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Dwarfen Mountain Holds · 143 points
Are Dwarf Rangers good?
Dwarf Rangers are very good, and 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, 1st)
- Struggles against
- Empire State Troops (3.1, 12th): weakest ranking
- 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 4th-of-18 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. Those volleys were part of the 2,160 I ran across 18 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. The nearest unit to Dwarf Rangers at short range was Empire crossbowmen, 0.2 wounds away; with ten volleys per result, gaps that small can come down to the dice. Use these Dwarf Rangers figures as a strong guide to the job, not a promise.
My verdict
I think Rangers are the better Dwarf shooting unit of the two I tested: they outshot Thunderers 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 18. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.2 | 9th | 1.7 | 7th |
| Ironbreakers | 1.6 | 3rd | 0.9 | 11th |
| Empire State Troops | 3.1 | 4th | 3.1 | 12th |
| Skaven Dregs | 4.1 | 3rd | 6.1 | 3rd |
| Rat Ogres | 3.1 | 4th | 3.9 | 3rd |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 2.8 | 3rd | 5.0 | 1st |
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 8th of 18 for cracking armour.
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
Similar overall damage
- Empire crossbowmenEmpire of Man · 3.6 avg short
- Skaven JezzailsSkaven (Renegades fan list) · 3.7 avg short
- Empire handgunnersEmpire of Man · 3.2 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, 4th of 18 for holding up at range. They 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, 8th of the 18 units I tested.