Hello everyone SaltyJohn here from TFGRadio bringing you a review of an underutilized Elites Choice from: the warriors of Fenris, the Sons of Russ, the Space Wolves themselves the Wolf Guard Terminators! For more reviews, bat reps, tactics discussions, and analysis check out the Tactics Corner!
The Great Companies of the Vlka Fenryka have eschewed the scripture of the Codex Astartes for Millenia. As such they’re ranks often contain whole echelons of warriors equipped with armor and weapons that regular Companies of Space Marines simply don’t have at their disposal. While this can include units as exotic as Fenrisian Wolves, packs of murderous Wulfen, even warriors of the Adeptus Astarted mounted on massive wolves, the Thunderwolf Cavalry; it also extends to large packs of Jump Pack equipped troops and legions of near feral Blood Claws on Space Marine Bikes. As the vaunted executioners of the Emperor the warriors of Fenris have access to the means of executing even the Emperor’s finest creation, the Space Marines themselves. To this end large numbers of Tactical Dreadnought Armor, more commonly known as Terminator Armor found its way into the armories of the Fang. Even among the Space Wolves this armor is considered too important to risk in the hands of lesser warriors and is only entrusted to the Wolf Guard of the Great Companies and the heroes who lead them into battle in the All Fathers’ name.
Wolf Guard Terminators have never really found their niche in any of the editions of Warhammer 40k. Many players have attempted to make them work in various forms competitively but outside the realm of casual and narrative gaming they unfortunately never took off. That isn’t to say they are a straight up and down bad unit. Far from it, the problem with Wolf Guard Terminators is that they are eclipsed by better, more points efficient choices from the Space Wolf codex and the Curse of the Wulfen supplement. Despite the plethora of options overshadowing them the current Wolf Guard Terminators (WGT) rules and options are pretty good. I’d argue they’re one of only two ways to effectively run loyalist terminators in the modern meta. The other being new Blood Angels formation that gets to assault the turn they deep strike. WGT clock in at 33 points a piece and the unit starts as a unit of 3 for 99 points.
Wargear:
- Terminator armor (duh)
- Storm Bolter
- Power Weapon (you can choose sword, axe, maul)
- Options: May take up to 7 more terminators. Any model may take either Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield or double lightning claws for 15 points. For every 5 models in the unit one WGT may take a Heavy Flamer, Assault Cannon, or Cyclone Missile Launcher. May replace Stormbolter with Combi-flamer/melta/plasma for 5 points. Wolf Claw 15, or Thunderhammer 25. May replace power weapon with: Storm shield, Frost Axe/Sword 5, Wolf Claw 10, Powerfist 10, Chainfist 15, Thunderhammer 15.
- Stormwolf, and Land Raider variants can be taken as dedicated transport. Not Drop Pods 🙁
Special Rules:
- Acute Senses
- ATSKNF
- Counter-Attack
Tactics:
Fielding Wolf Guard Terminators is a tempting prospect for many Space Wolf players. The unit is iconic, stretching back to the beginning of GW with metal Space Wolf Terminators on 25mm bases! They also look really cool, be honest. With the multiple ways you can load them out they are even better looking than Vanilla Terminators and with all the different pelts, totems, spikes, chains, and fur cloacks they also look distinctive. Wolf Guard Terminators are one of the only loyalist terminator kits that looks good when mixed with the Chaos Terminator bits, which is good because only CSM terminators have combi-flamers that are built on scale with Terminator armor. Enough prattle about modeling, time for tactics.
In a previous article on Wolf Lords the terminator lord with a nice unit of killy terminators was discussed. The great thing about WGT is their ability to take a Stormwolf as dedicated transport. The Stormwolf is fast, survivable, and packs a pretty good punch. The basic idea behind the Stormwolf load out for WGT is simple. They’re hunters of the bigger targets that currently inhabit the battefields of 7th edition 40k. Superheavies, Super heavy Walkers, units of Monstrous Creatures, and Gargantuan Monstrous Creatures. This is a basic load out, combined with a Wolf Priest in Terminator Armor or a Wolf Lord in Terminator Armor:
- 6 Wolf Guard Terminators
- 2 with Thunderhammer and Storm Shield 4 with Chainfists and Combi-meltas
- Stormwolf
- 2x Multimelta upgrade, coupled with the Twin-linked Las Cannon and Twin-linked Hellfrost Cannon you can put a lot of hurt on Imperial Knights and GMC.
This is a build that excels at hunting big time threats like Knights, GMC, Super Heavies, you name it. It can also be a lot of fun to play. In a post Curse of the Wulfen world I would probably run the Lord attached to thid unit with a Wulfen Stone. You get Rage on the Lord and Furious Charge for his unit. Strength 9 Chainfists are nothing to be sneezed at. In Close Combat this build also has the added benefit of being able to tarpit a Deathstar for a little while before dying. Another bonus is this load out doesn’t rely on a Formation or special detachment to work. You can take a SW CAD with this load out and still have room for chaff units with obsec and a Sicaran or two.
Even if you were going to go the detachment/formation route this unit can slot in pretty easily to almost any of the Curse of the Wulfen Great Companies. It costs 543 points so it may be cost prohibitive in a high costed Company like the Blackmanes but might slot in well to a well built Iron Wolves list.
Another popular way to run Space Wolf, Wolf Guard Terminators, is actually an innovation of 5th edition Chaos players. The Termicide squad. Termicide is when you take a minimum squad of 3 terminators give them 3 combi-meltas and drop them in to vaporize something. It isn’t great but for CSM players without access to Drop Pods/Dreadclaws for editions on end it was their only choice! Until recently Space Wolf players didn’t even have this option as the WGT were specifically precluded from arriving via teleportation because they knew no fear but teleporters apparently… 108 points is a lot to pay for 3 guys with combi-meltas who are going to die but sometimes it can be what the doctor ordered. The problem with that is in the modern era of Drop Pods and Dreadclaws everywhere why would you? The new termicide tends to be a harassment unit. Usually not 3 terminators but 5 with a mix of combi-weapons, Assault Cannon, and Storm Shields to allow for some survivability. Again, this isn’t an ideal use of the unit.
Stormwolf tech and termicide aside the poor maligned Wolf Guard Terminators continue to be just that. I had really hoped for something in Curse of the Wulfen to make Terminators Great Again. Hopefully in 8th edition vehicles become a bit more survivable. If that’s the case then Land Raiders full of Wolf Guard Terminators might just become a thing again. Except with all the Wulfen and formations to take multiple land raiders around… Poor, poor terminators. So cool looking and yet so sub par in relation to other choices in their codices. Even the All Father himself would choose to leave you at home if he played 40k.
As always, share your thoughts in the comments section! And remember, Frontline Gaming sells Games Workshop product at up to 25% off, every day.
