Where to begin...

[Marshal van Trapp]

... I suppose the best place to begin any story is at the start. My name is Marshal Van Trapp, I am a long time player (been playing my black templar army since 3rd edition) and after a break from the game in 6th and 7th I've jumped back in with 8th. Prior to the release of 8th edition I sold off almost all my other armies (from orks to grey knight, and even an old custom 13th company I had made myself from a few boxes of wolves and chaos marines) and I'm now consolidating every I have left and trying to figure out what I want for 8th edition forward. Currently I have my templars, the largest of my armies, a chaos soup army consisting of a bunch of DI death guard and a few squads of 1ksons I made from the burning of prospero marines, as well as a sizable tau force and some necrons still sitting in their boxes.

 

With all that said, I have always loved space wolves. They were and still are my father's primary army, now prominently sitting on display in his glass display shelves. After having a lengthy discussion with one of my friends about the thousand sons he convinced me to read the heresy novel "A Thousand Sons" and while I thoroughly enjoyed it as well as learning the lore of one of my armies, I have to say I'm a bit struck by the betrayal of the Space Wolves. While I know already it was Horus who blinded Russ to the truth of his mission, I can't help but feel perplexed. To that end, I want to learn as much as I can about the mighty wolves of russ because I was hoping, after all my other armies are finished, to begin my own space wolf army much like my father.

 

Where exactly should i begin with trying to learn all the lore about the Space Wolves? And also, where is a good starting point to collecting my own space wolves army?

[Apostle of the 30th Host]

It seems as though you are particularly interested in the early Space Wolves lore, particularly in reference to Prospero and the events leading up to it.

 

So I would 100% suggest you get hold of the Horus Heresy Book VII: Inferno (part of Forge World's black book series for 30k). The background in there is fantastic and really sold me on the wolves. I generally think it is much, much better than the 40k stuff I have read for most of the first founding Legions, but I particularly enjoyed the Space Wolves.

 

This book will also give you the option to go on and collect a 30k Space Wolf army if you prefer.

 

 

If you are finding it hard to get hold of this book, I would suggest you look at the 40k Wiki page for Space Wolves. Most of the 30k stuff there is a direct copy-paste from the Horus Heresy books, and has all the current lore too if you want an overview of everything.

[Marshal van Trapp]

I shall see if I can get ahold of that book. My FLGS has a lot of the older books that gw released so maybe they have this one

[Wolf Guard Dan]

For 40k era Emperor's Gift is one of my favorite Space Wolves books, albeit told from the perspective of a Grey Knight.

[Kasper_Hawser]

... I suppose the best place to begin any story is at the start. My name is Marshal Van Trapp, I am a long time player (been playing my black templar army since 3rd edition) and after a break from the game in 6th and 7th I've jumped back in with 8th. Prior to the release of 8th edition I sold off almost all my other armies (from orks to grey knight, and even an old custom 13th company I had made myself from a few boxes of wolves and chaos marines) and I'm now consolidating every I have left and trying to figure out what I want for 8th edition forward. Currently I have my templars, the largest of my armies, a chaos soup army consisting of a bunch of DI death guard and a few squads of 1ksons I made from the burning of prospero marines, as well as a sizable tau force and some necrons still sitting in their boxes.

 

With all that said, I have always loved space wolves. They were and still are my father's primary army, now prominently sitting on display in his glass display shelves. After having a lengthy discussion with one of my friends about the thousand sons he convinced me to read the heresy novel "A Thousand Sons" and while I thoroughly enjoyed it as well as learning the lore of one of my armies, I have to say I'm a bit struck by the betrayal of the Space Wolves. While I know already it was Horus who blinded Russ to the truth of his mission, I can't help but feel perplexed. To that end, I want to learn as much as I can about the mighty wolves of russ because I was hoping, after all my other armies are finished, to begin my own space wolf army much like my father.

