Dwarf Crossbowmen protect the ramparts of their craggy mountain stronghold.

In their strongholds throughout the mountainous regions of the Old World, the short, bearded, and sturdy Dwarfs cling tenaciously to a way of life that may soon become extinct. Beset by Skaven and greenskins who attack from underground, the Dwarfs are a slowly dying race. Still, the Dwarfs persevere in following the traditions and practicing the trades of their ancestors. Indeed, the Dwarfs are expert craftsmen. Blacksmiths, armourers, weaponsmiths, and miners are all highly regarded in Dwarf society. One day, the stalwart Dwarfs hope to retake the mountain strongholds that have fallen into the hands of the enemy, return to the days of past glories, and become once again a powerful nation.

The strength of the Dwarf army has always been its disciplined and rock-hard infantry. Few enemies can stand up to Dwarfen soldiers in a fair fight, and this fact has kept the Dwarfs alive over many centuries of hardship. Dwarfen Warriors, Hammerers, Longbeards, Iron Breakers, and Slayers are some of the toughest infantry troops in the Old World. It is only a very brave or foolhardy commander who orders his troops to charge the Dwarfs without support. Dwarfen infantry units are often backed up by missile troops like Thunderers, who wield the feared Dwarf handgun, and Crossbowmen. Dwarf armies also can include Miners, who can tunnel underground to attack behind enemy lines, and Rangers, who can deploy ahead of the Dwarfen line as Scouts.

Of course, few Dwarf armies leave home without their trusty engines of war, and over the long years, the Dwarfs have developed many different kinds of artillery to destroy the enemy. Cannons, Bolt Throwers, Stone Throwers, Organ Guns, and Flame Cannons each have a specific battlefield roll and can be devastating to the enemy advance. The strange, flying Dwarf Gyrocopters can harass their opponents’ flanks and slow their advance. The Gyrocopters also give the Dwarfs some much needed speed – while the Dwarfs have many strengths, fleet footed troops are not among them.

Unlike other armies of the Warhammer world, the Dwarfs do not cast spells. Instead, they have concentrated their magical efforts into developing powerful runes that can be inscribed on weapons, armour, standards, talismans, and even war machines to increase their efficacy. Dwarfs are also notoriously resistant to the effects of magic and tend to shrug off spells that would cause harm to other armies.

All in all, the Dwarfs are a rock-hard, highly disciplined army. Their vulnerabilities are few – being slow of foot and small in number – and can be easily overcome by having a cunning commander to lead them.