Armies of Middle-Earth SBG: Khazad-Dum in the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game

Something wicked this way comes...

Photo credit: Brrokk Barrowbane

So if you showed up this week hoping for our wrap-up on countering Angmar... sorry. My hands stopped working.

Instead, I've got a more traditional "Armies of Middle-Earth" for you, on the OG tanks in MESBG: the Dwarves of Khazad-Dum. So hopefully all is forgiven.

Cards on the table: when it comes to elves vs. dwarves, I'm solidly on Team Dwarves. I don't remember if dwarves were the first faction I played when Tiberius and Centaur finally persuaded me to play MESBG (shortly before it became MESBG), but it was definitely one of the first. And at the time, the only way to play dwarves (at least in our gaming group) was Khazad-Dum. So this list has always had some sentimental value for me, and I expect it will always be so (although that does not explain my snail's pace when it comes to painting their models). 

I'm splitting this review up into two parts because the new edition of the rules split this faction up into two: Khazad-Dum (today) and Kingdom of Moria (next time). I'm doing this even though those of us who play know they're really the same faction differentiated by a single (albeit, important) hero choice: to Balin (and Floi) or not to Balin (and Floi)? As such, if you stumbled on this review after reading the Kingdom of Moria review, you'll see some overlap (and vice versa). I've tried to front-load the differences (so you can gloss over the rest), but apologies on the front end if you find this repetitive (It's not my fault!).

As always, you'll find a list of handy community resources at the end, but I want to flag the 4.5 hour gem that is the Green Dragon Podcast on Khazad-Dum--way more than you'll ever need to know about what makes Khazad-Dum amazing... so definitely read this first (otherwise, you won't need it).

Army Quick(ish) Hits

• Strength: Dwarves = TOUGHNESS. Stat-wise, there's two things that make dwarves "dwarves" in MESBG: they move 5" instead of your "standard" 6" (more on that shortly), and they have ready access to D7 warriors (or better), and even more defense on their heroes. Add these excellent defensive stats to very good combat stats overall (Fight 4, with ready access to shields and banners), and generally access to axes and/or Strength 4 on their warriors (if not both), and dwarf armies become tough to engage, tough to wound, tough to shift, and they're tough to rout. The Kingdom of Khazad-Dum is no different, with Courage 4 standard on all your core units and Defense 7 on most models (the notable exception are your skirmishing Dwarf Rangers, Dwarf Warriors with bows, and Iron Guard--all of which make up for the lack of D7 with other stats / shenanigans). Add in Bodyguard on your Khazad Guard, Courage rerolls from the Shieldbearer, banners aplenty, and shields everywhere (for both more attacks and an option for non-lethal strikes), and you have a force that can perform well at all stages in the game.

