Volcanic Dwarves Tactics

Volcanic 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 Volcanic Dwarves

Pros

Melee superiority
Almost all your army is Fearless

Cons

Poor defense
Limited model selection
Extremely limited shooting
Rather static loadouts on the troops
Hounded by Slow

Special Rules

Ancient Icon: Enemies get -1 to hit when attacking the hero and its unit.
Doom Call: Any attached unit may ignore the Slow rule.
Ethereal: Counts as having Stealth, Strider, as well as Regeneration against non-spell attacks. Note that this doesn't block the unit from taking Regeneration as well.
Oath of Wrath: Any attached unit gets +1 to AP when fighting in melee.
Slayer: This model gets +2 to AP when fighting units where most models have Tough(3) or higher.
Swift: This model may ignore the Slow rule. Unlike with Doom Call, this can only work on the model that takes it.
Volcanic Leader: The hero and its unit get the Ambush special rule.

Magic Spells

Auric Fury (4+): Friendly unit within 12" adds +3" to their movement. USE IT. SPAM IT. You need this.
Suffocating Ashes (4+): Two enemy units within 6" take four hits each. Pretty helpful with crowd control, especially if you're getting swarmed.
Fire Storm (5+): One enemy unit within 12" takes four AP(1) hits. It might help dent a monster or wipe a model of a Tough unit of infantry.
Seismic Shift (5+): One setpiece within 6" of the caster can be moved around 3" or be destroyed entirely. Few units can really control the battlefield in this way, but you definitely can.
Lava Bolts (6+): Enemy model within 12" takes three AP(2) hits - Just the thing you need to nail a hero.
Searing Heat (6+): An enemy unit within 12" takes -3 to hit the next time it fights in melee. This is your stomping ground, so this is best used to mess up anyone who can potentially wipe out a unit or a monster on its last legs.

Unit Analysis

Heroes

Magma Champion: Your central hero, gifted with a 3+ quality. Fearless and Furious is a dangerous combination for a beatstick hero, especially when you pick a buff and combine with your troops. This is also your only mounted hero, but purchasing the Magma Drake is an incredible expense. At least you get an obscene lot from it, with a bump to a 3+ defense with Regeneration, a bucket of wounds, some devastating attacks on top of Flame Breath as well as a speed hike.
- Weapons: Stock champions have Hand Weapons with AP(1), giving a decent weapon to work with. If you want something more, you can purchase AP(3) Great Weapons to fell armored infantry, Dual Hand Weapons for a barrage of attacks, or a Great Axe to take down any monsters. On top of this, you can also buy either some Throwing Axes to add cheap shooting alongside a pack or a Beast Slayer javelin made to hit hard with AP(2) Deadly(3).
- Buffs: Army Standard Bearer gives you Fear, a decent perk for a melee squad. Smite Forger gives Ancient Icon, making for a defensive boost that's welcome for your rather flimsy forces. Grim Lord gives Oath of Wrath to boost the effectiveness of your troops. Auric Lord confers Volcanic Leader, providing Ambush to surprise your foes.

Volcanic Leader: A slightly cheaper Magma Champion with a 4+ Quality. While their melee options remain the same sans the AP bump, they can only take Throwing Axes at range and lack any mounts.
- Buffs: Rune Smith provides you with your only source of Wizard casting. Grim Lord offers Oath of Wrath, helping boost melee power. Veteran Seeker gives you Doom Call, your only way of freeing your troops from Slow.

Infantry

Shield Berserkers: Your workaday troops, being the only squad of ten. Fearless and Furious give them some decent bite, though your only weapon option is the rather effective Halberds.

Volcanic Berserkers: The offensive troops, carrying Dual Hand Weapons and Slayer to improve their odds against elite troops and monsters. That said, this makes their effectiveness against line infantry a bit less than stellar with no way to get AP without Oath of Wrath.

Berserker Guard: Where the Volcanic Berserkers are hammer, these guys are the elite anvils with 3+ quality and Regeneration providing another layer of protection. Rather than paired weapons, the only weapons these guys can pick are AP(2) Great Weapons, making their preferable to ripping through armored infantry.

Berserker Throwers: Berserkers with Throwing Axes. while not the most effective weapons, they are one of your few ranged weapons available and they remain as effective in melee as the Shield Berserkers.

Auric Marksmen: Your only elite gunline. These Magma Shooters provide you some firepower with Rending, though you can make one take a Magma Bolt Shooter if you need to take down something bigger. If you're looking for more massed fire, you can give the squad Lava Shooters, doubling their rate of fire but cutting their range to 12". Be wary of that range, as you have poor defenses and no benefits from getting charged.

Fire Elementals: Some genuinely tough nuts with 4+ defense, Ethereal's not-quite-Regeneration and Tough(3). Their attacks are also nothing to scoff at with a barrage of Rending attacks making them able to flatten infantry. Better yet, they're not Slow so they're not quite as easy to trap out in the open.

Monsters

Volcanic Lizard: A mobile beast with Strider that spews fire with Rending while toting AP(1) claws. Fortunately, Tough(6) and a 3+ defense gives it a decent layer of defense against any potential offense.

Great Fire Elemental: A bigger Fire Elemental with Ethereal giving something close to Regeneration, Tough(6) and a 2+ defense so it can also laugh off most attempts to take it down. However, while it has plenty of attacks with Furious and AP(1), that's not quite enough to take care of any larger monsters. Keep this focused on blocks of infantry.

Magma Drake: The Volcanic Lizard's big brother. It has Fire Breath for real crowd management and enough melee attacks to actually kill things up close. Even better, Tough(12) with Regeneration and 2+ defense allow it to walk through a lot of abuse while it goes about tearing down the opposition with its Rending claws and AP(1) stomps.

Volcanic Dwarves Tactics

Contents

Why Play Volcanic Dwarves

Special Rules

Magic Spells

Unit Analysis

Heroes

Infantry

Monsters

List Building & Tactics

General Advice

Tactics

See Also

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Volcanic Dwarves Tactics

Why Play Volcanic Dwarves

Special Rules

Magic Spells

Unit Analysis

Heroes

Infantry

Monsters

List Building & Tactics

General Advice

Tactics

See Also

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