Havoc Dwarves Tactics

Havoc Dwarves

Setting:	Age of Fantasy
Games:	Age of Fantasy, Age of Fantasy: Skirmish, Age of Fantasy: Regiments
Species:	Dwarf
Version:	v2.50

Note: as v2.50 is in constant development the following might not be accurate.

Why Play Havoc Dwarves

Havoc Dwarves act as an evil mirror to the Dwarves. While shooting isn't as plentiful as it is for your non-havoc counterparts, you hace more than your fair share of monsters to overpower the enemy.

Pros:

Lots of Heroes to build around
Plenty of monstrous choices.
Quite a good amount of durability between high defense and Regeneration

Cons:

Slow hampers you like any other dwarf

Special Rules

Abyssal Icon: A unit with this rule deals -1 to morale checks by enemies. This is made for pressing their advantage in combat, crushing enemy units.
Swift: This offsets a unit's Slow rule, letting them move at a normal pace.

Wizard Spells

Shroud Rune (4+): Enemy unit within 12" takes -1 to hit in melee, asserting your edge up close.
Insanity Rune (4+): One enemy unit within 12" takes four hits.
Havoc Rune (5+): One friendly unit within 12" can immediately move 6". This is a major help considering how slow your infantry is, either breaking them out of combat or bringing them closer.
Bolt Rune (5+): One enemy model within 12" takes a two AP(2) hits. While it's good for potentially nailing a hero or heavily armored brute, it's also useful for taking out heavy cavalry or infantry.
Crack Rune (6+): One piece of terrain can be moved 6" or be outright destroyed. Like any other army of dwarves, this is a very powerful ability to utilize.
Black Rune (6+): Two enemy units within 12" take 6 hits each, making this hell for mobs of grunts.

Unit Analysis

Heroes

Abyssal King: Your basic and go-to leader, given the best stats with 3+ to defense and quality as well as Fearless to shore up morale. He's a fairly versatile hero in terms of loadout, but they remain dedicated to combat. Also capable of helping your melee odds is the Abyssal Icon, an upgrade that deals -1 to enemy morale rolls in melee - likely to help you crush any enemies you overwhelm in combat.
- Shooting: The abyssal king's melee selection is fairly obvious, being provided the standard fare of weapons. Your guns, while all quite powerful with AP(1), have rather differing applications. The pistol is your cheap answer to fire support, more to soften an enemy rather than any major harm. The shotgun gives you a second shot at the same range, making it more useful for killing heroes. The rifle won't make your gun any stronger, but it doubles your range.
- Mounts: Your only mount is the great winged beast, and it is a powerful choice to boot. It bolsters the king's defenses and gives extra wounds. This is also the only way for your king to overcome their slowness with Swift an Flying. To top it off, your king also gave you a devastating means to crush crowds.

Slave Driver: A cheaper version of the abyssal king, but they have a 4+ to quality and defense - which does little for your forces. They also cannot take a mount or the Abyssal Icon. However, you have one option that the king lacks: the Sadist rule. This allows you to kill a model in your attached unit if they fail a morale check, turning that failure into a success. This sort of support can provide an alternative that a 3+ quality may not have.

Hex Caster: Your wizard of the lot, given the same stats as the slave driver but lacking Slave Driver. Aside from that, you are able to buy any of the weapons the other heroes can and get the great winged beast as a steed, giving front-line power to a typically mid to back-line unit.

Ancient Golem: A close-combat monstrosity. They come with a flurry of AP(2) attacks to rip apart crowds, but get little else aside from the 3+ quality and defense given to them. These are not much to use as leaders, but their skill as monster and hero killer is unparalleled.

Dwarf Centaur Champion: Your smaller charge-tank hero, but they have ways to be just as tanky as the bull centaurs with Regeneration. While they only have three AP(2) attacks with their great weapon and Furious.

Bull Centaur Champion: The big charge-tank, given a 2+ defense and Tough(6) to shrug off a lot of hits. While lacking Furious, they have a devastating AP(3) weapon to destroy monsters and Fear runs down any lesser foes. While not as large and mighty like the exalted rift daemons, they occupy a similar role of elite monster hero.

Infantry & Cavalry

Warriors: Your basic rank and fire are a decently powerful force, given a 4+ in quality and defense. As they're hampered with slow, giving them spears for Phalanx might be a useful addition in order to take off the sting of charging.

Berserkers: While their melee is quite powerful with 3+ quality and Furious with their choice of either paired weapons for a barrage of attacks or AP(1) great weapons, their defense is reduced to a lacking 5+. For this reason, they would be best supported by a wizard who can provide them extra mobility to overcome Slow and throw them at the enemy or twist the field to protect them.

