Space Wolves: A Comprehensive History

[Quillen]

In the Second Edition Sisters of Battle Codex they have a battle of the fang. In it they cover a Great Company returning with it's Battle Barges. Plural, as in more then one Battle Barge. The problem with fluff from GW is it never stays one way. Things change and grow and shrink. So Battle Barges show up. Many plural. Yet in a book later they mention 12 active ships and 3 resevers. Wierd huh.

 

And those are probly capitol ships mentioned.

 

There was also fluff about some patrol ships in a system bumping into enemies and leaving. It was 3 destroyers I believe. So they also have patrol craft. And you usually have 3 or 4 times the destroyers/frigates as a capitol ship. So if they have 12-15 capitols then they would have about 36-60 escort craft.

 

There is also fluff on the serfs of the SpaceWolves that server in the Fang and on board ships.

 

I will try and get this info to you so you can add it. I moved to Canada 2 years ago and alot fo the stuff is still in the old house back home. I will see what I can find.

 

On a side note. Strike Crusiers are just a little bit bigger then a Destroyer. It's a Capitol Ship, but only in the brodest sence. Think of the Little US Marine Carriers. Are they a carrier? Well yeah, About a third of the size of a real one with only the fire power to back up a quick Marine Insertion and carry out small strikes. IN the game fluff they are like Light Cruisers. Which are used to protect shipping from pirates or to screen a real fleets movements and look for contect.

[Beef]

@ Lord Ragnarok, the Ulrik part is from the 2nd edition codex, Vash has the info given by me so hopefully he will add to the Ulrik description when he gets through evrybodies info.

 

.... during the first war for armageddon Ulrik won renown fighting alongside Wolf Lord Krugers company. He singlehadedly cut down three of Khornes world eaters in hand to hand combat earning the unuasual accolade of a salute from the Lord of the world eaters himself. . . .

 

If your talking about the Grimnor part It was in a white dwarf under heroes of the imperiam, cant rememebr the issue. In that it states he took overall command but it does not say he actually fought angron. If he did he would be DEAD, as grimnor is good but not that good.

[Dark Bjoern]

It was Brother-Captain Aurellian from the Grey Knight Chapter together with 100 Grey Knight Terminators that teleports directly to Angorn and his retinue of twelf mighty Bloodthirster. Only 10 Grey Knights survived the battle. Logan Grimnar was in a position from were he could see the titanic fight.

[Vash113]

@Bibleboy

-Yea I should have been doing homework, projects, or working on essays but... I didn't feel like it. As for the Space Wolf novels, I'd certaily suggest reading them. Sons of Fenris may well be the worst of the lot, but they aren't anywhere near the worst BL books I've read (even Sons of Fenris), and whether you like them or not any Space Wolf player, or anyone who likes the chapter in general should probably read them.

 

@Zengar

-Your welcome. :tu:

 

@Quillen

-I'll have to look into the 2nd Edition Sisters of Battle codex then.

 

@Beef

-Yea I'm working on gathering the last bits of information and pouring through it, I've just been too busy tod...*looks at clock* er yesterday to get it all finished. So hopefully later today I'll have it all put together and incorporated into the article.

 

@Dark Bjoern

-Twelve Bloodthirsters and the World Eater's Primarch... and only 90% cassualties... not bad.

[frostclaw222]

Alright...are there really Space Wolves in this thread? The sagas are supposed to get better every time they're told....

 

Grimnar was in overall command. He set Angron up for a GK teleport smackdown. Now it's been about four years since I read the article, but I came away with the impression that he was close enough to see the 'oh, frak' look on Grumpy's face when Aurellian and his Century popped in to say hi, and Russ forbid--if he was close enough, I really don't see the Old Wolf sitting back and saying, "Wow, Angron, that's just GOTTA hurt...." without getting a bit of the scrap himself.....

 

That could be me. The Ulrik bit is new, though.

 

One thing to bear in mind about the Fleet: That number from the novel is misleading. That was the Fleet at anchor at the time. Not total vessels held, if memory serves. So, assume that's a representative force of flagships for the Wolf Lords in attendance, a Fenrisian defense picket (we won't forget the Thousand Sons' attacks so soon), and a few stragglers in for overhaul and repair. The rest of the Fleet is out doing what fleets do: train, patrol, and shoot stuff.

