| “ | Trained to fight in tight formations, Ironbreakers form a living line of defence, letting enemies crash over them. | „ |
Ironbreakers are a 
Dwarfs melee infantry unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer.
Recruitment[]
Unlocked with: Runeforge
Description[]
Clad from head to toe in suits of Gromril armour, Ironbreakers can survive in a treacherous world of rockfalls and sudden ambush. They stand resolute, barring danger from advancing beyond their post. It is an honour to be selected to join the Ironbreakers, for they are trusted to protect the Hold's most vulnerable entrances. Only the strongest and bravest are accepted into their ranks, but the dark offers no vainglory, and those warriors who choose a path of greater ambition must seek out the Hammerers. Ironbreakers are trained to fight in tight formations, wedged into the confines of narrow tunnels. There, they find defensible positions and let the enemy break upon their overlapping shields as waves crash into rock. Impervious, implacable and unmoving, they form a living line, Gromril-hard, that holds back the flood terror that lurks in the dark below. Enemies fall before their axes like Winter wheat before the scythe and blows clang harmlessly off their nigh-impervious armour or are caught and deflected by their sturdy shields. Such is the prowess of the Ironbreakers that they will often be called upon to fight on the surface - aiding the throng in time of a muster. However, for each battle under the light of sun or moon, the Ironbreakers will have fought dozens in the deep dark beneath the mountains.
Attributes[]
- Axe Infantry
- ▲ Armoured & Shielded: Armoured units can block damage from any source apart from Armour-Piercing damage. Shields have a chance of blocking arrows, bolts, rifle shots and similar small arms fire - but only in a forward facing arc.
- ▲ Special Ranged Weapon: This unit possesses a missile attack which is uncommon for this type of unit.
- ▲ Charge Defence Against All: When standing and bracing against a charge this unit will negate the enemy's charge bonus.
- ▼ Can't Attack Air: Some ranged weapons, like grenade launchers, bombs or blasting charges, can't target airborne units.
Strategy[]
Ironbreakers are the elite of the elite; none can break their lines. Use them to hold the most tenuous, most dangerous areas in your defensive formations. With a paltry charge bonus, stopping them and allowing them to brace against a charge is your best option when attacking, but don't allow them to be targeted by artillery, as they have no defence against it at the beginning. Later on, the Tales of Many Wars technology provides the Shieldwall of Gromril stance to Ironbreakers at rank 7. While reducing their already low mobility it literally turns them into a near unbreakable Dawi wall able to deflect artillery missiles. Taking two units and stacking them one right behind the other will allow the rear unit to lob their bombs at the units attacking the forward unit of Ironbreakers, ensuring a quick rout of the enemy. However, while their gromril armour may be as stout as a Dwarfen ale, it makes their movement speed low. The Ironbreakers are not meant for chasing down enemies! Use your Slayers or another quicker unit to chase a routing enemy, and remember: unit placement is key. If you plan to keep a reserve of Ironbreakers, make sure they are placed where they can respond to the most desperate areas, as their speed is their only weakness in the swirling melee. And be careful with allowing them to fire at will! Although a full salvo of blasting charges can do respectable single target damage, it requires a square shot on a stationary target, so every charge lands. Saving them for infantry is usually a better option. Plus their blasting charges will do just as much damage to a friendly unit if they are caught between them and an enemy. The Ironbreakers are the best anvil in the game; use them thus, and the Karaz Ankor will be victorious! Uzkul Unbaraki!
Gallery[]
