Wolf Guard as Troops

[MRC(+)]

Many have argued that Grey Hunters are the best Troops option available to any army in 40K right now and its is easy to see why:

 

-Cheaper points than a Tac Marine

-Comes with 2CCWs, giving it a "base" 2 attacks, plus another attack everytime one charges/counterattacks

-Still has Bolter so, unlike other CC Troops choices (i.e. BA Assault Marines, BT Initiates, etc.), you still have a "shooty" option if you don't want to get into CC

-Can take special weapons very cheap and can take two (i.e. to specialize, unlike Tac Marines, with one Special and one Heavy)

-MotW turns a single model into a potent CC assaulter for cheap

-Wolf Standard is a cheap and very effective CC upgrade

-Can attach a Wolf Guard with PF a squad with its own PF to give you 3 PF attacks from non-IC squad members (5 on the charge/counterattack), as compared to most Troops, which can only get 2 base PF attacks and 3 on the charge... even Zerkers can only get up to 4 PF attacks on the charge. Also, since Wolf Guard becomes "organic" to the squad, you have 11 wounds.

 

The only major disadvantages of the Grey Hunters are:

-Lack ability to get a Heavy Weapon

-Can't Combat Squad

-Have to decide between a "sergeant" (i.e. attached Wolf Guard) and a second Special Weapon for most transport options (i.e. Drop Pod, Rhino, even regular Land Raider all can only hold 10 models, so if you attach a Wolf Guard, then you can only have 9 squad members and still fit in the vehicle, which prevents the squad from getting the second, free Special Weapon)

 

Most Space Wolf Armies take advantage of this and field a heavy percentage of their force in the form of Grey Hunter Squads. While this is an excellent option, I am going to present the case for using Wolf Guards as you primary Troops option. Let's take a look at them.

 

Compared to Grey Hunters, Wolf Guards have a few disadvantages:

-Cost slightly more points per model

-Have to choose between Bolters or Bolt Pistol and CCW (can't have both)

-No access to special weapons (only Combi-weapons)

-No Wolf Banner

-Must take Logan Grimnar to count as troops, who is the most expensive HQ option in the whole codex (even more than Bjorn)

 

So, why even consider them in the place of Grey Hunters?

 

(I) BASE ATTACKS

Well, first of all, for only slightly more points per model, you gain a second base attack, meaning that they each have four attacks on the charge/counter-attack and three under normal CC conditions. Even if you maxed out your entire Troops section with 60 Wolf Guard models, you would still only pay under 200 points more than if you maxed out your Troops section with 60 Grey Hunters. If you get 30 WGs instead of 30 GHs, you only spend about 100 extra points. Of course this doesn't account for Logan Grimar and his near 300 point cost.... at minimum a SW army has to spend 75 points on an HQ (i.e. a barebones WG Battle Leader), but most armies make their HQ somewhere between 150-200 points, and that is if you just get one HQ... armies with multiple Run Priests, other named characters, etc., end up spending as much or more than it costs to take Logan so, while on the expensive side, if he is your only HQ, it is not prohibitive to take him to make WG a Troops choice.

 

(II) LEADERSHIP

Secondly, and perhaps overlooked, is the Wolf Guard's Ld 9. Unless you attach an IC or Wolf Guard to a Grey Hunter Pack, they will have Ld 8, which not only affects normal morale checks, but more significantly determines their ability to use Counterattack. Wolf Guard will pass their Ld/Morale Checks 83% of the time, while plain Grey Hunters will only pass it 72% of the time.

 

(III) COMBI-WEAPONS

Third, Wolf Guard have the ability to "specialize" like very few other Troop options in all of 40K via the ability of some or all members of the squad upgrading with CC and/or shooty Wargear. This is particularly true of Combi-weapons. For only a small price, you can give as many WG in the Pack as you want a Combi-flamer/melta/plasma. Let's look at each of these individually:

*Combi-Flamer - Against hordes or IG armies, you can Drop Pod up to 10 WG with Combi-flamers and absolutely burninate entire formations in a single turn.

Example 1 - Orks: A 10 man WG Pack Drop Pods in next to a 30 Boys Mob and unleases their 10 Combi-flamers... given an average of 4 hits per Template, that's 40 hits --> 20 wounds --> 20 dead Orks... the Mob is now no longer Fearless and has a good chance of breaking from the shooting alone.

Even against MEQs, massed combi flamers can work well.

Example 2 - Tac Squad: 10 man WG Pack drops next to a 10 man Tac Squad and gets an averag 3 hits per Template --> 30 hits -->15 wounds --> 5 unsaved wounds on the Marines

 

*Combi-Melta - Goes without saying, but if you need to kill a vehicle (even a LR) or a MC and you absolutely MUST kill it this turn, a Drop pod of 10 WG with combi-meltas can take down almost any target.

