Codex Blood Angels

[Grey Mage]

If you read the codex it says that Thunderwolves are closer in anatomy to a rhinoceroid than a wolf... think of it as giant supermen riding rhinos.

Frankly, I dont have any problems with the idea of a very large wolf being ridable by a marine. I just think its odd that they threw them in their but took out our leman russ.

 

Anyways, I recall being about 6 at the time, but I rode a St. Bernard cross, by basicly giving it a bear hug as it walked forward going "why is this kid doing this" while my buddy laughed. Now I live where real wolves do, and while I havent seen many, the couple I have were about 3-3.5' at the shoulder and probly weighed around 140-150lbs. I think theyd scale well to larger sizes.

[Blitzkreig]

Kenai Peninsula Wolves measure over 180cm long and weigh 45-63 kg (5 feet 11 inches and 99-138.6 lbs if I'm doing my conversions right, so you might want to check). Wolves can get suprisingly large if they have to, so just imagine what Wolves who hunt 8 foot tall Ice Trolls, giant Mastadons and have to put up with giant men trying to kill you to prove how tough they are.

 

In other words, you either get big or get killed.

[Valerian]

This game is all about the suspension of disbelief. There are volumes of topics in this game and in the 40K universe that might not fit our perception of reality, but we still accept them as part of the background material and go with it. As has been stated on multiple occasions, don't think of the Thunderwolves merely as larger versions of the wolves we are familiar with here in the real world. Fenrisian wolves of all types aren't "animals" but are rather "monsters" that are reminiscent of terrestrial wolves in looks and in behavior, but certainly not in "ability" (size, strength, speed, endurance, etc.).

 

They are new, and the addition of this unit did come out of nowhere, but after several months of consideration, I think they are a pretty cool addition to the army list. They have certainly generated a lot of excitement, and a whole new playstyle option for the army. They aren't a mandatory, or "no-brainer" unit, but for those that want to include them they work well. They fit the Space Wolves, and when the models are done right, they definitely look cool, fierce, and intimidating to your opponent.

 

Additionally, I'm glad that they were added, even if their was no background material on them whatsoever, because it is a good thing that our army isn't completely stagnant. It is great to get some new options, new equipment, and new units every now and then. The TWC was a good one for this edition.

 

V

[Grey Mage]

And your right- its hard to argue that a Cavalry/Beasts type army isnt a very fun, unique way to play an army- particularly one thats power armored. A Canis style list is certainly a viable option, and adds a 4rth/5th viable overall strategy for our army depending on how your counting it.*

 

 

*Footslogging, DPing, Mech, Cavalry, Combined Arms*

[Brother Yorei]

wel they now have a demon in there mids and if they're going the way of the flesh tearers, things are looking up for the boys in red B)

 

 

who is the deamon?

[Max_Dammit]

wel they now have a demon in there mids and if they're going the way of the flesh tearers, things are looking up for the boys in red ;)

 

 

who is the deamon?

The one with the demon stats :)

[Requiem of the Wolf]

Otherwise known as Mephiston lol.

 

Anyways...the Thunderwolf is...well I personally love it...simply because of the Idea behind it. In my eyes...the Space wolves would without a doubt tame and ride giant wolf like creatures if they were available. It reminds me of the stories of Authors I loved when I was a kid. The Horseclans novels. The Tarma and Kethry novels by Mercedes Lackey....

 

The Idea of a Mount and Warrior fighting together as Brothers,side by side or mounted...The way the fluff describes it sounds very similar to that. Throw in the low-level psychic ability of all Fenrisian's and you can get the same image pretty easily.

 

Yes it is a new thing,not flat out described in the earlier fluff....but the basis for it was there. The way the creatures of Fenris are described..The stories of the Giant wolves which were in the earlier editions...just Marines hadn't started riding them.

[Blitzkreig]

You know what the funny thing is? I can honestly see Space Wolves fighting over a place at the feasting table in the great hall before a Thunderwolf calmly picks one of them up in its mouth, and to the raucous laughter of the rest of the company, flings the poor bugger halfway across the hall before sitting down and eating his steak dinner.

[Marshal Wilhelm]

This game is all about the suspension of disbelief. There are volumes of topics in this game and in the 40K universe that might not fit our perception of reality, but we still accept them as part of the background material and go with it. As has been stated on multiple occasions, don't think of the Thunderwolves merely as larger versions of the wolves we are familiar with here in the real world. Fenrisian wolves of all types aren't "animals" but are rather "monsters" that are reminiscent of terrestrial wolves in looks and in behavior, but certainly not in "ability" (size, strength, speed, endurance, etc.).

 

They are new, and the addition of this unit did come out of nowhere, but after several months of consideration, I think they are a pretty cool addition to the army list. They have certainly generated a lot of excitement, and a whole new playstyle option for the army. They aren't a mandatory, or "no-brainer" unit, but for those that want to include them they work well. They fit the Space Wolves, and when the models are done right, they definitely look cool, fierce, and intimidating to your opponent.

