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View Full Version : Space Wolf Tactical Considerations.



Denzark
02-19-2011, 01:55 PM
I have just started with my Space Wolves. This is not a band wagon thing - I had 30+ 2ed minis hanging around so have with the addition of a couple of choice pieces, have finally built enough to field them. Here are some comments on tactics, you may deem to reply:

HQ

1. Logan Grimnar - awesome. Have tried him with my long fangs for relentless - they aced a Storm Raven, a LR, and a Death Company Dread before they could be closed with. His +1 attack power for one turn was good too. Would only use him outside of 2000pts unless running a Logan Wing.

2. Rune Priest - v.good. Running him with Blood Claws. + preferred enemy - infantry. The I4 W2 needs consideration - 2nd game I gave him runic armour and this worked nicely.

3. Njal the nasty. I seem to always get him killed. I think too many points possibly although at 2000+ I'll keep him in mind.

Elites

4. Wolf Guard. I have been running true to form (normally Chaos) and using them as champions. In my 'take and hold' Squad of Hunters, I have banged TDA with paired wolf claws and a cyclone. Its quite funny- makes them shooty enough to NEED to kill but dangerous enough in hth to think twice about charging.

Recently I am having second thoughts about the wolf guard. Mostly - a WG with combi melta and power weapon, or stick to 10 man Squads of GH for the second special weapon? Because although Ld8, you have ATSKNF. (I have to stick to 10 as all my troops get transports).

5. Wolf Scouts. I am running 9, with a WG combi melta, m-bombs and power weapon. Squad has 2 power swords and a melta. The idea is whilst they are good to take on gun-line cowering on the back line, they are good for outflanking and then charging MEQ devs, etc who are also found there. I don't know why people would run 5 man squads with 1 x PW, any hints why this is considered the way to go as opposed to redundancy?

Troops

6. The Blood Claw wet dream - 14 in a crusader with WG, and the afore mentioned priest. The sheer amount of hits they do is awesome. Whilst I consider them a fun unit, it occurs to me in a more competitive list you can use GH better for more utility. hence I will probably relegate them to 2000+.

7. Grey Hunters. I love the wolf standard, and also the Wulfen. Last game the wulfen actually penned a dreadnought with rending - unfortunatley only stunned it but it made the BA bast*rd pause for thought! I have one squad with melta - for going forward. The other with plasma and the afore mentioned WG cyclone for holding my home objective. Currently have run them in Drop Pods but am feeling this is a little too random if reserve rolls are crap - so going to change for Rhinos. I don't get or like Razor spam - 6 man units seem too weak to me.

Heavy Support

8. LR crusader. See Bloodclaw wet dream above. I love having POTMS - I ALMOST rate it more than daemonic possession.

9. Long Fangs. Run with 4 Multi Meltas, and a melta/power weapon leader. Also a power weapon WG. Another charge me and die option. I do see why people like the ML but my meta is mech not hordes. If I come across a horde they'll go down under blood claws or bolter doom. The LF support the objective holders.

Units I haven't used:

10. Wolf Lord on Twolf. Wow. Having been first turn charged by one into my IG tank line, I like the thammer. However also quite like the idea of frost blade - S6 power weapons, awesome. A little undecided, would only run with a significant wolf screen. Maybe with some sling shot trickery.

11. Ragnar. many points for no eternal warrior. Given on how often Kharne seems to get waxed by instant death. But I like the furious charge as I think the game winner is to hit first in hth with power weapons. I will use in bigger games maybe.

12. LR with godhammer. Can you ever go wrong with this?

13. WG terminators. They seem to be so many bloody points, particulalrly my old 2ed with traditional storm bolter/power fist. Would only use with LR crusader - reason being that I feel alpha striking terminators with drop pods must shoot and kill something, so need combi meltas. But in the back line they will need storm shields to not be a suicide unit, and that would leave no power weapons.

14. Vindicator. I think I will bring now and again. Why do people say it needs a minimum of a pair? For me a unit needs to make its points cost back. I wouldn't deploy it without first turn, I consider myself a good enough tank commander to get that template within 30" first turn on a decent target.

15. Sky claws - cheap as chips jump infantry, may pair with a wolf priest. I like.

16. Bikes. Not at BS3 methinks.

17. Canis. One of the few new releases I own, I will use at some point. But, he scares the plop out of me, won't he and his Twolf pals just draw immense fire as a result?