Example 1 - Land Raider: 10 Combi-Melta shots yields 6.66 hits --> which get about 2.02 penetrating hits --> which gets 1 vehicle destroyed; basically, for one turn only, you get a Squad of Power Armor Fire Dragons who can then continue to fight in other turns in CC with S4 T4 and 2 base attacks each (and count as scoring units) and shoot with Bolters.

Example 2 - Deepstriking Mawloc (with 6 x T6, 3+ save wounds): 10 Combi-Melta shots -->6.66 hits --> 5.55 wounds on average; so basically you will leave it with one wound (to finish off with another weapon) or, if you are lucky, kill it outright.

Example 3 - 3 Obliterators: 10 Combi-Melta shots --> 6.66 hits --> 5.55 wounds --> all 3 Oblits are wiped out

Example 4 - 9 Nob Bikerz with Pain Boy: 10 Combi-Melta shots --> 6.66 hits --> 5.55 usnaved wounds --> 5-6 dead Nobz at two wounds a piece = 10-12 wounds removed (less if they are Cyborks and/or have 3+ Cover Save from Turbo-boosting)

 

*Combi-Plasma - The uber-unit Slayer. For one round, you can get up to 20 BS 4, S7, AP2 shots. Let's look at a few examples:

Example 1 - 5 Thunderwolf Cavalry - WG shoot 20 Combi-Plasmas shots --> average of 13.33 hits --> averages 11.1 wounds --> on average, the entire 10 wound unit is wiped out (results are less impressive if the TWC have Storm Shields)

Example 2 - Abaddon with 3 Tzeech Termie Bodyguard --> 20 shots -->average 13.3 hits --> 11.1 wounds --> 5-6 unsaved wounds --> Termies are wiped out and Abbadon takes 2-3 wounds

Example 3 - Jetbike Warlocks (Fortuned): 20 shots --> 13.3 hits --> 11.1 wounds --> 2-3 unsaved wounds (Un-Fortuned, would be 4-6 unsaved wounds)

Example 4 - Hive Tyrant with 2 Tyrant Guard (8 T6, 3+ save wounds): 20 shots --> 13.3 hits --> 8.87 unsaved wounds... entire unit is wiped out.

 

OK, so last note on WG with Combi-Weapons, if you are so inclined, they can each purchase two of them (same kind or mixture), meaning you can get two rounds of all the above firepower out of them, or even mix it up (i.e. melta gun a Land Raider one round, then Plasma gun the Terminators who come out of it next round, etc.). Of course, this does cost more and taking either one or two Combi-Weapons takes away their extra attack for +1 CCW.

 

(IV) WARGEAR COST/FLEXIBILITY

Another advantage of WG is cheaper than normal CC weapons. On average, PFs, Plasma Pistols, THs, etc are about 5 points cheaper for WG than for any other SW units (ICs or Squad Members). So, if you want to make a WG the PF man for his Pack, it will actually cost less points than to equip a regular member of a Bloodclaw or Grey Hunter pack with the same PF (and the WG has more base Attacks to use it with). On top of the reduced point costs, WGs can customize their squad members like almost no other Troops option in 40K. On top of that, for a relatively very cheap price, they can upgrade some (or all) of the Squad to Terminator armor. If you want to have a Drop Pod Squad of 6 WGs in PA led by 2 Terminator WGs, you can do it easily and relatively cheaply. Similarly, they can have different Wargear for different individuals, giving each squad some capability in all areas; for example, in a 10 man WG Pack, you could give 5 members Melta Bombs, 2 members PFs, and three members Plasma Pistols for a very flexible unit that that can shoot and do CC well against all kinds of targets. You could even outfit an entire 10 man squad with SBs for very small points cost to make a long range shooty unit against horde armies... i.e. move forward 6", shoot 20 bolters shots at 24" for an effective range of 30"; alternatively, you could move back 6", shoot at 18" to keep your self out of charge range.

 

(VI) RELENTLESS HWs

If you have a min squad of 5 and equip even one of your WGs with Termie Armor, then you can get a HF, Assault Cannon, or Cyclone Missile Launcher (2 each if you get a 10 man Pack and two models in TDA). What this means is, even if you have a footslogging squad, you have a relentless HW that can fire as the squad moves or after it dismounts from a Drop Pod. Take for example a squad of 8 WG in PA and 2 WG in TDA with Cyclone Missile Launchers. The entire pack of 10 models can move 6" each turn an still shoot 4 missiles, can charge into CC with 32 S4 attacks and 6 S4 PW attacks, and has Ld 9, all while costing around 275 points or so. Attach a Rune Priest and you can give yourself 4 more PW attacks on the charge, plus give then entire squad a 5+ cover save and also use a powerful shooting psychic power while moving (i.e. JotWW, LL, or Murderous Hurricane, for example). Similarly, you can use Relentless Assault Cannons for lots of Daka against low save enemies/light vehicles, or you can throw in cheap Heavy Flamers on your TDA Wolf Guard for some really pumped up template action.

