Updated Wolves?

[Sven_Bloodhowl]

Hi guys been absent from the hobby for a couple of years, finally decide to get back into it and find that my beloved wolves have got a brand new codex, some things i like (sagas, cheaper GH) and somethings i don't (WG less customizable, Thunderwolf Cavalry)

 

My question is however how much have the wolves change since their previous codex; do the same tactics still work, are there any units now worth taking that you would have touched with the last 'dex and have any new strategies appeared the will help lead the wolves to victory?

 

Cheers

[Grey Mage]

I liked Long Fangs in the last codex- they got even better.

 

Alot of the proponents of Bloodclaws have changed their tunes- theyre more expensive now, with fewer special weapons.

 

Because of the rise of LFs, Predators have become rather unvaluable by comparison.

 

Hrmm... as for Wolf Gaurd, frankly they havent lost any customizability, though they did lose Runic Charms, for wich Im eternally sad.

 

Iron Priests arent as bad as they were, but their usefullness is still debatable.

[Sharpsilver]

Long fangs are definitely the best Heavy Support choice we have. Cheap Heavy Bolters for Infantry mowing, and split fire allows for a ton of supporting fire arcs with heavier weapons like the Lascannon and Krak missiles. Boom Boom.

 

I think all the options we have can work. Blood Claws I think work more effectively in larger packs coupled with a Wolf Priest and preferred enemy Infantry, although, any other preferred enemy can work, it's just dependant on the situation. The IC also removes the headstrong rule as well, allowing for more options instead of the rush forward and possibly be annihilated in Close Combat without even wanting to be in CC.

 

Choices Choices Choices.

[Thunderhawk3015]

Some people say Grey Hunters are they way to go, personally, I still like my Blood Claws since it takes more to kill them, and they can be very entertaining when someone who is not expecting it sees you rolling 56+ dice on the assault and then reroll the missed hits if you have a Wolf Priest.

 

Wolf Guard in Termi armor and a Cyclone + Long Fangs is very entertaining to use, as is the standard hit them from behind with Scouts.

 

Thunderwolf Calvary, on the other hand, are highly effective because of their base toughness and their wounds/large charge range.

[Sven_Bloodhowl]

To be honest i'm not really bothered about Blood Claws getting worse they never really featured heavily in my lists any way as i didn't find it very in theme to have more than 1 pack in an army.

 

Wolf Scouts don't appear to have changed at all with regards to options but they seem to be less reliable at turning up where you want to if ever so slightly, does this change how their used?

 

Long Fangs whilst i can see the draw to them now given that the pack leader isn't so expensive and you can now get 5 heavy weapons in the squad but i've always been heavily put off by the low squad numbers meaning your going to be losing quite alot of points if your opponent gets off a few lucky shots. Any advice on how to prevent this would be great.

 

Also one thing i didn't ask is what tactics are mainly used with the wolves now, is it still the Rhino Rush or has the advent of the running rules and drop pods led to these force being used more frequently?

 

@Grey Mage - Comparing both codexes in regards to wolf guard i can see that they have lost little if any customization i supppose it's just the format that just makes it seem so. the only options i can find are the runic charm (which was just so awesome) and the wolf pelt the rules of which are redundant.

[Simo429]

Run you long fangs into cover. If you are worried about survivability shove a pack leader in TDA with a missile launcher, gives you the save plus an extra gun. One bit of advice is never go to war without scouts always worth their points

[Wildfire]

I don't like scouts in this edition, they're about 50% more expensive for the same thing.

 

With regards to the long fangs, put an ablative Wolf Guard in. It also increases your number of WG for getting those special termie weapons. A sad and unfluffy way of using them, but effective.

 

Biggest difference to me is SW are less deadly to MEq and MCs now, with the loss of multiple powerfists/weapons in squads. Now they're just Sisters that can handle a countercharge, not the premere CC chapter.

[Rune Priest Ridcully]

Iron Priest went from bring a nice 2W charecter who if gave a stormsheild and Wolf tooth Necklace, could be put in a Grey Hunter squad, now,well I have not used him once in the new codex.

I miss giving wolf guard Wolf Tooth Necklaces, would it have been that bad to allow us that? when Orks can get a banner that makes them WS5?

Wolf priests lost practically all their options, and went from combat powerhouses to ok, Wolf lords base cost increased by 25pts for an extra WS, and Thunder hammers and storm shields, that I had used since I started Space wolves (4 years ago) because they I like Thunder hammers and Stormsheilds, basically tripelled in points and now, for a wolf Guard in power armour with Thunder hammer and Stormshield, I can get a GREY KNIGHT BROTHER CAPTAIN! with a few extra bits and bobs as well. Oh yeah, you can no longer use Ven Dreads for Hq and are almost Identical to vanhilla marines.

[jmurph]

Complaining about scouts? 85 points gets you a meltagunn coming in the flank 1/3 of the time and anywhere you want 2/3 of the time. Not much to whine about.

 

Iron priests got nerfed a bit, but a TWolf iron priest with maxed cyberwolves is nasty with plenty of t5 ablative wounds. A wolf lord on a TWolf with SS and warrior saga= buzzsaw.

 

WG do pay out the nose for TH/SS, but are cheap base termies. They are also very flexible and let you add say a combi-melta and Pfist into a GH squad for cheap compared to the GH packing a fist.

 

SWs glorified sisters? Hardly! Three LF packs raining missles and GHs with meltas, banner and MoTW make mincemeat out of just about everything save TH/SS termies. Park those LFs in cover and the enemy has a hell of the time digging them out.

 

Space Wolves are probably the most versatile marine chapter ATM and, IMHO, the best overall. Crying about options lost while ignoring the great stuff gained won't get you anywhere. Ghs are probably the best basic troop in the game (with BA AMs a close second).

