Armies of Middle-Earth SBG: The Kingdom of Moria in the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game

And they say Gimli wasn't in Moria...

Photo credit: Quora.com

Something something something BALIN!!!

So there's more to this list than just Balin, of course (FLOI!!!). But if you're opting for the Kingdom of Moria instead of a generic Khazad-Dum list, you're by definition opting for Balin (and his mates) instead of Durin (and his mate). As we'll discuss in the rest of this write-up, that's not a bad thing (Balin is good, and a couple of his mates are great). But that's the trade-off.

Having said that, apart from the changes to the hero suite (two subtractions, five additions) and alliance matrix (which is all Red), you don't lose really any of the options in Khazad-Dum... which means that if you came over here after reading our army summary of Khazad-Dum, you're going to see a lot of repetition. I've tried to front-load some of the differences to save you time... but as much as I love you guys, I wasn't going to re-write everything I've already rewritten.

Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!

Army Quick(ish) Hits

• Strength: A solid (though restricted) suite of heroes. Believe it or not, Moria actually has a better suite of heroes than Khazad-Dum does. Yes, your top-end talent is limited (Kingdom of Moria has no power-curve equivalent to Durin), but apart from Durin, the only other model you absolutely can't take is Mardin... and let's be honest, even most Khazad-Dum players weren't going to take Mardin unless the points level is very high. Every other hero, however, is on the table. 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. Finally, Kingdom of Moria gets access to four additional heroes to help take the "sting" out of losing Durin (and Mardin): 

• To be perfectly honest, I'd describe two of these as... "niche." I don't have anything against Ori and Oin personally (both taken from Erebor Reclaimed, in the Hobbit source book), and neither would be your first choice (or second, or third, or sixth) if you were ranking the Champion of Erebor profiles. But Ori's ability to restore lost Might, Will, or Fate points any time Balin, Oin, or Ori slays an enemy Hero or Monster (Chronicler) is fine (even if his attack metrics are not--F4, S3, D7, although at least he has two attacks). Oin's Healing Herbs special rule (heal 1 wound on a 4-5, and all wounds on a 6) sounds nice, but it'd be better in a list where you can have at least one hero with 3 wounds (which the Kingdom of Moria just doesn't have). Likewise, Prognostication is fine if your banner reroll fails... but it'd be better in a list where your default first hero option (the King's Champion) didn't come with two banners. So yeah... like Mardin, if you're taking either of these dwarves, you're usually doing it for theme more than a competitive edge (and there's nothing wrong with that, unless of course you like winning).
• If you like winning, on the other hand, take Floi Stonehand. So Floi is one of those very strange, controversial models (like Malbeth in Arnor, or the Shade in Angmar) where you absolutely love him when you use him, and absolutely despise him if your opponent has him. While he's perfectly serviceable (if a bit fragile) in a scrap, I'd venture to guess that virtually everyone who takes Floi takes him primarily for Loremaster, his once-per-turn, pop-a-will-to-wreak-havoc special rule that lets him cancel any special rule of his choice or any wargear item on any model he can see (with a few exceptions addressed in FAQs). Mighty Hero on Aragorn? Gone. Blood and Glory on Shagrat? Not a problem. Monstrous Charge on a fell beast? Not so monstrous anymore. Fly on Gwaihir? Have fun hopping 3 inches, you big chicken.
• Lastly, there's Gimli from the Fellowship. So lore wise, this makes absolutely zero sense (notwithstanding my joke at the top of this article). But game-wise, Gimli's actually a fantastic addition to this force, and really helps to lessen the sting of losing Durin. For 60 points less than Durin, you don't quite get the same hitting power or staying power, but Gimli does offer you another 3 Might hero with Heroic Strike who can get to 3 attacks or effective Strength 6 to wound with no duel penalties (just not both at the same time, like Durin). Pair this with 2 Wounds / 2 Fate (which is basically the gold-standard for dwarf heroes outside of young Thorin, Thrain, and Dain (3W/3F), and King Thorin / Thror / Durin (3W/1F)), Defense 8, and throwing axes, and you have a reliable F6 tank to pair with Balin, a Champion, and Dwarf Kings in your main battle line. Sure, you're paying extra for the synergy with Legolas (which you probably won't trigger in this list), but even with that factored in, Gimli's still very good value for 100 points (and if he were a Hero of Valor in this list, instead of being downgraded to a Hero of Fortitude, he'd be even better).