 

(VII) WG SQUAD LEADERSHIP

Since WGs are basically all Vet Sergeants (Ld 9, Base 2 Attacks), they don't need to have a leader per se.... that said, integrating special characters can serve as a Combat Multiplier for them specifically and your army as a whole. Let's look at a couple of options:

 

*Arjac Rockfist - An Upgrade for a basic WG, he is basically a "junior" version of the C:SM Lysander character. Compared to Lysander, Arjan has basically the same stats, minus 2 wounds, -1 WS, and -1 Ld, plus doesn't have Lysanders Special Rules (make whole Army Stubborn, Bolter Drill for his squad, Reinforce Defenses). Against that, Arjan costs a little less points, doesn't take up an HQ slot, has a S10 AP1 BS 5 shooting attack, has Counterattack, has Wolvetail Necklace (always hits on a 3+), has a SS that gives him +1A in the first round of any assault, and can re-roll any shooting/CC attacks directed at an IC or MC. Most importantly, Arjac is NOT an IC.... what that means is, unlike Lysander, or Calgar, or Abaddon, or a War Boss, or Yriel, or pretty much any other super strong CC model, Arjan cannot be targeted in CC. Combined with his 2+/3++ save and Eternal Warrior (from Saga of the Bear), he is almost guaranteed to survive long enough to use his 5 x S10 Thunderhammer attacks (on the charge/counterattack), particularly against enemy ICs/MCs... Wraithlords, Daemon Princes, and Mephistons of the universe, beware.

 

So what does all this mean in terms of WG playability? Since you already have to take Logan as an HQ, Arjan might be a bit expensive to add to your list. That said, if you want a small, very hard hitting CC Troop unit, combine Logan with a 3 man WG Terminator Pack upgraded with 2 ChainFists/SSs and Arjac upgrade... expensive, but highly survivable (that's 5 T4 Eternal Warrior, 2+ Armor, majority 3++ save Wounds) and very powerful offense (up to 17 Preferred Enemy TH attacks on the charge, 21 if you use Logan's Living Legend ability that turn)... on top of all that, the unit is scoring and can fit in a Drop Pod or any Land Raider variant. Against Tanks, this unit can use the Tank Hunter ability and absolutely tear apart any vehicle it encounters, Land Raiders and Monoliths included.

 

*Another possible "Squad Leader" for a WG Pack is a Rune Priest. Not only does he add a great deal of potential Firepower to the Squad (JotWW, LL, Thunderclap, etc.), but he also has the ability to cast Storm Caller, making his squad and any unit within 6" gain a 5+ cover save. While cover is pretty common in 5th edition, there are still many instances when your troops are out in the open (i.e. just disembarked a tranpsort or drop pod, running toward an Objective on turn 5, etc.) and regular WG, depite their elite status and higher points cost, die as easily as any basic SM... thus, Storm Caller can be a true lifesaver against anti-MEQ weaponry and help multiple footslogging WG squads stay alive much longer. So, for the price of a single RP, you can basically give multiple WG squads the Mark of Tzeencht against shooting attacks. Finally, Storm Caller can be used to give your vehicles a 5+ cover save, which is potentially invaluable.... if your WG are riding in a rhino/razorback, they have a 1/3 chance of shrugging off glancing or penetrating hits as they advance. Even more potent, if you put a WG pack with a Rune Priest in a Land Raider, then Storm Caller can give the Land Raider a 5+ cover save....melta guns normally have around a 16% chance of destroying a Land Raider (meaning you need 6 melat shots, on average, to blow one up)... with Storm Caller, activated, that goes down to a 11% chance of destroying the Land Raider, meaning you need 9 melta shots to reliably blow it up.... especially against Elda, who like to run 6 man Fire Dragon Squads in Falcons, this can be the difference between the Land Raider surviving long enough to gives its WG passengers the charge and it being wrecked turn 2 by a melta suicide drop. In this way, Storm Caller acts a lot like Ork's Mig Mek Kustom Force Fields, allow WG to drive their vehicles forward and survive long enough to get stuck in.

