Where do TWC fit in a list?

[MeatGrinder]

So theres been plenty of 'How to gear your TWC' threads, but I havent seen one on where the big dogs fit in a list.

What kind of list do they suit? Whats their role in those lists? Whats your setup like? Do you take a TWC lord?

 

Im running a podding list myself and Im looking to add some strong combat potential, are TWC the way to go?

[Astoran]

I have yet to use my TWC yet but I am a big fan of presenting my oponent with as many threats as possible. Sort of "pick your poison". Taking a few drop pods and running up the TWC and maby a LR with some goodies inside, rushing the lines of the oponent seems like a good plan to me. This way you get preassure and gets inside the decision cycle of your oponent. What is the biggets threat and how do I deal with it?

But then again I have not used this tactic with TWC so I might me way off here ;-)

[Sohail187]

my personal experience, when i pod a few things specially something that can soak shots or provide a threat on the enemy side of the table, it allows TWC to run up and do what they need to do. So i guess you need to keep your enemy busy for 1 turn or try to hide them in non pod list. However most of the time yuo can make it into combat turn 2! dont forget!! you can tactical pod as well!! if you see that there is a gap between bits of terrain and u pre think where you will move drop your units or a pod inbetween that terrain and drop marines in-front of that pod. you have now created a new piece of cover :D with a punch!

[Bloody Legionnaire]

I like to run my TWC as a deathstar along with a Thunder Lord Bear. It's usually is what makes or breaks the game for me. If they get shot a bunch, it wont end well, but if you get them in close combat, and are able to get to other consecutive close combats they are very hard to stop. 

As far as lists, I can't see many they wouldn't function in unless it was a list centered around defensive shooting. Then their points are better spent somewhere else, they are not a cheap unit. Drop Lists, Land Raider TDAWG lists, foot slogging lists.. Mech lists... They work pretty well in all of em. 

[Grey Mage]

Theyre heavy cavalry.... and can be used as such. Storm shields and/or a lord with upgrades and wolves, spearheading the assault and hammering enemy lines while drawing alot of firepower....

 

Or light cavalry- flanking force, use it in counterpoint to the rest of your army with another fast attack choice- like a landspeeder or two- for support, and force your opponent to make some hard choices about their mobility.

*shrugs* Though theyre far from my favorite unit, so Im sure other people have more involved tactics for them.

[Mammon]

Still been trying to sell myself on TWC. Personally, I find the whole notion a bit silly (silly as Space Vikings are already just more silliness than a reasonable silliness). Aside from this objection to it, I think it would be fun to run a Lord in a full sized Fenrisian Wolf Pack, using the pups to screen him and the unit of TWC immediately behind him. The pups can soak up shooting as they close. Once in CC either they kill what they hit or get stuck in with someone who will likely die off the next turn. 

 

 Cavalry are already a big points investment at 50pts a pop. Might as well toss in more points to make them resilient against most direct shooting attacks.  

[DanPesci]

Pups can work nicely as a cheaper woundosak option for a lord, and ive used them in the past as good counterattack units, or for bubblewrapping tanks.

 

If not dealt with they also put out a quie horrible number of attacks.

 

I once had one squad of 15 wolves and a TWLord go through nearly 4 squads of deathwing terminators. Th eguy kept puting his attacks into the thunderlord, and 45 wolfy attacks meant his 2+ saves didnt amount to much due to sheer woundcount.

That was in 5th though before challenges and such.

 

but aye...i get very mixed results form my thunderwolves, sometimes they do ace, sometimes they just die and dont do much...however they ALWAYS seem to attract a hell of a ot of firepower.

 

One thing i have been doing is dropping the lord, and instead just having someone in the TWC squad with a thundehammer...he costs a hell of a lot less, has a similar statline (slightly less attacks), and cant be challenged out, leaving him much more free to pile S10 attacks in at the end of combat.

[WolfLordSam]

Theyre heavy cavalry.... and can be used as such. Storm shields and/or a lord with upgrades and wolves, spearheading the assault and hammering enemy lines while drawing alot of firepower....

 

Or light cavalry- flanking force, use it in counterpoint to the rest of your army with another fast attack choice- like a landspeeder or two- for support, and force your opponent to make some hard choices about their mobility.

 

*shrugs* Though theyre far from my favorite unit, so Im sure other people have more involved tactics for them.

I don't know about more involved, more detailed, maybe, but the majority of uses fits into one of those categories. I would also give thought to a couple of units of wolves as generic bullet sponges.

[Hear da Lamentation]

I play them regularly. I have gone for both options, the heavy cavalry with Thunder Lord, a 3 man unit with ss,pf,melta or even a 4 man with 2 ss, pf, mb. I play these options with a foot slogging army, heavy on long fangs. But i've played it with a rhino army too.