 

I'll go back through the front matter again tomorrow afternoon and see if there's anything else I can point to, but on the whole, the stuff is good. Will likely suggest some expansion on certain points, but if Berasse is sending you PMs, I'm betting that he's going to hit most of what I'm thinking of, based of our fluff discussions in other threads....

[Vash113]

One thing to bear in mind about the Fleet: That number from the novel is misleading. That was the Fleet at anchor at the time. Not total vessels held, if memory serves. So, assume that's a representative force of flagships for the Wolf Lords in attendance, a Fenrisian defense picket (we won't forget the Thousand Sons' attacks so soon), and a few stragglers in for overhaul and repair. The rest of the Fleet is out doing what fleets do: train, patrol, and shoot stuff.

 

Actually the conversation was talking about the entire Space Wolves fleet. Most Chapter Fleets don't include that many ships. The Ultramarines for instance have 8 Strike Cruisers and 3 Battle Barges. The 15 ships mentioned were Great Ships, or in other words those Ships capable of carying a Great Company, which would include Strike Cruiser and Battle Barge equivalents (though I wouldn't dream the Space Wolves have many stock versions of either vessel type, if any at all). The Pride of Fenris and the Iron Wolf are actually most likely retrofitted Imperial Navy Capitol ships of some kind, far larger than Battle Barges. While the rest of the fleet is likely composed of a mix of ships in between the weight classes of Strike Cruisers and Battle Barges.

 

The Fist of Russ for instance is certainly neither class of ship, for both classes have a sweeping front that makes them look sort of like Hammerheads that is fitted with their forward mounted guns, in keeping with their role of punching through picket fleets to disgorge the Space Marines on their target. However the Fist of Russ in the books is mounted with a massive drill bit on it's front to drive into enemy ships almost as though the ship were a giant boarding torpedo. Such a thing would be very hard to mount on either a Battle Barge or a Strike Cruiser so the Fist of Russ is probably some kind of Navy Warship instead of a standard Space Marine vessel and I would imagine most of the other SW ships are similar.

 

Now for defense and patrol purposes each Chapter maintains a number of support vessels. The Ultramarines for instance have 12 Rapid Strike Vessels. I would expect the Space Wolves to have roughly that number.

 

Course I'm no expert on 40k ships, so I could be missing something.

 

And yes I'm still working on gathering the very last of the sources, Beef has been a great help, as has Berasse, I'm just tracking down the 2nd Edition Sisters of Battle codex for some of it's contents.

[Quillen]

Ok, Sisters of Battle 2nd Page 39. Under the story of The Plague of unbelief. Bucharis advances bring him into territories patroled by the SpaceWolves. The Crusier (not strike but a Imp naval Crusier) named Claw of Russ was preparing to leave. It engages and destroys a a navy Crusier and a Transport ship before escaping.

 

Two thirds of his fleet is kept busy by the Fenris Fleet. Out numbered they tore through his fleet and then kept it pinned with hit and run attacks. p.40

 

The Seige lasted 3 years with the Wolves and Serf holding the fang against the enemy.

 

Then a Fleet of Battle Barges entered the System and destroyed half of the Imperial Naval Ships. It was Kyrl Grimblood's great Company returning home. Yup, one great company with a fleet of Battle Barges.

 

I see it as probly 3 Battle Barges. That would be a fleet of BB to me.

[frostclaw222]

Cruiser or Grand Cruiser for the Claw of Russ?

 

Hit and run attacks makes it sound like there were harrying units >>> small ships like destroyers, frigates, and the like, supporting medium sized ships acting as command and control and resupply hubs.

 

A 'fleet' of Battle Barges? What in the cold hells was Grimblood up to that he needed that much firepower? Or were some of those recent acquisitions/upgrades, a la Egil Ironwolf? Agreed, it likely meant three, plus support/picket vessels. Three battle barges plus escorts would put the hurt on just about anything, especially if they had supporting elements already on station (the fleet that was harrying them already).

 

The problem is, we can't get names for all these cap ships that are showing up, so we cannot confirm how many are reiterations of the same ship.....

