Dwarf Strategies & Tactics

[mmadsen]

In another thread (Dwarf Military Maxims, Expressions, and Exclamations), I asked for dwarf military maxims, expressions, and exclamations -- the kinds of things a trained dwarf siege engineer might spout off, demonstrating his knowledge of the dwarven equivalents to Vegetius, Sun-Tzu, et al.

This naturally leads to another question: What strategies and tactics would you expect a dwarven military to use?

 

[mmadsen]

Reprisal offered these thoughts:
I'm not exactly sure that the dwarves would do all they could to avoid battle on an open field if it suited them. I've alikened the dwarves to an infantry heavy army much like that of Imperial Rome. Heavy shields and armour coupled with great weapon skills and excellent training should prove to be quite a powerful addition to the dwarven battle compliment.

I can't quite remember who it was exactly, but the Prussian military -- heck, it might have been Clausewitz himself -- who espoused a strategy revolving around logistics, communication and intelligence rather than specific tactics and army components. For them, the important part was getting the army itself to the battlefield intact and battle-ready and the rest was merely surveying the field and capitalizing on any opportunities that presented themselves.

Rather than battleaxes, I'd see the dwarven army adopting a more Roman soldier -- heavy armour, large shield, javelin/pila, and short sword. It sort of makes sense, too; if dwarves spent a large portion of their time underground, would they use weapons like axes in such cramped quarters?

I made two points in reply:

Dwarves definitely qualify as heavy infantry. Thus, they would want to draw cavalry and skirmishers into rough terrain.

A pick, hammer, or axe makes much more sense than javelins for a short-limbed race of miners living underground. And with a spike/blade at the end, a choked-up axe might make a serviceable shortsword.

 

[mmadsen]

Endur also made some interesting points:

The particular passages from Sun Tzu you quote don't necessarily fit all dwarves.

Most Dwarves are Lawful Good. Given the dwarves' various restrictions, both on movement and alignment, I don't think they would have the same military maxims as Sun Tzu.

Sun Tzu's maxims were intended to win wars, and occassionally battles, by deceiving the enemy as to your intentions and where your force was. Attacking the enemies' weak points with your strength.

I'm not sure that a Dwarven commander would do that.

As a Dwarven commander, I would want the enemy's strongest forces to attack my strongest forces. The result would be a climatic battle where the Dwarves should triumph.

What I do not want, is for the enemy to screen my strong forces and attack elsewhere with his strong forces.

So, how do you become a successful dwarven commander? You identify where the enemy is likely to attack and put your strongest force there ahead of time.

While it is theoretically possible for a dwarven force to go on the offensive, you generally want to avoid that unless attacking a strategic objective.

The problem with offensives in general is that because of the dwarven army's slow movement and general lack of cavalry, you can't force the battle, and it becomes like an invasion of Russia, where you want battle and the Russians retreat.

So, when playing the dwarves, you almost have to resign yourself to playing the strategic defensive.

Later, in response to my point on dwarf weaponry, he said:

Don't forget the crossbow. 3e rules aside, every dwarf should carry a crossbow just in case the enemy avoids melee.

The Battleaxe was originally used (according to the history channel) as an effective weapon against Cavalry. The length of the haft gave it sufficient reach to strike a cavalry rider.

 

[ejja_1]

dwarf tactics

Field a sizable army at one side of the field of battle, this will draw in the other army for a direct confrontation. Meanwhile dwarvish engineers with a small team of crossbow men have tunneled under the battlefield.
When your foe is in the middle of crossing the battlefield, the engineers and crossbow teams spring from the soil(ala Wolverines style) and attack them from behind. In the ensuing confusion you main army charges them from the front and you crush them like so much gravel beneath your heels.

Other than that tactic I also would find it hard to beleave that they wouldnt try to draw the enemy underground were they have the advantage.

 

[mmadsen]

Most Dwarves are Lawful Good. Given the dwarves' various restrictions, both on movement and alignment, I don't think they would have the same military maxims as Sun Tzu.

I can easily see Chaotic Good elves following Sun-Tzu's advice, and I can easily see Lawful Neutral ancient Chinese armies following Sun-Tzu's advice, so I'm not sure I see an alignment issue.

Sun Tzu's maxims were intended to win wars, and occassionally battles, by deceiving the enemy as to your intentions and where your force was. Attacking the enemies' weak points with your strength.

I'm not sure that a Dwarven commander would do that.

I think any military would like to pit its strengths against the enemy's weaknesses.

How do you do that if you're the Dwarves?

As a Dwarven commander, I would want the enemy's strongest forces to attack my strongest forces. The result would be a climatic battle where the Dwarves should triumph.

It seems that the Dwarves want to draw the enemy into besieging them and paying heavy casualties. As Sun-Tzu might say:

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly be avoided.

The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege.

What I do not want, is for the enemy to screen my strong forces and attack elsewhere with his strong forces.

Agreed

So, how do you become a successful dwarven commander? You identify where the enemy is likely to attack and put your strongest force there ahead of time.

Always arrive first to the empty battlefield, to await the enemy at your leisure.