So this is... terrifying...

Photo Credit: HVM Workbench

(Check out his stuff... it's amazing)

• 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: 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(-ish): Army bonus. Sticking with the theme of combat, the Moria army bonus (like the Khazad-Dum 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). Let's be real: if you're running the Kingdom of Moria (instead of Khazad-Dum), it's because you've brought Balin, which means you have access to Longbeard: up to three rerolls for Priority, at the cost of 1 Will each. 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 Balin's 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 it with some Might that you've cheated out early (to bleed enemy heroes dry even faster), or Might you didn't need to spend on your own heroes earlier (because you won priority via a reroll that your opponent couldn't--or couldn't afford--to challenge), and suddenly you get the chance to control who moves first as the engagement reaches its end-game (along with all the other stuff that comes with winning priority). 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, and the option to shield (a non-lethal strike), and you have a solid recipe for late-game success in most scenarios.
• Weakness: (No) Alliance Matrix. So the alliance matrix is tough on dwarves in general (unless you're Iron Hills), and this one's... well, this one's the toughest of them all because the Kingdom of Moria is impossible allies with everyone, regardless of what the matrix tells you. On the plus side, because (1) Balin's so cheap, and (2) dwarves are so resilient, you can actually get enough of these guys at high points levels (think 30 or so) where your dwarf resilience may actually mean the enemy can't break you even though your two allied forces break separately (I floated around an Army of Thror / Kingdom of Moria Alliance where both sides had around 30 models at 1000 points, so it'd take between 15-17 dwarf casualties on each side to break the army... and that's a tough ask for most factions). But the loss of shared banners and shared heroics is still a tough pill to swallow.
• 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. 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).

Named Hero Profiles

Go that way!!!

(...not that way, sire...)

