The Chaos Dwarfs never received a standard, mainline army book in the later editions of Warhammer Fantasy. Their primary official rules appeared in the 1994 White Dwarf Presents: Chaos Dwarfs supplement for 4th/5th Edition, the 6th Edition Ravening Hordes update, and Forge World’s 8th Edition campaign book, Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos. They were also absent from the original edition of Warmaster, although they eventually received an official army list in Warmaster Revolution.
I originally created my Chaos Dwarf paper counter set in 2021. That version was put together rather quickly and posted to the blog with only a minimal write-up. This new set replaces that older version, which I have now removed. I’ve reworked a number of the counters, particularly the heroes, and updated some of the unit names. Most noticeably, the basic infantry formerly labeled “Warriors” are now simply called “Chaos Dwarfs,” matching the current army list.
For this updated set, I used Warmaster Revolution Armies version 2.26, the most recent version available at the time of this post.
Printing the CountersI hope you find these paper army sets useful. You can print them at places like Staples or Office Depot, using 110lb card stock paper printed at actual size. You can also print on regular paper and then glue the counters to wooden bases. (Check the older posts on how I did this with my Empire army.) Do not print the pdf to "fit margins." Always print at 100%. I like printing the counter sets on good copy paper, spray gluing the dull side of a 'Silver Age' comic backing board with Super77, attaching a sheet to the board, and then cutting out the counters using a sharp Xacto knife with a steel ruler. Using the backing boards makes for cheap, sturdy counters. I like keeping the shiny side down to make moving them easier on a table. Note: This version is designed to fit Silver Age and larger comic backing boards.
Chaos Dwarfs are a very different army from their more respectable Dwarf relatives. They still have extremely tough infantry, but they also bring slaves, cavalry, monstrous troops, magic, and some wonderfully unpleasant artillery to the battlefield. That gives the army a much broader tactical toolbox than simply forming a solid line and waiting for somebody to attack it. Chaos Dwarfs can hold ground very well, but they can also disrupt enemy formations, threaten the flanks, sacrifice cheap troops, and launch some very dangerous counterattacks. If you have any comments or suggestions on these lists or counters, please leave some comments below.
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Chaos Dwarfs Tough 4+ armour infantry and the backbone of the army. |
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Orc Slaves Cheap, aggressive infantry that work best when kept under the watchful eye of their masters. |
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Blunderbusses Short-ranged infantry firepower with an armour-save modifier. |
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Wolf Riders Fast, inexpensive troops with useful 360-degree shooting and evasion. |
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Bull Centaurs The army's mobile combat hammer. |
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Artillery & Magic Disrupt enemy formations first, then exploit the resulting weakness. |
| Qty | Unit | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chaos Dwarfs | 220 |
| 1 | Hobgoblins | 45 |
| 2 | Orc Slaves | 80 |
| 2 | Hobgoblin Wolf Riders | 150 |
| 1 | Bull Centaurs | 140 |
| 1 | Death Rocket | 60 |
| 1 | Bolt Thrower | 65 |
| 1 | General | 125 |
| 1 | Sorcerer | 90 |
| 1 | Sorcerer Lord Upgrade | 25 |
| TOTAL | 1,000 | |
This is a good introduction to Chaos Dwarfs because it includes tough infantry, cheap slaves, fast cavalry, Bull Centaurs, artillery, and two spellcasters. This army list gives a good taste of nearly everything the army can do. The Wolf Riders provide speed, the Bull Centaurs provide serious combat power, and the Death Rocket and Bolt Thrower make it difficult for the enemy to ignore your deployment. Once you're familiar with this army, The Forge Line below is probably the more interesting tactical puzzle. It's a little less forgiving, but it begins to show what makes Chaos Dwarfs tactically different from ordinary Dwarfs.
2 Chaos Dwarfs + 2 Orc Slaves
Keeping the Orc Slaves with Chaos Dwarfs removes the extra command penalty theynormally suffer. This is one of the most useful habits to develop when playing the army.
| Qty | Unit | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chaos Dwarfs | 220 |
| 1 | Blunderbusses | 90 |
| 2 | Orc Slaves | 80 |
| 2 | Hobgoblins | 90 |
| 1 | Hobgoblin Wolf Riders | 75 |
| 1 | Bull Centaurs | 140 |
| 1 | Earthshaker Cannon | 90 |
| 1 | General | 125 |
| 1 | Sorcerer | 90 |
| TOTAL | 1,000 | |
I don't think of the Earthshaker primarily as a weapon for causing casualties. Its real value is disrupting enemy formations. A successful drive-back has a much better chance than normal of causing confusion, and nearby units can be affected, too. That makes it a particularly useful weapon to fire at an enemy formation you intend to attack shortly afterward.
| Qty | Unit | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Chaos Dwarfs | 440 |
| 1 | Blunderbusses | 90 |
| 4 | Orc Slaves | 160 |
| 2 | Hobgoblins | 90 |
| 4 | Hobgoblin Wolf Riders | 300 |
| 2 | Bull Centaurs | 280 |
| 1 | Black Orcs | 110 |
| 1 | Earthshaker Cannon | 90 |
| 1 | Bolt Thrower | 65 |
| 1 | General | 125 |
| 1 | Hero | 80 |
| 1 | Great Taurus | 80 |
| 1 | Sorcerer | 90 |
| TOTAL | 2,000 | |
| Qty | Unit | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Chaos Dwarfs | 440 |
| 2 | Blunderbusses | 180 |
| 2 | Hobgoblins | 90 |
| 4 | Orc Slaves | 160 |
| 2 | Hobgoblin Wolf Riders | 150 |
| 2 | Bull Centaurs | 280 |
| 1 | Earthshaker Cannon | 90 |
| 1 | Death Rocket | 60 |
| 2 | Bolt Throwers | 130 |
| 1 | General | 125 |
| 1 | Hero | 80 |
| 2 | Sorcerers | 180 |
| 1 | Lammasu | 35 |
| TOTAL | 2,000 | |
2 Chaos Dwarfs + 2 Orc Slaves
The Chaos Dwarfs provide durability while the Orcs provide cheap attacks and additional bodies. Keeping the slaves with their masters also eliminates their special command penalty.
