Space Wolves

"The Sons of Fenris they are, hardened in the forge of their harsh world, eager for battle and honour. They are the grey warriors, ashen like the wolf, whose greatest joy is to hear the clamour of steel amidst the din of war."

- The Space Wolves Catechism

The Space Wolves, known in their own dialect of Juvjk as the Vlka Fenryka or "Wolves of Fenris", are one of the original 20 First Founding Space Marine Legions, and were once led by their famed Primarch, Leman Russ. Once the VI Legion of Astartes raised by the Emperor at the dawn of the Great Crusade, the Space Wolves are renowned for their anti-authoritarian ways and their embrace of their homeworld Fenris' savage barbarian culture as well as their extreme deviation from the Codex Astartes in the Chapter's organisation. After the Horus Heresy and the resultant Second Founding reforms of the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Wolves Legion was divided into two Chapters: the new Space Wolves Chapter, which was not compliant with the dictates of the Codex Astartes and retained the name of its parent Legion, and the second Chapter which took the name of the Wolf Brothers. The Wolf Brothers suffered from rampant mutation of their gene-seed not long after their Founding and were later disbanded. It is currently unknown if there are any other Successor Chapters of the Space Wolves in the Imperium.

Since the Imperium came into being, the Space Wolves have fought tooth and nail for the cause of the Emperor. Amongst the most famous of the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, their sagas are told from one end of the galaxy to the other. As headstrong as they are fierce, the Space Wolves excel at close-quarters fighting, their warriors vying keenly for glory on the field of battle. The Space Wolves live to fight, and death holds no fear for them.

The legends of the Space Wolves Chapter are told on countless thousands of worlds, and like the greatest of their fellow First Founding kin, they hold so many battle-honours that it would take a battle-scribe an entire lifetime to commit them all to parchment. The manner in which such laurels are won and recounted amongst the Space Wolves is very different to how such things are achieved amongst other Chapters. The Space Wolves are savage and proud, and they seek glory in all they do. Some, especially the Dark Angels, regard the Sons of Russ as braggarts and gloryhounds, finding their methods crude and their desire to make a name for themselves vainglorious. In truth, every Space Wolves Battle-Brother longs for his story -- his saga -- to be recounted by his kin long after he has fallen, and for his name to be spoken in the same breath as the Primarch himself. The Space Wolves deviate from the Codex Astartes and the essential nature of what it is to be a Space Marine about as far as is possible. Their genetic inheritance is at once a blessing and a curse, for although each Space Wolf is gifted of the superhuman senses of Russ himself, their enhanced physiologies can be overcome by the change and mutation can occur. In organisation, the Chapter has never paid any regard to the dictates of Roboute Guilliman's Codex Astartes, stubbornly cleaving to the structure that saw it through the wars at the dawn of the Age of the Imperium. In appearance, the Space Wolves are savage and wild, adorning their armour with a combination of finely-wrought talismans and skins, bones, and teeth taken as trophies from beasts they have slain in single combat. Even in their manners, the Battle-Brothers of the Space Wolves differ from most other Space Marines, for they are competitive and headstrong, and at once individualistic and fiercely loyal to their "Pack."

Space Wolves seek to write their saga with every deed they perform and every battle they fight, and perhaps more than any other Chapter, their service is an epic in itself. The rites of initiation that a Space Wolf must undergo in order to be accepted as a Neophyte are amongst the most harsh of any Chapter. Often he must actually fall in combat having slain all of his foes first, a guttering spark of life remaining. His deeds witnessed by a so-called "Chooser of the Slain," the young warrior awakens far from his tribe. But this is only the beginning, for so potent is the gene-stock of Russ that most who receive it are overcome, their bodies ravaged by mutation as they transform into savage beasts called Wulfen. Those who can contain this animal potency are judged fit to proceed, and after countless more trials may be accepted into the ranks of the Blood Claw Assault Packs. At this stage in his life, a Space Wolf is likely to be a headstrong berserker competing with his peers for the approval of his superiors. He is also full of the disdain and reckless overconfdence of youth, convinced that his methods are correct and the older warriors are simply stuck in their ways. Only as he matures with experience, faces more foes and suffers the cathartic tragedy of losing beloved Battle-Brothers does he change, and progress to join the Grey Hunter Packs. Later in life, having faced every foe and seen all there is to be seen, the Space Wolf and his few surviving peers might form a Long Fangs Pack, where their hard-fought experience and wisdom affords them the ability to provide fire support to the rest of the force, and to act as an immovable island in the seething ocean of battle. Throughout his service, the Space Wolf compiles his great saga, not in words, but in deeds. He seeks out the most powerful of enemies and faces the most arduous of tasks. Every Adeptus Astartes Chapter is a cadre of heroes, and the Space Wolves even more so than most, so to earn a special place in the annals of his Chapter, a Space Wolf must perform truly epic deeds and face such foes as would give even the mightiest of figures pause. As a result of these deeds, each Space Wolf carries within him unparalleled expertise, and wears the scars to prove it.

