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Was thinking about using this set as a starter for SW and was wondering what it was I was actually "getting"?

I know what they units are and the rules, but seems a lot of comments about the Termies was "meh" and they didn't get used much.

Any other thoughts about where to go after this or how to use them?

We're only running 1500pt games, so nothing too crazy.

 Uriels_Flame wrote:
Was thinking about using this set as a starter for SW and was wondering what it was I was actually "getting"?

I know what they units are and the rules, but seems a lot of comments about the Termies was "meh" and they didn't get used much.

Any other thoughts about where to go after this or how to use them?

We're only running 1500pt games, so nothing too crazy.

The Space Wolves section of the boxed set isn't bad, but to be honest, you're better off just getting the Space Wolf Battleforce, it comes with a lot more useful stuff then Stormclaw minus the Captain and the Rulebook, but you should probably already know the rules, and Captains are easy to convert and/or buy off E-bay/Amazon.

However, if you are adamant at getting Stormclaw, I'd use the units in it as such:

Grey Hunters/Blood Claws; You want to build them as Grey Hunters basically, they're good at anything you equip them to be good at. Give them a double melta for anti-vehicle. Give them double flamer for horde control. Give them double plasma for anti-MEQ. I'm not saying Blood Claws are useless, but they're basically outstripped by Grey Hunters at everything. GH make a great counter-assault unit, and can best most MEQ in combat.

Terminators; You may want to get the TH+SS upgrade from GW because that's basically the best way to run them. Tactical Terminators suck balls and are a very jack of all trades master of none unit.

Captain; He has a Frost Blade. It sucks. Use him as a display piece, but otherwise don't really bother with him. Get the actual Captain kit and mash that and your leftover GH/BC sprues.

Stormclaw+Battleforce would give you a nice core force.

The Termies come with TH/SS, but you don't want to run SW that way, as they clock in at something around 60 points with that setup. Their strength comes from being cheaper base than most Termies and being able to take combi-weapons. I'd give most of them just a power sword/maul and a combi and attach them to a squad of GH for another matching weapon. Give one a CML and attach him to Long Fangs.

The GH are always good, and 40 gives you a very nice core. You could build 10 as Blood Claws, they're not the best but they're not useless with a Wolf Priest attached, and still have a decent selection.

The scouts are a nice disruption units with their ability to come on from the back edge with melta/plasma.

You can swap Krom's weapon fairly easily by the look of it, or count it as a power axe which is pretty good.

All in all, a Battleforce, Stormclaw and couple more Drop Pods gives you a nice force. If you have some spare Heavy Weapons, you can make some Long Fangs and do even better.

Keep in mind that the current criticisms are based on the old codex. A new one should be coming out very soon.

True enough.

Why are blood claws the same cost as Grey Hunters in the current codex?

Never played SW before, but after reading through the current codex the points costs didn't seem to make a lot of sense based on the abilities of the units.

 Uriels_Flame wrote:
True enough.

Why are blood claws the same cost as Grey Hunters in the current codex?

Never played SW before, but after reading through the current codex the points costs didn't seem to make a lot of sense based on the abilities of the units.

That's a question Space Wolf players have been asking for years

Would a 12pt blood claw make them more viable?

Fluff/Rules wise, I like the impetuous nature of blood claws and especially with skyclaws - that has the makings of a pretty cool list. But if there's no price break I totally get the razorback spam of 5th ed.

Assuming GH drop to 14 on par with other marines, I'd put Blood Claws at 13 points; that puts them 2 above SM Scouts, which I think is fair given the upgrade to save and damage output. The Headstrong (or whatever it's called) rule is a drawback, but not a detrimental one given how easy it is to mitigate by just adding a 18 point Wolf Guard (I can almost see them dropping to 17ppm, and I think some weapon options will get cheaper as well)

But would people take them at 13pts even?

I probably would. Blob of 15 with a Wolf Priest for Fearless and PE would be pretty awesome. Add Saga of the Hunter for outflanking and it could be lethal.

I am just having a recurring thought I need to pick up as many of these sprues on the cheap as possible.

I've thought about doing just a regular scout army (not the templar kind) and pending on the options in the new book may fit the bill - if point cost is modified.

Wolf Scouts are Elite, not Troops like other SM armies, so outside of Unbound, SW can't do a Scout army* Wolf Scouts are actually veteran SW that don't like working with their packs, so work outside the normal roles in a recon and stealth capacity.

*Unless by scout you mean trainees, in which case Blood Claws do fit the bill.