• Strength: A solid (though restricted) suite of heroes. So Khazad-Dum has a more restricted hero suite than the Kingdom of Moria, in that the only named heroes you can take are Durin (who is excellent) and Mardin (who is... well, less excellent). But even so, you still have access to four unnamed heroes who fill valuable niches in your army. Dwarf Captains provide that all-important Heroic March, which you will usually want because (a) dwarves move only 5" base, (b) this particular dwarf army has no cavalry options, and (c) Durin, unlike Balin, doesn't have access to Heroic March for some reason. At Fight 5, Strength 4, and Defense 7 base (8 with shield), they're also reliable tanks when they aren't pushing your army from place to place. If you'd like to double-down on your support role to get both speed and magic defense, Dwarf Kings have access to Heroic March and Heroic Resolve, with an extra point of Will (2/2/1 Heroic Stats), higher Fight (F6), and base Defense 8. Plus, with the errata, they're now Heroes of Valour, with the ability to bring up to 15 warriors (and ally with other yellow/red factions... which is all of them). The Dwarf Shieldbearer offers a way to buff your force's global courage in the absence of Bodyguard, while also offering a buff to some of your combat pieces with his ability to call free Heroic Combats sometimes (In Defense of the King). Last but not least, the King's Champion is one of the best generic heroes in the game, capable of slaying heroes or troops (F6, S5, 3 Attacks, and Heroic Strike with 2/1/1 Heroic Stats) or tanking something really nasty (2 Wounds, D7-9, and 1-5 Fate, depending on where his supporting Heralds are). Oh, and he comes with two heralds with two 3" banners included in his points cost, for fewer points than a Great Beast of Gorgoroth.
• Strength: Surprisingly flexible troop options. At their core, dwarves (of all stripes) are a solid combat profile: Fight 4 is a great place to start, they're generally D7 (shields all the way), and most of them (at least in this list) have axes which allow you to get to Strength 4 (Piercing Strike) when you need to. Your generic Dwarf Warriors also have most of the wargear options you'd want. While there are no spears, you have widespread access to banners, war horns, shields, and bows of two stripes (either S3 bows that shoot 18" on a 4+, or S2 bows that shoot 24" on a 3+), along with throwing axes on several units (Dwarf Rangers and Iron Guard). Upgrade to your elite troops, and you get Strength 4 across the board, plus some specializations. Khazad Guard give you a D7 front line, Bodyguard to deal with Terror, and the option for a two-handed piercing strike (effective S7), all for 11 points. Iron Guard trade Defense (D6) for an extra attack. Coupled with throwing axes, they can be lethal shock troops who are still going to be tough for generic S3 opponents to take down. And while the Vault Wardens are primarily defensive units (D9 shields, which are immune to brutal power attacks), their Strength 4 (on both the shield and the supporting spear) gives them a distinct advantage in most shieldwall-on-shieldwall combats.
• Strength(-ish): Army bonus. Sticking with the theme of combat, the Khazad-Dum army bonus allows you to reroll 1s to wound while in combat. While I wouldn't call this "spectacular," rolling 1s is never fun, and getting some sort of reroll for free when you do is always better than not, so I definitely wouldn't knock it. But mostly, it only pays huge dividends when you get to really high Strength, i.e., two-handing Khazad-Guards who use a Piercing Strike against a D5 warrior (wound on 3s, rerolling 1s) or better yet, D3 wood elves (wound on 2s, rerolling 1s).
• Weakness: Movement speed. This problem isn't unique to Khazad-Dum and Moria. All dwarf armies struggle with getting across the field of battle (with their base movement of 5"), and have limited tricks to accomplish the task. While these OP dwarves don't have access to cavalry, all the other standard dwarf tricks are present. On the aggressive front, you have access to affordable Heroic March on your spammable Captains and Dwarf Kings (who happen to be pretty ace in combat, too). Yes, you'll still have to truck your way over to the enemy. But with D7 aplenty (crossbows need 6s to wound), you'll fare better than most armies on your way in. Or, you could just force the enemy to come to you by leveraging an impressive suite of ranged units... 
• Strength: Multiple Ranged Options (at close and long-range). I won't get into the age-old debate of which is better: Dwarf Warriors with Dwarf Bows (D6 archers with a 4+ shoot, 18" range projectile at S3) or Dwarf Rangers with Dwarf Longbows (D5 archers with a 3+ shoot, 24" range projectile at S2). My two cents: take some of both. And then compliment both with the Dwarf Ballista (D6 crew with a 4+ shoot, 48" range projectile at S9 that insta-kills battlefield targets). Yes, there are scenarios when you must go somewhere and can't just hang back (in which case, leverage the S3 throwing axes on your Dwarf Rangers (3+ shoot) and Iron Guard (4+ shoot)). But if you don't need to chase anyone, a decent ranged contingent is usually enough to force the issue, especially if you park your archers behind a D7 shieldwall (although to be fair, even D5 on Rangers is good enough for a stand-off against most S2 bows, which are plentiful). 
• Strength: Priority shenanigans (while sticking it to elves). So Khazad-Dum doesn't have the same volume of shenanigans that the Kingdom of Moria has (Balin's Longbeard rule), but as long as your force includes Durin, the Ring of Durin gives you one Priority reroll per game (for free, no resource cost). Yes, it's not a guarantee you'll win (although if you and your opponent both rolled "1s" or "2s," it's pretty close), but anytime you get a chance to reroll a definite "fail" into a "success," that's a plus. It also gives you an added layer of protection against cavalry armies (which is a big deal in an army that doesn't have any cavalry options of its own), and even a way to stick it to Elrond players (since the FAQs make plain that Elrond has to spend his Foresight points before this reroll goes into effect), which can produce almost comical reactions if your opponent is a good sport (and flip-the-table moments if he is not). Finally, remember that while "winning priority" has its most dramatic impact on who moves first for the turn (followed closely thereafter by who has the onus of spending Might to call a Heroic Move), the winner of priority also gets other bonuses. You get to shoot first. You get to split multiple combats. You get to decide the order of fights. And you get to react when it comes to calling Heroic Actions and special strikes with weapons. 
• Strength: Strong late-game options. A reroll of priority, in and of itself, is phenomenal in the late-game when Might stores have usually dried up. Pair that with solid dwarf courage, Bodyguard on your Khazad Guards (to go with base Courage 4, war horns, and the Shieldbearer's rerolls, multiple Fight 6 heroes who are still dangerous / tough when they run low on Might, the general resilience of the army, the option to shield (a non-lethal strike), and troops who are just difficult to remove at any stage of the game, and you have a solid recipe for late-game success in most scenarios.
• Weakness: Alliance Matrix. So the alliance matrix is tough on dwarves in general (unless you're Iron Hills), and this one's tougher than most (although not the toughest). Because Khazad-Dum is built around Durin (or unnamed Dwarf Kings), your allies (all yellow) are typically of the immortal sort: Ents, Thranduil's Halls, Lothlorien, Eagles, Rivendell, and the White Council. All add certain things to your list (tough monsters from Fangorn, speedy monsters from the Misty Mountains, elf spears / cavalry) and all are pretty expensive to ally in (Lothlorien or Mirkwood are probably the best, just because Rivendell's valour heroes are so pricey). Or, you could pivot 180 degrees in the opposite direction and go with Arnor (because somehow they're yellow allies with Khazad-Dum) and get a metric ton of cheap spears on your Warriors of Arnor and Rangers of Arnor (plus some hobbit archers, to boot). Sure, their courage is bad. But Dwarf courage is amazing, and spearmen don't need to test for Courage anyway, so a win-win, right? Now if only Arnor had some cavalry... anyway, more on that at the end.
• Strength/Weakness: Start-up cost. So like Minas Tirith, this depends entirely on how elite you want to go. Your "standard" infantry (Dwarf Warriors and Dwarf Rangers) are pretty affordable, and pretty available. Durin/Mardin, Balin/Floi, and the King's Champion aren't exactly cheap, but their cost is on-par for what you generally pay for centerpiece heroes. But if you plan to go deep into Khazad Guard, Vault Wardens, Iron Guard, or ballistae it'll cost you. But at least most of the Khazad-Dum/Moria stuff tends to stay in stock (knock on wood).

