaper while allowing them to be aggressive. Facing is also important in 9th when shooting at infantry with shields, so you also find uses for giving them Crossbows.

• Deathroller: 80pts. It's weird to think about how Dwarfs made the Imperial Steam Tanks but never had one of their own until this. This here is still subject to randomized movement (and thus the mishaps of rolling snake eyes), but don't have all the micromanagement of points and deals d6 impact hits each turn (though a 6 here also gives mishaps). It makes for a Quickly-moving Chariot Entity that pivots on a dime into a flank attack. A Faster Melee Flanker a Something only Reblicatable by positioning Dwarf vangarding units at the start of the game, nothing else with this much Melee mobility. Do be warned this thing doesn't have close to the durability as a Steam Tank, THis is a GlassCannon Chariot (or at least this is made by Dwarfs, so it won't break immediately to a few presents).

• Cannons: Even with the 20pt cut to 100 points cannons are a bad choice now. Of course, the price goes up as you add runes and engineers, which you should do to make it very reliable. But with the buffs to Bolt Throwers, Grudge Throwers and Organ guns, should leave this on the shelf in 9th edition

• Grudge Thrower: 80pts. It's a standard stone thrower for 80 points. It can be buffed up with runes and engineers. The right combination can make this a very effective war machine. These can seriously troll T3 armies. Take a rune of accuracy and penetrating to get Str 4 S5 now (for some reason Mathias thought stone throwers needed a buff and are base S4), re-rolling to scatter. Definitely got the most love this edition, with stone throwers going up in Strength on the template and the direct hit.

• Bolt Throwers: Not terrible, with a pointcut from 8th to 45pts, can get 2 for one choice, and now Lacks long-range penalties. this is more reliable and accurate than a cannon.

• Firethrower: 60pts. If you wanted a flamer but didn't like being exposed as a War Machine, this gives a weaker but tinier model. However, this size reduction also means that it has no place for runes.

Rare Units

• Irondrakes: If you were ever worried about those Chaos Warriors posing a threat, take these guys, and you'll never have to worry about them ever again as they absolutely murder high Toughness high Armour squads and pump out far more shots than your warmachines, as well as making excellent Monstrous Infantry killers. However, their guns are half the range of a handgun in exchange for S5 flaming hits that are quick to fire. Their models also look badass.

• Doomseeker: With Giant Slayers becoming Slayer champions, these become your bigger slayers. Each has the Wards of Griminr (6++ Ward and 6++ magic resistance against missiles), Skirmisher, Unbreakable, and now instantly deal d6 hits against enemies in b2b while having -1 to hit them. While random hits are inconvenient, they do make for a better wall than the Troll Slayers.

• Organ Guns: 120pts. Now rolls artillery dice +2d6. This is a blessing and a curse; first, it makes misfires much more likely (16.67% vs. 2.78%), but you're averaging more shots. It can also now be given up to 50 points of Runes and put an engineer on it, allowing it to hit a lot more than it previously could. With engineer nerfs, the removal of Rune of Accuracy, and an increase the chance of misfire, one may consider fielding them naked rather than putting a ton of points into each.

• Flame Cannon: 140pts. Against Gobbos, Monstrous Infantry, and Skaven, it can be used very effectively to cause panic tests on any large unit; being able to throw down a S5 flamer template is amazing in fantasy, especially when it can cause d3 wounds. Don't be worried about taking one, as its range is a lot longer than it looks, be sure to give it runes, though. Nothing's worse than having your cannon blow up when you need those Night Goblins to panic.

• Gyrocopter: 85pts. Gyrocopters are the dwarf equivalent of great eagles and moved to Rare. Changed only slightly from the previous edition, they now have a gun choice, either keeping the old one (an str 3 armour piercing flamer) or a gun that fires d3 str 5, flaming, armour piercing shots. They also get their bombs, which can be handy when harassing opponents trying to approach your gunline or positioning behind units about to flee, so they take Dangerous Terrain tests. Though they lack vanguard, be careful of all the dragons.

• Gyrobomber: 140pts. An alternative to the Gyrocopter that can wipe out entire hordes on its own, this thing will be a firing magnet. As such, it can be used to distract the enemy away from a gunline or stop the enemy from shooting your own guys if running a close combat list.

