“You insult my beard, you insult my clan. You burn my hold, you make the book. You enter the book… and we do not forget.”
In the heart of the world’s tallest mountains, beneath stone halls older than empires, the Dwarfs endure. They are a people of granite resolve, unmatched craftsmanship, and a grudge list longer than the Great River. Their empire may have waned, their holds fallen to Night Goblins, Skaven, and worse, but the Dwarfs do not bend. They do not forget. And they do not forgive.
To collect the Dwarfs is to lead an army of unyielding warriors, devastating artillery, and some of the finest armour and weapons in the world. If you like rock-solid defenses, thunderous firepower, and a little bit of righteous fury, there’s no force quite like the sons of Grungni.
An Age of Stone and Steel: The History of the Dwarfs
The Dwarfs were among the first mortal races to walk the Old World, carved from stone and fire by their ancestor gods. They built vast holds within the World’s Edge Mountains, linked by trade, honour, and iron. At their peak, the Dwarf Empire rivaled even the elves in splendour.
But their golden age was shattered by tragedy: earthquakes, war with the Elves, the rampaging greenskins, and the rise of Skaven from below. Many holds were lost, swallowed by monsters or crumbled into ruin. In the wake of this destruction, the Dwarfs recorded every wrong in the Dammaz Kron, the Great Book of Grudges.
Now, the Dwarfs fight not for conquest or power, but to reclaim what was lost and settle the score.
Play Style: Hold the Line and Crush Them With Firepower
The Dwarfs are a defensive powerhouse. They don’t run. They don’t dance. They plant their feet, unleash hell, and grind the enemy into dust.
• High Leadership and Toughness: Your troops don’t break easily. Many can stand toe-to-toe with elite enemies and not flinch.
• Devastating Artillery: Cannons, organ guns, flame throwers, and gyrocopters. Dwarfs bring an entire forge to war.
• Runes Instead of Magic: Dwarfs hate conventional magic, but their Runelords and Runesmiths forge magical weapons, armour, and banners that rival any spell.
• Slow but Steady: You won’t win any races, but you’ll win the war.
The Dwarfs are perfect for players who love artillery, resilience, and the satisfaction of punishing anyone foolish enough to test their patience.
Key Units: Iron, Fire, and Bearded Fury
Every Dwarf unit is a testament to centuries of discipline and master craft.
• Dwarf Warriors: Your dependable frontline. They are tough, well-armoured, and determined.
• Longbeards: Veterans with centuries of experience. Older, angrier, and harder to kill.
• Hammerers: Elite bodyguards who swing magical great hammers and never take a step back.
• Ironbreakers: Clad in near-impenetrable armor, they are walls of steel in dwarf form.
• Slayers: Bare-chested lunatics who seek an honourable death against the deadliest foes. And often don’t die.
• Thunderers: Dwarfs with black powder rifles. They are accurate, armoured, and lethal.
• Quarrellers: Crossbow-armed troops with great range and surprising versatility.
• Gyrocopters: Rare flying machines that harass flanks.
• Cannon, Grudge Thrower, Organ Gun, Flame Cannon: Pick your flavour of annihilation.
Dwarf units don’t need gimmicks. They bring axes, armour, and explosive artillery, and that’s more than enough.
Legendary Characters of the Dawi
Thorgrim Grudgebearer – The High King of the Dwarfs
Seated upon the Throne of Power, Thorgrim is the living voice of the Ancestor Gods and the unbroken king of the Dwarfs. He carries the Great Book of Grudges and intends to see every last wrong avenged. On the battlefield, he is an immovable bulwark, surrounded by elite guards and blessed with ancient might.
Ungrim Ironfist – The Slayer King of Karak Kadrin
Both king and Slayer, Ungrim is bound by twin oaths. One is to lead his people, the other to seek a glorious death in battle. With a flaming axe and unmatched fury, he leads his armies from the front, a red-haired storm of destruction.
Belegar Ironhammer – The True Heir of Karak Eight Peaks
Determined to reclaim his ancestral hold from Skaven and greenskins, Belegar is a noble warrior-lord haunted by ghosts, literally. His ancestors fight by his side, and he will not rest until Karak Eight Peaks is restored.
Josef Bugman – Brewmaster and Raging Avenger
Once the greatest brewmaster in the Old World, Bugman now leads a band of rangers on a never-ending quest to avenge the destruction of his brewery. He may look like a drunkard, but he’s a crack shot, a cunning tracker, and a legendary slayer of greenskins.
Why Collect the Dwarfs?
The Dwarfs are a love letter to old-school fantasy: stubborn beards, echoing halls, rune-encrusted axes, and grudges carved in stone. For hobbyists, they’re a joy to paint whether you prefer gleaming steel, smoky forge grime, or ancestral tartans. Their war machines are mechanical masterpieces, and their characters are dripping with lore and personality.
On the tabletop, they offer a rock-solid playstyle that punishes rash enemies and rewards clever positioning. You don’t need speed, you’ve got firepower. You don’t need magic, you’ve got runic engineering. And when it comes to grudges… nobody keeps receipts quite like the Dwarfs.
“Stone may crack. Fire may fade. But the Dawi? We endure.”
So ready your hammer, wind the organ gun, and open the Book. There are debts to settle, and by Grungni, you intend to collect.
(Warhammer Fantasy) Faction Guide: Dwarfs
