Monday 16 July 2012

6th edition Space Wolves 1850 Tournament &Crons comparison

We all know Space Wolves are the kings of doing everything.
This is not to say they are Wolverine-esque, i.e. the best at what they do, being slightly unfocused, but they do all things pretty damn efficiently.
I've taken Space Wolves to every Brighton Warlords since 2010, when I started going. That was my first and only Doubles Tournament with Atreides where we came 3rd...and had a blast doing it.
Anyway, I've been genuinely worried over the last few days about how my Crons will perform vs a certain build... yup, the Nids build I spoke about the other day (read here - it's a real link, not those fecking 'text enhance' things..how do you get rid of them?)..

Now I know everyone tells me Nids are crap and so does the internet, but with Necrons..well, I struggle vs Tervigon Farm builds. Not with the little bugs you understand, but with the big boys...

So I got to finally looking at my Space Wolves. I must also consider the massive resurfacing of Terminators and other contextual factors are that a lot, and I mean a lot, of the Brighton Warlords typical tournament gamers run Deathstars..which we are also told are back to being boss in 6th.

But then, you must also handle regular builds and/or balanced builds. You pretty much need everything.. that's what Wolves are.

They are the Emperor's killers. The dogs of war set loose.. at 1850, how do I plan to tackle all builds then?
Well, with Wolves..the Nid lists (of which it is not just Rich/Mr Sinisters - there are quite a few Nid players at Brighton) go back to being very manageable..
Deathstars most typically consist of 3 things. Termies in Land Raiders (whatever crazy ass Forgeworld type or regular), Nob Bikerz (at least 1 army with those..) and I think we may see some Eldar - Jetbike Seer Council of old making a comeback..
Plenty of marine bodies will be on board as well as plenty of Orkz and other random bits.

Here is the plan....if the Wolves are let slip..



Rune Priest Fafnir (obviously, the bi dog has made it to all the Brighton tournies I've attended..he may as well dust himself off..)
Rune Priest Magaan. The new boy.

These fuckers will roll with Jaws/LL and Jaws/Murderous, both with Runic Armour and Fafnir (Jaws/LL) will rock his Chooser.

Elites. Wolf Guard and Lone Wolfs.
The Lone Wolfs are simple. 2 x TDA/CF/SS with the added addition in 6th of just one Fenrisian Wolf each just for that extra few inches when they need to charge.

The Wolf Guard are always my favourite tools. 9 of them, 4 in a Drop Pod with Combi-Meltas to throw themselves into the path of the Land Raider Deathstar. No Land Raider? They'll come in and strike the most appropriate target - if properly bubblewrapped/castled, they'll drop midfield and use the 6" disembark to get into position to support the rhino push.
The remaining 5 drop into squads as leaders. we have 3 with Combi-Meltas and Meltabombs, the changes to 6th and hitting vehicles in 6th making it just too damn good not to have for 5pts.
The final 2 are Terminators, 1 in my favourite and classic CML/Combi Plasma fire support role to join a foot squad and the other, yet another nod to 6th - just a goon with Terminator armour and a combi plasma.. leading a foot slogger unit from the front.. effectively giving the whole unit that 2+ save.. 4+ LOS (Look Out Sir) may not be as effective as with IC's but it'll do to try and keep this goon alive.

Troops. Hunters. The role for these guys hasn't changed, although how we go about it has slightly. I have shifted from 5 small packs in rhinos with one small pack to objective camp to the following:
3 x 5 GH, Rhino, Meltagun
2 x 10 GH, 2 x Plasmagun
1 x 5 GH, Flamer.
Still have 6 squads, except I've lost 2 rhinos. For a lot of my 1750 lists, I've only got one less rhino.. two is not a big difference.
The change to transports, bringing them back into line as just that, transports, means I want mine to be bombing forward as far as possible, either popping smoke or just going 18" into position if I can generate my own cover and from there.. that's it, job done. Time for the boys to do their work. This is the way a 35 points vehicle should work. Protect for a turn, get into position.. fuck off. Fine.
Supporting this is 20 GH running behind, superhuman metabolisms pumping as the boys get ready to lay down our own anti-transport...plasma fire. These guys have their 2+ saves and bring some mobile missile support. For when it gets hairy, we can fire 6 plasma shots from each squad.. that's possibly 2 Tyranid MCs in one turn.. lol..or its a nasty Snap Fire volley before receiving a charge..whatever.
The 5 man gimp squad at the rear either stays in reserve and comes in to claim home objectives on their own, or if they are needed from the get go, they'll start and leg it up field. 5 GH can have a real impact.

