Botch Warm Up 1: Space Wolves VS Dark Angels

I haven't taken my Space Wolves to battle for a little while now, so my first game would be against James in a Dark Angels VS Space Wolves grudge match.

In our last battle the Dark Angels had been ripped to shreds by a horde of rampaging Space Wolves. James was determined not to let that happen again!

For this game we both took the opportunity to try out our 1000 points army lists for Battle of the Chumps and see how they faired.

James wasn't so confident about his 1000 points army while I knew mine was pretty powerful, even if I'd never used a Rune Priest before.

I chose to take Jaws Of The World Wolf and Murderous Hurricane for his psychic powers. I was tempted to drop one of them for Living Lightning, but Murderous Hurricane was universally awesome against units of infantry while Jaws Of The World Wolf is fear inspiring and with a little bit of luck, could spell the doom for any Independant Character or heavy weapon trooper.

You can checkout my Space Wolves Escalation Army List. Meanwhile James took the following in his 1000 points:

Interrogator Chaplain with jump pack
10 Assault Marines, Veteran Sgt with Powerfist

10 Tactical Marines with lascannon, melta gun
+ Razorback with twin linked heavy bolters and extra armour

10 Tactical Marines with lascannon, melta gun
+ Razorback with twin linked heavy bolters and extra armour

Land Speeder Tornado with heavy flamer and multimelta

Note: Unfortunately James forgot to field his Land Speeder in this first game. It was only after we finished player and discussed the game that he realised. Don't worry, we had a rematch which you can read on Wednesday!


MISSION
We rolled for mission and got Capture & Control with a Dawn of War deployment.

I won the roll off and went first, placing my beer barrel objective in the centre of the board! James then chose to place his objective in the top left corner, behind a building.

I set up 2 Rhinos and the Rune Priest riding in one of them with the rear hatches 7" from the board edge.

James set up two 5-man combat squads with lascannons on the roofs of the building left of centre and to the far left.

My plan was to drive down the centre, fend off anything that came my way, then hopefully send a Rhino or two to go and contest the far left objective.

James rolled to seize the initiative and failed. The first turn was mine.


TURN 1
Everything came on from the board edge. Two Grey Hunter squads walked on and embarked into the waiting Space Wolves Rhinos, which both sped forward 12" and fired their smoke launchers.

On the left more Grey Hunters arrived in a Rhino and did the same.
On the right, the Long Fangs arrived in their Razorback and ran into the ruins to get into position for next turn. Then the Razorback would move away to give them a clear line of fire.

In the Dark Angels turn, James brought on both 5 man combat squads with melta guns in Razorbacks with the Interrogator Chaplain and his assault team hiding behind the tanks.

Aside from blasting the storm bolter from the Rhino with the Rune Priest in, his firing was ineffective.

TURN 2
The Space Wolves advanced in their Rhinos which skidded sideways as the Rune Priest and melta gun armed Grey Hunters fired from the open hatches.

Meanwhile the Long Fangs Razorback immobilised itself on a rock, but fortunately 3 of the Long Fangs were still able to fire their missile launchers.

The combined firepower of the Space Wolves exploded one of the Dark Angels Razorbacks, showing the assault squad in debris and blew the turret from another.

Meanwhile the Interrogator Chaplain and his assault squad suffered two casualties from the Rune Priest's Murderous Hurricane. And if they wanted to move next turn, they would have to move as if in dangerous terrain.

I had no intention of getting my Space Wolves out of their transports unless the Rhinos could be stationary or be blown up, allowing me to disembark right in front of a unit I'd like to charge in my following turn.

James made my wish come true by advancing both of his Dark Angels combat squads and wrecking the Rune Priest's Rhino with a melta gun while leaving his precious assault squad and Interrogator Chaplain where they were.

The Rune Priest and his Grey Hunter pack disembarked right in front of the Dark Angels combat squad. Then, I failed my pinning test! My huge mob of Space Wolves were stuck -what a disaster!

Meanwhile the other Dark Angels combat squad charged the other Space Wolves Rhino, attempting to plant krak grenades, but their attacks had no effect.

TURN 3
The Grey Hunter pack on the left burst out of their Rhino transport and crashed into the side of the Dark Angels combat squad, protecting their pinned Rune Priest and fellow Space Wolves.

Meanwhile the Grey Hunter pack on the right disembarked and charged the other Dark Angels combat squad.

The two small combat squads were torn limb from limb by the frenzied Space Wolves before the Grey Hunter reformed ranks in front of the Rune Priest's pack.

James poured all of his firepower into the nearest Space Wolves pack before charging in with the Interrogator Chaplain and assault squad. When the fight was over, only the pack's Wolf Guard and a single trooper remained of the Grey Hunters. They fled the combat, losing 5 to 3, but the Interrogator Chaplain, 2 assault marines and the veteran sergeant couldn't catch them, which left them to consolidate a poor 3".

Faced with 18 Space Wolves led by their Rune Priest, the Interrogator Chaplain was as good as dead. James conceded the game at this point.

CONCLUSION
I had a plan right from the start and I stuck to it. For the Space Wolves, claiming the midfield is the most important thing you can do, because then range isn't so much of an issue -and if it is, the Long Fangs are there to help you out.

The Rune Priest's pack getting pinned was very unfortunate, but because I'd kept my whole army in support of each other, I was able to have another Grey Hunter pack sweep in and save the day.

I think James made quite a few mistakes in this game. The first was trying to hold the centre. The second was not committing his Interrogator Chaplain and assault squad. Who cares if they take a few wounds, they're Space Marines!

The Interrogator Chaplain led assault team was my only worry about his army, because when it charges it can pretty much wipe out a whole Grey Hunter squad.

I suggested that next time he focussed all his firepower units on his objective while the Chaplain led assault team and 5 Dark Angels in a Razorback stay in reserve and arrive to claim or contest my central objective while I'm depleting my resources in travelling diagonally across the board to attack his objective.

While James forgot to field his Land Speeder in this game, I don't think it would have made a huge difference beyond blasting apart a Rhino earlier on. But he'd already committed his forces to defending the centre, which was his downfall -and I guess the Land Speeder would have given the Long Fangs something more interesting to shoot at...as we found out in our next game!

Stay tuned for the next Space Wolves VS Dark Angels battle report on Wednesday!

GW Price Hike 1st of June 2010

The latest GW Price Hike starts Tuesday 1st of June. What will you buy before the 12% mark up hits? I for one plan to save what I can by buying in bulk.

Seriously though, 12% is a massive increase and when we can currently get 20% off our Warhammer 40K figures, that extra £2.50 on a lot of boxed sets really stacks up fast.

So now the question is what do I need lots of? For me it's those Thunderwolves I was putting off. I already have plenty of Space Wolves that need painting.

I've chosen to invest in a 5-man Thunderwolf Cavalry unit, plus 2 Wolf Lords riding Thunderwolves and a Canis wolfborn model as well. So that's 8 Canis Wolf Borns and a Space Wolves boxed set to convert the riders with.

That comes to £176 from Total Wargamer, plus £2.99 for UK postage.

At the time of writing Wayland Games has chosen a sweet time to rebuild their website. Doh!

If you're looking to add to your army fast and make even bigger savings while you can, Total Wargamer has a number of special Army Deals discounted by 25% that can build a 1,500 point Warhammer 40,000 army.

Warhammer 40,000 Army Deals currently available:
Blood Angels Army Deal - £121.50 (save: £40.50)
Ork Army Deal - £198.75 (save: £66.25)
Space Wolves Army Deal - £158.25 (save: £52.75)
Space Wolves Terminator Army Deal - £106.50 (save: £35.50)

I wish I had enough for the terminator army deal as well as the Thunderwolves. But to be honest, I'm just sickened at how Games Workshop can raise prices by 12% without any reason. It's not like the Conservatives have even increased VAT yet. Online discounts have kept me in the hobby for quite a few years now and I'd certainly never pay full retail price now.

Thanks for supporting the Space Wolves blog by shopping with our sponsors. They're the cheapest online, so you get a great deal as well! You've got until midnight Monday 31st of March to buy stuff before the prices go up.

Tell us what you snapped up before the price hike!

Space Wolves Tactics: Secure The Midfield

When it comes to Space Wolves tactics, securing the midfield is the top priority.

The Space Wolves are a short ranged army, so minimising the distance to get your melta guns or bolters in range is incredibly important. Plus, if you control the middle of the board, then nothing is really out of your reach.

Grey Hunters are the core of any Space Wolves army and if you're not running them in Rhinos, you should be!

The plan for any Space Wolves player should be to drive their Rhinos packed full of Grey Hunters into the midfield and fire the smoke launchers.

It's amazing just how durable Rhinos with a 4+ cover save can be...unless there are any melta guns close by. But that's okay, because your opponent has just played into your hands.

Park the Rhinos side ways on and get ready to charge out of them should anything get too close.

Should they get blown up, you can disembark your Grey Hunters out the other side, away from harm.

Or you can disembark them right in the enemy's face if they're not particularly hard in close combat or have a lack of power weapons.

