Wolf and Sister Part 35

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Everything You Need to Know About 6th Edition 40K

Starting next week, we're going to take you through everything you need to know about Warhammer 40K 6th edition if you're a Space Wolves player.

I expect to get the 6th edition rulebook on Thursday or Friday. In the evening I will read it cover to cover with all things 'Space Wolf' in mind, then start bringing you my findings in the form of important rules changes, tactics, strategies and downright cunning plans on Monday.

So stay tuned for:

Space Wolves in 6th Edition 40K

Space Wolves Fortifications in 6th edition 40K

Space Wolves Psychic Powers in 6th edition 40K

Space Wolves Allies in 6th edition 40K

Warhammer 40k 6th Edition Overall Impressions

Word from one of my 'contacts' is that aircraft are the new hotness. So you will need either aircraft of your own or anti-aircraft guns.

He also tells me that Space Wolves are brilliant in 6th edition too! Possibly this is due to our Rune Priests having the Tempests Wrath psychic power to deal with aircraft. Possibly it's because Grey Hunters sat behind an Aegis Defence Line with an Icarus Lascannon looks good on paper.

Either way, we'll find out soon enough!

I didn't want to start speculating based on the latest White Dwarf. Instead I wanted to read all the rules before giving you guys advice. That way you'll have all the information you need to bring your Space Wolves army up to speed without any confusion.

The only thing I will sat is that GW seems keen to allow players to take allies. Now, while I can appreciate that this can allow you to create some really cool, themed armies (like Death Guard allied with Nurgle Daemons), I hope that the independant tournament organisers disallow this option, as it could lead to some really viscious combos.

To be honest, everyone and his dog would probably take Grey Knight Terminators led by a Librarian, riding in a Storm Raven otherwise.

But until I read through the new rulebook, we'll just have to wait and see...

6th Edition Special Pricing

If you want to order the 6th Edition book (the normal one, not the special editions or gamers or whatever editions, just the normal book) - $55.00

Psychic power cards: $12.00

Templates: $17.00

SHIPPING: California and Washington - $5.95 Anywhere else in the US - $8.75

Send money via Paypal to wolflordnoam@gmail.com to pre - order.

If anyone finds better pricing, please email me. Remember this is for USA only.

NO COMICS? & GW STUFF CHEAP!

Wolf Brothers,

I apologize for the no comics this week. I had a scheduling error on the blogger control panel and I missed this week. Problem is I was also on a business trip. I just got back and I think it is too late to post this weeks comics given that it is two days after the scheduled date. Next week we willc ontinue with the Monday strategic posts (got some powerful stuff coming on Grey Hunters and other Wolf units) and as the 6th Edition comes out, I already had Adam and others waiting to write analysis and tell us what the changes in 6th edition mean to us, Space Wolves.

I have good news: if you guys are in shopping mode: through a random email exchange with a friend of a friend I found this great supplier of Space Wolves GW merchandize. The guy is REALLY cheap:

• Wolf Pack costs $23
•  Melta guns:  20 for $28
• Wolf Guard Terminators: $37

These prices are subject to change at any time... so check with me prior to ordering.

See Where I am going with this? This is MORE than the usual 25% most vendors give!

And if you order $100 or more, shipping is free!

I am trying to get pricing info for 6th Edition books for us....

Anyway, if you have a shopping list you need priced, email me.

Again, apologies for the no comics this week.

Wolf Lord Noam

How to Beat Orks with Space Wolves

Need to know how to beat Orks with Space Wolves? We explain how to fend off an Ork horde and deal with the dreaded Ork Battlewagon army.

Actually, I feel really sorry for all the Ork players out there. One minute they got given this awesome new Codex and the next minute they got stomped on by all the army books that followed. It sure isn't easy being green, but that doesn't mean the Orks can't give your Space Wolves a good kickin' if you don't know what you're doing.

Beating Orks with Space Wolves is much like beating Tyranids (link). You need to make every shot count in order to minimise their numbers before charging in when things are more in your favour so that you can beat them to a pulp in close combat.

