11th Edition Tacticas Call - How do YOU Intend to Run Your Forces?

[Karack Blackstone]

Hello, fellow Jarls.

 

There's a question here. We have had Tactica in the past, and with 11th, it feels like the winds of discussion and livelihood should come back around here, All-Father willing.

 

Now, let's not swamp things here, however, this is a call to start pulling up some Tactica.

 

I have many kits of Intercessors, and I think only one GH Primaris box. What with the ability, which we should get, as C:SM 11th allows Tac's to count-as Intercessors, I am thinking, for now at least, it's safe to presume that GH's, BC's, and maybe LF's will get a counts-as option as well. We may also get a WG PA and WG TDA counts-as options as well. Maybe my WGPL's can come back as a WG Head-Takers pack, we shall see. I'd very much prefer the chance to run them as actual WGPL's, however, we shall see what GW does overall.

 

So, what are your chosen units to run?

How do you plan to get things going, as we should, knock on wood, *does so,* get the ability to proxy 1st Born, or NorMarines, as C:SM 11th seems to indicate?

 

Please start ideas here or work with the mods, and let's brainstorm here what you want out of your Tactica! Maybe we can hash some nice ideas together for the new edition!

Good luck, let's chat!

[Hear da Lamentation]

OK this is my attempt after getting the SM codex today.

I'm fixed on Teminators, Arjac and Logan - the rest is all changeable, but I do love the idea of some GH again ... I havent really used since 5th Edition.

 

 (1,905 Points) Space Marines Space Wolves 

Assault Brethren, 

Tacticus Attack Force and 

Terminator Storm Force (3 Detachment Points)

 

 Priority Assets Strike Force (2,000 Points)

 

 CHARACTERS 

 Arjac Rockfist (105 Points) • 1x Foehammer

Bjorn the Fell-handed (160 Points) • 1x Heavy Flamer • 1x Helfrost Cannon • 1x Trueclaw Logan 

Grimnar (150 Points) • Warlord • 1x Axe Morkai • 1x Storm Bolter • 1x Tyrnak and Fenrir  

 

BATTLELINE 

10 Grey Hunters (180 Points) • Question – do I have the Powerfist on the PLeader?

 

10 Grey Hunters (180 Points) • Question – do I have the Powerfist on the PLeader?

 

2 x  DEDICATED TRANSPORTS Rhino

  

OTHER DATASHEETS 

 Eradicator Squad with melta rifles (200 Points) • 1x Eradicator Sergeant ◦ 1x Melta Rifle •

5x Eradicator ◦ 3x Melta Rifle ◦ 2x Multi-melta 

 

Gladiator Lancer (160 Points) • 1x Armoured Hull • 1x Defensive Array • 1x Laser Destroyer  

 

Terminator Squad (400 Points) • 9x Terminator ◦ 9x Chainfist ◦ 2x Cyclone Missile Launcher ◦ 9x Storm Bolter

• 1x Terminator Sergeant ◦ 1x Chainfist ◦ 1x Storm Bolter 

 

3 Thunderwolf Cavalry (115 Points)

 

3 Thunderwolf Cavalry (115 Points)

 

95 points left

 

Not sure if the Lancer is a good idea or if a Ballistus Dread would be better.

Bit concerned about the relatively small number of units??

[TiguriusX]

54 minutes ago, Hear da Lamentation said:

OK this is my attempt after getting the SM codex today.

I'm fixed on Teminators, Arjac and Logan - the rest is all changeable, but I do love the idea of some GH again ... I havent really used since 5th Edition.

