Regular Dakkanaut
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I haven't seen any good discussions on the new Wulfen's strategies/tactics, so I'm hoping to start one here. Please if you could add to and advise your own thoughts, thank you.
~ Wulfen come at 30pts a pop, pricey ... 15pts per wound, w/ FnP, it's not a terrible deal.
Ideally, I'd appreciate 24 pts each - but the equivalent would be Bikes for cost, and these guys have very nearly the same speed (run & charge, and reroll charge distance).
Their weapons options are -Impressive- for 8pts granting S8 AP2 x5 attacks, @i5... the Great Frost Axe is brrrrutal. 5 men seems enough, 25 attacks for 190pts, take it to 200pts for assault grenades.
~ their ability to strike again upon dying, incredible. Takes it to 50 attacks, in just one round of combat... pile-ins too. 200pts for that, simply powerful. 4pts per S8 AP2 chance, devastating for SM command squads, Nobs, you name it. That initiative is comparative to Dark Eldar and Harlequins even!
~ Frost Claws provide S6 AP2, still able to 2+ wound terminators, w/ SHRED! WOW! little more costly though, but for the 12 additional points per model (the *perfect* terminator slayers, at the cost of terminators), means you gotta put a storm shield in the group (or 2) to ensure wounds don't sink into the unit without at least the next turn to finish them off.
~ the character option seems a bit... heavy. It cannot use the storm shield, without paying for the two claws and not using one, losing the attack for being storm shield... I enjoy a WGPL w/ SS to deny effective challenges, but that's just not worth/viable in this unit.
~ charging into assault seems absolutely necessary, like playing DE wyches, get them tied up in CC and avoiding being shot at (heavy bolters would eviscerate this unit). So landraider, or stormwolf, for assault option and massive capacity - being that they are Bulky. Spose just a 5man can drop pod well enough via the fast attack option, but having them hide consistently within cover yet still make range - doing nothing for shooting, and not being ROCKED from counterfire, would take some amazing tactics lol! (Any thoughts very very welcome!)
• any thoughts on joining w/ other squads?
• how about them options for the Hunt/Kill for Bloodclaws? Makes one even want to use BC's?....
• anyone notice how Hellfrost Pistols and Hellfrost Hammers are mentioned but not equippable?
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~ there's a thought on adding TWC and/or Iron Priests w/ Cyberwolves to provide T5 and the ability of tanking challenges and causing concussive, and providing reliable assault range. Also providing some models to fall off cheapish to lucky overwatch, especially with Tau. The
Ability to 2+ LoS is incredible, especially with two wound models throughout the unit!
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~ Having multiple pods drop with blood claws, all well within range. Land raider w/ these guys loaded up, taking the center of the board. Not incredibly potent,but perhaps loaded with efficient CC as bloodclaws can (those non-character power fists!) To take on lesser, while these wulfen focus the beasties. Not to mention, don't fight fire with fire, douse their CC with preliminary ranged then mop up the rest in CC. Neh?
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~ I'd like to take a moment and speak on Blood Claws, due to these Wulfen.
every option front the Hunt/Kill table could seriously boost Blood Claws (speaking of them, as I believe their options are more cost effective than Skyclaws or Swiftclaws - no doubt GW trying to making them more favorable, although in games I've played they've never been as valuable a centerpiece unit as others I field... though yes a single squad of them certainly holds it's value if not over-invested I to). To have powerfist options means worst case launching those attacks at better than i1, striking at key models like a grenade prior to their own i1 step in CC hehehe... just allocate the masses of wounds there first lol (if it's a good idea. Note, accepting/declaring challenges will likely get their meanest CC model from absorbing the wounds via their likely invuln save due to challenge rules, allowing you to prioritize your ap2 wounds towards key models if you place/move your Bloodclaws into base to base properly. They must resolve saves from base to base first, ignoring challengers.
Bloodclaws are very cheap, at 12pts each, providing ObjSec as well as to their Pods (can't count how many tactical objectives I've scored off of pods lol! A real game winner, this).
cheap is good:
- freeing up points for other units (Wulfen? Powerfist?)
- 5pts flamer, ignoring their impish ballistic skill, pod-flame is brilliant, always finds a place on the field of battle - gets one uncomfortably close hehe which is where they'd want to be w/ this Wulfen concept.
- I'm especially fond of a WGPL in terminator armour and storm shield, amazingly tank massed fire as well as stronger templates/blasts via the 3+ Invuln. Wonderfully accepts charges. Makes the whole unit feel like terminators when they come out in the opponents face, causing them to double-think their firepower options, on potentially wasting even vindicators haha.
~ there's some decency to bloodclaws:
- when I look at what tactical squads do for people I see them as wounds soaks for I.C.'s - bloodclaws are just as viable with their T4 3+ Sv, aTSKNF.
- see them as T4 3+ models to tie and contest objectives,
- see them as resilient in morale situations,
- see them as Bolter/CCW massed dice rolls to whittle away vs even AV, especially with CC strikes landing against rear AV and pen allocations for squadrons carrying over as wounds do models... although S3 hurts, they've got Krak grenades to ensure vehicles with normal rear armour *melt* before them. So many games simple scouts have destroyed drop pods against me in CC!
There's bad things about bloodclaws, yes, as tactical squads have see some carrying a decent gun or two with wounds to tank for them, whereas BC's have poor BS making one seek just a flamer instead, to mitigate this shortcoming. Same for bolters, losing a side off the dice rolls hurts!
But to gain bonuses in CC:
- whether it be to augment their Strength and get yet even MORE attacks (already have 4 on the charge!),
- or striking at i5 which let me tell you is awesome - being a DE player having a mass of saves to roll before i4 in CC is very effective at cutting down the damage (especially with T4 3+ to hide behind that DE lacks),
- having them receive multiple options of reaching CC range due to them landing in pods, then rerolling distances or adding to them, with Hammer of Wrath to throw even MORE attacks... yes even Greater Demons/C'tan die to HoW from piddly S3 squads.
- getting Shred (also augmenting their lower Str value)
- getting that insane Strike-before-falling Wulfen rule... ouch! Makes putting CC weapons into the squads that much more worth it.
Now, I have tried blood claws in the past, they aren't very effective compared against other options (like tournament-winning trios of TWC Iron priests and pupp's) however throwing in a Runepriest for Force weapon and decent psyker, ld10 capacity Even unupgraded does a lot for the squad, note that in GH squads one desires 10-man for the two specialty weapons but no such loss occurs for <10 BC's, so throwing them in a pod with an HQ IC is very cost effective (and we can field soo many HQ's hehe).
Bottom Line:
Blood Claws aren't great. But they may suit a use now, more than ever before. A squad of 9 BC's, flamer, WGPL in 2+/3+ w/ Combi-Flamer all in a pod w/ Missile Launcher (my personal favorite) comes to 183 points - ready to bring anything you like to the front line of battle. Incredibly cost-effective! 54 men w/ 6 pods - 12 flamers, 6 S5 pieplates - for 1098pts. Flood the table! (Of course this level of spam may be toooo much).
So they serve a purpose? Perhaps more than ever. May actually be viable. Did I mention, at 12pts a model?
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