Many of the expirienced players do not suggest dwarf for the first country you register. One hand I agree you have to have nerves from cord to play it, second hand I think dwarf race can be good choice for a newbee.

In case of small amount of countries took place in the group, dwarf can be an excellent choice. Why? It is simple.

For example an other country slaughters you, no problem you train your special units in 10 rounds wich is a big advantage compered to other races.

Another example: in those groups mentioned above the price of the gems are always around the highest price (2000 gold) so when you have gem mines your income per round can be about 180180 gold ( dwarf race, farmer personality, with 3 gem mines, 2000 gold/gem). Just an advise: it is better to sell gems in any rounds, because thief countries usually looking for dwarf countries to steal from them. Don't get nervous if many portals are opened to your country at the same time, thats just the way it is for a Dwarf, locate the thiefs, than give free way to your horses, elites to take your revenge. As you know the taste of revenge is sweat.

Last but not least, you have to follow the basic material prices on the market,
after that you are able to decide wich mines are needed and wich are less important to make money. Usually the price of stone and/or weapon is the highest from all the basic materials. And don't forget that your race (dwarf) has the best mining capacity and the highest production from weapons in the game, you have to turn it to your advantage. You can keep smithies (production per round 9 weapons), with 6 smithies your production per day will be 1296. If you sell 1000 per day you will have still 296 wich is more than enough for training new troops.

Dwarf is not the best warrior, or the best thief. And he has serious disadvantage by wizardy compered to other races (except undead forces).

Yes I know it.

But I also beleive that dwarf countries are so tough that it is very hard to force them to delete. Because there are always many possibilities to rebuild, retrain troops when someone attacked you.