Email in: A different 1,850pt Spacewolf list

"Hi Kirby,

Long time reader (usually every day) and occasional commenter on spacewolf posts. I've played wolves since I started playing 40k with my mates in 2010 and your blog has been a good help over the years. Hoping to head to some tournaments in the future, but in Scotland we don't have many options. After trying out various ideas and nearly every unit over the years I've come up with an 1,850 point list that is different from most lists I've seen on the web. This might be because it doesn't work, but here it is followed by some of my reasoning.

HQ----

(260pts) Wolf lord

Thunderwolf mount, runic armour, storm shield, wolfclaw, saga warrior born, 1 fenrisian wolf

(100pts) Rune Priest

Living Lightning, Murderous Hurricane

Elite----

(85pts) Wolfscouts x5 (1 Melta Gun)

(85pts) Lone wolf

TDA, Stormshield, Chainfist

(425pts) Wolfguard

1 x Bolt P/CC weapon

3 x Bolt P/Melta Gun

3 x Melta Gun/Power Fist

1 x TDA Combi Melta/Wolfclaw

1 x TDA Storm Bolter/Power Weapon + Cyclone

1 x TDA Assault Cannon/Wolfclaw

Drop Pod

Fast Attack----

(155pts) Thunderwolf Cavalry

1 x Bolt P/CC weapon

1 x Storm Shield/Power Fist

Heavy Support----

(125pts) Long Fangs Pack 1

3 x Multi melta/CC Weapon

1 x (Sqd Leader) Bolt P/CC Weapon

(115pts) Long Fangs Pack 2

4 x Missile/CC Weapon

1 x (Sqd Leader) Bolt P/CC Weapon

Troops----

(155pts) Greyhunter Pack 1

7xGreyhunters (1 Melta Gun + Wolf Standard)

Rhino

(155pts) Greyhunter Pack 2

7xGreyhunters (1 Melta Gun + Wolf Standard)

Rhino

(115pts) Greyhunter Pack 3

5xGreyhunters (1 Melta Gun)

Drop Pod

(75pts) Greyhunter Pack 4

5xGreyhunters (1 Flamer)

On Foot

It might seem like a rainbow list, but I'm trying to take some unusual ideas and the quirks of the spacewolf codex and mix it together to create something that isn't a copy of the other lists out there. Before we start with any critique just want to stay I don't like playing spam very much, if it's lots of razorbacks or maxing out on missile longfangs I just kind of find it boring. Think the list is still an all comers list that is fun to play. Think everyone likes a unit that is a star for a game, in here it could be the Lone wolf, Thunder lord, scouts, or Drop Pod WG.

Briefly what I'm aiming for is to get some lethal disruption in the list (scouts and turn 1 melta drop pod), forcing the opponent to deploy very carefully, but hopefully still putting them between a rock and a hard place. The lone wolf, thunderwolves, Multi Melta long fangs and of course 2 big GH squads all want to get close to the opponent (and/or control midfield). If they don't want to leave their deployment zone and come to me I should hopefully be able to box them in. I should be hitting the enemy with melta every turn, which often isn't possible with armies and especially wolves.

So general setup and idea is below.

My footslog Greyhunters are a back field objective holder (I see you used BA scouts recently for same reason), often these rarely contribute in an attacking way in games (it's almost like they're having a picnic away from the action) which is why here they are joined by the TDA cyclone. Now I have a scoring TDA firing off 2 missiles a turn.

The rest of the Wolfguard is designed to be flexible depending on situation. The 3 Combi Melta/Power Fist join GH packs 1 and 2, and the scouts. If the Power Fist isn't needed in the scouts, can just use WG with Combi Melta.

The plain WG will join Long Fangs Pack 1 (as an extra wound).

This leaves 5 WG, 2 TDA and 3 power armour with Combi Melta.

One of the TDA joins GH Pack 3 in the other Drop Pod, giving another scoring TDA. This could add a combi-melta to the unit or an assault cannon.

So I got 2 units in Drop Pods wIth 1 TDA in each. Normally I'd drop the WG pod first turn for an alpha strike of 3 Combi-Meltas and the Assault Cannon or 4 Combi-Meltas, if there's something I really need to take out. A high prority will be anything that can do strength 10 damage which can cut my thunderwolves to pieces (read as instant death).

Also if there's a big tank park taking out a front rhino/razorback can really hamper an opponents movement.

I find that the TDA makes my unit slightly tougher to bring down, especially if I'm using my drop pod as cover. Or I can send down an empty pod for blocking.

The Rune Priest will join a big GH squad for psyker autocannon goodness.

