im taking 2 units of 5 wolf boys in a 2250pt list. I want them to have spears for sure, but should i give them bows as well? I kno its only 10 points but i dont like to waste a thing.

I normally kit them out with spears and then proceed to write up the rest of my list. At completion if I have any points left over that isn't enough to buy a fanatic, or something else useful I will often spend it on the bows. Bows rarely ever do more than 1 wound against R&F at best, but I often find thats a useful target to shoot, as reducing a block of infantry from 20 to 19 can make all the difference once combat starts.

If you have the left over points, I think you should add the bows. Not that they will score a lot, but the annoyance it causes on your opponent may be just enough to drive him into making a mistake - I think it's more about the psychological effect than any real, in-game effect

I wouldn't use them. They barely do anything, but if you have pointsn leftover might as well give them bows. If I ain't mistaken it's short bows you ment since wolf riders can't have bows.

I'd take them. It's only 5 points per unit, so even if they kill just one warrior, they will usually have earned their points back :P
Plus the enemie thinks they're annoying, which can only be a good thing ;)

I reckon they would be better used giving your boys or gobbo units one or two more models each.

My fast cav are used for a distraction and bait units. Their second objective is the occasional flank charge. Bows go along great with the distraction bit. There is nothing more satisfying then a fast cav unit dancing around an opponents expensive unit while slowing them down and prickling them with bows.

I agree with Rastamann take them only if you have points left over

Well, I'll disagree with the majority here...

I think that the standard 5 model, no command (or maybe just a musician), Wolfrider unit should always have bows. They are move and shoot, so that doesn't have any negative effect (well at least after you're too close to march much)... there are many opportunities to harass an enemy unit, without actually risking your wolf riders in close combat.

I often use them to pepper the enemy's lightly armed missile troops - they will often draw fire away from more valuable targets. There's lots of times where a unit of Wolf Riders might be ignored, because they're too weak to charge anything in range. But it's harder to ignore a unit that's shooting at you... as has been said - often the enemy will make the mistake of chasing the wolfriders, even tho' they're not really doing any damage.

I put bows on both my wolf rider units and my spider riders. And yes this is 15 points of my army taken away but like others have said the annoyance factor can be frustrating for the enemy and could make them pay more attention to them than normal. In the last few games though they have been amazing, they have taken out a flesh hound, they killed 2! dwarf crewmen which allowed me to charge the war machine next turn and take it out. I would say they are almost always worth the extra points just because of the potential to do stuff. They also keep enemy wizards and characters from roaming around on their own just from the threat of bows.

When they need 6's to hit, mine have never really done anything. Of course, I don't use them as a true annoyance factor. I usually set mine up for flank and/or rear charges on units. I also go for war machines or weaker units that are floating around. Perhaps I haven't used them as annoyance units as much as I could...

Would'nt bother with bows
1 Makes them more expensive
2 They will only be able to use them the front row
3 They will end up being useless anyway
Just give them the spears

If one thing ratlings fear it is bows.

I wish I had 25p left to add them in my 5 fast cav units.

But, since I use them mostly for baiting and warmachine hunting I do not trade their musician/spears for the less useful bows.

If only I could find 25 p ... :(

Well, if you have more then 1 rank, I suppose it wil serve as a combat unit, in which case they don't need bows anyway.
I'd only use them in units of 5 or not.

People will often forget that Fast Cavalry can MARCH and shoot. You can often zip in and hit a lone mage that the enemy thought was safe - because it was more than 18" from your Wolfriders.

And they can get behind ranked units that they wouldn't want to charge, and still pepper them with the bows - also think about Wolfriders in the flank arc of units like Handgunners and Quarrellers - the missile units can't fire at the Wolfies, but the Wolfies can shoot at them. Now - if the Handgunners turn to shoot at the Wolfriders - the Wolfies can just scoot into the flank arc again - and still shoot. Very frustrating.

16" will keep them out of the charge range of many skirmishing foot troops - OK, they may not get many wounds but these skirmishers are often pretty weak on defense.

Sometimes yes to bows. For 5 points you get to measure the range to a unit.