Durin and his mates in all their glory

Photo Credit: Games Workshop and Drawn Combat

Named Hero Profiles

• Durin, King of Khazad-Dum. He's arguably been supplanted by newer dwarf profiles (Dain Ironfoot, Champion Dwalin, any version of Thorin), but once upon a time Durin was the biggest, baddest baddie that the dwarven kingdoms had to offer. And other than the fact that you cannot mount him, he's still an exceptionally strong hero in combat, who's exceptionally difficult to remove. At Fight 6 with 3 Attacks, he's got the raw stats you expect on a Dwarven warlord. Add in Durin's Axe (a Master-forged two-handed axe) and he can get to effective Strength 7 without breaking a sweat (Strength 4 base, +1 Strength from Piercing Strike, and the +1 to-wound bonus from the Axe), plus he gets a free reroll on a duel die (which, coupled with a banner, gives him up to 5 dice rolls to win a duel). Heroic Strike (with 3 Might) completes the offensive toolkit, making him a real threat to anything Defense 9 or below (which is... most stuff). On the defensive end, the 3 Wounds is great, but the single Fate point is... less so. To help compensate, he's base Defense 9 (excellent), has Heroic Defense, and also gets to roll a free D6 every time he takes a wound (in any phase), and on the roll of a "6" he ignores the wound exactly as if a point of Fate had been sent (so it's a mightable "6," which is excellent). To complete the defensive toolkit, Durin picks up the Terror special rule thanks to The Horn of Zirakzigil, which also doubles as a War Horn for your force (pushing most Heroes to C6, and the Warriors to C5, with the potential for some other courage buffs, too). Finally (yes, there's more), Durin has three quality-of-life buffs that are situationally fantastic. In addition to base Courage 6 (effectively 7 with the War Horn), he's also Fearless, so Courage tests (and anti-courage shenanigans, like Drain Courage) have no effect on him (except Blades of the Dead, though he's still C6 even in Harbinger range). The Ring of Durin also gives him a once-per-game chance to reroll a Priority roll--great for losing priority in the early-game (if you want to move second) or stealing priority in the late-game (after your Might has run out). Last but not least, if your force includes Durin you can upgrade any number of Khazad-Guard to Hearthguard (they become Burly) for 2 points per model. That's effective Strength 6 on (albeit, elite) troops, and up to effective Strength 7 if you add the Piercing Strike... which is pretty serious firepower on a troop profile that is already fantastic without the bonus.
• Mardin. While Durin is an exceptional model in any format, Mardin is... well, situationally useful. His base profile is basically Captain-level (Fight 5, Strength 4, Defense 7, with 2 Attacks and Wounds, and Courage 5) with a bonus point of Might (3/1/1). He's also Fearless as long as Durin is on the table (Sworn Protector), and is also armed with Torozul, a Foe Spear (ala your Vault Wardens) with a +1 to-wound against all Monsters, plus the Trollbane special rule (D3 wounds when wounding a Troll). Monsters aren't necessarily common (and Trolls less so), but they also tend to be difficult to wound, so a +1 to-wound definitely helps. Additionally, since Mardin has a Foe Spear, you can use him to supplement other Vault Warden shieldbearers (so they don't incur a -1 penalty on their duel roll) if you want to shuffle his Fight 5 around your battle line. Unfortunately, the main drawback is the lack of Heroic Strike (he has Heroic Strength instead... which is unfortunately kind of meh on a spearman who already has a +1 to-wound against Monsters). He's still useful as a Might caddie, but given the other hero options available in the list, he tends not to be used unless you're going super thematic or super-big with your points.

