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Hi I was thinking of converting some of my ultramarines to ride Demigryphs and count them as allied thunderwolf cavalry. But I don't have any experience with space wolves and don't have the codex yet.

So my question is: How do you like to equip TWC?

Storm Shields are a solid choice.

One or two Thunderhammers are also good, S10 AP2 is tasty.

I wouldn't sink too many points so that they all have Storm Shields and Thunder Hammers, have 3/4 SS and 1/2 Thunder Hammers.

I would highly recommend another unit of TWC though, sum of two units of TWC is greater than it's parts

This is not a YDMC topic, but it is a tactics.

As for an answer I always give each of them a storm shield, then the captain gets either a frost sword or thunder hammer depending on if I have a wolf lord or not (if i do the wolf lord gets the thunder hammer) and I leave the rest with their normal cc weapons.

If I want to sink a lot of points in them I give them a wolf claw for the +1 strength and shred.

Bolt pistol and storm shield, and I put my faith in rending odds on lots of attacks. If I have the points, I will give out melta bombs.

Storm Shields on everyone is a waste of points. Odds are you have a Wolf Lord with one, and then two more (one on your Pack Leader) are plenty.

If all three of those are dead the unit has been so heavily blunted, that the extra survivability is probably not an issue any more.

I LOVE my Pack Leaders to always run Wolf Claw/Storm Shield. Since SW will often (always?) be challenging depending on formation, it'll give him a chance to survive against certain beat-sticks, while still letting you attack at Initiative.

I generally do this...

Wolf Lord: Wolf Mount, Relic Armor, Krackenbone/Black Death, Storm Shield. This gives you a 2+/3++, usually attacking at I5, with AP2 attacks. Crazy good.

Pack Leader: Wolf Claw/Storm Shield

1 TWC: Bolt-Pistol/Storm Shield (sacrificial durability shield, up front, or just behind Wolf Lord to eat LOS)

2 TWC: Chainsword/Bolt Pistol (The free rending means these guys do plenty of work, and are cheap bodies with lots of attacks. I'd rather have an extra TWC running naked, then more fancy weapons that I can ill afford to lose on a very elite unit).

1 TWC: Powerfist/Bolt Pistol (Gotta have on extra AP2 model, in case the Wolf Lord splits off and you still want to reliably crack some armor)

I don't see the SS on every model as a waste of points because it prevents deep striking units like sternguard, crisis suits, or even normal marines with 2 melta/plasma or just generally fast units that can get behind my thunderwolves (especially when I'm in their deployment) like Eldar from getting behind my wolves and mowing down that powerfist in the back or even some normal models.

Also I like being able to save a guy if he has one wound by switching him out with a wolf at full wounds. I lose a couple of inches in movement but typically they are fast enough that it doesn't matter.

True. My thinking is... if it is outside of Turn 1, and I don't have them in CC, I am using them incorrectly... and thus worrying about Drops from behind aren't TOO big of a concern. And if you math-out your assaults you can usually find targets that you will TEND to finish during THEIR assault-phase, meaning you're bullet-proof until your next turn.

I don't play SW, but I would imagine that when deploying, you have your most important guy (TH/PF/Wolf Lord) surrounded by the other models so that he doesn't get Podded behind and shot at.


That double post..

Actually, depending on your opponent's list, you'll often want the Lord right up front.

He's the only guy in the unit with a 2+ armor-save, and has 4w, so selectively you might risk taking small-arms fire on him, as a tank.

And then you LOS on a 2+ anything that might insta-kill him, onto a shmuck with a Storm Shield and Bolt-Pistol, who is cheap, and who you can afford to lose on a bad roll.

 Frozocrone wrote:
I don't play SW, but I would imagine that when deploying, you have your most important guy (TH/PF/Wolf Lord) surrounded by the other models so that he doesn't get Podded behind and shot at.


That double post..