Take out the Deff Dreads and Killa Kans with Krak Missiles from your Long Fangs, target the side armour of their Battlewagons and once their armour is all gone, then it's time to charge in and mop up the rest of them.

So this is one of the times when the Space Wolves need to rely on their shooting and only charge into close combat to clean up or when the conditions are absolutely right.

Based on my gaming experience, I'm going to explain how to beat a typical Ork horde with Space Wolves, while explaining what to look out for and how to best utilise your units to deal with each threat.


ORK ARMY STRENGTHS

Numbers
If the Ork player isnt' going for the 4 Battlewagon army, then chances are they're going to swamp you with as many models as possible!

The Orks can become incredibly numerous, allowing them to claim lots of objectives while simply taking loads of punishment. A savvy Ork player will always spread his models out to minimise the effects of your blast weapons too.

The plan is to tie your units up in close combat with loads of Orks, before the bigger, harder hitting stuff can get stuck in and do the real damage. So target priorities are incredibly important.

Close Combat
Orks have lots of attacks in close combat and they get Strength 4 on the charge thanks to Furious Charge. Although the real cause for concern is the once-per-game Waaaagh!!! which gives almost every unit Fleet Of Foot. If a whole mob of Orks makes it into close combat, expect to take heavy casualties from a huge number of dice being rolled...unless you can inflict enough wounds before they strike to prevent that from happening of course.

However, it's not all the basic Ork Boyz attacks that should be cause for concern for anything in Power Armour, it's the Ork Nob with a Power Klaw that sits in every Ork squad. With more attacks than your Wolf Guard and with more models around him to take the hits, it's this squad leader upgrade that will really wittle down your Grey Hunter packs. And of course, you can't get rid of him until the whole Ork mob is wiped out or sent packing.

Battle Wagons
Armour 14 on the front and always fitted with a Deff Rolla, Ork Battlewagons are the bane of many Warhammer 40K players unless they are familiar with the 4 Battlewagon army and know to get around the flanks and hit them in the Armour 12 sides.

Ghazghkull Thraka
Ghazghkull, or 'Gaz' to his mates, is almost a default choice for any Ork army. Not only is he 'ard as nails, his Super Waaagh!!! ensures that all the Orks get to Fleet Of Foot a full 6" once per game instead of the usual D6". This makes him a real game changer, because you're going to get jumped on by a lot of angry Orks given half a chance.


ORK ARMY WEAKNESSES

Shooting
With a BS of 2 and some fairly weak weapons, Orks really aren't known for their shooting. But what they lack in accuracy they make up in numbers. So watch out for masses of Rokkits blowing up your tanks or simply hammering into your Space Wolves. Tank Bustas are an increasingly popular choice simply because they can field so many Rokkits to make short work of your transports and any Grey Hunter packs.

Poor Quality Troops
The basic Space Ork isn't a great warrior. But they're cheap and plentiful. So in order to be successful they need to work together to overwhelm their enemy.

However, the flip side of this is that the Ork army has to stay together, a bit like the Tyranids. So if you can force the Orks to divide or just go after one half of your army, then you can bait them away from the objectives. If they don't take the bait, they sort of sit in the middle and get shot.


TYPICAL ORK ARMY LIST
The only really competitive Ork list is the one with 4 Battlewagons. Everything else is really straightforward to deal with because you can take it out in a straight up fight. Just make sure you shoot it lots before you charge in. But the Battlewagons list is always a challenge for people who don't know how to deal with it. And it goes a little something like this...

