Hi guys, long time no see.
Well life has thrown me another bundle of joy, a son, Lachlan (or fester jnr as he may be known in time). He is great, but unfortunately eats into my hobby time just a little.
But back to relevance. What this does give me is a lot of list writing and perfecting time, even if I don't have to much time to actually blog, play, or paint such lists.
I am currently battling with a Loganwing list, and wanted to talk a little about my experiences building an elite army.
First: Purgatus is doing a Loganwing how-to on his blog Best Overall. If you don't follow this you need to, its in depth (so far), logical and well thought out. Now if he would just get onto the Troops section *nudge nudge*.
Now onto my conundrum. I am building a staging list from 1500 to 1750 to 2000 for the events for the next 12 months, starting with a 1500pt NOVA style in December.
My base list at 1500 looks like this:
Logan
Rune Priest
Wolf Scouts, Meltagun
Wolf Scouts, Meltagun
5 Wolf Guard, Combimelta, Terminator, CML, PF
5 Wolf Guard, Combimelta, Terminator, CML, PF
5 Wolf Guard Terminator, CML, CF
5 Wolf Guard Terminator, CML, CF
5 Wolf Guard Terminator, CML, PW
Long Fangs, 3 ML
Long Fangs, 4 ML
15 points to spare.
Not a bad list, and the spare points get eaten up later in the build (onto 1750/2000). Here I will probably throw in some storbolters onto the WG squads. No. Combi-meltas.
What I am finding is this - the more I think about this list, the more holes I see in it. This is Space Wolves, the Powerhouse codex. It shouldn't have holes.
So... what am I missing, what army build will tear me to pieces?
This single question is what separates good list builders from bad. You can come up with a concept, (loltastic or not,) and build to that concept, but at the end you need to stop and look at where your holes are. The ability to do this is key in designing a good list. The reason that good list builders like Stelek, Kirbs, and others can write lists outside of the norm is that they build a list, then look for weaknesses, attempt to fill them somehow while adhering to the list theme, and continue. Stelek's JP Techmarine wiht Combi-melta is an example of this. It's a stupid idea IMO to run these in a list, let alone 3, but they fit the role he needs for his army. Often the answer is Melta, or Countercharge CC, or Long range Anti-tank, or Orks (every army needs more Orks, yes I am looking at you Tau, even you).
For me, in this list, the hole is anti-infantry. Now hold on, you say. Alt-fire missiles are anti-infantry, idiot. Sure are, but if my missiles are shooting at infantry, they either arent killing vehicles whiich hurts me, or all the vehicles are dead which means I have probably won anyway.
This is a fairly consistant theme I have been finding in Space Wolves lists - they rely on GH to do anti-infantry, and have a huge lack of ranged A-I. Long Fangs with Missile Launchers just don't cut it. They have a job, and its to kill Light vehicles, TMC and kill FNP marines. They can kill infantry, but getting at best 6 wounds from 4 missile fangs just seems a waste of firepower when they could be killing other tanks.
For the record, I am considering a Fang squad with 4 Heavy Bolters instead of the 3 ML squad. Why you might ask?
Well they will tear light vehicles apart, at S5 or S6 if you add in Logan and Tankhunters, and can reliably put would on infantry from T1. Couple this with the fact that I still have 14 missiles at 1500, plus LL, and losing the other 3 isn't such a big deal.
Sure, people will argue, but that's also part of perfecting your list.
You dont just have to ask yourself What's am I missing ....? you know... you really should be asking anyone whose advice you respect.
Just don't ask me, as I am invariably wrong these days...
