Lorehammer: who is Grombrindal?

Grombrindal, also known as the White Dwarf, is a figure of legend among the dwarfs of the Old World. His past is said to be mysterious. Is he really the spirit of the first dwarf High King, returned to avenge the wrongs done to his people by Malekith of the Dark Elves, among others? Well, yes. Almost certainly.

The thing about mysteries in Warhammer is they often aren’t very mysterious.

Malekith once promised the dying king that we would ensure their two peoples always remained friends. Malekith promptly orchestrated the War of the Beard (don’t ask) between the two races in order to further his own ambitions.

Grombrindal appears in times of great need to aid the dwarf holds in battle. He is a cunning and steadfast leader and will never run from any foe. Ever.

During the End Times (also known as The Events Of Which We Do Not Speak Because They Did Not Happen) Grombrindal teamed up with a pair of dwarf heroes to help out his kin.

This could have gone better.

However during the time represented in the setting of Warhammer: Total War it is entirely plausible for Grombrindal to be active. Other dwarfs would willingly accept his leadership, even those in a position of leadership themselves, because of who he is. As the first High King he has the seniority of age over any other claimant to that title.Also, he carries items linked directly to the dwarf Ancestor Gods, which would remove any lingering doubts about his legitimacy. We should expect these items as the subject of quests in Grombrindal’s hero tree.

All in all he’s a great addition to the game and one that many players will like regardless of your history with the tabletop game.

What’s in a name

Grombrindal’s title of the White Dwarf holds a special resonance for those who have a familiarity with the tabletop game. White Dwarf is the name of Games Workshop’s monthly hobby magazine, and the only way (for now) to get this character is to pick up the right edition of that magazine with the code inside.

A number of different miniatures representing Grombrindal have been cast over the years. Here’s mine:

I acquired him well over a decade ago, I think as a free figure on the cover of a previous issue of the magazine. I will paint him one day. YES, I WILL.

Start collecting?

Some players of Warhammer: Total War may be thinking of picking up a Grombrindal figure as something different. Here’s the current model:



The GW webstore shows him as out of stock as I type this, and if the same happens to you, don’t worry. You’ll find a suspiciously similar figure called an Unforged:

Am I saying this is the same figure painted in different colours? It’s another of those Warhammer mysteries.