Friday, December 4, 2009

What is your HQ really for?


So I have been playing around with some ideas on the table recently and some of the newer guys asked me about why I don't like to take models like Logan Grimnar or his buddy Arjac Rockfist. Named characters have a special place in my heart and while I love the fluff surrounding these often spectacular models I have a different use for that compulsory HQ unit in my armies.

An HQ unit can be classified in one of two roles in most of my lists: Pure Offense or Support/Offense. Being a Space Wolf player that means that I tend to lean towards HQ units that are a little less killtacular and a little more of a supportive role. Space Wolves have a million and a half ways to get the job done even without a badass mofo walking around on the field. That brings me to my personal favorite HQ unit in the army:

The Wolf Priest.

Even at base cost of 100 points he ranks in at one of the least expensive HQ units in the army. His statline is decent at WS5, 2 Wounds, Ld10, and 3+/4+ saves, but his greatest asset is the ability to give his squad the Preferred Enemy rule against a unit type of your choice (chosen at the start of the game). Fearless isn't a bad perk in many cases too.

Put this guy with a squad of Wolf Claw Terminators and watch as you reroll all failed to wound AND to hit rolls made against infantry.

Put him with some Long Fangs and have twin-linked lascannons against tanks. Plus you wont be falling back from losses anytime soon.

Place him with an assault pack and now your greatly increasing the squad effectiveness, hitting 75% of the time instead of 50%.

So ask yourself this when you make your next list:

What is your HQ unit in there for? Support or Assault? Is that huge character making his points back? Is there something in your codex that augments your other units to make them even better? I would love to hear opinions on the matter! List Construction is fun and I would love to see what people come up with!

2 comments:

  1. I am fond of support HQ's. In fact I love Njal Stormcaller as the ultimate example of this.

    -Jim

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  2. Njal is one of my favorite character's in the entire game. I almost cry when I choose not to field him. He is one of the few >200 point characters I field, mainly because of his storm nonsense!

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