Thunderwolf Cavalry

Sorry I didn't post on saturday and this post is late. I have had a whacked up sleep schedule and haven't had the drive to do anything really, but I just some new things in the mail and the coals are getting stoked into some roaring flames. So today I am gonna give you a 2 for 1 deal; Thunderwolf Cavalry and Thunderwolf  Lords.

One of my favorite units in the game, Thunerwolf Cavalry, for the fact they ride giant wolves and kick ass in melee. Several things that are very good about them that make them something to consider using. These are 2 wound models; which is rare for space puppies, Improved statline; when compared to other wolfguard, and they move very very fast across the table.

When fielding Thunderwolf Cavalry you should always run atleast 3, because 1 and 2 just lack the number and you bringing a weak unit into the game also one of my rules I hold dear when playing 40k is quantity before quality. You want to have a good number of dice to throw at your opponent and 3 TWC brings you about roughly 15 dice to roll when they attack. I personally bring 4, because my Thunderwolf Lord is my 5th member of the unit and I like numbers that are divisible by 5. Since these mofo's are 2 wound models I strongly recommend bringing different wargear on each model for wound allocation purposes. The wargear that I bring to game is the following:

My TWC (haven't finished painting them)

1. CCW + Bolt Pistol = 50 Points 
2. CCW + Bolt Pistol + Melta Bombs = 55 Points 
3. Thunder Hammer + Bolt Pistol = 80 Points
4. CCW + Storm Shield = 80 Points  

Like I said earlier the TWC is a very fast unit (fleet + cavalry = yummy), move 6", run upto another 6" and charge 12"; that is 19-24" a turn that they can move. These guys want to be moving fast into infantry lines tearing them up, and it is up to  you to do so. Also I think they need a leader to top off the unit and make it a well rounded group. Yes it can be a point sink, but it is a deathstar that should last through the whole game and have a lot of kills on their belts.

Well you can and IMO should bring a badass Wolf Lord to lead them, I personally have Harald Deathwolf lead them across the battlefield. Since they are NO specifics in the codex on what Harald is geared with besides a Thunderwolf, you get to pimp him out anyway you want. I personally have my Wolf Lord in the following wargear:

Wolf Lord Base (100 Points)

My version of Harald Deathwolf.

• Storm Shield (30 Points)
• Thunder Hammer (30 Points)
• Runic Armor (20 Points)
• Thunderwolf Mount (45 Points)
• Saga of the Bear/Warrior Born (35 Points)

The Storm Shield for extra beefiness and AP shots. The Thunder Hammer gives him strength 10 because of the Thunderwolf Mount improved statline. The Runic Armor gives him a 2+ armor save and 5+ invulnerable against psyker abilities. Also Saga of the Bear is nice if you know your going against an army that can potentially one shot you, but if you wont have that problem I recommend warrior born because with that Thunder Hammer you will be killing a lot and you will be getting a lot of extra attacks. If you do need extra points like 20 I would drop the runic armor, but I dont always count on rolling 3+ so I like the improved odds that he will live through the armor save.

Unfortunately, GW doesn't make a TWC model kit, you can get on Thunderwolf Mount from them and that is their Canis Wolfborn, which in my opinion looks like a rabid squirrel on steroids. I took the time and converted the finecast canis to get my Harald Deathwolf. You can find several Thunderwolf Mount models out there on the Internet. The best one I can find is Mr. Dandy's Wargamma's Battle Wolves [TWC] and they provide wolves and marine legs, and the rest you can kit out yourself.

In the end if you want to run them, make sure you are aggressive with them and get them into melee, also I would recommend having a Land Speed Squadron (3 models with 2 heavy bolters each). The Land Speeders bolters will skim around making swiss cheese of units then the TWC can come aroound and mop up and destroy the unit. One fast melee and very fast range to support it.

Starting A Space Wolves Army.

My first follower asked me a question, woot!

"[. . .] im also thinking of starting my own space wolfs chapter do u have any tips or pointers? thanks " - Tommybench


Well there is several things about starting a space wolves army you need to know

1. Read the codex several times front cover to back cover. Every time I do, I find something new. 
2. We are a close range army, not melee focused. We are very good at shooting holes in our enemies between 0-24"  and then when we have thinned their ranks we can close the deal.
3. Use vehicles to get to your men close to your optimum range.
4. I always recommend running at least 1 Rune Priest.
5. Also read this review on dakkadakka.com Space Wolves Tactics Part 1 & Space Wolves Tactics Part 2
6. Use at least 2 groups of Grey Hunters Packs every time. I always run them max number (10) in a Rhino with 2 meltaguns which is 190 points in the end. Their statline, wargear and special rules just make them awesome.
7. Do NOT use blood claws, In my opinion they are a waste of points. They are best used at max numbers, and the only transport that they can use at max numbers is a crusader at that is 250 point investment. Also their stat line is poor.
8. The GW starter box is a very good investment. [link]   A Drop Pod, 20 troops (Grey Hunters imo) and 5 scouts is not bad.

Welcome!

This is a new blog that I started to make updating on my Storm Wolves; a Space Wolves Company a bit easier. For this company I have added to the fluff so my army can fit and feel well at home among the other Space Wolf Companies.