 

 (1,905 Points) Space Marines Space Wolves 

Assault Brethren, 

Tacticus Attack Force and 

Terminator Storm Force (3 Detachment Points)

 

 Priority Assets Strike Force (2,000 Points)

 

 CHARACTERS 

 Arjac Rockfist (105 Points) • 1x Foehammer

Bjorn the Fell-handed (160 Points) • 1x Heavy Flamer • 1x Helfrost Cannon • 1x Trueclaw Logan 

Grimnar (150 Points) • Warlord • 1x Axe Morkai • 1x Storm Bolter • 1x Tyrnak and Fenrir  

 

BATTLELINE 

10 Grey Hunters (180 Points) • Question – do I have the Powerfist on the PLeader?

 

10 Grey Hunters (180 Points) • Question – do I have the Powerfist on the PLeader?

 

2 x  DEDICATED TRANSPORTS Rhino

  

OTHER DATASHEETS 

 Eradicator Squad with melta rifles (200 Points) • 1x Eradicator Sergeant ◦ 1x Melta Rifle •

5x Eradicator ◦ 3x Melta Rifle ◦ 2x Multi-melta 

 

Gladiator Lancer (160 Points) • 1x Armoured Hull • 1x Defensive Array • 1x Laser Destroyer  

 

Terminator Squad (400 Points) • 9x Terminator ◦ 9x Chainfist ◦ 2x Cyclone Missile Launcher ◦ 9x Storm Bolter

• 1x Terminator Sergeant ◦ 1x Chainfist ◦ 1x Storm Bolter 

 

3 Thunderwolf Cavalry (115 Points)

 

3 Thunderwolf Cavalry (115 Points)

 

95 points left

 

Not sure if the Lancer is a good idea or if a Ballistus Dread would be better.

Bit concerned about the relatively small number of units??

 

That is similar to my list

 

Keep PF...you have 1 less attack but do 2 dmg...better option into other marines

 

Add furious assault unit upgrade to GHs...gives them sustained hits in melee

 

Add a venerable dread...+1 to advance and charge rolls for SW units is massive.

 

Your GHs come flying out of the rhinos with rerolls to advance

 

Add the buffs and you are covering 20+" with the charge

 

Then you waddle over to where the terminators are and give them an additional +1 to charge

 

7" charge with a reroll out of DS is 81+% (basically the odds favor it)

 

 

As for small number of units...split GHs if facing msu army

 

after a few rounds of combat you will even the odds significantly...GHs punch way up and trade 2 for 1 into msu opponents

[Hear da Lamentation]

Great advice, thanks - I can do with all I get :)

 

So my first opponent (different person than normal, but once again, flipping Nids ..) is going to be very monster heavy.

I'm likely to face 2 norns, tyrannofex, old one eye + Carnifex, Exocrine and mawloc.  

 

Doing some maths hammer, the GH do alright (with lethal hits) against the tough monsters - but would struggle with any of these.

I do have eliminators, termies, Bjorn and the Lancer to help soften up - but Im interested in tactics.  This army is very much "push forward and be aggressive" - how do I manage against super tough foes like this?  The norn assimilator in particular is built to take and hold objectives.

 

Im also intrigued by the "do I DS the termies or not".  If I do - I lose 1CP don't I?  Because Logan wont be on the board turn 1?  And with the huge unit base size it could be difficult to fit in.  Do I DS mid table?  In enemy deployment zone and risk getting swamped?

 

It's a very different army to ones I've played before (where i tend to sit back with cheap screening units like Fenrisian Wolves and try to counter charge).

 

HDL

 

 

[TiguriusX]

1 hour ago, Hear da Lamentation said:

Doing some maths hammer, the GH do alright (with lethal hits) against the tough monsters - but would struggle with any of these.

 

- how do I manage against super tough foes like this?  The norn assimilator in particular is built to take and hold objectives.

 

Im also intrigued by the "do I DS the termies or not".  If I do - I lose 1CP don't I?  Because Logan wont be on the board turn 1?  And with the huge unit base size it could be difficult to fit in.  Do I DS mid table?  In enemy deployment zone and risk getting swamped?

 

 

The new CP rule does NOT require logan to be on the table...if you are alive you generate extra CP...thats it

 

As for fighting big nids with GHs the answer is dog pile them

 

GHs put out damage with grenades + shooting + melee

 

it adds up quickly

And GHs with assault doctrine + lance and AP stratagem (gene wrought might) wound most nid monsters on 4s with AP3

40 ish attacks wounding on 4 and bad save odds means GH melee put out 10ish wounds on exocrines etc. 