 

Where exactly should i begin with trying to learn all the lore about the Space Wolves? And also, where is a good starting point to collecting my own space wolves army?

 

Hi Van trapp, welcome to the Fang!

 

The lore of the Wolves is I admit, a very divisive topic, best reflected in another post below:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/345365-discussion-on-the-events-of-prospero/

 

However, I really don't recommend you jump to that thread yet until you have more understood the Wolves perspective. 

 

One thing you have to understand before you go any further:

 

Unlike most legions who mostly stayed in character from conception even after breaking into chapters, the Sixth Legion has gone through quite a few phases and were not always the same. You have to imagine the wolves changed their character a few times :

 

a) Before the founding of Leman Russ - Basically undisciplined killer soldiers with no regard for collateral damage.

AFTER the founding of Leman Russ and pre-Prospero - Becoming disciplined killer soldiers with no regard for collateral damage, now with viking flair.

c) Immediately after the burning of Prospero - Being depressed for fighting wrong battle and unable to take meaningful action during the war.

d) Between the Burning of Prospero and the Siege of Terra - Russ tries to reform the wolves from killer soldiers into somewhat killer defenders of humanity.

e) After the Siege of Terra all the way to Warzone Fenris in 40K - For the most part, the Space Wolves change from being someone you wouldn't want to hang out with, to a chapter most Imperial Commanders would love to get help from.

f) Post warzone Fenris.- Sadly we got our butts kicked by Magnus, and it looks like we're actually Chapter strength after the huge mauling as well as a sizeable chunk of Fenrisian population being removed by the Inquisition. Nevertheless, the Wolves still fight all the way to Cadia where two Great Companies ultimately die.

 

So for reading material, it goes without saying after Thousand Sons, you need to read Prospero Burns. It is an admittedly difficult book to read, basically a Space Wolf novel but told from an outsider perspective. Still awesome sauce though.

 

TLDR, read (best if in following sequence):

 

1) Prospero Burns

2) Leman Russ - Primarch novel

3) Scars  - yes, the White Scar novel which has at least two chapters dedicated to the Wolves aftermath.

4) The Wolf King 

5) Battle of the Fang

6) Emperor's Gift

 

As an aside, there are other novels which reveal good info on the Wolves though not about the Wolves:

 

1) The First Heretic - russ and magnus actually agree on something

2) Betrayer - a little know spat between Angron and Russ

3) Path of Heaven - what Russ was doing after Prospero

4) Know No Fear - what grand daddy papa smurf thinks of Russ

5) Unremembered Empire - Vikings vs Batman. Enough said. :) Awesome sauce.

[Huggtand]

I can only agree with Kasper_Hawser

 

Personally I would switch order between The Wolf King and Leman Russ - Primarch novel, but that's just a matter of taste. Prospero Burns is one of my favorite HH novels that I re-read at least twice a year, but íf you only have read about 40k wolves before it can be a deep plunge  Well worth it though. FW Inferno is as stated before a must for really learning about the Rout.

 

Another thread in this forum that discuss the wolves in 30k (the first 4 pages is mostly discussion on the executioner thing though)

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/343846-what-was-russsw-role-before-and-after-the-heresy/

 

As with the other topics of wolves there is sometimes different views on things 

 

Oh, and many topics often contains spoilers to the above books, just to keep in mind if you want to read them without knowing anything before

[Kasper_Hawser]

I agree with Hugtand, the Wolf King and Leman Russ Primarch novel is interchangeable, though I suggest the Wolf King to be immediately read after Scars. Leman Russ is a nice standalone on what the Legion was like before the HH happened.

 

I think its better Van Trapp, to ignore all the discussion threads on lores UNTIL you've read the books and formed your own opinions. Otherwise you are jumping into a debate vulnerable to being swayed by  various sides and opinions without forming your own.

