How To: Iron Hands (using the Space Wolves Codex) Part 2

Last week's segment was about the fluff behind using the Space Wolves codex as an appropriate substitute for Codex: SM when trying to play an Iron Hands list. This week, I'll be exploring the various ways to do this on the tabletop. Black bits are list bits. The text in red is fluff or gameplay explanations.

Images with snarky captions? I'm a real blogger now!

List 1: Bjorn the Face-Fister (Under the alias Warleader Bannus of the Kaargul Clan)
HQ: Bjorn. 270.

Assault Cannon or Plasma Cannon is purely a matter of taste. I figure there are better ways to get your las on than with a 290-point melee model.

Say hello to my very BEEG friend!

Troops: 740
2 of these: 8 Grey Hunters, Meltagun, Power Sword - 140
  Drop Pod - 35
2 of these: 10 Grey Hunters, 2 Plasma Guns, Power Fist - 195
Running total: 1010

Elites: 840
2 of these: Venerable Dreadnought, Extra Armour, Heavy Flamer swap, Saga of Majesty - 205

The Saga of Majesty represents the inspirational effect that Dreadnoughts have on the battlefield, especially for a chapter like the Hands that reveres their ancients so deeply. These guys are tough to kill. They advance with your foot component, shooting stuff and punching stuff, as dreads are wont to do.

'Tis but a scratch. The Black Knight ALWAYS triumphs!

8 Wolf Guard Terminators, CML+SB+PS, AC+PS, 3 C-W+PS, 2 SB+WC, 1 SB+PF - 359 (Abbreviations: Cyclone Missile Launcher, Storm Bolter, Power Sword, Assault Cannon, Combi-Weapon, Wolf Claw, Power Fist)
  Drop Pod - 35

Five termies to embed in your squads (one lucky squad gets an ASSAULT CANNON!). Three other termies to tear things apart with claws and sbolters. You have a variety of options here, so don't commit yourself to putting a specific termie with a specific squad. You can put the combi-weapons in with the meltagun squads, or if you'd rather you can deploy all three of them as "suicide melta" like some kind of chaos scum. If you want to deploy them on turn 1, use the drop pod as deployable cover. Don't even open the doors, except maybe one to shoot the storm bolter through.

Running Total: 1850

Heavy Support:
6 Long Fangs, 5 Missile Launchers, squad leader Meltagun - 150
  Drop Pod - 35

Shooting stuff with missiles is the single most straightforward task in the whole game. If you can't figure it out, stop playing now. Even I, the fluff player, will laugh at your misfortune. Probably put a cyclone termy here. For the drop pod, see WGT entry. Same thing applies.

Long FANGS. With an A. Go back to Ba Sing Se, sir, and take your facial hair with you.

That's a solid 2000 points of Iron Hands. It gives you a mix of drop pod elements and foot units, so you can get some guys where you need them early game and follow them up mid- to late-game with Wave Two, which will be dreads plus footies.

List 1b:

This is almost the same as list one, but goes full Drop Pod Assault. Everything except Bjorn (who, for no reason whatsoever, cannot use a Pod despite being a Dreadnought) drops in in this list. Bjorn might need to hoof it, which makes the Plasma Cannon slightly more desirable - that extra 12" range means you get to start killing things sooner. Just remember that, without some Reserves manipulation, full drop lists can come in a bit haphazardly.

HQ: Bjorn. 270.

Troops: 696
2 of these: 7 Grey Hunters, Meltagun, Power Sword - 120
  Drop Pod - 35
2 of these: 8 Grey Hunters, Plasma Gun, Power Fist/Storm Bolter - 143
  Drop Pod - 35

Elites: 859
2 of these: Venerable Dreadnought, Extra Armour, Heavy Flamer swap, Saga of Majesty, Wolf Tail Talisman - 215
  Drop Pod - 35
 
8 Wolf Guard Terminators, CML+SB+PS, AC+PS, 3 C-W+PS, 2 SB+WC, 1 SB+PF - 359 (Abbreviations: Cyclone Missile Launcher, Storm Bolter, Power Sword, Assault Cannon, Combi-Weapon, Wolf Claw, Power Fist)
  Drop Pod - 35

Heavy Support: 175
6 Long Fangs, 5 Missile Launchers - 140
  Drop Pod - 35

List 2: Loganwing. The Iron Lord with his Iron Hands and his Iron Axe and his Iron Launcher that shoots Ironstrike Nine-Irons (I'm Matt Ward, give me moneys now).This is NOT a tournament list. It's full of footsloggers, Logan's accompaniment is mediocre at best, it fails hard at target saturation, and it uses a unit of 20 wolves plus an Iron Priest, so... take it for what it is: fluffy and fun. You won't be winning 'ard boyz any time soon, but you will be doing your Primarch proud.
 

The Iron Hands logo on his shoulder means he's Iron Hands!

HQ: 275
Grimnar - 275
Put this guy in a group of whatever, and he'll make them be better than they were.

Elites: 495
Venerable Dreadnought, Extra Armour, Heavy Flamer swap, Saga of Majesty - 205
Dreadnought, two Twin-Linked Autocannons - 125
Iron Priest, Thunderwolf Mount (Legio Cybernetica Crusader with Thunder Hammer, Boltgun), 4 Cyber-wolves, Wolf Tooth Necklace - 165


Fast Attack: 208
15 Fenrisian Wolves, Cyberwolf - 128 (Close Combat servitors linked to the Legio Cybernetica Crusader)

Fifteen of this. One of them has FERROUS MANIPULATORS.

Thunderwolf, Frost Axe, Meltabombs - 80 (Legio Cybernetica Crusader - not as strong or heavily armored as a Dreadnought, but faster, and with a short ranged Melta Drill. It's a bit of a fluff leap, but it sounds cool, so who cares?)

There are no wolves on Medusa either.

Heavy Support:170

And some more heavy support in the form of a couple Predator Destructors:

Predator, Heavy Bolter Sponsons - 85
Predator, Heavy Bolter Sponsons - 85

DAKKADAKKADAKKA... Am I doin it rite?

 Troops:
10 Wolf Guard, two Terminators with Cyclone Missile Launchers, eight Storm Bolters - 274
LOOK AT ME, I'M GREY KNIGHTS! Seriously, though, this is a midrange move-and-shoot unit, plus all the move-6-and-shoot-four-missiles firepower of, I dunno, a unit of Long Fangs hanging out with Grimnar. Except, you know, without the Grimnar. Basically, have these guys follow your Rhino squads and keep an eye on your rear. Logan might go here as well, in which case their role changes from midfield defense to midfield offense, and you might swap the missiles for assault cannons, as befits a forward assaulty unit.

2 of these: 5 Wolf Guard, two combi-weapons (dealer's choice), power fist - 125
  Stronos Razorback (Lascannon/Twin-Linked Plasma Gun) - 75
They named this thing after a "chapter master" of the Iron Hands - or maybe it's the other way around. Might as well get some use out of the bloody thing. What combi-weapons you use is pretty much up to you.

5 Wolf Guard, one Terminator with Power Fist/Storm Shield, three Power Weapons, one Wolf Claw + Storm Bolter - 178
This is Ironicus Ferriron's Iron Squad of Iron Sergeants with Iron Swords and one Ironminator with an Iron Fist and Iron Shield.  Logan can go here and chop dudes with his axe or whatever.


And there you have it. Iron Hands the way Iron Hands should be played. Iron and handsy.