Sorry it took me a week. Honestly I kinda forgot about it, but here is part 2 of my review!
FAST ATTACKS
I'm not going into detail about most of the vehicles as they are pretty much unchanged, however 2 new vehicles(sort of) arrived for the Space Wolves and one of them is a fast attack unit!
Stormwolf
For 215 pts you get a new flying assault vehicle (whatever happened to the fluff? Thought SW liked their feet on the ground) which can be used as a dedicated transport for 16 models! It has an armor of 12 on all sides and 3 HP's. It comes equipped with a twin-linked helfrost cannon, 2 twin-linked heavy bolters, twin-linked lascannon and ceramic plating. I really love it and it will probably see a lot of play.
Thunderwolf Cavalry
The Thunderwolf Cavalry has some big changes, all for the better! It now is 120 pts for 3 models, which means it's 40 pts each! That's a reduction of 10 pts each. Also now every model has access to all the ranged and melee weapons. In the previous codex only 1 Thunderwolf unit was allowed to take them, so this is a huge improvement. I expect to see a lot of Thunderwolves riding the table.
Skyclaws
They are still 15 pts per model, but they had a few interesting changes. As said before there is no more Mark Of The Wulfen, so no more rending attacks, which kinda sucks. They also lost the "Headstrong" rule, which is a plus. No more automatic charging if you are to close to the enemy. They now do have better options for equipment which I like. Also like most units you can upgrade 1 model to a Wolf Guard Sky Leader which raises the WS, BS and A up to 1. Taking a Sky Leader is pretty much a must with this unit, but you probably still need a Wolf Priest to make them really effective.
Swiftclaws
They come in at 20 pts instead of 25 pts like in the previous codex. They now only have a bolt pistol, which can be exchanged with a chainsword for free. This really sucks as they had both a bolt pistol and chainsword in the previous codex, making them more effective in close combat. You can still take an attack bike and 1 model may be upgraded to a olf Guard Bike Leader. With the loss of a CCW and not being able to take them both on, makes them a whole lot less interesting to take compared to other Claws. Don't expect to see a lot of them anymore. Not there were a lot of them to begin with.
Fenrisian Wolves
No real change here, but the Saga of the Wolfkin made them slightly worse now. Instead of getting a boost in Initiave and Leadership, you get a boost in only Strrength with the "Furious Charge" rule. It's okay, but getting the first hit with the previous saga meant potentially slaughtering a lot of models before they could get in a few hits.
Drop Pod
Can now be taken as a fast attack, which means you load up any units if possible and drop them somewhere close to the enemy in the first turn. You can also equip the drop pod with a locator beacon, which makes sure any unit within 6 inches of the drop pod don't scatter. Good stuff and definitely a must take in every army.
HEAVY SUPPORT
Like the Fast Attack I will not go into detail of all the vehicles, only if there are significant changes I will treat them in this review.
Stormfang Gunship
For 230 pts you get an upgraded version of the Stormwolf with more powerful weapons in sacrifice of transport capacity and the "Assault Vehicle" rule. This flyer comes with a helfrost destructor, 2 twin-linked heavy bolters, 2 stormstrike missiles and ceramic plating.
Long Fangs
The point for the heavy weapons slightly changed in point. Some have become slightly cheaper while others became slightly more expensive. All-in-all still good.
Well that was pretty much my review of all the units, so now let's go the relics!
The Armour of Russ
At 35 pts you get an armor that has 2+ Sv and 4+ Inv Sv. Also when you challenge a character and it is accepted, the enemy model get a -5 on the Initiative. Wow, that makes it quite a strong relic, which will scare a lot of opponents in taking a challenge. Definitely worth the points.
Black Death
A +2 ST, AP 2 frost axe for 25 pts that gives +3 attacks, whenever your unit is outnumbered by another unit in combat. Also quite an interesting relic that when used in the right setup can be really deadly. Of course it is quite situational, but I think it is a good investment in a small unit like thunderwolves or terminators.
Fangsword of the Icewolf
A special frostsword at 3 AP and +1 St ith the "Helfrost"rule and the "Rending" rule for 25 pts. Pretty nice deal and I'm curious ho strong this blade is in combat.
