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So I decided to get back into 40k again (after an abortive attempt at melee-only nids in 6th), and I want to make some cool space vikings, so I picked up the new codex yesterday.

Due to the way I am Forging A Narrative™, one of the main driving forces behind the list is "nobody walks" - their preferred engagement style is to scout the enemy with fast units and then deploy in force, because a) I think it would be cool and b) it drives towards a very mobile army with a lot of positional flexibility, which seems like it should be a strong style. I'm also geeeenerally in the "boys before toys" camp, so trying to be as upgrade-light as I can get away with.

Here's what I'm thinking about right now:

HQ:
Wolf Lord
- Black Death
- Wolf Mount
- Runic Armor

Rune Priest
- ML2 upgrade
- Psychic Hood
- Terminator Armor

Troops:
10 Grey Hunters
- CCWs
- 2x flamers
- Wolf Guard Leader
- Drop Pod

10 Grey Hunters
- CCWs
- 2x flamers
- Wolf Guard Leader
- Drop Pod

Elite:
5 Wolf Guard Terminators
- Melee option (probably hammer/shield)

Fast Attack:
Stormwolf
- Multi-melta option

6x Thunderwolf Cavalry
- 6 pairs of Wolf Claws

Heavy Support:
6 Long Fangs
- Flamer
- 5 Missile Launchers
- Drop Pod

1850 on the nose


My thinking is that ideally the lord+TWC deploy on the table (fast scouting force), with the terminators+priest reserved in the stormclaw and everything else in pods (sitting in the strike cruiser waiting for targets), so I can put everything in the best places to mess with my opponent. 1x hunters and the long fangs come in turn one, if I'm using the special SW detachment I can guarantee the stormwolf arrives turn 2 and the other hunter pod turn 3. I've got hopefully perfectly-positioned long fangs for fire support, two squads of "don't charge me bro" troops for objectives, shooting and general troublemaking (I know they don't get OS if I use the SW detachment), a big nasty block of TWC for massacring any non-2+ infantry (hence the black death - a unit of 7 should usually be outnumbered and then I've got 36 S6/AP3/rending/shred and a further 9 S7/AP2/rending attacks on the charge), a decent block of hammernators in a turn-2 assault flyer for messing with heavy vehicles/2+ armor and the stormwolf itself which ought to be reasonable against aircraft. I thiiiink I've got all my bases covered? Downsides I can see are long fangs not getting to shoot on T1 (hopefully balanced by being able to put them in side/rear arcs), lack of OS, a couple of somewhat-deathstary units, not a whole lot of psychic power, maybe not enough anti-vehicle and all my anti-air is in one flyer.

Anyway, how does this strike people? I don't need it to be super-competitive but I am hoping for a decent, fun TAC list for local gaming. I've already worked out my own fluff for the army and I'm planning on naming every single marine and tracking their exploits individually, because if we're going to be Cinematic™ we might as well go all-in, right?

(Things I would love in future: more of everything, axedread, stormfang carrying iron priest and 4 servitors, iron priest on a wolf because it seems pretty OP, lone wolves once some marines earn the right in battle!)

I can't say much because I don't have the codex, but you have very few troops for an 1850 list.

That TWC unit has too many points in upgrades to killing power and not enough on Survivability. Do you need 3 extra AP2 attacks when you already have 43 rending attacks on the unit? Likewise double wolf claws aren't needed. They are Ap3 but you'll bury 3+ save units in wounds easily plus the rends to further help. Yes rerolls to wounds is great with rending but with S6 that value is reduced. I'd take 2 power mauls and a couple of storm shields to help tank Demolisher Cannons. I would also consider Harald Deathwolf for furious charge and again a storm shield, though he lacks runic armour.

What is the plan with the Rune Priest? I would consider if the psychic hood is really worth it.

Flamers are not a great choice on Grey Hunters particularly ones not geared for assault. Also the Wolfguard is not really worth it unless you're further investing in him like a matched combi to get a 3rd special weapon in the unit or for taking Terminator armour to tank for the unit. Get 2 meltas instead as you are very low on AT fire.