Either way, if anything is stupid enough to get close, they're going to get charged!

I run 3 Grey Hunter packs in my 1500 points and 1000 points armies. Trust me, they're hard to kill whether through massed fire power or close combat.

The real beauty is if the objectives are around the centre of the board. Then your opponent will have to find a way around or through all those ferocious Space Wolves while your Long Fangs are firing missile launchers into his lines.

This is another great reason to choose Rhinos over Razorbacks. Because your Grey Hunter with a melta gun can fire out of the top hatch, as can any Rune Priests you've brought with you. Chances are, they'll be casting Jaws Of The World Wolf, Murderous Hurricane or Living Lightning. None of which are short ranged or nice to be on the receiving end of.

Whatever happens, your opponent is going to use a lot of fire power to take out those Rhinos before he can even touch your Grey Hunters. Even then, you can hide behind them or punish him for getting too close.

Remember that while the Space Wolves may be fantastic in an all out charge, the cunning playing will know how to use his Space Wolves in a defensive counter attack.

Always remember the victory conditions of the mission and only go for wiping out your opponent if it's the only means to secure victory.

Finally, it's important know when to stay in your Rhino, when to get out and when to dive back in! But that's something you'll have to learn on your own.

Stay tuned for more Space Wolves tactics, slip ups, 'juicy bone' baiting and all out bar-room brawling in next week's battle reports!

Mayhem 6 of 6: Space Wolves Vs Daemons

So it came to be that the last game of the day was upon me. My last victory had gained me some points to get me back up into the middle tables with a chance of finishing higher up.

All weekend I had heard of a Daemon army thrashing opponents using a nasty Fatweweaver and Bloodthirster combo. Many heads these Deamons had taken and as fate would have it they would be my final battle.

Now Deamons are my bug bear, my nemesis, my ancient enemy. Whenever I play Deamons I just seem to do rubbish and I must say it I wasn't looking forward to it. Luckily my opponent Rob was one of the Flame On guys and was a top bloke, we both agreed to have a good easy going game and have a laugh in the process.

Robs army was:

FateWeaver

Bloodthirster

5 Blood Crushers + Upgrades

3 x 6 Plague Bearers, Icons etc...

2 x Large units of Fiends

Deployment

Mission :- Capture objective in the centre of each table quarter.
Set Up :- Spearhead

I win the roll off and let Rob choose which corner he wants to deploy in, or not deploy in as the case may be with Daemons.

I get to sep up in the opposite corner which has a hill in the corner and a building in the centre. The Long Fangs bunker up in the building making an awkward target for the Daemons, I then castle up the rest of my army placing the Rhinos in Counter Attack positions. I then wait for the Daemons to materialise.

Turn 1
With Pop Snap Crackle and Pop Rob's chosen wave appears from the Warp which conists of the Greater Daemons, and some Fiends along with one of the Plaguebearer units. Fateweaver and the Bloodthirster land about 15" away from my lines and make good run rolls towards me, Rob is careful not to get too close together as he knows I have Jaws. The Fiends also land in a good spot and close the gap whilst getting into cover. Finally a unit of Plague bearers land in the Ruins in Robs deployment zone claiming the objective.

With some Target to shoot at I try to make best use of my situation. I line up both Rhino's containing Rune Priests to get some Jaws shots on Fateweaver as I decide the key to bringing this list down is bringing him down quickly.

My army remains pretty much static otherwise so I begin shooting. I throw absolutely everything at Fateweaver but only manage to cause a single wound, crap.

Turn 2
Rob gets some reserves in the form of Plague bearers which he brings down in one of the table quarters claiming yet another objective.

He then flies Fateweaver and the Bloodthirster over to my Rhinos supported by the Fiends who close the gap.

Fateweaver then does his Magic stuff and manages to blow Ulfs Rhino up.

There is no other shooting in the Deamons turn so we move onto the assault phase, Rob declares a charge with the Bloodthirster into Ulfs pack. Luckily for me he is charging into terrain and does not quite make the distance. He decides not to charge Fateweaver in for some reason, possibly because he is keeping the rest of the army alive.

Turn 3
I really need to do some damage this turn but that bloody Fateweaver was allowing most of his army to stay alive by giving them re rolls.

I disembark the pack nearest to Ulfs and move into support them, whilst Ulfs pack forms up around Fateweaver.

I again tried to Zzap Fateweaver with Jaws from both Priests but he passed both tests. Ulfs pack then blasts him with Melta's and pistol fire and manage to knock off two wounds leaving him on one wound.

The Longfangs try to blast the Fiends nearby but don't really do much as they pass lots of Invulnerable saves.

To finish my turn I charge Ulfs pack into Fateweaver thinking I'd rather charge than be charged. I cause a whopping 15 wounds on the Deamon, surely this is the end of the critter? Nope! He passes them all and then kills Grey Hunter in return.

Rob manages to get the restof his reservesdown onthe table. The second pack of fiends land in the middle of the battlefield whilst the final unit of plague bearers land in my deployment zone. Finally the Blood Crushers appear near the Blood Thirster, probably to mop up after the big boy.

With Fateweaver in potential trouble the Bloodthirster moves in to support along with the Fiends. Fateweaver blasts my Wolfguard with his mutation spell killing him outright.

The Deamon of Khorne then charges into the melee along with the Fiends, catching my other pack in a multicharge. The Bloodthirster rips into the Grey Hunters killing kost of the pack whilst the Fiends kill Ulf and then kill several more Grey hunters from both packs. But in his final act of glory my Powerfist toting Wolf Guard throws himself at Fateweaver clutching the Deamon by his scrawny neck and pulling its head clean off thus banishing the beast back into the warp.

My packs are overwhelmed in combat and try to flee but the swift Deamons catch up to them causing some more wounds in the process. I may have lost this combat but rob informs me i am the first and only to kill fateweaver this tournament! This deed shall be sung of in the feasting halls of Erik Morkai for centuries to come.

Turn 4
Despite the small moral victory its all going badly at the minute but I refuse to give up.

I move Skalfs pack towards the centre of the table and the Razorback pack towards the plaguebearers capturing the nearby objective.

I use Jaws of the World Wolf and a volley of Krak Missiles to thin out the Bloodcrushers by two. The Predator tries to add its firepower to the salvo but the crushers pass their Inv saves.

In combat the Bloodthirster kills off the remainder of the Grey Hunters with a few swipes of his sword, he consilodates towards the Predator.

In Robs turn he closes in on the Predator with the Bloodthirster whilst the Fiends go for my Razorback. His newest pack of Fiends makes a move for Skalfs pack in the centre while the Bloodcrushers try to get acroos soem rocks to intercept my Grey Hunters.

The Daemon smashes the tank to bits with little effort whilst the Fiends crawl all over the Razorback and eventually blow it up.

Turn 5
Skalfs pack disembarks from the the Rhino and heads towards the Fiends closing in on them. My other pack of Grey hunters move towards the objective and the plague bearers protecting it.

Skalf tries to cast Murderous Hurricane but taps too much power from the warp and takes a wound for his efforts, the rest of his pack rapid fire into the Fiends but again they pass a ton of inv saves and I only kill a few.

I then charge my Grey Hunter pack into the Plague Bearers, a flurry of blows are exchanged but no casualties are caused on either side so the combat ends in a draw.

Robs responds by charging whats left of his Fiends into Skalfs pack hoping to slow them down. Meanwhile the Blood Thirster and the Plague bearers capture the objective in my deployment zone.

He also manages to charge his Bloodcrushers out of terrain into the Grey Hunter combat against the Plague Bearers. This combat ends in a bloody massacre of my pack as the high amount of Power weapons is too much.

Over on the other flank though the Fiends fail to do any damage and are cut down by Skalfs pack.

Turn 6
We roll the bones of fate and get another turn to smack each other around.

I move Skalfs pack towards Robs deployment objective, if the game goes to turn 7 theres a chance I can capture it. I try to move the Long Fangs out of the building to contest the objective in my deployment but I end up rolling a double 1 for movement! NOOOO!

There is nothing for Rob to do in this turn except move his BloodCrusher and try to intercept Skalf and his pack.

This is it we roll a D6 again to see if the game ends and we get.....a 3. Game Over

Daemon Victory.

CONCLUSION
That was a cracking game and I certainly did not mind losing, Rob was a top fella and got my best sportsman vote for the day. After reviewing the battle I dont think I would have done anything different other than send Skalf and his pack after that last objective earlier in the game. I poured so much firepower and attacks into Fateweaver it made me cry when he passed all those Inv save but he had to die as whilst he was alive I could kill bugger all else.

Once again my nemesis stops me dead in my tracks, but for how long? The Wolf grows wiser as it gets older.

Stay tuned for more Space Wolves battle reports soon!

Mayhem 5 of 6: Space Wolves Vs Orks

My fifth battle saw my Space Wolces faced off against Orks which I was pretty pleased about as I have quite a bit of experience fighting the Greenskin menace. The table we were allocated was quite spares with a lot of low lying area terrain which was in my favour to be honest.