The Bite of Fenris
For 10 pts you get a bolter with 2 diffrent bolts. The helwinter bolt is a ST4, AP5 weapon with the "Rapid Fire" and "Helfrost" rule. The Flametide bolt is a ST5, AP4 aepon with the "Rapid Fire" and the "Ignore Cover" rule. Pretty good bolter with 2 options, I like it.
Helm of Durfast
At 20 pts you may re-roll al failed to-Hit rolls. Also you get the "Ignore Cover" rule. Pretty okay, but a little bit on the expensive side for my taste.
The Wulfen Stone
The wearer and the unit get the "Furious Charge" rule. Also the wearer gets the "Rage" rule. At 40 pts it is quite expensive and probably not worth taking unless you can afford it.
The relics are actually pretty nice although some of them are quite expensive for what you get. Still, some are definitely worth taking. Lastly let's take a look at the new formations!
The Wolves Unleashed Detachment
For this detachment it requires for you to deploy atleast 2 HQs and 2 Troop choices. If this is your primary detachment you get the "Jar of Russ" and the "Cunning of the Wolf" rules. Jar of Russ gives you the ability to re-roll any Warlord Trait result. For Cunning of the Wolf, before deployment, you may roll a die for each unit in your detachment. On a 6+ the unit gains the "Outflank" rule. For troops it's a 4+.
This detachment is not bad, but not amazing either. Getting the "Outflank" rule has its uses, but depends very much on the situation. Re-rolling for Warlord Trait is also nice, giving you another shot at getting the right Trait. I might be using this detachment every now and then.
The Great Company
For this formation you need a Wolf Lord, a Wolf Guard Battle Leader, 1 unit of Wolf Guards, 5 units of Grey Hunters, 1 unit of Wolf Scouts, 3 units of either Blood Claws, Swift Claws or Sky Claws and lastly 2 untits of Long Fangs. Wow, quite the requirement. Next to "Jar of Russ" and "Cunning of the Wolf", you also get "The Howl of the Wolves" you gives you "Furious Charge" and "Fearless" as long as the Wolf Lord is alive. This formation is very CC orientated, so if you like to get close and have a lot of points to spare, you might like this.
Well that was my review of the new Codex. I hope you enjoyed it! Keep on wargaming everybody!
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
New Space Wolves Codex Review Part 1
As you might have guessed from my header I play Warhammer 40k and more specifically I'm a Space Wolves Player and not that long ago the new codex for the Space Wolves has been released! I had a good amount of time to read it through and I want to give my review on the new codex.
Overall Impression
After reading the codex a few times I have to say that I'm pretty content with the new codex. The cover looks cool and the layout looks clean and well-structured, but it is getting used to though. For instance in this army list you need to go back and forth a lot for the options, which was much easier in the previous codex, because all the options were stated on the same page of the unit. Furthermore, not much been added to the fluff, but for me it's the least interesting part. So let's take a look to the army list.
ARMY LIST
There have been quite some changes compared to the old codex. One of the first things I noticed is that the new codex feels less wolf-y and is more streamlined with the rest of the SM codices, which I think is a shame because it makes them less unique. A few unique rules have been removed such as the Mark of the Wulfen, most are altered like the Sagas and a few new rules have been added like the Hellfrost, which I will go deeper into later on. There are also a few rules that haven't changed. All the unit's still have "Acute Senses" rule, "Counter-Attack" rule and the "Thou Shall Have No Fear" rule, which is really nice because it keeps the SW still close combat-orientated.
The points for the wargear have also changed slightly, for the most part for the better. It looks like most of the ranged weapons gotten slightly more expensive, while the melee weapons for the most part gotten slightly cheaper. The new addition of the Relics of the Fang are pretty nice and offer interesting tactics, however some come for a quite steep price. More about it later on.
HQ
The sagas are now warlord traits instead of an option.
Saga of the Warrior Born - When fighting in a challenge, the Warlord re-rolls all failed To Hit rolls.
