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đŸș Dwarf Anti-Magic Options: Which Ones Actually Work?

Facing Magic with Dwarfs
Warhammer: The Old World

Tired of seeing enemy magic tear through your dwarf lines before you can even raise your hammer? Don’t worry: the Dispel Scroll from Warhammer Fantasy is back — but only for this army
 and as a rune.

In this post, we’re going to look at how Dwarfs can deal with magic. What options do they have besides our beloved classic Dispel Scroll?

Runesmith: the best magic defense for 65 points

He can carry up to three Dispel Scrolls — from now on we’ll call them Rune of Spellbreaking — at 25 points each. Just like the old Dispel Scrolls, they let you automatically dispel a spell, no dice required.

What’s the catch? Even though you don’t need line of sight to the target, you do need to be able to attempt a dispel with the Runesmith. This means the enemy wizard must be within 18 inches, which becomes tricky depending on the list or enemy playstyle.

Other spells that you don’t dispel with the Rune of Spellbreaking can still be attempted with the Runesmith as if he were a level 1 wizard. Not amazing, but it’s a step up from only being able to use predestined dispel attempts. At least you can use this multiple times per turn.

Another benefit of the Runesmith is that he grants Magic Resistance (2). Remember that Magic Resistance doesn’t stack — the unit gets the highest value — so the whole unit gains Magic Resistance (2).

There are other runes that might make you think there are several good options for countering enemy spells. But are they really worth it?

Runelord: is it worth paying double?

The Runelord can take up to 125 points in runes. So you might say, “I’ll just give him five Runes of Spellbreaking and be done with it.” No. You can’t. Because each rune can only be taken three times — as every proper Dwarf knows.

Another option is to take two Runes of Spellbreaking and one of the following: the Master Rune of Calm or the Master Rune of Balance.

But
 are those really good options?

The Master Rune of Calm, for 50 points, gives you a bound spell (power level 2). If it is successfully cast, enemy wizards within 18 inches of the Runelord, when casting spells, will suffer a +2 to the casting difficulty. If you cast it with a total of 11 or more (improbable), the range increases to 36 inches.

It might sound great, but the spell has to be successfully cast first — and then the enemy wizard, who is probably level 4, is more likely to dispel it than you are to cast it.

So maybe it’s not the best idea.

Now let’s look at the Master Rune of Balance. Once per turn, it lets you roll 3D6 to dispel and discard the lowest result.

Considering the enemy wizard will likely be level 4, and you’ll be level 1 or 2 when dispelling

—2 if you’re using a Runelord, as in this case— it’s not a very reliable rune. So again, it’s probably not the best choice.

Since the Runelord costs almost twice as much as the Runesmith
 is it really worth it just to get a +1 to dispel if you’re within 18 inches of the enemy? Personally, I don’t think so — not at all.

Anvil of Doom: the art of dispelling without moving

The Anvil of Doom dispels as if it were a level 3 wizard. This means not only that it has a +3 to dispel rolls, but also a 24-inch range.

But that range is a bit misleading. Why? Because it can’t move, while your Runesmith with three Runes of Spellbreaking can.

It can still carry three Runes of Spellbreaking, and it might make sense.

But is the Anvil of Doom really worth taking? I’ll cover that in a dedicated article — it definitely has some depth.



How Dwarfs play against magic: final thoughts

Aside from the units and upgrades you include in your list, it’s crucial for the Dwarf player to know exactly which spells are truly game-changing — the ones that can win or lose a battle. (Miasmic Mirage, Crystal Column
 I’ll talk about them when I do a post analyzing each lore separately.)

Other template spells like Pillar of Fire may not be as important, but through knowledge and awareness, you can limit their destructive potential.

Why? Because it’s a 3 inches vortex and it can’t end its movement on top of any unit, so it keeps moving until there’s space to place it. If your units are more than 3 inches apart, it won’t jump from one to another damaging your whole battleline. Basically, you need to space your units out to block it.

I hope this post helps you defend against magic if you’re playing Dwarfs, and helps you anticipate what the Dwarf player will try to do if you’re facing them and want to win the match.

If you think there’s an error in the post, feel free to reach out at theoldwarrior@theoldwarrior.com, and I’ll review it. Hope you enjoy ToW!


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