Topic: Going up against dwarfs at 2500pts

[Cal1989]

My opponent plays a shooting heavy list with 3 cannons   3 bolt throwers 2x units of quarrellers and a unit of thunders all protected by a unit of longbeards lead by a Bsb and a rune priest and a horde if hammers led by a crazy shield borne general and another rune priest.


Any suggested ways to counter this hairy death machine. Last time I knocked lumps out of him but couldn't clean up any full units to claim victory points.

[Willscarlet]

Get first turn.

Seriously, that can determine whether or not you can beat him. Other than that I'd say take a lot of cavalry and just go after his war machines and small shooty units and win by points. I normally use a group of knights with a Grandmaster, Immune to Psychology is helpful to avoid panic checks. Avoid his big combat blocks, don't even worry about fighting them. As long as you don't make any mistakes in movement he won't be able to engage you. You should be able to pick up more points from him than he is from you, and just win that way.

I'd suggest Lore of Light and try and get Pha's protection. Throw Banishment and Shem's at his units to try and draw dispel dice or maybe knock off a few wounds here and there. Birona's is nice for boosting your movement for future charges. Light of battle can make sure that nothing flees.

A boring way to win, I know, but then again Dwarves are a boring army when they bring gun lines.

[Lasthobbit]

Yes, don't engage their inf units in hth. Unless you have surrounded them by flanks and rear.

Dwarves don't like a Comet of Cassandora falling near their warmachines and shooters.
And Chain Lighting jumping from one cannon to another...
Also they always seems unpleasant to see warmachines and shooters affected by Heaven's signature.
And our cavalry likes to have opportunity to reroll AS.
Our infantry is vulnerable for helicopters, so take Cavalry instead.

So I suggest to try allcav army + Lore of Heavens (Light is good too, but I prefer Heavens).
And our cannons could blow up their dwarven sisters if we have a 1st turn.

Hope that helps.

[Willscarlet]

Yes, don't engage their inf units in hth. Unless you have surrounded them by flanks and rear.

Haha I've had games where I've surrounded them by the flanks and rear and still got my ass kicked. Dwarven combat blocks are not to be underestimated.

Be careful about magic, he might have a few Spellbreaker runes. Sometimes it's better to try and get IF just so that he can't get rid of your best spell. Mean lists will typically have two of these and maybe even a dispel scroll.

I can't really think of a valid counter to gyrocopters. Maybe steam tanks because of their random movement. I typically ignore them with my cavalry until he parks them in front of me, at which point I spear them out of the sky.

[Fidelis von Sigmaringen]

Here is a smaller one we prepared earlier: http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=48657.0

[blackcat]

Beat him at his own game. Build a better gunline and outshoot him. Our cannons have 60" range to his 48" so just place yours at the corners of the board and aim for his warmachines. Take heaps of archers or crossbowmen and deploy them in a single rank and just keep shooting, making sure you have BSB support and take max captains on pegasus's to target his warmachines as well. Then just avoid his slow moving long beards. Boring game to be sure but if he is bringing a maximised gunline what can you do.

Or flood the board with fast moving troops. Knights, outriders, pistoliers and pegasus captains.