Revision 3, and upcoming game against Necrons

I have been tinkering with my list for a bit now. I feel that the Ulrik+Flyer unit is just too expensive. While on paper it seemed like it would be great with drop pods, it felt really lacking. However I do feel that the flyer is an important part of the list, as it is the only anti air I have.
For an upcoming game, I am lending a friend my Necrons, so he can see if they are an army he likes. I think it is a great opportunity to measure TWC against void claws. Obviously the Void claws have a bigger place in a Null deployment list, but more drop pods are a few models down in the list of purchases my armies need. So here is my new list:

Rune priest on bike: Runic armor, ML2, melta bombs
Twin Auto cannon dreadnought
Iron Priest on TWC
10 GH in pod with melta
10 GH in pod with melta
10 GH in pod with flamer, deathwind missile launcher
4 TWC: claw/shield, pistol/shield, pistol/claw, pistol/fist
5 Void claws

Without being able to plop an IC in with void claws, it will force me to make a pod unit for my HQ, which may end up being a defensive ulrik alpha strike. Then the next turn a plasma pod drops down close enough for the preferred enemy. Until I get at least 2 more pods though, I can't easily do that.
The TWC will obviously not work in a null deployment, My last game against Orks showed what that might look like.

I was very worried they would seize the initiative and all would go to hell. This time it will be a dreadnought and some wolves, instead of the flyer though. 

In the long run, I feel that my list will eventually have 5 pods, 2 melta, 2 plasma, 1 flamer, void claws and the flyer. Even the void claws might be dropped though, as with TDA saves, you either make them all, or horribly fail them all, and my failures have been high. 

Until I have the units I need to replace them, and until I feel the need to be as competitive as possible without a full TWC death star, my void claws will be in my list. I like them as a unit far too much. 

The painting as been coming along nicely as well! Last night I applied the gradient on the claws to all of my wolf claws, and attempted the "force" look people do with opposite gradients. I think I like how it came out. Just a few more steps closer to having a painted army!

Second game in months!

Instead of writing one huge post for my 2 games, here is a shorter recap of my game against orks at 1000pt.

My opponent was a friend, and we have played  quite a bit since he started. I would say we are at a 50% win rate against each other. Sometimes orks just do orky stuff and I don't know how to deal with it.

So, my list! I intended to bring 30gh in pods, buuut I forgot to pack a 3rd squad. So here it is!

TDA WGBL with dual claws and helm of durfast (already sounds fun!)
10 CCW GH in pod with 2 melta
10 CCW GH in pod with 2 flamer
MURDERFANG in pod with deathwind
5 Void Claws (or maybe 6, cant remember)

So I had made this list right after the folly of my last list, but still did something similar. 4 units in a 1000pt game... but its so cool! This list is a 100% null deployment deep strike list. It is exactly why I went back to SW before the new book came out. For those who don't know, +5 years ago I had a pretty big SW collection, however I ended up selling it because I hadn't played the game in a year or two and lived in a small town with only a few opponents, many of which were WAAC.

This blog was created with intent to help motivate me to paint, play, and record the amazing army that is Space Wolves!
Back to the report!

Opponents list!
Wierd boy
I think a big mek with some giant super gun
7 or 8 lootas
2 units of 20 or so boys with +4 armor
3 buggies with twin linked rokkit launchas
5 or 6 nob bikers

His warlord trait was the D3 units + warlord infiltrate. He got a 6. So EVERYTHING was infiltrating, and his buggies outflanked. It was a cool set up, as without me on the table, he got to place his units wherever he wanted. He didnt move his first turn as everything was exactly where he wanted them.

Wolves rained from the sky, I have had bad luck with lootas, so I felt I should hit them hard. I forced them to go to ground, but only killed 3 or 4 with rapid fire and flamers. He made good on his saves, and spacing was well. Murderfang also came in, right up in front of a unit of boys, I was dumb and hit them with the deathwind before the flamer, but I still took out 6 or 7 in total. Void claws plopped down and scattered back a little bit.

Orks turn 2, He threw EVERYTHING at my flamer GH. First all the shooting, then charging with nobs (killed 1 with overwatch) then boys. The positioning caused all but 1 GH to fight the bikers, and I killed 1 more. Then everything swung, and I think 1 GH remained. The boys near muderfang ran off as fast as they could. His lootas and mech shot at muderfang, Lootas missed 100% from snap firing. which we remembered after his big gun shot, hit direct, but rolled a 4 on 2D6, so we didn't care.

