Ironbreakers, much more than Longbeards or even Hammerers, are a staple of most successful Dwarf players' armies. If you are such a player, you already know the virtues of these rock-hard troops and don't need me to convince you of their value. On the other hand, if you've never played with or against a unit of Ironbreakers, then pull up a seat and let me regale you!

For those not in the know, Ironbreakers are a heavily armoured unit that any Dwarf player can take as one or more of their Special Unit choices. With their gromril armour and shields, these veteran warriors are the most heavily armoured infantry unit in the game (2+ Save in close combat). While they don't brandish great weapons like the Hammerers or the Longbeards, they have the same above average Weapon Skill and Strength... and let's not forget the amazing Toughness and Leadership that all Dwarfs possess.

Dwarf Ironbreakers

The value of the Ironbreakers lies in their ability to survive the enemy's most powerful charges without the aid of characters. No other unit is as good at this task as the Ironbreakers. While the Hammerers are Stubborn and when accompanying a character with the Royal Blood special rule, immune to Fear and Terror per their Bodyguard rule, the Ironbreakers can fend off cavalry charge after cavalry charge without expending valuable points on Lords or Heroes. Once they have taken your enemy's best and held firm, they usually set about grinding them down with a few wounds every round until they eventually win the combat resolution. As with all Dwarfs, good luck on your pursuit rolls; you'll need it!

How do you use Ironbreakers? Well, they don't really move around the table very well, so their value is determined largely by their initial placement. What area of the board do you want to secure? Do you want a solid centre, do you want to ensure that one of your flanks is secure, or do you want to protect a hill laden with Thunderers and artillery? These decisions are yours, based upon your army composition, the scenario, and the terrain. Be assured that whatever you choose, the Ironbreakers will do their job.

REACTING TO YOUR WORTHY OPPONENT

Unfortunately, Ironbreakers (like all blocks of infantry) are not so unbreakable when confronted by large, Fear-causing units. Here is where Dwarf runes come in. When faced with the possibility of encountering Fear-causing creatures (or an entire army of them), I usually field my Ironbreakers with the Rune of Courage, which makes the unit immune to Fear and Terror. This 30-point rune is convenient because it is cheap enough for the Ironbreakers' unit standard (you could even add an additional 20 points of runes). Without this rune, being charged by large units of even the weakest creatures can work out badly for you. Nothing is worse than being beaten and run-down by a slightly larger unit of Skeletons because you rolled poorly in one round of combat. Another rune to consider is the Master Rune of Fear. While this Rune is great against any army, the disadvantage is that it costs 75 points and thus requires the Army Standard Bearer to carry it. While this is not the end of the world, it is not the ideal choice against Fear-causing enemies, because once your vulnerable Army Standard Bearer is killed – and he is public enemy number one – you are up the creek again.

Another thing to be aware of is that being outmanoeuvred by fast-moving opponents or armies that vastly outnumber you is the deathblow of any Dwarf army, not to mention your Ironbreaker unit. Being hit in the side or the rear (or both!) while being confronted by an opponent in the front is a terrible way for a sturdy unit of veterans to die. How do you prevent this? Again, these decisions need to be made by you based upon your situation, but terrain can play a big part. Butting your Ironbreakers up against a piece of difficult or impassable terrain on one side and another Dwarf unit on the other is ideal. Your other flank should probably be secured by the table edge or your Slayers. If no suitable terrain exists, I usually try to defend a table corner when vastly outnumbered. If a hill sits in that corner, all the better (hint, hint).

Another option, of course, is to have a Lord or Thane lead your unit and for him to carry an Oath stone (admittedly this defeats the object of not having a character to lead them but makes the unit obscenely difficult to shift). Set down when the unit is charged, your tenacious Ironbreakers will no longer have a flank or rear, so no bonus can be yielded by the enemy for attacking in these directions. The only downside is once the Oath stone is set, the Ironbreakers can't move for the rest of the game – but then, fighting against the odds or holding a flank, you don't want them moving anyway.

Here's the last thing I'm going mention related to your enemy. If you play the same opponent frequently, he will begin to tire of being beaten down by your Ironbreakers. Sure, the first few games, he will try to run them down with his Knights, but eventually he will learn they can't be beaten fairly. At this point, you need to react to your opponent. Some will try magic; some will try artillery; and some will just choose (quite successfully) to just avoid this unit entirely. Here are a few thoughts:

Opponent Uses Magic: Most direct-damage spells allow Armour Saves. We don't fear that stuff. What we don't like are Zombies or Beast Herds popping up behind us and charging with the Danse Macabre or The Wild Call, respectively. This is where the rest of your army has to shine; Runesmiths and Magic Items can lighten this burden if it is not too overpowering.

Any particularly nasty, armour-ignoring spells (Drain Life, Uranon's Thuderbolt, Curse of Years or Black Horror for example) can be protected against with runes and the like. A Rune of Sanctuary can be added to the unit's banner (and at only 15 points, in addition to say, the Rune of Courage) and an Oath stone grants Magic Resistance 1. With these two items alone, you'll get 2D6 to help dispel any magicks directed against your Ironbreakers.

Opponent Uses Artillery: Fight fire with fire and blast them right back. A few games of being on the receiving end of Dwarf firepower, and your opponent will switch back to the frontal assault methods.

Opponent Avoids Ironbreakers: One possibility (in your next game) is to thin down your Ironbreaker unit by dropping models and the runic banner and then allocate it to protecting a flank. Another possibility is to set your Ironbreakers to protect valuable assets like missile troops, artillery, or terrain features. A third is to set your Ironbreakers in the centre of the board and either force a confrontation by actually moving or try to flank one of your opponent's engaged units.

Of course, an accompanying character with the Master Rune of Challenge could force an opponent to charge your Ironbreakers or the rune of Oath & Honour on the Anvil of Doom could enable the unit to manoeuvre the enemy into an inevitable charge or be charged situation.

ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE

In The General's Compendium Campaign, my Turn 14 battle against Rob Hawkins's Vampire Counts ended with my 20 Ironbreakers winning the day. I had the Ironbreakers on my left flank, protecting a 12" area between the board edge and a large forest. Rob stacked two units of 10 Black Knights directly across from them. Black Knights are one of the scariest troops in the game with Fear, Killing Blow (that'll hurt Ironbreakers), a Strength 6 charge, barded steeds, heavy armour and all the other benefits of being Undead. Rob charged with the first unit of Knights, and I took enough casualties to break automatically, except I had the Army Standard Bearer with the Master Rune of Fear. Although the Standard Bearer died in the next round of combat (should have had the Rune of Courage instead), my Ironbreakers inflicted a few wounds in the subsequent turns and destroyed all of the Knights through combat resolution.

Hopefully, this short description of Ironbreakers, their tactics, and their virtues has convinced you to add them to your existing Dwarf army or even to start a small Dwarf force.

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