Perhaps more than any other Chapter, the character of a Space Wolves Battle-Brother is defined by his age. Perhaps the changes wrought within him by the Canis Helix grant him something of the essence of the Primarch, a potent nature the Battle-Brother must struggle to control. Leman Russ was known as a being of wild humours and often contradictory drives. One moment he was jovial, the next sullen. At the conclusion of one battle he might have ordered clemency and mercy, and at another brooked no quarter. To the Space Wolves, there is no contradiction, for the very world that birthed them is subject to such extremes. One season the land of ice and fire is cold and snow swept, the next the skies blacken with ash and lava ﬂows dissect the plains. Thus, the nature and character of a Space Wolf depends very much upon his stage in life. The youngest are headstrong and cocksure, seemingly determined to get themselves killed charging headlong into battle. The Grey Hunters are more mature, knowing the constraints of their abilities but confdent of their skills. The Long Fangs are the oldest and the wisest, affably disapproving of the antics of the youngsters but ever ready with words of advice. The most skilled in battle and leadership serve as Wolf Guard, the guardians of the Chapter's mightiest heroes. Whatever his station, a Space Wolf knows that he travels a glorious path, and that thousands of great warriors have trod it before him.

Chapter History
"It matters not how high your walls soar, It matter not how many will answer your call, It matters not how keen your blade glimmers, Nor how bright burns your hearth fire. The wolf waits, The wolf waits in darkness for us all."

- From the Lay of Grimnr Cold-Tongue, The Fenrisian Sagas

Since the days of the VI Legion's inception on Terra, the Space Wolves have remained a Legion apart from its fellows, its origins shrouded as it garnered a fearsome reputation for its warriors' prowess as a shock-assault force as well as tireless pursuers and a peerless hunter-killer force. Unexpected violence was the Legion's calling card, its campaigns unsubtle, but brutally swift. Like their latter-day namesakes, the wolves of old Terra, its warriors' assaults were calculated exercises in ferocity, aimed to tear and rend until the foe lay in ruins or was driven to its death. But it was with the restoration to the Legion of its Primarch, Leman Russ, and its settling on the icy Death World of Fenris, one of the most perilous and strange of Mankind's ancient homes, that the VI Legion's nature would find its apotheosis and the Space Wolves would truly be born.

Under its master and gene-sire Leman Russ, the Space Wolves Legion would reave a bloody path across the stars of the Great Crusade, but never stray far in truth from the shadow of the Emperor. For, unlike their brother Legions, the Space Wolves were kept under the tight control of the Imperial Court and unleashed at the Emperor's command as often to chastise those who would renege on their oaths of service as to destroy those who resisted the offer of Compliance upon the dark frontier. This oft-served role as bloody-handed tool of punishment, coupled with the secret purposes to which the Legion had been used and the Space Wolves' rapidly increasing cultural idiosyncrasy, steadily drove a wedge between the VI and the other Space Marine Legions as the standard decades of war ground on.

So it was by the closing years of the Great Crusade and the ascension of the Warmaster Horus that the Space Wolves in many ways stood a Legion isolated and apart. With some of their brethren they maintained ties of comradeship and respect, however distantly, but with others there simmered mutual acrimony and distrust, and others still considered them no more than leashed monsters, set loose only to kill when needed -- something less than human and in truth perhaps even less than Astartes. Of such opinions or considerations the Space Wolves cared little; they knew well enough that they were not the builders of empire, nor were they the watchers on its walls, nor lock-step soldiers who cared for bright pageantry and meaningless contests for rank and perfection -- they were predators, thus they had been made, and woe betide any who fell into their jaws.

