The Dwarves are a playable faction in The Battle for Middle-Earth II and its expansion The Rise of the Witch-King. They are playable in all standard game modes as well as The Battle For Middle-Earth II's Good Campaign. This faction represents the armies of the dwarven people, but mostly those of Erebor.
They are a completely new faction introduced in The Battle for Middle-Earth II. This faction has great advantages regarding infantry, archers, and defence, although nearly their entire army lacks mobility.
Lore[]
See Dwarves at One Wiki to Rule Them All.
Faction Overview[]
Strengths[]
The single biggest asset the Dwarves have on their side is their collection of heroes. They are a powerful set of melee fighters in the game, able to lay waste to battalion after battalion without breaking a sweat. Not only are they good at destroying various units, but they are also the best group of heroes for tearing down structures. If you can get all three on the field and deploy them against an enemy Fortress, you can bet it's going to go down quickly.
While Dwarven Axe Throwers are powerful in their own right, upgrade to Men of Dale with Fire Arrows as soon as possible; they are much more deadly, especially against monsters (not to mention that structures take a lot more damage from fire than from normal weapons). If it comes down to upgrading to Forged Blades or Fire Arrows, go with Men of Dale and Fire Arrows.
Though it isn't so much a strength as a necessity. Dwarves need to use Mines to get around the map. This is because of their very slow movement speed — unless you plan on loading up on Battle Wagons (which is not a good idea).
Strategy[]
The Dwarves are a very solid faction and are probably the best Good faction. Though they have their drawbacks, they make up for it in strength of units and their very stout heroes.
The key to Dwarves is their heroes. The three that they have at their command are very powerful melee fighters and they are second-to-none in structure demolition. They are the spear point that you'll want to drive through the heart of your foe.
In addition, the Dwarves also get some very decent missile based units in the form of the Axe Throwers and Men of Dale, Once both are upgraded and housed in Battle Towers you can cause some serious damage to any foe foolish enough to wander into your base. This also makes for a good defence as you extend your supply lines out into the wild.
It's also important to stress that you need to use Mines very strategically due to the slow movement rate involved. Make sure to lay down Mines fairly frequently or any aborted attempts at taking a foe's base will result in very long marches, thus spreading your forces far more thin than they need to be. This also forces your foe into focusing on destroying your Mines instead of destroying you.
Units[]
Heroes[]
- Prince Brand, Captain of Dale (Rise of the Witch-King only): This bold military captain can use the bow and sword with equal skill.
- Glóin, the father of Gimli: Gloin was present at the Council of Elrond and is a powerful Dwarf warrior in his own right.
- King Dáin, the King of Erebor: King Dain rules over Erebor, He is a powerful warrior who provides a Leadership bonus to all who fight alongside him.
- Gimli, the Dwarf from Erebor: This hardy Dwarf can deliver a lethal blow by throwing his onehanded axe. As a slayer, he can double his attack speed and damage for a short period of time.
- Galadriel, the Storm Queen: When summoned, Galadriel can attack enemies with special powers and wizard blasts.
- Create a Hero: Dwarven players may choose to bring a player created hero that is either a Dwarf, Elf, Hero of the West, or Wizard.
Workers[]
- Builder: These hardy Dwarven workers construct and repair buildings.
Swordsmen[]
- Hobbits (Base Game only): The halflings of the Shire will stand and fight to protect their homeland, if asked.
- Guardians: A shining example of Dwarven courage, this stout warrior defends the mighty halls of his ancestors with his trusty axe and shield.
- Zealots (The Rise of the Witch-king only): The mighty Dwarven Zealot is immune to fear. In formation, they can increase both their attack damage and speed.
Pikemen[]
- Phalanxes: Equipped with a deadly pike, the Dwarven Phalanx has the focused purpose of stopping enemy Cavalry and monsters.
Archers[]
- Axe Throwers: The standard ranged unit of the Dwarven army, the Axe Thrower is a lethal foe at short range.
- Men of Dale: These human archers have allied with the Dwarves in a quest to defend their homeland from the forces of darkness.
Monsters[]
- Battle Wagon: You can outfit the back of the Battle Wagon with Men of Dale, morale-boosting Banners, a Hearth to provide healing, or even fearsome Axe Throwers. The Battle Wagon can also launch flammable oil casks onto the battlefield.
Siege Equipment[]
- Demolishers: The Demolisher can breach the staunchest of barricades, and, when deployed, the armour built into it affords the crew a measure of protection against arrows and other anti-siege weaponry.
- Iron Hills Catapults: This side-firing Catapult can launch two separate projectiles at once.
Buildings[]
Buildings[]
- Mine Shaft: The Mine Shaft generates resources and provides access to the Dwarven tunnel network. Your command point limit increases by 50 with each Mine Shaft.