Ghazghkull Thraka
Big Mek with Kustom Force Field
5 Mega Nobs with 4 Combi Shootas
Battle Wagon - Armour, Big Shoota, Red Paint, Grabbing Claws, Boarding Planks, Deff Rolla
12 Orks - Nob with Power Claw, Heavy Armour, Boss Pole, Rokkit
12 Orks - Nob with Power Claw, Heavy Armour, Boss Pole, Rokkit
12 Orks - Nob with Power Claw, Heavy Armour, Boss Pole, Rokkit
Battle Wagon - Armour, Big Shoota, Red Paint, Grabbing Claws, Boarding Planks, Deff Rolla
Battle Wagon - Armour, Big Shoota, Red Paint, Grabbing Claws, Boarding Planks, Deff Rolla
Battle Wagon - Armour, Big Shoota, Red Paint, Grabbing Claws, Boarding Planks, Deff Rolla


Orks Strategy VS Space Wolves
The Orks are going to drive at the Space Wolves as quickly as possible in a big blocky Battle Wagon formation with Gaz and the Big Mek with Kustom Force Field in the centre to ensure that Gaz's wagon keeps rollin' while the Kustom Force Field gives all the wagons a cover save to help them get across the board.

The Ork player will also be praying for the first turn. Because then the Space Wolves will likely only have 1 Turn of shooting before the Ork are upon them!

Remember that the Battlewagons deploy 12" on and move 13" on Turn 1. That leaves the Space Wolves with 23" left of a 48" deep board. On Turn 2 the Battlwagons move 13", the Orks disembark with 2" to the back of the base and the Nobz leading each unit will likely have a 2" base, so that's a 17" move, followed by a 6" Fleet Of Foot move as Gaz calls his Super Waaaagh!!! and finally a 6" charge. So that's a 29" move.

This means the Orks can cover 52" across a 72" by 48" board in just 2 Turns.

Then total carnage will ensue as the Orks pile into close combat while the Battlewagons are free to drive about and mow down whatever they like with their Deff Rollas.


Space Wolves Strategy VS Orks
If you've got the first turn, things aren't going to be too bad. If you've got the second turn, then you could be in for a spot of bother, because you have 1 Turn of firing that really has to count.

Firing everything at the front Armour 14 of the Battlewagons isn't going to work, so you need to target the sides.

Remember that the Ork army has to stick together in order to be effective, so place your Long Fangs and Razorbacks on the flanks to get some shots at the side armour.

If you've got Land Speeders, fly them up the flanks with the intention of hitting the Battlwagons in the side with their Multi-Meltas.

Meanwhile any Grey Hunters packs should be kept in Reserve in order to arrive from the board edge and blast apart those Battlewagons with their Melta Guns if they make it across the board.

This strategy seems to work for all armies and I've had it work well for both Space Wolves and Tau in the past. However, it still relies on the success of your heavy weapons shooting the Battlewagons in the sides.

Statistically you should be able to immobilise or wreck 2 of the 4 Battlewagons in this way. Then the other two can be taken care of with relative ease. The Orks can't sit tight or they'll simply get shot to peices, so they have to keep coming at you.

Basically, if you can take down half of the Battlewagons it's pretty much all over for the Ork player, because your reserves can strategically arrive wherever you want them. Also, you just split your forces into two halves, so driving straight down the middle won't help the Orks, going for one flank is no good for them and splitting their army is just as bad. Then all you need is standard good tactics to finish them off.


CONCLUSION
This is the only time I ever keep some of my Space Wolves in Reserve, but when you consider that the Grey Hunters can't do anything to the Battlewagons, it's better to keep them off the board until they're needed.

Unfortunately, even the best played tactics can't always beat an Ork Battlewagon army if your opponent seems incapable of failing a single Kustom Force Field cover save.

And the real shame is that once you know how to beat it, the Ork Battlwagon army only seems to win because of luck, which is probably why you don't see so many of these armies nowadays. But it's always best to be aware of how to deal with this.

Wolf and Sister part 34

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How to Beat Ravenwing with Space Wolves

Having trouble beating Ravenwing? We'll show you how to beat them with your Space Wolves, because while a Toughness 5 army on Bikes, backed up by Attack Bikes and Landspeeders, led by a guy in an Armour 14 Land Speeder may seem like a challenge, there are ways to chase them down and wipe them out.