Photo Credit: Games Workshop

• Balin the Dwarf, King of Moria. I'll be sticking to the high points here, but if you're really interested in the nitty-gritty of Balin, I'd recommend Tiberius's "Defense of Balin." Let's begin by getting the obvious out of the way: if you're expecting Balin to be Durin... he's not, and that's fine. Combat-wise, Balin's base-line is about on the level of a dwarf king (minus the throwing spears, and with the option to strike, both of which are something). Fight 6 is a great place to start (ask the Dwarf Shieldbearer), and Durin's Axe really helps boost his innate S4 (Master-forged axe, so effective S6 when you two-hand). But if you're comparing him to Durin, the drop from 3 attacks to 2 bites. Balin's survivability is also... well, it's suspect (again, think Dwarf-King level, although the Heroic Defense definitely helps). Yes, he's Defense 8, but 2 Wounds and a single Fate (plus no "ignore wounds on a 6" like Durin has) means he's susceptible to being one-shotted by very big things (or if he's trapped by a decent number of S4 warriors). Having said all that, while Durin has some very nice quality-of-life buffs that you may miss with Balin (the war horn to boost your dwarves to Courage 5+, Terror to make him more difficult to charge, and of course Fearless is always nice to have), Balin's got a few tricks up his sleeves, too:
• Balin's heroic action suite (March, Resolve, Strike, Defense) is, in my opinion at least, much better than Durin's (Strike, Defense, Challenge). Until Challenge gets fixed, the March alone is a superior option in a list where every model moves 5", and Heroic Resolve can be a life-saver in certain match-ups, even in its current, limited form. And you still have access to Heroic Strike to deal with bigger things, though admittedly you're more reluctant to throw Balin into a big thing than you would be with Durin) and Heroic Defense (if, you know, you're reluctant to throw Balin into bigger things). While I'm not a huge fan of gutting lists like the Kingdom of Moria does ("if you want to run this hero who's in this list, you need to run the list with only these models in it"), there's a lot of lists that function this way--and all of them would kill to have this exact mash of  which, frankly, would be far more competitive as lists if they had a hero with this heroic action suite (or at least a couple of heroes who shared it). And yet, the only two profiles in the game that have this suite are Aragorn (both versions) and... Balin (although there's a handful, like Dain, Suladan, Fellowship Boromir, and ironically Khandish Kings, that have three of the four). So that's definitely something.
• Durin has priority shenanigans (the Ring of Durin), but Balin has exactly the same (Longbeard), only more of it (well, as long as you don't need Balin's Will to do other things). As we discussed above, having the ability to steal priority more often is huge in any list, and for a list that's got great defense/courage (so they're hard to move once they get planted), not many spears (so positioning is key), and potentially a harrowing amount of throwing weapons, this can be massive.
• Finally, in addition to a different hero suite (specifically Floi and Gimli, both of whom are better than Mardin), Balin's also 50 points cheaper than Durin--and that's before you factor in the points you'd need to spend to bring other heroes along with Durin to replicate some of what Balin can do himself (like a Captain for March). Not only does that explain most of the stat drop between Durin and Balin, but it also turns out that having an extra 100-120 points to spend in this army is pretty sweet.
• Floi Stonehand. So Floi probably has the best "combat caster" model in the game, at least for a standard-level shaman (enormous heroes who can also cast--like Elrond, Thranduil, or Celeborn--or your fell-beast wraiths/Sauron, are obviously in a different category). Fight 4, S4, and D6 with 2 Attacks and Wounds is pretty paltry as far as dwarf heroes go, but on par with Iron Guard (minus the throwing axes) and pretty good for a shaman. Courage 5 is also nice, and he's got your typical 1/3/1 shaman heroic stats. Unlike most shamans, he (1) has a way to regenerate Will points (The Living Lore--friendly Moria Dwarf models who slay enemy Heroes or Monsters restore a lost Will point to Floi), which is great, and (2) absolutely no spells to spend that Will on. Instead, you'll be spending that Will to either fix a botched Courage test (unlikely, but possible), or to trigger Loremaster (far more likely). This special rule allows Floi to spend a Will to negate an enemy active or passive special rule (there's a long list of those) or the effects of a piece of war gear (except the One Ring) until the end of the turn. It costs 1 Will per turn (so three rounds and Floi's out, unless you've gone hero/monster killing), and Floi has to see the model he's targeting (unlimited range, though), so there's some cost/ability to play around this. But it can be a game-changing ability when used effectively. Plus, since it doesn't trigger until the start of Floi's move (instead of the start of the Move Phase, or even the Priority Phase), it can tilt your opponent a bit off-edge if he/she is moving first (because all of a sudden that Aragorn may not have Anduril or Mighty Hero, or Gwaihir may not have Monstrous Charge). For that reason, Floi's probably not a great choice for friendly games, but in competitive builds / scenes, he provides a way to counter some of the more oppressive builds that are out there (No Shade Bubble for YOU this turn!)
• Ori, Champion of Erebor. Ori's primary contribution to your force (besides being its token bard) is that he can refresh the heroic stats of a few of your Moria Heroes whenever they slay a Hero or Monster. Technically you get to choose whether you want a Might, Will, or Fate point back, which is nice (although practically speaking, it’s going to be a Might point in all but the most corner-case of corner-case scenarios). He’s also a decent Fighter: Fight 4, Strength 3, and Defense 7 aren't amazing (although they're less "less amazing" in this list than they are in Iron Hills, where even your standard warriors are F4/S4/D7), but critically this version of Ori has two attacks and two wounds with the option for Heroic Defense, which are actually fine. 1 Might point isn't great, but the 3 Will adds some additional magic defense to a force that otherwise lacks it.
• Oin, Champion of Erebor. Oin is the only Champion of Erebor profile with just one attack, which... is not great. But he is Fight 4 and Defense 8 with a Shield, so you can get him to two attacks in a pinch. His key rule is Healing Herbs, which lets him heal a wound on any friendly model on the roll of a 4 or 5, and all wounds on a 6. Unfortunately, Kingdom of Moria doesn't have any dwarf heroes with 3 wounds, so it's really "restore 1 Wound on a 4+"... but at least Oin doesn’t have to spend any Will to trigger this ability (although it only works on a model that Oin is in base-contact with at the start of his move phase, and Oin is prevented from moving if he uses it--so it's definitely something you need to think through). Still, getting a chance to heal wounds on a Hero who otherwise might die immediately is a net positive. His Prognostication rule (spend a Will to let a friendly model within 3” reroll a single duel die) is also helpful. While Banners are pretty common in Kingdom of Moria (thanks to the King's Champion), you can use Prognostication in combination with a Banner to potentially get two rerolls in a single fight (or perhaps three if Balin is using the Axe of Durin... and had three duel dice you could reroll). Lastly, like Ori, Oin brings a healthy Will store (4 Will) along with Heroic Resolve to your list. The Resolve would be better if he had more than 1 Might (sadly, he does not), but having another source of Resolve (to back up Balin, and perhaps a Dwarf King) can definitely be useful against certain magic-heavy foes.
• Gimli, Son of Gloin. Gimli's a wonderfully efficient profile. Yes, his base attacks (2) and wounds (2) leave something to be desired, but the result is you get him for 100 points base, which is a pretty good cost for a model who can get to three attacks (Axes of the Dwarves), two-hand without penalty, is base Fight 6 / Defense 8, and has three Might that you can spend on heroic strikes (he's also very good at heroic combats, too, especially if you can get a couple friends in the fight for a trap). Add in his throwing axes, and he's right at home with Khazad Guard, Vault Wardens, Iron Guard, Dwarf Rangers... basically any profile in the Moria list. He's an excellent bodyguard for Balin if you're worried about his fragility, or tag-teaming big targets with a King's Champion (backed by his personal banner-bearer, to boot). And since he's included in the list as a Hero of Fortitude, he can also bring along friends. I still like Dwarf Kings in this list (after Balin, a Champion, and maybe Floi), but Gimli's an excellent alternative to either Floi (if you can live without Loremaster) or a King (if you're okay with Balin calling any necessary Heroic Marches). Facing off against a Khazad-Guard line anchored by Balin, Gimli, and a King's Champion? Any takers... anyone?