Saga of the Wolfkin - The Warlord, and all friendly units with the Space Wolves Faction consisting entirely of models with either the Beasts or Cavalry unit type, have the Stubborn special rule. In addition, if a friendly unit with the Space Wolves Faction is within 12" of the Warlord at the start of the Assault phase, all models with either the Beasts or Cavalry unit type in that unit have the Furious Charge special rule until the end of the phase.
Saga of the Beastslayer - The Warlord has the Monster Hunter special rule.
Saga of the Bear - The Warlord, and his unit, have the Feel No Pain (6+) special rule.
Saga of the Hunter - The Warlord has the Outflank and Stealth special rules.
Saga of Majesty - The Warlord, and all friendly units with the Space Wolves Faction within 12" of him, must re-roll failed Morale checks and Pinning tests
As you can see some of them have been altered completely or became less powerful and Saga of the Iron Wolf has been removed. I like the previous sagas way better especially the loss of Eternal Warrior is quite a big hit, considering most of the unique HQ's don't have "Eternal Warrior", making them all less attractive to take.
In general most of the unique HQ's gotten cheaper, MUCH cheaper! Even though this is a great thing in exchange most HQ's lost a few strong abilities, which makes them less useful now. So in terms for what you get point-wise it's still about the same as before. If you thought they were expensive before, they are still expensive now. However they still look fun to field. The best bang for your buck to looks to be the rune priest, the wolf lord and even the wolf guard.
Wolf Lord
The Wolf Lord actually became 5 points more expensive compared to the old codex, but in exchange you get a Belt of Russ.(4++ Inv Sv) standard which normally would cost you 25 pts. So technically the Wolf Lord actually got cheaper. Still has great wargear options including the Relics of the Fang. A few options got a bit cheaper, while others got a bit more expensive. However no longer has the option to equip a Wolftooth Necklace or a Wolf Tail Talisman as they are removed from the codex. Still strong however and well-balanced character.
Wolf Guard Battle Leader
Still the poor man's version of the Wolf Lord, but without the Belt of Russ. Now comes for the price of 50 pts, which is a reduction of 20 pts. Also has the same options as the wolf lord. Good for getting in cheap HQ's
Rune Priest
They have become quite powerful in this codex as they are only 60 pts now. With the arrival of the 7th edition rulebook, the Space Wolves Psyker powers became useless, so everyone was curious what was to become of the SW Psyker powers. Back then, they were considered quite overpowered and it would be no surprise if they would become nerfed in the new codex and sadly they are. Nowhere near as powerful they used to be, however they still are pretty effective for the most part. There is a big chance rune priests will see a lot of play.
Njal Stormcaller
Now costs 180 pts instead of 245 pts, which is a reduction of 65 pts. Gained 1 more wound and 1+ BS. "Lord of the Tempests" rule in my opinion has changed for the worse. Re-roll a single failed physic test each turn when attempting a Tempestas discipline. Also has the psychic hood standard. Now can replace his runic armor for free instead 25 pts.
Ragnar Blackmane
Also cheaper coming in at a price of 195 pts instead of 240 pts, which is 45 pts less. The changes in his rules makes him less effective and therefor makes him still expensive to field.
Harald Deathwolf
The finecast Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf now is an unique character coming at 190 pts. He is a beefed up version of a Thunderwolf Cavalry, who carries a Frost Axe and a Storm Shield standard. Also has outflank ability what makes it more interesting. Has a relic named "Mantle of the Ice Troll King" which makes him immune to Pyromancy, which is fun but not very useful most cases.
Canis Wolfborn
Almost the same as the previous version except with the loss of the "Wrath of the Savage" rule, which gave him +1 attack for each enemy in base contact with him. Instead gets the "Rampage" rule, which gives him a +D3 attacks if he is outnumbered. Still pretty okay, but I do prefer Harald over Canis.
Ulrik the Slayer
A reduction of 35 pts and is field-able at 145 pts. Like Njal also gained 1 wound and has gained "Healing Balms" rule, which gives him and units within 6 inches the "Feel no Pain" rule at 6+, which is nice. Also gained the "Fear" rule. Pretty good overall
Bjorn the Fell-Handed
220 pts instead of 270 pts. Still the same stats, but lost the "Living Relic" rule. Overall expensive compared to the other dreadnoughts available. May take a new unique ranged weapon named "Helfrost Cannon". The "Helfrost" rule means if an enemy has an unsaved wound, he must do a Strength test. If he fails the test, the unit is removed from play, otherwise nothing happens. Quite interesting to see it in play.