It's really just play style. I started out with Eldar and fell in love with the phoenix lords and then when 6th came and casualties came from the front it dawned on me that they have to get through my 2+ re-rolling save before I start losing models . So I play with my HQ's leading from the front to tank saves off their 2+ saves and what not. This leads to a lot of games where I get into 3 or 4 combats with barely losing any wounds and other games where the runes on my runic armor are backwards and he falls down in terrain .

ninja'd

Oh yeah I forgot you tank wounds. I did that all the time with the Old Necron Codex (Wraiths and Destroyer Lord)

Still, I think I would have a TH guy in the middle just to protect that points investment.

Which is my typical formation
<normal <normal
<lord <sergeant
<normal <normal

That way from the front and to some degree of the side the lord gets to tank wounds and from behind the normal's are closer and protect the sergeant with the sword or hammer.

Edit: can't get the lord to actually be in front

 Frozocrone wrote:
Storm Shields are a solid choice.

One or two Thunderhammers are also good, S10 AP2 is tasty.

I wouldn't sink too many points so that they all have Storm Shields and Thunder Hammers, have 3/4 SS and 1/2 Thunder Hammers.

I would highly recommend another unit of TWC though, sum of two units of TWC is greater than it's parts

lots of people will argue that its S9, Thunderwolf Cav although having S5 in the profile still have the thunderwolves as wargear meaning the automaticly added +1S is added after the x2 strength. unfortunately until FAQs clear this up 100% people will continue to argue against SW players.

Back on the subject of load out I've played vs lots of load outs of this unit as well as using them occasionally myself as an ally. in large games all SS+claws works really well with a wolf lord with the kracken sword. its a nasty unit but costs a shed load of points. in smaller games i've found 2 smaller 4-5 man TW units with minimal gear and maybe just 1-2 SS work really well. Rending is your friend

It's S10 on Thunderwolves since their base S5 in their profile.

Where it gets a bit blurry is the Wolf Lord, who is base S4

I go Storm Shields on all members, Lightning Claws on all but Pack Leader who gets the Thunder Hammer.

Power fist is great as it's s9/10 (depends on how you homerule it as it's not clear) ap2. I'd go for a few stormshields and 1-2 fists or hammers. Yep, you can invest lots of points in there with a bunch of claws or whatever. But i'm a fan of as cheap yet effective as possible.

I have yet to play it, but I always thought 4-5 TWC all with SS, 1 with PF or TH, and a Wolf Claw on the pack leader felt like about the right ratio of killy to durable to cost effective.

 Frozocrone wrote:
It's S10 on Thunderwolves since their base S5 in their profile.

Where it gets a bit blurry is the Wolf Lord, who is base S4

But there profiles says +1 is already added from thunderwolf, thunderwolves are listed as wargear thus are added after X2. That's the anwser most major tournaments will give you Inc people kicking around at warhammer World. Shame as it hurts our hounds vs t5, that's why don't use fists as much as I did

NewTruthNeomaxim wrote:


Wolf Lord: Wolf Mount, Relic Armor, Krackenbone/Black Death, Storm Shield. This gives you a 2+/3++, usually attacking at I5, with AP2 attacks. Crazy good.

How is he attacking at I5? Isn't the Black Death unwieldy?

I'm not terribly familiar with the new codex so I'm just getting back up to speed.

BD is, but Krackenbone isn't. Unless something crazy happens with needing to run a normal CAD, I, like most, always end up running Company of the Great Wolf, and that means Krackenbone.

Black Death is a consolation prize, albeit still a really good one.

NewTruthNeomaxim wrote:
BD is, but Krackenbone isn't. Unless something crazy happens with needing to run a normal CAD, I, like most, always end up running Company of the Great Wolf, and that means Krackenbone.

Black Death is a consolation prize, albeit still a really good one.

Ahh, I hadn't looked at the supplement, so I missed that one.

If you're playing SW, definitely spend some time with that book. Its got soooo much cool content, and some detachments/formations/relics/warlord traits that range from usable/good, all the way to "outright better than the real Codex".

The Warlord traits, for example, are just unquestionably superior, with 2-3 legitimately great ones.