 

[mmadsen]

Field a sizable army at one side of the field of battle, this will draw in the other army for a direct confrontation. Meanwhile dwarvish engineers with a small team of crossbow men have tunneled under the battlefield.

If you're going to fall upon the enemy's rear, heavy infantry are probably a better option than crossbowmen.

If you're going to spend considerable time tunneling under the battlefield, what else could you do to prepare the field to your advantage?

Other than that tactic I also would find it hard to beleave that they wouldnt try to draw the enemy underground were they have the advantage.

Agreed.

 

[ejja_1]

If you're going to fall upon the enemy's rear, heavy infantry are probably a better option than crossbowmen.

If you're going to spend considerable time tunneling under the battlefield, what else could you do to prepare the field to your advantage?

Carrying a battleaxe on your belt and a shield on your back shouldnt detract from your aim. Blast them and engage them in hand to hand, dwarven shock troopers if you may. High level fighters with the right feats would fill the bill nicley, say point blank and quick draw along with the regular cuisanart feats?

As for preparing the field, you could trap sections of it. Say slightly in front of the fielded army, maybe just out of bow range from where they are. I guesse it would depend on the size of the field, but theroretically you could have them march into the trap then spring the rear surprise. If you left enough of an avenue around or through the field of traps then you could bring your front forces to bear. Altough you would have to have them mounted to bring them to bear quick enough so your suprise force doesnt get overwhelmed. Dwarven druids would also be an excellant addition, charm groups of ankhegs to ambush the enemy. Or if you want to get really nasty maybe a small force of bullette's, or even the occasional earth elemental to really hammer them good. I wonder if anyone has thought of a Dwarven prestidge class, like earthen elementalist. A class that specializes in summoning and controling earth elementals for use as military offensive units. Just thinking out loud here, hope I didnt get to far off the subject. Think about the bullettes tremor sense, they would make some hellish scouts.

 

[jmucchiello]

Personally, dwarves should train at close quarter combat in narrow tunnels: fighting from cavern to cavern. I don't see why they need to come up from underground to "field" an army. "Let the elves guard the fields. We're busy fighting in the underdark."

Their expertise should be in holding a passageway. Not lining up to be felled by enemy archers.

Of course, the whole concept of large army battles makes no sense in a magic rich world. Elven archers don't stand on the ground and fire arrows at the enemy. They climb up into trees. As the army approaches the tree line arrows fly from one tree, then another 100 yards away, then a bunch more from a bunch of other trees. Which way do you charge? Where is your enemy? Some long lived elf with epic far shot keeps killing the men attempting to launch pitch from a trebuchet at the tree line. After the 20th man is felled in less than 5 rounds who volunteers to load the weapon next?

Anyway, nevermind, carry on.

 

[mmadsen]

The problem with offensives in general is that because of the dwarven army's slow movement and general lack of cavalry, you can't force the battle, and it becomes like an invasion of Russia, where you want battle and the Russians retreat.

So, when playing the dwarves, you almost have to resign yourself to playing the strategic defensive.

As long as the dwarf kingdom is underground, with easily defensible bottlenecks, that lack of mobility shouldn't hurt too much. On offense though, what do the dwarves do?

What do dwarves use for scouts? Skirmishers? Cavalry? Do they have any way to chase down routed foes?

 

[Pielorinho]

After the 20th man is felled in less than 5 rounds who volunteers to load the weapon next?

The guy with the tower shield, most likely.

Actually, that was going to be one of my suggestions: dwarves might want to invest in tower shields. They might even have ones that fit their tunnels precisely, allowing a line of advancing dwarves to push an essentially solid wall of shields in front of them. Such a formation would be invulnerable to spells like fireball, since everyone behind the shields would have 100% cover, and there'd be no way for the spell to originate behind the shieldline.

Clerics of Moradin will often have the earth domain, allowing them to command creatures with the earth subtype. Any creature with a burrow speed is excellent at breaking up enemy lines. Earth elementals can appear in the middle of enemy troops, sowing confusion.

Wall of Stone can be used to great effect underground, sealing off passages or creating spur-of-the-moment battlements. 5th-level domain spell for the earth domain.

Dwarves will often find themselves fighting enemies with spell-resistance -- drow especially. Spells that bypass SR such as transmute rock to mud will come in useful in these circumstances.

Generally, I see dwarvish disadvantages as the following:
*Slow-moving
*Inclined to heavy armor
*Uninclined to mounted or aerial combat
*Uninclined to arcane magic (i.e., artillery).

Their advantages are:
* Extra-tough troops
* Familiarity with surroundings
* An ability to alter the battlefield on the fly.

Imagine a battle of drow vs. dwarves. The drow will be throwing spells at the dwarves, trying to charm members of the front lines, and firing arrows at them. They'll engage in hit-and-run tactics.

The dwarves will retaliate with tower shields against the arrows. They might cast wall of stone between the archers and the spellcasters, making attacking each group easy. They'll send their commanded earth elementals against the spellcasters, while their tower-shield troops lumberingly charge the archers. If the drow start to retreat, either a wall of stone or a transmute rock to mud will delay them.

Daniel