Unnamed Hero Profiles

• Dwarf Kings. Tiberius has long been a fan of this profile, and the more I have played with dwarves, the more I see why. Thanks to the errata, they are now Heroes of Valor, which means you can use them either to supplement Durin or as the lynchpin of a list led entirely by unnamed heroes (which Khazad-Dum can actually do pretty well). Apart from the 2 Wounds and 1 Fate, the rest of the stats are close to what you'd expect to see on a mid-tier Dwarf Lord (Fight 6, Strength 4, Defense 8, 2 Attacks, and Courage 6) with 2/2/1 heroic stats. Add in Heroic March and Heroic Resolve, with options for throwing axes or a two-handed axe, and you have a good all-around hero who, at worst, brings some much-needed speed to boost your 5" move dwarves, while also being a reliable threat to other similarly-costed heroes (75-85 points depending on upgrades) and a difficult model to one-shot in combat.
• Dwarf Captains. Or, you could go bargain shopping and take the reliable Dwarf Captain. You lose some top-end stats (Fight 5 instead of 6, Courage 5 instead of 6, and 2/1/1 heroic stats), but you can still get to D8 with the addition of a shield, and also have the option for throwing axes and two-handed axe if you want more offensive punch. The addition of the shield makes them very reliable tanks (4 dice to win fights if you shield--plus a banner reroll potentially--at D8, with 2 Wounds and 1 Fate). And like the Dwarf Kings, they fill an important need in any dwarf army with their ability to push your troops forward at a faster clip.
• Kings Champions. When I first started exploring Khazad-Dum, I was too inexperienced as a player to truly appreciate what an absolute steal Kings Champions are (and yes, they're unnamed--so you can take multiples of them in a force if you like). But even I could see that they were at least a good deal. Consider this: at 140 points for a Champion and two heralds, you pick up two standard banners (50 point value), and two heralds who are essentially Dwarf Warriors (9 points for Fight 4, Defense 7 with a shield, 1 Attack, 1 Wound, and Courage 4) with a boost to their Strength (S4) and three heroic stats (0/1/2). In Battle Companies, that'd make them worth between 25-29 points each (depending on whether the jump from S3 to S4 is worth 1 point or 5), so with the addition of the banners, you're paying somewhere between 30 and 40 points for the Champion when it's all said and done (about what you'd pay for a Ranger of the North, Beregond, Damrod, or a Castellan of Dol Guldur). Now look--I like Castellans and Rangers of the North at least as much as the next guy (even if I think the latter need some TLC). But even I'd admit that a King's Champion is way better than a Ranger of the North or a Castellan: Fight 6, Strength 5, Defense 7 base (more on that in a moment), and 3 Attacks at Courage 6 gives you a strong combat chasis, plus you pick up Heroic Strike (on 2/1/1 heroic stats) and Strength (less important given that you're S5 with axes, although against a Balrog the ability to get to Strength 9 isn't nothing). As with Dwarf Kings and Captains, D7 with 2 Wounds and 1 Fate can be a bit fragile, which is where The Herald's Duty and The Life Guard special rules kick in: when the Champion is in base contact with at least one Herald, each gets a bump to D8 (or D9 if all three are in base contact), and the Champion can also spend any of the Heralds' Fate when he is wounded, as long as they are in base contact. A Fight 6, 3 Attack hero with a banner reroll who's (potentially) D9 with 2 Wounds and (up to) 5 Fate? Now that's a tough nut to crack.
• Dwarf Shieldbearers. Long before there was Deorwine (and I believe before Sam got Let him go or I'll have you, Longshanks!), there was the Dwarf Shieldbearer, who got to call a Heroic Combat without using Might if his liege lord was engaged in a Fight (In Defence of the King). Given that the Shieldbearer's no slouch in combat himself (Fight 5, S4, D8, with 2 Attacks / Wounds, Courage 4, and a Might point), the ability to push himself (and usually some other friendly models, too) around in the Fight phase is a very nice boon to an army that can be pretty stationary on the table. His secondary buff, Lead by Example, allows your C4+ Dwarf models to reroll failed Courage tests, which makes them very reliable at charging models with Terror, or sticking around if the enemy manages to break you. He's only a Minor Hero (up to 6 models in his warband) and the lack of Will and Fate makes him more susceptible to magic and being one-shotted than the other heroes in this list, but at just 60 points he brings some very nice utility. Plus, you can take more than one (and have them both protect different heroes, too, as long as you have at least two heroes in your highest heroic tier).