• Rune Guardians: Iron. Dwarf. Golems. Each is monstrous infantry that's a little better than the living ones, with 4+ armour, S5, T5, M6, and Unbreakable. However, their massive weight makes them unable to march and auto-fail initiative tests. BEWARE THE SPELLS TARGETING THIS!. They also can be engraved up to two of the following runes (Cleaving, Fury, Striking, Stone, Warding), upping thier defense or offense.

• Grudgebreaker: 200pts. A super-heavy tank with axes for hands. DORF MECHA! They're also subject to steam engines and all that entails, but they have the perk of actually fighting in combat with randomized attacks (rolled like movement) and S6 and are protected with a 1+ save.

• Thunderbarge: 275pts. The Dwarf Zeppelin. They're jumbo bombers that can now be hit by hovering units but don't block the way for other models. It's also equipped with a cannon that lacks grapeshot and whose misfires can break it for the game.

Building Your Army

Buying Your Army

Buy a battleline set or two to start; you can get a couple for the same price as a battalion from the official site if you know where to look. Do all of the warriors as the same type, 40 warriors in one unit is far more effective than two units of 20. The shooty dwarfs should be assembled depending on who you usually face. Thunderers and Quarrellers should generally have shields. The 4 cannons are really good both ways.

Next, buy a dwarf lord with shieldbearers. Gyrocopters will never go amiss, but make sure you can afford it if you make the cannon into an organ gun. Keep buying more dwarfs, a Runelord is no longer a good choice due to barely being better than the Runesmith for 60 pts more, but a BSB is still ever-useful.

If you feel you need to stretch your converter's wings and make something unique/different or aren't all that impressed by the dwarf miniature range, learn first and foremost how to green stuff beards. To make models look good is easy; any detail you don't like, just cover it with a green stuff beard, and any model will always look better with an extra big bushy beard on top except for those otherwise stated. Old Longbeard models are a good reference for these conversions. Also, braids on either side of the beard add a Celtic feel to the models, which are reminiscent of the previous incarnation of Dwarf fluff when they were a little less Viking-y. More beard seems to go a long way, especially because the plastic sculpts don't compare to any of the newer models coming out. Also, bigger round shields do absolute wonders for Dwarf models; using thumbtacks or converted marauder shields makes your models look amazing.

Army Composition

Repeat after me. War machines and lots of shit that refuses to die.

The nature of the Dwarf units is more restrictive than most other armies since you basically have only two types of units: infantry and war machines (+ the odd robot). You don't have cavalry, war beasts, monstrous units, monsters, swarms, you don't even have cheap chaff or skirmishers! This, together with M3 across the board (Gyrocopters not counting) means that Dwarf players historically tend to play relatively stationary. But make no mistake, it might seem easier to play like this, but it means that mistakes during the deployment phase are so much worse since you have little chance to remedy them. With so little variation in your units, the differences often lie in details:

Dwarf Warriors vs. Longbeards:Except for a pure gunline, you're going to field at least one of these two units. It depends a little on your battleplan, but Dwarf Warriors with shields are the better choice for a tarpit since they have the same defensive abilities as Longbeards (T4, AS4+, parry 6+/5+, LD9) at a lower price. Field something like 30 in at least 5 ranks, they can take a lot of punches. Dwarfs in general work very well with Great Weapons, as they anyway have a low initiative. 21 Longbeards with Great Weapons and the Rune of Stoicism work well, making them stubborn. They neither need a character to support nor the BSB-bubble but can still hold their ground against most enemies. Be it Warriors or Longbeards, always have full command.

Quarellers vs. Thunderers: Well, both weapons have merits. The crossbow has a longer range, and the handgun is armour piercing. There are more occasions where the handgun takes the cake, but the crossbow just has these extra 6", so if your opponent stays out of the standard 24" distance (or you have the first turn and your opponent was clever enough to deploy his troops half an inch behind the line), you would lose one round of shooting to move your Thunderers into threat range. Additionally, Quarellers can be equipped with great weapons as well as shields, and Thunderers only have access to shields. The command units basically only give bonuses in close combat and are therefore not really necessary as a) the champion doesn't have a better BS but an additional attack, b) both weapons are move-or-fire so the musician's main benefit for shooting units - the swift reform - has no use here and c) they cannot take magic standards and generally these units are not your dedicated close combat fighters anyway. Save the 30 points and get two more troops instead, maybe unless you're playing a gunline and your shooting units also have to fill the role as close combat units; in that case, definitely get a full command unit! Superiority breaks down like this, based on the distance to the enemy:

• 30"-25": Quarellers (duh)
• 24"-16": Thunderers
• 15"-13": Quarellers
• 12"- 1": Thunderers
• CC: Quarellers with GWs.

