Overview
The Dwarfs are a race introduced in Total War: Warhammer. They have three playable factions and four Legendary Lords to choose from.
The Dwarfs are an ancient, proud race of warriors and craftsmen who dwell in great halls deep under the mountains. Easy to offend, they record every grudge in a great tome, written in the blood of kings. Dwarf armies can move through the underway to avoid danger. Most of their units are heavily-armoured infantry, powerful artillery and advanced war machines. Dwarfs have no spellcasters, cavalry or monster units.
Playstyle
The Forge: Experts in binding the Winds of Magic to stone or metal, Dwarfs can forge magical items to improve their strength in battle.
- Grudges: Scores against the Dwarfs must be settled by any and all means necessary to keep order.
- The Underway: Dwarfs can use the underground tunnels to avoid impassable terrain and enemy forces.
- Roster of heavily-armoured units with strong leadership and a variety of deadly war machines.
Background
| “ | By Grungni’s beard, that’s an insult that can only be repaid in kind. Die, you wazzock! | „ |
Dwarfs are a proud, bearded folk who are quick to temper and easy to offend, with a love of gems, gold and other precious metals. They are short, generally no taller than five-and-a-half foot in height but are broad with powerful arms and stout legs. Dwarfs are master craftsmen; they see the work of other races as inferior and even have a special word in their lexicon for man-made devices which they call "umgak", to mean shoddy. Much of this learning has come from eons of carving out their homes in the mountains; the strongholds under the World's Edge Mountains were undisputable wonders of the world - massive underground cities known as ‘Holds’, and in the lower levels great industrial centres in the form of smelteries, forges and mine works digging ever deeper into the roots of the mountains.
With their Dwarfholds established across the World's Edge Mountains and far beyond, the Dwarfs prospered for many generations. But then came the War of the Beard, a devastating continent-spanning conflict with the High Elves. This decimated the Dwarf Empire, leaving the network of Holds weak. Then their realm was riven by a chain of devastating earthquakes; that’s when the Goblins and other things struck. The Dwarfs' true enemies were revealed to be the devious Goblins, who had for so long coveted their grand halls. Thus the golden age of Karaz Ankor - ‘The Everlasting Realm’ in the Dwarfish tongue of Khazalid - ended.
In recent times, the Dwarfs are a race barely holding onto glories past, with only a few strongholds remaining in their hands and the rest lost to enemies or abandoned to the elements.
To this day the Dawi – as they call themselves - still fight; their ultimate goal is to restore their empire. With their belligerence, such a thing is possible. A Dwarf army or ‘throng’, is a powerful force, consisting of stoic Warriors and using wonders of technological accomplishment that put all other races to shame. Gyrocopters and Gyrobombers fly above the battlefield while cannons fuelled by flame and steam spew death. Dwarfs do not call upon the Winds of Magic in the same way as Elves or men. To them, magic is a tangible thing, something that can be worked into axes, stone or even cannonballs. This is rune magic and Runesmiths, the masters of the art, are adept at creating arcane devices and weapons of great power.
It is with all these elements - stalwart Dwarfish hearts, exceptional armour and weaponry, and their unmatched machines of war - that High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer plans to retake his realm, slaying every last stinking Greenskin in his way! Few doubt his resolve, and for the first time in many generations, the Dwarfs are truly roused to battle - the Great Reckoning begins!
In Battle
Dwarfs marching to war with High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer sitting high above in the distance.
Unit Roster
Dwarfs armies are mostly made up of stalwart, heavily-armoured infantry backed up by powerful artillery, war machines and tough characters. Dwarfs have very high leadership, meaning they will rarely rout – in fact Longbeards even have a leadership aura similar to characters. Even basic Dwarf units are heavily armoured which can make them hard to deal with early in a campaign, before most factions have armour-piercing units. In fact, Dwarf units tend to have high stats in general. Like factions such as the High Elves, Dwarf units tend to be expensive and they rely on quality over quantity.