So I'm sat waiting to meet my opponent, there's a couple of battle wagons plonked on the table but nothing else. I'm waiting and waiting but still no sign, I'm just about to call over a judge and up he pops. Good start I can see where this game is going already.

My Opponents list was:

Warboss, bike, powerklaw loads of upgrades
6 Nob Bikers, Painboy, 2 Klaws etc equipped for wound allocation tricks.

20 Boys, Nob with Klaw
20 Boys, Nob with Klaw
10 Grots

8 Tank Bustas, Trukk
8 Tank Bustas, Trukk

Battlewagon, Big shootas, Deffrolla + upgrades
Battlewagon, Big shootas, Deffrolla + upgrades

Deployment

Mission: Loot Markers. One objective is deployed in the middle and two are placed in each deployment zone. These objectives are move able, a unit on foot can move into the objective to pick it up. A unit cannot run, turbo boost or embark onto a transport once in possession of an objective but can otherwise act as normal.

Set Up: Pitched Battle.

I win the roll off and decide to take first turn and deploy on the board edge will the more favorable cover. I set the Long Fangs up on a hill on my right flank from where they can see the entire battlefield. The Predator sets up on the left flank covering the most obvious route for those battle wagons. I then deployed the Boars Snout in the entire to blast forward and get that middle objective which was worth 6 points. I deployed my Razorback next to the objective in my deployment zone near the Long Fangs.

The Orks set up was very central, as expected the Battlewagons were going to rush the centre supported by the bikes and the Warboss. The tanks hunters were lurking behind and the Grots grabbed the objective in their deployment zone.

The Orks fail to steal the initiative.

Turn 1
I start my turn by moving all three Rhinos forward 6" which should now bring the Rune Priests within 24" of those naughty biker boys, everything else stays still.

My shooting phase starts with me asking "Which one is you painboy?" Ulf then hurls Jaws of the World Wolf at him hitting the Painboy and the Power Klaw toting nob behind him. My opponent then picks up some dice and rolls 4+ on both D6 saying he has passed his cover saves?! After explaining about Jaws of the World Wolf I let him re roll the dice for his Initiative test which they both fail and die. he picks up his models and chucks them to the side of the table in a huff.

Skalf then does the same target ting another two Bikers at which point my opponent stops me after I roll the dice for the Psychic test. The conversation goes something like this:

Me "Ok same again from my second Rune Priest"
Brad rolls dice
Ork "Ha! you didn't declare your target so the power fails."
Me "What?"
Ork "You didn't declare your target, You didn't say you were shooting at that unit."
Me "Are you going to be a prat all game?"

So after a polite conversation about acting like a 12 year old I continue with my shooting. Skalf kills the second Power Klaw in the unit.

After the Priests had done their work the Long Fangs send a volley of Krak Missiles into the bikers killing them all and wounding the Warboss.

The Predator then tries to take out a Battlewagon but only succeeds in blowing off a Big shoota.

The Orks respond my surging forward, Battlewagons leading the way. The two Tank Buster trukks scoot forward into range of my Rhinos whilst the Warboss tucks in behind a Battlwagon.

The Tank Bustas let loose a volley of rockets against my Rhinos and manage to wreck Ulf and Skalfs Rhinos. There is sporadic shoota fire but nothing to write home about.

Turn 2
I decide to set up my Grey Hunters to do as much shooting as possible before taking the charge off the Ork Boys in those Wagons. Ulfs pack move to the right flank a little whilst Skalfs pack moves into the swamp to the left.

Ulf leaves his pack and stands on top of the wrecked Rhino behind his pack who is covering him. From this vantage point he can see the Warboss hiding behind a Battle Wagon, the Jaws spell hits him dead on and swallows him into the ground with the rest of his mob.

The Long Fangs target a battlewagon on the side armour and wreck it causing the boys to spill out in front of Ulfs pack. The Predator targets the other Battlwagon but this time bounces off the thick front armour.

Ulfs pack then double taps the Orks that spilt out in front of them but in a shocking display of marksmanship only cause 3 wounds! They must be too excited about the upcoming brawl.

By this point in the game my Razorback squad have secured the secondary objective and look like they will be sitting on it all game.

The Ork Tank Bustas fire at one of my Rhinos as they are in range and have to shoot at them the rockets manage to wreck it. The other mob shoots at the Predator getting a stunned result.

The Orks are now in charging distance but look a bit shocked at the loss of their Boss and his rock hard biker boys. The active Battlewagon tank shocks Skalfs pack who then pass their morale check. To my opponents surprise I declare that my Meltagunner is going to stand and shoot. I hit and penetrate the Battlewagon and then roll a 6 causing the Battlwagon to explode into pretty coloured flames sending boys flying in all directions. I take about 8 hits from the Deff rolla but only lose a couple of Grey Hunters.

Luckily for the boys inside they don't take too many casualties and are now within charge range of Skalfs pack.

Both Mobs of boys charge into my Grey Hunter packs who in return counter attack. The combat against Skalfs pack is brutal with both sides taking heavy casualties, only a few boys remain but the Nob manages to snip skalf in half with his Powerklaw. The Orks lose the combat by a substantial amount and are cut down as they try to escape the Grey Hunters.

Over on the right Ulfs pack gets to grips with orks and again both sides take some damage, despite losing the Orks manage to hold. It is during this combat I have to show my opponent the Wolf Standard entry in my codex as he thinks I am making it up about re rolling all 1's.

Turn 3
Things are looking good at this point, the Orks have crashed into my lines and have been sent reeling.

The pack still in its Rhino disembark and move onto the central objective grabbing it. Skalfs pack makes a move towards the two Trukks containing Tank Bustas shooting one with everything causing it to slew to a halt immobilised.

The combat between Ulfs pack and the Orks rages on but this time the Orks have lost their momentum and are hammered into the ground by the Grey Hunters.

The Orks have little to do this turn as the army is all but smashed. The tankbustas try to move so they cannot see any vehicles in order to shoot my Grey Hunters, however they can still see one of my Rhinos so both mobs are forced to fire at it. Amazingly the Rhino survives the torrent of rockets once again.

Turn 4 and 5
With two objective secure I set about finishing off the Ork Trukks and Tank Bustas in case they try to sneakily contest the objectives.

Skalfs pack closes in on the closest mob whilst getting into charge range.

In the shooting phase the Predator pops the second Tankbusta trukk forcing the boys out on to the ground. The Long Fangs and Razorback then hammer the Orks killing off the mob.

By this time the Grots are well and truly hidden behind some ruins, I try to get into position to hit them with long range firepower but cannot get line of sight to the little buggers.

We end up rolling a 1 to end the game on turn 5, Space Wolf Victory 8 points to 2.

CONCLUSION
What can I say, this was a decent game that got me some points back. I won't comment on my opponent further but if you have read this you will be able to guess why. The only thing I could have done better was perhaps sent something to deal with those Grots earlier in the game but my army was busy dealing with the bulk of the Ork force. A saving grace was the fact I hammered the Nob Bikers with Jaws of the World Wolf early on essentially taking them out of the game.

Saga of the Beast Slayer

Saga of the Beast Slayer is a Space Wolves character bonus designed to kill monsters, walkers and anyone with a Toughness of 5 or above.

With the new plastic Daemon Prince finally on its way, Saga of the Beast Slayer is going to become more popular than ever.

Now our Space Wolves Beast Slayers can enjoy hunting Dreadnoughts, Soul Grinders, Trygons, Ork biker Nobz and Daemon Princes! -Plus many more horrors of Warhammer 40,000.

How does Saga of the Beast Slayer Work?
Simply put, it lets you re-roll to hit in close combat against monstrous creatures, walkers and any model with a Toughness value of 5 or above. This includes models which have received a Toughness Bonus from riding a bike, steed or other means.

The Space Wolves Lone Wolf also get a similar special rule with the same effect.

Who Are The Best Beast Slayers?
When it comes to killing everything from Space Marine Dreadnoughts to Blood Thirsters of Khorne, these are our favourite Beast Slayer characters. Just bear in mind that some of the deadlier monsters of the Warhammer 40K game may need shooting up a bit before your plucky hero charges in to finish them off!

Beast Slayer Wolf Lord:
Space Wolves Wolf Lord riding Thunderwolf and armed with a Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield and wearing a Wolf Tooth Necklace, Wolf Tail Talisman and accompanied by 2 Fenrisian Wolves. Finally, he has the Saga of the Beast Slayer.

The plan with this guy is to charge in, take your hits, strike back with everything you have and score as many hits as possible with the Wolf Tooth Necklace and Saga of the Beast Slayer combination. Then the Thunder Hammer should inflict plenty of Strength 9 wounds, leaving the monstrous creature stunned so you can comfortably finish it off in the next round of close combat.

Strength 10 could be a problem though, as it can instantly kill him, so you won't be charging this guy at Dreadnoughts.

Beast Slayer Lone Wolf:
Space Wolves Lone Wolf wearing Terminator Armour and armed with a Chainfist and Storm Shield. He's also accompanied by 2 Fenrisian Wolves.