 

We may never know the answer to this question, but given that the SW claimant space is so thinly populated and small, plus the feudal dispersal of fleet assets, I cannot imagine a huge fleet. As for the Ultramarines, let's bear in mind that Ultramar is all virtually in their back pocket, whether it's flying ImpNav or UM flags from its pennant rails, so while they might claim to have x vessels, I think they've got more on speed dial....

 

For the Wolves, though? One or two really big cap ships for half the number of Great Companies, maybe one or two in reserve. Less than a handful of battlebarges in addition. Sprinkle in strike cruisers to suit (remember, just because there are 12 Great Companies doesn't mean they're only in 12 places at one time....these guys split up). Then bulk it up with patrol craft of the destroyer/frigate size (which may not even be manned by Astartes, but Fenrisian bondsmen), bearing in mind that they don't have all that much space to patrol, but need some on hand to pull picket duties for the strike groups they form when they go to war.

 

Let's also bear in mind that the true size of a Great Company still hasn't been reliably established, but could exceed standard company size by anywhere from 105-250%, though that number likely rapidly fluctuates given Blood Claw behavior/mortality.

 

Maybe we should go ask what the Black Templars have and just divide by two or three?

[Vash113]

Alright everybody, thanks to Beef, Berasse and Quillen I've added info on the 2nd Battle for the Fang, extended the information on Ulrik the Slayer, and added Kyrl Grimblood, Wolf Guard Ranulf, Wolf Guard Durfast and Njal Stormcaller, making slight ammendations where necessary (such as the Space Wolves not having recruit scouts but forming recruits into Blood Claw packs for instance where Njal is concerned). Some of the older material is difficult to put to use but certianly very interresting. Such as Wolf Guard Ranulf, now that's just bad a**. Sorry it took so long I've had a lot to do to prepare for going home for Thanksgiving... including finding and packing up all my models... like all 400 of them... yikes.

 

So anyway there it is and I think... think that might be everything I need to include... maybe...

[LoneSniperSG]

In the Second Edition Sisters of Battle Codex they have a battle of the fang. In it they cover a Great Company returning with it's Battle Barges. Plural, as in more then one Battle Barge. The problem with fluff from GW is it never stays one way. Things change and grow and shrink. So Battle Barges show up. Many plural. Yet in a book later they mention 12 active ships and 3 resevers. Wierd huh.

 

And those are probly capitol ships mentioned.

 

There was also fluff about some patrol ships in a system bumping into enemies and leaving. It was 3 destroyers I believe. So they also have patrol craft. And you usually have 3 or 4 times the destroyers/frigates as a capitol ship. So if they have 12-15 capitols then they would have about 36-60 escort craft.

 

There is also fluff on the serfs of the SpaceWolves that server in the Fang and on board ships.

 

I will try and get this info to you so you can add it. I moved to Canada 2 years ago and alot fo the stuff is still in the old house back home. I will see what I can find.

 

On a side note. Strike Crusiers are just a little bit bigger then a Destroyer. It's a Capitol Ship, but only in the brodest sence. Think of the Little US Marine Carriers. Are they a carrier? Well yeah, About a third of the size of a real one with only the fire power to back up a quick Marine Insertion and carry out small strikes. IN the game fluff they are like Light Cruisers. Which are used to protect shipping from pirates or to screen a real fleets movements and look for contect.

 

That's exactly what Strike Cruisers are for. I don't recall saying they weren't used for that.

 

And the serfs thing is all around, all space marine chapters rely on that, because to have brother marines crewing ships would be a severe waste of their time and resources. Like using a fine filet mignon as some little kid's hamburger.

 

You also need to consider date, as well as GW's inconsistency. BFG rulebook and subsequently, BFG Armada were released after the 2nd edition dex, so I doubt the Company with more than one battlebarge is legit any longer. Besides, even an SW great company doesn't need a ship capable of carrying 3 companies. Bad enough I barely believe the naval fluff, as SM ships are most definitely not sluggers like the Navy, but I'm not going to say Marines cannot triumph over the Navy.

[AdrianG]

That is one impressive compilation of the Space Wolves History.

I never realised there was actually so much of it about ;)

I take my hat off to you and your labour of love(?), and will be adding it to my previously meagre collection of background fluff/history.

[Vash113]

That is one impressive compilation of the Space Wolves History.

