A Winning Combination

[wolf363839]

Don't know how many folks have had the opportunity to play from Battle Missions yet, but I highly recommend the book. It is by far the best supplement GW has come out with. The subtle variations in missions give you a great new experience in each battle.

 

I'm curious if anybody else has played Battle Missions and how you've enjoyed it.

 

I recently played 5 missions from the new book and achieved 4 wins and 1 draw with the army list below. I developed this list after much pondering, but I wanted a true "all-comers" list that could actually beat pretty much anybody I face, and I think I've done that by achieving balance between mobility, firepower, and assault. My hero of these 5 battles has to be my Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf. He is a holy terror who killed well over 100 Orks/IG/Eldar between the 5 battles.

 

By randomizing missions from the Battle Missions book, you have to be prepared to go on the offense, defense, or do something in between. And be ready for objective based games as well as kill points. I recommend keeping that in mind when crafting your lists.

 

Here's my list:

 

Wolf Lord (attached to Fenrisian Wolves)

Thunderwolf

Frost Blade

Storm Shield

WTT

Saga of the Warrior Born

 

Rune Priest (attached to GH Pack in Rhino)

WTT

Chooser of the Slain

Living Lightning

Stormcaller

 

Dreadnought

Missile Launcher

TwinL Lascannon

 

4 x Wolf Guard (all detached to GH Packs)

4 x Combi-Melta

4 x Power Fist

 

9 x Grey Hunters

Wolf Standard

Power Weapon

MoTW

Flamer

Standard Land Raider w/ extra armor

 

8 x Grey Hunters

Wolf Standard

Power Weapon

MoTW

Flamer

Rhino w/ extra armor

 

9 x Grey Hunters

Wolf Standard

Power Weapon

MoTW

Flamer

Rhino w/ extra armor

 

5 x Grey Hunters

Flamer

Razorback w/ TwinL Lascannon

 

5 x Fenrisian Wolves w/ Cyberwolf pack leader

 

6 x Long Fangs

1 Heavy Bolter

4 Missile Launchers

 

Vindicator w/ dozer blade

[whitewolfmxc]

Good list , although i always find one vindicator always dont get the job done cause they die very soon , and id personal take 3 missile launchers , 1 las cannon , 1 plasma cannon with long fangs

[wolf363839]

I hear you. I think in all 5 games, the Vindicator shot maybe 6 times total. It does attract a lot of firepower, but that is partly the point, since it allows my deadly troop choices to close the distance with the enemy. The Long Fangs and Dreadnought fill that "distractor" role also.

 

I guess the army is a "pick your poison" kinda thing. You can either shoot at the troops and get pounded by the heavy support, or you can supress the heavy support while the rhinos, Wolf Lord, and LR get into position.

 

Do you think I should have all three shooty choices (Dread, Long Fangs, Vindy) or drop one of them and take 2 of the other???

[Aeddon]

If it worked than I wouldn't worry about changing much. Sure, try out different lists but it seems like overall you made a list that works well for you.

[Uncooked]

I'v played the new battle missions, they the ones i've played so far have always just been objective markers, and then a different deployment, kinda disappointed with it at the moment, perhaps more games i play with it the more interested i will be.

 

Everyone has their own play style and saying that, you will have reasons for choosing your items and units for your games because of how you play - if it works it ain't broke, if it ain't broke, don't fix it ;)

 

I presume that list is 1,500points?

[wolf363839]

Should have put that up front, my bad. All games were 2000 pts.

 

My gaming group has 5-6 guys, depending on the day and which armies the other guys bring. We were getting a little burned out with the 3 missions in the rulebook.

 

Battle Missions allows you to play in an identical way for normal missions and doesn't take any more time to plan/build terrain, etc. The small tweaks in mission play are a fun change for us. Might not be everybody's cup of tea, but it is a relatively cheap way to liven up the battles.

 

One of the highlights was using a very very old school trick in one of the games: drop a 1/2" square piece of paper from 3' above the table to simulate artillery strikes! (I kid you not, it's in one of the missions). None of the three squares hit anything, but it was hilarious watching those things flutter down toward the table, hoping our guys would manage to dodge them!

[Kenmichi]

I would recommend trying to find the points to add a second Vindicator. They work perfectly in pairs and if properly supported by the Long Fangs and Dreadnought they can both get into good positioning allowing you to dump double the pie plates.

[wolf363839]

What do you recommend I take out from the list? The only thing available is the Razorback & GH Pack which I use to sit on nearby objectives and for emergency support.

[TiguriusX]

Why do you spend 250 points on LR for your GH unit and reduce it to 9 members. I know it is a basic LC variant that only holds 10...but why use that LR?

-Your LR is either flying forward at full speed or staying put to fire all weapons. Not great synergy with your GHs

-If you switch to a LRC or even a LRR you can

(-a-) fill up the LR with 10xGH;

(-b-) get another special weapon for free making the GH much more effective;

(-c-) you can even upgrade your WG to TDA + CF for a mere 5 extra points making your unit a real versatile hammer; and

(-d-) your LR can maintain full efficiency after racing forward because both LRC/LRR variants are supreme firebases at close range

 

 

 

I would drop the dread for more LFs. A single anti vehicle shot on the dread has the potential to eliminate too many weapons. If you replaced him with LFs you could get more long range firepower and reduce risk of losing it all. For example, if you replaced it with 5xLF and 2xLC 2xML you have 5 spare points for the WG-TDA/CF upgrade discussed above

*EDIT* Or you could replace the dread with the second vindicator

 

 

 

Why the cyberwolf packleader? You are already running the wolves with your WL and his max leadership. You could simply buy another wolf and increase total number of wolves and attacks (cyberwolf replaces a wolf...doesn't add it...so you actually lose an attack with your current setup)

[wolf363839]

Good points, thanks for the input.

 

My thinking with the Dread was mostly including a cool looking model I had painted, with the added bonus that it can reposition and still fire both weapons. I learned from my only loss with the new 'dex that mobile firepower is huge. Overall I am 10-1-1 with the new codex. The second vindicator is tempting though...

 

As for the cyberwolf, I do sacrifice the extra body and an attack, but if the unit takes 2 casualties, the majority toughness rule actually raises the T of the unit to a 5. I have to admit that that scenario only played itself out once during the last five games, but I seemed to have enough ablative wounds to get him into CC.

[Kenmichi]

What I meant was, tweak your list a little bit by removing unnecessary upgrades. For example your 5 man GH pack with the Razorback, taking a flamer with a long range shooting Razorback seems contradictory. I'd recommend switching the Flamer out for a Plasma Gun, or switching the Lascannon out for a Heavy Bolter or even Assault Cannon but that doesn't exactly give you points back, just improves the unit's shooting capabilities.

 

I second Tigurius' suggestion of taking the LRC over standard LR for the same reasons. Because the Hurricane Bolters are Str 4 they classify as defensive weapons despite being the primary side sponsons, so you can take full advantage of your weapons while moving at 6". This doesn't specifically apply to the LRC because all LRs have it but thanks to the Machine Spirit you can move 12" and fire the Assault Cannons (Twin-linked Heavy 4 Rending weapons being shot while moving 12"? Yes PLEASE!) Plus the option to disembark and assault into cover is pretty useful, though not exactly game breaking.