Lone Wolves are meant to seek the biggest monsters they can find in search of a glorious death, so equipping him to be a beast slayer is all part of the fun.

Like the Beast Slayer Wolf Lord, he's designed to charge in, take some hits, then slay the beast.

As part of the Lone Wolf special rules, he can't be instantly killed and he rerolls to hit in close combat in the same way as Saga of the Beast Slayer -Which is just as well when he only has 2 attacks basic.

He can take a Thunder Hammer, but I've chosen the Chainfist instead because he's comparatively slow while the Storm Shield and Fenrisian Wolves take the brunt of the blows. The Chainfist is also better at ripping up vehicles. So he's more of a close quarters vehicle and Dreadnought hunter to make the most of his 'cannot be instantly killed' ability.

He's obviously nowhere near as good as the Beast Slayer Wolf Lord, but he's quite a characterful unit and a lot of fun to play. Besides, he gives away a Kill Point if you don't get him killed!

We recommend this fully tooled up Beast Slayer Lone Wolf for fun games, otherwise he just won't make his point back. That said, Brad's Lone Wolf has sawn through quite a few gruesome opponents with his chainfist, including a Great Unclean One -yuck!

CONCLUSION
While a powerful character with Saga of the Beast Slayer is a great and very characterful choice for the Space Wolves, sometimes it's easier to throw a Grey Hunter pack (or packs) on a monstrous creature or dreadnought and watch it fall under hail of bolter rounds, melta gun blasts, then chainsword and wulfen attacks before finishing it off with a few smacks from a power fist.

Monstrous creatures have always been an fairly big part of the game, but make sure you don't over specialise in hunting them.

Personally, I'll be fielding the Beast Slayer Wolf Lord because he's fast, tough and great for taking out a wide rang of enemies from troops to monstrous creatures, walkers and tanks.

If every unit in your army can easily take on any enemy unit type, then you've got a very tactically versatile army rather than relying on 1 unit to be in the right place at the right time to deal with a particular threat.

Good luck, happy hunting and I hope you enjoy writing your own saga of the Beast Slayer for your Wolf Lord!

Mayhem 4 of 6: Space Wolves Vs Imperial Guard

Sunday morning started with a banging headache, a dry mouth and a very queezy stomach. Long live Bugmans Beer!

After I managed to crawl into Warhammer world and throw some coffee down my neck the postings were put up for the 4th game which showed my Space Wolves lined up against Imperial Guard. Thank the lord! I was getting sick of Power Armour.

My opponent was Dave and he was fielding a rather nice looking Imperial Guard mechanised army with too many Chimeras for his own good. Again I apologise if this army list is wrong because I didn't make notes of it. His army list from memory was:

Command Squad
4 Plasma Guns
Chimera

Platoon Command
4 Meltaguns
Chimera

Infantry Squad
Autocannon
Chimera

Infantry Squad
Autocannon
Chimera

Infantry Squad
Autocannon
Chimera

Veteran Squad
Autocannon
3 Meltaguns
Chimera

Vendetta

Devil Dog

Manticore

Leman Russ Executioner (The Plasma turret)
Lascannon Hull Weapon


Deployment

Mission: Mayhem Kill points
Deployment: Dawn of War

I was on the same desert table as the last game but this time I lost the roll off and ended up deploying on the opposite side which had a hill and two wooded areas for cover. I elected to hold everything off table and placed my Razorback unit in reserve. The IG deployed in a long line of steel with 3 Chimeras and the Russ on my left flank and everything else on the right flank. The Vendetta was outflanking and the Manticore was tucked away behind some ruins. I wish I had some Wolf Scouts right now.

Turn 1
The Guardsmen scanned the horizon with night vision and search lights but there was no sign of the Wolves of Fenris and so ended his first turn. The only movement was the Devil dog which raced forward using its fast engines.

My Rhinos roared onto the board 12" and all three popped smoke whilst Ulf chucked up Storm Caller. My Long Fangs ran into the woods and made it to the other side setting up to fire next turn whilst the Predator squared off against the Leman Russ excutioner, that thing had to die! Despite using ultra keen senses none of my units could find a target in the darkness except the Wolf Guard who sniffed out Devil dog and immbolised it with krak missiles.

Turn 2
As dawn broke the Imperial Guards lines exploded into life. The turn started with the whine of jet engines as the Vendetta came onto the board on my left flank near the Predator. The rest of the army stayed still and took aim.

Volleys of Autocannon and Plasma fire raked across the front of my Rhinos but the smoke stopped all but one which hit the Rhinos engines causing to skid to a stop.

The Vendetta fired at the Predator but failed to penetrate the armour followed by the Manticore which hit all three Rhinos with a D3 barrage! Luckily the smoke did its work again and I lost a weapon on a Rhino. Phew

I continued to advance as fast as I could towards the Guardsmen driving straight through some rocky terrain in the centre of the board.

My firing started disappointingly with the Predator failing to dent the Leman Russ' front armour. My Long fangs did no better as they split fire and targetted Chimeras but only managed to shake one.

I disembarked a Grey Hunter unit into the rocks next to the Devil Dog and blew it up with Meltaguns taking a wound for my troubles in the explosion that followed.

I then got my Razorback unit on from reserves, they came on the left flank and drove straight up to the Vendetta and jumped out fo the Transport. The Grey Hunters then blew the bird from the sky with two well placed Melta shots each one only rolling 1D6 to penetrate. What a result!

Turn 3
I was getting worried now as more Guard firepower was in range and I had failed to take out that Executioner which would eat my troops out in the open.

Again the Imperial Guard lines remained pretty much stationary except for the Command squad who moved withing Plasma range of my Grey Hunters now out of their transport.

Once again a torrent of fire hits my troops with Autocannon fire blowing up Skalfs Rhino leaving them in the open. The Executioner then targetted Skalfs pack with its Plasma Cannon. Luckily the gunnery skill was off and two of the three shots scattered off slightly minimising the wounds caused but there was still 11 to allocate. The pack was in cover from the wreck so I decided to hit the deck and go to ground. This helped as I only ended up losing 4 Grey Hunters instead of the entire pack.

My Howls of celebration were soon drowned out by the screech of Storm Eagle rockets as another barrage hit the pack killing two more Grey Hunters and stunning Ulfs Rhino.

My Pack in the rocks ended up taking casualties too from overwhelming Lasgun, Multlaser, Heavy Bolter and Autocannon fire.

I used my tactical wisdom to figure out that I could not take another round of fire like that and live.

The pack in the rocks jumped back into its Rhino and sped 12" across the field towards the Executioner. Skalfs pack was stuck in cover as I had gone to ground in the previous turn and Ulfs Rhino could not move so I decided bail out, unfortunately rolled crap again and could not get out of the terrain they were in.

This time the Predator founds its mark and stunned the Leman Russ, at least it would not be firing next turn.

The Long Fangs also picked up on their performance and wrecked a Chimera and stunned another.

Finally my Razorback unit re embarked into the transport and moved in to support the rest of the packs.

Turn 4
I could smell the panic seeping out those Chimeras now, My packs were almost on them but I still had a wall of firepower to get past first.

This turn was a bit more lively as some of Chimeras began to shift position getting ready to blast me at close range. A Vet squad dismbarked to get some shots at one of my Rhinos, 3 Melta shots later and my Rhino was in bits all over the floor, I still had 5 Grey Hunters inside who passed their pinning check and did not take any casulaties.

The Executioner just sat there stunned from last turn. But once more the vast amount of firepower opened up on Skalfs squad including Sky Eagle rockets which was too much even for the Power Armour, the pack was no more.

The pack that had just been blown out of its Rhino was also subjected to masses of Plasma, las and Autocannon fire but I passed every single armour and cover save required, Heroes I say!!

That pack then dashed across open ground and into some more ruins next to the Executioner. Ulfs pack took up firing positions in the rocks.

The Long Fangs spotted a nice cluster of Veteran Guardsmen, 7 Frag Missiles and 35 wounds later the Vet were no more, overkill baby!

My Predator once again tried to bust open the Executioner but failed to penetrate once again.

My heroic pack of Grey Hunters then manage to slay the beast with a Meltagun shot, it blows up killing a Grey Hunter and several Guardsmen in the process. My pack is now reduced to the Wolf Guard and the Meltagunner. Ulfs pack takes some long range Melta shots into a nearby Chimera but the weapon bounces off the front armour.

Turn 5
With a Wolf in the chicken coop the Chimeras spring to life desperately trying to bring as many guns to bear on the Grey Hunters a possible.

The Platoon Command Squad closed in on my two Grey Hunters in the ruins because it had a heavy flamer on the front. Everything else just shifted to get line of sight.

The barrage of fire opened up again focused mainly on Ulfs pack, hoping for some awesome cover save action like last turn I was disappointed as the pack fell to the weight of fire including Ulf.

My Grey Hunters in the ruins are then subject to Flamer, melta and lasgun fire. After the smoke clear the Wolf Guard is still standing much to the annoyance of my opponent.