Great looking models, great playing models

Photo Credit: miniset.net

Warrior Profiles

• Dwarf Warriors. Before Warriors of Minas Tirith got Shield-wall, and Dain brought the warriors of the Iron Hills to Azanulbizar, Dwarf Warriors were the original tough guys of MESBG (before it was MESBG). Their core profile is what makes dwarves "dwarves"--5" move, Fight 4, Strength 3, Defense 6 base (with option for a shield to get to D7), 1 Attack, 1 Wound, and Courage 4. Add in a huge upgrade suite (shield, dwarf bow--S3, 18" range--a two-handed weapon swap, banner, and war horn) and you have the core of what you need (apart from spears) in a single profile. Apart from the Iron Hills Warriors (shields, spears, crossbows, mattocks, banners), there may not be a more versatile profile in the entire game. But the shield and dwarf bow upgrades are by far the most common, allowing you to bring toughness to both your front line (D7) and archers (D6), while presenting a credible ranged threat to fix the dwarves' primary weakness (their slow speed). It's easy to think of them as "bleh" profiles now (power-creep in other dwarf factions is probably to blame), but make no mistake: their "bleh" factor is exactly what makes them so reliable as the core troops in an army. 
• Khazad-Guard. If there's a weakness in a generic Dwarf Warrior's profile, it's Strength 3--while their D6-7 is usually enough against enemy troops (wounded on 6s), if dwarves square off against other factions with D6 front-lines (which is a decent number of them), games can devolve into slog-fests pretty quickly. Which I'm sure is one of the many reasons why the designers created Khazad-Gaurd. At base Strength 4 (to go with F4 and 1 Attack), these guys provide a reliable way to crack through D6 walls without sacrificing anything on the defensive end (D7 base, no shield option). Add in either a single-handed or two-handed axe (standard--no extra points), and suddenly you have a way to wound D7 on either 5s (single-handed piercing strike) or even 4s (two-handed piercing strike)--plus, there's always the option for the Hearthguard upgrade if your force includes Durin (+2 points for the Burly special rule). Finally, while their Courage 4 is pretty good, the addition of Bodyguard allows them to charge Terror models with impunity, or hold far-flung objectives securely even if your force has broken. While you will usually want at least some Dwarf Warriors with shields to fix the only real issue in the Khazad-Guard's profile (only 1 attack, no shielding option), a front-line of predominantly Khazad-Guard is incredibly difficult to shift, and incredibly dangerous to engage.
• Vault Wardens. Or, if D7 shields still seems too "bleh" for you, you can opt for a few Vault Warden teams instead. Composed of 2 models who are both Strength 4 (a D6 spearman backing up a D9!!! shield-bearer), you pick up otherworldly toughness from arrows (generic S2 archery needs a 6/6 to wound, not to mention the absurd in-the-way coverage you get from a shield that broad) and monsters (the shield-bearer is immune to all brutal power attacks, while the spearman gets a +1 to-wound buff against all Monster models), as well as a pretty reliable counter to virtually all man-sized Heroes (the hero needs to get to effective Strength 7 to wound on a 5+, which is pretty rare). This is also your only option in a pure list to pick-up some spears, although shifting these spears around to support your heroes does produce some trade-offs (the shield-bearer gets a -1 duel penalty, even when shielding). The cost is also pretty high: at 25 points per team, you're paying elite-level points for models that usually have to stick together (and your movement with these guys can be easily telegraphed if you're not careful). But there are few battle-lines more daunting than 4-8 of these guys lined up among some Khazad-Guard and D8 dwarf lords.
• Dwarf Rangers. Heavily-armored tanks not your jam? Well, okay... Khazad-Dum has that covered, too. At first glance (especially after everything else in the list), Dwarf Rangers appear... well, fragile. Sure, Fight 4, Strength 3, 1 Attack/Wound, and Courage 4 are standard, but the Defense 5? With no option to get to D6 (let alone D7)? Eeesh, right? Well, yes, if you plan to play these guys as a stagnant battle line that never moves and just receives a charge. But here's the thing about Dwarf Rangers: they're actually far more suited as budget-level shock troops, or as elite skirmishers. The secret is their 3+ shoot value, which allows them to stand and shoot (with their Dwarf Longbows: 24" range, S2 projectiles) or move-and-shoot (moving 2.5" base, 4" as part of a Heroic March, or their full 5"/8" if you equip them with throwing axes (6" range, S3 projectile). In that role, their Defense 5 is actually