 

Another terrific ability is Murderous Hurricane... while it arguable won't do too much outright damage against anything tougher than Guardsmen due to its low Strength and AP, its real utility lies in it ability to make the target treat all terrain as difficult and dangerous. Not only does this slow units down (and potentially cause casualties due to Dangerous Terrain Tests), but it also means that, for that turn, the targetted unit always assaults like it is assaulting into Cover. What does this mean for WG? If you target a unit that doesn't have some form of frag/plasma grenades (Terminators or Dreads or Eldar Warlocks or Monstrous Creatures, for example), then they are striking at Initiative 1 when they charge you, giving your WG the ability to get there swings in first, or at least simultaneously if they are using PFs (Counterattack makes this combo even better).

 

Say a Winged Hive Tyrant with Bone Sword/Lash Whip charges a 5 WG Terminator squad armed with PFs... hit the HT with Murderous Hurricane and now you strike simultaneously when it assaults you (MH may even knock of a wound, if you are lucky)... Hive Tyrant strikes and kills an average of 2-3 Marines .... PF Wolf Guards hit back simultaneously with 15 S8 attacks (due to Counterattack) -->7-8 hits --> 5-6 wounds on average... you lost a couple of Termiantors, he loses a very expensive CC Monster, all because you made him initiative 1 with the MH Psychic Power... if you hadn't reduced him to I1, he would have killed 2-3 Marines outright, leaving only 2-3 to hit back, making it likely that the Hive Tyrant would have survived and eventually wiped out the whole squad.

 

Beyond these Psyker Powers, the Rune Priest brings another major assets to assist a WG-themed army: the Runic Weapon. Not only does this protect WG from Enemy Psychic Powers within 24" on a roll of 4+ (better than a Librarian Psychic Hood), but it also gives the squad the RP is attached to a Force Weapon that wounds Daemons on a 2+. Having trouble with an Enemy Daemon Prince and his Lash? A Rune Priest can nullify Lash 50% of the time, you can reduce the DP's Initiative to 1 as per Murderous Hurricane above, plus when you get into CC, the RP can singlehandedly get a couple wounds on the DP with his Runic Weapon. If you give the RP Wolftooth Necklace and Saga of the Beastslayer (both pretty cheap options), then he is likely to inflict about 3 wounds on the DP, of which the DP's Invul will only save 1 on average. Finally, with his Chooser of the Slain, a RP can mitigate enemy infilitrators, preventing them from getting within quick assault range of a WG unit that you don't want attacked in Turn 1-2.

 

*A third option for a WG "Squad Leader" is attaching a Wolf Priest. Now the most obvious benefits of a WP are making the WG Fearless (again, a debatable advantage... some would say this is worse than their normal LD 9 due to No Retreat casualties) and giving them re-rolls to hit in CC against a certain enemy unit type for the entire game. This second ability can truly make Wolf Guard, even squads with no upgrades, into a fearsome CC force. Basically, they become like Khorne Bezerkers, except that they hit more often (re-rollable WS4 is almost universally better than WS5... against most opponents, re-rollable WS4 hits 75% of the time, while WS5 at most hits 66% of the time) and have Counterattack instead of Furious Charge (I would argue that Furious charge is better, but not by a whole lot and Counterattack makes WG more versatile units able to fight well when charging or when defending).... on top of this, Wolf Guard are still cheaper than Zerkers... if you get 10 Bezerkers, a Skull Champion, a PF, and a couple of Plasma Pistols (pretty common loadout), the Zerker Squad costs almost exactly the points price of a Wolf Priest above the points cost of a 10 man WG squad. Coming out of a Land Raider Redeemer, a 10 man WG Pack with WP attached gets 40 attacks, 30 of which will hit, 15 of which will wound, 5 of which will be unsaved wounds against standard MEQs.... against Orks or GM, average is 12-13 unsaved wounds, and against TEQs, they average about 2-3 unsaved wounds. In addition to the Fearless and Oath of War special abilities, the WP also adds 3 WS5 PW attcks (4 on charge/Counterattack), the ability to geat a Wolf Tail Talisman (help protect against Enemy Psyker attacks), and can add another Plasma Pistol or Combi Weapon to the unit, if they are already using them. Overall, WPs are an excellent CC Force Multiplier for any unit, but particularly for WG Packs, most especially because of their Preferred Enemy ability from the Oath of War.