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 pack even more troops into a list where you can already bring Balin (110 points for 18 warband slots). 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 the OG dwarves, 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).

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, 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-Guard. 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). 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 the 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 get the mighty Khazad-Guard for 4 points less a pop (D7, Bodyguard, and up to S7 with a two-handed piercing strike... although admittedly that hurts their defense). But my recent forays into other dwarf factions (Grimhammers in 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). 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. 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.). Now there are some limitations--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). And I also think Alastair King's caution in his article on Khazad-Dos and Khazad-Don'ts is also reasonable: because this is a line-of-sight siege weapon (instead of a volley-fire siege weapon), it can interfere with certain playstyles and/or encourage you to sit back and turtle, when you should probably be advancing and playing more aggressively based on the scenario and your army composition. But having said all that, if you do opt for a ballista, you can usually count on it to 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).

Concluding Thoughts

Well Ma, we did it--it took nearly four years, but all the dwarf factions are now finished (and just in time for my annual break from writing :-P ). As always, if you've enjoyed this article (or hated it... or have other thoughts), let us know what you think in the comments!

More from the TMAT Team

• Armies of Middle-Earth SBG: Khazad-Dum in the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game (August 2023)
• In Defense of: Balin the Dwarf, King of Moria (February 2022)
• Dwarf Formations: The Tiberius King's Champion Specials (October 2021)
• The Bare Necessities, Part XIV: The Kingdom of Moria (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: Balin and Floi
• 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)