Hammerers vs. Ironbreakers: Your two main elite fighting units. In WAP Ironbreakers jumped from a 3+ save to a 1+ save. Sure they went up 2pts but what didn't in this book They're also the only unit in the book with a 5++ parry. Hammers are techincally cheaper, but really you're always going to upgrade to heavy armour so practically they're identical. When it comes down to it, Ironbreakers work better with buffs, have a golden scepter or runesmith? Bring Ironbreakers. Want a unit that can bring out the pain without support? Bring Hammers. Regardless, anytime you find yourself spending points in longbeards above your core requirment start looking to one of these to replace them.

Miners vs. Rangers: Your two choices for units with special deployment rules, a better form of Ambushers for the Miners and Scouts for the Rangers. To be honest, neither is too great. Dwarfs are slow, very slow, so they don't make for good ambushers. Look at the rule: They can arrive starting from turn 2 (66% chance), cannot charge or march that turn, have to be placed in contact with a board edge and only move 3". That means you can charge on turn 3 at the earliest, and only something which is still pretty close to the board edge. And your opponent has a turn to react to your arrival. The minimum unit size for Miners is 10, at 9pts a model that's the cost of a Gyrocopter. It would be different if Miners were core troops, and/or you could/would field two larger units. But since they are a special unit and literally every other choice in that category is superior, there will probably only be one relatively small unit. Yes, it can work in the right situation, but for me, it is not a choice for a general army. A Gyrocopter is more versatile. Rangers have a similar problem. Scout is a nifty rule, and a decent unit with crossbows cleverly positioned can be a real threat for your opponent. Rangers have gotten better with the Skirmishers upgrade, which allows them more flexibility and goes nicely with their throwing axes (which are just great, never forget you have them!). Both Miners and Rangers have the problem that you will have a hard time reinforcing their position with your slow army, which often likes to stay back and give their war machines more time to shoot the enemy to pieces anyway. They can be effective in the right situation, but most of the time that Gyrocopters can also do. And both units suffered a major blow when this one rune was scrapped, which would have allowed a character to join either unit and gain their special deployment rule (ideally combined with that other scrapped rune that forced an enemy unit to charge...). Rangers can be a little more valuable since you can get five at 11-12pts apiece, and they can be deployed at a strategic position to deny it to your enemy Scouts and Vanguard, which can be crucial.

Cannon vs. Grudge Thrower vs. Bolt Thrower vs. Organ Gun vs. Flame Cannon: Phew, this got alot easier, leave cannons at home, bring as many Grudge Throwers. as possible. Don't invest a ton in your Organ Gun. If you're against Ogres the flame cannon is disgusting, now always shooting at its old "supercharged" profile. Bolt Throwers are extreme value, being 10pts cheaper and no longer getting penalties at long range.

Gyrocopters vs. Gyrobombers: For only 90pts, there is almost always room in your army for at least one Gyrocopter. The copter makes for good war machine hunters or harassing enemy units with their steam cannon, especially some pesky waywatchers or similar hiding behind cover. The Gyrobomber is nice enough, but it is inferior to Irondrakes, Organ Guns, or Flame Cannons in the rare slots.

Dispelling Magic

• In 2000 point games and above, try to have a Runesmith with the Master Rune of Balance and park him behind some dwarven lines. The Anvil looks nice, seeing as it provides you with one Dispel Dice and some spells, and with the Master Rune of Balance, the Runelord can steal a power dice on a 4+, all for 305 points, but as mentioned above, it's too easy to kill. With how much the Anvil costs, you will get more Mileage out of several Runes of Spellbreaking and the Master Rune of Valaya. With it only costing 65pts, you can give it to a unit of Hammerers to free up your bsb to carry other runes.

