Space Wolf Troops

[Hantheman]

Hi guys,

 

1st legion and fan of the Lion and the Wolf here. I'm expanding my space wolf force (in case Russ comes back- I want a primarch!). but wondering what you guys think are the best troop choices for Wolves? I like the idea of Infiltrators, they fill that scout role well and hold the board up. What do you use?

[Jorin Helm-splitter]

I don't think there is a significant difference between our troops but this how I would rate them. It could be vastly different after psychic awakening updates us though.

 

1. Intercessors - I think these guys are our best troop. They're just really efficient, and don't need alot of support.

 

2. Grey hunters - Really easy to customize, free chainswords are good (more so with shock attack). I do think they need a transport though.

 

3. Infiltrators/Incursors - these guys provide us with scout troops and both are useful. I think the choice between them comes down how aggressive you want to be with them.

 

4. Blood claws - they aren't bad but they're the most CC based choice and that's a tough role in 8th.

[Karhedron]

I like the points efficiency of Intercessors. Take a 5-man pack with auto-bolt rifles and a power fist on the leader. Move them aggressively up the field to clear chaff screens or just start hitting things. On the other hand, cheap packs with regular bolt rifles make great backfield objective campers. Park them in cover just to make them that bit more annoying for your opponent to winkle them out.

 

I haven't tried the new Phobos packs yet but Infiltrators look a bit expensive for what they bring. The 12" bubble to prevent Reserves is nice but only against a handful of armies. In most cases I think the cheaper Incursors provide better bang for their buck. The ability to ignore negative to-Hit modifiers and cover makes up for only having plain bolters. Taking 2 small packs provide good screening or aggressive forward deployment depending on the opponent.

 

Don't forget the humble Grey Hunters. A 5-man pack with plasma and a Combiplas WGPL are pretty cheap, pack a bit of punch against harder targets and fit in a twin assault-cannon razorback for chaff clearing, protection and late-game objective grabbing.

 

I don't really rate Blood Claws sadly. The young pups really need to be fielded in mass, led by a Wolf Priest and put in a LRC or Storm Wolf. If you are spending that many points on supporting them, you would get better performance out of a Pack of Wulfen used the same way.

[Sarto ripped claw]

By Far the best unit are the Wulfen. they have awesome rules 3d6 charge, aura to allow reroll or charges and wound rolls can also shrug of wounds on a 5+,  TWC are also great, and other units such as sky claws are great in melee its just getting them into melee that's the issue sometimes.

[TiguriusX]

By Far the best unit are the Wulfen. they have awesome rules 3d6 charge, aura to allow reroll or charges and wound rolls can also shrug of wounds on a 5+, TWC are also great, and other units such as sky claws are great in melee its just getting them into melee that's the issue sometimes.

none of those are TROOPS selections

[Guest Triszin]

I think he just got a little excited.

 

But Wulfen are force multipiers, so you could look at the Base line troops and the benefits when effected by wulfen's auras

[Ratherdashing]

Blood Claws will never compete with Wulfen for melee murdermake, but the high unit size and being Troops is worth something. Unfortunately the big advantage of troops, CP, is hurt by taking them in a 15 squad. But they are nice for objectives. I've had a LRC or Stormwolf drop them off on an objective containing a medium-hard target and then drive off to do something else. The BC kill the target and it takes enough time for the enemy to shoot through all 15 of them that the game turns run out and they've got an objective that otherwise either the enemy would have had, or you would've had to first shoot off the enemy and then find the time to move someone on. That's the advantage of melee objective holders.

 

That's a very pie in the sky description, of course, and things will rarely go so well. But Wolves are always starting on the back foot, so I figured I'd make my plug for Blood Claws. They have their place, even if 40k tends to favor units that do ong thing the best over a unit like BCs or GHs that do two things ok.

[Arentius]

Wait...since when did Wulfen have a 3d6 charge?

 

On topic, i love intercessors with stalker rifles..but then I'm mostly against Death Guard so they're my most efficient choice!

[Sarto ripped claw]

Oh sorry my bad, yes im quite new myself. left on 2nd edition came back to 8th, i read troop as a general term rather than the intended specific one. I take 2 * intercessorsand and gear them dependant on the game playing casual matched PL play so my oponents dont mnd tht mytroops arent crry the correct wepon (so long as i dont change half way through lol), then i use one squad of GH all bog standardly equipped these are just to get the CP so they are all 5 man squads. then I got skyclaw that normally deepstrike with N'Jal and TWC.