2 Chaos Dwarfs + 2 Orc Slaves
A second independent block gives the army two strong points rather than one enormous formation that can be disrupted all at once.
2 Blunderbusses + 2 Hobgoblins
Keep this formation behind or beside the main infantry. The Blunderbusses are useful close-range support troops, but they are not as durable as ordinary Chaos Dwarfs.
2 Bull Centaurs
These are the army's main mobile combat reserve. Keep them somewhere they can exploit an opening rather than throwing them at the first enemy unit they can reach.
2 Hobgoblin Wolf Riders
Protect flanks, shoot at vulnerable troops, threaten artillery, evade bad fights, and generally encourage the opponent to waste attention on 75-point units.
As mentioned in the notes to The Forge Line 1,000-point army, the Earthshaker primarily is a disruption weapon. Fire it at formations you may want to attack soon. Confusion and drive-backs can turn an orderly enemy brigade into a collection of individual problems.
The Death Rocket is much less dependable, but considerably more entertaining. Aim it at something worthwhile and accept that Hashut may occasionally have his own ideas.
Less spectacular, but dependable. Sometimes boring competence is extremely welcome when the artillery piece next door has a misfire table.
| Character | Primary Command |
|---|---|
| Hero | Iron Brigade #1 |
| Sorcerer #1 | Iron Brigade #2 + spell support |
| Sorcerer #2 | The Hammer or The Nuisance Department |
| General | Critical movement or anything that still needs fixing |
Causes a friendly unit to count as causing Terror for the Combat phase. Bull Centaurs are an especially attractive target when they are about to enter an important fight.
Gives a Sorcerer who has joined a fighting unit three additional combat attacks. Situational, but useful when the Sorcerer is already involved in an important combat.
Draws a line through the battlefield and attacks every unit crossed by it. Look for diagonal or oblique shots that can catch several enemy units at once.
Attacks every enemy unit within 30cm of the Sorcerer. It is difficult to cast, but potentially spectacular when several enemy formations have become crowded together.
In this list, one Sorcerer will ride a Lammasu. Its main advantage isn't combat. It flies, making the Sorcerer much easier to reposition, and it can attempt to dispel hostile magic affecting nearby friendly units. Think of the Lammasu Sorcerer as a mobile support piece rather than an expensive combat character.
Don't race the infantry forward. Establish useful firing lanes, move the cavalry toward the flanks, and let the artillery begin breaking up enemy formations. Early casualties are nice. Confusion, drive-backs, awkward facing, and broken brigades may be even more useful.
Bring the Blunderbusses into useful range. Let the Wolf Riders begin causing trouble on the flanks, while the Bull Centaurs remain positioned to counterattack.
Once the enemy is confused, separated, damaged, or facing the wrong direction, send in the good troops. Bull Centaurs are much more valuable finishing a compromised enemy formation than charging something simply because they happen to be able to reach it.
Stop thinking primarily about destroying the enemy's most impressive units. Look for the quickest route to its Break Point.
WOLF RIDERS ORCS | CHAOS DWARFS CHAOS DWARFS | ORCS ORCS | CHAOS DWARFS CHAOS DWARFS | ORCS BLUNDERBUSSES | HOBGOBLINS BULL CENTAURS WOLF RIDERS EARTHSHAKER ROCKET BOLT BOLT
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Orc Slaves Suffer an additional -1 Command penalty unless brigaded with Chaos Dwarfs, Blunderbusses, or Black Orcs. |
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Hobgoblins & Wolf Riders Have 15cm shooting and 360-degree vision for shooting and evading. |
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Orcs & Hobgoblins Normally cannot brigade together unless Chaos Dwarfs or Blunderbusses are also present in the brigade. |
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Earthshaker Has an increased chance of causing confusion after drive-back and can disrupt nearby troops as well. |
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Earthshaker + Death Rocket The army may take only one of these artillery units in total per full 1,000 points. |
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Great Taurus A flying character mount that causes Terror. |
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Lammasu A flying Sorcerer mount that can also attempt to dispel hostile magic affecting nearby friendly troops. |
But there’s something especially intriguing about Chaos Dwarfs. They’re dwarfs, but they’re also much more than that. That variety is what makes the 2,000-point Combined-Arms army my favorite of all the armies on this list. The infantry, artillery, cavalry, and magic each have clearly defined roles, which creates many interesting tactical decisions during a game.
The key to playing Chaos Dwarfs, especially with the Combined-Arms army, seems to be resisting the temptation to make one part of the army do everything. The Earthshaker doesn’t have to destroy a unit if it can leave that unit confused. The Wolf Riders don’t need to win a major combat if they can force the enemy to turn an entire brigade around. The Orc Slaves don’t need to survive if their sacrifice leaves the enemy exposed to a charge from the Bull Centaurs. Meanwhile, the Chaos Dwarfs themselves can keep doing what Chaos Dwarfs do best: standing their ground, grinding forward, and making the enemy regret coming too close.
That interplay between all the different parts of the army is what I find so fascinating about them.
And with that, another lengthy post comes to an end! I hope you enjoy the counters, try out some of the armies, and have as much fun playing Chaos Dwarfs as I’ve had putting this set together.











