Soulblight Gravelords Warscroll Review: Dire Wolves

In this video TheJTJ reviews the Warscroll for Dire Wolves. I cover their abilities and discuss some tactics for each.

 

 

Cost 135 for 10

 

Notes: Battleline, summonable, Deadwalkers

 

Max wound output: 21

Average: 5

Average on charge: 9

Notes: They almost double their damage output on the charge. However because of coherency rules, 1” reach, and the oval bases it can be hard to get all the models into fighting range.

 

Good: cheap, fast, and summonable. Many buffs in the book for their keywords. 5+ 6++ with 20 wounds and the ability to bring one or two back a turn makes them a bit more tanky that you would think. Large footprint for screening or blocking. Lots of synergy in the book especially in Vyrkos. Has a unit leader.

 

 

Bad: large footprint and coherency problems can be an issue in some instances. Not lots of damage output, especially against high armor targets.

 

Thoughts:  Great battline unit that ads some needed speed to the army. Summonable, deadwalker keyword give its lots of ways to be buffed in the book.

• Ways to buff:
  • Legion of night turn 1, +1 armor
  • Vyrkos SOTPITW, +1 to wound wholly in 9” of Vampire heroes. Remember this does not give you a 2+ on the charge.
  • Belladamma spell Under a killing moon: exploding 6s to hit.
  • Coven throne tactical insight: +1 save, +1 to hit
  • Gorslav: arise arise: bring a unit back.
  • Mannfred: sword of unholy power +1 attack
  • Necromancer: Vanhels
  • Radukar the best: Call to the hunt, +1 attack
  • Vamp Lord: +1 attack
  • Vengorian: -1 rend

 

Tactics:

If you are running hoards heavy I like to have these on the flanks to threaten the  sides of the board. Great unit to support all your fast moving heros.

Leaving 10 in the grave is not a bad option. It will allow you to leave one grave site way in a corner the DW can pop and have enough speed to threaten things next turn. Unlike Skeletons who will just be there for the rest of the game

The Belladamma rush. Belladamma and 20 DW. Set them on the deployment zone edge wholly in 12” of Bella, use the Pack alpha ability in hero phase. in movement use CP to auto run 6, giving them a 16” move. Get to under 6” of the opponent and get the auto pile in to lock them down. This gives them a 22” threat range . or if the enemy is at18” you can just D6 run the wolves and auto 6” bella so she can keep up and provide buffs for the unit.

 

Radukar the beast gets a free unit of these. They have good synergy together.

 

Screen. 10 of these wolves can form a very long line because of the oval bases. You can screen out most of your army with a unit. Great to slow down those Iron jaws and Beast claws. Let them come in kill off your screen on their turn. Then you just bring half of them back at the end of the turn….possibly. are there better at screening than other units. Zombies are cheaper for the same wounds and at 20 can screen about the same amount of board. However the utility of the wolves are better. Example if you play an opponent that wants to castle and you don’t need a screen, zombies will have to slog across the board of come out of the grave, WDs can still move around the board easly.

 

Outflank with legion of the night. For 270 points 20 wolves show up on your opponent’s flank or back line turn 2? They will have to account for that.

Fast moving screen for blood knights. DW are great for Kastelai and can sit back and hold OBJ or keep up with the nights.

Blocking. Similar to screening but denies the enemy movement. Run a unit up the board and block off an area between terrain. Or move right in front of a unit and lock them in place. Basically, you have a fast moving speed bump.

 

Grade: A

Solid unit, with loads of uses and ways to be buffed. Can be healed and brought back multiple ways.  Almost every list could find a use for at least one unit of DW.

 

 

Thanks for watching, Y’all be good.