The Primarchs
The Space Wolves are one of the greatest of the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, their name and honours known throughout the galaxy. As one of the original twenty Space Marine Legions, the Space Wolves were founded by the Emperor Himself over ten thousand standard years ago. The Legions were created to take part in the Great Crusade, the Emperor's reconquest of the galaxy that established the Imperium as it is today. Before the Great Crusade, Terra had endured thousands of years of isolation whilst impenetrable Warp Storms seethed and howled throughout the western part of the galaxy. This dark period of history was known as the Age of Strife. Even the Emperor was trapped upon Terra by the Warp's tumult, and could do little other than secure Humanity's birth planet and prepare His armies for the reconquest to come. Without the Emperor to guide them through this terrible age, the rest of the human worlds throughout the galaxy were left helpless against the predations of aliens and the dread creatures of the Warp. One by one, they fell into anarchy and despair. Humanity, it seemed, was doomed.

During Terra's isolation at the end of the 30th Millennium, the Emperor had striven to create twenty superhuman beings. These Primarchs, as he called them, were genetically-engineered creatures, artificial humanoids with astounding abilities. Each was created differently and with his own unique skills, powers, and in some cases, incredible psychic potential. The Primarchs were made to resemble humanity, but many were mighty in appearance. Yet the Primarch experiment never reached its conclusion. In a disastrous incident, the nascent creatures' incubation pods in the Emperor's gene-laboratories deep beneath the Himalazian (Himalayan) Mountains were swept up by terrible forces that dwelt within the Warp and scattered across the stars. Rather than trying to duplicate the long and arduous work through which he had created the Primarchs, the Emperor instead used the raw material developed during the Primarch project to create the Space Marines. After much toil, the Emperor created a number of artificially-cultured organs, each re-engineered from the genomes of the Primarchs. These organs were designed so that they could be implanted into the body of an ordinary adolescent human. Once implanted, the organs would take root and develop within the host's human tissues, becoming an integrated part of his body. Many of these organs were designed to interact with natural body tissues as they developed, enhancing muscle growth, stimulating mental processes, and transforming the recipient into a superhuman warrior. Compared to the Primarchs whose incredible power they had inherited, the Space Marines were but pale shadows, but they still became the mightiest of men and the greatest of the Emperor's warriors.

The Wolf-Child Comes to Fenris
The Primarch of the Space Wolves had landed upon the icy Death World of Fenris, his incubation pod plummeting down into the flank of a vast mountain. Given the harshness of the Fenrisian climate, it is safe to say that a lesser being would have died almost immediately upon his arrival. Emerging from his smoking capsule, the infant Primarch soon encountered a deadly mother Thunderwolf. He was doomed, yet fate, it seemed, had other ideas. Sensing in the feral youth a kindred spirit, the giant she-wolf did not kill the transhuman child, but instead raised him alongside her cubs as one of her own. The Imperium's records concerning the Space Wolves' heritage and Russ' origins owe much to the life's work of Gnauril the Elder, a contemporary of the ancient Fenrisian king Thengir. Gnauril's saga, The Ascension of the Wolf-King, tells of one fateful Helwinter, when the feral wolf-child was discovered by a hunting party of Fenrisian tribesmen. In a vicious confrontation, the wolf-mother was slain by their spears and arrows, along with many of her cubs. The Primarch fought with terrible fury, slaying a dozen warriors with naught but his bare hands to protect his two surviving packmates, Freki and Geri. It was then that fate intervened once more. One of the tribesmen at last recognised the Primarch for what he was -- human, not wolf -- and called for his fellow huntsmen to lower their weapons. The bloodied youth stood his ground, fangs bared, but understood their peaceful gesture and stayed his wrath. Unsure quite what to do, the tribesmen brought the young Primarch and his wolf-kin -- for he would not be parted from them -- before the court of King Thengir of the Russ tribe. The aging chieftain saw the undeniable potential in the young man and ordered that he be given a place within his household, there to be raised as a true Fenrisian -- as a warrior. Though many were left dumbfounded by the king's decision, time certainly proved Thengir wise.

