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I guess the title says it all. I`ve always liked the idea of fielding Space Wolves with at least one puppyblue Leman Russ in there, just for the fluff. So far the only way to do that seems to be with IG allies. Since I have zero experience with
the Imperium`s Hammer: what would seem like a good addition to the strengths of the Sons of Russ? I don`t need it to be soowper - , but just something sweet and somewhat usefull.

A cheap HQ or a CCS for your HQ choice.
A Guard infantry platoon for your troop choice. Attach a Rune Priest to the blob (make it a big blob) for great effect.
For Fast Attack: Vendettas. They patch SW's only real weakness (a lack of air superiority fire). Take at least 2 in the squadron.
For Heavy Support: You say you want to take IG allies for Russes, so I doubt that anybody will be able to convince you to not take them in this slot. If you take an Ordinance Leman Russ (LRBT, Demolisher) don't take sponsons. Really, which Russ you take depends entirely on what your list needs the most.

Well you could always do an Armored Battlegroup ally. Granted they wont give you any scoring units, but you'll get a few Russ' which never hurts.

I'm not a SW player, but I'm pretty sure the exterminator variant is the fluffiest for them.

Anyways, just google "armored battlegroup pdf" and you'll find it. 180pts for a BS4 exterminator with bolters all around. That's a lot of dakka and the exterminators are generally ignored when theres battle cannons or demolisher cannons with them.

UnadoptedPuppy wrote:
Well you could always do an Armored Battlegroup ally.

If you like tanks this is the way to go. HQ Leman Russ, troops Leman Russ, then add in a Vendetta and Avenger in your fast and heavy slots to give you some aircraft. Plenty of big guns, no squishy guardsmen to get in the way.

Anyways, just google "armored battlegroup pdf" and you'll find it

You mean you'll find an obsolete version of the ABG army list. The pdf download is a 5th edition update FW released years ago, it has recently been revised (and changed significantly) in IA1 second edition and the update pdf is no longer legal.

Crap I wasnt aware. I assume it's probably similar. Do you know where I can get it without having to buy a $90 book?

UnadoptedPuppy wrote:
Crap I wasnt aware. I assume it's probably similar. Do you know where I can get it without having to buy a $90 book?

Nope. The only source is in the recent book.

That's awful. I guess good thing I don't play tournaments and most people don't mind. But I would love for then to release just that for free.

UnadoptedPuppy wrote:
That's awful. I guess good thing I don't play tournaments and most people don't mind. But I would love for then to release just that for free.

I wish everything was free.

 TheCaptain wrote:

UnadoptedPuppy wrote:
That's awful. I guess good thing I don't play tournaments and most people don't mind. But I would love for then to release just that for free.

I wish everything was free.

No I mean a free list let me play tanks. Since there was FW stuff in the list it encouraged me to buy some FW stuff. They win.

UnadoptedPuppy wrote:
No I mean a free list let me play tanks. Since there was FW stuff in the list it encouraged me to buy some FW stuff. They win.

But GW's policy has always been that you have to buy books with the rules. The armored battlegroup pdf was never meant to be a permanent army list, it was just a temporary update to one of their oldest books to make it compatible with the current rules until a newer version was published. So it would be nice if it was free, but you're going to have to change GW's fundamental business model if you want a free army list.

I'm just saying it was free for a loooong time, not just a few months for a new book. Doesn't matter, like I said, most people I play against don't care.

You can also fluff the guardsmen as chapter serfs before they become blood claws. Perhaps penal legion as they are fairly fierce for regular humans. You can also add pask to the leman Russ to make is bs4, as a fluffy space wolves vehicle should be. As for an hq, you can get a primaris psyker if you want to stay cheap, and he can represent a future rune priest recruit.

Thanks for the replies people. Doing an armoured battlegroup souds awesome, but a little big in cash and points for now. Still building up my forces and things are pretty easy-going at the FLGS. One necrons player with one doomscythe and a chaos minion who recently bought a helldrake, so a vendetta-blob is not really a huge necessity right now. Same goes for massed armor: the only ones who can do that as equals are the IG and Tau players (I can count serious threats on one hand). But I might look into a battlegroup depending on how large my forces grow.

