Today, I’m here to talk about one of the most unique Chaos Knights detachments in Warhammer 40K — the Houndpack Lance — and more specifically, its stratagems.
The Houndpack Lance offers a distinctive way to play with War Dogs, giving them flexible tools and some deceptively strong mechanics. These stratagems shape the way the detachment plays, emphasizing mobility, aggression, and tactical cunning.
Let’s dig in — and rate each stratagem on usefulness, where 1 = rarely used and 10 = use it every turn!
0/10
Let’s just get this one out of the way. On the scale of usefulness, I could easily go below zero.
It’s unbelievably niche — and somehow costs 2CP while being once per turn only. Someone clearly looked at this and thought, “Yeah, this is powerful enough for 2CP!” Spoiler: it’s not.
Theoretically, it could help you Battleshock an enemy unit you really don’t want interrupting in combat — maybe with a -2 Leadership modifier from the Dread table — but spending 2CP for a chance they fail? Absolutely not.
We move on quickly from this disaster.
Hungry for Combat
5/10
Now we’re getting somewhere. This stratagem combines really well with the detachment ability — especially if you’re targeting a Sustained Hits enemy or using Karnivores, who always have Sustained Hits in melee.
It helps offset one of the main War Dog weaknesses: WS 3+. You’ll hit far more consistently, and that reliability is huge when trying to drag down tough or priority targets.
That said, it’s not always easy to set up — War Dog bases are large, and getting two into combat can be tricky. It’s situational, but when it works, it works well.
Solid 5/10 — useful, but not every game.
Cunning Hunter
7/10
War Dogs don’t often survive a round of combat — but when they do, Cunning Hunter can completely swing the turn.
It lets you Fall Back, Shoot, and Charge, which gives you massive flexibility and punishes opponents who think tagging a Brigand is a safe move.
This stratagem opens up a lot of tactical play and helps you reassert control over positioning and pressure. I find myself using it often when the opportunity arises.
A 7/10 for pure utility.
Animalistic Rage
10/10
What. A. Strat.
For 1CP, this is an absolute banger. You’ll use it almost every game, and often multiple times. Even if it’s just for a few points of chip damage or a long-shot play, it’s nearly always worth it.
The threat of this stratagem alone changes how opponents play — nobody wants to be shot by melta or hit in combat out of sequence.
Incredibly useful, brutally efficient, and always worth keeping in your back pocket.
10/10 — perfection.
Harrying Hounds
9/10
This one doesn’t see play every turn, but its impact is enormous. Acting out of sequence is one of the strongest mechanics in 40K, and this stratagem gives you that edge.
You can pull off some devastating combos — dodging charges, repositioning onto objectives, or slipping out of line of sight.
Even when you don’t use it, the threat of Harrying Hounds forces your opponent to think twice about every move. That kind of psychological pressure is gold.
An easy 9/10 — huge tactical and mental value for just 1CP.
Encircling Pack
I didn’t rate this one highly at first, but it’s really grown on me.
Being able to redeploy or outflank War Dogs can open up a ton of new lines of attack — from bolstering your flanks to exploiting gaps in enemy screens.
Even forcing your opponent to spend turns screening against it can be game-defining. It’s not essential every game, but when it’s relevant, it’s massive.
A strong 7/10 for flexibility and surprise value.
Final Thoughts:
Aside from Vox Howl (which remains utterly atrocious — I still can’t move past that one), this is a fantastic suite of stratagems.
The Houndpack Lance gives War Dogs a toolkit that boosts damage output, mobility, tactical play, and even psychological warfare. It rewards good positioning and quick thinking — one opponent mistake, and you can capitalize instantly.
Five excellent stratagems, one total dud, and a detachment that’s absolutely worth running if you love fast, aggressive, reactive Chaos Knights play..
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