Most Dwarfs units are quite slow moving, however the flying Gyrocopters and Gyrobombers are an exception. These war machines are invaluable for their speed, but weak to flying monsters.
Dwarfs have excellent ranged units, many of which perform decently in melee as well. Their artillery are arguably some of the best in the game, with many different powerful options.
Many Dwarfs units have fire or explosive damage. Some like Rangers and Miners, have vanguard deployment.
- Limitations
Dwarfs have no spellcaster units meaning they cannot use magic. They also have no cavalry or chariots, and no monsters of any kind.
Instead, all Dwarf units have an innate resistance to magical damage. Additionally, their Runesmiths and Runelords have abilities to reduce the winds of magic available of enemy spellcasters in battle. Any Winds of Magic used in battle against them is better spent on augment and hex spells, since Magic Resistance only applies to damage rather than effects. To counter cavalry and chariots, many Dwarf units have charge resistance. To counter monsters, Dwarfs have the Slayers unit which are unbreakable and thus not affected by fear and terror as well as a bonus versus large units.
Template:Navbox dwarfs units
Campaign
The Dwarfs are a non-horde race that can occupy settlements and control provinces.
Playable Factions
The Dwarfs have three playable factions with four Legendary Lords to choose from:
| Banner | Name | Legendary Lords | Campaign | Starting Territory | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Karaz-a-Karak | Thorgrim Grudgebearer | The Old World | The Silver Road
|
The Old World |
|
Clan Angrund | Belegar Ironhammer | The Old World | The Vaults
|
The Old World |
|
Karak Kadrin | Ungrim Ironfist | Mortal Empires | Peak Pass
|
The Old World |
The Forge
Experts in binding the Winds of Magic to stone or metal, Dwarfs can use Oathgold in conjuction with trade resources to make magical weapons, armour, talismans, and enchanted items to improve their strength in battle.
Grudges
Dwarfs maintain a record of all grievances commited against them in the Dammaz Kron, their 'Book of Grudges'. Losses suffered by Dwarf factions are recorded so that they may be avenged later.
The Underway
Dwarfs use the Underway to travel underneath otherwise impassable terrain.
Buildings
- Main article: Dwarfs buildings
Technology
- Main article: Dwarfs tech tree
Stances
Dwarf armies can adopt the following stances:
| Stance | Description | Effects |
|---|---|---|
None |
Traverses the world as normal | None |
March |
Increases this army's campaign map marching range. |
|
Ambush |
Conceals this army, allowing surprise attacks against passing enemies. |
|
Raiding |
Raids wealth from the local region. |
|
Encamp |
Sets up a defensive camp, allowing for recruitment and replenishment, regardless of territory. |
|
Use Underway |
Uses the Underway to traverse the world. |
|
Post-Battle Options
The Dwarfs have the following post-battle options after winning a battle:
Release Captives |
Execute Captives |
|---|---|
| A grudge has been settled, the honourable thing is to allow the captives to leave. | Leave no grudges unavenged, kill all captives! |
|
Your army will gain the following effect:
|
Settlement Options
The Dwarfs have the following settlement options after successfully sieging a settlement:
| Occupy | Loot & Occupy | Sack | Raze |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
| You occupy the settlement and all captives are killed. | You gain wealth from looting, but buildings in the settlement are damaged. All captives are enslaved,  public order is greatly reduced, and your diplomatic relations with the previous owner also suffer greatly.
|
You do not occupy the settlement but instead steal wealth and damage buildings. All captives are enslaved, public order is reduced, and the previous owner will like you a lot less.
|
All buildings are destroyed and the settlement is torched. |
|
|
|
 Treasury: 
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Commandments
The Dwarfs can issue the following commandments when all settlements are owned in the selected province:
| Commandment | Effects |
|---|---|
Venerate the Ancestors |
|
High King's Tribute |
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Empower the Guilds |
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Masters of Steel and Stone |
|
Climate
The Dwarfs have the following climate preferences:
| Preference | Climate |
|---|---|
| Suitable: |  Wasteland,  Mountain,  Savannah
|
| Unpleasant: |  Frozen,  Temperate,  Desert
|
| Uninhabitable: |  Magical Forest,  Ocean,  Chaotic Wasteland,  Temperate Island,  Jungle
|
Inventory
Chaos Invasion
During a Chaos Invasion, the AI Dwarf factions gain the Shield of Civilization trait along with certain other races.
