Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey everyone, so here's something ive been having trouble with lately; how should i actually play my Space Wolves?

I dont mena how many long fangs or power fists should i have or if i should take Arjac or Ragnar etc... i mean actualt strategy on the table top.

I've played two proper games with SW so far (outside of ridiculous apoc games) and am 2-0. In game 1 i beat Orks in an objective game though admittedly made mistakes and game 2 was last night in a 1v1v1 against BA and GK and won by having some GH unengaged in the last turn (BA and GK had been slugging it out) and having them jump on the objective and combined with shooting and PF attacks killing a Sang Priest and Dante, then consolidating onto the objective.

The thing is, all the time i play them i feel clumsy and confused. My two opponents almost every game are BA and GK, my friends armies. BA always includes death company dreads (with blood talons) and combinations of Chaplains, Sanguinary priests, Death Company, Dante, and now vanguard veterans and lemartes. He doesnt take vehicles so basically just an all out assault army with furious charge and power weapons and feel no pain abounding.

My GK opponent always field terminators and paladins, often with purifiers and crowe mixed in. Stormravens are his dead, dreadknights occasionally, never dreads, rarely LR's or Rhino's or Razorbacks.

So i dont really know how to play them, i cant really beat them in assault, and have a hard time shooting usually, except for long fangs i cant compete with the abundance of psycannons.

Ive honestly lucked into both my wins so far. My lists usually include combinations of rhinos and razorbacks wit GH's in them always with a wolf guard. Ill sometimes put a wolf priest with a rhino squad, usually rune priests with long fangs. Lately ive been bunching up my rhinos and razorbacks in my deployment zone and kinda camping, letting long fangs soften stuff up and taling lasplas shots then moving and disembarking and assaulting when units are weakened from my shooting.

So how should i play aggressively? I mean, if i move forward and be aggressive the psycannons explode my transports or the BA move so fast they usually get the assult in first/melta my transports quickly.

I imagine im playing against two of the toughest armies for SW, but i cant help it that the people i play most are my friends.

So how aggressive should i be on the tabletop, what should i be charging and what shouldnt i be? One saving grace lately for me has been a LR Redeemer with Arjac and 4 termies, he's survived each game hes played in and has taken out 2 units minimum each game, first it was 16 purifiers and BA libby dread, another game it was vanguard, death company dread, and then weakening dante's squad. So i think ill be keeping them as a dedicated assault unit, but other than that i just feel my GH dont stand a chance against the higher initiative and power weapon laden armies i play. Id like to be shooty focused but realy other than the long fangs what can i do? Mass las plas razorback spam?

Anyway, any help on strategy would be a big help because i rarely feel like i have a plan in any game, mostly because i feel SW are a tweener army, half shooty half assaulty not really best in anything (except maybe cost effective units) so it feels always underpowered when i assault ad shoot

Thanks for any help!

Drop pods. SWs can make one of the best drop pod armies in the game. Drop pods negate BA's speed and GK's ability to pop transports they look at funny. Drop pods replace the need to move fast or have a range advantage. Just be careful with the GK SS power that affects deepstriking units (name escapes me atm). Load up your GH squads with a wolf standard at a bare minimum. As you've already realized, you may not be able to strike first in combat, but you have the hardest hitting counterattack unit(s) of the three armies. Go with a meltagun, plasma gun, wolf standard, MotW and/or powerfist with all GH squads. Now every squad can threaten nearly everything wherever they land even if they get charged. Oh, and get a dreadnought in a drop pod (or multiple) as well.

Alternatively, you could load up on hunter killer missiles on all your vehicles to help out with ranged firepower as well.


Hope this helps a bit!

Problem with this question is that the composition of your list is pretty much going to dictate how you play it. Space Wolves can play most play styles pretty well (shooty, assaulty, deep strike, hybrid, etc), so the style you're running is key to figuring out how to play.

