Email in: Review my list [2000 Space Wolves]

"Hi,



I've been reading you blog for a few weeks now and needed an impartial evaluation of a list I am putting the models together to test. It's a Space Wolf list at 2000 points for a get together I am planning with some friends in December over the holidays. So.... I've got some time to test and tweek.

Wolf Guard Pack Leader @ 130 pts
- Frost Weapon, Storm Shield, Melta-bombs
Wolf Guard Pack Leader @ 130 pts
- Frost Weapon, Storm Shield

Rune Priest @ 100 pts
- Jaws of the World Wolf
- Living Lightning

Wolf Guard Pack @ 474 pts
-x2 - Wolf Guard in Power Armour, Wolf Claw x2
-x3 - Wolf Guard in Power Armour, Storm Bolter, CC weapon
-x1 - Wolf Guard in Power Armour, Bolt Pistol, CC weapon
-x2 - Wolf Guard in Power Armour, Storm Shield, Thunder Hammer
-x2 - Wolf Guard in Terminator Armour, Storm bolter, Power Weapon, Cyclone Missle Launcher
-x1 - Rhino, Storm Bolter

Wolf Scouts @ 85 pts
-x1 - Wolf Scout, Meltagun
-x4 - Wolf Scout, bolter

Wolf Scouts @ 85 pts
-x1 - Wolf Scout, Meltagun
-x4 - Wolf Scout, bolter

Grey Hunters Pack @ 150 pts
-x4 - Marines, Bolter, Bolt Pistol, CC Weapon
-x1 - Marine, flamer
-x1 - Razorback, Twin Linked Lascannon

Grey Hunters Pack @ 130 pts
-x4 - Marines, Bolter, Bolt Pistol, CC Weapon
-x1 - Marine, Meltagun
-x1 - Rhino, Storm Bolter

Grey Hunters Pack @ 130 pts
-x4 - Marines, Bolter, Bolt Pistol, CC Weapon
-x1 - Marine, Meltagun
-x1 - Rhino, Storm Bolter

Land Speeder Squadron @ 70 pts
- Multi-Melta
- Heavy Flamer

Land Speeder Squadron @ 70 pts
- Multi-Melta
- Heavy Flamer

Land Speeder Squadron @ 70 pts
- Multi-Melta
- Heavy Flamer

Long Fangs Pack @ 190 pts
-x4 - Marines, Bolter, CC Weapon, x4 Missle Launchers
-x1 - Squad Leader, Bolt Pistol, CC Weapon, Fire Control
-x1 - Razorback, Twin Linked Lascannon

Long Fangs Pack @ 190 pts
-x4 - Marines, Bolter, CC Weapon, Missle Launcher
-x1 - Squad Leader, Bolt Pistol, CC Weapon, Fire Control
-x1 - Razorback, Twin Linked Lascannon

Total Roster Cost: 1999


The Wolf Guard is large. The terminator armoured cyclones go with the scouts, and the TH + SS each go with a grey hunter unit along with on of the pack leaders if needed. One of the storm bolter clad wolf guard goes with the grey hunters in the razorback. The lone wolf guard with a BP + CC weapon goes with one long fangs unit and the Rune Priest goes with the other long fangs unit. The remaining Wolf guard stay together, ride around shooting eight bolter shots, and are joined by the pack leaders if needed dependant on the enemy and mission.


I think I'll do ok if I try and keep most people at arms length. The speeders will deepstrike and are set up for armour/anti-infantry shots. The long fangs will sit on the back edge fo the table and shoot as much as possible while there razorbacks move, shoot, and block. The Wolf Guard not farmed out to the grey hunters will head at 'rock units' and be supported by a grey hunter unit if they need it. The scouts behind enemy lines ability and the cyclone are to get those juicy side and rear shots on vehicles when opponents are set up poorly in their deplyment zone and stall the enemy before they die in place.


Ahhh... I know I'm missing something.


Anyway, thanks for the look,


Tim"
 
The skeleton of the list is solid but a few inconsistencies. The Razorbacks should be LasPlas (if they are double lascannon a bit of conversion work can make them LasPlas easily enough) as they provide more firepower and some durability for those Razorbacks (two weapon systems). For the same price, LasPlas are so much better. Outside of that the Long Fangs and Speeders are all good choices and so is the Priest (though Tempest or Hurricane are better powers than Jaws).
 
The Hunters, Scouts, WGBL and Wolf Guard though could use a bit of a tweak. The scouts should really be running around with CCW + BP. They don't always need to be operating behind enemy lines but you want that option available to you and the best part of their ability is to assault when they come on. Bolters obviously remove this. Attaching Wolf Guard for added cc punch is also a good thought so when you do 'outflank', the CML WG shouldn't be in those squads for obvious reasons. However, the WG unit as a whole is very expensive, especially the TH/SS guys and whilst adding them + the WBGL to the 5 man GH squads in Rhinos makes them decent combat units, the Wolf Guard are draining your points and your Troops aren't too hot (15 SM at 2000 points?).
 
So keeping the scouts but dropping a WGBL and the WG let's see what we can come up with to make your scoring stronger. We've got a couple of options as usual with Space Wolves. You can buff up the Rhino squad sizes to near 10 men (leaving space for attached guys) or spread the love with MSU. I prefer MSU but it's expensive money wise. With the cuts we've made there's 604 points to play with, let's see what we can do then based around MSU.
 
Let's take 2 IST squads w/double Plasma to slot into those Rhinos from the GH squads or rove around as needed. 160 points. We'll also add another RBack GH squad for 150 points. We want all of our GH squads to walk around with meltaguns (+20pts), power weapons (+60 points) and Wolf Guard with power weapons & combi-meltas (+99pts) [the WGBL goes in one of the squads). This has chewed most of our 600 points but we'd like some Wolf Guard to go with the Scouts too so another 66 points is spent there which leaves us a handful of points to play with and not too happy with it honestly.
 
Let's drop the IST then. We lose some scoring power but we do have 23 scoring bodies in Transports atm so we can either add another Rhino GH squad, some Lone Wolves or flesh out the current Rhino GH. I'd personally add another Rhino GH squad and leave this for the Rune Priest to hide in which leaves us with about 100 points. Time, to bring back an IST squad :P. This may be a bit confusing but will make sense below whenI write the army list out. Add a Transport (LasPlas RBack) to the Wolf Guard squad and a Plasma IST squad which sends us over the point limit. The WG LasPlas RBack should be swapped with one of the Rhino GHs (so the Rhino GH now has a LasPlas) and the IST can easily hijack a Rhino at the beginning of the game. The Wolf Scouts need a bit more combat oomph so let's add in a power weapon each and then drop a Land Speeder to balance our points. Adding it all up...2005. We'll drop a combi-weapon off one of the WG then which leaves us with...
 
WBGL w/Frost Weapon, SS
Rune Priest w/LL, Tempest
5x Wolf Guard w/4x combi-melta, 5x power weapon, Rhino
2x5x Scouts w/meltagun, power weapon
4x5x GH w/meltagun, power weapon, LasPlas RBack
5x GH w/flamer, Rhino
5x IST w/2x plasma guns
2x MM/HF Speeder
2x5x LF w/4x missiles, LasPlas Rback
 
Totals: 2000 points
Infantry: 57
Tanks: 10
 
How's that Tim? You've improved your midfield and combat ability with more a more general application of the Wolf Guard whilst keeping most of your original list intact. You've got a lot more scoring potential and can happily sacrifice squads more readily to keep your opponent at arm's length and all of your GH squads bar the RP bunker are pretty solid in combat. 6 LasPlas + 2 LF squads also equals a lot of firepower coming downfield.