Usually the army is pretty defensive at the start, trying to whittle down the enemy with the long fang long range / focus fire on a priority target. As this happens, I move the GH into position. During all this I find the TWC a massive benefit and very flexible. I don't run them forward, they are usually on the flank, or behind the rest of the army. Their 24" potential charge range just messes with the enemies head .... they can be anywhere supporting your main army .... and doing it hard. They make an amazing finale to shooting the living daylights out of a very hard unit as well

For me, I like the 3 man. ss. pf. mb for cost effectiveness. I get lots of other nice stuff for the cost of the Lord - and I think in 6th he can be negated too easily by weakling sergeants.

H.D.L.

[infyrana]

I hope this doesn't derail the topic too much.

 

- How do the Shenanigans with the figure placement/modelling of shields and power weapons fit in 6th ed please?  Ie, do you equip your shield guy with the fist and run him at the front, or on separate models and run the fist at the back, with the shields in front?

 

As for the comment above with Space Vikings being more ridiculous riding on wolves - yeah, I can see where you are coming from.  But then, this is a game that's full of holes and things that would spin your mind trying to rationalise.  Personally I think the latest models look great and add an interesting element that crosses the border of fantasy medieval to sci-fi for those of us who hate the look and model of the bikes.

[Rift Blade]

As silly as they are, gotta say love my TWC. They fit into almost any list. As Gray Mage has said though, how you equip them determines how you run them & they're a fire magnet unless you're playing someone who does not know what they can do. They can be the hammer of your army(SS's & TH charging straight in to the opponent) or bare bones & running down a flank supporting GH's & such(even with nothing on them they get 6 rending att's ea. on the charge-nothing to dismiss).

 

For shenanigans stuff, I've I'm spending the pts on PW/PF/TH-I want them to make it into CC so I always give them SS to. Once an opponent knows what TWC can do, they draw a lot of fire that is AP3 or better. I usually run packs of 3- one with a SS leading the way, one with SS & PW in the middle & one bare bones bringing up the rear. Also, as they take wounds during the game, I shuffle them around when possible so the one with 2 wounds is closest to the most attacks coming their way.

 

I usually don't bother with a TW Lord as it's just to many points unless I'm playing a TW list that can be spent on the rest of the army(usually Rhinos for my GH's to try & screen my TW as they charge). My 2 cents. Hope it helps.

[montegue]

I love mine. I only own three and a lord on TW, and the unit is always drawing a ton of fire. They do tend to get owned by Tau or Eldar, though, so you have to make sure to present those armies multiple threats and kill things like pathfinders. 

I will, however, be adding two more Thunder Wolves to the unit, to make it 5 plus the lord plus potentially another character and another two fenrisian wolf buddies (a WGPL with his own mount, kitted out for murder). 

My Thunder Lord is an absolute beast in combat. Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, and Wolftooth Necklace make him hell on wheels against anything he's gone toe to toe with. In my last tournament, he killed a unit of Plague Marines in single combat, and then smashed the big demoon monster thingy with the two autocannon arms. He's amazing (unless you screw the pooch on early armor saves). 

I  go back and forth on how to run him. When you put him out front, the first two wounds get eaten by the ablative Fenrisian Wolf buddies. From there you have to choose. There's a lot of power in using LOS to bounce wounds to unit members, because it tends to chew up the 1's you roll. Then again, leaving him out there does leave him exposed to a lot of problems. 

The reason I want two more TWC is that I believe a couple of more bodies would pretty much ensure a healthy unit gets into combat with just about any foe. Pound for Pound, I think the Thunder Wolves are a superior choice to say, a unit of TDA Wolf Guard, even in terms of cost. They hit hard, they rend, they're tough, they can take a hit and still fight, they can have a 3+ invul, and they can get where they need to go. Add in a handful of fenrisian wolf buddies on characters and you're golden. 

I'm also thinking about adding a Rune Priest on a bike to the unit. I know cav can't join others, but I don't think it's true that other Independent characters can't join a TWC unit without themselves being on wolves. They really only need to be able to keep up. You could even give a Rune Priest a Jump Pack. Then the unit could get rerolls from Divination or could benefit from other buffs. 

[pedrogzc]

Thunderwolves for the win!!!

 

I tend to use them too offensively and they die too often...

I give them monster hunter or countercharge role to disuade nasty things approaching my lines.

The problem as spearhead is that they are too few wounds and WS4, you need a TWL and then the point cost rockets to 500 or more points.

 

Always died against Guard... those pesky 50 man blob!

[Rune_Priest_Rhapsody]

If you pod a pack of bad ass in their faces, or two of them, you can use the T wolves as a great counter unit. They will survive longer that was as well.

Be mindful of equipping them to the teeth, as they die very easily to massed fire, which in this edition is, well everywhere *grumble Tau grumble Eldar*... But at the same time you want to make them survivable. I usually run a single Storm Shield a Power Fist, and a bare bones dork. If I run four riders I throw in a second SS.

It's common sense, but keep them hidden or in cover as much as possible until they can pounce. Or like I already said, give you opponent a larger threat to deal with. Throwing Pods in there face is a great way to increase the survivability of the pack.

I run an all wolves list and will 'bubble wrap' the cavalry with cheap 15 strong Fenrisian wolf packs. This allows you to reach you target possibly unscathed. No guarantees!!

 

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