Space Wolf Codex Review, Part Three: Of Wolf Guards and Deathwings

Posted by Ranillon on 13. October 2009 21:39

As you may have noticed while reading this latest series of posts I am really impressed with the new Wolf Guard.  You just have to glance over the rules to see why.

Quite simply the Wolf Guard may be the most versatile single unit in the game!  Sure, there are plenty of various bits of wargear, but that’s not really what I mean.  Rather, they are versatile because they can be used in just about every way imaginable – they can be in power armor or terminator armor; they can ride bikes or take jump packs; they can carry regular, special, or (terminator) heavy weapons; everyone can go around with one of various types of power weapons, and; they can ride in rhinos, razorbacks, drop pods, and even a land raider.  If you need a group for a particular task then it must be rather obscure if Wolf Guard can’t fill the bill.

They can likewise be useful even if used in small rather than large doses.  As before the Wolf Guard can be split off to join other Space Wolf units.  This is a fantastic ability as it allows you to load up on those things you want the most for your infantry squads anyway – things like power and special weapons.  They also provide an extra point of leadership and access to more unique items/powers like combi-weapons or The Mark of the Wulfen.  Basically, Wolf Guard allow you to add a handy boost of power to many of your other units.

Well, that’s okay since if they have such nice toys and abilities they must be pricey, you think to yourself. 

Thing is they really aren’t, at least not excessively so.  The basic cost of a Wolf Guard is 18 points compared to 15 for regular Grey Hunters or Blood Claws.  For those extra three points you get an extra attack and leadership (and also extra skill in the case of ‘Claws).  Interesting, the cost for the first five models in a vanilla Space Marine squad is also 18 a pop (16 for any extra).  Likewise, a basic Wolf Guard terminator is just 33 points for one with a power weapon and 43 for one with a power fist.  By comparison, a regular terminator is 40 points and a Deathwing terminator 43.  Remember, for those extra three points (or in place of being fearless for the Deathwing) you get acute senses and counter-attack.  So, it’s hard to think that somehow Space Wolves are too expensive for all that versatility.

Okay, okay – sure they are versatile and sure they aren’t any more expensive than comparative units, but they are still elites.  That right there limits you to no more than two choices, right?

To me, this is the real kicker – that’s not the case if you take Logan Grimnar as your general.  Do that and suddenly all your Wolf Guard in fact count as troops.  That is just amazing – you could easily have a complete, well-balanced army made up of nothing but Wolf Guard.  Wow!

Wolf Guard vs. Deathwing

Let me illustrate just how effective Wolf Guard is by making the comparison I always do – since they too can represent a pure terminator force just how do they stack up against Deathwing?  Let’s do a list of the advantages of both.

Deathwing:

• Cost a base of 43
• Fearless
• Must be bought as a single group of 5
• Group comes with one power weapon and 4 power fists, although you can give any a chainfist for +5
• You can mix and match regular and assault terminators as you like
• You can take one terminator heavy weapon per 5 troopers
• You can teleport
• Can take one terminator apothecary and banner bearer
• Cannot take any vehicles

Terminator Wolf Guard:

• Cost a base of 33
• Have acute senses and counter-attack
• Can be bought in groups of between 3-10
• Can freely mix and match regular and assault terminators; in fact, you can (if you really wanted to) mix and match them with regular power armor marines, bikes, or jump packs
• Comes with power weapon, but can gain power fists, frost blade, or a pair of wolf claws for +10 or Thunder Hammers and Chainfists for +15
• Can take assault weapons for either or both hands
• Any and all can take melta bombs and/or combi-weapons
• Can take one terminator heavy weapon for each 5 squad (not just terminators) members
• Wolf Guard get the improved Storm Shield and Cyclone Missile Launchers
• Cannot teleport, but can ride in drop pods
• One unit may ride in a Land Raider of any type

As this comparison illustrates you can almost perfectly match a Deathwing using Wolf Guard, but with a lot more options.  This is especially the case if you want to go for a hybrid Deathwing force (e.g. mixed with other non-terminator forces), but they are impressive enough if you wish to remain “pure”.

If you ask me there are really only three major considerations between the two, namely who they have to take as their obligatory leader, morale, and how they get down to the battlefield.

To be troops Wolf Guard need to bring Logan Grimnar while to be troops Deathwing require Belial.  The former is a whopping 145 more points, but then again Logan is also clearly the superior character.  Belial is really just a regular Space Marine captain in terminator armor wielding a slightly better weapon than usual.  By comparison Logan is dripping with special items and abilities.  What’s more they don’t just make him better, but also the troopers around him – his own unit is stubborn, everyone within 6” can reroll morale checks, and once per game everyone within 18” receives +1 attack.  That all sounds worth 3 less terminators to me.

When it comes to morale Wolf Guard are “mere” Marines (although note Logan’s abilities above), on the surface not as nice as the fearless Deathwing.  But, remember that fearless units suffer from No Retreat extra wounds.  Likewise, for an army with ATSKNF and no less than a nine leadership morale isn’t going to be a big deal regardless.

The last big issue is that Space Wolves will not teleport.  That means that to do a “Deathwing Attack” you instead do a “Drop Pod Attack”, the rules for both being basically the same.  Personally, I see these two approaches as being a wash – Drop Pods cost more, but not that much more and they give you a little extra fire power and, more significantly, mobile “terrain”.  One of the biggest threats to a teleporting Deathwing force is popping up piecemeal and out in the open where they can be shot to bits one-by-one.  Drop Pods give you the chance to mitigate this by blocking line-of-sight.  Just make sure that the pod is between you and an enemy unit with threatening firepower and you get at least a turn of cover.  That can be killer if you do things right.

So, yet again we have a way to arguably do Deathwing better than the actual Deathwing rules – and, in this case, that applies even if you insist on being “pure” (e.g. take only terminators, dreadnoughts, and land raiders).  Regardless, Wolf Guard are clearly not just very effective, but provide a wide-range of options for any sort of Marine force you may decide to field.