Hail my Wolf Brothers. We are beset on all sides. Grey Knights are looming over the Horizon and Dark Eldar has settled down to become quite a sour sight to see locally and on the Tourney scene. We must adapt our battle plans and choices to handle such a foe.
Today I will be creating a 1500pt army which can be used against any opponent. I’m hoping to create a stable list capable of punching through light & heavy armour, handle heavy Death star / Elite armies, and have the manoeuvrability to handle fast armies. Repositioning is something which always comes into play with Space Wolves. We control the mid-field well, but sometimes we need to move out and take our opponent down head on, or use our units as speed bumps to deter the opponent from the mission objective. To this end, I have come up with a few ideas to take into consideration for a 1500pt army build.
Our HQ will starts out simple. 1 Rune Priest with Jaws, Living Lightning & Chooser of the slain. More and more units are starting to infiltrate, so I think the Chooser of the slain becomes more of a useful tool. The extra BS is a great addition for those 10pts alone.
Next we take to our Elites. Considering the small point level, we will take something simple. Rifleman Dreads! Scouts are a great option, but with the new found love for lots of low AV vehicles, I believe these two dreads to provide a stable firebase, which can keep units such as Blood crushers from sweeping your lines by acting as large speed bumps. Deploying these behind your Rhino hulls allows you to gain a nifty 4+ cover save, without reducing your rate of fire by shooting over the top. 2 of these costs us 250pts.
Now we come to Troops. For 1500pts I believe in a solid core of Grey Hunters. However, with so many new codex’s coming up with such hard combat units over taking our own Grey Hunters, I believe a different approach is required. 4 Units of 5 Grey hunters in Rhinos with a Meltagun, Banner & a Wolf Guard with combi-melta & fist in each. 672pts in total. This gives us a solid block of units, each with melta and a fist to tackle anything that comes their way. You can split these up to cover more of the board, or deploy 2 x 2 which is how I tend to play them. Keeping 2 units close to one another allows the 2 units of 6 Hunters to support one another, acting like one large unit. This gives you plenty of saturation and makes your opponent think twice before committing their own forces to handle a small portion of your army. Pushing together giving each other cover saves using the size of the Hulls to your advantage can be great at bum rushing an enemy Gunline.
What do we leave on our objectives as an objective holder then? 5 Grey hunters with a flamer on foot with a Cyclone Terminator wolf guard. 138pts, cheap and useful. Hard to budge in cover and the Terminator has a power weapon for any unit which try’s to push you off. This brings our total to 1170pts
Now onto our luxurious Heavy Support. 2 Units of 6 Man Long fangs with 3 Rockets and 2 Lascannons a piece. Why Lascannons? Because one thing this army lacks is long range AP2. T fex’s, Terminators, Sang Guard etc are something which can be rather annoying to tear down, more so with FNP. Having a few lascannon shots can help knock a few wounds or even reduce the size of those units for your Grey hunters to handle themselves. Lets actually utilise that fire control instead of spamming Rockets all the time. With this, our total bumps up to 1490pts. 10 pts spare, lets give our Cyclone guy a Power fist. Now our Objective holder is more of a threat before, and even enemy characters will be a little worried to bum rush you.
The list should look something like this:
Rune Priest: 110pts
Living Lightning, Jaws, Chooser of the Slain.
Dreadnought: 125pts
2 Twin-Linked Autocannon.
Dreadnought: 125pts
2 Twin-Linked Autocannon.
5 Wolf Guard: 235pts
4 with Power Fists & Combi-Meltas.
1 with Terminator Armour, Power fist & Cyclone missile launcher.
5 Grey Hunters: 125pts
Banner, Meltagun & Rhino.
5 Grey Hunters: 125pts
Banner, Meltagun & Rhino.
5 Grey Hunters: 125pts
Banner, Meltagun & Rhino.
5 Grey Hunters: 125pts
Banner, Meltagun & Rhino.
5 Grey Hunters: 80pts
Flamer.