The Long Fangs spy a Guardsmen squad lurking near the wreckage of a Chimera and blast them with a volley of Frag missiles killing eight but leaving the heavy weapons team alive but they are quicky finished off by the Razorbacks Heavy Bolter.

Finally my last Wolf Guard charges into the platoon command squads Chimera but only manages rip the multilaser off.

Turn 6
The game goes on to turn 6 which was a bit bad for me as I had an easy kill point sat in the ruins.

The Imperial Guard muster what firepower they have and finally kill my Wolf Guard.

The game is pretty much over by this point My Long Fangs now have nothing in Line of Sight but my Predator manages to move just far enough to fire at the platoon command Chimera but the shot glances off the front armour causing little damage.

And at that the game ends.

CONCLUSION
Well I must say I was quite confident I had won this one, I had lost 8 kill points but had killed at least 10 or 11 in return. However this is Mayhem and we were using Mayhem kill points.

It turns out my Grey Hunters are worth 3 kill points each with their Rhinos and that Ulf and Skalf both gave away 2 kill points. Unfortunately for me all those Guardsmen and Chimeras I killed only got a 1 kill point becuase they were so cheap!

Final score 13 - 11 to the Guard.

I don't think I could have done anything different in this battle, I was faced with massive amounts of firepower and had to close in as fast as possible. If anything I could have perhaps punked one of the flanks and worked my way down his line but that still would not have saved me from the long ranged stuff.

I had a very good game and as with all my oppoenents so far it was a very pleasant game and I had now shook off my hangover.

Only 2 more games to go!

Mayhem 3 of 6: Space Wolves Vs Space Wolves

With a win and a loss for the Space Wolves, I reckoned I was back where I started in the tables and still had a chance to claw my way up the tables.

After some more Ale (Bugmans Beer is awesome!) I went to check out my third opponent for the day.

I shoved my way to the front of the horde trying to find out who I'd be playing next, found my name and saw that I was playing Space Wolves again. Great!

When my opponent deployed his army, first thing I noticed his Wolves were painted red! Heresy!

Here's my 1500pts Space Wolf list to save you looking for it.

My opponents list
Wolf lord, Thunderwolf, Wolf Claw, Storm Shield, bits etc

3 Grey Hunter packs in Rhinos, Powerfists and Flamers
Grey Hunter pack with Fist and Meltagun

Dreadnought, Twin linked Lascannon

3 Thunderwolves, Mixed Weapons

5 Long Fangs, 2 Missile Launchers, 2 Lascannons
5 Long Fangs, 2 Missile Launchers, 2 Lascannons

Deployment
Mission :- Deadzone, a 6" radius from the centre of the board counts as the primary objective with two secondary objectives placed 12" from the corner of opposing boards. The Primary is worth 6 pts and the secondaries are worth 2 points.
Deployment:- Pitched battle.

I win the roll off and decide to take first turn and choose deployment side. I did this because one side of the board was more favorable to my army than the other. The dead zone was a nice wide open space in the centre, my opponent placed his objective on a hill to my left whilst I hid mine in some ruins on my right flank.

I place my Long Fangs in the centre in some ruins giving them all round fields of fire and the Predator takes up position on my right flank again with good fire lanes, both units were covering the deadzone making it a killing field. I then deployed my Grey Hunters in position to advance and meet the enemy head on and hopefully flood the dead zone with scoring units, the Razorback unit held in reserve to come on and grab the secondary objective.

My opponent mirrors my deployment with the same battle plan as myself. His Long Fangs get into cover and the Dreadnought hides behind some trees trying to stay out of the way of my Predator. Finally the Wolf lord and his Chums set up ready to charge headlong into my lines.

He tries to steal initiative and fails.

Turn 1
I rumble all three Rhinos forward 6" pop smoke on one giving the other two behind cover from any shots from the Long Fangs. Everything else in my army sits tight and takes aim.

I decide the Thunderwolves must die so I start by throwing two Jaws of the World Wolf at them catching the Lord and some of buddies in the line. The Wolf Lord makes two Initiative tests and passes them but the Thunderwolf behind him fails to dodge and falls to his doom.

The Long Fangs then open up with Krak missiles and pound the Thunderwolves managing to kill off two and wounding the third. The Predator then targets the Dreadnought and blows it sky high with two well placed Lascannon shots.

The enemy counter by advancing full speed with Rhinos, the Wolf lord and his buddy tuck in behind the Rhinos to get cover.

The Long Fangs target my Predator and manage to stun it into inaction. The rest of the Long Fangs split fire and target my Rhino's, smoke saves most of the shots but one gets through and pops Ulfs Rhino making his pack disembark.

Turn 2
I shuffle Ulfs pack into a better position ready to receive a Thunderwolf Charge. I dismount Skalfs pack and move them to support Ulfs pack should they get into trouble. The third Pack moves to the left flank to try and hold up the Grey Hunters there.

The shooting phase is pretty naff with my Long Fangs trying to take out his in a missile duel and failing. I pop two Jaws at the Wolf Lord and he again passes both, I was desperate to kill him.

With nothing to assault I get ready for the next round.

My opponent empties his Rhinos and moves into charge range with pretty much all of his Packs. His Thunderwolves come out of cover and as expected make a bee line straight for Ulfs pack.

His shooting kills off a few Grey Hunters and his Long Fangs dont do much apart from hit the Predator a few times all of which fail to penetrate.

The assault phase starts with his Thunderwolves and Grey Hunter pack charging Ulfs pack, The Wolf Lord rips into the pack with his Wolf Claw killing six Grey Hunters ouch! The Thunderwolf and Ulf then throw themselves at each other killing each other in the process in a gigantic exchange of blows. The Grey hunter pack then kills off the rest of my Pack before my Powerfists could get into action resulting in a complete massacre.

Turn 3
With one pack so easily killed I was in a bit of trouble, I moved Skalfs pack to intercept the pack that had just killed Ulfs. My other pack disembarks and move to attack the two remaining Grey Hunter packs.

Last turn the Wolf Lord consolidated back into cover so despite my best efforts I failed to kill him with Missile and Lascannon fire.

Skalf sends another Jaws at the Wolf Lord whilst his pack opens up at the Grey Hunter pack providing him with cover. Again the Wolf Lord dodges the attack but the Grey Hunters manage to drop half of the enemy pack with firepower.

My third pack hit a Rhino with Meltaguns but only manage to immobilise it.

I then charge Skalfs pack into the Grey Hunters the combat is short and brutal with Skalf and the Grey Hunters emerging victorious. I then consolidate towards the Wolf Lord and the Deadzone objective.

My opponent disembarks the two Grey Hunter packs and moves them into charge range of my Grey Hunters. The Wolf Lord shifts over to support them in the upcoming assault.

His Long Fangs send volleys of fire into the Predator causing it to blow its turret sky high destroying it.

The assault phase begins and both units of Grey Hunters slam into my own pack along with the Wolf Lord, again his Wolf Claws rips a bloody swathe through my pack whilst the rest falls to sheer weight of attacks. I do manage to cripple one of the packs with my own attacks before the combat ends. He consolidates into the deadzone with both packs.

As it stands at the minute we both have scoring units in the deadzone.

Turn 4
I decide to execute a cunning plan should I lose my final scoring unit in the upcoming turns. I move my surviving Rhinos and form a "U" shape with them and the wreckage of a Rhino I had already lost. More on this later.

Skalfs pack fall back to the edge of the Deadzone and then double tap the large Grey Hunter pack reducing their numbers. Again Skalf manages to catch the Wolf Lord in a Jaws attack but his high initiative saves his ass again.

My Long Fangs cannot target the Grey Hunters because of the Rhino wall but they kill a few enemy Long Fangs instead.

The enemy close in on Skalfs pack as he needs to remove them from the deadzone to win.

He kills some Grey Hunters with shooting and then charges in with both packs and the Wolf Lord. Luckily this time despite re rolling hits the Wolf lord does not cause any wounds! I take heavy losses but Skalf and a few Grey Hunters survive locking them in close combat.

Turn 5
This is it, its looking grim in the deadzone as I doubt Skalf and the Grey Hunters will last another turn of combat.

I move the Long Fangs out of cover directly into the centre of the Rhino "U" wall and more importantly into the deadzone.

With nothing to shoot we go to the assault phase, The Wolf Lord manages to rip Skalf in two then Grey Hunter fight Grey Hunter in a fight to the death. With a final lunge the Wolf guard in my unit smashes into the Wolf Lord killing him with his powerfist, my pack finally falls.

The enemy has about 5 Grey Hunter left in the deadzone but he still cannot win as my Long Fangs are contesting. He climbs over the wreckage of the Rhino and gets within charge range of my Long Fangs.

The Grey Hunters charge into combat but due to a poor terrain roll he only gets two into combat with my Long Fangs, the combat ends in a draw.

We then roll to see if the game ends, I am sweating buckets as I am forcing a draw as it stands. We roll a 6, the game goes on.

