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| Grey Hunters who are actually wearing light blue. |
Grey Hunters (GH) are Blood Claws who have been deemed worthy to be promoted to the next level by the Wolfguard who leads them. They are more canine in features than the Blood Claws, having thicker, longer hair, and longer, sharper fangs. Their standard wargear consists of power armour (we love 3+ saves!), a close combat weapon, bolt pistol, and a boltgun/bolter. They also have krak and frag grenades. Based on these wargear alone, they are better than standard marines for they get a +1 to Attack due to having two close combat weapons (the CCW and the bolt pistol).
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| What!? 2 close combat weapons? Yes! Cause I can! |
GHs are considered as one of the best troop/infantry choice in WH40K right now. The value they gives for each point is just awesome and you can load the squad with useful options of which we will be discussing.
Grey Hunter Stats
WS BS S T W I A Ld Sv
4 4 4 4 1 4 1 8 3+
SPECIAL RULES
ATSKNF - Makes your unit immune to fear and elimination due to sweeping advances. Also allows you to automatically regroup.
Acute Senses - If outflanking, you can reroll which table edge they come in if you are not satisfied with the first roll but you need to abide by the second roll.
Counter-attack - contrary to what people say, Space Wolves are NOT an assault oriented army. How fun would that be if it were true.They just take assaults better and the Grey Hunters are the best of them due to this special rule, overwatch, and their wolf standard. You need to roll for this though using leadership.
Grey Hunters have a solid core of stats and special rules and you can take 5-10 of them for 15 points each. Cheaper than your standard marine squad!
OPTIONS
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| Conversion. The only way to get meltas nowadays. |
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| Pink and blue go together no? |
Ranged Special Weapons (Flamer, Plasma gun, Melta gun) - One GH can take a special weapon and if the unit has 10 models, another GH gets to take another special weapon for free!
(Note that this doesn't work with 9 GH and 1 Wolfguard in a unit). Based on these special weapons, a GH unit can take on any roles such as vehicle or infantry killing. It's a pity they don't get Combat squads and heavy weapons (the price you pay for being too awesome!).
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| "I don't know about this sir. Does it blow up at the same rate as a plasma gun? ... Sir?" |
Plasma pistol - Tried it. Didn't get to use it in any single game. Range is too short and can just as easily blow up in your face as a regular Plasma gun.
Special Close Combat Weapons - Grey Hunters can take either a Power weapon or power fist. I'd take a power weapon if the points would allow but I think these kinds of special melee weapons are better left to Wolfguards.
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| Don't leave the Fang without it |
Wolf Standard - Activated before any assault phase (your own or your opponents') by taking a leadership test, they make you reroll all results of one. That includes overwatch, to hit, to wound, armour saves, feel no pain saves if there are any, etc, etc. Can only be used once per game. Use this to turn your Wolfguard in terminator armour into an almost invincible shield for one assault phase!
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| Lost on ideas on how to depict MotW |
Mark of the Wulfen (MotW) - Again, tried it but didn't get to use it much as I wasn't assaulting most of the time but is still useful as it gives you d6 + 1 attacks, which rend (AP2) on a to wound roll of a 6. Useful in assault situations (also affected by Wolf Standard).
TACTICS
Razorback Spam
Haven't tried this myself but have read a tons of blogs and forum posts that recommend this. Stick either 6 GH or 5 GH with a wolfguard in here (don't forget the options!) and you have a happy camper on objectives while the razorback provides fire support in the form of either twin-linked lascannons, or twin-linked heavy bolters, or twin-linked plasma-gun with lascannon. With vehicles taking a hit in 6th ed (as most veterans say) due to how the new vehicle damage chart works and hull points, this option is becoming a little less viable right now. As for me, I'd be taking a 10 GH squad or 9 with a wolfguard instead.
Foot Slogger
Some do recommend this but it is a bit too slow for me. Besides, there are a lot of threats out their for your GH squad such as Strength 10 AP2 cannons, Bale flamers, and basically anything with AP3 and you might not have the numbers when you finally reach the enemy and trade shots or blows. May be useful if you get a Wolfguard in terminator armor to tank for them.
Drop Pod
If you're dropping them, then make sure majority of your army is also dropping via drop pod or have a viable support ready because a lone unit of Grey Hunters behind enemy lines is a dead unit of Grey Hunters. You can also have a wolfguard in terminator armor drop in along with them to serve as a tank, etc but then it would limit your GH to 8 models instead. When going drop pod all the way, make sure to take a fortification with a comms-relay to reroll failed reserve rolls.
Outflanking
Now this is an option that you'll almost always see me field not because it works (well it does for me most of the time) but it is more to my style. For this to work, you need a Wolf Priest in power armour and saga of the hunter. Load the squad with plasma guns (and pistols) and with the Wolf Priest's preferred enemy (you need to choose the unit type), which let's you reroll to hit and to wound results of a one on the chosen unit, you'll never die due to a plasma blow-back to your face! Unless of course, the dice gods are really cruel to you and give you a new set of ones but then again, power armour would almost always save you. What more, you can also attach a wolf guard in this squad to add an additional umph! A squad of this on your enemies' flanks is not a pretty sight.
CONCLUSION
(+) relatively low cost
(+) gets an extra close combat weapon aside from the bolt pistol
(+) the options rock!
(+) can perform almost any function you want them to
(+) models look more unique than other marines
(-) can't voluntarily fall back or split to 5 man squads
(-) can't take heavy weapons
(-) dies easily to baleflamers
(-) mediocre leadership
