Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (HoR)/Tactics/Space Wolves

The Space Wolves run a middle of the line in regards to their playstyle in accordance to other Space Marines. While they run with the same limitations of other marine armies in terms of numbers, they run a strange specialization in massed charges with the copious use of wolves and the close-combat specialties of the Blood Claws/Skyclaws. The challenge then becomes how to balance the assaulty goodness of the Wolves with the firepower that makes them a big threat.

Rules

• Fenrisian Wolves/Cyberwolves: Any Fenrisian Wolves/Cyberwolves bought as another model's upgrade becomes a squad for that buyer. However, if those wolves ever die during a campaign, they roll for death like Core models. Wolves who stay dead after that roll are gone and must be repurchased.
• Teleporting Terminators" Terminators can Deep-Strike. Surprise, surprise.

Wargear

• Master-Crafted Weapon: It's an MC weapon. Keep for your combat weapons or pistols. Maybe the low-fire guns.
• Overcharged Weapon: Gives a single gun +1S but also Gets Hot, which makes it a bit risky. It's especially worse on Plasma weapons, as they now explode on a 1 or 2.
• Suspensors: A rather nice upgrade, this allows a Heavy weapon to fire at full BS even if the model moved, but only at half-range. Pretty good take for Long Fangs to keep the fire coming.
• Smoke Grenade: A harmless grenade that gives you a Large Blast worth of temporary 5+ cover until the next turn. If you ever felt like playing Cyrus, roll it.
• Auxiliary Grenade Launcher: Allows a gun to fire a grenade as well as fire, this won't get much use unless you have a strict idea how to use it.
• Auspex: See codex; spend a shooting turn to drop an enemy's cover save by 1.
• Bionics: A cheap way to grab a 6+ FNP.

Leaders Only

• Helbiter: An S5 AP4 Bolt Pistol with Helfrost, making it pretty much key for sniping the weak. It's pretty much the Helfrost half of the Bite of Fenris, now pistol-sized.
• Wulfjaw: An S+1 AP4 Chainsword with Rending and Strikedown. Rather decent for managing challenges and small combat with Rending. If they try to run, then Strikedown will make sure that they'll stay where you can hit them. Otherwise, the Frost Sword is slightly better in exchange for the rules and a slightly higher pricetag.
• Amulet of Russ: It's a 5++ Invul. Buy it if you have the room.
• Mark of the Wulfen: A rather bizarre tool from the old codex, this replaces all your weapons. Instead, the Leader just gets d6+1 Rending CCW attacks. Absolutely monstrous, but will screw you over with Overwatch. Bring security if you need to get this.
• Wolf Tooth Necklace: Old Codex Tool #2. The ability to always hit on a 3+ is a rather nice boost, especially when going up against other MEQ and higher. The issue is that this will also screw you over when fighting stuff like Tau and swarms, which usually would give you a boost on the to-hit roll, now become only a 50-50 shot. Take only if you're up against MEQ and TEQ armies.
• Wolf-Tail Talisman: Old Codex Tool #3. Adamantium Will is a decent bonus to resist any oncoming powers.

Pack Leader Only

• Tyrfang: A Frost Sword with a special rule granting it d6 bonus attacks. The problem is that if you roll a 1, the Pack Leader now has to take an S5 AP3 hit. Beware the roll if you fumble it.
• Wolf Helm: Grants models within IP a re-roll on all morale. Rather handy.
• Saga of the Frontrunner: Expands the IP range from 6" to 12". Good for coverage, but the reliability won't be any better.
• Keen Senses: A fluffy and nice rule, this allows the Pack Leader to fire at and charge hidden models. The issue is that they're still in cover, so you better find a way to either ignore it or buy bonus grenades to charge through it.
• Pelt of the Dire Wolf: Stealth is something of an incredible take, as the cover gets a lot better. The fact that it's cheap also means that grabbing it is even easier to fit into a playstyle you're working with.