I never realised there was actually so much of it about :D

I take my hat off to you and your labour of love(?), and will be adding it to my previously meagre collection of background fluff/history.

 

I am glad that my efforts have proven useful. :)

[MaveriK]

just reading and looking through some of the older trends, this one is always a good read!! great input from allot of people, and for those who know and dont know about Space Wolves, there's always something new to learn and appreciate. For young pups, and new players... read up and learn your history! FOR RUSS!!!!

[Epistolary Exander]

frostclaw222: The Ultramarines are responsible for the protection of the Ultramar subsector & so the Imperial Navy have no fleet assets stationed there. Its for this reason that the smurfs have a large fleet for a non-crusade chapter. The lack of Navy vessels in the area was shown in the repsonse time for Navy reinforcements for the battle of Macragge.

 

The SW have are the second largest chapter & are likely to have to 1 of the largest fleets amongst the Astartes. This would be refelcted in the highly independent nature of the great companies with each great company needing its own escorts for its fleet vessels. Considering great companies are larger than a codex company, its possible that the SW have a higher proportion of battle barge equivalent vessels to transport the great companies.

 

Hope this is of some use.

[Foe_hammer]

frostclaw222: The Ultramarines are responsible for the protection of the Ultramar subsector & so the Imperial Navy have no fleet assets stationed there. Its for this reason that the smurfs have a large fleet for a non-crusade chapter. The lack of Navy vessels in the area was shown in the repsonse time for Navy reinforcements for the battle of Macragge.

 

The SW have are the second largest chapter & are likely to have to 1 of the largest fleets amongst the Astartes. This would be refelcted in the highly independent nature of the great companies with each great company needing its own escorts for its fleet vessels. Considering great companies are larger than a codex company, its possible that the SW have a higher proportion of battle barge equivalent vessels to transport the great companies.

 

Hope this is of some use.

 

I was under the same impression .Just using the FOC a SW Great co. can get much larger then most vanilla SM companys. I dont know off hand how many SM a strike cruiser can hold but I would think some of the Larger Great Co. would need a Battle Barge or multiple Cruisers to carry all of them.

[Bjorn the Fell-Handed]

Well, I must say, sounds like if Bjorn the Fell Handed tested your knowledge of our saga's, you wouldnt probably be found wanting :)

 

NIce work mate. Thats awesome. Im havin a copy :P

[Vash113]

just reading and looking through some of the older trends, this one is always a good read!! great input from allot of people, and for those who know and dont know about Space Wolves, there's always something new to learn and appreciate. For young pups, and new players... read up and learn your history! FOR RUSS!!!!

 

Indeed, there's always something new to learn. The book Wolf's Honour just came out recently and I just got to read it last week, time to add some more on the 13th Company and Ragnar me thinks!

 

frostclaw222: The Ultramarines are responsible for the protection of the Ultramar subsector & so the Imperial Navy have no fleet assets stationed there. Its for this reason that the smurfs have a large fleet for a non-crusade chapter. The lack of Navy vessels in the area was shown in the repsonse time for Navy reinforcements for the battle of Macragge.

 

The SW have are the second largest chapter & are likely to have to 1 of the largest fleets amongst the Astartes. This would be refelcted in the highly independent nature of the great companies with each great company needing its own escorts for its fleet vessels. Considering great companies are larger than a codex company, its possible that the SW have a higher proportion of battle barge equivalent vessels to transport the great companies.

 

Hope this is of some use.

 

Wolf's Honour actually talks about the Space Wolf fleet under Berek Thunderfist comprising quite a few escorts and other support frigates, and the Space Wolves do include things like full sized Capitol Ships in their fleet where other Astartes chapters restrict themselves to just Strike Cruisers and Battle Barges so the Space Wovles fleet is probably going to ship for ship outweigh most other Chapter fleets.

 

I was under the same impression .Just using the FOC a SW Great co. can get much larger then most vanilla SM companys. I dont know off hand how many SM a strike cruiser can hold but I would think some of the Larger Great Co. would need a Battle Barge or multiple Cruisers to carry all of them.

