500pts Starter Space Wolves Army: The Saga Begins!

Really miss my laptop... image edited from here and here.

Whilst I have been doing a lot of research on Thousand Sons lists, thanks to the direction the polls are heading in:

... I've also mentioned that Space Wolves are relatively easy to get started in. There's still time to reverse the polls if you want me to embrace my cosmic Viking side!


I just wanted to show you what I meant by that.

Formation: Deathpack [446]

Wolf Lord:

Runic Armour, Fangsword of the Ice Wolf.

Grey Hunters:

6x Grey Hunters with 6 Bolt Pistols, 6 Close combat weapons, 5 Bolters, 1 Flamer

Transport: Drop Pod

Thunderwolf Cavalry:

1x Pack Leader w/ Power Fist and Stormshield, 2x Thunderwolf Cavalry w/ Bolt pistols and Chainswords

Optional: Add 3 Grey Hunters (for [494 points])

A really easy army to use, if a little formulaic. The Thunderwolves set up as close to the enemy as possible, on the deployment line. The Wolf Lord sits in the drop pod with the Grey Hunters.

On turn one, the drop pod comes in between the mid point of the battlefield and the enemy deployment line. To get an early start on Line Breaker, you can actually drop straight onto the enemy deployment line! The Grey Hunters and Wolf Lord get out, and in the next movement phase, the Cavalry cross to the midpoint.

The Wolf Lord then activates his Formation ability; For Glory and For Russ! He grants the Grey Hunters re-rolls of 1 to their shooting, and gives the Cavalry (who should be within 12") the ability to Run and Charge in the same turn.

Depending on where the enemy has deployed, that's either given you a Turn 1 charge, or completely given you control of the majority of the battlefield. Even if the Thunderwolf Cavalry charge fails, the enemy now have to deal with a big angry brawl of Space Wolves on their front doorstep, goading them into charging 18-Counter Attacks plus a Wall of Death whilst their Sergeant gets challenged by a Wolf Lord of Fenris!

This little starter army has decent Anti-tank in the Thunderwolf Cavalry, only needing to get that Strength 10 Power Fist into the fray. In a pinch, the Rending Wolf Lord backed up by Grey Hunter krak grenades could do for most other softer armour, and in 450 points you won't be seeing the heaviest stuff around.

The reason why this is particularly good is that it literally only takes the Start Collecting! Space Wolves kit to field. If, for whatever reason, you couldn't afford the drop pod, the difference can be made up with just adding the rest of the Grey Hunters from the kit... and would still have about as much effectiveness. You'd just need to footslog the Lord and Hunters. Adding in more Grey Hunters means this scales really neatly into 500 points.

Okay, it's not an unbeatable list, and nothing is at this small scale, but it's instantly competitive. It also highlights the flexibility and unique nature of the Space Wolf play style. You have your solid infantry and hero looking to make a new saga for himself dropping screaming into the enemies face, with them both backed up by weird and wonderfully silly unique elite troops.

To be honest I get excited just thinking about it.

Until next time!

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