I will apologize, if I write a short story 99% of the time I will have my fiancee proof read and edit and I will rewrite it, but at the moment it isn't possible so you must deal. :P

Here Logan Grimnar has died in battle while fighting protecting Fenris from a Tyranid Invasion. With the death of Logan and rise of a new Great Wolf a terrible secret has been brought to light and the Space Wolves that are burdened with this curse must seek guidance and wear it as a badge of honor. The burden that was placed among 6 Wolf Guard, Logans personal retinue, was full evolution into Wulfen.

When they saw the sight of their beloved Great Wolf fall to the Swarmlord to protect them and their home. The 6 warriors were outraged, and the canis helix gene seed kicked into hyper drive. Instantly the men began to evolve grow and become more feral looking to the point of looking like Bipedal Thunderwolves. The 6 masses of rage slew everything in their way and finished off the swarm.

After the battle, the wolf priests took the 6 raging monsters in and brought them back to their senses, but now they are cursed until the day they die with these new forms. And by tradition one of the Wolf Guard was elected as the new Wolf Lord of the Company, Thoradin Whitefang. After tales of his battles circulated and how him and his squad ave mastered the curse he was elected as Great Wolf to replace Grimnar.

His name is Thoradin Whitefang and he commands the Great Company known as the Storm Wolves.

Curse of the Wulfen Part 1

In the fluff of 40k we learn that our beloved space puppies are burdened by a terrible curse, by becoming a Wulfen. Which essentially is the space marine becoming a werewolf. If you have read the codex or the Space Wolves Omnibus (which I am in the middle of reading now) it starts when the initiate is taken out into the barren wastes of Fenris and drink from the Cup of Wulfen. After he drinks of the cup he endures terrible pain and becomes a beast! The recruit must master himself or become lost to the curse and to Fenris.

Well recently I had the idea of making a squad of Wolf Guard, Wulfen Guard, Elite warriors of the Storm Wolves that have mastered their inner beast with the help of a Wolf Priest mentoring them. It all really started when I listened to Thunder from Fenris for the 6th time, and was reading about 13th Company beasts saving some IG in the codex.

To get this idea to work, I knew you couldn't just have normal Grey Hunter Packs becoming Wulfen, you need a small number of elite badass dudes. Who better than to fill that role is our ever customizable Wolf Guard Terminators! One thing that is very good about this choice is that you have a bigger base to work with and more wargear options to accompany the wulfen and his personality.

So I scoured the internet for multiple hours looking for good base models to work from, and I ran across these awesome and easy to work with models from Rackham miniatures, The Wolfen of Yllia.

After picking that up and some other wolfen mini's to get some extra bits and parts. I had to decide exactly what I wanted this custom group of Wolf Guard Terminators to be designed for, and since I have my Grey Hunters Pack usually for shooting and holding points down, I wanted this squad to be for assaulting points that are being held down by enemy troops or assaulting a weakened Deathstar unit that will pose a threat to my Grey Hunters Pack. So I decided this is gonna be a meaty point investment and if I am gonna do it, I am gonna do it right.

Logan Grimnar - Because he awesome and his abilities and rules make him an assest to any army running around with Terminators.

"Wulfen" Guard Terminators

1. Asbjorn - Flamer & Chainfist: Can make swiss cheese out of a high armor value vehicle & can toast lots of models when up close with his heavy flamer. Also the Flamer & Chain Fist Combo isn't a heavy point sink combo.
2. Vladimir - Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield: Survivability & makes things go boom. Also the Initiative 1 debuff on the enemy helps.
3. Skeld - Wolf Claws: Helps put in a lot of wounds in right away at the beginning of the assualt, also what kind of wulfen squad would this be if none of them used their claws to slice n' dice.
4. Einz - Frost Blade & Storm Bolter: High Strength and some extra bolter fire before they go in and squish units.
5. Zwei - Frost Blade & Storm Bolter: See above

Land Raider Crusader - Want to give them a high AV tank to transport them in, also the hurricane bolters firing as a defensive weapon as the Land Raider moves up really helps poke holes in the unit before these beasts come down like the Storm Wolves they are.

Now that I have picked my squad make up its now time to model them. First all I wanted to make a "count as" Logan Model and have this model be as fearsome as the Wulfen I will be having him roll with.

I named this character Thoradin Whitefang and Once this squad is done they will get their own complete post. First there are several things key to make things look 40k; big shoulders, power packs and bolters. For the shoulders I used FW Space Wolves shoulders, the power pack I used the back of a terminator torso and for a bolter I was gonna use a GK wrist mounted storm bolter, but it looked like a wrist watch on this model.

In these pictures I have the shoulders on him, his bolter and his power pack  and I also used some green stuff to make power cables, terminator armor and more fur. I added some bits and was happy with how he was going along. After sometime of working on it I decided to scrap the green stuff cables and went with a suggestion from dakkadakka, use guitar string to emulate cables and in the end it looks awesome.

To make his Storm Bolter to less like a watch and more like a Bolter, I grabbed one from a Rhino Sprue. I also added more beefy armor on him since he is a Terminator. Once I got all of this down and was content I started adding more, and more detail with bits and everything I thought what would look good.

The banner was taken from another Confrontation model, the sword is from the Nurgle prince (finecast) and once I was content I primed and started painting. Now I got him 90% done, but I am not 100% so here is his 90% product. When I get back from vacation I will finish him up and some of the squad members up. I currently have the flamer and wolf claws primed and partially painted.

I also found this picture of Asbjorn, the heavy flamer wielding wulfen. He currently past this point that is picture, I has several layers of paint on him, but vacation in Montana, USA has prevented me from finishing him and painting skeld, who is modeled, primed and ready to be painted.