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I've been a hard-set IG player since I started playing but I'd like to have an extra army just for fun. With all the books I've read I've decided I wouldn't even consider playing as a filthy xeno and I don't really care for most MEQ BUT I recently took a look at Space Wolves and I absolutely LOVE the idea and look of the Thunderwolf Cavalry! I haven't looked much into point costs or how it'd work with the rest of the army, but are they useful enough to base an army around?

I really like the idea of fast-attack cavalry charges as opposed to the lumbering advances and long-range shelling I provide with IG. And the Thunderwolves are just... so... EPIC. So what say you, players of Space Wolves? Are the wolves of Fenris a smart choice or are they not worth the points?

There very powerful the real problem would come down to how to protect them because Ap weapons will add up quick and due to low model count and only T 5 even enough las shots can take them down. IMO there not practical to base an army off of.

Space Wolves are, counter-intuitively and "counter-fluff", the perhaps most static Marine army. Counter-attack helps you with sitting back. It doesn't reward the charge. Most Space Wolf armies thus gravitate towards a more static, gun-line army (the cheap madness of Long Fangs doesn't hurt) with, on occassion, smaller counter-charge elements like Thunderwolves.

Gazillion of people are likely gonna comment here that this isn't how you "must" play Space Wolves, but in practice it is how I've seen 99% of all Space Wolf armies play in the end. Few players can play "against the grain" of the rules for long. As an army/Codex, it just doesn't reward or encourage the fast forward, daring charge of the light-brigade-style gameplay in ways as, for example, the Blood Angel book does.

I ran an army with 2 different units of TWC, they did really well.

Considering a 6 inch move, D6 run, and 12 inch assault range, they will not be out of combat for long.

Zweischneid wrote:Space Wolves are, counter-intuitively and "counter-fluff", the perhaps most static Marine army. Counter-attack helps you with sitting back. It doesn't reward the charge. Most Space Wolf armies thus gravitate towards a more static, gun-line army (the cheap madness of Long Fangs doesn't hurt) with, on occassion, smaller counter-charge elements like Thunderwolves.

Eh, you misunderstand the fluff then. One of the bigger points in the fluff is how Blood Angels and Space Wolves differ in their tactics and strategy. From the Space Wolves point of view (e.g. 3rd and 5th edition Codexes), Blood Angels tend to just run forward "like rabid dogs" and rip things up. Space Wolves (again, this is from the Space Wolf point of view) work as a pack and hunt down the enemy "with the cunning of the wolf".

There are times to drive forward and there are times to sit back and let the enemy come into your killzone. I wouldn't say its against the fluff at all for Space Wolf players to rely on counter-strokes, though I don't see many actually doing so. And there are plenty of units and reasons to be charge the enemy rather than be charged including:

- Furious Charge; both the enemy having it and Ragnar Blackmane having it
- Blood Claws; including Swiftclaws and Skyclaws (for those that take them)
- Thunderwolf Cavalry; 12" charge is only a boon if you do the charging
- Movement; 6" or 12" of forward movement is never bad, especially for some hybrid/foot builds

And so on.

Hell, the Codex is full of Wolf Lords that have (for the most part) different fighting strategies. Some focus on armored assault, some drop pod, some thunderwolf cavalry, some long fangs, and some scouts. Some put emphasis on close range weapons (flamers) and others don't.

Its one of the reasons I love the Codex, they did a great job making it so you can play the army in a variety of different ways and gave you the background in the fluff to support making those decisions.


To answer the OP's question though: Yes! How else are you going to start an army? I normally have to find a unit or units I find cool and want to play with, then I'll start collecting. You can easily put a lot of focus on them and do well if you can manage to keep them hopping from assault to assault. Just don't skimp on Grey Hunters or supporting fire (usually from Long Fangs) or you'll regret it!

cowmonaut wrote:

Zweischneid wrote:Space Wolves are, counter-intuitively and "counter-fluff", the perhaps most static Marine army. Counter-attack helps you with sitting back. It doesn't reward the charge. Most Space Wolf armies thus gravitate towards a more static, gun-line army (the cheap madness of Long Fangs doesn't hurt) with, on occassion, smaller counter-charge elements like Thunderwolves.

Eh, you misunderstand the fluff then. One of the bigger points in the fluff is how Blood Angels and Space Wolves differ in their tactics and strategy. From the Space Wolves point of view (e.g. 3rd and 5th edition Codexes), Blood Angels tend to just run forward "like rabid dogs" and rip things up. Space Wolves (again, this is from the Space Wolf point of view) work as a pack and hunt down the enemy "with the cunning of the wolf".!

Sorry. There is no cunning whatsoever if it's just a gun line that a) doesn't need to think about positioning because it don't matter if they get charged or not and b) don't need to think about target priority because they get all kinda funky rules like split fire that effectively undermine the trade-offs and tactical considerations other Marines might have to do. Wolves can have the cake and eat it too (for less points on top).

If you wan't "cunning", I suggest you try vanilla marines. With combat tactics and less combat-able (more expensive) Tac Marines, you actually can get something of that sort.. e.g. lure the enemy into a false/sub-optimal charge, fall back, shoot, counter-charge with dedicated assault-unit. With Space Wolves, it's just "turn-off brain and roll dice till-enemy is dead!" Period.

I've never seen a Bloodclaw (Swiftclaw, Skyclaw) on the table yet in all those years since the latest book came out (and I played ALOT of Space Wolves).