Miners (2007 Edition)

Dwarfs have an insatiable thirst for gold, and construct deep shafts beneath the mountains in their quest for more of it, but it is not the only thing that fuels their interest in mining. Gemstones and ores are also especially valued, many Dwarf crafts being dependent on a regular supply of both.

Dwarfs are ideally suited to be miners, their strength and endurance making them excellent wielders of pick, hammer and shovel. They also have an instinct for the stone, knowing where best to dig and when to pause to shore up a section of tunnel. Collapses and other accidents are rare. The longer established a mine is, the more mechanical contrivances there will be. Steam-powered engines, fixed in position, continually haul chains which tow wagons out of the depths. Some clans may even use a newfangled boring machine that some Engineer has invented. But, however successful these are, they can never replace the skill and experience of a Dwarf Miner.

When a Dwarf hold goes to war, many mining clans will send their warriors to battle. As a gesture of pride in their profession, they will tend to carry picks rather than axes but such is their skill with them that this is no disadvantage. There are many benefits to having such troops in an army, notably they can use their skills to tunnel beneath the enemy and gain the advantage of surprise.

You may add Dwarf Miners to your Dwarf army as a Special choice.