Renufus:
Basically, my very first CD list since 5th edition! I’ve been ignoring the call of the large-hatted ones for far too long. I’ll try to go through everything in detail so it doesn’t seem like a bunch of random units thrown together for no reason. I tried to make it look as much as possible like a ‘fluffy’ Chaos Dwarf army, but also made sure the army could do something in all the phases of the game.
High Priest (I know the technical term is Sorceror Lord but it sounds so vanilla) @260
General; Magic level 4; Black Gem of Gnar
The Black Gem, or as I like to call it the Gem of MC Hammer (can’t touch this), as far as I can gather, is standard kit for the big mage. If points permitted, I might invest in the Chalice or a Power Stone but to be hoenst I don’t see the big attraction of the Chalice with only 8PD/5DD. If I had another Sorceror it might be worth looking at, but then I’d effectively be paying 150 points for its use. This way he’s still a (relatively) cheap source of Ld10. Along with T5 he seems like a complete bargain.
Priest @150
Magic level 2; 2xDispel Scroll
Standard scroll caddy. Obviously the lores he and the High Priest will take are dependent on what is most advantageous (I particularly like having Pit of Shades against Slanns 
). That’s what I like so much about Chaos Dwarf magic; not only is it nice and fluffy to have the army led by Priests of Hashut, but the lores they have available offer a lot of flexibility - there really is a setup for every situation, and you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a solid magic phase!
25 Warriors @280
Full Command; War Banner
A big, tough walking block of solid Chaos Dwarf tusk and steel. Nothing like a big unit of these lads to anchor the center of the force. They can also be surprisingly quick with some help from Unseen Lurker!
14 Blunderbusses @168 (+High Priest)
14 Blunderbusses @168 (+Priest)
I’m always wary about sticking my spellcasters in up-front units, but then again I play Elves most of the time. The 'busses seemed like the best compromise since they won’t be sitting back in my end of the board where my spells will be out of range but they won’t be rushing headfirst into combats where my Priests could get killed. Even if some nasty wizard hunters get close, there’s usually a round of shooting to contend with, plus a stand and shoot, plus the fact that 14 heavy armour-clad Chaos Dwarfs are still no pushover in combat!
10 Hobgoblin Archers @50
10 Hobgoblin Archers @50
Hashut bless blunderbusses, but there are just some things they can’t handle on their own (single models and small skirmishing units, usually). Hobbie archers are great for getting rid of those pesky fanatics, giants, slayers, etc. Plus, they’re dirt cheap (i.e. baiting and screening if the need calls for it) and won’t shoot or charge at my other greenskins on a bad animosity roll like they used to!
25 Hobgoblin Warriors @75
Shields
Well, when it comes to big blocks the shields are the way to go in my mind. Not only do the models come with them but a 5+ armour save in combat could go a long way to helping them tarpit stuff (which is the goal with this unit). Of course, they’re also quite handy to have around for Shades of Death or Walking Death!
10 Hobgoblin Wolfboyz @130
Light armour; Shields
It really sucks that these guys come in units of 10 but I’ll deal…I suppose the large unit has its own advantages too. I just couldn’t imagine not using these guys; baiting, redirecting, war machine hunting, crossfiring, flanking…Really, I wish I had the points and models for another unit. It’s also nice that they’re officially the ‘heaviest’ fast cav available to any army.
Death Rocket @80
Cool model. Really no tactical or economic reason to include it over a pair of Hobbie bolt throwers, it’s just a really wicked model and pretty symbolic of Chaos Dwarf armies in my mind. I guess against large horde armies or lots of skirmishers it could pay off.
10 Black Orcs @202
Shields; Banner of Slavery
My most controversial unit, I’m sure. A lot of people might get upset that I didn’t opt for Big’Uns instead but let me explain! There is a method to my madness. First off, to me they seem like the much ‘fluffier’ option. It doesn’t make sense to me that the Chaos Dwarfs would keep something as big and dangerous as a Big’Un for a slave, let alone the idea of an Orc maintaining Big’Un stature in the face of the malnourishment, torture, and general unpleasantness of being a slave of the Dawi Zharr. The Black Orcs strike me as a unit much more fitting to carry a magic banner, especially one that embodies the philosophy of “stay in line, you grotz, or you’z gunna answer ta uz latur!” Secondly, and this one is big, no animosity. If I want these guys and their aura to move somewhere else and keep those weedy Hobbies in line, they will. They won’t ever sit there and throw dung at each other instead. Plus, it’s nice to have such a wide selection of options available in combat; they’re extremely dangerous as a flanking unit if ignored. Lastly, the models and the background just rule. They’re one of my favourite all-time units from any army and have been since 5th edition.
18 Sneaky Gits @90
Another controversial choice, but they really don’t seem like a bad unit to me. 5 points for 2 poisoned attacks each is still a bargain any way you look at it. The lap round rule may be gone and that sucks but they still don’t seem like a bad value. They’re an incredibly cool unit, very fluffy, and against anything with a weak save they will really earn their points back in spades. Nothing else in the entire army pumps out as many attacks as these guys and they’re still dirt cheap to boot.
2 Hobgoblin Bolt Throwers @60
No brainer. Is there anything these guys can’t do?
Earthshaker Cannon @110
Another no-brainer. This thing has been criminally good since 5th edition. No writeup necessary in my mind.
6 Bull Centaurs @126
Great weapons, Heavy armour
Good flanking unit, good can openers, just an all-round solid unit that doesn’t break the bank. The big perk, however, is that they were my very first Warhammer unit ever, and I feel I owe the fact that I’m still here 10 years later to them winning me over way back then. They will always have a place in my black, shriveled heart.
----------------------------------------
Power Dice: 8
Dispel Dice 5:
Army Total: 1999pts
Sorry for the incredibly long post but I’ve got a lot to say, and in my experience the feedback is always more useful to me when I make it clear why I took what I did. With no outline it may look like I threw in stuff because I didn’t have enough models (especially true in the case of the Chaos Stunties) but in this case everything has a purpose, and now you can see it. Anyway, let me know what you think!