Kings of War 3rd Edition: Free Dwarf Army Review

This review has been updated for Clash of Kings 2022.  All changes are put in red text.

Hello, friends!  Welcome to another Dash 28 Army Review.  This time we’re looking at the Free dwarves.  For those that don’t know me, I’m a long time Dwarf player, and like Alex Chavez (who did our Imperial dwarf review), I’ve been playing them since the beginning of second edition.  Unlike Alex, who is an excellent player and knows what works in the Dwarf list, I’m not as good of a player and I therefore know what doesn’t work.  Follow along and let me explain.  

Two guys, one is a former Master, the other guy likes to play too…

The Free dwarf list is a theme list for the Imperial dwarves, and I’ll be referring to Alex’s Imperial dwarf review a lot in this article.  Since the Free dwarf list is a theme list for the Imperial dwarves, let me start by comparing the Free dwarves to their imperial cousins.  The Imperial dwarf list is full of units with Def 6 and black powder.  The Free dwarves give up a bunch of the war machines, and Def 6 options, and lose headstrong on some units.  In particular, you lose access to Ironguard, Bulwarkers, Sharpshooters, the Steel Behemoth, the Steel Juggernaut, the Flame Priest and the Warsmith, the Flame Belcher and the Battle Driller.  That’s a lot of fire and steel.  But in exchange you get more access to pathfinder and scout, which lets you play a more aggressive style.  The list also has more access to healing then the Imperial dwarves, too, and your shooting options are more reliable and shorter ranged.    

Army Special Rule

The army special rule for the Free dwarves is the same as for the Imperials.  For 15 points you get a one use 12” ranged attack that always hits on 4’s with piercing 1.  This is one of those rules that gets better the more you take.  The important thing about this rule is that it always hits on 4’s.  You’re an individual?  That’s cute, but be hit on 4’s.  You have cover?  Dogs don’t care about your cover, and they hit you on 4’s.  You have stealthy?  Dogs smell you anyway, and hit you on 4’s.  Are you a succubus in the woods?  Have some dogs….that hit on 4’s.  This is useful for hitting those pesky mounted heroes that run around your opponent’s backline.  If you can see that necromancer on horse behind those zombies, he can have some dogs.  This is a good solution for clearing out chaff, getting some cheeky wounds on a lone character, or softening up the enemy battle line before it inevitably crashes into you.     

Tier Rankings

Before we go further, here is a quick recap of the Dash28 tier ranking system.

If you want to find Dash28’s other army reviews, here they are. 

Tier Rankings:

Trying to rank units in Kings of War is not a perfect science. By pure design, many units are meant to work in combination with other choices in the army and can be hard to judge on their own. For this exercise, it’s assumed the unit is being used to its utmost potential within the army. This is not just a math problem to determine the most cost-effective unit but to also see how they compare in scope, role, and impact across not just a single army but all Kings of War armies.

S Tier: Reserved for units that are widely acknowledged as either being significantly undercosted or having a combination of rules that perform well above units in similar roles. These units are often called “auto includes” as any list stands to be made better with their inclusion. Expect these units to be addressed in future CoK book updates.

A Tier: These units are some of the best the army has to offer. They excel in their specific roles and commonly help form the core of most competitive lists. While not auto include, they are great in almost any army they are taken in and will be seen frequently.

B Tier: The unit choice has a mix of strengths and weaknesses that makes it very playable, but balanced. These units work great with specific roles in mind; however, their weaknesses mean they do not help every list. In a perfect world, all units would fit into this category.

C Tier: C Tier units may still shine in niche lists and roles; however, they will feel

underpowered when compared to similar units in other armies. Decidedly suboptimal, you could make them work but frequently will see other things that are just better. You will rarely see many lists take these units.

D Tier: Units that need some considerable love and attention. You will struggle to find any role for this unit that another unit couldn’t do better. Very often you will see these units labeled as “unplayable”.

S Tier

No units in the Free dwarf army could be considered S Tier.  (Hopefully one day, the faction I play will be an overpowered juggernaut.  But today is not that day…)

A Tier

Shieldbreakers – So the dwarf list overall is an infantry heavy list.  Out of the available choices, Shieldbreakers are the melee heavy hitters in the army.  They hit on 3’s with crush 1, so it gives you a source of reliable damage.  In the Free dwarf list, you swap headstrong for pathfinder and can purchase scout as an upgrade.  This gives you a unit that can put some strategic pressure and allow you to control more of the table.  That being said, the unit still has Movement 4 with Wild Charge 1, so it’s hard for them to project a lot of threat onto enemy units.  Figure that you’ll be taking a charge, but you’ll pack a heck of a counter punch.  In keeping with that, I like setting a horde up in a spot where it can scout move into terrain and try to force your opponent into a bad charge.  Brew of Haste is a sweet item that allows you to stand off with enemy infantry.  And don’t forget the mastiffs!  As Alex said in his Imperial dwarf review:  “These should be one of the premier choices for a way to bring up the unit strength of your army while also being a unit your opponent can’t ignore”. I agree.

