If in the first part of the analysis we focused on units that combine cost, versatility and punch, now itâs time to talk about two very different profiles: the Ironbreakers, designed to hold their ground even if hit by a catapult, and the Miners, who come from behind⊠or at least they try to.
These are options that donât play the same role as Warriors, Longbeards, or Hammerers, but they can still completely change your tactical approach. The key lies in knowing when itâs worth paying for that extra resilience, or if itâs really worth going all in on a bearded ambush. Letâs take a look.
Ironbreakers, the immovable wall
They arenât versatile. In fact, theyâre the only ones among all the infantry discussed so far that donât come with both options (great weapon and hand weapon with shield), but their defensive specialization makes them a rock. Their role is simply to hold the line.
Hand weapons strike at Strength 4, Weapon Skill 5, with -1 to armor saves, just like Longbeards and Hammerers. But how do they differ from those other Dwarf infantry units?
- They cost 16 points (with drilled paid for, which I already explained in part one why I always take it).
- Before 1.5, they were the only ones who, thanks to wearing full plate armor, could get a 3+ save without the help of the Runic Anvil. With its support, theyâd go up to a 2+, and in the best-case scenario, even re-roll that 2+ (what does the Anvil do? Iâve left a post about it below).Now, though, in combat even the dumbest Dwarf can get a 3+ save thanks to parry.
- They can already re-roll 1s on failed armor saves by default.
- They have runes of protection, giving them a 6+ ward save against non-magical attacks.
Important note: the unit champion can only pick weapon runes, unlike the Longbeard champion. So, the rune for moving through terrain canât go on him â itâll need to go on a character that joins the unit (not that it canât be done, but the real downside is that the character will have fewer real points to spend on their own runes).
Like the Hammerers, they are a block that canât be taken as a core unit.
Are they worth it? 1 point more than Longbeards, performing a more focused role more effectively but losing out in versatility⊠I wouldnât say theyâre unplayable, because the Dwarf army book is very strong and almost every unit has its moment. But I do think Longbeards, as a core choice, are more useful and help build 80% of lists more efficiently.
Remember that they are heavy infantry, so you can field them in ranks of 4 minisâ they donât need 5 to get the rank bonus.
â”But Warriors and the other infantry you reviewed earlier are also heavy infantry”.
Yes, but here it matters more, because this unit is purely defensive and might often want to reduce its frontage to minimize how many enemy models get into combat.
The thing here is that the other regiments have improved while these guys havenât, and theyâve kept the same cost. They donât score since theyâre not core, they canât reach a 2+ save in melee with parry⊠I donât know, I like them less than before.
So what are they good for?
Theyâre not unplayable. Theyâre not completely terrible. You park a unit of these guys on an objective with a small core unit backing them up, and thatâs job done.
Dwarf Miners: the only ones who donât know what a shield is
A unit that relies heavily on context and can fall flat without proper support.
They are Clan Warriors with heavy armor and great weapons. The differences are:
They canât take a shield.
They deploy as ambushers or with vanguard (if you want). In the Expeditionary list they deploy differently, which makes them more interesting â but thatâs a topic for another post.
They can switch from close order to open order.
What does open order allow them to do? It lets them pivot, if they havenât marched, 90 degrees around their center at the end of their movement.
This means that if theyâre deployed in a single line, on the turn they ambush and move 3 inches straight ahead to maximize distance, they can then pivot up to 90 degrees to push forward even more. That way, they can keep moving up but also potentially get in range to throw their explosive charges (they canât pivot or shoot if they marched).
The explosive charges have a 6-inch range, Strength 3, -1 to armor saves, and Armor Bane (1).
The interesting part is that they have quick shots, so they will always stand and shoot regardless of the charge distance, and they can move and shoot with no penalty.
But Miners only have Ballistic Skill 3. Theyâll usually be shooting at long range. Adding all this up, Iâd say the charges are more of a gimmick (they cost 2 points per model, which puts each Miner at 14 points, making them significantly less attractive as a choice).
That said, Miners shouldnât be judged as good or bad troops without context.
Keep in mind that Dwarfs usually donât exert enough pressure to have the enemy pushed up against their board edge. That means when Miners come in, they might just end up standing around doing nothing, while the enemy calmly walks away and they can do nothing but chase.
Itâs curious that this kind of unit doesnât have move through terrain, which would help them a bit in that role.
What they do have access to is the Steam Drill, which the unit champion can take for (only) 20 points. Besides acting like a souped-up great weapon, it allows you to re-roll the ambush arrival roll. That re-roll isnât only for failed rolls â the rule is worded so that you could even re-roll a successful one if you want to delay their entry for any reason.
They can take up to 25 points in banner runes, but honestly, none of them are particularly interesting for this unit.
Players who use them tend to go one of two ways:
â5 Miners with nothing extra, not even the drill. These are the psychological Miners, used solely to disrupt enemy deployment and movement for just 60 points (like: âwhat if they show up here next turn…?â)
-A larger group, around 12 to 15, with their drill, makes for a more reliable and more threatening option. This setup gives you better staying power to hold out long enough to destroy the supply train.
Letâs not forget that in Warhammer: The Old World, some scenarios include maps and objectives. So even if Miners donât seem that appealing at first, you might find them worth including depending on the tournament or leagueâs map rotation.
A unit that can sometimes do the Minerâs job even better is one of the Rangers, equipped with crossbows, hand weapons, shields, great weapons, and throwing axes â whom I havenât covered in this post since theyâre ranged infantry.
Youâve also got a unit of Gyrocopters, which share a similar role with these guysâso think about which unit fits your list, your playstyle, and the role you actually need them to fill.
âBut you havenât talked about the Slayers!
Right. Thatâs because I already covered them in detail in the post Iâm linking here đ
đș THE BEST DWARF INFANTRY WARHAMMER THE OLD WORLD (1/2)
đșDwarf Slayers in The Old World Breakdown
đș Anvil of Doom breakdown | The Old World
Jade Fleet of Cathay in Old World: Rules, Magic Items and Combos
Core Cavalry in Old World 1.5 Is it worth?
Old World 1.5 Breakdown FAQs and Errata
If you think thereâs an error in the post, feel free to reach out at theoldwarrior@theoldwarrior.com, and Iâll review it. Hope you enjoy ToW!