Battles against Space Wolves

So, the first time I faced Paul's Space Wolves, we had a straight up pitched battle kill points game, wherein I got an absolute kicking. I was using my Throne of Skulls list from January, and it just didn't have the ability to put a hole in the number of power armoured bodies running across the field at me, or rather, being driven in Rhinos.

I was looking down the wrong end of a Wolf Priest, a bunch of Grey Hunter squads in Rhinos, two squads of Long Fangs, some Wolf Scouts and a Whirlwind. (The last being a bit of an experiment on Paul's part.) I was unable to stop them getting across the board, and they ripped me to bits.

So, I resolved to take something a bit more suited to dealing with power armour and transports...

1500 Pts - Imperial Guard Roster - April game vs Paul

HQ: Company Command Squad (8#, 197 pts)
2 Company Command Squad, 197 pts (Unit Type: Infantry; Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon x2; Lasgun x2; Camo Cloak; Medi-pack; Regimental Standard)
1 Veteran Heavy Weapon Team (Lascannon; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon x1; Flak Armour; Lasgun x1)
1 Company Commander (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Refractor Field; Close Combat Weapon; Camo Cloak; Bolter; Senior Officer)
1 Astropath (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon; Laspistol; Camo Cloak; Telepathic Relay)
1 Bodyguard (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon; Laspistol; Camo Cloak; Look out - Arghh!)
1 Bodyguard (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon; Laspistol; Camo Cloak; Look out - Arghh!)

Troops: Infantry Platoon (28#, 402 pts)
1 Infantry Platoon, 402 pts
4 Platoon Command Squad (Unit Type: Infantry; Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon x4; Meltagun x4)
1 Platoon Commander (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Bolter; Power Fist; Junior Officer)
1 Chimera (Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank); Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Turret Multi-Laser; Heavy Flamer; Hunter-killer Missile; Amphibious; Mobile Command Vehicle)
7 Infantry Squad (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon x7; Flak Armour; Lasgun x6; Meltagun x1; Combined Squad)
1 Heavy Weapons Team (Autocannon; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon x1; Flak Armour; Lasgun x1)
1 Commissar (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Bolt Pistol; Power Weapon; Summary Execution; Stubborn)
1 Sergeant (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Laspistol; Power Weapon)
7 Infantry Squad (Unit Type: Infantry; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon x7; Flak Armour; Lasgun x6; Meltagun x1; Combined Squad)
1 Heavy Weapons Team (Autocannon; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon x1; Flak Armour; Lasgun x1)
1 Commissar (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Bolt Pistol; Power Weapon; Summary Execution; Stubborn)
1 Sergeant (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Laspistol; Power Weapon)

Troops: Veteran Squad (10#, 115 pts)
9 Veteran Squad, 115 pts (Unit Type: Infantry; Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Close Combat Weapon x9; Lasgun x6; Demolition Charge; Melta Bombs; Flamer x2; Grenade Launcher x1; Demolitions)
1 Veteran Sergeant (Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Laspistol; Close Combat Weapon; Melta Bombs)

Fast Attack: Hellhound Squadron (1#, 145 pts)
1 Hellhound Squadron, 145 pts
1 Bane Wolf (Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank, Fast); Chem Cannon; Multi-melta)

Fast Attack: Vendetta Gunship Squadron (1#, 130 pts)
1 Vendetta Gunship Squadron, 130 pts (Deep Strike; Grav Chute Insertion; Scouts)
1 Vendetta (Extra Armor; Searchlight; Twin-linked Lascannon x3)

Heavy Support: Leman Russ Squadron (1#, 165 pts)
1 Leman Russ Squadron, 165 pts
1 Leman Russ Battle Tank (Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank); Battle Cannon; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Lascannon; Lumbering Behemoth)

Heavy Support: Leman Russ Squadron (1#, 165 pts)
1 Leman Russ Squadron, 165 pts
1 Leman Russ Battle Tank (Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank); Battle Cannon; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Lascannon; Lumbering Behemoth)

Heavy Support: Leman Russ Squadron (1#, 180 pts)
1 Leman Russ Squadron, 180 pts
1 Leman Russ Demolisher (Unit Type: Vehicle (Tank); Demolisher Siege Cannon; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Lascannon; Lumbering Behemoth)

Total Roster Cost: 1499

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This did a lot better - Paul changed his list to drop a Long Fang squad and the Wolf Scouts, gaining an unpleasant unit of Wolf Guard Terminators and a Land Raider Redeemer, then still three Rhinos full of Grey Hunters with a good provision of melta and a Wolf Guard leader each.

This time, it was Capture and Control, which made me a little nervous, due to the lack of troops choices in the new list. It was pitched battle again, and I (for once) won the roll to set up first and go first. This almost never happens and I've found myself getting quite reactive to how people deploy. Having to put down models first left me a little nervous, but I'm pretty happy with how the deployment went.

I'm not going to bother with a blow by blow, but it went pretty well. I managed to take out the Land Raider Redeemer first turn, which was a huge relief. I then put a reliable number of holes into his Rhinos as they crossed the field, and the unfortunate Wolf Guard who were now having to foot slog across the field.

In the end, it came down to one squad holding an objective on the left flank, a command squad (and fortunate troops choice) cowering with two models left alive behind a Chimera (after a desperate run of hitting the deck had resulted in some very lucky saves, before I got them to "get back in the fight" to run for cover.

Meanwhile, Paul had a Grey Hunter squad in the open on an objective, bruised but not dead - I only had one Leman Russ in working order by that point, but there were no troops nearby to have a chance of contesting it.

I think the list still needs tweaking - it doesn't have enough troops units to hold objectives - I was relying on putting enough holes in Paul's tougher, more dangerous troops choices rather than being able to do much with mine.