Heavies are the classic cheap Long Fangs. I thought about a Divination support Priest, but then thought against it. We'll keep it simple. Only 12 missiles with them, but remember we have the extra 2 moving up field. 14 missiles is not amazing, but we also have a first strike Melta unit as well as the hull-point stripping plasma gunners moving up.

Overall, the army looks like this:

Rune Priest Fafnir -130 - Chooser, LL, Jaws, Runic
Rune Priest Magaan – 120 - Jaws, Murderous, Runic           
Wolf Guard  x9 - 317 - 2 x TDA, 1xCML, 5 Combis, 3 x Meltabombs, (4 x CM, Drop Pod – Melta Strike Team)
Lone Wolf  -95 - CF/SS/TDA/1 x Wolf        
Lone Wolf  -95 - CF/SS/TDA/1 x Wolf        
Grey Hunters  x5 – 115 –Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunters  x5 – 115 –Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunters  x5 – 115 –Meltagun, Rhino
Grey Hunters  x 10 – 160 - Plasmagun x 2    
Grey Hunters  x 10 – 160 - Plasmagun x 2    
Grey Hunters  x 5 – 75 -Flamer         
Long Fangs x5 – 115 - 4 Missile Launchers
Long Fangs x5 – 115 - 4 Missile Launchers
Long Fangs x5 – 115 - 4 Missile Launchers
Its 1847, can deal with pretty much anything, is painted and ready to go.. but then so are the Necrons.. by comparison, this is where I am currently at with the Crons.. 

2 x Overlords - CCB(Gauss), Warscythe, Shackles
2 x 2 Court - Veil Cryptek, Solar Pulse/Lance Cryptek 
2 x 10 Gauss Immortals 
2 x 5 Warriors 
2 x 5 Wraiths (2 Coils in each) 
8 x Scarabs 
3 x Annihilation Barges 
A very strong, capable 5th ed army, I've gone for more Wraiths over my usual second unit of Scarabs just because I feel Wraiths can do more for me now in 6th..better armour and hit vehicles easier. The Dual Veil Immortals are my staple, go-to units and the rest is very self explanatory, plus we've covered it all before. The Scarabs would deal with the Land Raider or Battlewagons (well, 2 Wagons probably at once then die) but then the rest of the army can deal with the Deathstar units themselves, 2 Wraith units can tie them up and go toe-to-toe, the Veil Immortals handle anti infantry alongside the more mobile than ever Annihilation Barges. If necessary, the Overlords can smush the Land Raiders or Battlewagons from charge range at the same time as the Scarabs, providing some back up/overload to try and keep the elements from being wiped out in return.. anyway.. the only work for this would be to convert up more Destroyer-Wraiths from my huge collection of Destroyers... 

Whilst I am very confident with the Crons, the Nid lists scare me as do Battlewagon Orkz.. not so much the Wolves.. who I am more than capable with.. Thoughts please gentlemen.. How do you feel the Wolves will hold up? What are you running in your Wolves and what does your 6th ed experience so far with Wolves tell you? 
Let's not forget the beauty of Jaws in a world of just 6+ to negate or shitty psychic hoods..or the beauty of Runic Staffs.. perhaps the 2nd best psychic defence in the game?

12 comments:

  1. Yoink list stolen! It's about time you manned up and looked at wolves lol

    Banter aside the list looks solid enough, I got plenty of games in over the weekend and tested the foot slogging plasma packs quite a bit. They work really nice especially with a 2+ save leading the way to soak up them krak missiles.

    Lone wolves are just pure win ( although I've always had a hard on for them) I'd be tempted though to ditch those fenrisian wolves for a couple of banners on the slogging packs but that's just personal preference.

    Lookin good bro

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    1. The Lone Wolves.. I just want them to have a slightly longer reach, try and mitigate for those dodgy charge rolls that are bound to occur as much as possible.

      Talk to me about the Plasma Packs..good for stripping hull points? Just how survivable is that 2+ save up front? Look Out Sir on a 4+ keep the Wolf Guard alive? I'm thinking of throwing the Rune Priests out at the front too for the 2+ and a 2+ LOS roll.. thoughts?

      I see your point on the Banners, and I do really like them in bigger packs, but to get all this in I just couldn't squeeze it. I know I could drop the FW on the Lone Wolves.. but for this weekend at least I'll keep them, see how it goes..

      How have your rhino's held up? i'm thinking of just throwing them forward, flat out, then at least the boys are in position next turn.. merit to that in your experience so far?

      oh and banter... "manned up" oh Brad, no. It's about time you manned up and posted some of your Wolf thoughts and experiences!