fine (6s to wound against S2 shooting... which is most shooting), and if it isn't, you probably want them in the second rank anyway, at least to start (where they'll get some D7 or better in-the-ways from your dedicated front-line warriors). Plus, they have the option for 2-handed axes if you really want to up their impact as shock troops (effective S6 if you piercing strike--and while D5 is fine, it's low enough that you may be more likely to piercing strike with them than you would with your D7 warriors). Most importantly, because of their ability to skirmish, they add some much-needed movement flexibility / unpredictability to an army that might otherwise be too stagnant. Plus they have Mountain Dweller, too, which is another situational buff to their mobility.
• Iron Guard. So I'll be honest--there's no profile in this list where I've done a more complete 180-degree turn than the Iron Guard. At 15 points each, you know from the get-go that something special must be going on here. And of course there is: like Khazad-Guard, they pick up that important Strength 4 (although they come equipped with only throwing axes and swords, so you can't piercing strike with them in combat) and they have 2 Attacks instead of the normal 1. At the same time, they're only 1 Wound, and they're also Defense 6... which of course would be phenomenal in just about any army, but still looks fragile in this one. Like some players (or apparently many, according to the Green Dragon's podcast), I felt for a long time that these guys were just too expensive to take in a list where you could just get the mighty Khazad-Guard for 4 points less a pop (D7, Bodyguard, up to S7, maybe Burly with Durin) or the exceptionally mighty Hearthguard for 2 points less (everything Khazad-Guard plus Burly). But my recent forays into other dwarf factions (specifically the Grimhammers in the Army of Thror) and factions with access to spammable 2 Attack models (Dragon Cult Acolytes in Easterlings, Watchers of Karna in Serpent Horde, Castellans in Dol Guldur, and Half-Trolls in Far Harad) have changed my mind, because here's the thing: the ability to drop 6-10 two-attack models with fantastic combat stats (F4, S4) and at least D6 (which, against most standard battle lines, is still plenty tough) is both rare and powerful. There's no other two-attack model in this price bracket with the combination of Fight 4 and Defense 6 (Uruk-Hai Berserkers come closest, but the jump from D5 to D6 is a real one, as any Ranger or Mordor player will tell you). Add in the throwing axes they get for free (on a 4+ shoot value), and suddenly you have an elite level shock-troop that can devastate a flank en-mass or capture an objective as the focal-point of a small strike team. Put a banner behind them, pair them with a hero to help them move first, or support them with other Rangers when skirmishing (or Khazad-Guard when line-bashing, or a Shieldbearer as part of a free Heroic Combat), and they'll do real work in short order. I currently have 10 of these guys, and wish I had more (so I ordered more... yes, I know I have a problem, but so do you... probably). Now if only you could pair them with Grim Hammers without it causing a Red Alliance...
• Dwarf Ballista. Last but not least is the final tool in your arsenal for addressing your slow speed: in addition to throwing weapons at close range, and Dwarf Bows and Longbows at standard range, you can also bring along a siege weapon with 48" range at an absurdly cheap 60 points a pop. These are small siege engines (so only two crew can move it, though I usually pay an extra 8 points each to bring a third crew member), but they still do your basic siege engine things (namely, the insta-kill if the target takes a wound and can't save it with Fate), while also doing special siege engine things (they only scatter 3" instead of the normal 6" (Accurate) and they have Piercing Shot--which means they do all the nasty things that the Uruk-Hai Siege Ballista does in the Isengard list, in terms of knocking models backwards, through other models, etc.). As a good siege engine, you can't shoot into combat (at least not intentionally--your opponent can sometimes scatter you into combat), and because they don't have Volley Fire you need actual line-of-sight to shoot them (with all the limitations line-of-sight imposes on good forces who can't shoot into combat). But they'll do the most important task any siege engine can consistently perform in matched play: they'll force your opponent to charge into a battle-line that they'd rather not charge into (because that's the only way to stop the siege blast carnage). And given that Dwarves (on paper at least) are a slow army that no one wants to charge, that's a win on its own (and whatever else the ballista does is pure gravy).