Turn 6
The only thing to do this turn is the assault, he manages to get the rest of his pack into combat, The Grey Hunters do nothing to my Long Fangs but his powerfist kills two leaving me with two Long Fangs. I kill a Grey Hunter but still lose the combat by one however the Old Dogs stay in combat holding for one more round of combat.

In potentially the last turn of the game it all boils down to the Long Fang combat. We roll for initiative 4 attacks and I lose a Long Fang leaving the pack leader alone he make his armour save and I do not kill anything back.

This is it, his Wolf Guard fire up his Powerfist...takes aim...swings...and misses with both attacks!!

I make my morale check and pass, the Old Dog has held the enemy and is still contesting the deadzone, we roll too see if the game ends and we get a 3!

Game over, result Draw.

CONCLUSION
That was a good game I don't think I've sweated as much during a game as I did in that one, maybe it was the man flu taking over my body.

My opponent Will was great although I had a little issue with his army. Will was using Space Marine on bikes to represent his Thunderwolves. This in its self was fine but he had them mounted on bike bases. It didn't bother me that much but on the turn he killed Ulfs pack if he had 60mm bases he would have had to make a terrain check and he could have possibly not made it into combat. As it turned out he could squeeze the bike base through a gap and get into combat.

It may or may not have effected the outcome of this game but when things come down to a fine line at the end you notice these things.

Anyway I was pleased to turn a potential loss into a Draw, we both held a secondary objective and the Deadzone was contested by the Long Fangs pack leader, what a guy!

Stay tuned for the next Space Wolves battle report from Mayhem!

Mayhem 2 of 6: Space Wolves VS Space Marines

After a crushing defeat for the Space Wolves in my first game I was a bit down hearted at the bad start to the weekend but I did what any true Space Wolf would do. I went to the bar and had a few pints of ale!

So after refreshments it was time for game two, a quick check on the postings sheet and I saw I was on a lower end table fighting Space Marines, maybe it was time to drag some points back?

Regular Space Marines are a push over in close combat compared to Space Wolves and with his lack of heavy weapons, I should be able to rush across the board and unleash the fury of Fenris!

Don't forget to check out my 1500pts Space Wolf list so you know exactly what's going on.

My opponents list:
Chaplain, Terminator Armour
5 Assault Terminators with Lightning Claws
Land Raider Redeemer

5 Terminators

Tactical Squad, Missile Launcher, Meltagun
Tactical Squad, Missile Launcher, Meltagun
5 Sniper Scouts,Missile Launcher

Land Speeder Typhoon, Multi Melta

MultiMelta Attack bike

Techmarine with Thunderfire Cannon

Deployment
Mission :- 5 objectives
Deployment :- Spearhead

I won the roll off and elected to go first. The board had ruins in pretty much every corner so I chose the side with a hill to maximise my line of sight with the long range weapons in my army.

My Long Fangs took up position in some ruins and the Predator sat on the hill with a commanding view of the battlefield. My Rhinos set up in the Boars snout as far forward as they could whilst the Razorback squad deployed behind the Long fangs on foot spread out in order to deny a potential deep strike zone.

My opponent combat squadded his Tactical marines and deployed defensively claiming two objectives. His Deathstar Raider deployed forward looking like it was ready to blitz forward. He then deployed his Speeder and attack bike in the open facing my left flank. The scouts and Terminators were held in reserve and then finally he deployed his cannon to the rear bolstering the ruin there.

Turn 1
After failing to steal my initiative I begin my turn by racing all three Rhinos 12" forward and popped smoke on all three. Everything else remained stationary to maximise fire.

In the shooting phase I start off by hitting the land Speeder with heavy bolter fire wrecking it. The Long Fangs then decide the Attack bike needs to die so send 5 krak missiles its way sending bits of bike flying everywhere. Finally the Predator hits the Land Raider a few times but fail to penetrate the armour.

In my opponents turn he remains pretty much stationary except the land Riader which to my surprise turns right and heads towards the back of the board with its right hand side to the board edge.

He then sends missile fire into my Rhinos but only manages to knock the weapon off one. The Thunderfire opens up on the Long fangs but doesn't cause any damage ending my opponents turn.

Turn 2
Sensing an opportunity I disembark Ulf and Skalfs pack from the Rhinos and advance on the tactical combat squads near the Land Raider. The third pack I send racing towards the enemy deployment zone.

Firing sees the Predator stunning the Land Raider whilst the long Fangs hammer the Techmarine and the Thunderfire cannon destroying both. Ulf and Skalfs pack hold fire as the charge distance is pretty fine and don't want to kill any of the marines closes to my packs.

I then launch an assault on both combat squads ripping them pieces with no casualties in return. Both packs then consilidate towards the land Raider. Ulfs pack blocks the assault ramp and Skalfs pack blocks the side door.

With the Land Raider stunned and unable to disgourge its cargo,my oppoenent rolls for his reserve and gets his Terminators and scouts. The Terminator squad deep strikes behind Ulfs pack whilst the scouts come on from at the back of the battlefield.

The Terminators then open up on Ulfs pack with storm bolters killing a couple of Grey Hunters whilst a missile shot immobilises the third packs Rhino. The land Riader then uses it Powerof the machine spirit to flame some of Skalfs pack killing three Grey hunters.

Turn 3
Things are going well at this point but I keep my wits and focus on the objectives. Ulfs pack move closer the freshly deployed Terminator squad whilst the third pack disembarks from the Rhino and advances on the remaining tactical squad bunkered up in the ruins.

Skalfs pack then takes aim with Meltaguns and wrecks the Land Raider killing it cargo in the process as they have no where to safely disembark. Two birds with one stone, fantastic!

Ulf and the lads then open up on the Terminators, two are killed by Melta fire and a third is swallowed by the Jaws of the World Wolf. They follow this up by assaulting and popping the Wolf Banner. Ulf shows the boys he isnt past it by finishing off the two remaining Terminators.

The Space Marines retaliate with sporadic Missile and bolter fire causing a few wounds on the Grey Hunter pack near the Ruins but it isnt enough to cause major damage.

Turn 4
With the enemy Deathstar destroyed and the reaminder of his army cornered in the ruins I concentrate on capturing objectives. Ulf and his pack mount up in a Rhino as does Skalfs pack, they both then move onto an objective and claim it.

The final pack then advance into the Ruins with pistols and chainswords drawn. They then drop a few marines with pistol fire before charging through the ruins into combat. I manage to catch both units in a multiple assault, blows are exchanged on both sides resulting in a Grey hunter Dying. The power fists then swing into action and kill one of the combat squads outright.

The remainding Marines fail their moral check and flee, I let them go and advance after them keeping within 6" and claiming a fourth objective.

Turn 5
The battle is all but won and I have claimed as many objectives as I can with my Grey Hunters.

The Long Fangs sent frag missiles into the scout squad killing three and forcing the remainder of the squad to flee off the table.

The final act of the battle saw the Grey Hunters in the ruins gunning down the last two marines and ending the battle.

CONCLUSION
Well this battle certainly made up for the last one, the only thing stopping my from claiming all 5 objectives was the lack of troops. I felt for my opponent as nothing went right for him in this game, he was really nice guy and his army was painted really nice. If I had not got that deathstar early game it would have torn chunks out of my Grey Hunters, taking out his Anti tank first thing let me have free reign with my long range weapons who covered the Grey Hunters who could then close in for the kill.

Stay tuned for the next Space Wolves battle report!

Mayhem 1 of 6: Space Wolves VS Space Wolves

I have returned Brothers and its finally time to post my Space Wolves battle reports! Mayhem 2010 and been and gone, many battles were fought and ale was drunk by the gallon. Firstly let me me thank Michael Burch and the guys from the Tolworth 1st Founding for a most awesome weekend. The tournament ran smoothly from start to finish and the venue was most excellent, I think I spent most of my time in Bugmans bar though !

So I'll come out with and announce that I came 27th out of 54 players which is about half way. I had no grand illusions of winning this thing nor even coming in the top 10, my skills are not that finely honed just yet but the power of the wolf is growing as I placed better than I did last time at Vapnartak.

I played six games in total which included 3 special missions, I will explain each mission in the following battle reports. Without further delay I will get on with my first battle report.

The day started at 07:00 when myself, Neil and Cpt_Yukka set off to Warhammer World Nottingham. An hour later we were checking our bags into the Holiday Inn and then walked to Warhammer World leaving the car behind so I could get a gallon of ale on board during the day. Registration followed and shortly after the first game was announced and my Space Wolves were drawn against another Space Wolves army.


Game 1: Space Wolves Vs Space Wolves
First game and my heart sank as I saw I was fighting a fellow Wolf Brother but to be honest there was a large representation of Space Wolves. Anyway my opponents army almost mirrored my own in composition. You can check out my 1500pts Space Wolves list while my opponent had the following:


2 x Rune Priests

7 Wolf Guard with Combi Meltas and some Powerfists
Drop Pod

3 x Grey Hunter packs in Rhinos

5 Thunderwolves, mixed weapons

Vindicator

5 Long Fangs with Missile Launchers

MISSION & DEPLOYMENT
The first mission was Capture and Control with Dawn of War set up. The battle field was a snowy themed wasteland with a good mix of terrain and two hills in each deployment zone. We rolled off for deployment and things started off good with me winning the roll off, I elected to go second and let him choose board edge and have first turn.