- Hall of Warriors: The mighty Hall of Warriors trains Dwarven Guardians and Phalanxes.
- Archery Range: The Archery Range trains the Axe Throwers and the elite Men of Dale, who can be equipped with deadly Fire Arrows.
- Forge Works: Dwarven siege units, including the Catapult, Demolisher, and Battle Wagon, are built at the Forge Works. Dwarven unit upgrades are also researched at the Forge Works.
- Battle Tower: This Tower hurls axes at approaching enemy units and can be garrisoned with Axe Throwers for increased damage output
- Hearth: The Hearth provides healing bonuses to any troops in the nearby area.
- Heroic Statue: Units rallying near the Heroic Statue receive a boost to their armor and damage output. The statue also increases your command point limit by 10.
- Wall Hub: Wall Hubs allow you to expand your castle walls.
- Fortress: The Fortress is the heart of the Dwarves' base. Customize it with a variety of improvements and expansions. Builders and heroes can also be recruited from the Fortress.
Fortress Expansions[]
- Wall Hub Expansion: Wall Hubs allow the player to expand castle walls.
- Hall Expansion: The Hall is a fortified bunker that you can garrison for protection. It can also heal any units that are inside.
- Axe Tower Expansion: The Axe Tower automatically fires axes at incoming enemies and can be upgraded with Masterwork Munitions.
- Catapult Expansion: This embedded Catapult hurls heavy stones at incoming enemies and can be upgraded with Masterwork Munitions.
Upgrades[]
Unit Upgrades[]
- Banner Carriers: The Banner Carrier displays the veterancy of your units and grants all troops in the battalion healing bonuses.
- Fire Arrows: Fire Arrows greatly increase the damage dealt to structures and enemy units.
- Forged Blades: The Dwarven smiths can deliver these weapons, tempered in fire, to eager soldiers in the field.
- Flaming Shot: When equipped with Flaming Shot, the Dwarven Catapult hurl flaming boulders at nearby enemies.
- Mithril Mail: Battle-weary Dwarves can wear the legendary Mithril Mail with this upgrade.
- Siege Hammers: These great Dwarven hammers inflict extraordinary amounts of damage on enemy structures.
Fortress Upgrades[]
- Banners: Banners reduce the cost and time to recruit units from the Fortress and grant an experience bonus to nearby troops.
- Siege Kegs: These ale kegs and stacks of grain supply your armies with the goods they need to resist a long siege. Siege Kegs heal troops in attached Dwarven Halls back to full capacity.
- Masterwork Munitions: Masterwork Munitions upgrades your Fortress Catapults with fiery projectiles and forges the blades of your Fortress Axe Towers, inflicting greater damage on your enemies.
- Oil Casks: With the Oil Cask upgrade, several Dwarves drop casks of oils from all four sides of your Fortress, igniting and damaging your enemy.
- Dwarven Stonework: The legendary Dwarves of old were masters of masonry. With this upgrade, the Dwarves can further fortify their Fortress walls.
- Mighty Catapult: With this giant Catapult the Dwarves can fire a large number of flaming rocks at their enemies.
Wall Upgrades[]
- Wall Hub: Wall Hubs allow the Dwarves to continue expanding their castle walls.
- Gate: This primary defensive gate can be opened and closed for strategic deployment.
- Axe Tower: The Axe Tower automatically fires axes at incoming enemies.
- Postern Gate: The Postern Gate is a stealth gate that allows only friendly units to pass through.
- Catapult: The Wall Catapult hurls heavy stones at incoming enemies. This Catapult fires two shots at once.
Powers[]
Tier 1 Powers[]
- Rallying Call: Grants an armour and damage boost to selected units.
- Rebuild: Automatically rebuilds a targeted friendly structure.
- Heal: Heals units and replaces one dead man per battalion.
Tier 2 Powers[]
- Summon Men of Dale Allies: When this power is used, several battalions of Men of Dale appear in a designated location.
- Summon Hobbit Allies: Summons a team of hobbits, including Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Sam, to fight for your cause.
- Lone Tower: Permanently summons a Tower that fires projectiles at nearby enemies.
- Dwarven Riches: When cast on a Mine Shaft, this power increases resource collection.
Tier 3 Powers[]
- Barrage: A rain of boulders descends upon the enemy.
- Cloud Break: Bad weather is banished by a burst of sunshine or moon glow that stuns enemies on the battlefield.
- Undermine: Causes any Tunnel entrance connected with the rest of the Dwarven Tunnel network to appear on any pathable location.
Tier 4 Powers[]
- Earthquake: Causes an earthquake that does extreme damage to enemy structures.
- Summon Citadel: Instantly builds a Citadel Fortress at a selected location.
Gallery[]
Notes and Trivia[]
- The logo for the Dwarves is the central emblem on Gimli's helmet in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.
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