Space Wolves in Shadow War: Armageddon

[Brother Tyler]

I've been working on rules for a [power armoured] Space Marines faction in Shadow War: Armageddon and have taken an initial stab at things. These rules include rules for the Space Wolves.

 

You can see Playtest V1.0 here.

 

I'd appreciate any feedback that you can provide to make this a better (and balanced) product.

[Runefyre]

I will definitely attempt to playtest this if I get the chance! Looks quite good after just a peripheral perusal.

[Brother Tyler]

Here is the final version of the Space Wolves rules in my project:

SPACE WOLVES

The Space Wolves are amongst Humanity’s greatest defenders. Where they prowl, the enemies of the Allfather cower in fear, for the Sons of Russ are mighty warriors all, ever hungry to earn glory in battle and a place in the sagas of Fenris.

When purchasing a chainsword, power sword, or power axe, a Space Wolves Veteran Sergeant may upgrade the weapon to a frost blade for +10 points. Any Space Wolves special operative may upgrade their chainsword, power sword, or power axe to a frost blade.

The Space Wolves are averse to the use of jump packs. Instead, the Wolf Scout replaces the Vanguard Veteran as a special operative option.

WOLF SCOUT

M 5" | WS 4 | BS 4 | S 4 | T 4 | W 1 | I 4 | A 1 | Ld 8

In most Chapters, new Space Marines are initiated into the Scout Company and only once they have proven themselves do they become fully-fledged battle-brothers. No so the Wolf Scouts, who are usually taken from the seasoned ranks of the Grey Hunters. Wolf Scouts are expected to operate far in advance of their fellows, sniffing out the forces of the foe, slinking into fortified positions, and picking off isolated elements of the enemy army.

Wargear: A Space Wolves Wolf Scout has a bolt pistol, a boltgun, frag and krak grenades, and scout armour. He may also do any of the following:

Exchange his boltgun for a heavy weapon, special weapon, shotgun, sniper rifle, chainsword, power sword, power axe, or power fist (a Wolf Scout may upgrade a chainsword, power sword, or power axe to a frost blade for free).

Exchange his bolt pistol for a plasma pistol.

Space Wolves troopers may take Combat, Ferocity, Shooting, and Stealth skills.

Space Wolves Specialists may take Combat, Ferocity, Guerilla, Shooting, and Stealth skills.

Space Wolves Leaders may take Combat, Ferocity, Guerilla, Muscle, Shooting, and Stealth skills.

There are also some larger changes, though these affect all Chapters. These include some additional weapons and wargear (power mauls, power axes, power fists, grav weapons).

[Brother Tyler]

I just realized that, unlike every other set of Chapter Honours, the Space Wolves' doesn't include a rule. Every Chapter has one or two nifty gadgets that is only available to fighters from that Chapter, so the ability for some Space Wolves fighters to take frostblades doesn't count as a rule. Every Chapter has some skill progression, so that doesn't count as a rule. The replacement of the Vanguard Veteran with a Wolf Scout, likewise, isn't sufficient. So the Space Wolves need something (and it has to be both flavorful and balanced with what the other Chapters have in terms of game impact).
 
The special rules common to 7th/8th edition Space Wolves units that are usable in these SWA rules are acute senses and counter-attack. WH40K 7th edition acute senses is pretty much useless in SWA (everyone deploys on the table at the start of the game), but counter-attack looks worthwhile, so my initial thought is something like...
 
Counter-attack: During a turn in which a Space Wolves fighter is charged by an enemy fighter, the Space Wolves model may re-roll one Attack dice.
 
The two other Chapters whose Chapter Honours are comparable are the Blood Angels (+1 Initiative on a turn in which they charge) and the Ultramarines (may re-roll any To Hit/Attack dice of 1, once per game per model). The (theoretical) balance is that the Blood Angels rule only matters in case of a tie, whereas the Ultramarines rule only allows re-rolls of 1, but the Ultramarines have the flexibility to perform the re-roll in shooting or assault. The Space Wolves only get the re-roll in Assault, and only if they are charged, so they can re-roll any die roll, not just a 1.
 
Of the official SWA kill teams, comparable rules can be found for Orks (+1 to Attack rolls if they charged), the Adepta Sororitas (one re-roll for the entire kill team once per game).

[Brother Tyler]

I've made one further change, adding axes and chainaxes to the weapons and equipment list and making them available to the Space Wolves. Axes are already in the Shadow War: Armageddon rules, so I tried to follow the pattern of sword > chainsword in creating the axe > chainaxe rules.