Berserker Brock Riders – So Brock Riders were A-MAZE-ING in 2^nd ed.  Now, with their reduction in nerve, they’re merely great.  And the Free dwarf version gives you the option for a modest 12” ranged attack.  I’m still not sure if it’s worth it, but my gut says don’t bother.  If you’re using your only long-range melee threat to shoot, you’re doing it wrong.  With the latest Clash of Kings you can now take pathfinder as a unit upgrade for a modest 15 points, freeing up those precious magic item slots from the Potion of the Caterpillar and the J-Boots to Brew of Strength or Elite to help you hit hard.  When you’re throwing 26 dice, those items become very points efficient for the regiment.  Alex says: “The troops are also fantastically priced at a mere 125 points. Use them to screen, flank, or just sit in the corner and capture an objective.”  If you want to take Rev Cav troops, but don’t play undead, this unit fills the same role.  -/15 nerve on a troop with 13 attacks?  Not too shabby. 

As usual, Alex is right.  The ability to surge and cast Bane Chant in the same turn is great and brings out the full potential of your elemental hordes.  In the Free dwarf list, you get the option of taking Martyr’s Prayer on one of your Stone Priests.  This gives you a reliable heal option, but at the expense of your (much needed) bane chant.  And make sure you don’t Devastate yourself.  Only a complete bonehead would do that…I mean really, who would do that in the middle of a game? <Mike looks around nervously>. 

The expanded spell selection in the latest Clash of Kings also opens up some juicy possibilities.  Stone priests can now heal at a distance with Celestial Restoration, protect the main line from shooting with Veil of Shadows, or make your opponent’s units have hindered charges with Scorched Earth.  All of these spells work well with the defensive playstyle and make the stone priest more than an escort for your elementals.  Lastly, the Free Dwarf stone priests can take Alchemist’s Curse for free if they swap for Surge.  I usually take a pair of Stone Priests if I take 3 Elemental units.  

Dwarf Lord on Large Beast (and Sveri Egilax) – Like a lot of dwarf players, I’m a big fan. They are tall, nimble, Defense 6, has high nerve and packs a punch.  Being taller than most units allows them to pull off nimble shenanigans and they’re really dangerous once the battle lines clash.    I’ve usually placed them between a few infantry blocks to lend them your leadership and offer some help where it’s needed for combo charges.  Sveri trades Def 6 for a few more attacks, and an extra wild charge aura for your Berserkers and Brock Riders.  They make a great addition to those lists, giving you more board control.  (Brock Riders that outrange other cavalry?    Yes please.)

B Tier

Ironclad – This unit doesn’t do anything great, but for the price point, Ironclad (with mastiffs) are a solid B all around.  For a modest price increase you can take Shieldbreakers, so unless you’re on a tight budget, or if you really think you need Defense 5 for scenario play, go with the more aggressive option.  

Mastiff Hunting Pack – A unit of dogs that are shorter than infantry and move slightly faster?  In the context of the dwarf army, this is a good combo.  Dogs that release more dogs?  Even better.  (Dogs with bees in their mouth and when they bark they shoot bees at you?  That would be best…Where was I…oh yeah…).  These give you cheap drops and can allow you to block up enemies so they can’t combo charge you.  They can also allow you to get charges in with your Shieldbreaker hordes.  (A guy could hope…)

Mastiff Packmaster – Like the Stone Priest with his Elementals, the Packmaster is a real force multiplier for throwing mastiffs.  They come with a reusable range attack that’s better than the Flame Priest’s attack for the same price. And can get a vicious aura for all shooting mastiff attacks within 6”, including his own.  That’s some strong stuff when combined with the Piercing on the mastiffs.  A Packmaster and two hunting packs make a nice little battle group that can really mess with your opponent’s battle line.   And with the changes to conditional inspiring in the new Clash of Kings, these guys can pal around with any units, not just the mastiff packs to offer some inspiration and a cheeky shooting attack. 