Personally, based on what you're telling me, I'd say assault the Blood Angels with your Grey Hunters (negating their Furious Charge has always been key when I've fought them) and then shoot the GK with your Long Fangs/Razorbacks. Of course, in a 3-way battle it's usually best to let 2 players gang up on each other, but something tells me they're going to be going after you now that you've beaten them twice.

What worries me about a drop pod army is giving them the charge since i can only shoot after deep striking correct? How do you resolve this? Land far enough away that they are out of assault range but within 24" bolter+plasma gun range?

I play two armies so focused on the charge i feel giving them what they want is a sure recipe for disaster.

I think mostly what worries me is i feel i dont have hard hitting units, stuff that you can RELY on, like death company or paladins. I should buy thunderwolf cavalry probably, but am waiting for a potential GW release. Its just disconerting to play out a game plan when you realize everything is good at everything not great at 1 thing, really makes you doubt yourself and rely on the dice gods

Andilus Greatsword wrote:
Personally, based on what you're telling me, I'd say assault the Blood Angels with your Grey Hunters (negating their Furious Charge has always been key when I've fought them)

hehe, yeah. Although since then I've worked to make sure I negate your negation..or.....yes.

SpacePuppy wrote:What worries me about a drop pod army is giving them the charge since i can only shoot after deep striking correct? How do you resolve this? Land far enough away that they are out of assault range but within 24" bolter+plasma gun range?

You are correct that you can only shoot after dissembarking from a drop pod (barring lucius pattern dreadnought assault drop pods). This is why I suggest gearing your squads up to be able to retaliate as viciously as possible. Also, since GHs are so cheap, you should be able to outnumber their armies. Make some 'suicide' drop pod units like a MM/HF dread in a pod, dual meltagun GH squad with wolf standard and MotW, WG (in TDA even) with power weapons and storm shields and other units like a dual plasma gun unit to drop onto an objective. Drop pod armies more than any other armies need to have dedicated roles for their units IMO.

SpacePuppy wrote:I play two armies so focused on the charge i feel giving them what they want is a sure recipe for disaster.

This is a distinct possibility I must admit. Drop pod armies are not foolproof. You can always take a hybrid list (it's what I run) instead.

SpacePuppy wrote: think mostly what worries me is i feel i dont have hard hitting units, stuff that you can RELY on, like death company or paladins. I should buy thunderwolf cavalry probably, but am waiting for a potential GW release. Its just disconerting to play out a game plan when you realize everything is good at everything not great at 1 thing, really makes you doubt yourself and rely on the dice gods

Always remember that the sanguinary priests are ICs and can therefore be singled out in CC. Without FnP, BA assault squads are just assault squads. Assault squads that GH squads outperform. WG are some of the most flexible elites any SM codex has access to, they can always be relied on to get their intended job done, provided you have a task for them and gear them appropriately. It is understandable however to be wary of your army's abilities when you are overwhelmed with all the bells and whistles of another's. Ignore their armies (while list building and strategy making) and focus on your own.

I played SW once and I used a few units of blood claws supported by rhino mounted GH that worked for me. Also I find that a WG in each squad can really boost assault prowess. Another tip make use of the 2 for 1 HQ rule that SW have and get their versions of chaplains.

Post the list if you want good advice!

StoneGod wrote:I played SW once and I used a few units of blood claws supported by rhino mounted GH that worked for me. Also I find that a WG in each squad can really boost assault prowess. Another tip make use of the 2 for 1 HQ rule that SW have and get their versions of chaplains.

Hehe, I've always wanted to run 90 blood claws with 4 wolf priests too.

What is your army list you are bringing?

In any event just remember: Don't ever let anything with a higher Initiative get in close combat with you, unless its Strength 3 and will be wounding on 5's and doesn't have a lot of Power Weapon attacks.

So charge the Blood Angels, don't be charged. Don't charge the Grey Knights, and don't be charged.

Plasmaguns I would recommend. They're great against AV11 and excellent against MEQ. High strength, low AP, and Rapid Fire. May as well burn what you can down. Just remember its not worth it, ever, to let something with Furious Charge hit you.