[Karhedron]

Blood Claws will never compete with Wulfen for melee murdermake, but the high unit size and being Troops is worth something. Unfortunately the big advantage of troops, CP, is hurt by taking them in a 15 squad. But they are nice for objectives. I've had a LRC or Stormwolf drop them off on an objective containing a medium-hard target and then drive off to do something else. The BC kill the target and it takes enough time for the enemy to shoot through all 15 of them that the game turns run out and they've got an objective that otherwise either the enemy would have had, or you would've had to first shoot off the enemy and then find the time to move someone on. That's the advantage of melee objective holders.

This is where is gets tricky with BCs for me. If you take them in a unit of 15, they are quite vulnerable to casualties from Morale. Once your opponent has killed 5 or 6, every additional casualty is effectively doubled unless you spend 2CP to auto-pass the Morale test. They do have 30 attacks base which is respectable but their shooting is negligible.

 

Now compare them to a 10-man unit of Intercessors. They cost 170 points naked compared to 180 for the Blood Claws and have 20 wounds to chew through rather than 15. The fact they are 2-wound models makes them a lot more durable to Morale (although it does provide a tasty target for overcharged plasma). They only get 20 attacks to the Claws 30 but they have decent ranged attacks, particularly if they are stationary as they can double-tap out to 30". Blood Claws can take slightly more melee weapons but an Intercessor Pack Leader with power fist packs some punch.

 

I struggle to find a role for Blood Claws that cannot be done better by something else.

[Guest]

Personally I think intercessors are the go to troop for us, much like wulfen are the go to elites. I can't justify BC or GH with intercessors being there. If the intercessors leader gets TH then this even makes it more of an advantage.

[Karhedron]

I still see a role for small packs of Grey Hunters doubling down on special weapons and riding in Razorbacks. It is quite a lot of special shooting and melee attacks packed into a small, cheap, mobile Troop unit.

[Sarto ripped claw]

 

Blood Claws will never compete with Wulfen for melee murdermake, but the high unit size and being Troops is worth something. Unfortunately the big advantage of troops, CP, is hurt by taking them in a 15 squad. But they are nice for objectives. I've had a LRC or Stormwolf drop them off on an objective containing a medium-hard target and then drive off to do something else. The BC kill the target and it takes enough time for the enemy to shoot through all 15 of them that the game turns run out and they've got an objective that otherwise either the enemy would have had, or you would've had to first shoot off the enemy and then find the time to move someone on. That's the advantage of melee objective holders.

This is where is gets tricky with BCs for me. If you take them in a unit of 15, they are quite vulnerable to casualties from Morale. Once your opponent has killed 5 or 6, every additional casualty is effectively doubled unless you spend 2CP to auto-pass the Morale test. They do have 30 attacks base which is respectable but their shooting is negligible.

 

Now compare them to a 10-man unit of Intercessors. They cost 170 points naked compared to 180 for the Blood Claws and have 20 wounds to chew through rather than 15. The fact they are 2-wound models makes them a lot more durable to Morale (although it does provide a tasty target for overcharged plasma). They only get 20 attacks to the Claws 30 but they have decent ranged attacks, particularly if they are stationary as they can double-tap out to 30". Blood Claws can take slightly more melee weapons but an Intercessor Pack Leader with power fist packs some punch.

 

I struggle to find a role for Blood Claws that cannot be done better by something else.

 

Blood clws do have berserk charge so that would give an extra 15 attacks on the charge.

[Karhedron]

Blood clws do have berserk charge so that would give an extra 15 attacks on the charge.

True, I was comparing basic attacks only. However that does emphasize that Blood Claws are better as shock troops than objective campers. But Wulfen are still better shock troops if you look at the kind of support BCs need to be effective.

[TiguriusX]

blood claws have 1 cool trick that is hard to pull off

 

they can get a WGPL with 1 more attack on the charge

 

if you can lone wolf him you get a nice beatstick character who rerolls everything

 

i had a 5 man unit with a WG in TDA with TH and SS to test it

 

would always put them on the hunt and treat the regular claws as a meat shield for the WGTDA

 

i decided it was more gimmicky than useful

[Sarto ripped claw]

 

Blood clws do have berserk charge so that would give an extra 15 attacks on the charge.

True, I was comparing basic attacks only. However that does emphasize that Blood Claws are better as shock troops than objective campers. But Wulfen are still better shock troops if you look at the kind of support BCs need to be effective.

 

Yeah definitely. I use skyclaws drop them in with wulfen on the hunt, attacking opponents from the back or flank with the auras the wulfen give to everything else is very handy.