Thunderwolf Cavalry as individual units

[tjdudey]

Hi All,

 

Another question I have is this:

 

If I run a unit of 3 TWC only one of them can have a special melee weapon, ie Thunder hammer, frost blade etc.

 

However if I run three individual cavalry, I can give them all thunder hammers etc.

 

Other than taking up a fast attack slot each, is there any downside to this? I was disappointed in my last game that 2 of the TWC did very little and one did all the work.

 

Whats the opinion on running them individually?

 

Tom

[DanPesci]

Well if you are running an unbound list, there is no issue with that, 

 

the one thing that comes as useful from having a pack though, is that you can split wounds between each (so a pack of 4 can potentially take 4 wounds before having to remove any models etc). Also, it depends what you're attacking, although thunder hammers is a great bludgeon, its still nice getting those 5 S5 rending attacks (at initiative) from the other models if you were to say charge a large infantry unit.

 

But aye, in unbound there would be currently nothing to stop you running 5 individual TWC models with thunderhammers. However what you'll probably find in the new codex is that they change the ruling to 'for every 3 models in a pack you can take' etc, which is what they already do with special weapons on other units.

[Baulder]

I've also had mixed success with TWC. There is nothing stopping you running three separate units of 1 all with thunder hammers or something else. However, they provide more of a threat when run as a group I think. Plus you have the ability to distribute the wounds better so that a couple of failed saves don't get you.

[Marshall Bretton]

in the long run you can balance the wounds around yeah, but not in the same phase as you can't move the models about.

 

However I do agree, I run mine as a pack with a power fist, that way I can charge big beasties like riptides with them, using the basic guys to shield that hard hitter to make sure he gets there alive.

Single models does allow for better target picking as each one can charge a different unit. It also helps negate overwatch as you can trigger it with 1 model who may die, and then the others can charge without having to worry, any additional wounds are wasted. Same goes for regular shooting, it means your opponent has to waste an entire units shooting against a single model.

[tjdudey]

I have been toying with the idea of 3 packs of 2 TWC, one pack with a wolf lord on TWM, one with a runepriest on bike, and one with a wolf priest on bike.

[DanPesci]

do the bikes not screw up their charge/movement in any way though? Couldnt remember off the top of my head how that worked in 6th, and havent read 7th yet. Ie...if there is a guy on a bike in the unit...does the cavalry element not lose its ability to reroll its charge range?

[tjdudey]

do the bikes not screw up their charge/movement in any way though? Couldnt remember off the top of my head how that worked in 6th, and havent read 7th yet. Ie...if there is a guy on a bike in the unit...does the cavalry element not lose its ability to reroll its charge range?

this is something I will have to look up.

 

I didnt consider it. I don't think it would stop me mixing them though. I tend to make sure I am pretty close before declaring a charge.

[Marshall Bretton]

i didn't think anyone not on a tw could join a unit of twc?

[tjdudey]

I'm pretty sure Bikers can join Cavalry, so it would depend if TWC have their own rule prohibiting this.

I can see the rule in codex which prohibits a TWC character joining any other unit, but I can't see a rule for the other way around. Until I find a rule specifically forbidding it, I will play this way.

[Marshall Bretton]

ah thats the one i was thinking, i thought it prevented non twc models joining twc as well

[tjdudey]

I hope not, my regular opponents are terrified of the above unit configuration

They will run and hide like frightened children!!!!

[Marshall Bretton]

it lets me use a saga of the hunter wgbl to outflank them, so hey, i will go with you on this from now on :p

[Baulder]

As Dan said the fleet ability is lost by joining a bike to the TXC. That said if you can position your units in such a way that you wont depend on it much then you should be OK. As far as I was aware there is nothing preventing a dude on a bike joining the TWC. Damn it I now have a plan for my wolf priest on a bike (though rune priest with biomancy may be awesome with that unit)

[tjdudey]

Yes Baulder, this is why I want one squad with rune priest, one with wolf priest and one with wolf lord, each with one thunder hammer in the squad.

 

It will be a lot of points, but I think they be worth it.

[Baulder]

could be fun. more targets are better than 1! If you test this out let us know how you get on. 

[tjdudey]

could be fun. more targets are better than 1! If you test this out let us know how you get on.

It will be my next list I think, so watch this space.