 

Any specific lore questions, can always PM us. But trying to discuss about the justification of Nikae and the Prospero war..... will boggle your mind. And I'm sad to say for most of the heresy, the Wolves were GW punching bag in terms of being in wrong place and wrong fight, nearly always fighting alone and needing to be saved.

[Krakendoomcool]

I would put Prospero Burns as not only my favourite book in the series (along with Horus Rising) but actually as a fantastic intro into reading about Space Marines/Wolves. Although it was my first 40k/30k book so that undoubtedly influenced things. Because it is from an outsiders perspective you get a great build up. Right down from villager level (where the novel starts) right up to seeing Primarchs through Space Marines and Dreadnoughts. You get to fully appreciate each escalation and get wowed by more and more powerful characters. Some of the books go straight into Primarchs and it's hard then to appreciate 'regular' super soldiers after that let alone humans. So i'd say it's the escalation that makes it a great intro.

 

There is a giant stain on the history of the space wolves (prospero). Don't get me wrong I'm still firmly in the Wolves camp on that. They were the Emperor's executioners, so not exactly lovable. But as Kasper_Hawser says above its about the learning with the Wolves. They become one of the most noble and empathetic Chapters by the time you get to 40k. Logan Grimnar is a hero across the whole universe. No one tries to save the regular humans like the Space Wolves do. They aren't about collateral damge anymore. They are more likely to stand side by side with Imperial Guard and defend the humans with their lives nowadays.

 

They've esentially gone from following orders to the letter to thinking for themselves. That's why they are so different now in 40k compared to the other Chapters. They've come a long way. They've learnt to 'think' and decide for themselves the best course of action.

 

"I recognise my failing and will try to correct it".

 

Still gives me chills...

[Marshal van Trapp]

Thank you all, I did always think it strange that in the 30k lore I've read so far it seemed like the wolves were not much better than the world eaters, but there 40k lore is much nobler and honorable. I'll take a crack at my horus heresy collection and see which of those books I have and which I still need to get ahold of.

[Kasper_Hawser]

Thank you all, I did always think it strange that in the 30k lore I've read so far it seemed like the wolves were not much better than the world eaters, but there 40k lore is much nobler and honorable. I'll take a crack at my horus heresy collection and see which of those books I have and which I still need to get ahold of.

 

Yeah it's a mess. Interesting enough, or shamefully enough, the Space Wolves were once like the World Eaters. You could say the only difference was how their primarch changed them, one of which was sane, the other BAT POO INSANE! And even then it's not entirely Angron's fault..... no, definitely his fault. He had a choice, he chose to remain stupid and insane and let his legion devolve to the same.

 

If I may shorted the list, if you can't get "Scars", the Wolf King should suffice, although better to read together or subsequent to Scars.

 

Also for a good "Heroic" and Happy ending Space Wolf story that will leave you warm and fuzzy (in the good sense, not furry sense), I recommend spending a couple of pounds for the short story "Kraken". It is part of a Space Wolf collection of stories, but the rest of the stories are mostly Meh, so I recommend JUST that story. Makes a nice pocked phone story..

 

Generally, only trust Chris Wright for Space Wolves. ADB is also awesome, though like GRR Martin, he tends to kill his characters shortly after.

[Axilleas]

Where would Wolfsbane fall in this list? I haven't read any of the novels and just started a free trial with audible, so I am looking to start listening to them all but want to make sure Prospero Burns is still first on the list.

[Anarnii]

I would certainly add wolfsbane, weregeld and crimson king.

 

Crimson King is the third part of the story arc began in a thousand sons and prospero burns and have wolf characters, which are really fantastic.

 

Wolfsbane is an interest and potentially key part of the heresy series and is a full wolf book, and includes some interest early encounters with Russ and more on the gothi and fenrisian region.

 

Weregeld is a raven guard book but is set up to the end of the current space wolf arc, with some of the aftermath of wolfsbane.

 

In additional to these I think some of the plots in venegeful spirit including Russ and wolf characters are good, and worth a read before wolfsbane.