Ravenwing are one of the fastest, most versatile armies in the game. Able to Outflank en masse, make brilliant feints with their 'Scout' moves or just mow down your men with torrents of mobile firepower while blasting apart tanks with a plethora of melta guns and multimeltas, Ravenwing are a rare sight on the tabletop, but still shouldn't be underestimated.

Based on my gaming experience, I'm going to explain how to beat a Dark Angels Ravenwing army with Space Wolves, while explaining what to look out for and how to best utilise your units to deal with each threat.

Sure, the Ravenwing may not be great in close combat, but there's more to this game than just beating things up!


RAVENWING ARMY STRENGTHS

Speed
It's not just the fact that the entire army can Turbo Boost 24" that's the issue when fighting Ravenwing, it's the face that all Bike units have the 'Scout' ability, allowing them to move up to 12" after deployment, but before the first turn.

This allows the Ravenwing player to push forward before the game has even begun, or to fall back, effectively feinting or pressing an advantage in deployment, leaving enemy forces too far away to act or too close to escape a horde of Space Marine Bikers.

Of course, the 24" Turbo Boost allows the whole army to relocate or contest objectives very quickly, leave the enemy to try and catch them or struggle to shoot them down with a 3+ invulnerable save.

Finally, the ability for units to Outflank (because of having the Scout ability), also allows the many, many small Ravenwing units to appear from all directions and occupy a large portion of the board. Because spreading out and having a huge space of movement is vital when playing this kind of army.

MSU: Many Small Units
Because the Ravenwing squads can Combat squad into 3 bikes, 3 bikes, 1 attack bike, 1 land speeder tornado, this gives the Ravenwing player a high numbers of troop choices, but also a high number of units which are generally fast, tough and difficult to pin down.

However, in a Kill Points game, these units can be combined into one big unit of bikes accompanied by a Land Speeder, so the army doesn't have to give away quite so many Kill Points.

Master of the Ravenwing
Sammael, the Grand Master of the Ravenwing has to be taken in order to field a Ravenwing army in the first place. Ravenwing players will typically take Sammael on his Jetbike with a Master Crafted Power Sword and a Plasma Cannon. If they do, then it's a happy day, because his Armour 14 Land Speeder will make mince meat out of most of your units.

He inflicts many more casualties with the twin linked, BS5 heavy weapons while being incredibly fast with an Armour Value of 14, so he should be able to dodge all those melta guns, which makes Armour 14 particularly problematic for most armies.


RAVENWING ARMY WEAKNESSES

Low Numbers
Despite their speed and toughness, the greatest weakness for the Ravenwing is their low numbers. So if you can attack them with weapons that effectively negate their increased Toughness or you can tie them up in close combat (or just generally box them in), then they become even weaker due to their limited numbers.

Just like the Dark Angels Deathwing army, the Ravenwing start out very strong, but every casualty will have a big impact on the overall performance of the army as whole.

Don't forget that all Ravenwing units are Fearless, which has it's own pros and cons. But not being able to run from a losing close combat means that units are far morely likely to be destroyed.


TYPICAL RAVENWING ARMY LIST

The essence of a successful Ravenwing army is one which capitalises on all of their strengths, from the ability to take lots of melta guns and multimeltas to breaking into many small units. This is a pure Ravenwing army, although many people will include a unit of Deathwing Assault Terminators to give the army some close combat punch.

Sammael Grand Master of the Ravenwing on Landspeeder

Ravenwing Squadron:
6 bikes: sgt, powersword, 2 melta guns
1 attack bike: mulitmelta
1 landspeeder tornado: heavy bolter and assault cannon

Ravenwing Squadron:
6 bikes: sgt, powersword, 2 melta guns
1 attack bike: mulitmelta
1 landspeeder tornado: heavy bolter and assault cannon

Ravenwing Squadron:
6 bikes: sgt, powersword, 2 melta guns
1 attack bike: mulitmelta
1 landspeeder tornado: heavy bolter and assault cannon

Landspeeder Tornado:
Multimelta and Heavy Flamer


Ravenwing Strategy VS Space Wolves

A Ravenwing player will want to maximise the strengths of their army as much as possible, which means taking away the Space Wolves' speed and firepower.