Now to go buy more thunderwolves !!

Wife: 'Whats this charge on the credit card?'

Me:

[DanPesci]

it lets me use a saga of the hunter wgbl to outflank them, so hey, i will go with you on this from now on

can you give soth to someone on a bike?

and aye, the rule prohibiting TWC joining other units only works for when purchased as wargear for a character, so you can join a biker to a unit of TWC if you want. Wouldnt be surprised if they changed that in the next codex though

[Marshall Bretton]

no you can't give it to a guy on a bike, and giving it to a guy on a tw mount is very dodgy ground. however you can give it to a guy on foot, who can then join the twc unit and give them outflank. pricey way to go about it, but a twc unit in the flank is a nasty proposition for anyone

[DanPesci]

aye considering they have to sit about for a turn before they can charge...and im not sure whether the footslogging guy with SOTH would slow them to 6" or not on the turn they arrive (can they split off as soon as they arrive?) it seems a fair expensive way to do it...especially as if they start on the board, they can be down a flank in pretty much one turn anyway (although i guess you have the element of surprise!)

[tjdudey]

in reality I think I would prefer to go second, deploy all my wolves out of LOS let the enemy footslog a little way to me first then I jump out tear their scummy xenos heads off!!!!

[Valerian]

Couple things here:

 

1.  An IC with a Thunderwolf Mount can only attach to units of TWC or Fenrisian Wolves - that restriction is in the Thunderwolf Mount rules in the Wargear section of our codex.

2.  There is not such restriction for who/what can attach to your unit of TWC, so you could attach any IC you please (on foot, with Jump Pack, on a Bike, etc).

3.  Movement benefits don't cross-over, so if you attach, say, an IC on a Bike to a unit of TWC, then you'd lose Fleet for the TWC and you'd lose Turbo-Boost for the Biker.

4.  Only Infantry models can take Saga of the Hunter (its in the rules for the Saga itself), so you can't give a Wolf Guard Battle Leader on a TWC this Saga (because that changes their unit type from Infantry to Cavalry), nor could you give it to either a Wolf Priest or Battle Leader on a Bike.

5.  There is nothing against the rules in buying, say, three units of a single TWC in a Battle-forged list (or any number in an Unbound list) and giving each a Thunderhammer.  However, single model units are vulnerable.  The whole point, sometimes, of having more models in a unit without great close combat capability, is to act as cheaper "meat-shieds" for those that do.  Just consider your TWC pack to be the delivery mechanism for the one guy with the Thunderhammer.  The rest have a decent amount of S5 Rending attacks, too, so they're still not too shabby.  It's the same thing in an Assault Squad, or a Blood Claws pack - the average Marine/Claw isn't going to do much damage, but they allow the guy with the Special Close Combat Weapon to get to the fight and do the actual damage.

 

Valerian

[Torin]

Good Day Brother,

 

There is one flaw if you were to take TWC individually... killpoint!!! putting then alone will give first blood and easy killpoints. Im not sure of the 7th ed rules yet.. but if in 6th.. these are easy killing. They kill squads of marine with ease. 6TH & 5 PF.. that should clear things up.

 

I alway have a TWL(Rune Armor,TH & SS) with 3 TWC escort (1PF,2SS).. trust me they do alot of killing. The technique of using this group is  the lord must always be infront.

[skeletoro]

I hope like hell rune priests get access to TWM in our next codex. Man, imagine biomancy-cav!

 

I'd take like 3 twc and 3 rune priest masters of runes in a unit, all with runic armour, runic beat-sticks and ML 2 biomancy. Also, give one of them saga of the beast slayer and one warrior born.

 

Strength 10, toughness 8, initiative 7, ap2, 2+ armour save, 8 attacks + HOW.. silliness!!

[Torin]

i had that same tought also... nasty as hell.

[tjdudey]

@Torin, you make a good point about Kill Points.

 

I'm thinking running in pairs with an IC would be the most efficient way of increasing the number of special weapons while not making them too vulnerable.

 

@Skeletoro - what I like about your idea is now you cast Force in the psychic phase, making all three RPs INstant death. If your opponent denies the first RP, you can try again with each separate psyker, Assuming you have enough warp charge dice...oh wait d6+6, should be plenty for a WC 1 power.