Alright, this week we have a really interesting Space Wolves army list. It employs drop pods heavily and was actually quite fun to play against. I saw this list at WargamesCon last year and I have to say that the guy who was playing it was a great player and all-around-good-guy.
I played this list in round 7 and I was so tired (hungover?) that I kept forgetting to cast my psychic powers and even forgot to assault with my paladins...I was seriously out of it! This guy was cool enough to remind me when I had forgotten but he was a solid competitor and didn't let me get away with it when it was a game changing mistake. (good balance if you ask me). Anyhow, here is the list.
HQ:
Rune Priest
- Chooser of the slain
- Jaws
- M. Hurricane
Elite:
Wolf Guard Pack (10)
- W.G. 1: Combi- Melta, Combi- Plasma
- W.G. 2: Combi Melta
- W.G. 3-7: Combi- Plasma
- W.G. 8: Terminator, Cyclone missile launcher (CML), Chain fist
- W.G. 9-10: Terminator, Combi Melta, Chain-fist, CML
- Drop pod
Elite:
Wolf Guard Pack (10)
- W.G. 1: Combi-melta, Combi-Plasma
- W.G. 2-6: Combi Plasma
- W.G. 7: Combi-Melta
- W.G. 8: Terminator, Chain fist, Heavy flamer
- W.G. 9: Terminator, Combi-Melta, Chainfist, CML
- W.G. 10: Combi melta, Chain fist
- Drop pod
Troops:
Grey Hunters (7)
- 1 Meltagun
- Drop Pod
Grey Hunters (8)
- 1 Meltagun
- Drop Pod
Grey Hunters (8)
- Flamer
- Drop Pod
Heavy Support:
Long Fangs (5)
- 5x missiles
Long Fangs (5)
- 5x missiles
Long Fangs (5)
- 5x Missiles
The strategy:
He had his terminator Wolf Guard split off and join the Long Fangs and the Grey hunters. The rest was pretty self explanatory. Wolf guard go after the hard targets and hope to shoot them off the table while Grey hunters come in for support on the Wolf Guard. Long Fangs sit back and shoot at targets of opportunity.
As I said I was so out of it that day I forgot rule number one of playing a drop list... Reserve. I should have reserved, it wouldn't have mattered much if I went second or first. It was not reserving that made my day harder than it should have been. I imagine had I reserved he would have brought in the grey Hunter pods first and slapped them on objectives and hopped that his Wolf guard came in together to attack my Land Raider and paladins... But who knows?
All in all this was a fun list to play against as it was a lot different than the other wolf lists I had seen leading up to this.
What are your thoughts on this list? How would you play with it/ against it?
Duke
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ReplyDeleteList looks a bit off.
ReplyDeleteIs the first WG with a combi plasma or melta?
Wolf Guard #1 has 9-10 with CML along with #8, that is three CML which squad can have only two.
Comments overall, it is a solid list. Lacking some duality with the flamers (only one squad).
An interesting concept with the "suicide squads" but IMO a waste and a handicap for Kill Point missions as you hope you will kill something to make the investment worthwhile.
Missiles are nice except against AV 14 that would only glance and could cause problems.
Army lacks mobility after deployment and is a slow trek to another spot on the board if they had to move for some reason.
@ Styx: My wife cleaned up my desk and I don't know where she put the army builder print out :(... Anyhow, I agree with you on the downsides. The guy who played this list was very well practiced with it and I think that is what really made the list work. Then again I have seen many "odd," lists at top tables simply because the guy has played a million times with the same list.
ReplyDeleteDuke
Duke, I'm that guy! Glad to see it was still sitting around after so much time. I had a blast playing you and would do it again in a heart beat. I defiantly had the luck of this game (and the night before cause I got blitz Saturday night as well, but my hang over had subsided by our game).
ReplyDeleteTo answer the questions, wolf guard 1 has both a combi melta and a combi plasma (he likes to party).
Only the last two terminators had cyclones and they would break away into the grey hunters, the terminator w just chain fist/metla sayed with wolf guard for more blasty and punchy power.
Your missing the 4th Grey Hunter squad with melta and banner.
So you have 3 double melta, with a cyclone, which gives them the ability to deep strike defensibly and still participate with two cyclone shots a turn.
This list have a good counter, make me go first and full reserve, a lot of times most of my jump power is gone, then I fall back on 23 missile launchers to do the heavy lifting for the army.
It might be a slow list, but it makes up for it by letting me choose where the battle takes place. If I choose where we fight and use drop podding squads to trap you then speed isn't necessary becasue I hopefully took away yours.
This list served me well, getting me onto the ETC team, getting me 2nd place at Wargamescon (not this year but last), and 5th overall this year at Wargamescon. Most of all its fun a hell to play, its not an internet list, and no one else plays it. It is my list, and I'm very happy I can say that.
Jonathan! Our game was an absolute blast; and to be honest I was so out of it at that point I would have conceded if it was anything different, just to go get some shut-eye.
DeleteIt was very apparent that you know this list inside and out. I think if you were to put this list in the hands of someone who is unfamiliar with it they would fumble hard throughout the game.
Hopefully we get a rematch this year and I don't have a giant brain fart!
Are you going to be there this year? What are you bringing?
Duke
I am going to be there, I've gotten so close now twice in a row! Plus I live in Houston so its a stones throw away. I could tell you were out of it, but I hope I have the chance to play you again. Will be as fun as the first I hope.
ReplyDeleteSee thats another thing I like about my list, its a tough army to play and you gota know your way around it. Otherwise you get hurt.
Right now I'm torn between the Drop Wolves or Grey Knights, I've been playing a lot of them as I played them last year for the ETC. So honestly I think I may play what ever I ultimately take to the ETC to get some good practice with it in. So it just depends on what the team decides I play and I run with it!
You still going to rock the Gks? I remember them looking particularly awesome!
Yea, this year I am bringing GK, but it is a new list and is actually Custodes. It is an army I have been wanting to build (model wise) for a while, though playing GK is almost getting boring.
DeleteDuke
Too many models in a pod. Terminators occupy 2 slots!
ReplyDeleteThe WG break off to join other squads so the terminators with cyclones joins the Long Fangs. The others break off and join the squads that are 8 or 7 in size (thus putting them at 10), leaving the combi boys hidden in one pod.
Delete@Duke, I would agree a good player makes a list. I have often seen too many people win because of their list not being a good player.
@Jonathan: Interesting you can put two combis on a guy, never thought of that but a bit of a waste in points?
Exactly once they separate out it all works, Wolf Guard have 8 marines 1 terminator, Grey Hunters have 7 Guys one terminator maybe the Rune Priest. Also the cyclone terminators join Grey Hunters... usually. This gives them a lot of utility so even if I deep strike on the back board edge they can still shot.
ReplyDeleteCertain games require adjustments to how the wolf guard are separated. In my game against duke I put them in the squads of Long Fangs so I didn't have to sacrifice additional models to destroy the land raider. Too many people take only powerfist combi melta wolf guard, but when you start taking squads of these guys with different war gear you can actually start re-equipping units depending on your match up.
@Styx: Its all about utility on double equipping. Sometimes you just need more ap 2, some times you need more melta for a land raider. Its just the fact that I can come down and kill almost anything from a land raider, to terminators, to a mawlock. Also after they "blow there load" have a few threats still in the unit forces the enemy to deal with it.