Wolf and Sister part 42

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Saturday at Tabletop Nation

Last weekend James, Ian and I drove to Table Top Nation, the new wargames venue opened by Wayland Games, to meet some folk, play a few games and check out the place out for ourselves.

James and I car pooled, grabbing a McDonald's on the way and met Ian there. It was a baking hot drive, but considering it was only 1 hour rather than the usual 3 hour pilgrimage up to Nottingham, we didn't mind - Especially when we walked in to discover a massive gaming hall that was nice and coooool.

A huge shop had been set out, while the gaming end of the hall was packed with tables. Meanwhile it was lovely a cool in there, while a small area had been set aside for seating, along with free coffee and croissants.

So without much waiting around, James and I grabbed a coffee and chose a table for a game of 40K.

First Impressions
As someone who suffers from lower back pain (usually from leaning over wargaming tables), I was pleasantly surprised to find that the tables were quite high.

Even better, they had a second shelf just underneath which also felt like the perfect height. So no need to get your coat all dusty or leave your models in danger by putting them down on the floor. The shelves made great places to put our coffee too.

The tables were COVERED in terrain. In fact, we ended up taking some terrain off and putting it on the shelf underneath, which made a pleasant change.

Ian rocked up half way through our game, as I was giving James' Dark Angels (he's still using the Space Marine Codex) a real beasting with his new Necrons army. I had a lot of fun challenging every model with a Power Fist in his army and watching them hit themselves after suffering from the Mind Shackle Scarabs that all of the Necron Lords were equipped with - bwahahahaaa!

A couple of guys had come over the watch the game and chat, which was cool. James and I are always taunting one another when we play, so I think we were pretty entertaining.

More Impressions
Ian's a really tall guy, so when he remarked on how good the raised table height was, Gary, who runs the Gaming Centre came over to give us a bit of a pitch, bless 'im.

Basically that all the stools (which I have to admit were surprisingly comfy) were the perfect height for the tables and he asked Ian to take a seat to demonstrate.

Also, that there was loads of room between the tables so people could sit opposite and still have enough room for more people to walk in between them.

All good stuff considering how cramped we were at Throne of Skulls a few weeks back.

At this point I got chatting to Gary and asked about what other stuff they'd be doing. He rattled off a huge list. From what I remember, the ACTUAL gaming hall was in the massive space next door. The shop area and 'smaller' gaming area we were playing in was in addition to that - wow.

There's going to be a proper cantine with decent quality scoff and some eating challenges if you're mad or brave enough (Gamers VS Food!), a bar and a whole bunch of other stuff. It all sounded fantastic really - and it's only an hour's drive from where I live.

While James got obliterated by Ian's Grey Knights army with allied Imperial Guard Valkyrie Vendettas (owch!), I played a Flames Of War demo game.

I didn't feel it was really for me, so I took the rest of the time to have a look at Malifaux (another game I didn't feel was really for me) and Bolt Action being played while drinking lots more of the free coffee.

Freebies!
The big promo for the day was the free goodie bags if you spent over £20 in the store. Ian got himself some more Imperial Guard and got a bag with the Flames Of War rulebook, Dystopian Wars rulebook and loads of plastic sprues.

So swept up in the notion of getting 'free stuff' James bought a flyer for his Necrons after Ian gave him the dirtiest Necron list I've seen so far. So I know what I'll be facing soon...joy!

I didn't buy anything. I've got plenty to be getting on with, plus I don't want to play anything other than 40K and Fantasy due to time and money...or rather a lack of it.

CONCLUSION
So what did we think of Tabletop Nation? Well, we thought it was rather good actually. Big, clean white space. Nice and cool. Free coffee and croissants. Nice high tables with handy shelves underneath, plenty of terrain and lots of space between the tables. I mean, what more could a wargamer want? And with a cantine, bar going in, as well as a bowling alley across the road, all you need is somewhere to sleep if you're in Hockley for a tournament weekend.

Best of all, it's only 1 hour away for us. Already we've been talking about going down there for the day with a large group of us. So if you see me down there in a couple of weeks, come and say hi!

Wolf and Sister Part 41

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Chaos is Coming - but do we care?

The new Chaos Space Marine Codex is on the horizon, but as Space Wolves players do we really care? Is there anything to fret about? Based on previous experience, I'd say no, not really.

When the new Tyranids Codex came out, we had nothing to worry about. We sent those pretty boy Blood Angels packing (although that was mostly due to the reckless nature of Blood Angels players), while Grey Knights gave us a tough run for our money. Meanwhile, Necrons were just as easy to kill in close combat as before.

I was watching Highlander this weekend and couldn't help comparing The Kurgan to a Lord of Chaos coming for our Space Wolf hero (Connor MacLeod).

In a clash of pure brute strength and mindless sword swinging, of course The Kurgan could beat Connor MacLeod. But along comes Ramirez (Sean Connery) to the rescue, to teach MacLeod how to become an expert swordsman.

"How do you fight such a savage?"
"With heart, faith and steel. In the end there can be only one."

In other words, use your sword with skill, patience and precision rather than hacking away like a madman. And that seems to sum up the Space Wolves perfectly.

So essentially we just need to keep doing what we've always done in the face of new and powerful enemies. And that's to rely on our strengths and prey on the enemy's weaknesses.

However, Space Wolves do have a number of similarities to the current Chaos Space Marines Codex, because our standard troops have Bolters as well as Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons. Thankfully we have Counter Charge and all the other wolfy extras, but the new Chaos Marines will no doubt get bonuses of their own.

CONCLUSION
There are many 'colours' of Space Marine in the game now. Space Wolves are the 'grey marines', with few toys, but lots of good basic units that win us our games.

