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Sons of Grimnir - Rune Golem Hurlers

What allows cavalry to rule the battlefield? The unspoken agreement that the universe will not allow a dozen pig sized rocks to fly toward them at any given moment. Unfortunately, that agreement has been betrayed.

The work of the most devoted disciples of Grungni, runic golems are the pinnacle of a Rune Smith's craft. A chance to create a soldier that will last for generations after he is gone. An artificial ancestor. Though some frown upon such a practice as too close to chaos (giving magic legs...are ye daft?) there is no denying the effectiveness of these living seige weapons upon the battlefield.

While most Rune Golems are heavy constructs of gromril weilding massive rune-hammers, others are built with an entirely different purpose in mind. Namely, finding the heaviest thing it can pick up and hucking it at the nearest enemy. To this end, Hurlers are crafted with potent runes of strength to allow them to rip the very stones from the earth to be cast at the foes of the Dawi. As a result, some construct sacrifices have to be made and they are less mighty in melee combat as their more traditional brothers. But bring a powerful new weapon to the beck and call of their runesmith masters.

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These are quasi lore-friendly units. Golems do exist in the Warhammer universe, though their craft is largely arcane and they are widely considered too be too close to chaos for comfort. It would make perfect sense that dwarven runesmiths, who hold centuries of knowledge dedicated to the control and channeling of the winds of magic, would have some knowledge of this craft.

Rune Golem Hurlers get the delightful pleasure of being able to wing goblin-sized stones at your enemies. As noted in the story above, this means their construction is more focused on this function - and less on raw combat power. Goodbye to the great runehammer, hello versatile long-axe. They are also less armored than their bretheren, so be careful where you put them. They still pack a mighty charge, but they are also quite good an anchoring a flank against rushing cavalry. In regard to their ranged weapon, it is a very burst-oriented utility. Each rock hits with a significant punch, but the reload time on their weapon is over twice that of the Grudge thrower (Gotta dig up a new rock each time. That takes effort). In addition, their range is significantly shorter. So using them against archers will likely mean using them to flank or getting them very close to the front line.

In other words, the rocks are awesome against cavalry and good against regular infantry. but do not rely on them as your sole artillery, especially since the lack of range means you'll have to move your army to prompt AI to approach on attack. Ammo is short, but if you run out then you are likely not using this unit to it's full effect.

I'm still working on the balance of the rock throw, so the stats on this may change in the near future.

Balance
- Armored and tough, but fewer hitpoints than most monstrous creatures in its class. Vulnerable to armor peircing damage, and lacks the bone crushing charge animations of other monstrous units. Strong burst attack, but limited ammo, and long reload times make this unit a poor choice for heavy ranged support. Less potent in melee than standard Rune Golems, but still and excellent flanking force.

Compatibility
- No known issues so far.

Art
- Thumbnaill artwork was generated in game. Unit tile artwork is a composite I made (and modified, badly) using some CA/GW properties and a model image I found online, which I do not own. I did some texturing work for the face and armor (which I am quite proud of!).

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Rune Golem Hurlers

--UPDATE: 11/21/2016
- Added Fatigue Immunity. Idea credited to t42bug. Corresponding campaign cost increase to account for the new ability.

Stats
- Unit size: 9
- Total Hitpoints: 4977
- Armour: 95
- Leadership: 75
- Speed: 56
- Melee Attack: 28
- Melee Defence: 33
- Weapon Strength: 82 (AP)(AL) (More AL, a lot less AP)
- Charge Bonus: 44
- Ammunition: 8
- Range: 125
- Missle Damage: 35 (DPS over a 10 seocnd period)
- Reload Speed: 45

Special
- Armored
- Anti-Large
- 50% magic resistance (Gotta keep it in, probably good at keeping it out)
- Unbreakable
- Causes Fear
- Siege Attacker
- Special Ranged Weapon (LONG reload time)
- Charge Defense against Large
- Fatigue Immunity

Campaign Recruitment and Upkeep
- Cost: 2150
- Upkeep: 340
- Available through the Gromril Forge (Smith lvl3).
- Requires a Gunsmith's Forge (workshop lvl2) in the province.

If you like this unit, check out my full compilation!
I also have a compilation that utilizes only vanilla assets to ensure you don't have to buy any DLC.

There is now a Radious Total War compatible version of this unit in one of my compilations!

Please don't forget to rate and comment! Let me know if you like this unit, or if it needs any tweaks or changes!