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The Dawi are the easiest faction to use for a new player, I myself struggled massively using any other faction for the first time. The focal point of Dwarfen effectiveness is their leadership, a single Dwarf Warrior unit can defeat 3 Orc Boyz units by making them flee. Combine this with fully spec’d tankiness for melee units, as well as full glass cannon ranged units and you have a fearsome army. Most TW:Warhammer players will start off with the Dwarf faction, so it’s great to know which units to build or not. This list will help you do just that, as we go through the 10 best units available to the Dawi!
P.S: Excludes Lords/Heroes
10. Miners (Blasting Charges)
If you haven’t utilised this unit, you’re in for a big surprise. Miners are insanely cheap which is justified, they suck in melee combat. When they’re equipped with blasting charges however, they’re a whole other kettle of fish. Two throws of their charges will absolutely devastate enemy units, making them flee at the very least. They tend to run out of ammo after that, so don’t waste their charges on trash units like zombies!
9. Thunderers
High armor-piercing damage is what Thunderers are all about. A volley of fire from this unit will heavily damage any unit it encounters, they have plenty of ammunition to fire tons of volleys. The downside is they require line-of-sight to get their shots off, requiring good micro management to be most effective. For their price though, Thunderers are an awesome choice for almost any army composition.
8. Rangers
Unfortunately, this unit is only available in the DLC “The King and the Warlord” but I had to include them as they’re awesome. While they do require significant micro-management to get the best out of them, their best is worth it as they have multiple unique abilities. They can camouflage in any terrain, allowing you to spring traps without issue. As well as this, they’re among the fastest Dwarf units which is exactly what some armies are missing…mobility.
7. Gyrocopters
As mentioned in the previous entry, Dwarfs sorely need some mobility to have a chance against a decent enemy army. It’s way too common for enemy artillery to sit in the back of the map untouched, you need something that can get to them. Gyrobombers are perfect for this, as they can fly over the enemy army (dropping bombs along the way) and assault artillery. The enemy commander will surely send some ranged units to deal with your Gyrobombers but you can simply pull away and come back.
6. Irondrakes
My personal favorite, Irondrakes are so epic I wanted to place them first on the list, although 99% of players would disagree. Their AoE fire damage melts large units, literally a few attacks are needed to completely wipe out an entire unit. Their problems come with their vulnerability, as they’re slow and not the greatest against flanks. They also have the tendency to melt your own troops, which can be devastating if you aren’t paying attention to their targets.
5. Organ Gun
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Each shot from the Organ Gun contains 4 projectiles, with each one dealing high armor-piercing damage, capable of ripping through enemy units. The reload speed is quite high too, allowing you to fire constantly and lay down as much artillery support as possible. The only disadvantages are its fairly low range and high ammunition cost but if you can work around this, they’ll certainly contribute to your victory!
4. Slayers
The kings of anti-large, Slayers are the unit you need to alleviate the perils of enemy monsters. They have plenty of damage, albeit low defense. However, if used correctly they can turn the tide of a battle easily, as their bonuses allow them to take down large monsters with ease. You don’t want your slayers fighting trash units, not that they won’t win, just you want to get the most out of the gold you spent on this unit. The great thing is they will never retreat and let out a final powerful blow when they finally fall!
3. Hammerers
Very few units can match the Hammerers in melee combat, their strong armor & HP pool is complimented by their high damage. Particularly effective against armored units, this Dawi unit should not be undervalued. They do not have any bonuses against large units or even have shields so you need to pick your fights carefully. If used against the right opponent, no other Dwarf unit will be as effective.
2. Ironbreakers
This unit will happily let hordes of enemies charge at them, the armor & HP of the Ironbreakers is unparalleled. It’ll take a LOT of ranged fire to take down a single unit of Ironbreakers, there’s no point in even trying to engage in melee combat, any charge bonus will be negated. The only drawback is their extremely slow speed but that’s worth it for such a stalwart unit!
1. Flame Cannon
The Flame Cannon is disgusting, each shot hurls a huge mortar across the battlefield, deleting any non-armored unit it encounters. In all fairness, this unit barely deals any damage to armored targets but anything else? They’re gone. When facing a light-infantry heavy team, a Flame Cannon unit or 2 will easily carry the battle if given enough protection. Sieges in particular are where the Flame Cannon shines but there’s rarely an occasion where this unit wouldn’t be amazing for you!