 

i dont know if math hammer says its better than lethals or not...but like the meme goes...why not both!  One GH can use one another GH can use the other

 

 

Just find ways to contribute the extra damage using what I mentioned above 

 

 

[Karack Blackstone]

You really should have four GH packs...

[DanPesci]

On 10/9/2026 at 4:57 AM, Karack Blackstone said:

You really should have four GH packs...

 

4 is maybe pushing it a bit as thats near to 800pts/well over a third of your army (esp once you include enhancements or character support).

Ive been running 3 in my recent games, and that feels about right, as it then lets me build out the other harder hitting or support elements.

 

Although I can see the argument for 4 as simply flooding the field with 8x5 man units I could see working well in some matchups. Ive been playing orks quite a bit and their shooting is very effective at removing marine bodies, even with our toughness boost.

 

Im sticking with running great wolf for now until I have more games under my belt, but can certainly see the argument for tacticus attack force (I just dont have enough terminators atm to justify runinng the 3x1DP detachments with the TDA one in there too)

 

This is the list im currently running - could probably be better optimised but also very much using the models I already have built/painted rather than going out and buying new stuff to meta-chase, whilst also keeping things as 'Space Wolf' as possible (man do I wish we had actual long fangs still), have a couple of wins and a couple of close losses under my belt (against much more competitvely minded opponents) - so im pretty happy with it as things stand

 

Spoiler

Logan

WBGL (skalds fortelling)

Wolf Priest (Imperiums Sword)

 

Grey Hunters - Furious Assault (split into 5s)

Grey Hunters - Furious Assault (split into 5s)

Grey Hunters - WGBL attached

 

WGHT x6 - 4x SS, 2x Paired - wolf priest attached

WGHT x3 - 3x Paired - Furious Assault

WGTDA x5 - 3x SS, 1x PF/AC, 1x Relic Axe

 

Eradicators x3 - Melta (long fangs)

Eliminators x3 - Las Fusil

 

5x JP Intercessors (sky claws)

Wolf Scouts x6 - Plasma gun, mine, skjald

Ven Dread - axe/shield

 

Rhino (1x5 grey hunters and big WGHT squad)

Rhino (1x10 Grey Hunters)

 

 

So general thoughts:

 

Playing Take and Hold with space wolves feels weird, but im slowly getting used to it. Its always tempting to try and simply send stuff t1/t2 and just hit the opponent as hard as possible, but the games where ive had more success have been much more about holding things back, creating a big threat range bubble due to the army wide adv+charge, and then using the small grey hunter units to successively drop 15 OC onto the centre and clear any chaff, then counter attacking with the harder hitting stuff once the GH force my opponent to come out into the middle. 

 

 

Grey Hunters, fantastic in 5 mans. Im still unsure on my 10 man unit as my opponent has been 'wise' to them and never let them do much. But the threat on them is there for not too many points. Last game they got really unlucky with armour saves (killerkans put 18 D1 wounds onto them with shooting.... 5+ saves - i failed EVERY SINGLE ONE )

 

Quote

Keep PF...you have 1 less attack but do 2 dmg...better option into other marines

 

I heartily concur with this, the PF also go up to S9 AP3 on objectives, throw in lance or precision strat onto them and they become reliable extra damage dealers - just make sure to remember which 5 man unit has the powerfist if splitting them ha - last game I charged a squad and then realised id done it on the wrong squad after the fact - you'd think it being modelled would help, maybe one too many beers lol

 

My JP intercessors have worked well as a late game action unit, or just to force the opponent to keep their home properly screened etc. Theyve never achieved much when they arrive but are cheap enough for me to not mind too much. If they can score me 1 secondary over the course of the game or force the opponent to hold back their units... theyve done their job 

 

I 'downgraded' a 6 man bladeguard squad with ancient to 6 WGHT with priest. They do less damage (although can spike on the dev wounds), but ive found they still do enough damage to kill what theyve needed to. Both units tend to die the turn after they fought whether BG or WGHT,  so the lower cost WGHT have felt a better choice. They also get +1mv which doesnt sound a lot, but when adding our other buffs means they happily sit in a rhino on my home, before charging onto the middle objective t2-3 when needed.

