Nicodemus:
Week 15: Hobgoblin Wolf Riders
Welcome to the Fifteenth chapter in the Daemonsmith’s Handbook! Please post your tips and tactics for the Hobgoblin Wolfriders here.
Some suggested topics for discussion:
- Tactics & Strategy
- How to equip Hobgoblin Wolfriders
- Synergy with other units and Lords/Heroes
ViLe:
Well, the Wolfriders…
They are hard to use… eh “efficiently”. Bad leadership, bad armor and animosity. But still usable as redirectors, warmachine hunters and to fight small units like gargoyles, chaos hounds or harpies.
You have to use them carefully otherwise they will be shot or run away before they have done anything. I´d rather prefere using Hobgob Heros on Wolf than the Riders.
Depends on the points i have to spare i use them with shields and sometimes with spears too. But well as i said, most of the time they get dropped for a Khan on a wolf.
burock:
the fact that they are listed in rare section underlines the importance of wolf riders for our army. they are the best (only?) redirectors in our army list and your best bet to hinder the movement of enemy deathstars. they will die, granted, but thats what they are for, right?
since they have hg animosity, you need to keep them in check constantly. make sure you don’t make your vanguard move too far, else you may find them panic and run in the first round, possibly blocking the way of your troops. a mounted sorc-prophet is gold here, boosting them with Ld10 to prevent those panics.
as equipment, just a musician will suffice, add spears for the extra -and often never needed- punch if needed. big NO to other command guys, bows and an even bigger NO to shields, as giving them shield will make them use the fast cav. rule, rendering them next to useless. oh, and i always take them in groups of 5, no more needed.
as for deployment, i generally place them behind my battleline or to the flanks but always keep them in Ld bubble. after vanguard make sure they stay in either no animosity zone or Ld bubble. i generally use them to block or goad deathstars: find a building/impassable terrain, etc and place the riders in a way to block the deathstar’s movement but if they are charged, the deathstar’s move would end by hitting the terrain. that will make them lose 2 rounds sitting idly.
Another tactic is to use them in tandem with the destroyer. if the dest is away from the bubble, it may end up charging something stupid due to the frenzy rule. you can use the riders to block the destroyer’s way to charge to the unwanted targets, rendering the charge impossible and preventing the frenzy check. those are just two tactics i regularly use them for, apart from their other and better known uses.
never leave home wihout one, preferably two. throw them forward to block/redirect the deathstars the other way and have your way with the rest.
Vogon:
I think these are a much underappreciated unit and always field a unit of them, 5 strong with Champion and Musician armed with spears.
Yes their animosity can be a pain but they are a cheap unit of fast cavalry that can be used as chaff, re-directors sacrificial units and any of the other uses Burock gave.
One thing I do try to do is get them round the backs of units and combine charges, the extra +1 combat res can really come in handy and 6 extra St4 attacks on the charge never hurt 
Cheers
Vogon
frogbear:
I have found these guys quite pleasing.
I usually go 2 units with spears and have one with a banner. As redirectors they allowed my hobgoblins to flank charge other units and last game, I won withourt a Chaos Dwarf getting into combat. Empire was defeated by hobgoblins, Kdaii Fireborn and 2 Deathshriekers alone all due to these guys playing havoc with the opponent’s charges.
As the two above, I now never enter a game without one, usually 2; one time I had three before I realised that I could not do that at 2400 points :P
They are simply too good to pass up if you are looking to make an ‘all-comers’ force —> Khan+wolf is the other favoured choice as well
Grimbold Blackhammer:
I’ve tried them and they’ve never done any better or worse than a slightly cheaper Hobbo hero on a wolf. My issue with them is they are an extra deployment and to me; that’s bad. I WANT to go first to ensure maximum shooting so risking getting out-deployed to field these instead of a cheaper alternative is not worth it to me. They’re a fun unit to mess with enemies battle plans but out-classed in every way by the cheaper hero choice.
Grimbold Blackhammer
Vogon:
The problem with using a Hobbo hero on a wolf (for me at least) is that it uses up valuable hero points allocation. In smaller games which is my local meta this becomes a sticking point so being a cheap rare choice they become more attractive.
cheers
Vogon
Blackspine:
My issue with them is they are an extra deployment and to me; that's bad. I WANT to go first to ensure maximum shooting so risking getting out-deployed to field these instead of a cheaper alternative is not worth it to me.I don't think that finishing deploying first has been much of a problem for Chaos Dwarfs. Unless you're against WOC (even then, a small one) or a deathstar-all-eggs-in-one-basket army, you're most likely going to go first. Honestly, I feel that I need a few more drops. Most people see where my IG and KD go before I get to see where 1/2 their army is.
Grimbold Blackhammer
Da Crusha:
Hobgoblin wolf riders often take a back seat when its between them and a hobgoblin hero on wolf but there are several reasons why they may be a better choice. first of all they have more wounds. often times wolf riders are shot at being the nearest enemies and the quickest threat to warmachines, wandering wizards and redirecting key units. having more wounds can help their survivability and allow them to achieve their mission. also they have more attacks. 5 hobgoblin wolf riders hitting a unit will have 11 attacks including the wolves and champion, with spears the hobgobbos will have S4 on the charge. also they have the cowardly despoiler rule which will allow them to get an additional +1 to combat resolution when they charge. this could definitely help them win combats. being fast cavalry they also can rally and move to better harass the enemy. last of all they have the vanguard special rule which will allow them to move and get into a better position before the game starts.
on the downside they have annoying animosity tests to take and will do as they please 1/3 of the time. this can be easier to manage by keeping them near the general for the panic tests or a chaos dwarf unit for avoiding the animosity tests all together (not easy considering how fast they are).
Tarrakk Blackhand:
Everyone in my hobby store has switched playing Fantasy for playing 40k recently…but from my previous games…(Using the “Official CDO” 8th edition “Ravening Hordes” errata list)
My current Hobgoblin Wolfriders are armed with a shield and hand weapon (An Axe, if we want to be specific.)
I have used them in games to run in as “Interferrence” to enemy units and tie up ranks. This has helped me in the past to weaken certian enemy units so that my Chaos Dwarfs can prepair for the incoming onslaught, or simply occupy enemy units while I pound other enemy units with my Death Rocket or Earth Shaker. Once in close combat, I usually get one attack with each Hobgoblin, two for the champion, and then a bonus attack with each wolf. I have a “Pack” of 10 Wolfriders, so the combat can get pretty messy.
As Da Crusher mentions above, the pluses of Vangaurd and the minuses of Animosity can make or break a battle. It really depends on how you roll the dice. I have had games where the Wolf Riders really change the tide of battle and others where they flee in the first turn, causing other Hobgoblin units to join them.
However, I am currently building a Hobgoblin Wolfrider unit that will incorporate bows. With this arrmament, they can ride into range of the enemy and then shoot their bows from a distance. Should be fun!
But if you want some good tactics on using your Hobgoblin Wolf Riders, try reading books (Or Wiki’s) about the Mongolian Hordes and specifically how those Mongolian horseback riders operated when attacking their enemies. Devise a battle plan ahead of the first turn and try to impliment those old tactics as best as you can into your strategy for your Hobgoblin Wolf Riders. You may find a change in your win/loss records.