So to begin with we might as well look at his statlines, and compare it to other units that are out there. For those of you who actually don't play space wolves or are new to WH40K, he basically is the equivalent of a Space Marine Captain, with the exception of the Wolf Lord having 4 attacks in the profile, while the captain only has 3 attacks.
If this wasn't a good pointer to what he does, here's the easy term: He is a beast in close combat! Now, I know that 4 attacks in itself isn't all that amazing, but you have a quite long list of wargear that you can choose from to make him do just about any task you want him to.
Before we head over to the Wargear section , i'd like to point out that to make this guy a good choice for an HQ you might want to tool him up a bit, but this also makes him a very expensive unit very fast, so keep in mind what you take and what you leave at home.
A Wolf Lord And His Weapons
Let's start out with what he already has, and then start to think and tinker around with what juicy extras we can put on him.
Starting Wargear: Power Armour, Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon, Frags & Krak Grenades.
Boltgun(Free): There is no apparent reason for me to take the bolter as you lose 1 Attack in Close Combat, and there is no option for special ammunition in codex space wolves.
Storm Bolter(3 Pts.): Well, 2 Shots are better than 1, but again i don't really see the point since close combat is where it's at with this guy!
Combi-Melta/Plasma/Flamer(10 Pts.): One shot of chosen type and the fun stops. I wouldn't take it on such a dedicated Close combat character.
Plasma Pistol(15 Pts.): It's alot to pay for 1 or 2 shots of plasma which might end up doing more harm than good. I don't like it and i never will.
Power Weapons(15 Pts.): Allright, i'll bite, it's not a bad option, not at all really. Nice if you want to keep him as cheap as possible and expect him to actually do something. Axe or Sword? your pick really.
Wolf Claw(20 Pts.): Not too shabby, it's a bit expensive but when wielded in pairs they do have the "Shred" special rule.
Frost Blade or Frost Axe(25 Pts.): I like frost weapons, i really do, but they are very expensive, but they are so cool and really full of space wolf iconography! It can be used in some good combinations which i'll go into later.
Powerfist(25Pts.): For the same price as a frost weapon it's a good call if you take it instead of an axe! x2 strength and AP2 is something that begs you to take it, but your initiative goes down in exchange.
Thunderhammer(30 Pts.): It's effective already, but 30 Pts. ? think about it twice before you go for it, i probably wouldn't, unless i wanted him to hunt vehicles.
Storm Shields(30 Pts.): It's expensive, but in close combat it really is a lifesaver. It also helps you to actually get into close combat if you are slogging on foot.
Runic Armor(20 Pts.): If he is your warlord i'd really consider it, since it grants you a 2+ save and a 5++ save against psychic power effects.
Terminator Armor(40 Pts.): The Price of this thing is ridiculous... taking Runic Armor and a Storm shield for 50 pts. grants you 2+ armor save, 5+ invulnerable save versus psychic powers and a 3+ invulnerable. While getting a storm shield and terminator armour costs you 55-65 Pts. Just Sayin'...
Also, Terminator means it's land raider or drop pods for transport options. You could slog over the table, but i can't say i like doing that. One reason that might compel me to take terminator armor is that it unlocks the option of taking a Chainfist.
Jump Pack(25 Pts.): Nice For Mobility, but where do you wish to place him? I'd leave it at home under a chunk of ice where Russ would have left it.
Bike (35 Pts.): It gives mobility and toughness 5, which is nice.
Thunderwolf Mount(45 Pts.): Grants you +1S, +1T and +1A. Also grants you the Rending Special Rule in close combat. It's expensive and only let's you join Thunderwolf Cavalry and Fenrisian wolves. It really turns you into a close combat beast though, so on the the paper your stats are really nice.
Melta Bombs(5 Pts.): Nice to have against MC's, Vehicles and Walkers.
Wolftooth Necklace(10 Pts.): It's not bad, but it's depending a bit on what you want to do with your lord. You already have WS6, so most things will be hit on a 3+ anyways. On the other hand, if you want to kill characters and MC's with high WS then this will definetely come in handy.
Wolf Tail Talisman(5Pts.): Nullifies effects of psychic powers that targets the model or the unit which the model is attached to on a 5+. Not bad, if you have the points why not take it given the many psykers that are fielded in 6th edition.
Fenrisian wolves(10 Pts. each): If you want them, take two i'd say. It's a nice way to get 2 extra wounds for walking across the table to beat some face.
Mark of the Wulfen(15Pts): Given the fact that you already have 4 attacks in the profile it is the worst upgrade i could think of for the wolf lord. Very fluffy, very cool, but mostly not even remotely worth it.
Belt Of Russ(25 Pts.): It's a nice way to get a 4+ invulnerable save while wearing pairs of specialist weapons.
Phew.... that list is long man, it's almost agonisingly long... well, on to the Sagas then eh?
Saga Of The Beastslayer(10 Pts.): You may re-roll any to hit rolls against MC's, Walkers and all models with T5 or higher. Could be very good depending on your local meta.
Saga Of Majesty(15Pts.): Any unit within 6" may re-roll failed morale checks. Not bad, but most of your army is LD9 or higher.
Saga Of The Wolfkin(15 Pts.): Makes all Fenrisian Wolves and Cyberwolves I5 and LD7. If you use a Wolf Lord attached to a group of fenrisian wolves it would definetely be worth it.
