Spacewolves List Building - Thunderwolf Cavalry to the Max

Ron here with a first draft Thunderwolf spam list.  Look away if you abhor processed cheese taken with processed meat (spam with cheese).

That's a lot wolves - someone call Roose Bolton

HQ                                         Points

Harald Deathwolf                      190                        

Battle Leader                            148

• TWC                             
• SS                                 
• Runic Armour                
• 1 fenrisian wolf (ID/last wound soak)                           

Troops

Blood claws                                60

• Dedicated Stormwolf          215
• Skyhammer Launcher

Blood claws                                60

• Dedicated Stormwolf          215
• Skyhammer Launcher

Elites
Iron Priest                                105

• TWC                                                  

Iron Priest                                105

• TWC                             

Iron Priest                                105

• TWC                             

Fast Attack
Thunderwolf Cavalry x5            215

• storm shield                  

Thunderwolf Cavalry x5            215

• storm shield                   

Thunderwolf Cavalry x5            215

• storm shield                   

Total Points:                        1848

My narrative is so forged right now

Design Basis:
Here we have a Thunderwolf canned spam list with a single Combined Arms Dettachment at 1850 pts.  The basic idea is that each 5 man Thunderwolf Cavalry squad gets an iron priest attached to provide his 2+ look out sir, 2+ save, and 5 strength 10 ap1 attacks on the charge (shudder). One squad gets Harald with his furious charge warlord saga, one squad gets the Wolf Guard battle leader (2+/3++ with a pup to toss a wound to). Each TWC squad has a 3++ storm shield equipped pack leader who can also 4+ look out sir wounds as needed.  The min squad blood claws are there to provide dedicated transport stormwolves for some much needed anti flyer, and last minute assault ramp pile outs on to objectives. Storm wolves can each fire at 2 targets thanks to power of the machine spirit, and have great, high strength low AP damage output.    

Boom Goes the Dynamite

Damage Output
Assuming all of the squads are in range of Harald's furry-ess charge candy and get the charge off: These 20 models on thunderwolves can put out a combined offensive output of 20 - S5 I10 hammer of wrath hits, 92 - S6 I4 rending attacks, 3 - s5  I4 attacks (don't forget that one fenrisian pup lol), 7 - S8 I1 ap2 rending attacks, and 15 - S10 I1 ap1 attacks (rending too not that it matters lol).  You get some bolt pistol shots too, but they really aren't necessary with the damage you can put out in assault. I'd rather run in the shooting phase turn 1, and not shoot turn 2 so I don't make charges any longer with casualties.

Any units these guys touch are going to explode in showers of gore and opponent's tears. To recap, that's translating to an amount of nasty hits/attacks that is 2-3 times the number of models in your opponent's army. Combine that with a 12" movement, fleet, not slowed by terrain, and assault grenades, these guys are cleaning up your opponent's deployment zone turn 2. The only thing these guys can't touch are flyers, hence the inclusion of the stormwolves.  Stormwolves come with durable, potent anti air for a modest price.  With Power of the Machine Spirit, a TL lascannon, TL helfrost cannon, and a Skyhammer missile launcher, these guys are threatening 2 air targets a turn, with the resiliency to weather return fire. The twin linking and PotMS help greatly when it comes to having to jink as well.

Strengths
This list will take on fast moving MCs (wraithknights, riptides), douche canoes, and skimmers (wave serpents, barges), biker spam, and Imperial Knights, that are traditionally found in the top tier lists. They will do a number on all other vehicles, infantry, and MCs alike. They have the speed to catch stuff, volume of attacks to kill flighty hit and run guys and avoid tarpits, and assault gets around pesky things like jink saves.  TWC can potentitally counter a lot of the elements that make the current top tier armies top tier.  They're super cheap and durable to boot with a lot of characters and great saves.

Loosely connected picture - I just love Nids 

Weakness
This list has some weaknesses to heavy air armies, namely FMCs. Fortunately you won't see flying circus Daemons too much anymore at tournaments, and Vector strike has been toned down significantly. This list will likely struggle vs skyblight Nids. When it comes to both of those lists, you're looking to go second, and have your flyers shoot at 2 different FMCs each the turn they arrive and beyond. The hellfrost cannon has a remote chance of instagibbing an FMC, and spreading out wounds on them increases the grounding checks they will take. Anything that drops out of the air gets scooped up by the TWC on the ground (who are circling like sharks underneath). Against Flyer spam armies like CronAir - you're big saving grace is that warriors have to deploy to score (again promoting a going second mentality), and bagels generally can't hurt TWC squads that bad with Tesla.

So what do you think?  Will we see spammed Thunderwolf Cavalry at the top tables?  Are you rage quitting 40k for the sheer cheese of wolves on wolves on wolves?  How would you take on this list?  Hit us up in the comments below.  Stay tuned for more Wolf list building and bad puns. Thanks for reading!

-Ron