In this instalment of Faction Focus, the Middle-earth team delve into the mountain holds of the Iron Hills to shine a light on the armies of Dáin Ironfoot and his stoic Iron Hills Dwarves.
The Iron Hills are unusual among the Dwarf holds, as their fame and standing comes not from great wealth, nor the artifice of their works, nor the labour that crafted them. Instead, the Iron Hills are renowned for their military might and skill at arms. Led by the venerable Dáin Ironfoot, these Dwarves marched from their homeland to aid Thorin Oakenshield as he was held within Erebor by a host of Elves and Men, before joining the Battle of Five Armies in defence of the Lonely Mountain against the legions of the Pale Orc.
The Iron Hills marched a long way and turned up at precisely the right time and place; this is represented by their Army Bonus Ironfoot has come!, which grants a +1 or -1 modifier to see which table edge they arrive from, or which part of the board they deploy in. The other part of the Army Bonus grants Dáin Ironfoot the Master of Battle (4+) special rule, allowing him the chance to counter enemy Heroic Actions without spending his own Might points.
Heroes
Dáin is the natural leader for any Iron Hills army, and with a Fight value of 6, 3 Attacks, a Strength of 5, and a two-handed hammer coupled with the Burly special rule (allowing him to ignore the -1 to the Duel roll, but still gaining the +1 To Wound from the two-handed weapon), Dáin is an absolute beast in a fight. Oh, and should someone survive his mighty blows, there is still a chance he will Headbutt them to the floor for good measure!
Dáin is an excellent leader. Fearless ensures he will never flee the battlefield, and Lord of the Iron Hills means that all Iron Hills Dwarf models within 12” will pass any Courage tests they need to make. A Fearsome Charge causes Terror until the end of the turn.
Aside from Dáin, Iron Hills Captains lead the rest of their warriors. These stoic Dwarves are solid fighters, and with a Defence of 8 (when armed with a shield), and the Shieldwall special rule giving them a potential Defence of 9, they can be nigh-on impossible to bring down. They also possess Master of Battle (5+), which is ideal for countering Heroic Moves and tipping the odds in your favour.
Warriors
Strong, tough, resolute, and with a great combination of characteristics, the Iron Hills Dwarves are among the best warriors in the game. Yet what really sets them apart is their Shieldwall, which gives them +1 to their Defence in base contact with two or more other Iron Hills Dwarves, bringing them to an eye-watering Defence 8!
Dwarf armies often suffer in movement-based Scenarios so Iron Hills Goat Riders add some much-needed mobility. They are also incredibly impactful: their Strength of 4 coupled with a war spear (giving them +1 To Wound on the Charge) means they hit hard, and Devastating Charge will knock down a Man-sized (or smaller) model on a 5+, leaving them free to skewer their foes flailing on the floor!
Tactics
Use their impressive characteristics to your advantage as much as possible. If the terrain allows, try to put your lines in a position to draw your enemy to fight you in a bottleneck and ensure that you can engage in fights one-on-one. There are very few other battlelines that can go toe-to-toe with these iron-clad Dwarves.
With your battleline anchored, a few Iron Hills Goat Riders led by Dáin Ironfoot on his war boar will barrel into the enemy flanks. Dáin is particularly effective in this manner, smashing aside a couple of enemies before using a Heroic Combat to slingshot him round into some juicer targets such as enemy Heroes or banners.
If the Scenario allows for it, you can form a formidable iron wall and loose devastating volleys with either Iron Hills Dwarves with crossbows, or an Iron Hills Ballista at the advancing enemy army.
Army Lists
Here we have two example army lists. The first one at 500 points gives a great starting point for a fledgling force.
Our second list is built to 750 points and utilises some of the other units available to the Iron Hills Army.
Thanks guys! If the thought of forging your own army of Iron Hills Dwarves, then why not pick up one of the Iron Hills Dwarf Warbands now!