As many Wolf-Brothers know, Long Fangs are one of the best things in our new dex. Their ability to split fire with differently equipped heavy weapons gives them unmatched versatility and target options, not to mention they're cheaper than their C:SM counterparts! In this short blurb, I'll go over what I consider to be the most optimal Long Fang configurations.
6x Long Fangs (5x Missile Launchers) = 140
With the ability to hit and wound anything from MCs to vehicles as well as delivering earth-shattering instant death to MEQ from 48" away, this is the most popular and tried setup. S8 AP3 allows you to chew through Marines and punch open Rhinos. They can reliably bust open any armor save for AV14 due to their sheer amount of shots. If you're facing Orks or Tyranids and few like throwing some frags into their face, 5 blast templates will sure give you justice. You might even consider adding a Wolf Guard Terminator with Cyclone Missile Launchers to this squad. He'll take orders from the Long Fang squad leader and you can fire control those 2 additional missiles at separate targets if you want to just like the rest of the group.
6x Long Fangs (4x ML, 1x PC) = 145
By removing one of the Missile Launchers for a Plasma Cannon, you are now capable of delivering 36" threat to any infantry in the game (including Terminators). The idea for this setup is to fire the 4 missiles you have at any enemy transports and use the Plasma Cannon as a anti-infantry weapon. The best way to take these are in 2 squads of 6. That way you can bust open transports with one and use the other squad's Plasma Cannons to hit its contents. Say he has 3 Rhinos on the other side of the table loaded with Marines. Long Fang Squad A shoots 4 missiles at a Rhino and busts it open, you split fire the PC into another and hope it does something. Squad B shoots its Plasma Cannon into the Marines that just got busted out of their Rhino and fires its 4 rockets at the next transport. Rinse and repeat next turn.
6x Long Fangs (4x HB, 1x LC) = 135
This configuration mixes both anti-infantry with anti-tank. Heavy Bolters are really good at generating wounds.. but you can't use them to reliably kill anything unless they have 4+ armor saves. Depending on your metagame, this might change and you might want to drop a HB for a Plasma Cannon for 10 more points. The idea here is that the Lascannon snipes armor while your Heavy Bolters burn down infantry stragglers that's trying for any control points. The 5pt Heavy Bolters really pay off in the end if you think about it.. it always makes its points back (considering an Ork Boy is 6pts). It really helps that this config is dirt cheap too.
Every Wolf Lord has their own favorite configuration for his Long Fangs, but these are my personal favorites. I take them in the games I don't bring my Vindicators and they always do me justice. S8 AP3 really chews through tough MCs like Wraithlords, Carnifexes and insta-gibs Warriors and Nob Bikerz. Heavy Bolters eat up anything not wearing power armor and Plasma Cannons just hurt anything. Out of the three configurations, the 5x ML is still my personal favorite. It gives me the flexibility needed for an all-comers list.
Personally, I find these are highly effective in games WITH vindi's. I run a pair of vindicators and a ML LF squad, and I find that the Vindicators pretty much ensure that my Longfangs will be left unmolested. It's entertaining, because in practice the longfangs do more damage than the vindicators do.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the longfangs give me the opportunity to throw in another Razorback if I've got a few extra points. It's unlikely the LF will set foot inside of it, but a mobile lascannon or what have you is always handy.
Yeah.. people are deathly afraid of Vindicators and will go all out trying to destroy them. When Vindicators are on the field, it's almost as if nothing else exists. That's why most of my lists feature 2-3.
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