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Dwarfen Mountain Holds · 147 points
Are Dwarf Irondrakes good?
Dwarf Irondrakes are very good: second of 29 in my short-range tests, a whisker behind Iron Hail Gunners. Quick Shot meant they lost almost nothing after moving.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Dwarf Irondrakes at
- Role
- Short-range firepower that keeps shooting on the move
- Good against
- Ironbreakers (2.6, 3rd), Empire State Troops (4.8, 3rd), Rat Ogres (3.8, 4th), Skirmishing Empire Archers (4.5, 3rd)
- Struggles against
- Knights of the Realm (1.5, 13th)
- Range
- Loses some damage at range (62% kept)
Short-range firepower that keeps shooting on the move is the job Dwarf Irondrakes did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 2nd-of-29 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 240 volleys with Dwarf Irondrakes: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range, standing still and again after moving. Those main volleys were part of the 4,080 I ran across 29 shooting units, and these were the Dwarf Irondrakes results.
I stripped the Dwarf Irondrakes tests back on purpose, with no terrain, no magic, no characters and nobody deciding anything for the other side, which isolates the unit but is not a real game. With ten volleys per result, Dwarf Irondrakes (3.7) and Skaven Jezzails (3.7) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. Read the Dwarf Irondrakes results as a guide to roles and matchups rather than a forecast.
My verdict
I rate Irondrakes as the best all-round Dwarf shooting unit I have tested. They did 2.6 wounds into Ironbreakers at short range, the third-best result of any unit, and their 18-inch range is the main limit.
Best and worst targets for Dwarf Irondrakes
Dwarf Irondrakes by target. Ranks out of 29. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.5 | 9th | 1.5 | 13th |
| Ironbreakers | 1.1 | 7th | 2.6 | 3rd |
| Empire State Troops | 2.0 | 18th | 4.8 | 3rd |
| Skaven Dregs | 4.2 | 2nd | 4.9 | 9th |
| Rat Ogres | 1.8 | 10th | 3.8 | 4th |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 3.2 | 2nd | 4.5 | 3rd |
Range and armour
At long range Dwarf Irondrakes kept 62% of their short-range damage. Their best long-range target was Skaven Dregs (4.2).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Dwarf Irondrakes averaged 2.1 wounds at short range. That puts them 4th of 29 for cracking armour.
Rules that shaped these numbers
- Drakeguns are S5 and AP−1 with Armour Bane (2), and Quick Shot removes the movement penalty.
- Dwarf Crafted helps Stand & Shoot, which this test did not cover.
Do Dwarf Irondrakes lose damage after moving?
I fired the same Dwarf Irondrakes volleys again after a legal move to the same firing position. Standing still, Dwarf Irondrakes averaged 3.7 wounds at short range; after moving, 3.5. At long range the figures were 2.3 standing still and 2.7 after moving.
Dwarf Irondrakes, standing still vs after moving. Mean wounds per volley. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Short, still | Short, moved | Long, still | Long, moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.5 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Ironbreakers | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| Empire State Troops | 4.8 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 3.6 |
| Skaven Dregs | 4.9 | 5.6 | 4.2 | 3.6 |
| Rat Ogres | 3.8 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 2.9 |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 2.9 |
How I set up the test
I fielded 9 Irondrakes with Ironwarden and musician (147 points), and all 9 models could shoot in every matchup. My method page has the full setup.
How do they compare?
Other Dwarfen Mountain Holds shooters
- Dwarf Thunderers140 pts · 3.2 avg short, 1.9 avg long
- Dwarf Rangers143 pts · 3.5 avg short, 2.7 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Skaven JezzailsSkaven (Renegades fan list) · 3.7 avg short
- Cathay Iron Hail GunnersGrand Cathay · 3.7 avg short
- Empire crossbowmenEmpire of Man · 3.6 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Dwarf Irondrakes for short-range fire into almost anything, including after moving, and not for long-range support, where the 18-inch drakeguns run out of reach, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Dwarf Irondrakes best at shooting?
Skaven Dregs: Dwarf Irondrakes did 4.9 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Knights of the Realm, at 1.5.
Are Dwarf Irondrakes better at long or short range?
Short range. Dwarf Irondrakes kept 62% of their short-range damage at long range, 23rd of 29 for holding up at range. Dwarf Irondrakes averaged 2.3 wounds at long range against 3.7 at short range.
Are Dwarf Irondrakes good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Dwarf Irondrakes averaged 2.1 wounds per short-range volley, 4th of the 29 units I tested.