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Dwarfen Mountain Holds · 143 points
Are Dwarf Rangers good?
Dwarf Rangers are very good, and among the best shooters into skirmishers I tested. They did 5.0 wounds per short-range volley into skirmishing archers and finished third overall at long range.
Quick answer: it depends what you point Dwarf Rangers at
- Role
- Anti-skirmisher and anti-infantry fire
- Good against
- Skaven Dregs (6.1, 3rd), Rat Ogres (3.9, 3rd), Skirmishing Empire Archers (5.0, 2nd)
- Struggles against
- Ironbreakers (0.9, 13th), Empire State Troops (3.1, 17th)
- Range
- Loses some damage at range (77% kept)
Anti-skirmisher and anti-infantry fire is the job Dwarf Rangers did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 5th-of-29 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 120 volleys with Dwarf Rangers: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range. I then fired 1,800 more Dwarf Rangers volleys at fixed distances, after moving and into cover. Those main volleys were part of the 4,080 I ran across 29 shooting units, and these were the Dwarf Rangers results.
Treat my Dwarf Rangers results as evidence rather than gospel: I strip out terrain, magic, characters and an opponent’s choices so the unit’s own performance shows through. With ten volleys per result, Dwarf Rangers (3.5) and Ungor archers (3.3) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. Use these Dwarf Rangers figures as a strong guide to the job, not a promise.
My verdict
I think Rangers are a better buy than Thunderers: they outshot them at both short and long range. They also did 6.1 wounds into Dregs at short range.
Best and worst targets for Dwarf Rangers
Dwarf Rangers by target. Ranks out of 29. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.2 | 12th | 1.7 | 8th |
| Ironbreakers | 1.6 | 3rd | 0.9 | 13th |
| Empire State Troops | 3.1 | 4th | 3.1 | 17th |
| Skaven Dregs | 4.1 | 5th | 6.1 | 3rd |
| Rat Ogres | 3.1 | 4th | 3.9 | 3rd |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 2.8 | 5th | 5.0 | 2nd |
Range and armour
At long range Dwarf Rangers kept 77% of their short-range damage. Their best long-range target was Skaven Dregs (4.1).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Dwarf Rangers averaged 1.3 wounds at short range. That puts them 9th of 29 for cracking armour.
Dwarf Rangers after moving and in cover
My main table is a clean volley in the open, so I also fired Dwarf Rangers at fixed distances, after moving and at targets in partial cover. At 22 inches after moving into partial cover, Dwarf Rangers averaged 0.58 wounds across the six targets, 5th of the 18 units I tested this way. Standing still in the open at 10 inches, Dwarf Rangers averaged 3.17 (5th of 18).
Dwarf Rangers: mean wounds across all six targets. Still or moved, open ground or partial cover. n = 60 volleys per cell
| Distance | Still, open | Moved, open | Still, cover | Moved, cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 inches | 3.17 (5th) | 1.68 (7th) | 2.53 (2nd) | 0.95 (7th) |
| 22 inches | 2.38 (3rd) | 0.87 (6th) | 1.55 (2nd) | 0.58 (5th) |
Ranks in brackets compare Dwarf Rangers with the other 17 units in the fixed-distance test.
Dwarf Rangers after moving into partial cover, by distance. n = 60 volleys per cell
| 6in | 10in | 16in | 22in | 28in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.85 | 0.95 | 0.45 | 0.58 | 0.38 |
Dwarf Rangers into State Troops only, including full cover. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Distance | Still, open | Moved, partial cover | Moved, full cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 inches | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| 22 inches | 2.3 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
How I set up the test
13 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 Irondrakes147 pts · 3.7 avg short, 2.3 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Ungor archersBeastmen Brayherds · 3.3 avg short
- Empire crossbowmenEmpire of Man · 3.6 avg short
- Skaven JezzailsSkaven (Renegades fan list) · 3.7 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use Dwarf Rangers for clearing skirmishers and light infantry at either range, and not for Ironbreakers, where they managed 0.9 wounds at short range, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are Dwarf Rangers best at shooting?
Skaven Dregs: Dwarf Rangers did 6.1 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Ironbreakers, at 0.9.
Are Dwarf Rangers better at long or short range?
Short range. Dwarf Rangers kept 77% of their short-range damage at long range, 8th of 29 for holding up at range. Dwarf Rangers averaged 2.7 wounds at long range against 3.5 at short range.
Are Dwarf Rangers good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, Dwarf Rangers averaged 1.3 wounds per short-range volley, 9th of the 29 units I tested.