About those Legendary Legions...

So as I mentioned in my write-up on the Army of Thror, I really feel that Defense of the North missed a golden opportunity by giving us a Legendary Legion for Dale (which, with the addition of the latest Errata, is basically just normal Dale) instead of a legion where you could ally the various dwarf kingdoms together. I mean, there's definitely some factions where this doesn't work all that well, but there's enough unnamed dwarf heroes in Khazad-Dum that are worth taking (Kings, Champs)--plus dwarves live for so long anyway that the Hobbit-LOTR-era distinctions that usually limit alliances really don't apply (as the LOTR-era version of "Erebor Reclaimed" illustrates, by allowing you to take freaking Dwalin). 

Anyway, rather than re-writing all that, I figured I'd just link to my Legion idea, and then spend the rest of this section talking about how you can take advantage of the alliance matrix for these dwarves (instead of bashing it, which I do often). Basically, Khazad-Dum has 7 realistic (Yellow) ally options, most of which make sense in some context (although that generally has more to do with the flexibility and resilience of the Khazad-Dum list than their allies, though not always). So here's some ideas if you like (but don't "love") Khazad-Dum, and want to "spice it up" some:

• Allying with monsters (Ents / Eagles): So if you've never played with Monsters before, you're really missing out. Eagles and Ents do different things, of course, both of which are really helpful for Dwarves (eagles offer speed and objective control, while Ents basically allow you to create terrain in otherwise "open" spots... and dwarves are probably the best faction in the game at fighting in terrain). They also do a lot of the same things that really help Khazad-Dum out. Because Khazad-Dum can't take (many) spears, it's hard for them to get to two attacks on offense (shielding works, of course, when you're holding territory). But of course Hurls knock models down (Dwarves have a better chance of surviving the S3 hit when knocked prone than others), and the ability to roll double dice against prone models is a great way to up your killing power without spears. Eagles and Ents also fit well with dwarves in terms of resilience (their D8 slots nicely within the D6-9 that you typically see in Khazad-Dum). Finally, while dwarf heroes aren't exactly cheap or have a ton of Might (typically 2 instead of 3), you can get way more might for way cheaper through dwarves than through the (limited) heroes available to Ents or Eagles after Treebeard (Quickbeam, Beechbone) and Gwaihir (...nobody). At 700 points, you can take Gwaihir, an Eagle, a Dwarf King, King's Champion, and two full warbands of dwarves for 31 models. Yes, that's on the low side of an average model count, but still... it's two eagles, man (or drop the regular eagle for a ballista and some troop upgrades, and you've got a standard dwarf army with freakin' Gwaihir floating around).
• Allying with magics (White Council): The White Council's a weird list because (1) of course it's all heroes, no troops (so model count is a thing), (2) most of the heroes (Elrond and Celeborn excepted in the classic list, just Elrond in the legion list) are very squishy, and (3) most of the heroes (again, Elrond excepted) really need a couple of turns of protection in order to get all their valuable magics up. Khazad-Dum's not the only list where you can bring both toughness (D6-9 on standard troops) for a pretty affordable cost (sixteen models for as little as 210 points: a Dwarf King (Hero of Valor) for 75, and a full warband of 15 Warriors with Shields (D7) and/or Dwarf Bows (D6, S3 18" shooting) for as little as 135). But considering that you get Fight 4 / Courage 4 base (better than WOMTs, cheaper than Fountain Court) and access to Strength 3 shooting, putting dwarves in front of your wizards gives you a better collection of combat metrics than you'd get from most other factions.
• Allying with Elves (Mirkwood / Lorien / Rivendell): So despite the historical loathing, Elves + Dwarves actually work pretty well in our game (in the sense that they're one of the toughest pairings to actually fight, if you find them on the other end of the table). Now some work better than others at different points levels, of course (Rivendell, as everyone knows, has only expensive Heroes of Valor, while Lorien can ally with other factions for as little as 70 points). But Khazad-Dum at least helps with this because the Dwarf King is extremely affordable (which opens up all your ally options). The elves' cheap contribution is of course Fight 5 spears (both boons to dwarves), followed closely by the option for cavalry. The dwarves, in turn, offer either better front-line resilience than the elves can get (D7 or D9 vs. D6), or actual resilience if you prefer to run your elves lighter (D5 Mirkwood elves with glaives, D3 Wood Elves, etc.). And if you go elite with your dwarves, you can even get some S4 into your front-line (Khazads, Iron Guard, Vault Wardens) which elves will find very helpful. Finally, there are some nice areas of overlap: there's S3 shooting on Dwarf Warriors (or cheap ballistae if you really want to amp out your shooing) to match the excellent standard shooting that elves bring. If you like throwing weapons, adding some Iron Guard and Dwarf Rangers with throwing axes will compliment your wood elves very nicely. And you can get a nice assortment of pretty flexible, affordable F6 heroes by combining Khazad-Dum with any of the elf factions. So yeah--lots of ways you could go here
• Allying with Men (efficiently): So for reasons unknown, there's a hard limit on allying virtually every Mannish (I think that's the word I want) faction with Khazad-Dum, even though (1) Dwarves (Longbeards, actually) from Khazad-Dum fought in the Battle of the Last Alliance (so Numenor should be in... and if the oft-wished-for, fabled "Last Alliance supplement" ever comes out, this is an absolutely golden opportunity for a real legion), and (2) of course the remnants of Erebor eventually settled in the Blue Mountains late in the Third Age, where they had at least dealings with the elves (Rivendell) and men (Rangers) of the region. So the lack of any yellow alliances (save one) seems... unduly harsh. That one yellow alliance is Arnor... which is kind of weird, given that the only connection I've been able to find between dwarves and Arnor is that Arvedui hid for a time in an old dwarven mine in the Blue Mountains... but hey, any yellow alliance for dwarves is a boon, so I'm definitely not complaining. Arnor actually synergizes pretty well with Dwarves. While they don't offer Fight 5, S3 shooting, or cavalry (like you can get from elves), their F4/D6 makes them pretty resilient, which you want on your dwarves. Add in that they are also extremely cheap both in terms of their warriors and their heroes, and you have a very nice pairing that can actually get to pretty bulked out numbers (I came up with a 58-model list at 1000, which has two Dwarf Kings, a King's Champ, Arvedui, 14 Iron Guard/Khazad Guard, and two ballistae... which isn't too bad). You also have options for 3+ shooting from Rangers of Arnor (F4, 24" bows, and options for spears) as well as Hobbit Archers (5 points a pop if you want to bulk out your numbers even more). Finally, the dwarves fill some needs for Arnor, because while Arnor has trouble charging anything with Terror, Dwarf Courage is very reliable (C4 base, C5 with a War Horn or Durin, Bodyguard on Khazad Guard, and potential rerolls from the Shieldbearer). So there's a lot of potential benefit for both sides.

Concluding Thoughts

And so, after three years in the hopper, this write-up is finally finished. Aren't you proud of me? No? What--I don't get no respect for soldiering through the difficulties at a snail's pace? 

Oh well. As always, if you want to learn more check out the (lengthy) list of community resources below, and let us know what you think in the comments!

