Ironbreakers is a Dwarfs melee infantry unit in Total War: Warhammer. Trained to fight in tight formations, Ironbreakers form a living line of defence, letting enemies crash over them.
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. 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.
Abilities[]
- ↑ 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.
- ↓ Can't Attack Air: Some ranged weapons, like grenade launchers, bombs or blasting charges, can't target airborne units.
- ↑ Charge Defence Against All: When standing and bracing against a charge this unit will negate the enemy's charge bonus.
- ↑ Special Ranged Weapon: This unit has a special missile attack with limited ammunition, which can be very useful when initiating attacks.
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. 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, their gromril armour may be as stout as a Dwarfen ale, but it makes their movement speed slow. Not for chasing enemies are the Ironbreakers meant for! 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 in an area where they can respond to the most desperate of areas, as their speed is their only weakness in the swirling melee. And be careful with allowing them to fire at will! 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!