My opponent sets up his army by placing two empty Rhinos 7" from his board edge, hang on a minute I've seen this before. I think someone has been reading a certain blog.

I decide to hold everything off board as I don't want to risk any Rhino's to early shooting. The Plan here is to use my range advantage to soften up his army before the inevitable punch up.

TURN 1
My opponent move two Grey Hunter packs onto the board, into the Rhinos and then moves them 12" popping smoke. The rest of his army takes up position in the centre and advances behind the lead Rhinos. His Thunderwolves hang back a little taking up position to counter attack, finally his Long Fangs deploy behind a hill with no line of sight, they then run and make it to the top of the hill taking up a great firing position. An empty drop pod slams next to the centre building providing a bit more cover for us both really. Four Guard with Combimeltas mounted up in a Grey Hunter rhino whilst the original occupants sat on the objective.

I start my turn by moving all three Rhinos up behind a building in the centre of the field giving them all cover. My Long fangs set up on a hill along with the Predator I decided to hold my Razorback in reserve to see how the battle goes later on. Finally I deploy my Wolf guard on his own covering the left flank with is Cyclone missile Launcher.

I start off the shooting with the Wolf Guard who misses with both missiles, great start. Ulf chucks up Storm Caller and finally the Pred takes aim with its turret and hits a Rhino but it makes its cover save. Not a great start.

Turn 2
My opponent starts his turn by moving the Rhinos into a safer position near the building in the centre whilst the Thunderwolves still play it safe getting into position to pounce. Lastly the Vindicator sets up on my left flank waiitng to blast any of my troops that come into line of sight.

Shooting consists of the Long fangs hitting my own Long Fangs with a volley of Krak missiles causing three wounds which I failed all three cover saves for. The Rune priests engage in a battle of wills but some living lightning gets through and pops the Rhino on my right flank which causes the Grey Hunters and Ulf to spill out, pinning them in the process.

In my turn I disembark a Grey Hunter pack and move them support Ulfs pack, the empty Rhino moves to block a charge lane to Ulfs pack which will make it harder for the Thunderwolves to pounce. The pack on the left gets into position giving the fire point on the Rhino a nice line of sight through a tiny gap at the Thunderwolves.

Skalf lets loose with Jaws of the World Wolf through the narrowist of gaps which manages to hit three of the Thunderwolves, two jump out of the way but the third is sucked into the void. My Wolf Guard stuns the Vindicator whilst the Long Fangs are obviously shaken from taking so much firepower and miss all their shots. Finally the Predator blasts a Rhino apart putting the Grey Hunters inside on foot.

Turn 3
It looks this turn will be the vital turn as most of our armies are in close range now. The Thunderwolves as expected make a move for Ulfs pinned pack but a combination of poor terrain move and the Rhino blocking the way leaves them in a poor position. The pack now on foot moves closer to support the Thunderwolves whilst two packs in Rhinos make a dash for the left flank.

Shooting see's Ulfs pack take some casualties from Grey Hunter fire and my Long Fangs are finsihed off with another deadly salvo of missile fire. The Wolfguard with combimeltas jump out and blow Skalfs Rhino sky high but Skalf and the boys jump out ready and unharmed.

The Thunderwolves manage to roll good on the difficult terrain test and reach Ulfs pack but because of the Rhino I had placed nearby only two could squeeze in through the gap due to the large bases. Combat See's a couple of Grey Hunters get chopped down in return for a few wounds on the Thunderwolves resulting in a draw.

I move Skalfs pack to kill off the Wolfguard pack nearby whilst I move the pack supporting Ulf through cover to get at the rival Grey Hunters. My reserve pack comes on and moves to support Skalf.

Shooting sees some of the Wolfguard gunned down by pistol fire. The Wolfguard targets the Rhino on the left and wrecks it and the Predator fires at the Vindicator but fails to do any damage.

Skalf charges his pack into the remaining Wolfguard and butchers them completely, The combat between Ulf and the Thunderwolves carries on with more Grey Hunters being killed and Ulf taking a Wound, more wounds are caused in return seeing a Thunderwolf go down.

Finally I charge my third pack through a small gap straight into the Grey Hunters. because of the terrain and unit positions only a few models are in base to base and can fight but I manage to fist the Rune Priest in the face in return for a few casualties, I actually lose the combat but my packs holds.

Turn 4
So maybe I was wrong about turn 3 being the decider as this turn most units are fighting in close combat, things are looking even at the minute but its one hell of a punch up.

There is little movement except for a Grey Hunter pack setting up to charge Skalf and the lads.

The Vindicator roars into life this turn landing a direct hit on Skalfs pack wiping half of them out whilst the Long Fangs fail to do any damage to my Predator.

Skalfs pack is then charged by the Grey Hunters led by another Rune Priest and this is where my luck runs out. The combat starts with Skalf failing to react quick enough and failing his counter attack. I then fail to do any wounds before the rest of my pack is cut down including the fists who had not even swung. The end result sees Skalf left on his own with a wound for his troubles, he does manage to hold in combat though.

Things get worse over on the right flank as Ulf and his pack are destroyed by some awesome attacks from the Thunderwolves who rip them apart with a flurry of rending hits, again my fists are downed before they can strike back so the pack is left to the mercy of the final Thunderwolf with a powerfist who ends the combat with a massacre!

The final combat does not go any better as my Grey Hunters are shown a lesson in hand to hand and absolutely whiff their attacks, I take some wounds in return leaving 4 Grey Hunters holding the Right flank.

And in one round of combat I see my entire army battered and bruised and see the chances of victory slipping away.

My turn is very short with the only movement being the Cyclone Wolfguard moving over to assist the fight with the Thunderwolves, The Razorback pack moves to help Skalf out in combat.

The only shooting is the predator who finally wrecks the Vindicator with some Lascannon fire.

I then charge the Wolfguard into combat with the Thunderwolves and hope he lives to swing and charge the Razorback pack into combat with Skalf.

The combat on the right flank is short and brutal as again I cannot hit anything to save my life and I receive an abnormal amount of wounds in return which overwhelms my Pack and the Cyclone Wolfguard ending the combat.

Skalf and the Grey Hunters fair better killing off a few of the enemy pack but Skalf is cut down by his rival along with three Grey Hunters, the last of my warriors break and flee from combat and then caught up in a sweeping advance putting them back into combat.

Turn 5
Again this turn sees little movement apart from the Thunderwolves and Grey Hunters who move onto my objective.

The Long Fangs stun my Predator this time round which ends the shooting phase.

In the final combat my three Grey Hunters are finally cut down making a valiant last stand. The Thunderwolves charge my Razorback and wreck it thus killing the only unit I had any chance of contesting with.

I literally have nothing to do in my turn so we decide to roll to see if the game ends which it did.


CONCLUSION
Well not a very good start to my day but a good game none the less. I enjoyed playing my opponent and he was a cracking sport, we didn't have any rules debates or disagreements we just played.

Looking back at this battle I feel I just got unlucky on turn 4 despite popping Wolf Banners I rolled terrible and lost a fight which depended on rolling good at the end of the day. It was always going to be a punch up in the middle but I wanted to take advantage of my long ranged weapons to thin him out a bit which again I failed to do.

Stay tuned for the next Space Wolves battle report from Mayhem!

Enter Morkai

"If other Wolf Lords knew fear, they would fear Erik Morkai..."

If you have been following this blog and my army progress you will know that I am building my Great Company based on that of Erik Morkai. I don't know why I chose Morkai's Great Company I was just drawn to it.

With my 1500 point army complete I am looking to expand my Great Company but at the same time have an army to play with that is different from my normal list. I decided to go with a pure Terminator Armoured Wolf Guard army. Here is a sample of my army list which you have probably seen before when we last discussed Wolf wing armies.

1500 Point Wolf Guard Army

Erik Morkai AKA Grimnar- 275

Rune Priest
Terminator Armour
Wolf tooth necklace
Meltabombs - 130

Rune Priest
Terminator Armour
Wolf tooth necklace
Chooser of the Slain - 135

Wolf Guard Squad for Morkai:
WG 1: Terminator Armour, Storm Shield, Wolf Claw
WG 2: Terminator Armour, Combi-Melta, Wolf Claw
WG 3: Terminator Armour, Combi-Plasma, Wolf Claw
WG 4: Terminator Armour, Combo-Melta, Chainfist
Total = 192
+ Drop Pod = 40

x3 units of Wolf Guard:
WG 1: Terminator Armour, Storm Shield, Power Weapon
WG 2: Terminator Armour, Combi-Melta, Power Weapon
WG 3: Terminator Armour, Combi-Plasma, Power Weapon
WG 4: Terminator Armour, Combi-Melta, Chainfist
WG 5: Terminator Armour, Cyclone Missile Launcher, Power Weapon
Total = 240

Now to field this list one needs to field the Great Wolf himself Logan Grimnar due to his special rule that allows us to take Wolf Guard as troops choices. My problem here is that my Wolf Lord is Morkai not Grimnar, How do I solve this? Easy I field Morkai using Grimnars rules and equip him suitably.