18. Bjorn. I must at some point, someone still left from the heresy? How can I get him to fight that Angron? But I see him as possibly brittle. Shame no drop pod. Hope SW get storm ravens, that might fix it!

So, that is my random thoughts, I would appreciate any commentary on stuff I may not have considered.

gcsmith
02-19-2011, 02:21 PM
Very good, better than my BT tactics, CHarge it repeatedly till it dies, if that fails, vindicator it up in the face, if that fails, punch the player and claim moral victory because his face bruised my hand :)

sangrail777
02-19-2011, 03:45 PM
What do you mean "..shame no drop pod.." Space Wolves have drop pods and they can carry troops or dreads even Bjorn.

Mr.Pickelz
02-19-2011, 04:05 PM
i've play'd Bjorn many times and he has shined against marines, more so against other SW or C:SM's being that with a free plasma cannon at bs6 it almost never scatters for me, and to have him on turn 1, in DOW is golden.
wolf lord with SS/FB is sweet as an infantry killer, toss him with GH's or a unit of BC's if i'm feeling lucky, and he goes to town on people.

wolfguard with SS. so far have been nice to have since i can dump heavier firepower wounds on them when placed in GH squads although it does take away the combi melta.

edit: FB = Frost Blade for those who don't know

Denzark
02-19-2011, 04:27 PM
What do you mean "..shame no drop pod.." Space Wolves have drop pods and they can carry troops or dreads even Bjorn.

What I mean is that Drop Pods, which I mention using earlier in the post, are not an option for Bjorn.

Whoop!
02-19-2011, 05:59 PM
Wolf Scouts, and behind enemy lines. Two squads of 5 with wolf guard squad leader w/Thunder hammer. Best 300 pts you ever spent!

Nosmo75
02-20-2011, 11:26 AM
The main advantages of Razor Spam are target saturation (giving your opponent more targets that he can fire at), multiple scoring units (for objectives-based games), and a large amount of firepower (usually anti-tank firepower). You can a take a Razorback with a lascannon/heavy bolter/plasma cannon/whatever, put five Marines with four bolters and a plasma gun/heavy bolter/multi-melta/whatever inside and you've got yourself a pretty potent shooting unit there, just take five or six of those and you can bury your opponent under a fusillade of firepower. =)

I think you'd be better off just running your Long Fangs with four missile launchers and a sergeant with a bolter (or a plasma gun, or something), tbh. Missile launchers are a lot cheaper than multi-meltas, and do the same job almost as well. Yes, multi-meltas are more powerful, but taking multi-meltas means that you have to rush your LFs towards the enemy to get in range, where they will soon get bogged down in combat. Better to have a full 5-7 turns of 48" missile fire, than 1-3 turns of multi-melta fire at multi-melta range (is it 12" or 24"?), I say. My reasoning for not kitting out the sergeant for close combat runs along a similar line of reasoning, they're Long Fangs, they do more damage for longer if they stay back, out of combat. =)

Wolf Brother Hellstrom
02-20-2011, 01:34 PM
My Opinions:
1) Bjorn- no drop pod allowed, but give him a plasma cannon and he's nothing but win
2) Canis-better witha squad of fenris wolves
3) Ragnar- put in LRC with 10 hunters w/ 2 flamers, MOW, Standard, PF led by WG(i usually give Storm Shield and Thunderhammer) and ragnars two fenris wolves. Aside from nob bikers(who will take alot of casualties!) i dare you to find a squad this doesnt desimate!
4) Wolf scouts- no matter how you use them they just work
5) NEVER use bloodclaws of any form unless you have a wolf priest. and dont bite of more than you can chew cause they will die if they dont wipe out what they assualt. Me and Whoop already had this conversation lol.
6) Long Fangs- I usually run two squads 3 ML's 2 HB and they usually work together to wipe out anything you want
7) ThunderWolves-I love em! i run five with Storm Shields and 5 armed differently for wound allocation
8)Njal- take with Arjac and 3 WG termies in Drop Pod to go HQ hunting ourto slow opponents advance. He usually does die though:( but takes out alot before he bites the dust. he is expensive for only 2 wounds

Till the Emporer Awakens!! Praise Russ!

Denzark
02-20-2011, 02:36 PM
Hellstrom

Thanks for considerations. I like the sound of Bjorn with Plasma.