LORD OF WAR
You might have noticed the lack of Logan Grimnar in the HQ section. He is now a Lord of War priced at 250 pts. He no longer has the "High King" rule which makes him less powerful. However now comes with a chariot pulled by 2 Thunderwolves, which gives him extra wounds and mobility. Interesting to see this guy on the battlefield.
ELITES
An interesting change are the Wolf Guards. They now have been split into 2 slots now in the elite section. You now have Wolf Guard in power armor or in Terminator armor. They also cannot be leaders anymore, since units have upgrade options now.
Wolf Guard
The cost is 18 pts per model and can take melee and ranged weapons from the wargear list. They can take a jump pack or a bike as mounts. Not really special anymore and actually a bit expensive for what they can do. I don't expect them to be fielded often.
Wolf Guard Terminators
33 pts per model with a minimum of 3 models per unit. The options became less effective in terms of weapon combinations. For instance it's no longer possible to equip a chainfist with a stormshield, hich kinda sucks. However some of the options became cheaper, like the stormshield (free!) and the thunderhammer (15 pts). Overall still very strong.
Arjac Rockfist
Got cheaper and now comes in at 115 pts instead of +170 pts. Like Lukas he also is an independent character, but can also only join Wolf Guards or Wolf Guard Terminators. The "Grimnar's Champion" rule changed to re-rolls hits in challenges. Still pretty powerful though and point-wise a pretty good deal.
Lone Wolf
Still 20 pts but now has cheaper options albeit less variety. Sadly because you cannot equip a chainfist and stormshield together, he becomes less effective as a tank killer. However he is still quite strong and fun to use.
Iron Priest
Got 5 pts more expensive, but now is an independent character which means he can now join other units like the thunderwolf cavalry when mounting a thunderwolf. Gives new interesting possibilities. Otherwise plays pretty much the same as before.
Servitors
Now they have their own slot and costs 10 pts per model, however if there is a iron priest in play they won't take up a slot. The "Mindlock" rule makes them pretty useless though.
Wolf Scouts
Also reduced in pts by 4, so now comes in play at 14 pts per model. Lost the "Behind Enemy Lines" rule making them less effective now. They can now take on camo cloaks which raises their ability to survive. For the rest plays pretty much the same.
Dreadnought
Got slightly cheaper by 10 pts and now costs 95 pts. He can now be upgraded to a venerable dreadnought at a cost of 25 pts. As a venerable dreadnought he can carry a Fenrisian Great Axe and Blizzard Shield to make him a CQC monster. Can also equip a Helfrost Cannon.
Murderfang
A new dreadnought poised to smash enemy units in close combats. It comes in play at 135 pts and has the "It Will Not Die", the "Rage" and the "Rampage" rule, making it pretty powerful. Furthermore he is backed up with a pair of Murderclaws that have the "Master-crafted" and "Shred" rule. At last he can also be transported in a Drop Pod. All-in-all a great package that will see some play.
TROOPS
Grey Hunters
Grey Hunters have taken a slight hit with the loss of MOTW. Other then that they are now 1 point cheaper, however they don't have a CCW. You now have to pay 2 pts extra to gain the CCW, making them less effective point-ise compared to the old codex. Also no more free weapon at 10 models in the unit. The Wolf Standard changed and now gives +1 Attack within 6 inches of the banner and within 12 inches you can re-roll failed morale/pinning tests. That means in terms of staying power they are stronger than the previous codex as long as the banner carrier is still alive. Whereas before on the charge with a unit of 10 models you had a total of 31-37 attacks with MOTW. Now at its cheapest you will do 30 attacks and its most expensive 40 attacks with the banner. Also in the 2nd turn of assault the remaining models still have 2 attacks instead of 1 as long as the banner is still there. However the new unit becomes less effective the more models get killed compared to the old codex IF the model with MOTW is still alive, since it is attack is 1 + D6.
