Space Wolves 6th edition Tactics

[The_Klobb_Maniac]

Arguably, these guys with their jink save are tougher against shooting, point for point, than TWC. If they get in amongst a parking lot with their melta bombs then they can end a game.

:s. I generally agree with the post; but melta-bombs aren't really required to pop standard vehicles. A parking lot is served just as well with loadsa S4 attacks or Krak nades IMO

[Chapters Unwritten]

Is it true that Swiftclaws don't suffer from dangerous terrain when assaulting into cover?

Rulebook says: "Bike charge moves are not slowed down by difficult terrain. However, each Bike or Jetbike model that charges an enemy model behind a barricade or Aegis
defence line, must take a Dangerous Terrain test." That implies to me that pretty much, they wouldn't normally take a check unless the terrain was a defense line or a barricade. That is pretty huge, if true.

Why do all the Swiftclaw advocates take the attack bike? Maybe I am just not seeing what is so great about it.

[WildWeasel]

Don't think of it as another model, but an upgrade to give a bike +1 A and W, and a heavy weapon. I favor the MM for the psychological impact. BS3 isn't that much worse than BS4, and even at BS3, a highly mobile MM is still something that can't be easily ignored.

[wanderingblade]

I keep forgeting about hammer of wrath, and with krak grenades being better maybe they're a unit I should look at, but i'm pretty happy with my TWC.

Yeah thats reasonable detachment, but I think the talon is what makes it worth doing.

Well... yeah, probably, at least at high level play. That said, I heart heavy support, so its worth doing in that sense - and the scouts fill a niche in the Space Wolves list, namely we don't naturally have any units that happily sit on an objective way at the back and contributes at range. Mindyou, you could always take IG, Vendettas and Leman Russ Demolishers... no idea which is better.

[Ragnar69]

Is it true that Swiftclaws don't suffer from dangerous terrain when assaulting into cover?

Rulebook says: "Bike charge moves are not slowed down by difficult terrain. However, each Bike or Jetbike model that charges an enemy model behind a barricade or Aegis
defence line, must take a Dangerous Terrain test." That implies to me that pretty much, they wouldn't normally take a check unless the terrain was a defense line or a barricade. That is pretty huge, if true.

Why do all the Swiftclaw advocates take the attack bike? Maybe I am just not seeing what is so great about it.

No, are affected. They just must take the test for aegis in addition to the usual dangerous terrain tests.

The Attack bike is a 5 points upgrade of +1A, +1W and a heavy weapon, that's just too cheap to pass

[orik]

what do people use for AA with SW? do you just spam twin-linked weapons and hope for the best

[Ragnar69]

I don't take AA. I haven't faced many flyers yet, but when they show up I simply ignore them (shooting wise, but I try to move out of their field of fire) and focus on the objectives. Worked fine so far.

[Althwen]

I see lots of arguments for swiftclaws and sky claws that certainly seem appealing. But don't forget that Hammer of Wrath attacks can only be made by models that a) use the jump pack to get into combat. So no moving 12" and then assaulting. and b) they have to physically make it into base-to-base contact with an enemy model. Models with jump packs in the second rank, don't get to make Hammer of Wrath attacks. So, while still boosting the effectiveness of sky claws, it's a bit presumptious to say that a squad of 10 sky claws automatically has 50 attacks.

Also, how do you guys feel about a 5-man squad of grey hunters with a WG in TDA with cyclone missile launcher to just sit on an objective and still being able to contribute to the battle?

[Joshwow1]

Also, how do you guys feel about a 5-man squad of grey hunters with a WG in TDA with cyclone missile launcher to just sit on an objective and still being able to contribute to the battle?

I think that may work. I was lookign to try something like because right now I am running a full squad at 2 plasmas sitting on a home objective without TDA WG. They usually don't do much (except for capturing the objective haha). Maybe 6 GH's in a razor lazer back? Or just a standard RB. Cheap and still effective.

[Chapters Unwritten]

No, are affected. They just must take the test for aegis in addition to the usual dangerous terrain tests.

It seems to specify to me that they don't count normal terrain as dangerous, though (at least when charging).

[Ragnar69]

It seems to specify to me that they don't count normal terrain as dangerous, though (at least when charging).

The left column has a paragraph 'Bikes and terrain'. It states that bikes count all difficult terrain as dangerous terain. They don't differentiate between movement and assault phase, so this counts for both.

Also, how do you guys feel about a 5-man squad of grey hunters with a WG in TDA with cyclone missile launcher to just sit on an objective and still being able to contribute to the battle?

You usually only can have 1 or 2 TDAs with heavy weapons and they are better placed in Long Fangs or a TDA unit. I prefer to place my objectives more in the middle of the board and as close together as possible, so the GHs thre can support each other and are alse close enough to the enemy to shoot him.

[althathir]

what do people use for AA with SW? do you just spam twin-linked weapons and hope for the best

I really have just been trying to ignore them tbh, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't, but most of the AA options we have are expensive & not really that effective at it. I haven't messed with fortifications much and they may have a bigger impact.

With ally rules I've had a bit of success running a storm talon (I try and go second, use the talon to take out their flier). Really hoping we get a faq fairly soon so we have something to address it.

