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I am giving SW another go, and this time I would like to incorporate Thunderwolf Cavalry in my army. I just have a few questions for those of you who have had failure and success with them, as I have no clue on how to use them properly yet.

Deploying: Hide behind cover if I deploy second to save them from one round of shooting? Deploy in the front lines if I go first?
Moving up: Behind fenrisian wolves to gain cover save advantage?
Targets: What types of units should I be targeting with my TWC?
Squad size: Is 1 squad of 5 too large? More than 1 squad too expensive?

I run two units of four for my Thunderbird units (My chapter is Space Wolves minus the wolves, and with birds instead). I tend to find 4 members is the sweet spot for TWC units. It also means you can pull wargear shenanigans to make each equipped uniquely so you can spread wounds around. I tend to go for units of 4 with a Power Fist (For fisting vehicles and other large things), Storm Shield (For taking lascannon and other AP3 wounds against) and melta bombs (extra potential vs land raiders, and cheap for a unique equipment setup).

Deploy in cover - you're fast enough this shouldn't prove much of a problem, and helps weather the first turn shooting (which from experience, will be a lot. It's hard to ignore marines riding enormous birds). Always put cover between you and anything AP3 or better on your way across the board, and then use your 12" charge to surprise the enemy.

As for targets, target anything vulnerable that can't fight back. Power fists, power weapons and large tarpit units will ruin your day. Use your massive charge range to leap from rear-armour-10-tank to tank, from small fire support units to isolated characters. You can mix it up with dedicated combat units if you want, but it'll hurt. Best to shoot them with other units instead, and stay away with the big wolves.

The other way to run TWC (which is what i was using in the pictures below) are single model units, with powerfists and stormshields. These run up the flanks, and crash into unprotected tanks to deliver 5 power fist attacks - enough to annihilate all but land raiders. They didn't tend to live long, but they almost always got their points back.

Squad size: Is 1 squad of 5 too large? More than 1 squad too expensive?

I take two or three squads of three with no other upgrades except a power fist in each squad. It's not expensive at all and you can easily tailor a shooty army to support this assault element.

Thunderbird units

Your TWC look very nice and the army shot is nice as well. Mine are riding on Juggers, pics coming soon.

GCMandrake wrote:

The other way to run TWC (which is what i was using in the pictures below) are single model units, with powerfists and stormshields. These run up the flanks, and crash into unprotected tanks to deliver 5 power fist attacks - enough to annihilate all but land raiders. They didn't tend to live long, but they almost always got their points back.

Why would you ever choose a powerfist over a thunderhammer?

Ed_Bodger wrote:

Why would you ever choose a powerfist over a thunderhammer?

its cheaper and maybe he didn't have the points to field a hammer

mtgbob wrote:

Ed_Bodger wrote:

Why would you ever choose a powerfist over a thunderhammer?

its cheaper and maybe he didn't have the points to field a hammer

5 Power Fist attacks on the charge means tanks will almost always suffer a Shaken result anyway. And the Thunderwolves shouldn't really be fighting anything that can survive their initial charge, because they'll end up dead, Initiative 1 or not. There's 3 Lone Wolves with Terminator Armour, Storm Shields and Chainfists at the bottom left of that picture who should take on big nasty things.

That said, if you have points spare, why not?

Just seen you army btw (work blocks pics) it looks awesome.

Fair enough on the 5 Power Fists I just think that the look of Thunder hammer wielding riders is awesome


Automatically Appended Next Post:

mtgbob wrote:

Ed_Bodger wrote:

Why would you ever choose a powerfist over a thunderhammer?

its cheaper and maybe he didn't have the points to field a hammer

No it isn't

I run them in squads of 5 with SS, TH, MoTW, and a single meltabomb so all 5 are unique. I went thunderhammer over stormshield mostly for dealing with daemon armies as greater demons (also triguns, avatars and, wraithlords) will ruin your day if you can't cut them down to I1.

As far as deployment I just box them in with rhinos then part the sea so to speak to allow them to charge, it is rare they don't see a second turn assault so after you can get them stuck in, cover becomes less of a concern.

What to send them at really comes down to what your opponent has on the table, their high number of attacks means they can deal with swarms, rending makes them able to deal with elite infantry and the thunderhammer means they can take on vehicles and monstrous creatures. TWC crushes just about anything they land on to point them at the most threatening pieces of your opponents army and watch as they vaporize one by one.