Tactics

As the rulebook has set your army up to nearly never make the first move in anything from army placement to attack rolls, it is a good idea to theme your army around getting the enemy to come to you. Try for at least 1 dwarven cannon just in case another git brings a cannon, then you won't have to take 5 turns of cannonballs to the face (OUCH!).

Because dwarfs have such shit movement (M3), it's a good idea just to let your combat units wait for a bit. At the same time, your opponent marches towards you, especially against armies like Beastmen, Skaven, OaG, WoC, Daemons, and other armies with not much shooty shit (beware as both Skaven and O&G can sometimes field nasty gunlines). As they're coming towards you, start fucking them up with your war machines, thunderers, and Quarellers. Once you've weakened them a bit, charge in for the kill with your combat units. Warning: this tactic will get you bum-fucked against elves, empire, and armies with lots of missile fire/magic.

VS monsters of any kind CANNONS. MORE CANNONS. Side note: Consider flaming Organ Guns, dwarfed by master engineers.

VS Skaven This matchup is easier than ever with the improved Dispel ability of your army, as well as easier to break/less powerful Steadfast. The removal of irresistible force and the dreaded 13th ensures their magic phase will be lackluster. They don't have cavalry so you don't have to deal with 9th editions buffed cav.

VS Bretonnia With the changes to Lance Formation and the Blessing this is a tough matchup. They'll always get a 5++ ward (re-rolling 1s often too) against all of your shooting and when they get into combat (they will always get the charge bonus), they'll wipe small units and potentially break your steadfast.

VS Vampires/Tomb Kings Kill those darn Wizards. Use Cannons, Catapults, Gyrobombs, everything. You cannot win in a war of attrition. The loss of a 2/3rds chance of your characters hating their characters makes this matchup even worse.

VS Wood Elves Artillery this went from being one of your stronger matchups to one of your weaker ones. If they get a magic phase reducing your toughness or ballistic skill, they will outshoot you with their multiple shots and armour piercing. And you will never catch them as they get no penalty for moving and shooting. Ensure your warmachines have a Quareller bodyguard to protect vs scouts. Bring the flames if they go heavy on forest spirits.

Ogres Bring those great weapons and war machines. Luckily they lost stomp and the chance of reducing your chance to hit from fear. If you can survive the first round of combat (with its impact hits) your Warriors and Longbeards with great weapons match up favorably vs Bulls and Iron Guts, respectively. With steadfast and higher leadership you should prevail. A few war machines need to be flaming and give a character a flaming weapon to beat the troll guts spam. Use Quarellers and a Gyrocopter to keep those Sabercats off your artillery. To deal with the inevitable challenge busting Tyrant/Bruiser, pimp out your Lord with two Runes of Might, two Runes of iron, a rune of warding, Gromril, shield, and shield-bearers for a T6, 6 Wounds, 4 str8 multiple wounds attacks, 2 str4 attacks, +2 armor, +5 ward (+4 in close combat) for 294 points.

Hill Defence Stick a cannon and a grudge thrower on a hill. Array your units so that they are protecting the hill. Behind and out of sight of the enemy, place your secret vengeance weapons- gyrocopter and anvil of doom. The plan is to use the artillery for whittling down the enemy with your war machines, then break the enemy in CC. At that point, the gyrocopter comes swooping over the hill and smashes into the fleeing units before they get a chance to rally. Beware of shooty armies and spells and template effects. This strategy requires ranks and outnumbering when you reach combat. If you can't break the enemy, the last-ditch option is to use the gyrocopter to shred them into little tiny pieces using the bombs and guns.

External Links

The Project's website

Warhammer Army Project Tactics Articles
General Tactics	About 9th edition Magic Items Magic Tips Regiments of Renown
Forces of Order	Albion Amazons Bretonnia Cathay Cult of Ulric Dwarf Empire Estalia Halflings High Elves Kingdoms of Ind Kislev Lizardmen Nippon Wood Elves
Forces of Destruction	Beastmen Chaos Dwarfs Daemons of Chaos Dark Elves Orcs & Goblins Skaven Vampire Counts Warriors of Chaos Zombie Pirates of the Vampire Coast
Unaligned	Araby Dogs Of War Hobgoblins Norse Ogre Kingdoms Pirates of Sartosa Tomb Kings