Priority targets are the Rhinos full of Grey Hunters, followed by the Long Fangs. However, the Ravenwing player is going to have a tough time of this, because their melta guns are carried by the Bikes, which can easily take out the Rhinos, but will get charged by the Grey Hunters in the following turn as a result.

They can either do this in big Ravenwing Biker units and eventually get wiped out along with the Grey Hunters in close combat, or they can send a small 3-man Biker unit forward with 2 melta guns to be sacrificed (along with an Attack Bike) to get the job done. Then hose down the Grey Hunters with the rest of the Bikes and probably charge in to finish them off.

Meanwhile the Land Speeders (led by Sammael) will combine their firepower to eliminate a single Long Fangs pack at a time.

It's a tough juggling act of judging distance and firepower, but if the Ravenwing player can sacrifice half of their bikes to nail the Rhinos, and use their Land Speeders to wipe out the Long Fangs, the army can fall back and wipe out the remaining Grey Hunters with all of their long ranged anti-infantry firepower.

Space Wolves Strategy VS Ravenwing

On the flip side, as the Space Wolves player, you need to take away the Ravenwing's advantage of speed. The best way to do this is by moving forward aggressively, which will keep those Land Speeders back from your Lonfg Fangs (and hopefully out of range) while your Long Fangs provide covering fire to either wittle down the number of Ravenwing Bikers with Krak Missiles or target the Land Speeders.

I'd recommend taking down a good number of the Bikers as a first priority. Because they're Toughness 5 you will be amazed at what a difficult time your Grey Hunters will have in killing them in close combat.

Use your Rhinos to effectively box in the mobile Ravenwing forces and minimise the number of 'pockets' on the board that they can zoom units into and escape.

Once you've got them pinned down, you can jump on them with your units and tear them to peices in close combat. And as always, make sure you have 2 Grey Hunter packs on 1 Ravenwing Bike squadron to ensure that you win close combat as quickly and decisively as possible before moving on to the next target.

Ignore Sammael's Armour 14 Land Speeder until the end of the game. It's horrible when it shoots at your units, but you're less likely to take it down with your Lascannons than if you target the regular Land Speeders and you need to wittle down the Ravenwing firepower as quickly as possible in order to give your Long Fangs the upper hand in long ranged firepower.


CONCLUSION
Identifying the strengths of the Ravenwing and taking those strengths away is the key to a successful strategy. Alternatively, if the Ravenwing player chooses to Outflank a number of units, or all of their units, simply deploy (or fall back to) one flank and dominate that side of the board. Because if you can easily wipe out half of their units, taking out the other half with long ranged firepower should be easy!

Just remember that you need to close the distance in order to take away their speed and hit them with as many shots and close combat attacks as you can muster.

Wolf and Sister part 33

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June Raffle - PRO PAINTED LOGAN GRIMNAR!!!

$1 ticket buys you a chance to win a Games Workshop, Professionally Painted, Logan Grimnar, The Great Wolf!

Please note: this is a Painted, Assembled Logan Grimnar EXACTLY as seen in the picture. Thats the model youre going to receive IF you are the winner of this month's raffle. The picture on the left is the actual model.

People who submit articles which get published, will automatically be entered into that month's Raffle without having to make a donation (10 entries per article). Obviously, this does not relate to any paid writers for the blog.


A little bit about Logan (from GW's site): Logan Grimnar, the Great Wolf, is the commander of the Space Wolves Chapter of Space Marines. Like his brother Space Wolves, he is a fearsome warrior with immense martial pride and will never back down from a fight or a challenge. In battle he will often be found at the forefront of his army, tearing apart his foes with The Axe Morkai - an ancient artefact of immense power. As one of the most successful of all humanity's commanders, there are few champions as inspirational and well-regarded as Logan Grimnar.

You can read more about Logan and how to play his character HERE.

WINNER: MATTIAS KARLSSON from Sweden!!!!