Some thoughts on the Lost Company

[The WarpGhost]

1 thing:

 

turbo-boost does not require you to move in a straight line, merely that you end up at least 18" away from your starting point. That allows you to thread your way through difficult terrain.

[spyrer2000]

WG is right, you don't have to move in a straight line.

 

One other interesting fact - turbo-boosting bikes can still counter-attack! So you can move your bikers up to 24" and then get some more free movement if the enemy decides to charge your bikers.

[The WarpGhost]

knowing SW we probably havent changed the brake fluid in a while :angry:

[Mountain Angel]

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Duly noted!

 

:angry:

 

-MA

[Mountain Angel]

-Shooting-

I will break shooting down into the following categories:

 

- Bolters,

Special weapons,

Heavy weapons.

 

-Bolters

The Lost Company are known for their formidable close combat prowess but they are also quite good when it comes to mid-ranged and short-ranged shooting. While the Lost Company is rarely if ever going to win by simply sitting back and shooting for an entire game, there are times when it is wiser to shoot than charge. For example, suppose there is a squad of deamonettes that your Grey Slayer squads can rapid-fire. For this particular example it's better to shoot the deamon pack rather than assault them.

 

I see the bolter as the big advantage Slayers have over Storm Claws. Slayers have the ability to stage mid-ranged firefights plus they can rapid-fire. Sometimes you can use a couple of rounds of bolter fire to soften up the enemy before rushing into an assault. Two good examples are Tyranids and Orks. Against Tyranids I would try to setup my Slayers in cover, shoot gaunts with leaping and let them charge the Slayers. The Slayers will hit first due to the cover, can counter-attack, and will have their full number of attacks due to True Grit. This tactic takes advantage of Space Wolf traits. Also if the pack leader has MotW then the Slayers will be hitting on 3+ and they should greatly reduce the total number of gaunts before the Tyranids can strike back.

 

Bikes have twin-linked bolters. You can move, shoot once at 24 inches or rapid-fire, both with rerolls. Bikes can also shoot their twin-linked bolters then charge the same turn. Ten bolter shots with rerolls is quite good, especially against low toughness models with poor armour saves. There will be times when the terrain allows you to move the bikes such that they can stay out of enemy shooting and assault range, then sit back and shoot their twin-linked bolters. This is a solid tactic against horde armies.

 

I will also briefly mention pistols now. I like to take a plasma pistol for independent characters where approriate. My style of play when fielding the Lost Company does not make room for them, but they are still quite good. An independent character with a plasma pistol hits on 2+ with a S7 AP2 attack. This is a reliable method for killing one enemy model just prior to the assault. I can see a good case being made for arming a Wolf Priest leading a squad of Wulfen with a plasma pistol. Due to their fast speed the Priest will often have a chance to shoot just prior to a charge. One unsaved wound against Berzerkers or Tyranid Warriors is well worth the points.

 

Storm Claws have bolt pistols and can take up to two plasma pistols. I am hesitant to arm such an expensive model (due to BS4) with a plasma pistol because of the possible overheat. Storm Claws are by no means fast, but often they can form the second wave of your assault. Being able to shoot just prior to the charge always helps if you can pull it off.

 

When it comes to pack leaders you should always buy them a bolt pistol for +1 attack, unless you want them to sport a combi-weapon or plasma pistol. If you do purchase a plasma pistol then I would definitely pay +5 points for a runic charm! Pack leaders are expensive and if gifted with MotW they are also a very integral part of the army. You don't want to lose one to an overheat!

 

 

Next -> Special Weapons

[The WarpGhost]

remember you must use the WPs ability to rein in his Wulfen charges to get of the plasma shot, as he may not shoot if they use their Animal Rage move.

 

i personally would love to use plasma pistols on my Claws, but at 10 points each they are just too expensive for an already expensive pack and points tight army so while i have them modelled, i count them as basic bolt pistols. as they are generally my choice of gribbly hunter this is not ideal, but needs must...

[Mountain Angel]

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DC

 

Is this worthy of the archives?

 

-MA

[DepthCharge]

Yeah sure. Just say when you're done ;)

 

(I'd keep it saved on your hard drive though, just in case something ever happens to the board...for that matter, I suggest that to everyone who's got something on here they'd like to keep)

[Mountain Angel]

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Thanks man... You awesome!

 

;)

[Mountain Angel]

-Assaulting-

A lot of discussion on assaulting has already been covered as this is the main strength of the 13th Company. The main point I want to emphasis here is that you should design your army to assault in waves over the course of several turns.

 

-First Wave

The first wave of the assault should occur as early as possible and helps tie up the enemy battleline. Fenrisian wolf packs are the best for this because they can cover so much ground during the first turn. However, if your enemy has a drop pod army or starts with all their squads inside transports you may find your wolf packs running in circles.

 

Wulfen can also act as the first wave of the assault due to their Animal Rage movement. However, often they will have to wait until the second turn to be in charge range. Because Wulfen are S5 they can destroy Rhinos by inflicting enough glancing hits.