Incidentally - when the time comes - would a Hydra be a good option against flyers, or am I off just as well taking an ADL?

Hydras are pretty poor. WIthout interceptor they're kinda useless, and can be taken out before they even fire.
The best anti-air you can find is a vendetta.

Edit: Unless you want forge world, the sabre gun platforms are damn good for that if you take IG allies.

How about a single squad of crazy Fenrisian tribesmen, with a Gothi (shaman) - field them as some Veterans or Penal Legionnaires with a Primaris Psyker.

It cheaply fills the bare minimum FOC choices for allies, and then you get access to a Leman Russ Squadron.

You could make the models our of any barbarian range - maybe Chaos Marauders with all the chaosy bits taken off?

TheLostDutchman wrote:
Thanks for the replies people. Doing an armoured battlegroup souds awesome, but a little big in cash and points for now. Still building up my forces and things are pretty easy-going at the FLGS. One necrons player with one doomscythe and a chaos minion who recently bought a helldrake, so a vendetta-blob is not really a huge necessity right now. Same goes for massed armor: the only ones who can do that as equals are the IG and Tau players (I can count serious threats on one hand). But I might look into a battlegroup depending on how large my forces grow.

Incidentally - when the time comes - would a Hydra be a good option against flyers, or am I off just as well taking an ADL?

A legal armored battlegroup ally is only 2 tanks and leaves you TONS of options in the future, including vendettas. So for $80 you can wield 2 Russ as an ally.

TheLostDutchman wrote:
Thanks for the replies people. Doing an armoured battlegroup souds awesome, but a little big in cash and points for now.

Other than the cost of the book with the army list the armored battlegroup is probably going to be cheaper, both in cash and points, than a codex list with troops. 160 points for an HQ Leman Russ, 150 for a troops Leman Russ, done. Compare that 160 points spent in addition to the desired tank to the minimum of 190 points for a CCS and 2x veteran squads with no upgrades (IOW garbage units), or the 4-500 points required to build an effective allied detachment in addition to your Leman Russ. And then compare the cost of those infantry models to the cost of a single additional Leman Russ kit.

 Peregrine wrote:

TheLostDutchman wrote:
Thanks for the replies people. Doing an armoured battlegroup souds awesome, but a little big in cash and points for now.

Other than the cost of the book with the army list the armored battlegroup is probably going to be cheaper, both in cash and points, than a codex list with troops. 160 points for an HQ Leman Russ, 150 for a troops Leman Russ, done. Compare that 160 points spent in addition to the desired tank to the minimum of 190 points for a CCS and 2x veteran squads with no upgrades (IOW garbage units), or the 4-500 points required to build an effective allied detachment in addition to your Leman Russ. And then compare the cost of those infantry models to the cost of a single additional Leman Russ kit.

Well, there's the possibility that you can't use the Armoured Company in tournaments and in non-FW friendly groups.

Assuming the two Leman Russes are the same either way, in an IG allies list you're looking at spending an additional 140 points for a Psyker and a Veteran squad, maybe 160 with upgrades. You only need one Troops unit in an Allied detachment. A Primaris Psyker is certainly not a 'garbage' unit.

TBH, I'd just convert the 11 guys - that way you can do either.

Not sure if they`d be that OK: I know one of the employees has a LR Achilles conversion so I guess I could get away with it. Thanks for the help people. Might have to pick me up one of those kits

 ArbitorIan wrote:
Assuming the two Leman Russes are the same either way, in an IG allies list you're looking at spending an additional 140 points for a Psyker and a Veteran squad, maybe 160 with upgrades. You only need one Troops unit in an Allied detachment. A Primaris Psyker is certainly not a 'garbage' unit.

Oops, that's right.

But anyway, the basic point remains: you don't want to take naked veteran squads as troops since it's just throwing away points, so once you've bought enough upgrades to make the infantry into useful units you'll find that HQ + troops + LRBT is more points than an armored battlegroup HQ LRBT + troops LRBT.