Strategy
- Good for beginners: Dwarfs have a fairly easy start in the campaign - a good economy, high public order (though they suffer low growth). Their units are powerful, reliable and easy to use.
- Where the Vampire Counts epitomize war of maneuver, the Dwarfs are all about attrition warfare. Emphasizing stable defensive lines, overwhelming firepower, and steady advances over brilliant maneuvers, Dwarfs require a patient hand and a defensive mind. A stable gunline defense, small mobile units to counter thrusts, and precise application of fire support are the name of the day - but require careful tactics, as they can easily be undone by flanking or baiting maneuvers. The biggest flaw is the lack of any cavalry units or chariots, making them tactically inflexible. Only the Gyros are fast and they don't make for good melee combatants... The upside is, Dwarfs can put out absolutely ludicrous amounts of dakka including machine guns, flamethrowers, and artillery support. Furthermore, the Dwarfs have no spellcasters, but all Dwarf units have magic resistance. Additionally, Dwarfs have Runesmiths and Runelords to help fill this role.
- The Dwarfs have a number of special features in campaign gameplay. The foremost is the ability to use the Underway. The Underway provides a risky transportation route through impassable and inhospitable territories. When combating an army that has a significant amount of cavalry or units designed for flanking, Underway battles make it nearly impossible to be flanked and renders that segment of your enemy's army ineffective. Though they run the risk of being intercepted, which drops them down in the dungeon in a very bad position, the ability to flank the enemy cannot be overstated: Their tactical inflexibility is thus compensated for by their strategic range.
- The second element is the Book of Grudges, which, in a nutshell, is a list of insults/injuries suffered at the hands of other factions (assassinations, trespassing, conquest or razing, running afoul of a script trigger...). Settling them is mandatory if a Dwarf is to remain in control of his kingdom: As they accumulate, public order, leadership, and diplomatic relations with other Dwarf factions start dropping.
- Dwarfs benefit from having a very strong economic base, their unique advantage being Tier IV resource buildings providing even more resources and income. This is especially true for Karaz-a-Karak since they start with the Diamond resource in their capital. They also enjoy a robust technology tree containing both military and civic branches (the downside is, it takes time to unlock its full potential), and plenty of trade options with their neighbors.
- In competitive play, Dwarfs are a problematic army. Their small, but powerful and expensive units are predominantly infantry, allowing enemies to easily shatter their battlelines with cavalry, monstrous infantry, or just bypass them with flying or fast units, exploiting the dwarfs' lack of maneuverability. Regiments of Renown, Rangers, and alternative artillery options help compensate for that, but the Dwarfs' low mass still allows enemy chariots and beasts to plow right through them.
Downloadable Content
The Dwarfs can be expanded upon with the following downloadable content:
Minor Factions
On the campaign map, many factions are grouped together as Dwarfs and use units from the Dwarfs unit roster.
Introduced in The Old World campaign:
This faction was replaced by Clan Angrund when The King and the Warlord was released:
Introduced in the Eye of the Vortex campaign:
Introduced in the Mortal Empires campaign:
Trivia
- Prior to the release of Total War: Warhammer, Dwarfs were not planned to have the Runesmith. However this unit was added due to popular demand from fans.
- With the Resurgent Update for Total War: Warhammer II, Ungrim Ironfist was moved to his own faction, Karak Kadrin. The Oathgold mechanic was also added in this patch.
- Dwarfs was originally the name for the Karaz-a-Karak faction, sharing the generic name with its race. This was changed with the Potion of Speed Update in Total War: Warhammer II.
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Videos
High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer/Dwarfs introduction trailer
How to play the Dwarfs in Campaign
How to play the Dwarfs in Battle & Unit Roster