 

Bikes are fast too but in my opinion they should not be used as the first wave unless you are very hard pressed. Bike squads are small and fragile. As such they won't hold up unless they have some support. Bikes are expensive and will serve you best if they add their punch later in the game. Because bikes can do so much for an army with a lot of limitations you often won't want to waste their potential on a first or second turn charge.

 

-Second Wave

The second wave of your assault is primarily the role of your Grey Slayers and Storm Claws. They have no special movement other than the free move due to the Scout rule. They should advance carefully using cover when necessary. Slayers and Storm Claws are amazing in close combat, so once they reach the enemy line the tides may well turn in your favour.

 

-Third Wave

I typically use my bikes for the third and final wave. The enemy has been softened up by the first two waves, leaving any survivors ripe for the killing blow.

 

-Counter Assaulting

When you face off against horde armies such as Orks and Tyranids you have the luxury to sit back and let them come to you. Therefore, you should easily be able to choose where you want to lead your assaults. Watch out for fast units such as gaunts with leaping, as their extra movement can catch you offguard.

 

 

Next -> Putting It All Together... Final Thoughts

[spyrer2000]

I disagree slightly - Storm Claw Bikers can make an excellent first wave charge if used correctly. SCB's are pretty durable (Toughness 5) and can hit hard with a lot of Attacks in close combat. A lot of infiltrating units (Space Marine Scouts, Flayed Ones, Tau Pathfinders, etc.) will get torn to shreds by a first wave charge of bikers. Of course, Fenrisian Wolves also work well in this role, but SCB's can do a couple of things the Wolves can't.

 

First, SCB's carry frag grenades, so will strike simultaneously with foes in cover. Second, SCB's can bring meltaguns or powerfists to the party and can smack the living you-know-what out of tanks or dreadnoughts if any are foolish enough to advance into first wave charge range.

 

Lastly, if you have a Wolf Lord on a bike, it's in your best interest to get him stuck in ASAP, simply because the Wolf Lord is the best fighter 13th Company armies have in close combat.

 

In short, bikers make a good first wave option SOME of the time - choose your targets carefully.

[Mountain Angel]

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Generally speaking the bikers should be riding around shooting first, then assaulting later. I keep my bikers as a reserve unit for that one last knockout punch. If you are assaulting with bikes early on probably you are not fully utilizing their total potential.

 

-MA

[bladestorm]

I might have missed this but are the Special Weapons and Heavy Weapons sections up? We seem to have gone from -Bolters- to -Assaulting-, skipping the aforementioned sections.

 

Cheers.

[Mountain Angel]

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Good point! That is what happens when you write tactica at work! I will go back and add some more for special and heavy weapons.

 

:)

 

-MA

[spyrer2000]

I think you should just add a new post - easier to tell when you've updated that way. :)

[Mountain Angel]

-Special Weapons

Special weapons such as flamers, plasma guns, and meltaguns are readily available for Grey Slayers and Storm Claw bikers. Storm Claws on foot also have access to plasma pistols. I recommend you take the same weapon twice for each Slayer squad and also Storm Claw bikers.

 

The plasma gun has 24" range while the meltagun only has 12" range. By taking the same special weapon twice it is often more than twice as effective - this is especially true for flamers! You don't want to take special weapons with different range since there will be times when you can only shoot one. For example, two plasma guns in a Slayer squad provides good midranged fire support and they are deadly when rapid-firing! If you are up against a horde army then a sound tactic is to keep the squad of Slayers with plasma guns closeby your Long Fangs, as this creates a solid firebase with good mid to long ranged weaponry.

 

The meltaguns are good for a couple of shots before the charge, and of course they are also great for teleporting with the Rune Priest to destroy tanks. A previous section provides a detailed technical explanation how to place a gated unit along with a diagram.

 

Flamers are a great choice for the Storm Claw bikers since this is a fast unit. They can pop out and whip out a couple of templates and place them such that they cover the majority of an enemy unit. This is very effective against low toughness units with poor armour saves. I would not use flamers for Grey Slayers though as they are a relatively slow unit and combined with the short reach of the flamer, typically you won't be able to place the template over a lot of enemy models.

 

Taking combi-weapons for pack leaders and the HQ can help your Slayer and Storm Claw bikers be more effective. I have one squad of Slayers with two meltaguns and their pack leader has a combi-melta. I have up to four melta shots the turn the Rune Priest (equipped with combi-melta) and the melta toting Slayers teleport... certainly that is a lot better than two. My other squad has two plasma guns and their pack leader has a combi-plasma. I also give the pack leader with the combi-plasma a Runic charm in case of overheat. My Storm Claws biker pack leader has a combi-flamer, as well as their leader - the mounted Wolf Lord. Therefore, my bikers can place four templates one turn! Four flamer templates will take out the majority of a full squad of Marines.

