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Greetings, all.

My roommate has recently decided to take the plunge and invest in a new army - Skitarii with AdMech support, building up to a full-blown War Convocation. I've not had the dubious pleasure of facing off against the War Convocation before, but from what I can see in my own readings and the general consensus on the 'Net, they're a grade A threat. I've been playing around with Space Wolves lately with the new Curse of the Wulfen book out, and I wanted to try out an assault-centric list with both Wulfen and TWC. Here's what I came up with:

1998/2000 - CAD w/ Wulfen Murderpack

Iron Priest w/ 2x Cyberwolf, Thunderwolf Mount
Iron Priest w/ 1x Cyberwolf, Thunderwolf Mount

10 Grey Hunters w/ 2x Meltaguns, 9x CCW
--Wolf Guard Pack Leader
--Drop Pod
10 Grey Hunters w/ 2x Meltaguns, 9x CCW
--Wolf Guard Pack Leader
--Drop Pod
10 Grey Hunters w/ 2x Meltaguns, 9x CCW
--Wolf Guard Pack Leader
--Drop Pod

5 ThunderWolf Cavalry: 2x Chainsword/SS, 1x Frost Axe/SS, 1x Wolf Claw/Chainsword, Pack Leader w/ Frost Sword/SS

5 Wulfen: Pack Leader, 2x TH/SS, 2x Frost Claw/Stormfrag Auto-Launcher
5 Wulfen: Pack Leader, 2x TH/SS, 2x Frost Claw/Stormfrag Auto-Launcher
5 Wulfen: Pack Leader, 2x TH/SS, 2x Frost Claw/Stormfrag Auto-Launcher

So I'm looking for advice as to whether this list can pose a credible threat against a War Convocation run by a fairly casual general, albeit one who likes to win. If not, is there anything I can change while still keeping true to the 'theme' of the list? I'd really like to keep the Murderpack as is, and I want to keep the TWC as I've never used them before - though I'm certainly open to suggestions as to how to kit them out. I'd also prefer to keep it as a pure Space Wolf force, but I'm willing to work in (Imperial) allies if there's a good case for it. Finally, I'd like to avoid excessive list tailoring against the Convocation.

Well at 2000 pts there are many different ways to run the War Convo.

Any idea to narrow it down?

I can't give an exact list because he's still finalizing it, but at last look I believe he was running a pure War Convocation with no other detachments, with a Knight Crusader, three Onager Dunecrawlers, Sydonian Dragoons, and max size Infiltrators, Ruststalkers, Rangers, and Vanguard. On the AdMech side, I believe he was just using the Dominus and minimum two units of Kataphrons (no idea if they're Breachers or Destroyers). List could change, but probably not substantially since he's mostly using models he has - although he did mention that he would like to find points for a flier (if he does, he's probably looking at a Space Marine flier, perhaps in an allied detachment).

Destroyers will kill your army if he has enough of them. But if you can get across the table it should be a good fight. You have a lot of good threats. Don't like grey hunters in pods for what it's worth. The only thing they have going for them is he has other things he should be trying to kill first.

Grey hunters in pods can get behind the knight and ignore its shield that is if he you can get first turn and avoid shroudpsalm.

Max ruststalkers have a ton of damage potential but are somewhat fragile. T3 and all. If youre not hitting with S6 though they have 2 wounds 4+/6++/5+++. one fleshbane attack, and all of their attacks have pseudo-rending and all AP 2 after the first round of combat.

Infiltrators also have a ton of damage potential but without the AP2.

I would say you stand a chance. It wont be easy but you could win.

I have mixed feelings on the Grey Hunters myself. I expect him to stick the Knight in a corner of the table to avoid my melta drop (it's a tactic he's used before), so I might be able to drop them in to kill the Dunecrawlers or something. The idea is that dropping them in that way forces him to make a choice - he can commit to killing the Grey Hunters the turn they drop, or he can try to shoot up my Wolves as they run up the table. I doubt he's got firepower to effectively deal with both in one turn, especially if I hug cover with the Wulfen.

Really, I'm not sure how to use my mandatory troop tax. My other option (Blood Claws) can't put out as much hurt from a Pod (although the flamers can put some hurt on his infantry). Walking up the field (with either unit) lets my opponent ignore them, and if I put them in Rhinos he'll probably just pop the transports with the same result. I did consider going MSU with 5 man squads in the pods (alternating meltas and flamers, probably). I'm also considering dropping the CCWs on the Grey Hunters for some combi-weapons or wargear options. Pretty open to suggestions there.

Do you have the Curse of the Wulfen book? Or Champions of Fenris? You could get around taking troop tax all together.

If he is using a unit of 3 dunecrawlers he will be taking a 4++ and in a war convo they will have IWND. Its possible but I doubt they will be able to deal with all three in one turn, but if you are using all your grey hunters to target just the due crawlers he can only target one of your units back with them.

However the knight can easily deal with 2 units of of your grey hunters in one turn. 2 battle cannon shots can decimate one whole unit. and a heavy 12 rending cannon..plus whatever he has thrown on the carapace for free, at the second unit. Its not a guaranteed wipe of 2 squads but they will be pretty useless after that is done with them. and the crawlers hitting the 3rd unit...that frees 2 squads of grav destroyers...a unit of vanguard, rangers, and dragoons to shoot your puppies still. Plus the CC units lurking around.

That knight is made for killing MEQs. It needs to be a priority target. or out ranged at all costs. The battle cannon will ID your wulfen so make sure they stay far away from it.

As for the CCW on the Grey hunters usually I am 100% for them, but since the rest of your army is geared for CC I would say more combi meltas.

You could go with a CotgW detachment drop the troops and take a knight of your own...lol

 Tenzilla wrote:
You could go with a CotgW detachment drop the troops and take a knight of your own...lol

THANK YOU! This was the inspiration I needed. I have the Champions of Fenris book, but I'd dismissed the CotGW out of hand without really looking at it. Now I'm running a second unit of TWC along with a Knight Paladin....poor guy won't know what to shoot at!

There you go. A crusader should not be able to shoot a paladin down before you get to smack it with your D chainsword a few times.

And your Wulfen / TWC are durable enough to wither a turn of fire and hopefully get an assault off. Just be weary of where he puts his BS 2 overwatch relic. He should be taking it somewhere since its free, and if its a big unit of destroyers you may have to avoid them or throw a sacrificial unit at them first.

Beware of his canticles, a lot of them make close combat easy for him, especially litany of the elctromancer. You'll be taking possibly 30 strength 4 hits at I 10 from a ten man squad. Death by a thousand cuts. Also he can boost the ws of his skitarii to 7 so yeah...