Immortals: While over twice the cost of your warriors, their staying power is nothing to look down upon. Each one has a 3+ to quality and defense and Regeneration gives them an extra layer of protection. While they have the same weapon options as the warriors, the price for paired weapons and great weapons is slightly more expensive.

Gargoyles: While flimsy compared to your other units, they are quite mobile units of flying chaff. Regeneration gives them a surprise layer of durability.

Shooters: A smaller pack of warriors who sacrifice their defense for guns. Their options are either the short-ranged but rapid-firing shotguns for hordes or the rifles for extra range and sharpshooting.

Dwarf centaurs: Your light cavalry isn't as light as you'd think. Being dwarves, they only have normal speed but have Regeneration to shore up their 4+ defense and a great weapon to but through armor.

Bull-Centaurs: The heavy cavalry with a focus on tanking. With a 3+ defense and Tough(3) they're meant to last and each comes with three AP(1) hits they can chop through lighter armor. It's not much, but they also have support through Impact(3).

Havoc Golems: Another unit dedicated to being a pack of walls. They also have a 3+ defense and Tough(3) but are set back by being Slow. They are also cheaper than a unit of Immortals, which can make them a good pack of bodyguards for an abyssal king or hex caster. Unfortunately their offense is only okay with a 4+ quality for their AP(1) attacks.

Flame Spirits: While lacking in defense, they have Regeneration and can use Strider at full speed so they can take advantage of cover. By default they only have paired hand weapons to protect themselves, but you can buy a ranged attack for them, giving them the equivalent of a shotgun on a unit that can move freely.

Grotesques: Where the havoc golems are more about blocking enemies, these guys are more about offence, being able to move at normal speed and gifted with a 3+ quality for their poisoned attacks. Though their defense isn't mighty, they still have Regeneration and Tough(3) to walk through most threats.

Monsters

Giant Rhino: If you need something to charge through the enemy, this is your best option. It's a big, beefy monster carrying a devastating horn with AP(3) and Deadly(3) as well as some still powerful AP(1) stomps and pistols thanks to the crew. Helping the devastating combat prowess is the addition of the Abyssal Icon to help it crush any units it breaks.

Greater Golem: This golem is even bigger and tankier than any other golems, even the ancient golem. Not only does it have that ever-powerful 2+ save, but it also has Tough(12) and a flurry of powerful AP(2) swings to splat whatever comes against it.

Chariots

Siege Chariot: An absolute plodding battletank. While it comes stock with a siege mortar that can obliterate hordes with Blast(6) and AP(4) and held back by Indirect, you can instead buy either Twin Cannons or a Siege Cannon, both still carrying AP(4) and carrying some sort of Blast value, but at better ranges. As this chariot's hampered by Slow, you'll often be relying on those long-ranged weapons to wreck enemies from across the board. Unfortunately, it lacks much to handle monsters since none of its guns carry Deadly.

Artillery

Flamer Team: Not so much a piece of artillery as a special weapons team like those in the ratmen. This unit carries a flamethrower, giving you a bundle of shots at AP1 to thin crowds. While this is Slow, most artillery pieces are Immobile and you have a weapon made to deflect charging hordes.

Mortar Team: Another weapons team that acts as artillery. The mortar provides you with a decently-ranged small blast attack, good for softening things up before rushing them. Just beware that you are Slow, and thus you're subject to its liabilities even if you don't move that far.

Rocket Launcher: A true piece of Artillery, made to fell monsters. With AP(2) and Deadly(3), this beast can carve through most heroes and seriously wound monsters at a great range. Since you're already Immobile, Indirect doesn't even account to your issues.

Heavy Mortar: This is your long-range source of Blast(6), and it's only fitting that it's an Immobile piece of Artillery. Fortunately, AP(2) allows it to pop most heavy infantry and cavalry, though it won't be as effective on elites and monsters.

Havoc Dwarves Tactics

Contents

Why Play Havoc Dwarves

Special Rules

Wizard Spells

Unit Analysis

Heroes

Infantry & Cavalry

Monsters

Chariots

Artillery

List Building & Tactics

General Advice

Tactics

See Also

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Havoc Dwarves Tactics

Why Play Havoc Dwarves

Special Rules

Wizard Spells

Unit Analysis

Heroes

Infantry & Cavalry

Monsters

Chariots

Artillery

List Building & Tactics

General Advice

Tactics

See Also

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