 

 

Next -> Heavy Weapons

[Mountain Angel]

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-Heavy Weapons

Your only choice for heavy support are the Long Fangs. They can die quickly from bolter fire or even lasguns, but they still have their place in the army. You'll have the upper hand against horde armies such as Orks and Tyranids if you take a squad of Long Fangs. I always include one squad in my army. Here is the most typical configuration I have seen so far:

 

2xLascannon & 2xMissile Launcher

 

In my opinion the above choice is solely suited for tank busting. My preference is as follows:

 

2xLascannon & 2xPlasma cannon

 

Another good choice would be as follows:

 

2xLascannon & 2xHeavy Bolter

 

Remember that you only have to field two Long Fangs and a pack leader per squad. Therefore, I could see the use of taking two squads as follows:

 

2xLascannon & 2xMissile Launcher

 

2xHeavy Bolter

 

A lot of players frown on the heavy bolter but this weapon is the equivalent of the star cannon to most non-Marine armies -> Orks, Tyranids, Imperial Guard, Eldar, and Dark Eldar. I like the plasma cannon since it is also good against Marines, Monsterous Creatures, and light armour. In my opinion two lascannons and two plasma cannons is the most versatile and powerful configuration. Players that eschew plasma typically are thinking about how they can save points for stuff like Fenrisian wolf packs that have no armour penetration capability at all (except AV10).

 

The Long Fangs are your only ranged weaponary. Long ranged weapons create fire lines and forces your opponents to move away from them. Even those these veterans do often die too fast there are times when they will be true superstars and help you win games.

 

 

Next -> Putting It All Together, Final Thoughts and Helpful Tips

[Mountain Angel]

=Putting It All Together=

Here is the conclusion to this tactica. Thanks to s2k and the WarpGhost for your fine comments.

 

If you are a beginner and want to try this army you might like to play a few games of 40k in a Flash. Here is a 400 point army list I used at a tournament and went undefeated:

 

Wolf Priest

 

6xWulfen

 

6xSlayers w. 2xMeltagun

 

This is a simple list and will help you to quickly realize some of the strengths of the Lost Company:

 

- Deceptive speed

- Large number of attacks

- Excellent close combat prowess

 

If you are looking to build a slightly larger army at 750 points then I highly recommend two squads of Slayers (one pack with 2xMeltagun and the other with 2xPlasma gun) and a squad of Long Fangs (2xLascannon & 1xMissile Launcher) as the core of your army. Of course you'll have to take the Wolf Lord as your HQ. The Wolf Lord can join one squad of Slayers. I would equip the Wolf Lord with Motw, BoR, Frost blade, bolt pistol, and frag grenades. Add a pack leader with MotW, bolt pistol and a thunder hammer for the second Slayer pack. This will be a fun army to play and a few games will help you learn some of the basic tactics.

 

I think a good attribute of the 750 point list above is that you can add onto it as you build up the army to 1500 points and above. The 750 point list is a sound core for any Lost Company army and you will see it if you ever read any of my battle reports.

 

As you start to expand your army above 750 points you now have some interesting units to choose from...

 

Wulfen are great! If you decide you want to take the werewolves then I recommend at least 12 Wulfen and join them with the Wolf Priest. The Wolf Priest is a real bargain for an HQ but I would give him at least Balms and Healing Poitions, Wolf tooth necklace, frag grenades, and meltabombs. You can easliy spend 350 - 500 points on a squad of Wulfen lead by the Wolf Priest. That is a lot of points but this combined unit can win games quite often if you protect them from shooting before they charge. I don't mind spending a lot of points if I will enjoy using them. I truly believe players that are too frugal with their army lists are missing out on an exciting part of the game.

 

Storm Claws are also a great unit to expand your army, plus you can keep the points down since they are a smaller unit when compared with a full squad of Wulfen, plus their options (e.g., powerfists) come at a reasonable price. Storm Claws can also dish out a lot of punishment, plus they do have the option to take powerfists, which means they can destroy everything out there! A full squad of Storm Claws with two powerfists lead by a pack leader with MotW and a powerfist or thunder hammer are very deadly. I would recommend that a player building his list beyond 750 points take Storm Claws first, then consider using the Wulfen later as they develop more gaming experience.

 

I have found that you can either take a large squad of Wulfen or a full squad of Storm Claws, but not both at the 1850 point level if you also want to include a squad of Storm Claw bikers. The bikers are a MUST HAVE in my opinion since you often need that second fast unit. Remember that biker squads are always small and don't last long unless well supported. The Storm Claw bikers take on another dimension when lead by a Wolf Lord. The Wolf Lord and a biker retinue are a fast and potent force. The Wolf Lord with MotW can kill a lot of the enemy at his high initiative then his bikers can take out the rest.

 

There are a lot of options you can choose for Storm Claw bikers. I do not recommend taking powerfists (except for the pack leader) because the squad is just too small to suck up all the wounds that can occur during a round of close combat. I like to load up on flamers but two meltaguns are nice as well.

 

Personally I am not a big fan of Fenrisian wolf packs because they can die so quickly. I would rather put my points back into Marines in power armour that can shoot... but that is me.

 

The Lost Company is one of the best armies in V4 but they require a high degree of skill to do well. Therefore, start off with a small list and play some friendly games first. Once you feel you are developing a knack for Lost Company tactics then a new world awaits you.

 

:)

 

MA

 

-FINIS-