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Picked up some thunderwolf calvary to add to my space wolves and i'm not sure which unit composition would work better. For both options I would run a wolf lord its really either between two three man units or one large six man unit. Any feed back would be welcome

Wolf Lord (Runic Armor, Wolf Claw & Power Fist, Thunderwolf) – 220

Thunderwolf Calvary (Thunderwolf Calvary Pack Leader with Power Fist & Storm Shield, 5 Thunderwolf Calvary with 1 Power Fist, Bolt Pistols & Storm Shields) – 380 \

or

Thunderwolf Calvary (Thunderwolf Calvary Pack Leader with Power Fist & Storm Shield, 2 Thunderwolf Calvary with Bolt Pistols & Storm Shields) – 190
Thunderwolf Calvary (Thunderwolf Calvary Pack Leader with Power Fist & Storm Shield, 2 Thunderwolf Calvary with Bolt Pistols & Storm Shields) – 190

Thanks

IMO I would go with a full squad of six. Storm Shields on two of them, Fist/Claw combo on two and then just Frostblades on the remaining two. Throw in a Wolf Lord on TWM with The Helm of Durfast, Runic Armour and TH/SS combo.
My Space Puppy opponent throws this at me almost every time we play and my only answer for it is to avoid it as long as possible. Eventually resulting in me feeding them a couple Deamon Princes and usually a Fearless cultist blob. Just my opinion

I avoid making any one model TOO pricey, points-wise. Except for the Pack-Leader (who I ALWAYS give a Wolf Claw and Shield to, for Challenges, and striking at initiative), I never give one model two pieces of war-gear.

Why put a fist/hammer AND shield on the same guy? Now losing that model is debilitating as it took our a defensive measure and a battle-field anti-armor role.

So I go, Pack Leader as mentioned, and then put one or two Stormshields on guys with a bolt-pistol and nothing else. Now if you have to LOS or have someone face-tank while the unit advances, you essentially have the ultra durable ablative wounds doing it.

I also think small groups are poor choices. Any single loss is catastrophic to the units over-all threat-factor.

When points allow I have settled into running two groups of five, armed as such.

1 Pack Leader with WC/SS
1 TWC with Bolt-pistol/SS
2 TWC with Bolt-pistol/chain-sword
1 TWC with Power Fist

And then each will have either my HQ Wolf Lord/Relic Armor/Krackenbone/Storm Shield, or a Iron Priest on Wolf.

The war-gear load-out keeps them priced appropriately, and throws buckets of attacks, fishing for rends with an extra body versus much earlier experiment of running one less guy, but having Wolf-Claws on everything (which was AP3 over-kill, for too many points on too few bodies).

I've certainly not had enough time trying to optimize the unit but I usually go for Storm Shield/Wolf Claw on all of the regulars and a Storm Shield/Thunder Hammer on the leader. I also have only tried running 3 man groups but I'd like to try out the big six man soon.

Just noticed above that someone mentioned putting Claws and Fists on models.... Why? That seems like an absolute horrid lack of points. One isn't even a specialist weapon, meaning they confer no bonuses of any kind.

NewTruthNeomaxim wrote:
Just noticed above that someone mentioned putting Claws and Fists on models.... Why? That seems like an absolute horrid lack of points. One isn't even a specialist weapon, meaning they confer no bonuses of any kind.

Both Power Fists and Wolf Claws are specialist weapons.

With that said however, I do agree that putting both weapons on a TWC model is overkill. I'd probably go for shield+claw on all models if I had the points to spare, otherwise put naked shield carriers up front, arm two models with claws and one or two with fists.

I like claws for the AP3 that ensures MEQs die, but at the same time, 30pts for a pair gives shred which is almost moot versus the kinds of targets you want to be wiping out (as you'll already be wounding on 2's), and you'll probably be getting a few 6's anyway which'll be rends.

Literally every pair of Wolf Claws you skip is 75% of another naked TWC. I'd always rather have another body.