I've finalised my Space Wolves escalation army list for Battle of the Chumps (Botch). It's a mix of tactical selection, cunning strategy plus whatever I can build and field in what time I have left!While I could have gone with something a bit cheesy and experimental, I've taken the 'balanced' approach and focussed my efforts on crafting a Space Wolves army with a good mix of units, mobility, close combat, fire power and numbers to make my forces as tactically versatile as possible.
While I had my heart set on Logan Grimnar leading a pack of Long Fangs totting lascannons, I'll save that for another day.
Botch Restrictions:
Cannot include more than One of the same HQ choice.
If you take a Special Character you cannot field any additional HQ choices.
Cannot include more than Two of the same Elite, Fast Attack or Heavy Support choice. This also goes for dedicated transports like Land Raiders or Battle Wagons.
So for example, I can't take more then 1 Rune Priest, 2 Wolf Guard packs, 2 Long Fang packs or 2 Land Raiders (of any variant).
It's also worth mentioning that Imperial Armour units for both the Imperial Guard and Tau Empire are being allowed. No idea what most of that stuff does. Guess I'll just have to kill it!
Botch Games:
2 Games at 1000 points
2 Games at 1500 points
2 Games at 2000 points
You start with a 1000 points force, add 500 points to it and then add another 500 points to that while adhering to the restrictions above.
There are also some custom scenarios, strategy cards and other bits, but I'll worry about those later. Let's focus on the Space Wolves army for the job.
So, the first 1000 points is more 'core' force. This is where it's best to get my Wolf Guard, because you need to buy them in groups of 3. Also, I can only buy 2 units of them due to the escalation nature of the tournament. I also need a character to lead the army and because I have a whole 1000 points to play with (trust me, it's huge compared to just 500 points), I need to get as many troops as possible as well as the essential long ranged heavy weapon support. This is what I came up with:
1000pts of Space Wolves
Rune Priest
(X3) Grey Hunter Pack:
Wolf Guard with Combi Melta and Powerfist
8 Grey Hunters, Meltagun, Wolf Standard and Mark of Wulfen
Rhino APC transport
Long Fangs Pack:
1 sergeant, 5 Long Fangs with Missile Launchers
Razorback APC with twin linked lascannon
Notes: The 3 Grey Hunter packs move forward with Rune Priest to hold the middle ground and defend or continue forward and smash faces as needed.
The Long Fangs hold back with their Razorback and shoot things. If they need to get forward with the rest of the force, the Razorback is always near by.
+500 Points of Space Wolves
Grey Hunters Pack:
5 Grey Hunters, Meltagun and Mark of Wulfen
Razorback APC with twin linked heavy bolter
Long Fangs Pack:
1 sergeant, 5 Long Fangs with Missile Launchers
Razorback APC with twin linked lascannon
(X2) Landspeeder:
Multimelta and Heavy Flamer
Notes: The first 500 points expansion includes a small Grey Hunter pack in a Razorback to aid the advance of the army and drop back to claim objectives where needed. The second Long Fangs pack works the same as the first. The two Landspeeders will most likely stay in reserve and turbo boost onto the board before hunting tanks and tightly packed infantry in the following turn.
+500 Points of Space Wolves
Wolf Guard Terminators:
1 Wolf Guard in terminator armour with combi-plasma and wolf claw
1 Wolf Guard in terminator armour with combi-plasma and power sword
1 Wolf Guard in terminator armour with combi-melta and power sword
1 Wolf Guard in terminator armour with combi-melta and Chainfist
1 Wolf Guard in terminator armour with cyclone missile launcher, storm bolter and power sword
Land Raider:
Land Raider with extra armour, twin linked heavy bolter hull and twin linked lascannon sponsons.
Notes:
Terminators go into reserve and rock up in the land raider and punish anyone who ventures more than half way across the board. This last 500 points brings a lot of low AP weaponry and power weapons to the board in a durable close combat unit. I also gave the Wolf Guard terminators a cyclone missile launcher to make them a bit more versatile. Plus the Land Raider brings more firepower in the form of extra lascannons. I may even use my old Land Raider line of sight blocking tricks from my Deathwing playing days!
CONCLUSION
Solid core, supporting 500 points, then more high cost support for the final extra 500 points. By the 2000 points mark the board is going to be getting pretty cluttered, so it's worthwhile getting a power unit in there that can really give something a good kicking.
While I could have taken more Grey Hunters, Long Fangs, Land Speeders or even some Thunderwolf Cavalry, the Terminators in a Land Raider were very appealing simply because I still have a lot to build and paint! Luckily the Wolf Guard Terminators are done and I just need to make and paint their Land Raider transport.
To Build:
1 Long Fangs Razorback
1 Grey Hunters Razorback
1 Wolf Guard Land Raider
2 Landspeeders
To Paint:
1 Rune Priest
1 Grey Hunters pack
1 Long Fangs pack
1 Long Fangs Razorback
1 Grey Hunters Razorback
1 Wolf Guard Land Raider
2 Landspeeders
That's quite a bit to work through. I've got to get it all done and hopefully get some practice games before the 26th of June. Wish me luck!