Rune Skald Only

• Bifrost Gauntlets: A re-rollable 3+ armor is rather weird, but using it is a good idea for up-close fighting or if you expect heavy firepower to mess with you from the backfield.
• Staff of Blizzards: A curious weapon, it's an S4 AP- Template, but not a flamer. Instead, it merely blinds. It lends a hand to the mobs so that they don't get pulped so quickly.
• Chooser of the Slain: Remember that one rule that made Rune Priests awesome at denying as well as boosting firepower? Yeah, they're back, but a little different than before. Now you have to mark a single model and when firing anything (including Witchfire powers), you get +1 BS. It's a bit disappointing the fire support isn't available to other models, but this is a handy way to ensure priority removal.

Long Fang Ancient Only

• Helfrost Rifle: A handheld Helfrost Cannon, but now it's just Assault 1 with Helfrost. The idea of just wiping out flimsy things makes this a real good grab against weak mobs who tend to have shit Strength and thus die fast.

Iron Priest Only

• Saga of the Iron Wolf: Another old codex tool, this grants +1 to repair rolls. Only grab for transports.

Wolf Skald Only

• Allfather Totem: This banner grants Space Wolves within 6" of him Rage, making them much better on the charge. Grab it for the massed assaults you take him for.

Thunderwolf Only

• Jagged Barding: Grants +1S on HoW hits. Pretty nice for the assault.

Terminator Only

• Auto-Launcher: Gives a Termie infinite Assault Grenades, but they can't be thrown as weapons. Rather nice with the fine tools you get with the Wolves.
• Cataphractii-Pattern Terminator Armour: Gives a 4++, but exchanges Relentless with S&P. Beware using this, because you're giving up the option to Overwatch for a better Invul.
• Tartaros-Pattern Terminator Armour: Grants the wearer Sweeping Advances. Definitely a more advisable choice over the Cataphractii, as this is cheaper and offers more mobility.
• Teleporter: A Termie gives up assaulting for a turn and gets a 2d6" shunt wherever he wants. Good for setting up traps.

FOC

• 1 Leader
• 1-20 Core
• 0-3 Special

Leaders

• Wolf Guard Pack Leader: In an act of mercy, Heralds of Ruin did away with the generic Pack Leaders and just gave us the Wolf Guard Leaders as the utility Leaders. Though pricy, they get all the utility of the basic Codex Marine Sergeants with access to most of the same special gear, with the exception of shields and teleport homers so that you can buy up to two wolves as bait. Like other sarges, grabbing a bike means more Swiftclaws can join, getting a jump pack means more Skyclaws can join.
  • Wolf Guard Terminator Leader: 15 Points makes him a Wolf Guard Terminator Leader, which limits him to only Wargear, guns, and wolves. In this case, wolves become a bit more of a liability as they'll run much faster than the Leader. Grabbing him makes Termies Core, so you can mass up some Wolf Guard Termies.
• Thunderwolf Cavalry Pack Leader: A regular Pack Leader on a Thunderwolf, he's locked for optioms to only meltabombs, a bolter, or a plasma pistol. He can also grab some wolves to flank him, which tends to be a good option since he can keep up with them. He starts off rather expensive, and his broad list of Wargear helps little, but he doesn't get much more expensive than other Leaders.
• Long Fang Ancient: Starts off at a respectable price, and can take special weapons, meltabombs, a plasma pistol or a power weapon/fist. Sadly, he can't grab bigger guns. That said, his Helfrost Rifle is a neat tool to grab, as the power it packs is great on weak mobs. Aside from that, he's only really good for the limited guns he can grab.
• Rune Skald: Your mini-Rune Priest with ML1. Runic Armor and a full statline both cost 20 Points each, and he can take any Runic Weapon he wants. Other than that, he's the same as any codex Lexi, though he lacks a homer. H can choose between taking Smite (To kill mobs), Prescience (for Fire Support), Assail (for locking targets into place), or Living Lightning (For destroying big models). Support tends to be the better role, but taking Chooser of the Slain means that Living Lightning will be the top choice if you distrust your guns.
• Wolf Skald: A mini Wolf Priest. Wolves within 6" gain Fearless and Preferred Enemy against a single model type so you can make a good use for either shooty or assault and his 6" FNP makes Overwatch less of a menace. Aside from that, he can upgrade similar to the Rune Skald, but never forget that you're at your best when he's charging. 20 more points make him a Termie, which grants him access to the promotion, a cheaper amulet, and combi-weapons. The issue with him is that he's insanely expensive, likely more than he's worth. However, being the only FNP troops will get makes him something of a risk to grab in terms of investment; not because of him, mind, but the investment not made on more models.