 

Yes, it would help though to know just how large a Great Company is to estimate how large the fleet would have to be to transport it. But I suppose one of the things about how fluid the Space Wolves chapter structure is that it would be hard to put a solid estimate on the Chapter's numbers at any given time. So we just have to guess.

 

Well, I must say, sounds like if Bjorn the Fell Handed tested your knowledge of our saga's, you wouldnt probably be found wanting :)

 

NIce work mate. Thats awesome. Im havin a copy :D

 

I'm always glad to hear my work is appreciated. :)

[Bjorn the Fell-Handed]

@Vash

 

This lowly Blood Claw was looking through this mamoth-ly awesome article, and came across something he thought was wrong

 

who then presented the Helm to the Wolf Priest Ranek as a sign of respect.

I thought the Wolf Helm of Russ was presented to Ulrik the Slayer in the GW fluff.

*regardless, toasts Vash's mighty efforts*

[Vash113]

@Vash

 

This lowly Blood Claw was looking through this mamoth-ly awesome article, and came across something he thought was wrong

 

who then presented the Helm to the Wolf Priest Ranek as a sign of respect.

I thought the Wolf Helm of Russ was presented to Ulrik the Slayer in the GW fluff.

*regardless, toasts Vash's mighty efforts*

 

No you are right, other sources though point to Ranek as being Ragnar's mentor and that's how it's presented in the Space Wolf Novels (of which there are now 6). So I just went with the most... numerically superior source on the matter but the Codex disagrees and points to Ulrik the Slayer. It's a strange contradiction in the backstory but... ah well, that's GW for you.

 

And thanks for the toast! :)

[Jonny Wolf]

Shouldn't this article be made permanent in the important topics section?

[Lord Ragnarok]

I will see about it getting added to the libarium and turned into an article.

[Vash113]

Well I submitted it to the Librarium a while ago if I remember correctly and nothing came of that. I could submit it again but who should I submit it too specifically?

[Foe_hammer]

@Vash

 

This lowly Blood Claw was looking through this mamoth-ly awesome article, and came across something he thought was wrong

 

who then presented the Helm to the Wolf Priest Ranek as a sign of respect.

I thought the Wolf Helm of Russ was presented to Ulrik the Slayer in the GW fluff.

*regardless, toasts Vash's mighty efforts*

 

No you are right, other sources though point to Ranek as being Ragnar's mentor and that's how it's presented in the Space Wolf Novels (of which there are now 6). So I just went with the most... numerically superior source on the matter but the Codex disagrees and points to Ulrik the Slayer. It's a strange contradiction in the backstory but... ah well, that's GW for you.

 

And thanks for the toast! ;)

 

Hmmm , I always thought that mabey they ( Ranek in the books; Ulric in the SWdex) were the same person. They are both Wolf Priests , and they are both Ragnars mentor. Who knows though. In my mind they will be the same guy.

[Bjorn the Fell-Handed]

@Vash

 

This lowly Blood Claw was looking through this mamoth-ly awesome article, and came across something he thought was wrong

 

who then presented the Helm to the Wolf Priest Ranek as a sign of respect.

I thought the Wolf Helm of Russ was presented to Ulrik the Slayer in the GW fluff.

*regardless, toasts Vash's mighty efforts*

 

No you are right, other sources though point to Ranek as being Ragnar's mentor and that's how it's presented in the Space Wolf Novels (of which there are now 6). So I just went with the most... numerically superior source on the matter but the Codex disagrees and points to Ulrik the Slayer. It's a strange contradiction in the backstory but... ah well, that's GW for you.

 

And thanks for the toast! :eek

 

Hmmm , I always thought that mabey they ( Ranek in the books; Ulric in the SWdex) were the same person. They are both Wolf Priests , and they are both Ragnars mentor. Who knows though. In my mind they will be the same guy.

 

I think that Will King said that this seeming inconsistency in the background was something that he would probably never resolve.

 

I spose with the debate as to whom mentored Rangar, ti depends on perspective. Perhaps, as you said, they both mentored him, and maybe Ulrik was more senior, so the WHoR went to him as a mark of respect.

 

Thanks for clearing that up thoug Vash

[SeanyPrawny]

I just figured that Ulric mentored him through his wolf lord roll and ranek through his blood claw years. This would also explain how Ulric mentored Logan grimnar too. just as a lord not as a whelp.