Void Claws on their own are pretty outstanding. For the price of a pack of Wolf Guard with terminator armor and paired Wolf Claws, you get a Turn One Deep Strike unit that then allows you to re-roll Reserves rolls as long as there's still one of them alive. And they get a +1 WS. Right there, on its own, the formation sells itself.
Now, a few things on squad composition. I know, that sounds silly: Void Claws are a very specific formation, in that they must be at least five in number, they must be in terminator armor, they must have paired Wolf Claws, and they must arrive via teleport. But, despite those requirements, you still have options. There isn't anything in the formation constraints that precludes you upping the squad size, nor is there anything banning the addition of one Cyclone Missile Launcher per every fifth Void Claw, and there's nothing forbidding attaching an Independent Character. All of these are tempting prospects, if you've got the points.
The first case comes down to the amount of cover on the table and what you expect the enemy to throw at you. You want these guys to last, to make the most of their Reserves control, but you also want them in close combat, where they'll excel, but when they can't get into close combat (like the first turn, when they arrive via Deep Strike), you want them to be able to find good cover from the almost mandatory fire they're going to receive from the enemy.
Adding in a Cyclone Missile Launcher (or two, if you think you can keep ten Void Claws in cover or in combat) allows them to contribute to the weight of fire that first turn, potentially putting a krak missile into rear or side armor, or a frag or two into a pricey and lightly-armored infantry unit. But it also draws additional attention to them and bumps them up your opponent's target list.
Attaching an Independent Character can enhance durability or increase and/or expand their combat effectiveness, and I'll address that below, as I talk about ways to enhance the unit/formation's performance.
But, first, let's look at how you can improve on the Void Claws effectiveness when it comes to Reserves Control.
Yes, the Void Claws allow you to re-roll any Reserve rolls. Yes, they re-roll their scatter dice, so you'll be able to plunk them down someplace where they can spend that first turn in cover, dodging enemy fire, before legging it into combat in the next turn's charge phase. But dice are fickle things, and even a free re-roll can sometimes fail you. So, how else can we amplify their Reserve control?
Damocles Command Rhino: This adds a +1/-1 to Reserve rolls, increasing your chances of getting what you want from the Reserve dice. And it comes with an Orbital Bombardment to boot, in case your enemy brought something to the table that absolutely, positively needs to be nuked from orbit post-haste. Additionally, it has a Teleport Beacon, to prevent scatter rolls from Deep Strike. Now, the Damocles Beacon is not likely useful to Void Claws—they'll want to be somewhere forward, to earn their points, and a Damocles isn't all that durable, as it's built to be a command and control node, not a frontline unit. But that Teleport Beacon could support later arrivals, once your army has established a decent perimeter and it's safe to move up and start teleporting in terminator-armored units. That Orbital Bombardment, however, hits anywhere on the board, so it could provide support to your Void Claws upon arrival, potentially taking out a squad full of plasma weapons or AP 2 close combat weapons, a tank that can hurl pie plates, and the like.
Land Raider Proteus with Explorator Augury Web:. First off, it's a Scouting Land Raider without the Assault Ramp. It's a rolling bunker with two twin-linked lascannons that gets a head start on the rest of your force. Second, its Explorator Augury Web allows you to apply a -1 penalty to your opponent's Reserves rolls, and in its second mode provides redundancy for your own Reserves re-rolls, in the event the Void Claws run into trouble and are massacred. It's a rolling insurance policy you can toss ten Wolves in for safe transport up the field.
Land Raider Prometheus: Adds a +1 to your own Reserves rolls. Plus its Battle Auspex improves the accuracy of its fire. Not as cost-effective as a Damocles, but definitely more durable.
Wolves Unleashed Detachment: If everything potentially can Outflank and Troops with attached Independent Characters (if both are from the detachment) are going to do so half the time, the only questions then become when they arrive, and from which board edge. The Void Claws enhance your control of the first part.
Attached Independent Character in Terminator Armour: So long as the IC attached to the Void Claws while in Reserve is wearing terminator armor, there's really no reason he can't teleport down with them as part of the unit.
Your options here are pretty clear-cut: a Wolf Priest will give you Feel No Pain, Fearless, and Oath of War; a Rune Priest can bring psychic powers and improved Deny The Witch to them; and a Wolf Guard Battle Leader or Wolf Lord can act as a superior member of the pack.
Here, I really think it's the Rune Priest or the Battle Leader. Stormcaller or a witchfire power, plus the ability to deliver an insta-kill via a force weapon greatly enhances the unit. But, if you're going to do it, why not take the Battle Leader, give him the Armor of Asvald Stormwrack and the Claws of Morkai, and double down on the Wolf Claw terminator goodness?
Arjac Rockfist: He's got two wounds and Eternal Warrior. He can toss that nasty thunder hammer of his, thereby ensuring that whatever he hits won't survive the charge of your Void Claws. He's a great add-on to any terminator squad. Personally, I'd prefer to save him for another formation, but if you're not using him elsewhere, consider using him here.
Dreadnoughts: Then again, if they need support forward, the Void Claws might want a big brother to help them out in melee. Pop a dreadnought into a Drop Pod. Here, you have a choice: give the ancient a Lucius pattern pod to give him Shrouded the turn he arrives, or give him a basic pod and add a Locator Beacon to ensure that reinforcement from orbit isn't just timely, but also precise. Either way, if you're reinforcing Void Claws, I'd suggest a great axe/blizzard shield dreadnought or Murderfang, as if this guy is getting stuck in with the Void Claws, you want durability and heavy melee crunch.
Land Speeders: These can Deep Strike. Bringing a brace of these—or worse, multiple braces—down around the enemy's armor and letting the multi-meltas sing could wreak serious havoc on your opponent's best-laid plans. Plus, it puts another dire threat forward with the Void Claws, forcing your opponent to make a hard choice or split his fire between the Speeders and the Void Claws.
Caestus Assault Ram: You can pack ten additional terminators into this thing, add a teleport homer to call for more with precise arrival, and the thing is built to blow things apart and crash into them if it fails to do so. The Caestus is excellent, albeit pricey, close air support that's ideal for terminators like the Void Claws who may be operating forward and need fast support. Plus, as it can Deep Strike, and the Void Claws let you re-roll Reserves, you have a better level of assurance it'll turn up when needed. Magna-melta support fire never hurts, either.
Wolf Guard Thunderstrike Formation: Here's something that's bound to unsettle your foe: Your Void Claws arrive first turn, and then are followed by a Drop Pod full of power armored Wolf Guard and second Terminator pack, all of them at a minimum toting combi-weapons, and all firing twin-linked the turn they arrive, and the whole kit and caboodle arrives via a single Reserves roll (which you can re-roll). Note that the two packs are separate entities, despite arriving at the same time, and can therefore fire on two separate targets. If your Void Claws find themselves in trouble, they can call for close support ‘danger close,' and have the Thunderstrike pod drop just nearby. If there's a locator beacon on the pod, the follow-on terminators are going to teleport in even closer.
In closing, Void Claws might just seem gimmicky, but in reality, they can function as a vital command and control enhancement.
Properly supported, they could seriously cramp your opponent's battle plans, and provide timely support to your own, insuring what you need arrives when you want or need it.
With proper and timely support, you could potentially open an attack vector in your opponent's backfield, dividing and conquering his forces, disrupting his orderly battle plans, eliminating integral units, and putting him in a reactive posture, giving you the initiative in the battle.
- Josh Gharst