Throwing Axes

[Update: 01:46 25/02/11:
I've rewritten and corrected this post here, with hopefully correct rules.]

[Update: 11:30 24/02/11:
So I got a metric tonne of the rules wrong in this post. My thanks to Trollhoer of Troll Tales who set me straight in the comments. That's what I get for not fact checking. I'll go rule check the corrections and fix this whole post up this evening GMT.
In the mean time...don't believe a word I've written!]

Throwing Axes (p91):
Range 6", Strength +1 (i.e. 5 for Dwarves), Quick to Fire.

Quick to Fire (p73)
[paraphrasing]...does not suffer the -1 penalty for moving and shooting...can always be used to stand and shoot - even if that charging enemy is too close for stand and shoot to normally be used.

Well holy crap, this allows Dwarves to move and shoot. (That's move and shoot now, not march and shoot).
I never realised. I don't honestly know if it'll be any good with such a short range, but the strength 5 is tempting - and you can use double ranks in 8th ed.

The cost? Well only Dwarf Ranger units can have them. You can only have 1 Ranger unit per army list. Warriors, Long Beards or Quarrellers can be upgraded to Rangers for +1 point per model.

Rangers can be equipped with Throwing Axes for +1 points per model.

I used to have some Rangers, to bad they're
away from the hold 'ranging'.

If you're being charged it's assumed short range, but it's -1 to hit chargers so it amounts to the same as shooting at long range.

With Warrior Rangers BS of 3:
To hit on BS3 is 4+, -1 to hit (long range/charging) is 5+ so only 3 or 4 hits out of 10.

With Quarreller Rangers BS of 4:

To hit on BS4 is 3+, -1(long range/charging) is 4+ so only ~5 hits out of 10.

This bit of the rules cracks me up:  "...the model is assumed to have enough axes to last the battle." I can just see some crazy slayer type, completely covered in axes with just some beard hair and beady eyes visible through the mass of blades.

Unfortunately it's quite likely that you'll only get a round or two off with the axes; I can't imagine ever using this for harassment - 3" move simply isn't enough to keep up with other units. It also isn't enough to move into the 6" range and shoot that turn - pretty much anything would have charged you the turn before when you were 9" away.

So in the end, throwing axes come as a nasty surprise charge reaction. They're the equivalent of an single shot Orgun gun with the tasty tasty S5 hits.