 

*Finally, a fourth "squad leader" option for a WG Pack is a Wolf Lord (or his junior sidekick, the Wolf Guard Battle Leader). Neither of these HQs have any abilities that directly enhance WG squads like RP or WP abilities do, but they still can contribute to WG army effectiveness. So, what do they add? First, both WL and WGBL have Initiative 5... if you attached one of them with a cheap PW or Frost Blade to a WG Squad, you are in essence giving the squad a "first strike" capability in CC against most opponents (Eldar/DE/certain Tyranids being an exception). Additionally, WLs and WGBLs can upgrade themselves with a Jump Pack and still attach themselves to a footslogging WG Squad. Why do this? If a dangerous enemy is within 18" of your WG Squad at the beginning of your turn, you can detatch your WL/WGBL, move him 12" toward the enemy, then assault the final 6", thus tying up the enemy for that turn while the rest of his squad moves 6"/runs D6" to catch up and assault next turn. As long as the WL/WGBL survives the Assault (and this is key), he will have tied up that enemy squad for their next turn, preventing them from shooting or charging themselves and buying time for the rest of the WG to get into charge range the next turn. Because the WL/WGBL's survival for one turn is so important, I would tend to go with the WL (more wounds), give him Rune armor and some kind of Invul (Belt of Russ or SS), and possibly invest in Saga of the Bear if the enemy has Instant Death CC weapons... if the enemy doesn't have any S8+ weapons, then you can switch out Saga of the Bear for Saga of the Warrior Born before the game and give your WL the chance for multiple extra attacks the next round. If you want it to just be a cheap and cheerful "throwaway" unit, then a WGBL with PW and Jumpack is all you need.

 

A second use of a Wolf Lord is leadership for your WG. Not only does he give his squad Ld 10, but if you choose to go Saga of Majesty, then they can re-roll those Leadership checks (there is only a 1 out of 144, or 00.7%, chance you will fail your leadership/morale checks with that combo... plus you don't suffer the "No Retreat" wounds from being Fearless iif you lose combat). Also, both WL and WGBL can purchase 2 Fenresian Wolves to add a few more cheap wounds/attacks to your squad, thus making you WG Squad as a whole a little more survivable. Finally, WLs/WGBLs can be customized to really max out the combat ability of your WG Squad.... with superior WS/BS/Initiaitive and addiitional wounds/attacks, they can increase the "killiness" of the WG Squad they are leading. Perhaps even more significantly, since a SW player can take 4 HQs, with Logan to make WG into a Troops option, you could potentially lead up to 3 WG Packs with a WL/WGBL as their "squad leader." Expensive, yes, but still an option which can give you multiple very hard hitting Troops choices.

 

(VII) Logan Grimnar

OK, since he is a requirement for even having WG as Troops, what advantages can he bring to your WG, since you have to have him?

*First, he is a tremendous CC character (Axe of Morkai gives him a lot of flexibility for dealing with different enemy units, as does 3 wounds with 2+/4++ and Eternal Warrior) who can attach himself to a WG Squad and give it Preferred Enemy every single round it is in combat. If a 10 man WG squad with Logan attached and no upgrades charges out of a LR against a regular 10 man Tac squad, they will have 40 attacks --> average of 30 hits --> average of 15 wounds --> 5 unsaved wounds, plus another 3-4 from Logan himself, basically wiping out the squad.

 

*On top of that, Logan's Living Legend can give multiple WG Squads an extra attack for one critical turn, which could be enough to turn a battle; for example, say Logan uses his ability and gives 3 x 10 man squads an extra +1A for a certain turn... that is 30 extra attacks, which might just make the difference between the squads winning combat and routing/sweeping advancing their opponents, or tying/losing the combat.

 

*Logan's other High King abilities can be very useful Combat Multipliers for WG Packs. Tank Hunters can really help a unit with Melta bombs take down that Ironclad Dread or Land Raider (as can Preferred Enemy), Fearless can keep a unit in the fight just one more critical turn (i.e. long enough to prevent the enemy from getting out of combat and contesting an Objective), and Relentless can allow a unit which Rapid Fired with Bolters and/or Combi-Plasmas to charge that same turn, getting them into CC and away from enemy return fire the next turn. Also, Logan's Saga of Majesty can keep multiple nearby units in the fight longer and his Wolf Tail Talisman can give a little extra protection against common Enemy spells (i.e. Lash, Doom, Zoanthrope attacks, etc.)

 

*Finally, if you break down his cost compared to a similarly tricked out Wolf Lord, you get a lot of bang for your buck from him:

-Wolf Lord with Terminator Armor, Saga of the Bear, Belt of Russ, Wolf Necklace, WTT, Saga of Majesty, and a PF costs mid 200 points, just a little less than Logan himself. Add in his extra base attack, his High King abilities, his Living Legend special ability, his ability to make WG count as Troops (i.e "The Great Wolf" rule), and his Ability to use the Axe of Morkai as either a PF or as a FB, and you easily have him costing over 300 points, which is significantly more than Logan costs. Put another way, if you compare him with Marnius Calgar from C:SM (who cost about the same points when using his TDA option), Logan has the same stats (minus 1 wound) and has abilities that at least equal, if not arguably surpass, Marneus' Special Rules.