10 comments:
May 7, 2010 at 3:20 PM
I love escalation style tournaments. It adds some depth and strategy to list building, let's you get in all sorts of games and forces a list that's flexible - makes one trick pony lists rarer.
The resultant modular list building: premade chunks of 250/500 pts work well for normal construction too.
May 7, 2010 at 5:50 PM
The restrictions on list building are simply too much. To top it all off the tournament allows for FW units for just IG and Tau are allowed. What about the other armies out their with FW units and rules. Seems hypocritical to me.
The escalation side of the tournament is uber cool though and one that I would love try one day.
May 7, 2010 at 6:59 PM
Yeah, it's a huge pain in the arse -especially when many armies dance around a lot of the restrictions. But such is life.
There's always the next Grand Tournament in November for proper competitive games.
May 7, 2010 at 9:49 PM
I definitely agree on the list restrictions. Those sorts of things annoy me to no end. I get that they want to reduce spammy min/maxing, but I find restrictions such as listed really don't curtail any of that but make it much more difficult for themed lists.
Also, it leads to wierd artificial limits. For example, I use very little fast attack in my lists, just 2-3 Speeders. In those restrictions, if I ttook three I'd have to have them in a squadron, something I definitely don't want to do. But it's somehow ok for me to use one alone and two in a squadron, but not three individual ones? It's silly.
They also don't impact all codexes equally. Some codexes have a variety of good choices in a given slot so it's not a big deal, others are much more limited.
May 8, 2010 at 2:44 AM
I think you might be a bit disappointed in the durability of those terminators. At 2000, you're likely to hit some ordnance/MCs/higher-initiative power weapons that could really hurt that unit if it doesn't bring any stormshields.
May 9, 2010 at 11:29 AM
I agree with the Testudo. But if you are gonna just sit back and shot anything that comes near half bring in 2 more Hunter packs 10 2 melta, Mark with Razor backs Linked LaSC. Your Termi builds are okay but if you have to bring them out on the table to deal with Elites from other armies then yeah they get to shot, but go into CC and there pretty much dead, you kinda have a mix build which is okay but you might run into the trouble of them not being able to do to much yeah the land raider will take alot of hits and hopefully put out some pain. The CML is good but you already have 10 missiles and on the odd chance the fangs get shot up or your getting run over your only gonna get 1 shotting turn out of him b4 CC so if you want him split him into one of the long fangs as a wolf guard (pretty sure they can not restrict you on that since wolf guard can join a spuad at the beginning of the fight). The other Guard should be either CC or shot em up style. For Shot em up drop the plasma and chain, take melta, fist on one and another claw, 500 points. Your gonna be able to shot up anything near b4 you charge and you got some CC to back you up. If you gonna CC with these guys drop the Land Raider bring in a Redeemer, extra armor Multi Melta. Don't put the CML with a long fang and drop the CML. Then
1 Shield / Claw
2 Claw / Claw
3 Claw / Claw
4 Melta / Claw
5 Melta / Claw
gives you the a good INV and rerolls where needed and b4 CC you burn and shot them all to peices.
But again just my opinion.
May 10, 2010 at 1:15 AM
I'm not a redeemer fan, personally. I find it's extremely difiicult to actually utilize the potential firepower from the flamers. Maybe I just suck, or my opponents are unusually clever, but there really are very few opportunites for me to actually fire at all with them, let alone effectively. Crusader if you need transport cap or standard for everything else IMHO.
You want the termies to all be different to play with wound allocation, particularly in such a small squad. I'd definitely stay with the chainfist in there to maintain flexibility too - most striking on I is good, but you want at least one capable of ****kicking a dread/badass MC if the need arises. Yeah, I get that you generally don't want non-SS termies fighting those, but it often happens - particularly later in the battle I find.
The claws DO look badass though.
I'm a huge fan of a CML wolfguard with Longfang squads. I can rarely spare the points unfortunately, but he makes an enourmous difference for LF survivability. It's not always important, but I've found his presence makes opponents hesitate before sending light backfield hunters after the LF. Every turn the spend out of CC is another turn of shooting, after all.
And 7 missiles from a squad is pretty badass.
May 10, 2010 at 4:14 AM
Adam just to clarify something anyone can use IA units provided they have no mass or structure points. IG, Tau and Chaos can also use the IA alternative army lists (just incase any BotCers reading this get confused).
As for the comp, well like any comp you either love it or hate it. Personally I think this is the most balanced system we have come up with over the years whilst also keeping it simple. Not saying its perfect, no comp system is, but our experience has shown it tones down a lot of the harsher lists out there (plus I also timmy comp if needs be).
Sorry but couldn't sit here without defending my own event.
May 10, 2010 at 7:52 AM
It is a great balanced restriction and I think it works well. I however unfortunatly cant make it so will have to arrange swapping my ticket over to brad :(
Alex H
May 10, 2010 at 11:26 AM
That is a real shame Alex.
Can you let me know if Brad is able to take your ticket, last time I asked he wasn't able to get the time off.
If it helps to convince him say there are up to 5 more tickets going if he fancies bringing the rest of the Doncaster lads down.
If he can't I will see if there is anyone else after a ticket, if it goes I'll let you know but I can't guarantee anything.
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