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Ah, Goblins. The little stunted folk, full of disgusting appearances and habits. Often regarded as little more than cannon-fodder by Orcs, they can be surprisingly strong in the right army composition. High unit sizes give them a good amount of staying power, although they do tend to rout quite a lot. This is where good micro-managment come into play, as routing units almost always come back into the fight. Every TOTAL WAR: WARHAMMER player must admit an army full of Goblins is something they want to try at least once. To make your unit choices easier, here’s a list of the 10 best Goblin units!
10. Goblin Wolf Rider Archers
Just 350 gold is required to recruit a unit of Goblin Wolf Rider Archers, with a piddly upkeep of 87 gold. Arguably the biggest downside of archers is their vulnerability, it’s simply too easy for artillery or cavalry to reach them. Put some archers on extremely fast wolves and you have a very good unit. They have the vanguard deployment trait too, allowing you to position them properly and maximise their peskiness!
9. Nasty Skulkers
Traits, so many traits. The usefulness of Nasty Skulkers cannot be understated, high amounts of unique abilities grant you tons of flexibility. What goblins lack in size and strength, they make up in cunning. This unit embodies that statement, with plenty of cool traits. In combat, they will slice through armor without any trouble. Poor leadership is a trait all goblins share but in a winning fight, they gain increasingly high melee attack and armor-piercing damage.
The stalk and vanguard deployment traits will allow you to position them wherever you want and your opponent won’t see them until it’s too late!
8. Forest Goblin Spider Riders
In all fairness, Goblin cavalry units aren’t really that potent. Low leadership and base damages prevent them from coming out of fights as the victor but if any melee cavalry unit can do the job, Forest Goblin Spider Riders are the best choice. Poison attacks grant huge advantages in close-quarters combat, giving them an edge over their opponents. The main strength of this unit is their mobility, as they have vanguard deployment and don’t have any terrain penalties!
7. Goblin Wolf Chariot
Only Goblins could think to use a chariot for ranged proficiency, a Wolf Chariot can torment both enemy front and back lines. They can hassle enemies from range and if needed, they can charge into melee combat with their great melee stats. Armor-piercing and bonuses vs infantry, combined with a naturally good charge bonus, is extremely competent against infantry. Overall it’s worth having a Wolf Chariot in your arsenal!
6. Forest Goblin Spider Rider Archers
Like I mentioned with the Wolf Rider Archers, this unit can be a huge annoyance to the enemy. While they have relatively low missile damage/accuracy, each shot will poison their opponent. If you can get a few shots into an enemy infantry unit while they’re fighting your other units, the battle will already be won. Forest Goblin Spider Riders have vanguard deployment capabilities as well as the fire-while-moving trait too!
5. Goblin Rock Lobber
One of only two artillery units available to the Greenskins, the Goblin Rock Lobber is a great choice for its price, especially in the early stages of your campaign. You have to use it properly though, as it has a huge focus on armor-piercing damage. This means some concentrated fire on units with low armor will be quite ineffective. However, against armored units, a few hits from a Rock Lobber can demoralise them almost instantly!
4. Squig Herd
The Dwarf’s worst fear, a Squig Herd will shred through any unsuspecting infantry unit, particularly armored ones. Bonuses vs infantry and a good armor-piercing stat make them one of the best cheap anti-infantry units in the entire game. They look awesome too, it’s so fun to watch these guys rip through those pesky Dwarf units. Immunity to fear/terror is also quite beneficial, although enemies you fight against that can cause these psychological issues aren’t really the units you want to target.
3. Night Goblin Squig Hoppers
This entry could easily be swapped with the previous entry, I chose Night Goblin Squig Hoppers for the top 3 as they’re slightly more versatile. A focus on mobility and defenses give them more staying power while retaining their bonuses vs infantry and armor-piercing damage. A Squig Herd will deal more damage overall though, so it’s really up to you which one is better.
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2. Doom Diver Catapult
This piece of artillery absolutely decimates infantry units from massive range. It’s unique in the fact its projectiles are pretty much guaranteed to hit as they’re guided by suicidal goblins. Not only do they almost always hit, the damage is amplified with armor-piercing. The Doom Diver Catapult is a nightmare for any armored infantry unit!
1. Arachnarok Spider
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Every Goblin army needs an Arachnarok Spider, one of the few boss monsters available to the Greenskins. Very few infantry units can deal with this hulking beast, although it is susceptible to ranged fire. In combat, it’ll deal heavy damage, even to armored units and with high health/armor itself, it’ll take a beating before going down. The ability to cause fear/terror further exemplifies the effectiveness, it’s without doubt the best Goblin unit in the game!