6 Long Fangs: 160pts
3 Rockets & 2 Lascannons.
6 Long Fangs: 160pts
3 Rockets & 2 Lascannons.
Grand Total: 1500pts
6 Vehicles
43 Troops
14 Killpoints
Thoughts and input always appreciated.
Killswitch
15 comments:
March 9, 2011 at 1:40 PM
Nice list KS - I really like the CML / objective sitters - nice use of that lingering 5th spot of the WG.
That's a pretty good all round list, 6 AV's, plenty of bodies should you be de-mech'd.
March 9, 2011 at 2:58 PM
With the smaller units of GH is there concern about their ability to hold in the face of serious pressure? They will be trying to break with fairly light casualties and that could mean disaster.
This list seems to rely on longer range firepower to thin the enemies out before they hit the GH lines, correct?
Won't those smaller units have trouble countering fast "in your face" lists like Blood Angels, Dark Eldar, and Grey Knights?
March 9, 2011 at 3:09 PM
Yes, but the point is you will most likely have more units than your opponent will. By the time your opponent has decided on which unit to kill, ou have already re deployed and countered that unit with your own multiple small units (MSU). Each unit has a fist WG in it so you can handle everything, and throw 2 units at them if necessary.
Fast units can be slowed down from the fire power, and if they have Jump packs, you can smash em in combat just like anything else.
Bassically, whilst your opponent tries to destroyone of your units, you still have 3 of the SAME unit elsewhere or close by to support. This is known as redundancy. Having multiple's of the same units means if you lose one, no big deal you have more who can fulfil the same (or similar) role.
March 9, 2011 at 4:04 PM
how about a lone wolf or a pack of wolf scouts instead of another rifleman dread?
March 9, 2011 at 4:20 PM
Like the list but think you need 2 check your points, your wolf guard squad and both long fang squads are under costed by 10points each
March 9, 2011 at 4:32 PM
You are correct, drop the fist & chooser :)
March 9, 2011 at 5:35 PM
You raise the issue that you lack long range AP2, and use 100 points on 4 lascannons.
Why not las/plas razorbacks instead? (You don't need to "spam" them after all, if thats something you (like, for some reason, many) are opposed to that)
75 points for an ekstra hull that shoots 1 ap2 shot at 48", 2 at 24" and 3 at 12".
You have an aweful lot of points in fists and lascannons. If you dropped them you would have many points to play with. Could also switch the CML guard for a razor to the squad.
Here is a list I plan on using for an upcoming tournament. No, I'm not putting it up to say it is better and stuff like that (I think yours is quite good actually), but to get some discussion going. Maybe it could bring you a solution for your lack of AP2 weaponry:
HQ:
Rune priest w/ Living lightning, Tempest wrath, Chooser of the slain 110
Elite:
Wolf guard (3) w/ Combi melta 69
Troops:
Grey hunters (5) w/ Meltagun 80
Rhino 35
Grey hunters (5) w/ Meltagun 80
Rhino 35
Grey hunters (5) w/ Meltagun 80
Rhino 35
Grey hunters (5) w/ Meltagun 80
Rhino 35
Grey hunters (5) w/ Flamer 75
Razorback w/ Lascannon, Tw.l. plasmagun 75
Fast attack:
Landspeeder w/ Multimelta, Heavy flamer 70
Landspeeder w/ Multimelta, Heavy flamer 70
Heavy support:
Long fangs (5) w/ 4x Missil launchers 115
Razorback w/ Lascannon, Tw.l. plasmagun 75
Long fangs (5) w/ 4x Missil launchers 115
Razorback w/ Lascannon, Tw.l. plasmagun 75
Long fangs (5) w/ 4x Missil launchers 115
Razorback w/ Lascannon, Tw.l. plasmagun 75
1499
Summary:
44 infantry
10 vehicles
19 killpoints
Anti psyker
Long range:
12 Missiles
4 Las / plas
1 Living lightning
Close range:
4 Meltaguns
3 Combi meltas
1 Flamer
2 Mm / hf
So, I lack the rifleman dreads. I would have liked them, as they are awesome, but don't have points to spend on them.
