
A Dwarf Bolt Thrower as rendered for Total War: Warhammer.
A Dwarf Bolt Thrower is simply a larger, siege weapon-sized version of the crossbowcrafted by the Dawi that is often called a ballista, which is able to fire heavier and far larger bolts over greater distances as a form of artillery.
Role

A Dwarf Bolt Thrower
Dwarf Engineers still vie with each other to invent Bolt Throwers with greater range, loading speed or accuracy. Practical to a fault, the Dwarfs place more trust in an old, proven Bolt Thrower that has fired reliably for generations.[1a]
The Bolt Thrower remains an important part of the Dwarf arsenal because it can be built and maintained cheaply and is accurate enough to bring down monsters such as Wyverns or Trolls with a well-judged shot. Its direct trajectory of fire and uncomplicated mechanism also enable it to be used effectively underground, and without obscuring everything around it in choking smoke.[1a]