TH/SS Terminators are expensive for Puppies (not as bad as in the last dex) and aren't great in a normal marine army for 3 points less each. I would want some firepower in the unit. I would think about giving them a Drop Pod and perhaps putting something like Blood Claws in the Stormwolf.

Drop pod really isn't a great delivery system for ML longfangs. They have a 48" range so could either be firing from turn 1 or be ineffective until turn 2. However I just don't really see them fitting this list. I would consider a faster or closer fire support unit. Like Dreads (need to be used in multiples) or a 2nd Stormwolf as they too work better in multiples.

So overall the list is a bit bitty. Part drop pod, part Cavalry, part aerial assault. It is weak at AT and weak at scoring. Whilst that 600+ point unit of TWC gets 1 4++ save vs a Demolisher cannon (or Deathstrike) and then is wiped. These are the issues the list needs to work on.

I love the Black Death. Especially on a mobile Lord. Means he can break off from the unit and charge something else in the backfield on his own and get 9 attacks. And then 8 in the next round. I would always always invest in a shield though.

I think Wolf Guard really got badly treated. They are overcosted for what is a pretty poor 'Trait' with Acute Senses and Counter Attack. If you are going for Terminators I would rather look at cheap options. Power Weapons and a combi-weapon for 38pts each is pretty useful. Gives them a nasty Alpha strike threat and they are still pretty good after they have dumped their Plasma/Melta load.

I would say FlingItNow is right, you need to invest in survivability in the Thunderwolf unit. A few Storm Shields is a must as they will be drawing some hefty firepower if they are housing the Lord. It's good to be able to Look Out Sir heavy weapons like Lascannons etc onto othermodels and still get a good save.

If you start out with ONLY the TWC and wolf lord on the board, you're going to lose most of them. They're pretty squishy even to bolter fire, but your opponents entire army is going to be shooting at them. That's a lot of points to risk this way.

I hate to say it because Grey Hunters aren't what they used to be, but I think you need more troops.

OK, how about this as a revision:

Harald Deathwolf (190)
Rune Priest (120)
- ML2
- Psychic Hood
- Terminator armor
10 Grey Hunters (205)
- CCWs
- 2x melta
- Drop pod
10 Grey Hunters (205)
- CCWs
- 2x melta
- Drop pod
10 Grey Hunters (195)
- CCWs
- 2x flamer
- Drop pod
5 Wolfguard Terminator (185)
- 4x combi-plasma
6 Thunderwolf Cavalry (300)
- 2x storm shield
- 2x power maul
Stormwolf (215)
- Skyhammer option
Stormfang (235)
- Skyhammer option
- Lascannon option


- Removed WG from GH, switched 2 to meltas, added a third squad with flamers (a bit tight on points plus it seems like it should be really good for holding an objective in cover)
- Dropped the long fangs completely, with missiles being more expensive they seem less necessary than previously and I agree they're kinda out of place in the list
- Swapped the lord out for Harald, he loses the 2+ but 3++ should be OK with an I1 attack, and guaranteed saga of the wolfkin seems like a good idea
- Switched the wolfguard to a cheaper plasma-spam option, seems like a good place to have plasma given the 2+ save
- Fiddled with the cavalry to add storm shields for defense (3 in the unit including the lord) and a couple of power mauls as suggested (with furious charge they're S8 on the charge)
- Added a stormfang to replace the long fangs, should synergize better with the stormwolf, and the dispersed destructor blast looks meaty; lost the multimeltas on the stormwolf and added lascannons to the stormfang so it can PotMS the destructor and fire skyhammer+lascannons at something else

Still not 100% sure about losing the multimeltas or the flamer GH, and I'm a little more vulnerable to 2+ saves now, but this seems like it's in a somewhat better place? It's exactly 1850 so not much wiggle room atm. (Re rune priest, he's mainly there for psychic defense, ML2+ward+hood means he's Denying the Witch on 3+/4+ on all units within 12, which seems like it should be useful? Plus he adds a bit of AP2 to the terminators with a runic axe.)

[edit] Oh yeah, vulnerability of first-turn TWC - intent is that they're always deploying behind a LoS blocker!