Quite interesting comparison, yet I do feel the loss of MOTW makes it less interesing. Furthermore, you can upgrade 1 Grey Hunter to a Wolf Guard Pack Leader with all the available options.
Blood Claws
Blood Claws are now 2 pts cheaper to field which is a pretty good deal. Also have better options now being able to carry more powerful weapons. Like Grey Hunters also lost MOTW makes them a bit less effective. Can upgrade a Blood Claw to a Pack Leader, but it instead gives him +1 WS and +1 BS. They now became more viable to use in battle because of the points reduction and options, however still need a Wolf Priest to make them really effective.
Lucas the Trickster
Now is pricd at 80 pts instead of +140 pts. He is an independent character now, but can only join Blood Claws. "Pelt of the Doppegangrel" rule changed to -3 WS in a challenge. Preferred the old rule though which made him harder to get hit. If he does he will not use up a slot. Even though less strong now, still looks fun to use.
Alright that was it for part 1, tomorrow I will post part 2 of the review where I will review the Fast Attack and Heavy Support units. Also I will review the Relics of the Fang and talk a little bit about the new formations! Laters peeps!
Overall Impression
After reading the codex a few times I have to say that I'm pretty content with the new codex. The cover looks cool and the layout looks clean and well-structured, but it is getting used to though. For instance in this army list you need to go back and forth a lot for the options, which was much easier in the previous codex, because all the options were stated on the same page of the unit. Furthermore, not much been added to the fluff, but for me it's the least interesting part. So let's take a look to the army list.
ARMY LIST
There have been quite some changes compared to the old codex. One of the first things I noticed is that the new codex feels less wolf-y and is more streamlined with the rest of the SM codices, which I think is a shame because it makes them less unique. A few unique rules have been removed such as the Mark of the Wulfen, most are altered like the Sagas and a few new rules have been added like the Hellfrost, which I will go deeper into later on. There are also a few rules that haven't changed. All the unit's still have "Acute Senses" rule, "Counter-Attack" rule and the "Thou Shall Have No Fear" rule, which is really nice because it keeps the SW still close combat-orientated.
The points for the wargear have also changed slightly, for the most part for the better. It looks like most of the ranged weapons gotten slightly more expensive, while the melee weapons for the most part gotten slightly cheaper. The new addition of the Relics of the Fang are pretty nice and offer interesting tactics, however some come for a quite steep price. More about it later on.
HQ
The sagas are now warlord traits instead of an option.
Saga of the Warrior Born - When fighting in a challenge, the Warlord re-rolls all failed To Hit rolls.
Saga of the Wolfkin - The Warlord, and all friendly units with the Space Wolves Faction consisting entirely of models with either the Beasts or Cavalry unit type, have the Stubborn special rule. In addition, if a friendly unit with the Space Wolves Faction is within 12" of the Warlord at the start of the Assault phase, all models with either the Beasts or Cavalry unit type in that unit have the Furious Charge special rule until the end of the phase.
Saga of the Beastslayer - The Warlord has the Monster Hunter special rule.
Saga of the Bear - The Warlord, and his unit, have the Feel No Pain (6+) special rule.
Saga of the Hunter - The Warlord has the Outflank and Stealth special rules.
Saga of Majesty - The Warlord, and all friendly units with the Space Wolves Faction within 12" of him, must re-roll failed Morale checks and Pinning tests
As you can see some of them have been altered completely or became less powerful and Saga of the Iron Wolf has been removed. I like the previous sagas way better especially the loss of Eternal Warrior is quite a big hit, considering most of the unique HQ's don't have "Eternal Warrior", making them all less attractive to take.
In general most of the unique HQ's gotten cheaper, MUCH cheaper! Even though this is a great thing in exchange most HQ's lost a few strong abilities, which makes them less useful now. So in terms for what you get point-wise it's still about the same as before. If you thought they were expensive before, they are still expensive now. However they still look fun to field. The best bang for your buck to looks to be the rune priest, the wolf lord and even the wolf guard.