Wolves turn 2 was looking a little bad, he had taking few casualties, and scored first blood on my GH. My second unit didn't arrive from reserves, even with the re-roll from void claws! my deathwind pod scattered back about 6" away from 2 objectives, so that stunk. Void claws moved in to save the single GH locked in combat. Murderfang got within 4 of the other unit, and I opted not to fire, I really wanted to make the charge.
Void claws charged, made it, nob declined the challenge. I believe I killed about 13 orks or so with the void claws, the single GH couldn't hurt the bikers and was killed by them. I won combat by way too much. as the gap between the boys and TDA prevented any boyz from piling into B2B during their initiative step. The bikers fell back, the boys punched each other. Murderfang made his charge, causing 7 wounds. Again, too many deaths and the nob died. We were able to pile in, but the boys couldn't hurt murderfang. They also fell back,

Lootas shot off the storm bolter arm on murderfang, bikes rallied, but could't do anything, boys rallied, but couldn't do anything. Void claws killed off another bundle of orks, but lost a few in return. I almost rolled as bad as I did for my GH earlier! Speaking of, my second pod arrived and rapid fired at the boys that just re-grouped (wierdboy was in that unit, forgot to mention). They fell back again, and this time off the table.

Bikers went up and got into it with the void claws. At the end of the combat there were no boys, 2 bikes, and the WGBL and 1 void claw. The bikes fell back again, the buggies had done absolutely nothing the entire game, the lootas were failing to hit everything, and I had managed to secure 3/4 objectives. We called the game there, with only his buggies and lootas remaining.

Void claws are awesome! I think I will be picking up a cyclone missile launcher to plop in the unit for some ranged support. I also had an ABSOLUTE BLAST with all the deep striking. I need to buy 2 more drop pods!

First games in months!

On Saturday I arranged 2 games to be played. The first was against daemonkin, the second, orks. For the first time in a long time, I used my Space Wolves!

My 1850 list against daemonkin was something like this:

TWC Lord with morkai's claws, necklace and 2 fen wolves
5 TWC, sgt with shield/claw, 1 with fist, 2 with shields, another with claw.
helfrost dread
Murderfang in pod
Shield dread in pod
Arjac's shield brothers +1

My opponents main units were a bloodthirster, TDA lord, maulerfiend, soul grinder and then some possessed, cultists, land raider and standard CSM.

So the first thing I learned in this game, it being the first time I have used a land raider since 5th. They can, and WILL immobilize themselves in area terrain. Second turn move the thing got stuck, barely out of my deployment zone.
Murderfang was shot and immobilized, as was my helfrost dreadnought. So a large portion of my army just got stuck turn 2.
On the other hand, my TWC got stuck in with a blood thirster, maulerfiend and what was left of the bloodletter squad with TDA lord.
After 3 turns, and some terrible rolls for me, and wonderful +5 daemon saves, the TWC died. However the maulerfiend and bloodthirster had 1hp and 1 wound. That was when Arjac charged in, taking out the lord, fiend, and bloodthirster on the charge. The lord turned into a bloodthirster and landed in the movement phase. That was after 10 min of the "deep strike doesn't mean deep strike reserves" debate that shouldn't be happening because it is a terrible grounds for an argument. He admitted that the FAQ would be in the favor of not being able to show up on the ground.
Arjacs unit then charged that bloodthirster. Arjac took a single wound, then the bloodthirster was no more, they were then charged by a soul grinder, and knocked its arm off, taking a single dead TDA in the process.

We called the game. As I had terminators and some immobilized vehicles on the table, and he had 2/3 objectives.

Some thoughts? I should have stuck with the idea to bring GH instead of more dreadnoughts. If I had made room for 2 GH in pods with flamers and meltas, I could have done much better. Also, should have let daemonkin go first. They have crap for shooting, something I forgot, they will also run forward, letting the TWC choose who they tear apart.

It was a fun game in the end, despite my terrible luck. Having the shield brothers walk through so many big units was really enjoyable!

Morkai's Claws and 32mm bases!

So a while ago GW released the BA and Necrons on 32mm bases. Alike just about everyone else, I was a bit skeptical, a bit peeved, and just a bit intrigued. So I bought some from my LGS and gave them a whirl.

First off, it is way easier to write the names of all my wolves on the bottom. Second, the minis look more cinematic and you have more room for unique basing! For my Necrons, I no longer have to break their ankles! The bad part is that 10 cost something like $5, and I don't want to spend +$25 on new bases for my wolves and +30-50 on new bases for my Necrons. So I went on ebay and bought 120 laser cut wooden 32mm bases for $8 ($16 with shipping) Pretty sure I am set for the long run.

With all that being said, I have been painting a lot of different things lately. My Glotkin, Maggoth Lord, Blightkings, and Necrons have all been getting attention lately. Having so many SW in various levels of painted, I really just need to sit down one at a time and get them done. I did have a chance to finish a conversion I had been wanting to do for a while. Morkai's Claws! Such an awesome relic! Sure, nothing insane, but Maul is a sweet special rule.

I created these from the Warp Talons kit. Picked up the model I wanted off ebay. Both arms are magnetized so I can run these suckers on anything but a TDA. TWC WGBL/Lord is the main idea. I just wanted to show them off on an almost finished mini. I still have a little shading to do, but I am really happy with how they came out!