Irondrakes

Irondrakes are those Dwarfs within an Ironbreaker regiment who are trained in the use of the deadly fire-spewing Drakegun, a powerful weapon that showers enemy units with a wave of white-hot, alchemic fire.

Role

The creation of the Drakegun came about when the bitter underground wars that the Dwarfs fought daily began to evolve into a new level of intensity, as their enemies began to discover diabolical ways to break a stronghold's already formidable defences. However, the Dwarfs' stout defiance and powerful rune-weapons and armour have turned back the dark tide time and again. Beaten yet unbroken, their enemies have adapted, and in response to the heavily-armoured Ironbreakers, the Skaven have deployed teams of Warpfire Throwers or Globadiers as a countermeasure, whilst the Night Goblins send in mobs of Fanatics or Trolls to punch a hole in their lines. For the Dwarfs, this war of attrition is costing far too many lives to continue.

In response, the Dwarf Engineers of Zhufbar invented new weapons that can deter these countermeasures with blazing efficiency. The Drakegun was one such invention, a weapon so powerful that once it is fired, the entire tunnelway will be lit with alchemic fire that will burn for many hours afterwards. Such a weapon allowed the Ironbreakers to cut off key positions within the tunnels beneath a Hold from a much more superior threat such as an onrushing charge of enraged Mangler Squigs or a whole battalion of heavily-armoured Stormvermin. Ironbreakers who showed an aptitude with the Drakegun were further trained and formed into new units. When first used, even the Gromril Armour of the Ironbreakers struggled to protect the user against the intense heat generated by the weapon. In response, Runesmiths have begun to imbue new armoured suits with Runes of Protection against extreme heat, enabling these Ironbreakers to endure the heat of their own weapons and those Warp-fire Throwers sent by the Skavens.

In combat, when confronted by a foe capable of breaking through a wall of Ironbreakers, a new fighting tactic has been developed. Ironbreakers would open ranks to allow the Irondrakes to file past. With well-drilled precision and the barking orders of an Ironwarden, the darkness of the tunnels is soon illuminated by molten fireblasts. The stalwart Dwarfs blaze away as attackers fall by the dozens, their crumpled bodies still smoking with fist-sized holes burning through their flesh. The Irondrakes have proven so effective that their services are pressed into action wherever a throng may fight.