Wolf Lord
The Wolf Lord actually became 5 points more expensive compared to the old codex, but in exchange you get a Belt of Russ.(4++ Inv Sv) standard which normally would cost you 25 pts. So technically the Wolf Lord actually got cheaper. Still has great wargear options including the Relics of the Fang. A few options got a bit cheaper, while others got a bit more expensive. However no longer has the option to equip a Wolftooth Necklace or a Wolf Tail Talisman as they are removed from the codex. Still strong however and well-balanced character.
Wolf Guard Battle Leader
Still the poor man's version of the Wolf Lord, but without the Belt of Russ. Now comes for the price of 50 pts, which is a reduction of 20 pts. Also has the same options as the wolf lord. Good for getting in cheap HQ's
Rune Priest
They have become quite powerful in this codex as they are only 60 pts now. With the arrival of the 7th edition rulebook, the Space Wolves Psyker powers became useless, so everyone was curious what was to become of the SW Psyker powers. Back then, they were considered quite overpowered and it would be no surprise if they would become nerfed in the new codex and sadly they are. Nowhere near as powerful they used to be, however they still are pretty effective for the most part. There is a big chance rune priests will see a lot of play.
Njal Stormcaller
Now costs 180 pts instead of 245 pts, which is a reduction of 65 pts. Gained 1 more wound and 1+ BS. "Lord of the Tempests" rule in my opinion has changed for the worse. Re-roll a single failed physic test each turn when attempting a Tempestas discipline. Also has the psychic hood standard. Now can replace his runic armor for free instead 25 pts.
Ragnar Blackmane
Also cheaper coming in at a price of 195 pts instead of 240 pts, which is 45 pts less. The changes in his rules makes him less effective and therefor makes him still expensive to field.
Harald Deathwolf
The finecast Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf now is an unique character coming at 190 pts. He is a beefed up version of a Thunderwolf Cavalry, who carries a Frost Axe and a Storm Shield standard. Also has outflank ability what makes it more interesting. Has a relic named "Mantle of the Ice Troll King" which makes him immune to Pyromancy, which is fun but not very useful most cases.
Canis Wolfborn
Almost the same as the previous version except with the loss of the "Wrath of the Savage" rule, which gave him +1 attack for each enemy in base contact with him. Instead gets the "Rampage" rule, which gives him a +D3 attacks if he is outnumbered. Still pretty okay, but I do prefer Harald over Canis.
Ulrik the Slayer
A reduction of 35 pts and is field-able at 145 pts. Like Njal also gained 1 wound and has gained "Healing Balms" rule, which gives him and units within 6 inches the "Feel no Pain" rule at 6+, which is nice. Also gained the "Fear" rule. Pretty good overall
Bjorn the Fell-Handed
220 pts instead of 270 pts. Still the same stats, but lost the "Living Relic" rule. Overall expensive compared to the other dreadnoughts available. May take a new unique ranged weapon named "Helfrost Cannon". The "Helfrost" rule means if an enemy has an unsaved wound, he must do a Strength test. If he fails the test, the unit is removed from play, otherwise nothing happens. Quite interesting to see it in play.
LORD OF WAR
You might have noticed the lack of Logan Grimnar in the HQ section. He is now a Lord of War priced at 250 pts. He no longer has the "High King" rule which makes him less powerful. However now comes with a chariot pulled by 2 Thunderwolves, which gives him extra wounds and mobility. Interesting to see this guy on the battlefield.
ELITES
An interesting change are the Wolf Guards. They now have been split into 2 slots now in the elite section. You now have Wolf Guard in power armor or in Terminator armor. They also cannot be leaders anymore, since units have upgrade options now.
Wolf Guard
The cost is 18 pts per model and can take melee and ranged weapons from the wargear list. They can take a jump pack or a bike as mounts. Not really special anymore and actually a bit expensive for what they can do. I don't expect them to be fielded often.
Wolf Guard Terminators
33 pts per model with a minimum of 3 models per unit. The options became less effective in terms of weapon combinations. For instance it's no longer possible to equip a chainfist with a stormshield, hich kinda sucks. However some of the options became cheaper, like the stormshield (free!) and the thunderhammer (15 pts). Overall still very strong.