 

The point of all this is, while expensive points wise, Logan is a very strong HQ and, as long as you can utilize his strengths, you can get very good value out of him in addition to unlocking Wolf Guards as a Troops option.

 

 

(VIII) COST EFFECTIVENESS

Compared with other similar units, WG are generally cost-effective. Let's look at a few examples:

*Example 1 - WG Terminators vs SM Honor Guard: When equipped with TDA, WG actually cost slightly less than a SM Honor Guard Member. They lose 1 Attack compared to the Honor Guard, but gain a SB (vice BP), have Counterattack, and have a 5++, while maintaining the same 2+ save as the Honor Guard (plus they are scoring if selected as Troops)

 

*Example 2 - WG with PW vs Vanguard Vets with PW: This comparison is very simple... a Vanguard Vet without Jump Pack and with a PW costs significantly more than a WG with a PW (and still doesn't count as scoring). If you are playing SM and want to field a lot of PWs in a single squad, WG is one of the most economical units to do it in.

 

*Example 3 - Regular WG vs Khorne Bezerkers: Both have same base attacks, armor, etc. Zerkers have the advantage of being able to get up to 20 troops in a squad if they want, WS5, Fearless, and Furious Charge. Against this, vanilla WG are a couple of points cheaper, have Counterattack (a better ability than Fearless in my opinion) and can take many more options, especially dedicated transport options (all variants of Razorbacks, Drop Pods, Rhinos, 3 Variants of Land Raiders... Bezerkers can only take Rhinos as a Dedicated Transport and LRs from Heavy Support). If you attach a Wolf Priest to the WG, then they gain Fearless and, in effect, higher WS than Zerkers. All in all, both have their advantages, but Wolf Guard are the more flexible Troops choice, being able to be "shooty" as well as CC oriented, while Zerkers are really only effective in assault.

 

*Example 4 - Plasma Pistol WG vs Sternguard: Plasma Pistol armed WG cost slightly more than Sternguard points-wise, but have 3 base attacks (vice 2 for SG), have Counterattack, have 10 PP shots per turn, can take many more War Gear options, and count as Troops; compared to this, Sternguard have much better Bolters (not as strong as PP against vehicles, though) and can take more SW/HW options, and count as scoring if you have Pedro Kantor. Both WG and SG can take multiple transports, are Ld 9, and can take Combi-Weapon upgrades for the whole Squad. Overall, Sternguard as a bit better at the "shooty" role for their points, but again, are not as flexible as PP armed SG and take up valuable Elite slots, even if they count as Scoring due to Pedro. For absolute shootiness, SG are better, but for versatility as Basic Troops, Plasma Pistol WG have the edge.

 

*Example 5 - Combi-Weapon WG vs Tactical Marine: This WG is significantly more expensive than a regular Marine (almost 50% more points), but has Ld 9, an extra attack, a combi-weapon (with all the advantages listed earlier), has Counter-attack, can deploy with all the same transports (Razorback, Rhino, Drop Pod, etc.), can cheaply (relatively)upgrade multiple squad members with Wargear (unlike the Tac Squad, where only the Sergeant can upgrade), and most importantly, is still a Scoring unit.

 

*Example 6 - TDA Wolf Guard vs Deathwing Terminators: DA are the only other army that can take Termies as troops.... Deathwing Termies are generally more expensive, can only have 5 man squads amx, require Belial to unlock, and don't get the improved Wargear (i.e. 3++ Storm Shields, improved CMLs, etc.). On the other hand, DA Termies can teleport in, can use Deathwing Assault (like Drop Pod assault rules), can give one squad a Company Standard (which gives that squad +1A) and a "Terminator Apothacary," and are Fearless (this could actually be seen as a disadvantage). Overall, WG Termies are cheaper, more flexible, and a better Troops choice for their points value than DA Termies.

 

(IX) WRAP-UP

All-in-all, while slightly more expensive than their GH brethren, WGs are a very viable (and potentially potent) Troops choice to base your army around. Compared to other armies with elite units in their Troops slot (i.e. Chaos Cult troops, Deathwing Terminators, Nob Bikers, Nid Warriors, etc), plain vanilla WG are a cheap points wise and give very decent stats (especially in CC). If you decide to give them some Wargear, they become correspondingly more expensive, but you can customize them in a way to maximize their role for your army, kind of like Eldar Aspect Troops or Tau Battle Suits. Perhaps a little more risky than the tried and true GHs (or even the ubiqitous Blood Claws), but also potentially very potent for your SW army.