 

The 3 man headtaker squad is just a nice blender/annoying unit, they use hidden well and then pounce on something on the flanks or/provide extra support to the centre.

 

Ven dread - great, cheap enough to not mind if he gets wiped, and his charge buffs on top of great wolf charge buffs is great. The axe being able to threaten vehicles/monsters is also good as its something the rest of the army struggles with in combat.

 

Eradicators, yes i know they should be in an impulsor etc....but I still like having just the one unit regardgless. Being able to stick them into Dev doctrine with Grimnars command when needed (or mulitple times a game), makes them surprisingly mobile and they come out late

 

Eliminators have proven themselves to be an OK home objective sitter. If possible they go up a floor, pick a fire line, and then just sit there all game with enough threat to make someone think twice about putting lighter vehicles in their LoS. Again Grimnars Command to throw dev on them if needed means they can also spring out late game to suprise stuff once their screening work is done

 

Wolf Scouts - Im still mixed about these. Im never going to run reivers, despite them being the meta choice right now (hate the models and theyre not wolves lol), but ive had games where my WS have done nothing, but last game they killed a dakkarig and kommando unit on T1 (I was going second), forcing my opponent to dedicate more units to kill them off their expansion. Ive been generally deploying them in my own deployment, and then using scout 8, rather than infiltrating and them having to sit where they are after you find out who goes first. The scout 8 means they are still easily able to make it into the opponents line T1 if needed, and the combo of the mine, explosives and plasma lets them punch up a bit into tastier units on a good day.

 

Rhinos - Ill be honest, im just happy to be able to use them again. But in all my games theyve done well, effectively +3 movement to anything charging out of them, and then theyve managed to rack up secondaries in all my games either through doing actions, falling back to hold my home, or in one game simply denying the opponent a late draw bring it down by staying out of LoS in the last 2 turns.

 

 

 

 

 

[Karhedron]

One thing that I have gotten good mileage with is Headtakers with attached Hunting Wolves. Basically the Wolves act as ablative bodies and tank big hits. There is nothing like handy off a 3D attack from a Greater Daemon on a 1 Wound wolf and then reviving it next turn with the Wolf Priest. In fact my Priest is more vet than Doctor these days. 

[TiguriusX]

Has anyone field tested the biker captain and wulfen yet?

 

Biker + TH + wolf touched

Wulfen + 1 death totem and 9xfrag launchers

 

14" (biker) / 11" (wulfen) with advance + charge + cleave + lethal hits + dev wounds + rr1s in melee

 

 

[Karack Blackstone]

Death Totems or Frag Launchers? Your text says FL's and the image you linked shows DT's...?

[TiguriusX]

24 minutes ago, Karack Blackstone said:

Death Totems or Frag Launchers? Your text says FL's and the image you linked shows DT's...?

the text is from a list review but everyone  saw the image and it is becoming a SW meme

 

the wargear can (and should) be changed 

you only need 1 death totem...current rule says unit gets the benefit...not model

[Moonstalker]

3 hours ago, TiguriusX said:

Has anyone field tested the biker captain and wulfen yet?

 

Biker + TH + wolf touched

Wulfen + 1 death totem and 9xfrag launchers

 

14" (biker) / 11" (wulfen) with advance + charge + cleave + lethal hits + dev wounds + rr1s in melee

 

 

 

The captain on bike might be harming more than he helps here.  He's mounted, not infantry, no mobile keyword.  He's gonna complicate the unit benefiting from Hidden, and he can't move through dense terrain like infantry can.  For the price of the captain + enhancement, you could just take 5 more wulfen.

 

Not sold on the idea.  Maybe someone can figure out a way to make it work but it looks like a stinker to me.

[TiguriusX]

9 minutes ago, Moonstalker said:

 

The captain on bike might be harming more than he helps here.  He's mounted, not infantry, no mobile keyword.  He's gonna complicate the unit benefiting from Hidden, and he can't move through dense terrain like infantry can.  For the price of the captain + enhancement, you could just take 5 more wulfen.

 

Not sold on the idea.  Maybe someone can figure out a way to make it work but it looks like a stinker to me.

