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Space Wolves

HQ
(245) Njal Stormcaller
(255) Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf: Frost Axe, Storm Shield, Saga of the Warrior Born, 2 Fenrisian Wolves

Elites
(162) Wolf Guard x3 : Frost Blade & Plasma Pistol, Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield, Frost Axe & Storm Bolter
(90) Lone Wolf: Frost Axe & Storm Shield, Fenrisian Wolf, Melta Bombs
(85) Lone Wolf: Pair of Wolf Claws, 2 Fenrisian Wolves, Melta Bombs
(80) Scouts x5: Heavy Bolter

Troops
(195) Grey Hunter x10: 2 Meltaguns, Power Fist, Mark of the Wulfen
(150) Grey Hunter x5 in Drop Pod: Power Fist, Mark of the Wulfen

Fast Attack
(280) Thunderwolf Cavalry x3: Frost Axe, 3x Storm Shields, Melta Bombs

Total: 1542

This is just the start of my Space Wolves army, which I will mostly use for Apocalypse games. I plan to have a fast attacking force in the end, probably going to add Assault Terminator equivalents and Sky Claws, as well as lots more Fenrisian Wolves and Thunderwolf Cavalry.

Also, the reason I didn't put the 10 Grey Hunters in the Drop Pod was because I'm going to have my 3 Wolfguards act as Squad leaders for the two Grey Hunter packs and my Scout team.


Tau

HQ
(170) Commander Farsight
(142) Shas'O Battle Suit: Airbursting fragmentation projector, Missile Pod, Shield Generator, Stimulant Injector, Hard-wired Multi-tracker
(188) Shas'Vre Bodyguard x2: Fusion Blaster x2, Missile Pod x2, Shield Generator x2, Stimulant Injector x2, Hard-wired Multi-tracker x2

Elites
(339) Stealth Suit x6: Fusion Blaster x2, Team Leader, Shield Generator x6, Hard-wired Drone Controller, Marker Drone
(339) Stealth Suit x6: Fusion Blaster x2, Team Leader, Shield Generator x6, Hard-wired Drone Controller, Marker Drone
(187) Stealth Suit x3: Fusion Blaster, Team Leader, Shield Generator x3, Hard-wired Drone Controller, Marker Drone

Troops
(152) Fire Warrior x12: Pulse Carbines, Photon Grenades, Shas'La team leader, Markerlight
(88) Fire Warrior x8: Photon Grenades
(66) Fire Warrior x6: Photon Grenades
(84) Kroot Carnivore x12

Fast Attack
(84) Gun Drone x7
(119) Pathfinder x3 in Devilfish: Photon Grenades
(105) Piranha: Fusion Blaster, Targetting Array, Flechette Discharger, Seeker Missile x2, Decoy Launchers

Heavy Support
(80) Broadside Battlesuit: Targetting Array
(80) Sniper Drone Team
(210) Hammerhead Gunship: Railgun, Smart Missile System, Multi-tracker, Target Lock, Flechette Discharger, Decoy Launchers, Seeker Missile x2

Total: 2433

Once again, an Apocalypse army,. If I understand the rules correctly, I can use both these armies in an Apocalypse game at the same time (essentially as allies).
I've decided that Farsight is only leading half of my Tau force, and my other Battlesuit Commander will be leading the rest (including the Kroot).
For this army, I'm basically planning to get lots more Battlesuits, and some more Hammerheads.

I don't know anything about TAU, so I won't comment on that list. But I do know Space Wolves so let me say a little about that list.

nazgurath wrote:Space Wolves

HQ
(265) Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf: Frost Axe, Storm Shield, Wolftooth Necklace, Saga of the Warrior Born, 2 Fenrisian Wolves

First of all, a Wolf Claw is superior to a Frost Axe. The frost blade gives you strength 5 so that when attacking T4 dudes, you need 3+ to wound. So your hits have a 66% chance to wound. But with a S4 Wolf Claw against T4 you need 4+ to wound with a re-roll. That means that each hit has a 75% chance to wound.

(Chance to wound with re-roll) = (chance to wound on the 1st roll) + (chance you missed with the first roll)*(chance to wound with the 2nd roll)

= (50%) + (50%)*(50%) = 50% + 25% = 75%

And the Wolf Claw cost less than a frost blade!

Second thing, a Wolf Lord DOES NOT need a wolf tooth necklace. He has a weapon skill of 6 (six!). He hits everything with a weapon skill of 5 or less on a 3+ already. You will very rarely come head to head with an opponent that has WS6, but even if you do - if you're worried about missing, you can use the wolf claw to choose to re-roll to hit!