 

Additionally, I'm glad that they were added, even if their was no background material on them whatsoever, because it is a good thing that our army isn't completely stagnant. It is great to get some new options, new equipment, and new units every now and then. The TWC was a good one for this edition.

 

V

 

Yay ~ *raises sherry glass, realises where he is :( , drops it and pulls out tankard :D *

I concur. 10/10.

 

Having been around the hobby for a while, and so through different stages of my life, I have dismissed out of hand certain things & especially new things

"That's stupid, that's dumb, they're rubbish, etc."

As time has passed, I have come to love it all.

Why not skip the whiney stage and just get on with the love? :wub:

I have just recently realised part of the reason why I had thought Razorbacks were junk until just this past year ~ when they first came out, the UM one was painted during The Age of Red and looked horridly garish.

I didn't like them because of the paint scheme?! :lol: What a terrible reason to not use a unit!

 

Just embrace it all :)

[Requiem of the Wolf]

Wonders never cease...we are slowly but surely civilizing Wilhelm *grins*

[Tsavong Lah]

You want to be a frothing at the mouth lunatic crusading madman, don't you. Admit it. Come onnnnn.

 

Well, we already have "frothing-at-the-mouth" and "lunatic" here at the Fang. We might miss out on the "crusading" part, but I'll take Celto-Viking werewolves over crusading madmen any day of the week. :)

[LoneSniperSG]

I have just recently realised part of the reason why I had thought Razorbacks were junk until just this past year ~ when they first came out, the UM one was painted during The Age of Red and looked horridly garish.

I didn't like them because of the paint scheme?! ;) What a terrible reason to not use a unit!

 

Just embrace it all :)

 

the age of what? I have no idea what you speak of.

[Valerian]

I have just recently realised part of the reason why I had thought Razorbacks were junk until just this past year ~ when they first came out, the UM one was painted during The Age of Red and looked horridly garish.

I didn't like them because of the paint scheme?! :lol: What a terrible reason to not use a unit!

 

Just embrace it all :)

 

the age of what? I have no idea what you speak of.

 

I think I can clear this up. Back in the early 90's GW's 'Eavy metal painters went through a phase where they used a rather garish bright red color on, well, pretty much everything. I'll see if I can dig up some pictures, but it you have access to any real old White Dwarf magazines from that time frame, just take a look through them and you'll immediately see what I'm talking about.

 

@Wilhelm, did I understand you correctly on this point?

 

V

[Wildfire]

The Horseclans novels.

 

Wow, I haven't thought of those in years. I feel a nostalgia trip coming on! I wonder if they're up on project gutenburg?

[Marshal Wilhelm]

@Wilhelm, did I understand you correctly on this point?

V

 

Yes. I feel better now that others too endured The Red. You know what they say ~ "A problem shared is a problem doubled :D"

or was that supposed to be halved? :D

[Grey Mage]

@Wilhelm, did I understand you correctly on this point?

V

 

Yes. I feel better now that others too endured The Red. You know what they say ~ "A problem shared is a problem doubled :o"

or was that supposed to be halved? ;)

I remember seeing those... but it didnt affect me much- I didnt buy WD really, I just looked through my friends.

[LPetersson]

i thougth that lion was the best tactican ;)

I thought it was thoes 2 loyalists Alpharius and Omegon... :)

 

According to my codex, Russ 'was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant military commanders in and age of great generals' so ner ner ner :-p

But seriously, I doubt they will say that one particular primarch was a better general than the others although some of them certainly had specialties...

 

I am no fan of our current codex compared to the 2nd or 3rd ed codex, but I still think it's quite strong.

In the fluff we're a bit more of a CC army, but I think that's more down to the Ragnar books since each Wolf Lord has his own style and Ragnars is very much the style of a blood claw.

 

As I explained to my housemate earlier today (Tyranid player *spits*) each Wolf Lord has his own doctrine and will follow that.

 

BA/BT are at least as CC focused as SW in the fluff and even more so in the rules. That's fine, in the Rules we're more a 'whittle them down at range and CC when they've weakened' which I also think is quite fluffy given how Ragnar always seems to be backed up by Long Fangs in the novels (While a Wolf Lord, not while he's a BC or with House Belarus)...

 

I'm having my first game against the new BAs tomorrow and I'm quite looking forwards to it.

It's only 1000 points, but I'll be putting 10 LFs, 20 GHs, 2 RPs and 1 LW to good use...

 

I'm looking forwards to the next codex comes out so our brothers in red can escape the stigmata of being the latest codex and people can start whining complaining about another codex.

 

Yes, the mask sounds annoying and deep striking land raiders made me go ':evil:', but hey ho, life moves on and in 10 years we'll be on the receiving end again...

 

Until then, I'll be happy to take on any army regardless of how overpowered it is, for I know that Russ and the Emperor are with me.

[LoneSniperSG]

Bah. Deep-strike those Land Raiders. I have Lascannons, Meltaguns and a Leman Russ Vanquisher to knock them out.