I think that may work. I was lookign to try something like because right now I am running a full squad at 2 plasmas sitting on a home objective without TDA WG. They usually don't do much (except for capturing the objective haha). Maybe 6 GH's in a razor lazer back? Or just a standard RB. Cheap and still effective.

Like Ragnar69 I try to deploy mine more towards the middle of the board (its where I want to go anyways). The only armies that I wouldn't place objectives forward are GK, Nids, and Orks. I could see myself taking allies and if so a squad of scouts w/ sniper rifles wouldn't be a bad investment.

[wanderingblade]

I see lots of arguments for swiftclaws and sky claws that certainly seem appealing. But don't forget that Hammer of Wrath attacks can only be made by models that a) use the jump pack to get into combat. So no moving 12" and then assaulting. and b) they have to physically make it into base-to-base contact with an enemy model. Models with jump packs in the second rank, don't get to make Hammer of Wrath attacks. So, while still boosting the effectiveness of sky claws, it's a bit presumptious to say that a squad of 10 sky claws automatically has 50 attacks.

I think that goes without saying - and yes, we possibly are a little overly focused on best case scenarios, but at the same time, it's a good place to start. If you can't see a use for them when everything goes right, they're definitely not worth taking!

Even if they got shot up/can't get too many models in base to base, you're still probably looking at about 30 odd attacks, which is not a bad place to be. Of course Grey Hunters still win, but that goes for everything.

Also, how do you guys feel about a 5-man squad of grey hunters with a WG in TDA with cyclone missile launcher to just sit on an objective and still being able to contribute to the battle?

Are these deep sitting objectives, or more midfield ones? Either way, it doesn't look good to me - midfield you want more numbers and the terminator is slow, deep sitting and you're paying a lot to hold an objective and fire a missile launcher. I think what you're suggesting is probably the most practical thing for objective sitting (except allies) but it seems even more practical to me to do what Ragnar and Althathir are doing.

And objective sitting is the second thing I'd ask from an ally (after anti-air) - we are woefully unsuited to it, but all our allies have good troops for it. I tried sniper scouts today - nothing special, but at that price they don't need to be, and they did help bring down a C'tan shard.

Speaking of Necrons, how do you fine folk deal with Scarabs?

[Mandragola]

Speaking of Necrons, how do you fine folk deal with Scarabs?

Grey Hunters?

May sound silly, but I've never had any real trouble from scarabs. This partly has to do with my regular necron-playing opponent preferring wraiths, and partly with the fact that all they can do is charge my grey hunters, who are simply better in assault than they are - and who have guns.

Oh and I seem to field a lot of plasma and that's cool.

[Althwen]

Oh and I seem to field a lot of plasma and that's cool.

Plasma? I seem to kill myself with plasma. I had a 1200 pt battle couple of weeks ago where 3 of my marines died to Gets hot in as many rounds of shooting.

The idea of placing objectives midfield so that you don't have to dedicate certain troops to objectivesitting when composing the list, is a good one and does, indeed, render a cyclone MSL in a 5-man grey hunter unit, redundant.

[Akkaryn]

I am a big fan of plasma. Love the stuff. Yes it can go wrong. But when 4 plasma cannons are shot at well pretty much any unit they wreck it.

[Althwen]

Btw, do bikers get +1a from add close combat weapons? Cant find that they dont, but i remember that it wasnt possible a coyple of ed. Back.

[althathir]

Plasma? I seem to kill myself with plasma. I had a 1200 pt battle couple of weeks ago where 3 of my marines died to Gets hot in as many rounds of shooting.

The idea of placing objectives midfield so that you don't have to dedicate certain troops to objectivesitting when composing the list, is a good one and does, indeed, render a cyclone MSL in a 5-man grey hunter unit, redundant.

Thats not very likely though, to roll 3 ones, and to fail your 3+ save in 3 turns (unless you have a ton of plasma), right now at 1500 points I'm running 3 squads of grey hunters 1 with melta and 2 with dual plasma and I probably lose about a one a game to it. So I'd try plasma a few more times.

Btw, do bikers get +1a from add close combat weapons? Cant find that they dont, but i remember that it wasnt possible a coyple of ed. Back.

Yep they do, their entry would say otherwise if it wasn't the case.

[wanderingblade]

My luck with plasma isn't the greatest either, but I still loves it. It's the no-brainer solution.

Although I'm not so sure about using it on scarabs - or about being charged by them. I know I'll win, it's the time taken doing so I'm not happy about. Grey Hunters should be rending Necrons limb from rotten limb, not swatting flies. However, I've only had one game against them, so shall see how it goes...

[althathir]

My luck with plasma isn't the greatest either, but I still loves it. It's the no-brainer solution.

Although I'm not so sure about using it on scarabs - or about being charged by them. I know I'll win, it's the time taken doing so I'm not happy about. Grey Hunters should be rending Necrons limb from rotten limb, not swatting flies. However, I've only had one game against them, so shall see how it goes...

Blast weapons are really effective againist swarms, though not quite as good as they were in 5th so don't forget about frag missiles. That said scarabs are as expensive againist grey hunters so its not the end of the world to swat flies , and more importantly its one less squad of wraiths (who are a PITA)