 

To OP: Space Wolves can play in a variety of ways. A solid base is 2-3 GH squads in rhinos backed by 2-3 LF missile packs (split fire means throwing a lascannon in isn't bad at all). You can also use a tank as a HS, especially if you are fielding lots of AV. Razorbacks can lend some more shooty for your LFs. A Rune Priest is a solid HQ that brings psychic protection and some nasty powers. I also like a GH squad in a drop pod for some first turn in your face anti tank. Scouts can perform a similar role, but aren't guaranteed to come in as fast. Also, there is alot of competition in the Elite slot. A squad with flamer is hilarious against guard heavy weapon teams, though, especially with an attached WG with combi-flamer.

 

SWs can also do foot forces, but they are very slow for objective grabbing. I would recommend against all drop pod since it is pretty easy to counter by staying in reserve and then you essentially just have a foot force with lots of easy VPs. 1 or 3 drop pods is fine though, since that gives you guaranteed 1 or 2 first turn drops.

[Fred Johnson the 3rd jr]

Biggest difference to me is SW are less deadly to MEq and MCs now, with the loss of multiple powerfists/weapons in squads.

 

Eh? 9 Grey Hunters, 1 Wolfguard, Power Weapon, Mark of Wulfen, Powerfist on the guard PLUS Wolf Standard ain't too shabby.

[Simo429]

comparing wolves to sisters is one of the most ridiculous things ive ever read on here

[Wildfire]

I call it like I see it. SW are no longer assualt specialists, they're close-range shooty then counter-charge specialists. Much like SoB with some combat ability. Losing the ability to take 3-4 power fists/weapons in their troop squads really reduced their assault effectiveness in my eyes.

 

Not that they haven't been going in that direction anyways. Basically BA and SW have reversed their positions since 2nd.

 

Iron Priests are mediocre at best. If GW was going to make them a squad unto themselves (instead of ICs, as they used to be), they should have added a transport.

 

Current scouts are just not as good as in the previous edition, primarily due to their cost. They're not useless, but frankly the Elites section is not my favorite section of the SW 'dex.

[mitchell93]

Space Wolves are probably the most versatile marine chapter ATM and, IMHO, the best overall. Crying about options lost while ignoring the great stuff gained won't get you anywhere. Ghs are probably the best basic troop in the game (with BA AMs a close second).

No grey knights are second only because their lack of anti-tank.

[jmurph]

Grey Knights? You mean the expensive guys with stormbolters and no grenades? :rolleyes: No thanks.

[Valerian]

Hi guys been absent from the hobby for a couple of years, finally decide to get back into it and find that my beloved wolves have got a brand new codex, some things i like (sagas, cheaper GH) and somethings i don't (WG less customizable, Thunderwolf Cavalry)

 

My question is however how much have the wolves change since their previous codex; do the same tactics still work, are there any units now worth taking that you would have touched with the last 'dex and have any new strategies appeared the will help lead the wolves to victory?

 

Cheers

 

Sven, you've already got tons of feedback on this topic, but I'll just throw in a few thoughts.

 

We've only lost a few real significant capabilities:

 

1. Runic Charms on Terminators

2. Ability to get a Heavy Weapon for every 3 Terminators

3. Wolf Scouts that can OBEL every time right where you want them

4. Multiple Special Close Combat Weapons in every pack

5. Venerable Dreadnoughts in HQ slot

6. Loss of Retinues for our characters

7. Wolf Priest and Rune Priest took a hit in close combat ability

8. Can't put a Wolf Guard with your Sky Claws (formally known as Blood Claws with Jump Packs)

 

In return we have gained:

 

1. Cheaper guys: Grey Hunters, Long Fangs, SkyClaws, are all quite a bit cheaper, and I am sure that there are more out there. Long Fangs are not only now viable, they are the preferred Heavy Support choice for most of us.

2. Mark of the Wulfen: Although we lost the extra SCCWs, we gained MotW for most units, which provides d6+1 Rending attacks - not a bad trade.

3. Ultra-Grit on Grey Hunters: Bolters, Bolt Pistols, and CCWs as standard armament makes Hunters the best Troops in the game (esp. when combined with Counterattack).

4. Multiple Special Weapons in Packs: 2x Meltaguns, or 2x Plasmaguns in a full Hunter Pack? Yes, please.

5. Wolf Standard: Take one Assault phase and any Hunter pack with this 10 pt. piece of gear gets to reroll every 1 they roll.

6. Sagas: A couple are lame, but the rest will make your character go from great to awesome.

7. Psychic Powers: We went from just 1 to 7, and the majority are very handy.

8. Runic Weapons: I roll a 4+ and you don't get to use your psychic powers; suck it Farseer!

9. Revised Special Characters: Logan, Ragnar, and Njal are better than they have ever been, and Bjorn is back, too. Oh, and I'd like to introduce you Arjak; he's new here, but you'll like him, I promise.

10. Lone Wolves: Let me show you how to wreck your opponent's plans with an 85 point model.

11. Thunderwolves: Orks aren't the only ones with Nob Bikers, now (S5 Rending, S10 options, T5, Fleet and a 12" Charge, Wound Allocation hijinks, etc.)

12. Cheap Combi-Weapons: Want a Wolf Guard Leader for your Hunter Pack in the Rhino? Don't worry that you can't get that second Special Weapon, just give the WGL a Combi-Weapon.

13. LoganWing: You want to play like the DeathWing, and field an all Terminator army, but do it better than they can?

 

Hmmm. Well, I think that just about covers it.

 

Enjoy the new codex. I am.

 

Valerian