Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Space Marines (section)

=====Flyers=====

*'''[[Stormwolf]]:''' The [[Stormwolf]] is the Space Wolves equivalent of a [[Stormraven]] or [[Storm Eagle]], only it's a bit more expensive, holds 16 models and no dreadnoughts, and has very different guns. The flying refrigerator (wolf snout?) looks a bit doofy, but don't be fooled: this thing rocks. From a gun perspective, if you sink the extra 50 points for two melta arrays (multimeltas, with rate of fire 2 changed to 1d3 with Blast), for 350 you get what amounts to 2 lascannons, 2 multimeltas, and 2 hybrids between the two (the twin helfrost destructor has a nearly useless blast mode that's bad at murdering hordes, but in its main mode of 36" Heavy 2 S8 AP-4 D4, it acts like a compromise between 2 lascannons and 1 multimelta).  A Stormraven costs 340 for 2 lascannons, 2 multimeltas, and 2 stormstrikes, which fire like the Helfrost but sacrifice AP and D for R: 72" Heavy 1 S8 AP-3 D3 each.  Don't try to compete with a Stormraven kitted for anti-horde murder; you don't have the options.  That said, you can cut costs and field a Stormwolf for only 300 points by leaving the multi-meltas off and sticking with the default Skyhammer Missile Launcher, a nearly useless, slightly upgraded autocannon.  The main purpose of this flying boat is carrying a litter of puppies, after all, not murdering things itself.  16 is enough room for 3 truly MSU Blood Claws with a babysitter (e.g. Lukas), 2 that each have a Wolf Guard and ''four'' more dudes (or 2 termis or jump pack dudes), 2 with a ''terminator'' WGL each and 2 more dudes or 1 termi/jump pack babysitter, and so on and so forth.  This is also a credible way to deliver Wulfen: you can fit an MSU unit of Wulfen, 1 MSU unit of Firstborn (e.g. Blod Claws), and 1 more dude, who can be a babysitter or a WGL on the Firstborn as you like.  You can fit up to 8 Wulfen inside maximum, which can be helpful because the Wulfen sergeant is typically the only fucker in the unit ''not'' carrying a thunder hammer, so their output goes ''up'' as the unit gets bigger.
*'''Stormfang Gunship:''' The Stormfang is extremely similar to the Stormwolf, but sacrifices most of its transport capacity for a bigger version of the Helfrost Cannon.  Focused mode gains more S and D but loses reliable rate of fire: 36" Heavy d3 S10 AP-4 D6, Blast, making it slightly ''better'', on average, than a multimelta in melta range.  Dispersed mode also finally becomes credible: 36" Heavy 3d3 S6 AP-2 D1, Blast.  The Blast mode is a joke against most targets since you can't roll less than 3 regardless, but on average that mode fires 6 shots, making it an assault cannon with slightly better AP, making this the only version of the Helfrost gun where Dispersed mode is genuinely sometimes worth the price of admission.  It also carries the same skyhammer/multimelta/thb sponsons as the Stormwolf, and its wing weapons are stormstrike missiles by default, but for 20 points you can upgrade to the Stormwolf's lascannons.  This is 300 base, but with all upgrades it's 370 for the big Helfrost, 2 multimeltas, and 2 lascannons.  That's a genuinely pathetic amount of dakka for the points, mind - 220 points will buy you 4 multimelta attack bikes with nearly identical output - and the transport capacity is only as much as a Razorback, so you ''really'' need to think carefully about fielding this.  Counting the contents, a Stormwolf's efficiency is ''far'' better (the easiest comparison to draw is a Stormfang with 1 Long Fangs unit in it and a Stormwolf with 3).