Summary : Ditch the Wolf Tooth necklace and exchange the Frost Blade for a Wolf Claw. For fluff reasons, I could go either way on the Fenrisian Wolves. But honestly I don't think they add anything to your Wolf Lord. They're more likely to just get in the way. If you want to run Fenrisian Wolves, consider using them in three packs of 15 models each and use them to swarm the enemy.

Elites
(162) Wolf Guard x3 : Frost Blade & Plasma Pistol, Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield, Frost Axe & Storm Bolter
(90) Lone Wolf: Frost Axe & Storm Shield, Fenrisian Wolf, Melta Bombs
(85) Lone Wolf: Pair of Wolf Claws, 2 Fenrisian Wolves, Melta Bombs
(80) Scouts x5: Heavy Bolter

See the above comment about frost blades.

I DO like the Fenrisian Wolves on your lone wolves. That's a good place for them and it makes sense characterwise.

Are the wolf-guard going to be leading your squads? If so, then note that power fists are 10 points cheaper for WG than they are for GH. So you're better off giving the WG a power fist and shooty weapon and either dropping the PF from the GH's entirely, or exchanging it for a Wolf standard and power weapon.

Scouts should take a meltagun and outflank.

Troops
(195) Grey Hunter x10: 2 Meltaguns, Power Fist, Mark of the Wulfen
(170) Grey Hunter x5 in Drop Pod: Power Fist, Mark of the Wulfen, Deathwind Missile Launcher

You wanted the free meltagun? I think a Rhino (or another drop pod, but drop pods are a pain to build) would be better.

The deathwind missile launcher is a complete waste. Either you'll get one shot before your pod explodes, or else the grey hunters that get out will kill everything that's in range of the DWML. Either way, one shot isn't worth 30 points. Save the points and buy another Rhino for the other squad.

Fast Attack
(280) Thunderwolf Cavalry x3: Frost Axe, 3x Storm Shields, Melta Bombs

Frost blade BAD. Wolf Claw GOOD.

Long Fangs would be nice, but I suppose that the Tau are more than enough to make up for the absence of their shooty goodness.

Couple things I forgot to mention: the people I play with/against field Chaos, Orks, and Tyranids, so I like to have high Str in order to kill the bigger things more easily.

Also, the Wolf Lord is actually Strength 6: Frost Blade +1S, Thunderwolf Mount +1S; same as the Thunderwolf Cavalry with the Frost Blade.

As for the Fenrisian wolves accompanying my units, I figured i'd use them as "extra wounds".

I'm gonna take out the Wolftooth Necklace, and put the Drop Pod back to standard though.

A Str 5 Wolf Claw is still better than a Str 6 power weapon (which is what the Frost Blade makes you) For everything up to T7.

Against T3 or less:

S5 WC needs 2+ w/ reroll to wound= 97.2% chance
S6 FB needs 2+ to wound = 83.3% chance

Against T4 :

S5 WC needs 3+ w/ reroll to wound= 88.9% chance
S6 FB needs 2+ to wound = 83.3% chance

Against T5 :

S5 WC needs 4+ w/ reroll to wound= 75% chance
S6 FB needs 3+ to wound = 66.6% chance

Against T6 :

S5 WC needs 5+ w/ reroll to wound= 55.5% chance
S6 FB needs 4+ to wound = 50% chance

Against T7 :

S5 WC needs 6+ w/ reroll to wound= 30.5% chance
S6 FB needs 5+ to wound = 33.3% chance

Against T8 :

S5 WC needs 6+ w/ reroll to wound= 30.5% chance
S6 FB needs 6+ to wound = 16.6% chance

Against T9 :

S5 WC cannot wound = 0% chance
S6 FB needs 6+ to wound = 16.6% chance


So actually, against T4 and T7, the difference is almost indistinguishable, But the S5 WC is slightly better against T4 and the S6 FB is slightly better against T7. I don't know of any model that has toughness 9, so against everything except T7 the Wolf Claw is better and the difference on T7 is negligible.

You might say that the difference on all of these is so small as to not matter, and I'd agree in principle. But the Wolf Claw is still cheaper! So the lesson is, never ever take a frost blade if you could take a WC instead.

Last thing : If you do run up against an army with a toughness 8 or 9 creature, don't hit it with your Wolf Lord. He'll just die. Use a rune priest with Jaws to take it out instead.