The last two posts were the results of little more than goofing off, but this new batch represents the first attempt at making faction miniatures for the Nine Empires. Since Hero Forge already has a dwarf template, I didn't need to make one. This army, however, is not like any dwarven army you've ever seen before:
The dwarves of Rossbera are quite unlike the typical fantasy dwarves, which fall into the planet of hats trope. This trooper represents a citizen-soldier of Bulmut, a farmer or craftsman, a dwarf who simply picks up a rifle and does his part to defend his kingdom and country during times of war.
This dwarven trooper is armed with a bolt-action rifle, revolver, entrenching tool (e-tools make for surprisingly effective melee weapons), and three grenades. Admittedly, those grenades are a bit anachronistic (pineapple grenades didn't exist during World War I, and were unique to U.S. forces anyway), and I would much prefer to give the dwarves stick grenades ("potato mashers") instead.
Since this dwarf would fight in the trenches and other fortifications, a lot of equipment is at his feet. Some of his comrades may be equipped a little differently, such as this one:
The only difference is that this one was a machine gun instead of a bolt-action rifle. For "rapid" advance (i.e. as rapid as trench warfare can be), multiple rows of machine gunners can lay down suppressive fire. For this reason, I made a second pose for this machine gunner:
This dwarf is crouching low enough that fire from a standing trooper will go right over his head. The main push, however, is made by much more heavily-armed soldiers, either veterans or those from elite warrior families:
The warrior elite of old are no more, their descendants having hung up their proverbial battleaxes (a battleaxe is actually a terrible weapon for a dwarf, spears and pikes would be much better) in favour of long rifles. Hero Forge doesn't have a rifle with a bayonet, but I could easily make a bayonet model and affix it to the rifle barrel.
In any case, the warriors wear the same uniform, but with additional armour to protect the shoulders and face, while most of the protection comes from a shield. They can advance across a battlefield, vulnerable to only the heaviest of anti-infantry fire, and while they can't stay in the thick of it forever, they can hold a position long enough for heavy gun crews to set up immediately behind them.
Female dwarves typically have softer facial features than males, but still have thick beards. Those who are nurses in peacetime serve as medics in wartime, keeping their heads down as the run about the trenches.
Though it is advisable for medical professionals to shave their beards, shaving is a luxury in the trenches. Still, the medics tend to keep their beards on the short side, unlike the warriors.
Medics carry a knife on their right hip instead of a revolver. Knives are of far greater use than guns for them. Still, it doesn't get that much use, since most the casualties in trench warfare are from disease, rather than combat. Trenches aren't called "the gateway to Hell" for no reason.
The fearless veterans from elite warrior houses serve as front-line commanders, wearing plaited beards, ancestral armour (along with some modern equipment to cover the gaps), and their custom-forged weapons. While most carry a sword or axe, many also have custom-made guns that are as much a symbol of their heritage as their bladed weapons are.
The dwarf lords, who are senior officials in Bulmutian politics in peacetime, are the commanders of the dwarven regiments during war. Like other dwarves from elite families, they wear their heirloom armour onto the battlefield.
Naturally, theirs tends to be the fanciest. It is also the heaviest, typically able to shrug off small arms fire with ease. While a dwarf lord may not be able to lead a charge across no-man's land without getting stuck in the mud, he is certainly a fearsome opponent for an enemy who manages to reach the dwarven position.
In addition to the troops, I also have some heavy equipment for the dwarven army, namely two variants of a small tank (which I'm not going to share here, since I plan on re-designing it at some point) and some sketches for a fixed machine gun turret and a super-heavy howitzer called "Tuhur's trumpet," named after a dwarven king.
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