      When's your next tournament mate? Where you hitting up as your first 6th tournament?

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    2. I wish I could blog at the minute but I'm currently browsing on the iPad/iPhone and writing anything more than a few paragraphs on those things frys my head, hopefully next couple of weeks and I'll have my laptop back and be able to earn my keep.

      At the minute my thoughts on Rhinos are two fold:-

      1) Free "First Blood VP"

      2) Entangled, Stunned, Shaken, Pinned death traps of doom for any who sit inside one. Seriously the amount of times these things get penetrated, stunned and then wrecked is stupid. It then leaves you with a Shaken/Stunned pack on foot who can't assault or do shit other than snap shot.

      Plasma packs with TDA Wolf Guard. Much better option now but still suffers from the good old torrent of fire, at least a 2+ save up front helps negate this. I ran my WG and Rune Priest up front side by side and faced them to the most likely threat that way at least I could take torrent shots on the Rune Priest until he fluffed a save or even risk a 2+ LOS on any nasty AP2 shots. The WG just helped provde another angle to gain 2+ or tot take over when the Rune Priest eventually took that wound. You'll always find yourself struggling to cover the pack with just one 2+ save (Imagine things that can move fast like destroyers that can out flank you)

      The Packs themselves were solid enough in the games I played, advancing and laying down plasma fire as they went. The changes to rapid fire are a real bonus to this unit and they had the numbers to take a pounding before losing effectiveness.

      My next tourney is the Northern Warlords GT in September, I haven't got a clue what to take at the minute. I'm thinking to paint some Thunderwolves up and smash face until I can settle on a proper list.

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    3. Just breaking your balls about blogging, forgeddaboutit!
      September is still a way off. i was thinking about something just the other day.. what about mimicking the Necron tournament model for Space Wolves?
      Wraiths = TWC, Chariots = TWC Lords, WG with CML/TDA = Crypteks to join small Grey Hunter packs, Annihilation Barges = Fangs.. I will try and throw something up very soon, perhaps today about it.

      Rhino's need to just fuck off then, in your opinion?

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    4. The Jury is still out for Rhino's mate, I don't know if I'm just having horrendous luck with them or they are well and truly fooked. I do keep putting them into my lists though because at the end of the day they are just 35 points a pop.

      I have had some fun with the Thunderwolves though, that 12" move has really improved them and I'm thinking that flyer heavy armies are gonna struggle as by turn 2 the Wolves are all over you befroe your air support can help.

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    5. Agreed, the changes to Cavalry are ace.. don't forget the Hammer of Wrath addition as well, base strength 5 autohit is not to be sniffed at!

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  2. Ive gotta agree with brad, the space wolf list is very solid. With the split fire rule of the long fangs still intact, id suggest that they hvent really lost muc (if any)of thier value.

    I would definately rather face the Crons (with my horde gaurd). thats not to say that you wouldnt clean up, just that id at least not be facing power armour, a real struggle for me atm.

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    1. I've rarely used split fire to be honest Slayer.. I usually prefer to just kill something.. i can't see that changing in 6th at the minute anyway.. have you used it much? I never found that their value lay in split fire, more just in cheap utility missiles..

      Horde Guard ey? Tasty...that's a lot of boys on the table! You running some plasma in those blobs now? Love that you can now move and still fire at 24" AND still fire those heavy weapons teams..the Autocannon is even better - perfect for stripping hull points, plus it gives multiple dice for snap shots?

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  3. Urgh, one of my fears of early 6th - SW lists that look identical to 5th lol.

    I am really interested to see what BWL brings from the results. I still think it will be good players with deathstars hovering around the 6 to 15 spots, with 1 to 5 being the lists that just shooting them off the table.

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    1. Thanks for the positive comment.. lol

      I've got 2 ten man units on foot! How is that similar to 5th? It isn't...for me anyway!

      The Lone Wolves have pets!

      My 2nd rune priest can dive into Divination for "Guide" vs lots of fliers!

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    2. What do you want me to add? A Deathstar? soon as I've never run one at a tournie? TWC en masse?

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    3. haha - last time I played you you only had 4 rhino's!

      But in seriousness its not a knock, its just to me the more things change, the more they stay the same. Its not just you, the changes I wanted/expected for 6th didn't happen (hence why I am not playing it right now). If the meta changes in 6months when/if people figure out what is better in 6th - I might. I am not a fan of fliers and just completely bored of shooty armies.

      Basically I want everyone to get into combat and punch each other in the face!

      It's a topic unto itself really, but I kind of wanted a return to hero hammer, but that's just me, its undoubtedly not a popular opinion, just want I personally want.

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