Dwarf Warriors

Dwarf Warriors is a Dwarfs melee infantry unit in Total War: Warhammer. With axe in hand, Dwarf warriors lay into the front lines with unremitting violence.

Description
Dwarfs make formidable fighters - they are strong and extremely resilient, broad of shoulder and wide of girth. Although by no means quick, they are physically robust and can maintain a steady plodding pace, marching for days on end despite being loaded down by burdens and heavy mail. When they charge into battle, the momentum generated by their wide, armour-clad bodies is remarkable, hitting the foe with a resounding impact. They have broken many enemy battle lines this way, splintering Elven phalanxes, carving through Orc formations and hacking apart the great masses of Skaven that make up their verminous armies. Protected by their heavy mail, their skillful use of overlapping shield walls and, finally, by their own tough and obstinate nature, Dwarf individuals, units and armies as a whole seem able to absorb punishing blows that would cause other races to break and flee. With Dwarfs, such suffering only serves to make them angrier - and with beards bristling and hands clenched around axe hafts and mighty warhammers, the Dwarfs regroup to charge anew. Their feeble-limbed foes, too worn out and tired at the end to even lift their weapons, are slaughtered, save for those fast enough to flee the iron-shod and implacable advance of the Dwarves.

Strategy
Dwarf Warriors are exceeding tough for their cost and unless flanked or attacked with units with good AP damage it will take an inordinate amount of time and casualties to rout them. Their melee attack is nothing special, but is enough to cut through lesser units and generally win by outlasting them. They will hold the line against other heavily armor units, but they will not kill as many due to their limited AP damage. Using them instead of Longbeards is a good way to save money if you can make better use of it elsewhere. In the campaigns, Dwarf Lords have a 1st tier red skill that boosts their melee defense and extends their utility. Their charge defense vs. large makes them great at stopping cavalry, but high mass units like monstrous infantry, chariots, and single model monsters can literally send them flying and punch a hole in you line. Most of them will get back up cursing though and mob the attacker if they don't have some help to follow up their penetration. Dwarf missile units, Slayers, and artillery can also be directed at the breach to punish the attacker.