There's certainly a stubborn resolution for our armies to win and overcome fancy elite units with lots of specialist rules, simply because our units are good and reliable all-rounders.

That probably explains why most Space Wolves armies are little more than lots of Grey Hunters backed up by lots of Long Fangs, but that's the nature of our army and I feel that nature will continue to serve us well...especially when it comes to standing out from the crowd against yet another batch of Space Marine variant armies -this time with evil colours!

So as always, play well, think strategically and only engage the enemy on your terms. I'm going to finish this article with a section of Prospero Burns, because I feel it's very appropriate for playing Space Wolves in general.

"The 6th Legion has a reputation." said Bear.
"All the Legions Astartes have reputations," replied Hawser.
"Not like ours," said Ogvai "We are known for our ferocity. We are thought to be feral and undisciplined. Even brother Legions consider us to be wild and bestial."
"And you're not ?" asked Hawser.
"If we need to be," said Ogvai. "but if that was our natural state, we'd all be dead by now."
He leaned down towards Hawser like a parent addressing a child.
"It takes a vast amount of self control to be this dangerous" he said.

Wolf and Sister Part 40

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Are Wolf Guard Pack Leaders Worth Taking?

In light of the 6th edition rules, are Wolf Guard pack leaders worth taking anymore? Well, there are definitely more pros and cons when before taking one with a combi-melta and a powerfist was a bit of a no brainer.

So now that it's easier to hit vehicles, attach krak grenades to Dreadnoughts and even Monstrous Creatures in close combat, do we really need Wolf Guard to lead our Grey Hunters?

Especially when, for the equivalent cost of a Wolf Guard with a combi-weapon and powerfist, we can spend a few more points in our usual 8-man squads and get an extra couple of Grey Hunters to make a 10-man squad with a free second special weapon.

I Challenge You!
Declaring and answering challenges is an important part of being a Pack Leader. The problem is that there are many Independent Characters as well as Squad Leader Characters who can gut your Wolf Guard like a fish. Namely those with higher Initiative, which is why wielding a slow powerfist probably isn't going to do you a lot of good.

But notice that Blood Angels and Space Marines still have squad leaders! Surely, it's time for your arrogant Wolf Guard to bellow a suitably drunken and insulting threat (perhaps about a particularly memorable night with his opponent's mother) and despatch them with a pair of Wolf Claws or similar weapon that's certain to kill a 1 wound character with ease? Even a frost blade has a good chance of doing the trick.

But with basic Grey Hunters being able to easily hit tanks and pelt Monstrous Creatures and Dreadnoughts in close combat with krak grenades, you really don't need that powerfist on your Wolf Guard. So maybe equipping them to despatch as many basic troops as possible isn't such a bad idea?

Challenging Tactics
Declaring and accepting challenges add a new tactic to close combat. Your Wolf Guard can challenge a Daemon Prince to prevent him from carving up his pack mates for a turn. But are you delaying the inevitable and making it more likely that you'll break and run in your turn, leaving your Grey Hunters a sitting duck in your opponent's turn? This is always something to bear in mind.

So while you may always be tempted to boldly accept any challenge, remember that it takes great restrain for a Space Wolf to be dangerous.

Smash Them!
Alternatively, if you've decided to ditch your Rhinos and go for a foot slogging force, a Wolf Guard in Terminator Armour with a Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield makes for a very effective and dangerous Character to lead your Grey Hunters - especially if you've used your Wolf Standard that turn, allowing you to reroll all 1s.

Mind you, you don't have to take the Thunder Hammer. Personally I was looking for something AP2, just in case. I would suggest a Frost Axe as a budget choice, but as a Power Fist costs exactly the same points, has AP2 and is unwieldy, but has Strength 8 instead of Strength 6, it's definitely worth taking the Power Fist instead.

CONCLUSION
So am I taking Wolf Guard to lead my Grey Hunter packs in 6th edition?
Actually, I'm not right now. I'm taking packs of 10 Grey Hunters in Rhinos, because I don't need that powerfist quite so badly and I get more bodies to cling to objectives while putting out more firepower with that extra plasma gun or melta gun.

I'm also a big fan of Rhinos in 6th edition for their ability to go Flat Out and push 18" up the board.

But if I feel the need to seriously focus on close combat, a Wolf Guard with a pair of wolf claws is going to be leading my squads, just because he can carve through so many Marines and make a mess of any foolish challenger who doesn't have a higher Initiative than he does (unless they're wearing 2+ armour of course).

If I ditch the Rhinos and take a footslogging army instead, that gives me +35pts to play with, which will go towards the cost of a Wolf Guard in Terminator Armour with a Storm Shield and an AP2 close combat weapon.

And let's not forget that you can stick him out in front of a unit and keep taking those 2+ and 3++ saves.

Wolf and Sister Part 39

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August Raffle: Limited Edition Space Squat White Dwarf

$1 ticket buys you a chance to win a Limited Edition Space Squat White Dwarf that is Brand New in the blister!

Please note: The model is unbuilt, unpainted and comes sealed Brand New inside a blister pack.

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.

The Limited Edition Space Squat White Dwarf was only available to people who bought a White Dwarf magazine subscription in 2010 and considering how bad the magazine was back then, this is a highly sought after model!

Many of you who have been reading Wolf & Sister love the addition of the Squats, so what better than to have some Squat allies in your Space Wolves army with his amazing model to lead them?

To enter, simply click the 'donate' button on the side bar and donate $1. You get 1 entry for every $1 donated.

THE WINNER IS: Ian Fox, from Ireland!

Wolf and Sister Part 38

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