Yeah, the trainee part. DA have suffered from the same scouts are ELITES nonsense too. But blood claws seem to be more "scouts" to me.

Maybe some fashion of an all blood/sky claw army.

All Blood Claws with (hopefully cheaper) Sky/Swift Claws would be a nicely individual army, especially if led by a couple of Rune Priests and using Land Speeders as support units. An army that revolved around everything getting into combat and hacking stuff up would be fairly one-dimensional, but would hurt a lot when it worked!

The Scouts-as-Elites does at least make sense for Wolves, as they've already done the training and act more as special operatives than trainees. For DA, I agree it was nonsense.

Quoted from a different thread:

Ragnar69 wrote:
From Warseer gwharsh41

Here is what I gathered from it all.

* Blood claws again, basing info on the 10pt sgt upgrade, blood claws are now 3pt cheaper. Lost the crazy leadership test or no shooting and gained RAGE!!!

* All units in the box have ATSKNF, Counter attack and Acute senses (really on acute senses? Maybe we get some more outflank possibilities..)

Gotta say, I'm looking for blood claw sprues...

Yeah, some of those SW rumours do look nice. 12ppm Claws would be great, and swapping Headstrong for Rage is also nice. The fact they can also buy a character for better Ld as an upgrade without spending an Elites slot on Wolf Guard is nice as well. In light of this, a Blood-Claw-Blue-Grey-Tide could be pretty damn good. Hordes of MEQ running to hit you with 4 attacks each on the charge.

It sounds like GH will be staying the same, but I imagine the Special Weapon costs will go up and the 'free' second weapon will go. I just hope they get to keep BP/BG/CCW base though.

 Paradigm wrote:


The Scouts-as-Elites does at least make sense for Wolves, as they've already done the training and act more as special operatives than trainees. For DA, I agree it was nonsense.

And thats because they have acces to 2 power swords or 2 plasma pistol per unit without the nessecety of a sgt. they all could equip melta bombs (but with the nerf of granades on cc againts MC and vehicles is a worhtless upgrade) and can choose to carry one special weapon (melta gun, plasma gun and flamer) and dont forget their special rule (to enter on the deployment zone of the enemy with one melta and two plasma shots is just a troll move ) it is justify to them stay on the elite slot, maybe in the new codex they could be a little more cheap, 13 or 14 points its very reasonable

Very reasonable for trolling :^)

 Uriels_Flame wrote:
But would people take them at 13pts even?

I'd take 13 point Blood Claws if I could take them in packs of 20. And no one knows why Blood Claws are the same price as Grey Hunters. Blame Phil Kelly, who fails embarassingly at internal balance in every project he's handed.

Now just how to make sure they get to where they need to be. Hoping for more leaks but im sitting on 60 blood claws at the moment.

If you had a couple of reach sets and a battleforce what would you get next?

Really need new rules at this point as there needs to be some transports - though skyclaws can get to where they need to be.

 anyeri wrote:

 Paradigm wrote:


The Scouts-as-Elites does at least make sense for Wolves, as they've already done the training and act more as special operatives than trainees. For DA, I agree it was nonsense.

And thats because they have acces to 2 power swords or 2 plasma pistol per unit without the nessecety of a sgt. they all could equip melta bombs (but with the nerf of granades on cc againts MC and vehicles is a worhtless upgrade) and can choose to carry one special weapon (melta gun, plasma gun and flamer) and dont forget their special rule (to enter on the deployment zone of the enemy with one melta and two plasma shots is just a troll move ) it is justify to them stay on the elite slot, maybe in the new codex they could be a little more cheap, 13 or 14 points its very reasonable

And the fact they have a true SM statline (aside armor), not a watered down statline like regular scouts.

Honestly, these guys are just superior in so many ways they DESERVE to be called elites.

Yeah, I have no issue with Wolf Scouts in Elites, they're damn good and deserve the place.

I bought Stormclaw today over in Norwich. I then bought Ork Boyz and Thunderwolf Calvary...
After speaking with the clerk, he pretty much assured me that Wolves are coming and then kept talking about Britonnes (don't know how to spell it, lol)

Bretonnians are coming next for Fantasy. With the few changes I've seen in the WE book, I would expect Lance formation to possibly go away then they just get Thundering/Devastating Charge or something to that effect. But that's fantasy

Personally, the Thunderwolf Cav was always a bit gimicky. Running wolf packs with infantry/characters though I did like. Hoping to get more hints for the new book soon!