Toastius wrote:
OK, how about this as a revision:

Harald Deathwolf (190)
Rune Priest (120)
- ML2
- Psychic Hood
- Terminator armor
10 Grey Hunters (205)
- CCWs
- 2x melta
- Drop pod
10 Grey Hunters (205)
- CCWs
- 2x melta
- Drop pod
10 Grey Hunters (195)
- CCWs
- 2x flamer
- Drop pod
5 Wolfguard Terminator (185)
- 4x combi-plasma
6 Thunderwolf Cavalry (300)
- 2x storm shield
- 2x power maul
Stormwolf (215)
- Skyhammer option
Stormfang (235)
- Skyhammer option
- Lascannon option


- Removed WG from GH, switched 2 to meltas, added a third squad with flamers (a bit tight on points plus it seems like it should be really good for holding an objective in cover)
- Dropped the long fangs completely, with missiles being more expensive they seem less necessary than previously and I agree they're kinda out of place in the list
- Swapped the lord out for Harald, he loses the 2+ but 3++ should be OK with an I1 attack, and guaranteed saga of the wolfkin seems like a good idea
- Switched the wolfguard to a cheaper plasma-spam option, seems like a good place to have plasma given the 2+ save
- Fiddled with the cavalry to add storm shields for defense (3 in the unit including the lord) and a couple of power mauls as suggested (with furious charge they're S8 on the charge)
- Added a stormfang to replace the long fangs, should synergize better with the stormwolf, and the dispersed destructor blast looks meaty; lost the multimeltas on the stormwolf and added lascannons to the stormfang so it can PotMS the destructor and fire skyhammer+lascannons at something else

Still not 100% sure about losing the multimeltas or the flamer GH, and I'm a little more vulnerable to 2+ saves now, but this seems like it's in a somewhat better place? It's exactly 1850 so not much wiggle room atm. (Re rune priest, he's mainly there for psychic defense, ML2+ward+hood means he's Denying the Witch on 3+/4+ on all units within 12, which seems like it should be useful? Plus he adds a bit of AP2 to the terminators with a runic axe.)

[edit] Oh yeah, vulnerability of first-turn TWC - intent is that they're always deploying behind a LoS blocker!

It looks pretty good, I've bought a Stormwolf and like the combo with the Stormfang. Personally I would only take 3 TWC but that's up to you, and the 100-150 or so points might not be better spent elsewhere.

Agree with removing the Longfangs, they're not as good now and you've got more troops, plus the two fliers have plenty of firepower :p. Harald is definitely better than the Lord for the points (and he can outflank!).

Oh, and you should deepstrike those termies with the RP...just because we can do that now lol.

Remember you don't get your 2nd melta free anymore, it simply states you can choose from the special weapons list one per 5 men in the squad :(. Bit of a bummer, those GH squads are 215 not 205.

Looking alot better. Yeah S8 rending power mauls are fun

What I'd do is drop the Wolfguard that doesn't have a combi and switch both flyers over to multimelta Storm Wolfs.

That leaves you 13 points to play with for a few extras here and there.

I would consider swapping Terminator armour on the Rune Priest for Helm of Durfast depending on psychic discipline. It is great with Tempestus and all those witchfires (turns the primaris into basically an Annihilation Barge). Though if you're thinking a buff discipline like Divination then it is not worth it. He's also only denying on a 3+/4+ against spells targetting you rather than conjuration and buff spells like Prescience, Perfect Timing or the uber broken Invisibility.

Aright cool, thanks for the feedback guys I did mismath the GHes (not even an old/new thing, I just added the points up wrong ) so I need to find 10 points aynway, I'll have another poke at it later with FlingitNow's advice in mind and see if I can make everything line up... I really want a stormfang if I can get it in just because I like it, but it may end up not working nicely (I would like the meltas...)

Also, anyone have an opinion (at higher points values) on a stormfang with an iron priest and 4 servitors inside? If I understand all the rules correctly that means guaranteed 1HP restored every shooting phase, it's effectively a ~90 point upgrade but it seems like an amusing gimmick at least