SW Pale Hunters 2k - Too harsh?

[Jackalwolf]

2000

Vlka Fenryka

 

The Pale Spear Rite of War

 

Hvarl Red-Blade 210

 

The Wolf-kin of Russ 100

 

Speaker of the Dead: Æther-rune armour; Great Frost blade; Melta bombs 150

 

3 Space Marine Chosen: Heavy chainsword; Power weapon; Single lightning claw; 3 × Combat shield 135

 

Hunters of Kattegat (10 Veteran Space Marines): Veteran Sergeant (Artificer armour; Power weapon); Weaponmasters; 9 Veteran Space Marines; 4 × Power weapon 220

 

5 Varagyr Terminators: Varagyr Thegn (Grenade harness); 5 × Second Frost blade (axe, claw or sword); 3 × Power fist; 2 × Chainfist 315

 

10 Grey Slayers: Huscarl (Bolt pistol; Power weapon; Combat shield); 9 Grey Slayers; 5 × Power weapon; 4 × Combat shield; Frag and krak grenades 170

 

Legion Storm Eagle Assault Gunship: Hull-mounted twin-linked multi-melta; Four wing-mounted Hellstrike missiles 245

 

Leman Russ 455

 

 

So basically you start with the following in the table:

- Leman Russ + Wolf Kin + Command Squad + Speaker of the Dead

- Grey Slayers

- Veteran Squad

 

Since Hvarl is in the army all get a scout move and advance the table for a turn two charge.

 

Turn two Hvarl arrives with the Varagyr on a 2+ to add heavy support in that turn and set a charge against the enemy heavy armor in turn 3. If they focus on the bird Russ and the squads advance. If they focus in the infantry turn 3 charge will happen as it's not likely there's a lot of anti air in 2k.

 

Long term you basically have two brutal cc units with Russ & Co who have preferred enemy infantry, hit and run, fearless, etc and Hvarl and the Varagyr who also have proffered enemy infantry, a :cuss load of power fist/clae/chainfist attacks.

 

In addition you have two great versatile mid zone units of ten veterans and grey slayers to take objectives that can still make short work of enemies with 15 total power weapons between them.

 

And in the air, supporting with hellstrikes and multi melta the storm Eagle,

 

Key is moving smartly in turn one. Are he three infantry units survivable enough?

[Spiritual Liege]

I think its too light for 2k. Your veterans and Grey Slayers will not survive long on foot, and while Russ can tank for command squad, he can be killed too. A properly kitted gunline will royally screw you up. The second issue is mobility. Even with scout, you will give your opponent two rounds of shooting until you can assault. And while the Storm Eagle is pretty cool, it can be shot down pretty quickly, and everything inside may die.

 

Sure, if any of your units make it into CC they will make horrible things to anything against them, but the problem is getting there alive. I'd drop Russ and his wolves, change the Storm Eagle into a Spartan and get a second Slayer squad, then drop the veterans and get transports for your Slayers and get some anti tank with the rest of your points left.

[Jackalwolf]

I agree not getting blasted off the table is key in turn one, but potentially the army could charge on turn 2, right? 

 

Deploy at the edge:

- Scout: 6' + 1d6 +1'

- Turn 1: 6' + 1d6 +1'

- Turn 2: 6' + 1d6 +1' + 2D6

 

I will be able to move to 18' from normal move , have run 3d6+3 (2d6 for Russ if I want to charge in turn 2) and add an extra 2d6 for a charge, on top of deploying 12' from my edge. In Turn 2 I also activate Howl of the Death Wolf so I can reroll all run and charge distances.

 

So in Turn 2 basically:

 

- Vets and grey slayers: Can charge anyone up to 30' (12' deploy + 6'x3) + 2D6+2 run turn scout & 1 run (average of 9) + 1d6+1 rerollable turn 2 run + 2d6 charge rerollable = >48' which is the maximum table width

- Russ unit: Can charge anyone up to 30' (12' deploy + 6'x3) +  2D6+2 run turn scout & 1 run (average of 9) + 2d6 charge rerollable = 39' + 2d6 charge which will reach anything that's not right in the border of the table

 

Plus most times my Storm Eagle arrives on that Turn 2 with multi melta and hellstrike ready to take down some artillery threat before it gets to shoot again.

 

So if I'm starting, that's only one turn of shooting of my oponent before I charge harsh and bring my firepower.

[Spiritual Liege]

Yeah if you get the first turn, they can only shoot you for one round. There is still the problem regarding your units' resilience, and if you don't get first turn, you are in big trouble. If your veterans and Grey Slayers are not in cover, they are pretty much dead if the enemy has any firepower.

 

And yes your Storm Eagle arrives turn 2 most of the time, but like I said, if he has any interceptor fire, it is screwed, and so is anyone inside. I don't personally rate the Storm Eagle very high, but it is a cool unit and you should keep it if you like it.

[Jackalwolf]

Main point is I didn't want to add a Spartan on top of all. How would you improve resiliency for the units with the constraints that I really want at least a unit with Russ, command squad, wolf kin and either a caster of runes or a speaker of the dead and the veteran squad there?

[K3nn3rs]

Kharybdiss instead of the storm eagle

 

That would be brutal!

 

It would mean the enemy would have a very difficult decision regarding target priority!

 

Then again I'm still getting to grips with SW rules and im aware there are some restrictions on pods...

 

If you love those models and see yourself getting use out of them in future lists I'd go with it.

The brutality of it is balanced by some of its vulnerabilities.

 

I also agree with the likely lack of AA, at 2K it's usually low down on the priority list. Even if it is present you still have jink!

[sturguard]

I dont think you can take a Kharybdiss. That is the problem with the Pale Hunter they have limited drop pods of all kinds.

[Jackalwolf]

Yep, Kharybdis is a no go I'm afraid.

[K3nn3rs]

In that case I'd stick with the Storm Eagle.

 

Just make sure you mitigate the threats raised above at higher points.

[Baluc]

You are looking for that which does not exist. A Storm Eagle keeps you out of assault until at least the 3rd turn. At which point depending on interceptor, you may not kill a model with that chunk of your army until the fourth turn. 

 

If you are stuck on this path I would do Russ the Wolf kin and a unit of 12-16 Grey Slayers with combat shields to get Russ across the board and then multiple charge units with Russ and the Wolf-kin. 

 

Your other troops can be outflanking Vets, and then add armour and such.