 

The captain gives the unit cleave

that means 20+ extra attacks into a 10 man target (40 total D3 dev wound attack...can wipe terminator bricks with that type of volume).

 

I understand he has bike and no mobile but he should be able to maneuver around to maintain coherency.  The main reason he is there is to buff the wulfen anyways.

 

An alternative is a jump captain for +1 advance/charge.  But losing cleave really hurts the offense.

 

[Moonstalker]

I understand he gives Cleave, I'm just not sure it's going to be worth the drawbacks of a mixed bike/infantry unit.  Doubling the units attacks sounds great, until it ends up that you lost half the unit going in because the bike captain messed up your staging/gave up visibility for the unit.  Will see how it plays out, though.

[TiguriusX]

3 hours ago, Moonstalker said:

I understand he gives Cleave, I'm just not sure it's going to be worth the drawbacks of a mixed bike/infantry unit.  Doubling the units attacks sounds great, until it ends up that you lost half the unit going in because the bike captain messed up your staging/gave up visibility for the unit.  Will see how it plays out, though.

 

After leaving the theory hammer and creating the list in TTS I understand your concern

 

The bike captain has a MASSIVE footprint and is hard to stage safely

 

I'll give it a spin with a jump captain instead just because I am very curious

[Moonstalker]

9 hours ago, TiguriusX said:

 

After leaving the theory hammer and creating the list in TTS I understand your concern

 

The bike captain has a MASSIVE footprint and is hard to stage safely

 

I'll give it a spin with a jump captain instead just because I am very curious

 

There's probably people who are better at the game than I am who can make it work.  You could very well be one of them.

[Madic]

Jaime Paris recently won a GT running Assault Bretheren/Beastslayer/Stormlance with the biker captain/wulfen combo. The stacked rules gives them insane speed. 2" (stormlance cause the unit is mounted now) + 2" (wolf touch is the for the entie unit). Thats 13" move with access to wind-swift evasion and auto 6" advance. That's some serious threat range.

[TiguriusX]

Ok I was able to chat with some people who run it and similar things for different factions (DA-Sammael has a stormlance build that is similar)

 

Stormlance is the biggest factor here. 

 

I've never been a stormlance or TWC cavalry player and I missed the buffs this style of play got.

 

There is a stratagem called Wind Swift Evasion that does the heavy lifting and makes this combo work.  If you were eligible to fight...then you can fall back or normal move at the end of the fight phase

 

This lets you hit and run without fear of taking a counter punch.  The wulfen brick can move 13" and all but the biker captain can walk through walls and the outriders can move 14" (DA and WS version of this have mobile as well).

 

So in rounds 1-2 your very strong brick can pick off screening units etc. then fall back and be nowhere near the enemy (you hit and run targets of opportunity and score easy PURGE kills)

Rounds 3-5 you have opened the board and can full speed at your priority target like a missile

 

Based on all that...it really looks like stormlance and mounted SW lists will be at the top for a while...not Logan and his terminator brick like I though

 

Old school SW Biker gangs (and all those cool sons of anarchy conversions) have returned from the legend status in the form of outriders and characters on bikes.  Looks like my old school WG Bikers get to come out of storage (I completed these back in 2019 and they were sent to legends within WEEKS of finishing...I was so sad)

 

 

 

 

This is the kind of meta that littlbitz used to write sagas about (and I loved to read every one)!!!

 

[Karack Blackstone]

Here's to littlebitz' return, should we prove so lucky.

[Moonstalker]

9 hours ago, TiguriusX said:

Ok I was able to chat with some people who run it and similar things for different factions (DA-Sammael has a stormlance build that is similar)

 

Stormlance is the biggest factor here. 

 

I've never been a stormlance or TWC cavalry player and I missed the buffs this style of play got.

 

There is a stratagem called Wind Swift Evasion that does the heavy lifting and makes this combo work.  If you were eligible to fight...then you can fall back or normal move at the end of the fight phase

 

This lets you hit and run without fear of taking a counter punch.  The wulfen brick can move 13" and all but the biker captain can walk through walls and the outriders can move 14" (DA and WS version of this have mobile as well).