[Sharpsilver]

Excellent write-up. I will consider all of those points next time I'm building a competitive list :)

[Schertenleib]

Well done :D

[slmellon]

Good call, nice work on the summary

[MRC(+)]

Thanks... hope this is helpful in figuring out how (and if) to integrate WG into your army.

[Grimtooth]

WGTDA are incorporated into my 1750pt list in a drop pod. I have played a Deathwing army in the past and enjoyed it immensely which is the only other way I would play WGTDA, as an army on their own.

[MRC(+)]

I am looking to integrate WG into my 2500 list, both Terminators in a Drop Pod and some PA WG in Land Raiders. Still have two squads of GHs, but also a heavy does of WG.

[wolfpack]

Well constructed peice MRC I like your breakdown on use and integration...

 

I currently have 50 WG in my army...both in PA and TA...and am revamping my loganwing for possible tourney plays...but always use them when Apoc games arise...

[MRC(+)]

Update on the section about WG "Squad Leaders" (e.g. integrating a Rune Priest) in the original post. Hopefully more to follow as I work through the potential leaders for a WG Pack.

[Grey Mage]

We do not have an "Arjan Rockfist" in our army ;).

[MRC(+)]

Sorry about that... "Arjac"... thanks for the catch. Fixed.

[Valerian]

Just a few comments on your post:

 

The only major disadvantages of the Grey Hunters are:

-Lack ability to get a Heavy Weapon

 

I don't see this at all as a major disadvantage; our Heavy Weapons are centralized to our Long Fangs which are specifically tailored to provide fire support. We don't need them in the Grey Hunter packs. Having them in GH Packs forces you to make a choice between keeping your unit mobile, or sacrificing movement to get off a shot with your heavy weapon. We are much better off in our improved 2x Special Weapon option, than having the option to take a Heavy Weapon like Tactical Squads can. I wouldn't even consider this to be a minor disadvantage; it certainly isn't a major disadvantage.

 

-Can't Combat Squad

 

Same here; not being able to Combat Squad isn't a major disadvantage either. If you want several smaller units, just buy less Grey Hunters for each of your packs. The only issue with this is that we can't get more than 6 Troops units, but I've never needed more than that anyway, so again, it isn't a major drawback.

 

-Have to decide between a "sergeant" (i.e. attached Wolf Guard) and a second Special Weapon for most transport options (i.e. Drop Pod, Rhino, even regular Land Raider all can only hold 10 models, so if you attach a Wolf Guard, then you can only have 9 squad members and still fit in the vehicle, which prevents the squad from getting the second, free Special Weapon)

 

Here you go. When it comes down to it, this is the only real disadvantage to our Grey Hunter packs. However, folks typically go in one of two directions to address this. First, many just go without the "Sergeant", and do just fine. You've already listed all of the advantages above that Grey Hunters have, so other than the 8 Ld, they don't really need the "Sergeant", Others go the opposite route, and take the Wolf Guard Pack Leader to use as their "Sergeant", and give him a 5 point Combi-Weapon to help offset the loss of the free 2nd Special Weapon.

 

Most Space Wolf Armies take advantage of this and field a heavy percentage of their force in the form of Grey Hunter Squads. While this is an excellent option, I am going to present the case for using Wolf Guards as you primary Troops option. Let's take a look at them.

 

Compared to Grey Hunters, Wolf Guards have a few disadvantages:

-Cost slightly more points per model

-Have to choose between Bolters or Bolt Pistol and CCW (can't have both)

-No access to special weapons (only Combi-weapons)

-No Wolf Banner

-Must take Logan Grimnar to count as troops, who is the most expensive HQ option in the whole codex (even more than Bjorn)

 

So, why even consider them in the place of Grey Hunters?

 

(I) BASE ATTACKS

Well, first of all, for only slightly more points per model, you gain a second base attack, meaning that they each have four attacks on the charge/counter-attack and three under normal CC conditions.

 

An important note here is that they would only have four attacks on the Charge/Counter-Attack if you have opted to equip them with Bolt Pistols. Since they do not get both Bolt Pistols and Bolters as our Grey Hunters do, you have to sacrifice a not insignificant amount of Shooting potential to get to take advantage of that extra Attack. To be honest, I would rather have the flexibility that Grey Hunters give you with their "Ultragrit" loadout, than to have an extra Attack in the profile. Sometimes you just need a couple dozen rapid firing Bolters to get the job done, especially against incoming horde armies that I would prefer to avoid close combat with anyway.

 

Even if you maxed out your entire Troops section with 60 Wolf Guard models, you would still only pay under 200 points more than if you maxed out your Troops section with 60 Grey Hunters. If you get 30 WGs instead of 30 GHs, you only spend about 100 extra points.