Berserker Lord – Here’s a dirty secret for a long time dwarf player: I’ve never fielded a Berserker Brock lord.  Ever.  Partly because I’m stubborn and partly because I’m bad at writing lists.  I see no reason to ever take this guy on foot.  So we’ll kick it back to Alex: 

Dwarf Lord – Unlike the Berserker lord, I always used to field a Dwarf Lord with the Wings.  They are fantastic at choking up your opponent’s battle line or disrupting enemy shooting hordes.  Without wings this they just aren’t worth it.  Too slow to really influence much of anything on the field.  However, in the Free dwarf list you can upgrade the Dwarf Lord to have an iron resolve aura for other dwarf units.  And unlike their Imperial cousin, they can take the aura and still take magic items.  That makes them actually useful in game as a blocker (they are mighty, after all), and a good support piece.  Your mileage may vary, but with the aura I like them.  (Without the aura a low C, at best).  

Rangers – I get all the love for rangers.  They do everything well.  12 melee attacks with crush 1 and 12 ranged shots that hit on 4’s.  They have scout and pathfinder. But boy do you pay for that.  The regiment clocks in at a steep 185 points.  For just a few more points you can take a horde of elementals, a horde of shield breakers, or a regiment of brocks.  (I know those units play other roles, but still).  And the unit hits on 4’s in melee and is defense 4, without headstrong.  In the current meta they just can’t take a punch.  (I actually think this is a major problem with the dwarf army as a whole.  But that’s another story).  So I place them in the B Tier, but I might have been generous.  I will admit that I haven’t taken them as Herneas’ handpicked rangers, which gives you stealthy and elite.  And I also haven’t fielded more than two units in a game.  I feel that the returns may be better the more you take, but it’s still matchup dependent.  It’s a shame because rangers feature in the Free dwarf background but the unit itself is just lack-luster for the points.  (That being said, if someone has gotten multiple units of these guys to work let me know.  I will steal your list and drive it to mid-table mediocrity).

Berserkers – OK.  These crazed warriors got better with the latest Clash of Kings.  You get fearless, wild charge (d3) and movement 5 with the option to take pathfinder as a unit upgrade.  You get vicious all the time, TC1 on the charge, and if you survive a charge you get CS1 on the countercharge, all with Slayer (d6).  This really increases their reliability.  But you still hit on 4’s.  For just 30 more points you get all the benefits of Brock Riders, including 3 more movement, an extra nerve, and 6 more base attacks. That being said, these guys shine as troops.  For 105 points you have a 15 attack unit (16-21 attacks against big stuff) with -/13 nerve that controls a surprising amount of board space.  My recommendation, take these guys as troops (hence the B tier).  At the regiment size, unless you’re doing a theme list, take their mounted cousins instead.  

The Eryc’s Mallets Formation – So this isn’t the best formation in the Clash of Kings book, but it’s composed of a bunch of good units that I would have taken anyway, so I’m lumping it up in the B Tier.  (To be fair, the only reason these guys aren’t A tier is the lack of options for magic items and upgrades). Three shield breaker regiments with scout and a Dwarf Lord.  For 40 extra points the Lord gets scout, (so he can scout up with his troops), the regiments get nimble, and they all get Brutal.  This gives the dwarves some close-range maneuverability that, with some practice, can give your opponent fits, especially in terrain.  It’s not as mindlessly good as the formation that their imperial cousins get, but it’s got some real potential.   

C Tier

Ironbelcher Cannon / Jarrun Bombard – I’m going to quote Alex again here, because I completely agree with him.  

Even taking three of these guys leads to multiple turns where they put only a few damage on something.  That being said, I think taking one cannon in your list may be worthwhile, when combined with some of your short-range shooting.  Soften up a target with some mastiffs and if you hit then you add Shattering to the nerve roll.  Besides that, I just don’t see the value in the points. 

Greater Earth Elemental – Similar to the Berserkers, why take a Greater Earth Elemental when you have a better option in the list?  I may be in the minority here, but I think the new Greater Earth Elemental is super expensive for what you get.  12 attacks, hitting on 4’s on a titan base?  They are more expensive than an earth elemental horde.  Yeah they can be surged, but an elemental horde is almost as maneuverable as the square titan base.  My thinking is that the horde has better damage output, (especially when combined with the Stone Priest’s Bane Chant), and a higher unit strength.  If the GEE was on a 50mm base, I could almost see it because of his ability to sneak into smaller spaces.  But in this case there’s strength in numbers.  Bring the hordes.  