More from the TMAT Team

• Dwarf Formations: The Tiberius King's Champion Specials (October 2021)
• The Bare Necessities, Part XIV: The Kingdom of Khazad-Dum (April 2020)
• Case Study: Dwarf Archery Tactica, Revisited (October 2019)
• Case Study: Dwarf Archery Tactica, Revisited (October 2019)
• UPDATES: Dwarf Tactica: Archery is Everything (August 2014, *Pre-MESBG)
• Throwing Weapon Theory: How to Make Them Work, Revisited (October 2019)
• UPDATES: Throwing Weapon Theory: How to Make Them Work (July 2015, *Pre-MESBG)
• New Rules, Part VIII: The Free Peoples, Part I (December 2018)
• Battle Report: THRO 2018, Game 1 and Game 3 (December 2018)

Support your Hobby

• Games Workshop: Durin and Mardin
• Games Workshop: King's Champion
• Games Workshop: Dwarf Commanders (Captain, Shieldbearer, Banner, War Horn)
• Games Workshop: Dwarf Warriors
• Games Workshop: Khazad Guard
• Games Workshop: Vault Warden Team
• Games Workshop: Dwarf Rangers
• Games Workshop: Iron Guard
• Games Workshop: Dwarf Ballista

Recommended Resources

• PODCAST: Episode 99 - The Kingdom of Khazad-Dum (The Green Dragon Podcast)
• PODCAST: Season 2, Chapter 2 - Why should YOU play Iron Hills, Kingdom of Khazad-Dum, and Army of Thror: Where to start, and the different play-styles they have (There and Back Again: A Hobbyist's Tale)
• Tactics: Khazad-Dum and Moria Dwarves Part 1 and Part 2 (There And Back Again: A Hobbyist's Tale)
• IN PRINT: Khazad-Do's and Khazad-Don'ts (Alastair King, GBHL)
• IN PRINT: Fog of War, Part 10: Kingdom of Khazad-Dum / Moria (Veni Vidi Double)
• IN PRINT: A Noob's Perspective: The Kingdom of Khazad-Dum (Drawn Combat)
• IN PRINT: The Top 10 Dwarf Heroes You Must Use in Your Middle-earth Games (Warhammer Community)
• YOUTUBE: An Unexpected Podcast 7: Analysis on Kingdom of Khazad Dum (DC Hobbit League)
• YOUTUBE: Review of the Middle-Earth SBG Armies of the Lord of the Rings - Part 15, The Kingdom of Khazad-dum (STF Wargaming)
• YOUTUBE: Shadow Review - Kingdom of Khazad-Dum (Competitive MESBG) (Shadow Wraith)
• YOUTUBE: Getting Started with Middle-Earth SBG: Kingdom of Khazad-Dum (Cinderfall Gaming)
• YOUTUBE: Tier List: Khazad-Dum (Last Alliance of Noobs and Men)
• YOUTUBE: Before you Buy: Kingdom of Khazad-Dum (The Hobby Breakfast Show)
• YOUTUBE: MESBG Army Review - Kingdom of Khazad-Dum (Arda Scholar)
• YOUTUBE: Dwarves of Belegost Showcase (Kingdom of Khazad-Dum) (J Macc's Armies of Middle Earth)
• BATTLE REPORTS (YOUTUBE):
• Khazad-Dum vs. All-Mounted Angmar (Mid Sussex Wargamers)
• Khazad-Dum vs. Azog's Hunters (MWG Studios)
• Khazad-Dum vs. The Black Gate Opens (Great Bear Gaming)
• Khazad-Dum vs. Easterlings (Conquest Creations)
• Khazad-Dum vs. Minas Tirith (Tabletop Ramblings)
• Khazad-Dum vs. Minas Tirith (Valley Gaming)
• Khazad-Dum vs. Mordor (Too Many Minis)
• Khazad-Dum vs. Moria (Top Table Gaming)
• Khazad-Dum vs. Moria (The Tabletop Alliance)
• Khazad-Dum vs. Rivendell (Last Alliance of Noobs and Men -- the audio is missing for the first 10 seconds or so, just as an FYI)
• Khazad-Dum vs. Rohan (Guerrilla Miniature Games)
• HOBBYING: How to Paint the Durin's Folk Dwarf Warriors (Nerd Knights)
• HOBBYING: Dwarf Warrior and Khazad Guard Painting Tutorial (Valley Gaming)
• HOBBYING: How to Paint Khazad-Guard (Brustroke Painting Guides)
• HOBBYING: How to Paint a Khazad Guard Dwarf Warrior (Battle Games in Middle Earth)
• HOBBYING: So I built the Bridge of Khazad Dum for a MESBG Table (Karl Makes Stuff)
• HOBBYING: How to build Khazad-Dum in the Mines of Moria Diarama / Gaming Terrain (Nat 1 Videos)
• HOBBYING: How to Build Balin's Tomb & Khazad Dum Terrain (Tabletop Landscapes)