Space Wolves, Keeping Canis Wolfborn?

Nick speaking,

I have recently purched Canis Wolfborn for my Space Wolves 13th Company. After playing just one game with him joined to a Thunderwolf Cavalry, I am already considering getting my metal cutters out to convert him into a Wolf Lord instead! Kitting out a Thunderwolf Lord with Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield and Saga of the Bear will cost 240pts compared to only 160pts for Canis. So is Canis worthwhile?

Maybe it depends on your Thunderwolf Cavalry build? I usually give my calvary storm sheilds and use them as my main attack/distract unit, simular to how I would use my Eldar Seer Council. The storm shields mean that I can easily soak up some shots before I make it into combat, and gives me the option to be able to assault anything that comes my way.

This is where Canis fails! With no invulnarable save, one round of combat against something with a power weapon/fist etc. and he is done! Maybe if I had a different attack/distract unit like Terminators in a Landraider and used a cheap Thunderwolf Cavalry as more of a support role, then Canis would fit in? Or maybe I should drop the Cavalry altogether?

So I put it to my fellow Space Wolves players. How are you using Canis? Is he worth the points? Or should I get my cutters out?

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Power of the Pathfinder Ranger

Nick speaking,

In my Harlequin list I have two units of Pathfinder Rangers. Being my only two troop choices, keeping at least one of the units alive is key for me to get a victory in any objective based missions. Camping one unit out on an objective with Eldrad is an obvious start, but also makes them a bit of a priority for your opponent. Lately I have been doing the opposite and not deploying them on the objective, with some great success.

I have found that deploying the Pathfinders away and behind the objectives seems to make them less threatening. Your opponent will probably ignore them for a few turns as they are not scoring yet. Also as your opponent comes closer to you they will have to make a choice of either stopping on the objective or coming off it to get to your troops. Of course either way I plan on giving them some laughing death with my Harlequins whatever they choose.

Now here comes the ace card...

On turn four or five I will start to make moves for objectives. Having been sat at the back of the board in terrain your opponent feels fairly safe. After all it's a rough terrain test and a run move right? OK, normal Rangers get a 3D6 test, but upgrading to Pathfinders means they Ignore terrain all together making them incredibly fast moving! Within one or maybe two turns I can get to an objective deceivingly quick.

When combined with some supporting units the power of the Pathfinder is not to be overlooked.

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Necrons Vs Blood Angels and Ultra Marines Battle Report

Nick Speaking,

In this battle report The Soulless Necrons take on Blood Angels and Ultra Marines. Having been passed first turn and castling up my capstone, I find out that the Ultra Marines are going to start flanking! I have to come up with a new plan and quick!

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Horde Blood Angels?

Nick speaking,

The Tyranid Stinger Hormagaunts come on from reserve looking for the rest of the broods. As they enter play they realise something must have gone wrong! All they can see is a massive horde of Blood Angels fronted by Mephiston! Of course they have no choice but to CHARGE!!!!

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First turn advantage!

Nick speaking,

Along with objective placement knowing if you want to go first or second is a key factor to winning games. Usually this is determined by your army and the army you are facing! Building a knowledge of knowing what turn your opponent wants can benefit you as well, giving you the opportunity to mess with there plans. Of course, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

In a recent game of Combat Patrol with my Tyranids Vs Daemons. I used my knowledge of knowing that my opponent wants to take second turn. Plus the fact that he knows that I want to take second turn, to my advantage. Usually I take second turn, reserving everything ready to pounce on him after his deep strike.

After loosing the roll off and being passed first turn, it was time to spring a new plan on him using the infiltrate ability of my Genestealers. I put out my two broods of Stealers in terrain in opposite central positions, walking on my Hormagaunts into terrain on my turn one.

Here in the picture below you can see my Daemon opponent having to think long and hard about how to deploy? I pretty much had it covered so that no matter where he came down I was ready to munch him...

Although we should all be planning our tactical game around what turn we want to get. Don't forget you always need a back up plan for when it doesn't go your way

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IDIC Eldar AP List Battle Report

Nick speaking,

This is a follow up battle report to my Sending the Angels to Heaven post. It's a bit different than my usual battle reports as I gave my camera to a friend to record the game!

