Dwarf Chucking[1] or Pick Up Workers[2] is a special ability that can be used when you possess a Bile Demon or Giant in Dungeon Keeper 2. It allows them to pick up Dwarves and Imps and throw them as projectiles. It does a good deal of damage, but risks killing the Dwarf or Imp.[1]
To perform this ability: Press the ability's key binding (no indication will be present, a future remaster could remedy this...), click on a suitable target which may or may not highlight depending on the version you are playing, and it will be in your hand shown as an Imp.
The Dwarf may become incapacitated (a unique job) when hitting a creature and suffer minor damage, or outright fall unconscious and needed to be picked up from the ground if just thrown at the terrain, regardless of level hit points.
The ability cannot really be cancelled, even when trying to re-/un-select the special ability, or selecting a normal attack. If exiting possession, the victim merely gets dropped at the spot and the same happens to it as if thrown blindly.
Possessed Bile Demons and Giants may snatch hostile Dwarves from any location and shoot them into an area beneficial for the player, like where an ambush may be set up. Quick "human" resource (Skeletons, Vampires, conversion, map information).
They may also throw enemy Imps onto your territory so that you can collect the gold dropped on the ground after their death. A possible smart preliminary move before a greater attack against either a dumb A.I. or an overwhelmed human Keeper, especially when there are more players alive than two.
Friendly Dwarves (of possibly high enough level) may be thrown over a lava river into creatures as shock troops or diversion. Or just in the back of a large hostile force to occupy the attention of back row ranged attackers if managing to hit a creature.
When attacking an enemy Keeper's Dungeon Heart with a creature that has this special ability, you can theoretically throw the enemy's own Imps at his heart's arches. It is supposed to do damage.
In the super rare events that you'd possess an Imp, or actually a rare Dwarf, in Multiplayer and face a Bile Demon or a Giant that might be possessed by a foe, you should watch out for Dwarf Chucking.
Bugs[]
When the special ability is used by the Giant, depending on your version of the game, the screen may highlight unnecessary things, like other creatures, treasure chests, doors, even the Casino payout lever.
If a Dwarf is thrown into a creature, he can land in a different (dug out) place THROUGH a nearby wall!
Trivia[]
The ability is called Dwarf Chucking, works on both Dwarves and Imps, but the special ability HUD icon portrays specifically an Imp when either are in your hand.
An Imp and a Dwarf can actually be thrown over the mouth of a Portal, and a Dwarf can be thrown over and into the pool of a Temple without being sacrificed and where he will die inside with no chance to reach his body unless you sell off some room tiles.
Some old trivia mentioned the difference between Bile Demons and Giants being that the latter do not care where they throw Imps.
This ability can also be used to throw books from Library bookshelves. The HUD icon changes to portray a book in your hand. It is unclear whether this is an Easter egg or the remnants of a cut feature.