 

That is a good way to look at it. If you do want to go Wolf Guard heavy, prior to upgrades, they aren't that much expensive (well, until you add the cost of Logan into the equation, then it gets quite a bit more expensive).

 

 

Thats it though. You provided a well thought out, and well explained analysis of Wolf Guard units that has been a valuable contribution to The Fang. Have yourself an ale!

 

Valerian

[MRC(+)]

Valerian, thanks for the good feedback and points you made on Grey Hunters. A few comments in reply:

 

First, I thoroughly agree with you about deciding between bolter and bolt pistol for WG.... they do lack the flexibility of GH, especially when you don't want to get into CC (no self-respecting SW would admit it, but sometimes it is good to avoid getting into an assault... i.e. charging Genestealers with their high Initiative). That said, if you are playing against MEQs, majority of the time I would take WG with CCW/BP and their extra +1A over having a Rapid Fire Weapon. On average, a squad of 10 GH Rapid Firing will kill about 2 MEQs, but of course, they can't charge or do anythng else that turn. WG, on the other hand, can get a max of 10 BP shots and 40 S4 attacks on the charge, killing an average of 4 MEQs that round (1 from shooting, 3 from charging). If you attach a WP, then you bring that average up to 6 MEQ kills a turn (1 from shooting, 5 from CC). So, CCW/BP WG have the potential for inflicting twice the damage as Rapid Firing Bolter GHs a turn against MEQs, and even more if you have a WP (or Logan) attached to them. Of course, if you are outside 6" for the charge, then this doesn't apply and Bolters have the advantage. So, against GEQ or worse, against very strong CC troops, and outside of the 6" charge range, GHs flexibility has an advantage, but overall BP/CCW WGs have the potential to inflcit the most overall damage, if the circumstances are right.

 

In terms of lacking heavy weapons in GH packs, again I agree with you, since it seems better to me to be able to "specialize" in 2 SWs, rather than try to split the squad up use a HW when it doesn't move or a SW when it does. That said, there are cases when having a HW in a GH Pack is useful, i.e. when you keep them in a Rhino or in cover in your own deployment zone to claim an Obj and they are too far away from the rest of the fight to influence it with any SW/Bollters. A cheap LC or ML in a scoring unit that can "camp" next to an objective is sometimes useful. Since LFs are not scoring, you potentially have to keep a GH Pack back in your half of the board, rather than moving forward to enagage with their plasmas/meltas/flamers (also, they pair well with a Razorback, since then you basically have two HWs from the same FOC slot). On a side note, this is where a WG pack can come into its own... get a squad of 5 WG, one with TDA and a Cyclone Missile Launcher, and place them in cover in the backfield of your deployment zone... now you have a Scoring Unit that can claim the Objective, has two relentless ML shots a turn, and can still hold its own in CC is the enemy gets into your deployment zone (i.e. 16 regular and 3 PW attacks on the Charge/Counterattack).

 

Finally, about Combat Squadding, I agree with you, generally it is not necessary. There are two instances where I think Combat Squadding would be useful... first, when coming off a Drop Pod, there are times when having the option to split into to 5 man teams would be useful (i.e. target two separate units/vehicles, use one squad as a "sacrificial lamb" to absorb the enemy charge while the othe combat squad moves to sieze a key objective, etc.). Second, when regular Tac Marine squads use a Razorback, they can put half a Squad with a PF Sergeant and a SW in the Razroback and keep the other combat squad with the HW back in cover. Again, this is only useful in certain circumstances, but I listed it as a disadvantage of GHs because it does reduce some of their flexibility when compared with Tac Marines from other Codexes.

[Barn]

Excellent write up, and has defiantly made me do some thinking :)

 

There's only one thing thats slightly misleading though...

 

(I) BASE ATTACKS

Even if you maxed out your entire Troops section with 60 Wolf Guard models, you would still only pay under 200 points more than if you maxed out your Troops section with 60 Grey Hunters. If you get 30 WGs instead of 30 GHs, you only spend about 100 extra points.

 

If you max out Wolf Guard, you also need to have Logan Grimnar (which i know is in your post, just not this points calc.). With Grey Hunters, the cheapest HQ option is a whopping 205 points less. So a maxed out Wolf Guard would actually be closer to 400 points more expensive that its Grey Hunter equivalent. As far as point per model go, it actually gets more extreme with fewer troops, in your example there would still be a 300 point difference.

[MRC(+)]

Good point, I didn't directly add Logan's cost into the equation... that definitely does make the army a bit more expensive. It might be a good rule of thumb that you only use Logan/WG in armies 1750 points or higher, due to the higher "buy-in" price.