Logan Grimnar is equipped with the Axe of Morkai and Storm Bolter with a plethora of equipment and goodies, easy enough. I want Morkai to look different from Grimnar though and I think a Storm Bolter looks at bit boring to be honest for a fear inspiring Wolf Lord.

How did I get round this? Well I looked at the Axe of Morkai's special rules and saw inspiration. Grimnar can either use the axe as a Frost Blade or two handed as a Powerfist. I decided to give Morkai a Thunderhammer (to be used as a Powefist) and a Frost blade in his off hand, he can choose which weapon to strike with and wont cause much confusion.

As you can see from this WiP shot he looks pretty formidable with an open posture which says "Come git sum!" I used standard Wolf Guard bits for this conversion, the sword arm is actually a Storm Shield arm with a power sword from the Grey Hunters box set attached. The only non Space Wolf bit I used is the head which is from the Chaos Marauders box set.

I like how his pose turned out if I say so myself. The Wolf Pelt and weapon positioning really make the model stand out with a wide sweeping pose whilst my usual slate basing technique makes him stand head and shoulders above the rest. I will eventually model a Storm Bolter hung from his belt somwhere to represent Grimnars Storm bolter, I really don't like the wrist mounted Storm Bolters.

Stay tuned for updates on my Wolf Wing army over the next couple of months.

In the mean time if you fancy trying the Wolf Wing out yourself I recommend the Space Wolves Terminator Army Deal for £106 from Total Wargamer.

The deal will get you the miniatures required to field pretty much what I have in my army list although some converting will be required for Combi Meltas and Combi Plasma's, you would also have to scrounge some Cyclone Missile Launchers from somewhere.

Space Wolves for Ard Boyz

Hey Adam,

I've been reading your blogs for a while now and am impressed with your techniques for list building. I am not new to 40K but have only adopted Wolves since the new codex.

I am preparing for Ard Boy's here in the US and am taking Wolves for the first time. I have a couple of lists I am debating over and was wondering if you wouldn't mind looking them over for me and giving me some feedback?

Thanks
Brian

Hi Brian, thanks for getting in touch. We play a little differently in the UK compared to you chaps in the US it seems. Here it's about value for points and where you are it seems to be about smashing face with power units and enormous armies crammed into a small playing space -but I'll see what I can do.


Brian's Space Wolves for Ard Boyz

Wolf Lord in Terminator Armor 220pts
Belt of Russ, Saga of the Bear, Wolftooth Necklace, Frost Weapon

Njal Stormcaller 270pts
Runic Terminator Armor

Rune Priest in Terminator Armor 140pts
Chooser of the Slain, Wolftooth Necklace, JoTWW, Living Lightning

Wolf Guard Pack #2 520pts
10x Wolfguard in PA, 10x Storm Bolters, 3x Power Weapons, 1x Power Fist
Landraider Crusader w/ Multi Melta

Wolf Guard Pack 1: 230pts
Wolf Guard for GH's come from here, plus Terminator w/Cyclone Missile Launcher for Long Fangs #1, and 1x Wolf Guard in PA for Long Fangs #2

Grey Hunters Pack 230 pts.
10-Man 2x Plasma Gun, 1x Power Weapon, Wolf Guard w/ Power Fist, Combi-melta, Melta Bombs
Drop Pod w/ Deathwind ML

Grey Hunters Pack 225 pts.
10-Man 1x Plasma Gun, 1x Melta Gun, 1x Power Weapon, Wolf Guard w/ Power Fist, Combi-melta, Melta Bombs
Drop Pod w/ Deathwind ML

Grey Hunters Pack 205 pts.
10-Man 1x Plasma Gun, 1x Melta Gun, 1x Power Weapon, Wolf Guard w/ Power Fist, Combi-melta, Melta Bombs
Drop Pod

Long Fang Pack #1 170pts
2x Lascannon, 3x ML
Squad Leader with Bolt Pistol and CCW

Long Fang Pack #2 170pts
2x Lascannon, 3x ML
Squad Leader with Bolt Pistol and CCW

Vindicator 120pts
Dozer Blade

My plan is to drop the pods empty to contest objectives, place turrets and cover between me and my opponent. The Wolf Guard and Wolf Lord ride in the LR, the Long Fangs set up in cover, and the rest footslog. - Brian

My Thoughts
Based on what people were saying about Adepticon the Imperial Guard Leaf Blower list is incredibly common in the US and combined with the apparent lack of scenery, it's the stand tournament list.

Here in the UK we go for mechanised lists and tend to steer away from Drop Pods because the army is quite predictable and can easily give away Kill Points.

However, if you're likely to come up against Leaf Blower lists, you need to hit them hard, fast and with the numbers to deal with them and soak up the damage.

So, if you've got your heart set on drop pods, I'd lose the Long Fangs, get more Grey Hunters and give everything as much melta as possible and launch straight in there!

And if you're going to pour hundreds of men in, be sure to take Logan Grimnar. Not only is he great for leading Long Fangs with lascannons out of a drop pod, he gives everyone in 18" +1 attack, which will be really important if you're doing a clustered drop pod assault. He's also much better than the expensive Wolf Lord you currently have in your list.

Finally, I'd never take a unit of Wolf Guard in power armour. It's terminator armour or not at all! Otherwise their upgrades simply aren't cost effective.

The Vindicator's not a bad choice and can be a frustrating distraction of your enemy is frantically fighting off a horde of Space Wolves. Just be careful how close you fire to your own troops!

CONCLUSION
So in summary, if I knew was going up against The Leafblower and was generally playing high point games with crowded tables, I'd take Logan Grimnar leading lascannon armed Long Fangs in a drop pod, joined by a WolfGuard in terminator armour with cyclone, combi melta and chainfist.

Then I'd have as many units of 9 Grey Hunters with melta gun, mark of the wulfen, wolf standard, powerfist and Wolf Guard with powerfist and combi-melta in a drop pod.

Any Wolf Guard units would be in terminator armour and equipped with all manner of combi-meltas and combi-plasmas. If the table is as cluttered as I imagine, long ranged weaponry will be the last of your worries when your Space Wolves blanket the board.

Finally, I'd strip the Deathwind Launchers off the drop pods to pay for as many men as possible!

Then you just need to brush up on your Drop Pod tactics and splitting your force into two halves.

Remember that your army list is only half the battle. You can have the most devastating army in the game, but if you don't know how to play it, you're in trouble.

So it's:
Melta guns galore.
Logan and Long Fangs for fire power on the move and devastating long ranged fire after you land.
Rune Priests for casting nice Jaws Of The World Wolf lines through enemy infantry and Murderous Hurricane for big units of infantry.
Master drop pod tactics: Going first or second, where to land, what to land and how to reinforce.

By using as many units as possible in combination with the Drop Pod Assault rules in a high points game, the Space Wolves can dominate the middle of the board and turn the game into a close ranged blood bath -which is what they excel at!

I hope that helps Brian, and good hunting!

What do you guys think?

Rhino to Razorback Without Magnets

How to make an interchangeable Rhino to Razorback model witout magnets!

When you consider that the Razorback costs £2 more than the Rhino, you really should want that extra heavy bolter or lascannon turret.

So rather than spend all your money on Rhinos, then wish you had Razorbacks, here's a simple guide to create a tank that can be a Rhino or Razorback and without any magnets.

For many, Munky's magnetised Predator tutorial is a bit too advanced. It's certainly too advanced for me -although that comes down to a lack of patience more than anything else.

But, if you built the Razorback kit in the right way, you can easily swap the hatches around to make both. It's pretty simple, but I'm sure many people have overlooked it. My regular opponent (and Dark Angels player) James certainly did.

The whole idea revolves around which bits to use and how to build them.

Notice that for the storm bolter I've had to use the Space Marine gunner. This leaves the other hatch free to be closed up for when the Rhino becomes a Razorback. You can see that there's only 1 hatch slot free on the Rhino chassis as the other has been blocked up with the optional 'technical' plate.

The big back hatch is wide open and can be fitted with a pair of doors (glued together for ease) or the Razorback turret mount and turret.

It's a really simple concept and it's easy to swap between the two. Unless you're fanatical about having extra storm bolters or huner killer missiles on your Rhinos (and if you do, then you're mad!), this should serve you well.

I'm going to have 6 Rhinos in total for my Grey Hunter packs, but in some games I'd like to field a few, if not all of those Rhinos as Razorbacks. This is the perfect way for me to do it without needing to buy magnets or multiple tank kits.

So if you spend £2 more for the Razorback kit and use some careful modelling, you can make your Space Wolves army much more versatile.

Stay tuned for more painting and modelling guides coming soon!