Moving Armies pt 1 : Dwarfs

So Kings of War looks interesting to you, especially because you can use your existing Warhammer army for it.  But how exactly are you going to move your existing Warhammer army to Kings of War?

I have several Warhammer armies, highly converted.  When I first started teaching Kings of War I used these, though I quickly learned that converted armies aren't the best teaching tools.  However I have used them very successfully.

Dwarfs 1000 pts

Drunk Dwarfs on their display cart (the beer tap is in the back)

For a starter army, my drunk dwarfs work well.  This is one of my smallest army, and is fairly elite.  I like dwarfs with war machines - however the composition restrictions (each regiment unlocks a hero / monster / war engine, hordes unlock all of them) keeps me from taking all four of them - which works because there are no catapults or balistas in the KoW Dwarf army  (Mantic dwarfs like gunpowder!)

So to make a 1000 pt list out of my 2400 pt army

• 40 Warriors -> Horde of Ironclad ( 180 pts)
• These are a natural fit
• Orcsbain's Amulet of Thorns (15)
• After everything else I had a few points - and phalanx (charging units cannot use Thunderous Charge when charging to the front of this unit) makes them a very solid center of my battle line

Yes, those are girls on the table in a wet t-shirt contest.  Check out the link above for more (and better) pictures 

• 20 Hammers -> Regiment of ShieldBreakers ( 130)
• As are these

What better way to use cans of crappy beer than to smash your enemies in the head with them?

• 20 Thunderers -> Regiment of Ironwatch Crossbows ( 135 )
• Normally I would want these as rifles, but they are holding beer bottles instead of of actual guns, so they can be crossbows as well.  Mainly because I want the 20 pts for magic items

We only shoot the crappy thin yellow lagers!

• 10 Miners -> Troop of Rangers ( 135 )
• I only have points for one set of rangers - Miners somewhat fit the bill with the underground advance - and I really like he conversions here.
• Wine of Elvenkind (40)
• An expensive magic item, but it gives them nimble, to go with vanguard and pathfinder.  So they get a free move before the game, ignore terrain for movement, get an extra pivot and do not take penalties for moving and shooting (oh, and did I mention that their RA is 4+? )

Honestly McLovin - we are legal.

• Cannon -> Ironbelcher Cannon (110)
• Again, this is a natural fit, though I would need to mark the base for arc of sight purposes

Complete with billowing beer steam

• Organ Gun -> Ironbelcher Organ Gun (85)
• fits perfectly again, (and also needs its base marked)

Powered by kegs of beer.

• Battle Standard Bearer -> Army Standard Bearer (50)
• it is almost like these lists are designed to work with each other

Inspiring the army with GOOD beer!

• Dwarf Lord on Shield Bearers -> King (120)
• Ok, not perfect since his base it too wide, but I doubt anyone would complain

I love Scibor's dwarfs!

The last thing that converts with no effort at all was the custom turn counter.  When I first made this army, I got a gyrocopter, but really wasn't able to use it effectively at all.  But I liked the model and the conversion, so I made it into a turn counter (from a single to a six-pack).

Kings of War needs to track turns just like Warhammer.

So that is the dwarf army.  Composition wise, with the horde I still have a monster slot available.  The only dwarf monsters are the new Greater Earth Elemental ( 160 ), Battle Driller ( 70 ) and Steel Behemoth ( 250 ) - not nearly enough points for any of them.

So what dwarf units are left out?

• Miners.  I actually have 15 - but the smallest infantry unit in KoW is 10.  So 5 are left out.
• Iron Drakes - Either these or the Miners are out (probably these, as I like the Minors for theme (and that is NOT a misspelling - they don't have beards, are wearing t-shirts and all have fake id's).  However they are usable - could be Ironwatch Rifles easily.

I actually used Mantic Forge Fathers for these, ironically enough

• Grudge Thrower - no catapults for dwarfs.  Could be used as a bombard (as it can fire indirectly, which makes sense for a catapult)

Throwing the worst of the beer back at the enemy.

• Bolt Thrower - no giant crossbows for dwarfs either.  Kings of war dwarf like their black powder.  I've heard people using them as cannons since they work similarly.

Those tiny colored clear plastic bottles run about $2 each (they are made for doll houses)

• Gyrocopter / Gyrobomber - This is one of the hardest units to fit - there are two options people have mentioned.  First is to use it as a Steel Behemoth since it has the gun and is a machine (and who doesn't want a tank for dwarfs).  The other is to use it as a Ranger Captain with the Wings of Honeymaze to make him flying.  He has a crossbows so can shoot, and fly, with pathfinder and vanguard.  This best fits the stats.

The last new model I bought from GW

• Master Engineer - I've got two of these - they would be Warsmiths if I had the points.  Not as good in 2nd edition as they were in 1st though.

My favorite of the two - with his beer helmet (who needs cans when you have a KEG!)

• Slayer - I painted up a slayer for a campaign we ran - we would naturally be a Berserker Lord.

Only ever played in a character v character arena

• Runesmith / Runelord on Anvil of Doom.  I already retired the anvil with the last Dwarf book - and there is nothing to properly fit it in the army.  These actually fit as Stone Priests - whose job is to provide surge for the Earth Elementals (and you can buy bane chant).  I could always 'borrow' my Lower Abyssal Golems (from my Abyssal Dwarfs) if I wanted to field these - but then this is about converting and playing with what I have.

Brew pot of DOOM!!!!  Yeah, this got nerfed in the 8th.

One of the biggest restrictions I have is I just don't have a lot of troops - and Kings of War is all about big units of troops.  That restricts how many war engines and characters I can take.  I'm in a mixed state with this army - there are several things I'm not taking but I don't have the regiments to add them in - so it stays at 1000 pts (a nice size for a beginner army).

Next up : 2000 pts of Undead!