 

So in rounds 1-2 your very strong brick can pick off screening units etc. then fall back and be nowhere near the enemy (you hit and run targets of opportunity and score easy PURGE kills)

Rounds 3-5 you have opened the board and can full speed at your priority target like a missile

 

Based on all that...it really looks like stormlance and mounted SW lists will be at the top for a while...not Logan and his terminator brick like I though

 

Old school SW Biker gangs (and all those cool sons of anarchy conversions) have returned from the legend status in the form of outriders and characters on bikes.  Looks like my old school WG Bikers get to come out of storage (I completed these back in 2019 and they were sent to legends within WEEKS of finishing...I was so sad)

 

 

 

 

This is the kind of meta that littlbitz used to write sagas about (and I loved to read every one)!!!

 

 

That does put a different color on it.  In that case, what's important is not only the Cleave, but that he gives the unit the Mounted keyword.  Sounds pretty strong with Wulfen, but I suspect that it's one of those things that will catch an FAQ in 3 months (likely with Wolf-Touched being made available to only Adeptus Astartes Infantry characters).  Or maybe not.  GW have been doing some things with letting characters join unit types that don't necessarily match, both with Marines and Custodes.

 

With updated Space Marine and Ork bikes this edition, it'd be cool to get some updated Thunderwolf Cavalry to play with, too.

[Karack Blackstone]

Hey, came up with a list to see how things are looking these days.

 

2K

 

Logan

5 WGT, MCPW & SS

5 TDA, TH & SS

 

4 x 10 GH's, options to discuss, likely, PF's on the pack leaders; Legends proxies currently

 

2 LRC

 

4 Rhinos

 

No points left over

 

Thoughts, feedback, is this legal?

[Moonstalker]

4 hours ago, Karack Blackstone said:

Hey, came up with a list to see how things are looking these days.

 

2K

 

Logan

5 WGT, MCPW & SS

5 TDA, TH & SS

 

4 x 10 GH's, options to discuss, likely, PF's on the pack leaders; Legends proxies currently

 

2 LRC

 

4 Rhinos

 

No points left over

 

Thoughts, feedback, is this legal?

 

40 points over, otherwise legal.  WGT and Assault TDA both have to pay extra for every model that takes a storm shield.  The base costs given are for TDA with twin LC and WGT with all PW + SB.

 

The "standard" loadout for WGT is relic great axe on the pack leader, 3 guys with storm shield + power weapon, and 1 guy with power fist/assault cannon.  This is 10 points cheaper than going all storm shield/power weapon, and brings some spicy weapons to the party.  It's possible we might see more storm bolters in the squad now that storm bolters are actually good.

 

There are not really any options to discuss for grey hunters.  There's 10 of them and the pack leader can swap his bolt pistol for a plasma pistol, and/or his chainsword for a power fist.  There's no price attached, so there's not really any reason not to do it aside from "Well I just like chainswords."  The rest of the squad can't take anything special.

 

Is it any good?  That may just come down to what detachments you bring them in.  I'd be looking for something to give you access to Lethal Hits so you can deal more effectively with vehicles/monsters.  Tacticus Attack Force maybe?  Assault Brethren probably also good for you.  

[Karack Blackstone]

Please tell that to the app, I will look into this further.

 

Thanks,

Karack.

[Moonstalker]

33 minutes ago, Karack Blackstone said:

Please tell that to the app, I will look into this further.

 

Thanks,

Karack.

 

I suspect you took one storm shield for each squad, not storm shields for the whole squad.  With no wargear swaps the list is 1990 points, with one stormshield for each squad it's 2000 on the dot.

[Karack Blackstone]

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

Not quite sure what to do, I will have to spend time on this then. I love the list, and will have to see what options there are here for wiggle room.

 

 

Edit:

 

New List idea.

 

2K:

 

Logan

5 WGT, MCPW, SS all

5 ATDA, TH, SS x 5

 

5 Scouts

 

10 GH's

10 GH's

10 GH's

5 Int, TH on Sgt.

 

3 Rhinos

1 Impulsor

2 LRC's

 

Any better?

Edited yesterday at 04:03 AM by Karack Blackstone