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Basic Army Theory for Warhammer 40K
While this was written with Warhammer 40K players in mind, it holds true for any wargame, whether it be Warmachine, The Lord of the Rings, or any other minatures war game. So here we go…When you get into a table top miniature war game, your army is a big investment in time, money, and effort. To help out, here’s a few tips for new Warhammer 40k players to help you get started on the right foot.
Learn The Rules – Warhammer 40k Rules
Obtain the main book and your codex of choice. Take time to read both of them thoroughly before you start building an army. When you pretty well know how it’s supposed to all work, it makes it much easier to put together a decent starting force.
Pick what you like
It sounds obvious, but as you’re designing your army list, start with models you like. Think about it. If you buy models you don’t really like, you won’t be as motivated to get them built and painted, and you probably won’t enjoy fielding them as much. Since the vast majority of units in 40K can be made useful, just pick out a few favorites you just gotta have, and go on from there. Start with something that will deal with all the main types of enemy.
That would be heavy infantry (like Space Marine Terminators), horde infantry (like ork boyz), Psykers (like Chaos Marine Sorcerers), light tanks (like Eldar Vypers), and heavy tanks (like Necron Monoliths). It doesn’t matter if you deal with them at range or up close, just be able to kill it. Once you’ve got at least 1 thing to do that, find 1 or 2 more that can pull it off in a pinch, preferably one of your other existing units. You don’t want to be crippled when just 1 squad gets plastered. Cover the mission objectives.
At this point you can kill most enemies, and that covers 2 out of the 6 basic missions. Now you need to make sure you have a few units that can take and hold objectives. Doing that will keep you covered for the other 4 basic missions.
Use proxy first, buy later
With list in hand, try to proxy it with stuff you have handy before shelling out the dough. Make sure you like it by playing a couple of games first. Try tweaking it a few times. After you feel like you’ve got a decent start, make the plunge and start collecting that army. And who knows, maybe I’ll see you on the battlefield!
Warhammer 40k Space Marines
Warhammer 40k Space Wolves in depth – Dreadnoughts
In Warhammer 40,000, there are few units feared as much as dreadnoughts. Dreadnoughts can run amuck in your opponents deployment zone destroying things at will. The Space Wolves are a space marine chapter that has some of the oldest and most powerful dreadnoughts in the game. These warmachines lead from the front lines with their firepower and knowledge. Dreadnoughts are excellent in close combat and will destroy infantry with relative ease. You can also contest objectives with dreadnoughts. One other thing that dreads are good at is protecting infantry from vehicles and other dreadnoughts.Close combat in the game of Warhammer 40000 is pretty brutal. Sometimes you need as much help as you can get. Space Wolves armies can be led by venerable dreadnoughts. These machines have better aim and do more damage in close combat. Close combat is one of the strengths of dreads. If you can find a squad not armed with something that can destroy armor, feel free to attack it. Your enemy will not be able to stop his squad from being destroyed.
Objectives are very important points on a battlefield in Warhammer 40k. These points can sometimes win or lose you the game. Space Wolves dreadnoughts can contest these points. They can’t hold them because they aren’t troops, but they can clear the way for Grey Hunters or Blood Claws to hold the point. Keep this in mind as you get towards the end of the game. Usually around turn 4 or 5 you’ll want to start trying to contest objectives. Kill everything on it and take it over yourself.
Last but not least, Space Wolves have valuable infantry that needs to be protected. One way to do this is dreadnoughts. If the enemy is targetting your troops then charge it in close combat with your dread and tear it in half. No many vehicles will be able to survive an attack by a dreadnought. This will ensure that your troops can continue holding objectives and take the fight to the enemy. Always try to use your dreads to protect your infantry whenever possible.
In closing, there are a lot of weapons and warmachines the Space Wolves can use against their enemies. One of the greatest assets they have are dreadnoughts. They can fight close combat and destroy vehicles and infantry alike. They can also clear an objective and allow your infantry to move into position to hold it. Also, don’t forget to protect your infantry whenever possible. Your scoring units are very important in every game.