Core

• Grey Hunter: Your basic troop, who can pull equal weight in melee and ranged depending on his kitting. One per five can grab special guns or plasma pistol/power weapon/fist. One can also grab the Wolf Standard to support his team in combat.
• Blood Claw: Scouts in power armor. While they have the same weapon options as the Grey Hunters, these guys are better suited for combat. Grab a few, send them to charge someone to grab +2 attacks.
• Wolf Scout: Pretty broad in their selection of guns including heavy arms for one per five, and their marine statline gives them some good boosts in the sniping department. Since they have weak armor, just keep them for better sniping or long-ranged support.
• Skyclaw: Hardcapped to 0-5 without a Jump Pack Leader. They are essentially scouts as Assault Marines, so they're not gonna help with elite melee units. Keep them to managing smaller units that'll buckle easily.
• Swiftclaw Biker: Hardcapped to 0-3 without a Biker Pack Leader. Each 1 out of 3 can grab a new gun for their bike. Paying 15 points turns one bike into an Attack Bike with a Heavy Bolter, which can be replaced with a Multi-Melta for 10. This bike has to be kept from the front lines, as this is a big investment, though not as massive as Codex Marines.
• Fenrisian Wolf Pack: A pack of five non-learning wolves can find a use on the field as a screen, especially if one of them becomes a Cyberwolf. If you bring more wolves, then they become a large shield of bodies for the users, tying up enemies while the big boys make their charges.

Special

• Wolf Guard: Your big special vets. They can grab a great deal of special tools to help them out and can be kitted out to fit something you need, be it leading assaults or fire support.
• Wolf Guard Terminator: Yep. Like the Codex, these guys are split entries. They're pretty much able to drag out any basic weapons while one guy can grab an assault cannon/heavy flamer/Cyclone Launcher. Cataphractii-Pattern armor isn't such a major risk for these guys since they have Counter-Attack by default, but they still need fire support to prevent that charge from spelling their doom.
• Iron Priest: A 0-1 character, he's not good for cover since he lacks the fortifying rule basic Techmarines have. Otherwise, he's identical to the basic Techie with one major difference: he can grab a Thunderwolf Mount and up to four Cyberwolves as a retinue. Bring him with some other wolves and this gang can help soak up a few extra hits as a slightly tougher screen alongside some other accessory-wolves.
• Thunderwolf Cavalry: A pricy option, but one that's really powerful considering he's cavalry with massive power and Rending. Never take him alone, though. Grab some bonus wolves and maybe mount another guy or buy a Wolf pack and let them screen out weaker adversaries.
• Lone Wolf: Simply put, if you bring him, you want something to die insanely badly. He's a 0-1 model can't score and never benefits from IP, but he gets FNP and Eternal Warrior, making him impossible to instagib. He can also grab almost whatever he needs, including Terminator Armor and two wolves to keep him company. However you kit him, make sure he goes down taking out the biggest unit he can find. If you can distract the smaller ones with some other offensive wave, that'll give you a bonus screen to get to the priority target. Also, his death won't ever count towards victory conditions, but it could still possibly count towards Rout tests (The wording of the Glorious Death Rule makes it ambiguous enough to consider it a likelihood).
• Long Fang: Pretty much your best source of long-ranged heavy weapons. These guys get power armor so they can take up more punishment than the Scouts, but their slot means that this won't be enough to justify grabbing one in most cases unless you got a Termie Leader to free up some room. As a plus, though, he's nice for keeping cheap lists so you can get more models on the field.