Erik the Red wrote:
OK... Where to begin. First off, I think your paint jobs are great! I've also played space wolves for over a decade and they are just as good now as they were in 3rd edition. They play completely differently, but still awesome. In 6th edition Dreadnaughts took a serious hit. I never ever play with them anymore. I love the way they look and I love their fluff, but they are just not good at all. Easy to kill with hull point rules, easy to drop in CC by anything with krak grenades or something similar, just weak. They rarely pa for their points. Even good old Bjorn the Fellhanded isn't worth taking. I wouldn't mix special weapons on the Grey Hunter packs. Always either take 2x melta guns or 2x plasma guns. Long Fangs are great, but don't take all those weapons. The squad needs synergy. Most people take 5 mssile launchers, because they are phenominal for their point cost. 140 points for 5 missile launchers is great. Throw in a Rune Priest with Divination (maybe toss them behind an Aegis Defense Line with a quad gun) and they are just nasty. If you want to mix it up, toss a couple lascannons or plasma cannons in the squad (depending on whether you want to gear them a little more towards anti-tank or anti-MEQ). The Heavy BOlters are nice because they are super cheap, but I think regular predator tanks with upgraded sponson mounted heavy bolters for 85 points may be a better anti-infantry buy. I'd stay away from Multi-Meltas, unless you want to put two of them on a single Land Speeder for a suicide anti-tank unit. I only use those if my list is short on anti-tank weapons. This is less important then ever, as vehicle heavy armies are not as popular as they were in 5th. I see a lot more foot-sloggers around my town anyways. Thunderwolf Cavalry are great when used to assist Grey Hunters in contolling the middle of the board. I Run the in packs of 3 with one storm shield and one thunderhammer, or maybe a power fist instead. If you have trouble making sure that hits are being allocated to the shield guy, maybe take a second shield. I wouldn't recommend taking them in 5 man squads with lots of upgrades. They fall too easily to small arms fire, and a single squad can easily go over 500 points. Sometimes I use 3 man squads with no upgrades or with just a power fist. I can't really think of any other CC unit for 150 points that can take down 3 Thunderwolf Cavalry. In general, they are ALMOST as good as Nob Bikers. I like to run 2 squads of Grey Hunters in Rhinos and run the Thunderwolves behind them. A lot of the time, I tend to disembark mid-field after my first move with the tanks. With 4 GH squads and the 2 packs of Thunderwolf Cavalry you can take out whatever you need to. Throw in some Long Fangs spitting out Missiles over the top and you have a solid base. Thunderwolf mounted Wolf lords can be super nasty too. If I use one I usually run them with either a Hammer or a Wolf Claw, a shield, Saga of the Bear and Runic Armor. They will accompany a squad of TWC. If I go this route I will only take one cavalry squad and spearhead up the center of the board behiind rhinow with melta hunters. As far as Grey Hunter upgrades and wargear, always take the WOlf Standard and use it well!!! Don't wait until the squad is half dead. It makes a bigger difference when you've got 10 of them. MOTW was better than a power weapon last edition, but now it's way better. nasy guy that can't be challenged. Power Fists are great as well. They do cost a pretty penny, but unlike a Wolf Guard squad leader, they can't be challenged and will actually get to hit with their fist (Wolf Guard leaders loose challenges to MOST CC oriented squad leaders, independent characters, etc.) It's not worth taking a power weapon on scout squads. Since they can no longer charge the turn the come in (behind enemy lines) they are weaker than ever. They don't make a reliable melta-suicide unit, because they only have on shot, they mights not even get the right table edge, and they aren't even that great of a distraction, because they are too easy to kill. Usually a single squad (whatever tey are) can ruin that squad in a single round of shooting. Also, since they aren't tropps for the Space WOlves, they can't even be used as a cheap scoring unit. The only way I like to use them is with sniper rifles as dedicated anti-monsterous creature killers. If there aren't and monsters, tehey can hit light vehicles, pin low Ld, units, or (if you can roll the sixes) take target enemy independent characters or squad leaders out of whatever squads. I must admit that "look out sir" will ruin that a lot, so it's not their ideal role. I enderd up painting my Wolf Scouts with tan pants and green cloaks. I think it loks good with the Space Wolf Grey (Fenrisian Grey no I guess). I think they are fun, but I wouldn't take them to any tournaments. Without sniper rifles I don't even thing they are fun. The only other way I would ever run them is as a cheap plasma squad. Take 2 plasma guns and a wolf guard squad leader with 2x plasma pistols (with the gunslinger rule he can fire both). That's a pretty cheap way to get 4 plasma shots on an important unit on their back line. Great for hunting Devastators, Long Fangs, Dark Reapers, War Walkers, light vehicles on rear armor, etc.). Wolf Guard Battle Leaders are not good. Upgrade to a Wolf Lord or just don't use him at all. Rune Priests are #1, Wolf Lords might be #2. Sometimes it's cool to take a Wolf Priest, since now he can be used to outflank a Grey Hunter squad, with Saga of the Hunter. That with preferred enemy, makes for a good turn of fire when they come in. If you do this, I would upgrade the dquad more than normal. It makes him more wirth while. For instance, if I were to do that, my GH squad would be 10 hunters, 2 plasma guns, a power fist, MOTW, and a Wolf Standard. I may give the Wolf Priest a pasma pistol. Swift Claws, although better than Sky Claws, are not that good either. I will admit that they did get a boost in 6th. Hammer of the Wrath and Jinx saves are very nice. Since they are BS3, I'd never give them many shooty upgrades. A WOlf Priest on a bike can make them MUCH MUCH better. Preferred enemy is a god-send for that unit. I wouldnt ally with vanilla marines. They aren't good. Their flyer isn't good. They have absolutely nothing to offer the Space WOlves. If you want an ally (you don't need one) I'd take Imperial Guard. They are battle brothers. Their stuff is cheap. They have the greatest, most undercosted flyer (Vendetta Gunship) that just annihilates other flyers. With an infantry platon you can put 50 extra bodies on the board for 5pts each!!!! Add in a Rune Priest with Divination and a Commisar and and they are VERY hard to kill. You can have 50 IG fools and 45 Grey hunters in 2000 poits. Almost no one can ill that many units. It's really tough and ALL scoring units!!!! Regardless of what you do, Good luck to you. I know my ideas aren't so retro. You want retro, throw Ragnar and Logan in a Land Raider with a squad of Blood Claws. Rugh a bunch of rhinos in with them. They used to be super duper i close combat. Now they are a better mid-board shooty army. The mele is god, but best used defensively. The Blood Angels are the only straight rush you, in your face CC marine army left now.