So while a small unit harrasses him with melta turn 1, he's also got to worry about scouts coming on from turn 2 onwards with double melta and multi assault possibilities.

My 3xMulti Melta long fangs are pushing into midfield in the rhino which pops smoke. I now have a Multi-Melta bunker from turn 2. This seems like a crazy idea when I could just get a normal 4 missile longfang pack for cheaper. My thinking is that spacewolves find it hard to get Multi meltas (dreads are in elite slots, speeders are fragile and usually 1 melta), our tank busting is generally the melta gun on grey hunters, WG or scouts (or close combat later in game) We don't always want to use grey hunters in such an aggressive way, so I was looking at alternatives.

A great spacewolf unit is the Long Fangs who get heavy weapons very cheap, looking at marine tactical bunkers it costs them 200 odd pts to have 1 Multi melta in bunker. I get 3 Multi Meltas (I know only 2 can fire from hatch) plus 2 ablative wounds (Sqd Leader plus plain WG) for 143 pts. People some times compare long Fangs (or MEQ equivalent) with Predators, I feel this combines some advantages of both. The armour of the rhino is just the first level of protection for the Multi Melta Long Fangs, unlike tanks/speeders (1 melta or missile can turn them to dust). And also once you destroy the rhino their potential damage increases. If rhino is now a crater you got 3 Multi Meltas covering midfield in cover (any deaths from explosion would be Sqd Leader or WG), if it's a wreck you use it as cover 3 hiding, and 2 Multi Meltas aiming at their next target.

Also pushing into midfield is the Lone wolf, a tough nut to crack and a nut cracker on his own. And then you got the HQ thunderwolf lord (mostly attached to the TWC) using the Long Fang rhino or GH rhinos as cover. Or perhaps going down a flank is there's cover and it seems tactically advantageous to do so. Or perhaps hiding (or reserving them) to use as a brilliant counter attack unit. Kind of like drawing a line in the sand 19 inches away from them and daring the enemy to cross it. If they hit as a unit of one the 3 levels of Initiative (I5 lord wolf claw attacks, then I4 TWC rending, then I1 Power fist attacks) is deadly and cuts out wound allocation funny business, that can often make power weapon attacks less deadly in combat.

As the battle goes on I've got a drop Pod coming down later (Grey Hunter Pack 3 with a TDA), possibly where I need reinforcements or to start a new angle of attack. And a favourite is to grab an isolated objective. Capture and Control can often lead to draws cause it's hard to get to the enemies objective. Now I could have a troop unit and Drop Pod contesting which many backfield objective holders can't deal with easily. Of course if most of the enemies army is there well hopefully I've got him pushed back and other units are close by and ready to contest or finish him off.

So this is experimental, but any comments are appreciated. Do you and others think it works as a concept? Maybe not enough troops for some people, not mobile enough or not enough armour, not able to deal with lots of transports? Is it a one trick pony so that if the plan starts to fail it will just be taken apart piece by piece. Or is it different enough that people might underestimate the threats which all require different ways to counteract them.

Maybe some will play test the list for fun (possibly having success) and provide feedback. I'm lucky if I can play 1 game a week of 40k and I came up with the list while cycling around europe for charity for 8 months (shameless plug www.cycle4africa.co.uk)

--- feel free to delete the last bit Kirby, but I did cycle 9,000km through 20 countries on my own to help children in Tanzania get food, education and shelter so it's for a very good cause :)

Thanks for reading (you may have to shorten for posting sorry)

and good luck with the next 3++ tournament

gary (sunsnowzero)"

Overall there's a lot of options here though a few things could use addressing. The major thing here is lack of ranged firepower - I'm all for not using massed Missile Fangs or RBacks but there needs to be more ranged suppression coming down field. Also, the way you've set up both your Long Fangs makes them prime targets for different armies and without any redundancy there, they will be targeted pretty early.


With this in mind I'd be looking to expand the shooting presence. Something as simple as a Rifledread, couple of Typhoons or RBacks and doubling the MM Long Fangs is going to make your army more reliable and durable in terms of firepower provided. To do this I'd be looking to drop the Lone Wolf and trim the TWC - the Wolf Lord is all the killing power you really need - what you want for the TWC bodyguard is extra wounds and some S10 so one-three strong with one Thunder Hammer works fine. With these points buy one of the aforementioned firepower units and then grab another MM Fang unit in a Rhino (I'd be running with two MMs). This effectively doubles your ranged output and your 24" melta threat as well though you may need to trim a few upgrades here and there to make it fit (depending upon which ranged unit you go with to support your Long Fangs).


And kudos on the charity work - never a bad thing to plug such :).