Saga Of The Warrior Born(35 Pts.): Grants you bonus attacks equal to how many models the Wolf Lord killed in the previous assault Phase. In my opinion it's too expensive, but he can stack up many attacks this way.
Saga Of The Bear(35 Pts.): Gives you the eternal warrior rule, which means you can't be instant killed.
It's a great ability to have, but it's very expensive and therefore i would steer clear. Then again, you might have spent many enough points on him to make him immune to instant death.
With all of the wargear out of the way, i think we can safely come up with more than enough combinations to keep us going for week, luckily for you (and me), i'll only be dragging out a few of them.
Wolf Lord #1: Thunderlord 245 Pts.
Wargear: Runic Armor, Bolt Pistol, Frags & Krak Grenades, Frost Blade, 2 x Fenrisian Wolves, Belt Of Russ, Wolf Tooth Necklace.
With The combination of the wargear you have now have a monster with the following profile:
WS6, BS5, S6, T5, 3W, I5, 6 Attacks (7 on the Charge/Counter Charge), LD10, Armour save 2+ and 4+ Invulnerable save. Not to mention that The Thunderwolf makes him cavalry which means he moves 12 inches in the movement phase and has fleet to re-roll the charge distance. That's a pretty long range to get into close combat.
So the Plan here is to try and get the most attacks possible out of him, in order to kill Infantry, Independent characters and Warlords, and of course MC's. With a toughness of 5 he can only be instant killed with S10 or Instant Death Weapons, but that is when you look out sir or park your fenrisian wolves in front of him so he won't be hit at all. He has the Wolf tooth necklace to make sure he hits as often as possible, and a strength of 6 to wound more easily, and since the frost blade is not a specialist weapon it means that you will have rending as well because of the thunderwolf! If I am not mistaken these guys have the hammer of wrath rule as well on the charge, so he will be making many attacks that first turn of combat. That being said, you might be too successful and kill the unit you attacked on your own turn and be found free in the open, and you don't want that! Weight of fire will usually take you down in the end as well as high strength weaponry.
If you want a deathstar unit that will take a long time for your opponent you may want to run him with a unit of Thunderwolf Cavalry to add to the carnage.
Otherwise the only other option is putting him with a cheap fenrisian wolf unit that will basically give you a fair amount of survivability against shooting as they can be taken in numbers without fear of spending too many points. If you max out the unit to 15 Fenrisian wolves, they alone on the charge will dish out 45 attacks with S4, on the top of the cake you will have 7 S6, AP3, Rending attacks that always hit on a 3+. If you want to put him in a unit of Fenrisian wolves, you might want to consider "saga of the wolfkin" to make your furry friends strike at I5 together with your lord and before many other units.
As a little side note, Since this character is already as expensive as he is, you might want to make him immune to instant death, that is if you add "Saga Of The Bear" to his list of wargear. This will take him to 280 Pts. total which is even more than Logan Grimnar himself! I'm not sure if it is worth it, but if you have the points to spare, why not? This guy will be the icon of Space Wolf Leadership, and certainly is an individual slaughtermachine on his own.
Wolf Lord #2: Terminator Lord 190 Pts.
Wargear: Terminator Armor, Storm Shield, Chainfist, Wolftooth Necklace
Allright, this guy here is a badass at smashing just about anything with his chainfist, and survivable because of his storm shield, but he weighs in at a high points cost, a bit too high if you ask me. On the other hand, if you already have spent many points using Wolf Guard Terminators, then this guy here will of course fit nicely into an army using drop pods and land raiders.
If you don't like lowering your initiative from 5 --> 1 then you could always just drop the Chainfist, but again he then loses the ability to whack out TEQ units effectively. Some small adjustments and you will probably make him fit. As for me, i don't enjoy fielding terminators with space wolves because they very quickly cost too many points for my taste.
Another option to keep the initiative is to exchange his weapons for Dual Wolf Claws. Which takes him down to 170 Pts. If you think 5+ Invulnerable save is too bad for your lord, throw in the belt of russ for 25 pts. That should take him to 195 Pts. Personally, i would not take the belt since your Inv. Save only improves by 1 for a very high cost.
Wolf Lord #3: Cheap Wolf Warlord 145 Pts.
Wargear: Runic Armor, Power Weapon, Wolftooth necklace
This is a pretty standard build for those who want him to be slightly more survivable than a normal marine, and still be able to kill characters with MEQ armor saves. The wolftooth necklace is there in case you might foes with a higher than average WS. He can fit in just about any unit that wishes to see the assault phase for a couple of rounds during your game.
Conclusions and afterthoughts
To get to the end of this little chapter, i think it's safe to say that the Wolf Lord is a very expensive unit that need to be supported by other units in the army to make it worthwhile spending the points that you do. The thing about wolf lords for me isn't really the competitive side of him, but rather the status which that single model emits on a battlefield. He is a pillar of light emitting a radiant confidence and strength, the leadership of which any young space wolf will look up to, when the lord wades through bodies of his fallen foes all the way up to his knees still marching onwards to dispatch the threats of the imperium, A true warrior at heart.Now then, If you would be ever so kind, i would like to know what you guys feel about the wolf Lord? Is there any builds that you run that has worked out for you in previous games? I would love to see the comment section down below riddled with options and thoughts of fellow gamers, even criticism is well appreciated :)
Until Next Time Then
- Rune