I also don't use fists, as, while useful, I don't think they are worth it on 6 man squads (and I never use larger squads so hey, points spared!).
I do have 4 more hulls (counting the speeders), though none at AV 12. Instead of using lascannons on the long fangs (which IMO are so good cause they are cheap), I have 4 las / plas razorbacks.
The speeders provide some fast moving /Deep striking suicide melta, or a couple (AP2) shots at 24" if I hold them back. Can also speedbump incoming vehicles (battlewagons come to mind).
At close range we both have a good amount of melta weaponry, which is always nice.
So all in all, I have traded raw power in the assault phase, and dreads, for more long range weaponry, some suicide melta, and more units to shoot at (see: killpoints).
So what's your thoughts on the matter? I hope I am able to at least give you some ideas :)
March 9, 2011 at 7:42 PM
When you think about it, a lasplas Razorback is like having a cyclone terminator that you can hide your troops inside.
I have three. If I want more I'm going to have to buy something like these.
March 9, 2011 at 8:48 PM
I'd like to know how the long fangs with 3 ML's and 2 LC's work out on the table?
March 9, 2011 at 8:49 PM
I like the list, however I'm not sure how useful those lascannons are. They are an extra 60 points over getting 4 missile launchers instead. Also, I think that the FNP argument is not very valid because S8 missiles cancels out T4 with FNP too. With a tyrannofex, a runic weapon is good enough for cancelling catalyst. But then again, AP2 is nice at cancelling out 2+ armor saves, which will be useful versus grey knights.
On a side note, I cannot get the list to add up to 1495. I keep on getting 1525. an extra 20 points come the longfangs, because they are 170 each, not 160. And with the Wolf Guard pack I get 245 instead of 235.
March 9, 2011 at 9:03 PM
To be honest, i hate the list and it seems extremelly weak.
Those 6 man units wont be able to handle anything but the most basic hth combat troops in the game, dreads are terribly inefective against anything with armour over 11.
This list smells of razor spam with out the razors.
For the same points you could make:
1 Long fang with missiles
1 fully kited 10 gh
2 razor back 3 razorbacks with las plass
1 death star of claws with a priest in land rider
March 10, 2011 at 2:43 AM
I don't think any of it is a bad idea. It's all about the player... You hide the las cannons in a unit as opposed to on the rhinos. Sure. Rifleman dreads I think are a great elite choice to any space wolf army. 8 strength 7 AP4 shots from two AV 12s is going to be a lot of firepower. That's like having 2 reliable LL rune priests firing twin linked while becoming an AV12 target to draw fire away from the rhinos. Sounds like its worth a try to me. There's plenty of goodies in this list. Very shooty, but it sticks to the GH core. Do share some battle reports with some reviews on your dreadnought + las fang combination. Good luck!
March 10, 2011 at 3:24 AM
I know the Riffleman dreads are more point efficient, but i like the plasmacannon dreads so much more.
March 10, 2011 at 4:56 AM
Las/rocket fangs do work out well. Sure they cost a lot but if Alex turned up and played a 6 oblit army (yes they still get taken to some events!) and all he had was rockets it would be a bad day.
The list is solid imo. It has bases covered. Its a little light on Combat ability but as Alex points out you can 'power ranger' your squads together to give you some nice combat punch if it boils down to it.
I 'like' the riflemen dreadies. But someone said something to me a long time ago which has stuck.
'never leave home without a power fist'
If they are going to support the fangs I would like a cc deterent like a DCCW - admittedly that does ruin the entire list synergy.
Also lets not forget that Alex is one of the best players in the UK so when he plays with this list expect some interesting movement and targets. The list, while not in your face like some, gives him the tactical options to show his skills off as a general and beat face at the same time :D
March 10, 2011 at 7:56 AM
nice list i like the amount or hulls charging across the table very off putting for your opponent i'm sertanly going to give it ago.
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