Arjac Rockfist
Got cheaper and now comes in at 115 pts instead of +170 pts. Like Lukas he also is an independent character, but can also only join Wolf Guards or Wolf Guard Terminators. The "Grimnar's Champion" rule changed to re-rolls hits in challenges. Still pretty powerful though and point-wise a pretty good deal.
Lone Wolf
Still 20 pts but now has cheaper options albeit less variety. Sadly because you cannot equip a chainfist and stormshield together, he becomes less effective as a tank killer. However he is still quite strong and fun to use.
Iron Priest
Got 5 pts more expensive, but now is an independent character which means he can now join other units like the thunderwolf cavalry when mounting a thunderwolf. Gives new interesting possibilities. Otherwise plays pretty much the same as before.
Servitors
Now they have their own slot and costs 10 pts per model, however if there is a iron priest in play they won't take up a slot. The "Mindlock" rule makes them pretty useless though.
Wolf Scouts
Also reduced in pts by 4, so now comes in play at 14 pts per model. Lost the "Behind Enemy Lines" rule making them less effective now. They can now take on camo cloaks which raises their ability to survive. For the rest plays pretty much the same.
Dreadnought
Got slightly cheaper by 10 pts and now costs 95 pts. He can now be upgraded to a venerable dreadnought at a cost of 25 pts. As a venerable dreadnought he can carry a Fenrisian Great Axe and Blizzard Shield to make him a CQC monster. Can also equip a Helfrost Cannon.
Murderfang
A new dreadnought poised to smash enemy units in close combats. It comes in play at 135 pts and has the "It Will Not Die", the "Rage" and the "Rampage" rule, making it pretty powerful. Furthermore he is backed up with a pair of Murderclaws that have the "Master-crafted" and "Shred" rule. At last he can also be transported in a Drop Pod. All-in-all a great package that will see some play.
TROOPS
Grey Hunters
Grey Hunters have taken a slight hit with the loss of MOTW. Other then that they are now 1 point cheaper, however they don't have a CCW. You now have to pay 2 pts extra to gain the CCW, making them less effective point-ise compared to the old codex. Also no more free weapon at 10 models in the unit. The Wolf Standard changed and now gives +1 Attack within 6 inches of the banner and within 12 inches you can re-roll failed morale/pinning tests. That means in terms of staying power they are stronger than the previous codex as long as the banner carrier is still alive. Whereas before on the charge with a unit of 10 models you had a total of 31-37 attacks with MOTW. Now at its cheapest you will do 30 attacks and its most expensive 40 attacks with the banner. Also in the 2nd turn of assault the remaining models still have 2 attacks instead of 1 as long as the banner is still there. However the new unit becomes less effective the more models get killed compared to the old codex IF the model with MOTW is still alive, since it is attack is 1 + D6.
Quite interesting comparison, yet I do feel the loss of MOTW makes it less interesing. Furthermore, you can upgrade 1 Grey Hunter to a Wolf Guard Pack Leader with all the available options.
Blood Claws
Blood Claws are now 2 pts cheaper to field which is a pretty good deal. Also have better options now being able to carry more powerful weapons. Like Grey Hunters also lost MOTW makes them a bit less effective. Can upgrade a Blood Claw to a Pack Leader, but it instead gives him +1 WS and +1 BS. They now became more viable to use in battle because of the points reduction and options, however still need a Wolf Priest to make them really effective.
Lucas the Trickster
Now is pricd at 80 pts instead of +140 pts. He is an independent character now, but can only join Blood Claws. "Pelt of the Doppegangrel" rule changed to -3 WS in a challenge. Preferred the old rule though which made him harder to get hit. If he does he will not use up a slot. Even though less strong now, still looks fun to use.
Alright that was it for part 1, tomorrow I will post part 2 of the review where I will review the Fast Attack and Heavy Support units. Also I will review the Relics of the Fang and talk a little bit about the new formations! Laters peeps!
The start of it all!
Welcome to my blog! The name is Hung a.k.a. Solidusfox, which is the nickname I use in many games or accounts. I started this blog mainly as an outlet for my hobbies such as videogames, boardgames, tabletop games, movies, cooking and more. How this will take shape I'm still not sure, but I hope to figure it out as time goes by. Anyways I hope you guys will stick around and enjoy the content to come! Thanks!
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