The Saga of Lors the Grim - Space Wolves 2500

This represents one of the armies I might take to the store championship tournament in September. It's an expanded version of my 2000 point list, with a powerful firebase, some good assault units, and drop pod plasma death. I'm going to have to do some heavy playtesting with this list, though, because it feels overpriced and small when I think about what other folks will be tucking into that extra 500 points... still, I think it might hold its own with some careful playing.

HQ

Venerable Dreadnought - assault cannon, heavy flamer/DCCW, extra armor
Drop Pod

Wolf Guard Battle Leader - power weapon, bolt pistol, frag grenades, wolf pelt

Wolf Priest - power weapon, plasma pistol, frag grenades, healing potions and balms, iron wolf amulet, wolf helm of russ, wolf pelt
4 Wolf Guard Bodyguard - terminator armor, 2 assault cannons, 2 bolter-plasma guns, 3 power weapons, 1 power fist
Drop Pod

Rune Priest - power weapon, runic staff, wolf pelt, chooser of the slain

ELITES

4 Wolf Scouts - 2 power weapons, 1 meltagun, frag grenades

TROOPS

9 Grey Hunters - 2 powerfists, 1 plasma gun, 1 plasma pistol, wolf totem
Wolf Guard Leader - power weapon, plasma pistol, wolf pelt
Drop Pod

7 Grey Hunters - 2 powerfists, 1 plasma gun, 1 plasma pistol
Wolf Guard Leader - powerfist, bolter, wolf pelt
Rhino - extra armor, smoke launchers

8 Blood Claws - 1 flamer, 1 powerfist, 1 power weapon, frag grenades
Wolf Guard Leader - bolt pistol, power weapon, frag grenades, wolf pelt

FAST ATTACK

2 Attack Bikes - heavy bolters

HEAVY SUPPORT

4 Long Fangs - 2 lascannons, 2 missile launchers
Pack Leader - bolter, CCW

Land Raider - smoke launchers

Vindicator - power of the machine spirit, smoke launchers

There's a few tricks involved with this list. The venerable dred lets me reroll to go first, increasing the odds quite a bit that I'll get at least an initial jump towards my foe. The chooser of the slain flits about ahead of the rune priest and lets me negate infiltration for enemy units on a 4+, not to mention giving him +1 attack (that's 7 power weapon attacks if he gets to use the pelt!). Use of the runic staff (psychic hood) is impossible if he's inside a vehicle, but for only 10 points it will probably redeem its cost at least once after he's disembarked. As always, the wolf scouts will come from... behind, ideally to jump a static squad in cover with frags and power weapon attacks. If none are available, a meltagun and a few bolt pistols could at least shake up a vehicle. The dred will look to start at the front line, wade through a center piece of terrain (if there is one), and jump out the other side, unloading his assault cannon and heavy flamer before assaulting. I can decide at the last minute which characters I want escorting which squads (rhino'd grey hunters or blood claws, possibly in the land raider). Most likely the rune priest will run with the grey hunters, and the battle leader will ride with the blood claws in the land raider. I'm going to have to buy a power-armored rune priest, and ditch his plasma pistol for a, um, staff-looking thing. Oh, and I need to dig up something to serve as a chooser of the slain. Everyone should group together so that storm caller can be given to the more assault-oriented blood claws, even if they're entangled in dead Land Raider (perish the thought). Toss in a drop pod delivering terminators and the wolf priest's helm of russ and that might make for an uber assault on someone's front lines (if I survive to make it that far). I think the healing balms will go well with a terminator retinue, preventing plasma suicides and other missed saves.

Blarg, its just so small.