Ranger Captain – Holy Shmoly is this character pricey.  They cost almost as much as a dwarf lord on foot, and has three attacks with conditional inspiring and relatively low nerve.  I guess you’re paying for three bow shots and the scout.  I don’t know, with only movement 5 that scout move doesn’t give you as many options to disrupt the enemy line or put pressure in the backfield.     

Herneas – My original review of Herneas was based on his original (and erroneous) point cost.  Since then, his points have been adjusted down to a relatively modest 135.  When you combine that with the removal of conditional inspiring, he’s not so bad.  That being said, I still don’t think he’s amazing.  He is a source of one or two reliable damage per turn, but beyond that, he doesn’t mesh with my scenario driven style of play.  (I guess that says more about me than it does about the unit, but I’m the one writing here, so….)

D Tier

Ironwatch Crossbows / Rifles – With the new Clash of Kings changes, these guys have become more useful in scenario play.  The unit strength for the regiments and hordes have seen a bump, and their melee stat was adjusted from 5’s to 4’s.  They also got wild charge (1) for free, so I guess that’s something.  (So now you can charge 9?  Still less than most infantry?).  What the increase in US does is make these guys a viable option for Control, Dominate, and any of the loot counters on your side of the table.  I think there may be utility in taking lots of these guys in a list and making an old fashioned gunline, but your opponents may not play you twice.  All of that being said, they’re still expensive, and don’t do their primary role particularly well. 

Spear Levy – If I could invent an F Tier for these bros, I would.  More expensive than ironclad with mastiffs?  Check.  Lower defense than ironclad?  Check. Lower UNIT STRENGTH than ironclad?  Check.  But, wait, they have Phalanx!  Which doesn’t matter because no one is going to bother charging them.  This unit is pointless.  With the latest Clash of Kings, this unit is no longer irregular, so you can use these as a cheap unlock.  But for the difference in effectiveness, just take ironclad instead.  And now they can scout, so maybe they can be used as ineffectual chaff?  (If ANYONE out there has made a list where they do any work that ironclad can’t do for cheaper, let me know.  I’ll buy you a beer next time we’re in the same city.)

Sample Army List

So Dwarves, in general, are in a weird state right now.  The lists that are getting the most traction are odd skew lists that go really heavy on the elementals or have a million dogs with bees in their mouths.  That being said, I’ve tried this list at 2,300 points and it seems to have some legs.  

This army deploys in depth, with three main groups.  Let’s go over them in order. Here’s Group 1:

• Eryc’s Mallets – (3 shield breaker regiments with scout, pathfinder, brutal and nimble, and a scouting, brutal dwarf lord).
• 2 Earth Elemental Hordes
• Stone Priest with Canjurer’s Staff, Bane Chant and Scorched Earth

These two battle groups deploy on the side of the field with more forests, or difficult terrain.  The Mallets scout up and take position in the forest, while the elementals bring up the rear or take position to their flank.  Between the Surge from the stone priest and the nimble regiments, you can set up some nasty countercharges and traps with these guys once thing get close.  (Don’t forget that the dwarf lord is mighty, so he’s an amazingly good charge blocker).  A well timed scorched earth can delay your opponent’s charge, or force him into making risky charges into your lines.  And because the elementals are taller than the shieldbreakers you can set up effective multicharges as well.  Group 2 is as follows:

• 2 Berserker Troops on foot
• 2 Brock Rider regiments, both with the pathfinder upgrade. One has Blessings of the Gods, the other has Brew of Strength
• Sveri Egilax

This battle group pushes forward to project threat.  With Sveri’s wild charge aura, your brock riders can outdistance most other cavalry.  The troops either come behind to mop up in the late game or they get deployed in front to soak up charges and setup strong countercharges for your brock riders.  The last group is:

• 2 x Mastiff Pack with Throwing Mastiffs
• Free Dwarf Packmaster with Homing Mastiff and Mastiff Munchberries

These guys are my first drops, and I usually place them in the center of the field.  Their speed allows me to redeploy them if I need to, and when the hunting packs inevitably die, I still have the packmaster for some mobile inspiring and annoying shooting.  All in all, it’s a highly efficient way to spend 260 points. 

Conclusion

So Free Dwarves aren’t the strongest faction in the game right now, and they can be challenging to play. But that being said, there are plenty of good options in the list, and you can field an army that’s both competitive and interesting to play. If you have any thoughts on anything I’ve posted here, I’d love to hear them. Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.