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IDIC Eldar Interchangeable Wraithlord

Nick speaking,

If your anything like me then you will want to leave all your options open when putting a model together, The Eldar Wraithlord is a prime example of a model with so many options. Here is a video of my interchangeable Wraithlord allowing me to kit it out in any combination I wish.

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Sending the Angels to Heaven!

Nick speaking,

Having my Eldar Fire Prisms and Falcon on the work bench being painted at the moment got me thinking about my Eldar. Whilst the tanks are getting their coats of paint I have been playing with my other armies, but having just played against a heavy Jump based Blood Angels list, made me think of Eldar Dark Reapers!

Having got two squads of Reapers available to me, but never using them for the obvious reason of Reapers Vs Fire Prisms! Made me start to think about all the units that don't make it into my lists for similar reasons, like the Avatar, Swooping Hawks and Warp Spiders! So there was my challenge, to make a 1750 point list that included units I rarely use and would be good against a Blood Angel Jump list?

This was my thought process:

Heavy Support - First of all I new that I wanted to get as many Star Cannon's in the list as possible. Star Cannon's are also something else I don't use much and all that AP2 to go with the AP3 Reapers was a good starting point. Having two Units of Dark Reapers meant I only had one Heavy slot left and that would have to go to some Star Cannon War Walkers. I know that War Walkers are best with Scatter Lasers or Shuriken Cannon's, but this list is going to be something different. Unlike my Harlequin army where anything near me gets some laughing assault death, this army is going to try and blast the Angels to heaven with the AP2/3.

HQ - Knowing that I wanted to stick in my Forge World Avatar was obvious, he would have to become my tar-pit unit for anything that was left after the blasting, and of course making units around him fearless. My second choice was Eldrad. He is in the list to use his Jedi tricks and do what he does best, Guiding, fortuning and dooming is going to be key.

Troops - Having seen the power of Eldrad and Pathfinders in my Harlequin list I opted for a unit of Pathfinders to hold my objective and a unit of jetbikes to go out and capture/contest.

Fast Attack - Stealing a bit of my Saim-Hann list I wanted to stick with two squads of Vypers for the Star Cannon's and of course their speed to help out the Jetbikes. Warp spiders are a must for me to try as I have had no luck with them yet, but it seems like everyone else loves them! So a squad of Spiders has been included to either warp in to distract or take out any annoying rear tanks.

Although I wanted to get some Swooping Hawks in the list they just didn't really fit in with the AP theme, plus I just ran out of points and fast attack slots.

So this is the final AP list is:

1x Avatar

1x Eldrad

6x Jetbikes (2x Cannon's)

5x Pathfinders

2x Vypers (Star Cannon's/Shuriken Cannon's)

2x Vypers (Star Cannon's/Shuriken Cannon's)

6x Warp spiders (Exarch with Dual Death Spinner & Power Blades)

2x War Walkers (Star Cannon's)

5x Dark Reapers (Exarch with Tempest Launcher)

5x Dark Reapers (Exarch with Tempest Launcher)

Not many models and anti-foot Space Marine orientated, but like I said this is mainly just about using my unused units and having a bit of fun. Having said that of course I still need to have a plan for this list as with all lists! So on to mission tactics.

Starting with Capture and Control. I would put my objective in one corner and hopefully as far from my enemy as possible, I will ideally take second turn and will try and hold my objective with Eldrad and the Pathfinders. These will then be supported by the Avatar, Walkers and one squad of Dark Reapers. I will place the other Reapers and two Vyper units on the other side of my Objective to give me crossfire and to draw off units. Of course the jetbikes will reserve and it will be the job of the Jetbikes and Vypers to contest on turn five/six. Warp Spiders will deep strike with a multi roll depending on the enemy, either behind pesky tanks or behind incoming units toward my objective. I also have the option to hide them ready to contest if the game needs it.

Seize ground would have a similar take on Capture and control, but I would put as many remaining objectives in the middle of the table in open as possible, ready for my AP2/3 to hit anything that tries to take them. In the Annihilation mission, I would take first turn and castle up on one side and deploy two units on the other side using Eldrad's Deviation ability to bring them back to my castle before the game starts. Hopefully this will syphon off a some units taking them further away from me.

So thanks to my tanks being out of commission this is going to be my list for the next few games. lets hope my opponent doesn't get his Orks out instead.

Battle reports to follow

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