Learning To Be Human
Amongst his own kind for the first time, Leman quickly learned their skills, showing a natural aptitude for the way of the warrior. He learned to speak, and mastered their primitive weapons -- iron axes and swords. Though he was quick to roar with laughter or bellow tunelessly in song, the Primarch slowly realised that he was more human than wolf, but far superior to both. When Russ handed the Champion of the King's Guard his battle-axes during their third sparring session after disarming him, Thengir admitted to himself that the young man was destined for greatness. The Primarch soon spoke the Fenrisian dialect of Low Gothic with powerful eloquence, and one evening, King Thengir deemed him worthy to receive a true name. The King named the former wolf-child Leman of the Russ. As the Primarch grew to maturity, he became the greatest of their number by far, leading the tribe's warriors to a thousand victories and more. Upon King Thengir's death, Leman of the Russ took his place upon the throne of the Russ. So did the Wolf-King become a living legend across Fenris. It was only a matter of time before word of his fame reached the ears of one who desperately sought news of His lost sons.

A Heroic Rise to Power
Much of what is known of Leman Russ' early years is born of hearsay and legend as his fame quickly spread throughout the tribes of Fenris. It was said that he was able to turn back whole armies of the King's enemies by himself without a scratch, to tear whole oak trees from the ground and snap them over his back in twain, and to wrestle Fenrisian Mammoths to the ground and roast one whole for his meal that evening. When King Thengir died, there was no question as to who should succeed him as the monarch of the Russ. Therefore, King Leman of the Russ took the throne. In time, his leadership was recognised by all the tribes of the frigid world, for all sought to benefit from his wisdom and extraordinary skill at arms on a world where the weak did not survive for very long.

The Wolf King
Thus it came to pass that Russ was hailed as King of all Fenris, the Wolf-King, his judgment considered to be as strong as his sword-arm and his authority indisputable. No man nor beast could best the Wolf-King. No tribe could stand against his armies. Within Russ' kingdom a truce existed between man and wolf. His court was attended by the fiercest of warlords and the most beautiful of maidens. Tales of his mighty conquests spread like forest fires, and it was not long before the eyes of Terra turned upon his deeds. When the fleets of the Emperor's Great Crusade neared Fenris, they heard tales of Fenris' extraordinary Wolf-King. The legend of the Wolf-King was quickly identified as the work of a missing Primarch, and the Emperor descended to the planet. And so it was that the great, sky-spanning starships of the Emperor travelled to the center of the sea of stars, settling on the icy world of Fenris scant years after Russ' ascension to the throne he had forged by uniting all the fractious and feral tribes of his world.

The Shadow Before the Wolf
Much of the early details of the Founding and intake of the VI Legion remain shrouded under a quite deliberate veil of secrecy woven at the time of their creation, as it is with several of the proto-Legion groupings created in the closing stages of the Unification Wars. Beyond the usual concealment and security that the Emperor chose to surround the Space Marine project with in order to protect the nascent Legiones Astartes, the VI division, along with that of the XVIII Legion (that would later become known as the Salamanders) and the XX Legion who would become the Alpha Legion), was formed and established largely in separation from the rest, and it is generally thought created to very specific ends. There were none save perhaps a handful of the Emperor's closest and earliest confidants surviving from those lost and bloody days who knew the facts regarding this mysterious ' trefoil ' of Legions, as it is sometimes known, and the truth likely died with them. Though in the case of the strains of Astartes that would be known as the Salamanders and the Space Wolves, they varied considerably in gene-forged ability to their peers.

This element of mystery surrounding the trefoil proto-Legions can be seen to establish a distance between the three and their brethren, particularly in regards to their earliest intake of Initiates, around which dark rumours circled. In the case of the intake of the VI Legion, a vast divergence in origin and genotype was clear even to the briefest of observations. Closer study of the evidence that remains indicates that representatives of some of the most barbarically regressive and hyper-violent cultures and outcast groups of pre-Unification Terra were chosen to found the Legion, though with such diversity that selection appeared to have been taken on an individual-by-individual basis rather than to invoke or capitalise on any single strain of warrior society. So it was that while certain proto-Legions, such as the X (later the Iron Hands) and the XV (later the Thousand Sons), held strong cultural imprints from Terra's subjected warlord-empires, the nascent VI was almost a blank slate. Instead, what bonded it together was its training in isolation as a coherent military force under the direction of the Strategos of the Emperor's inner circle. What also made the VI singular was the unique nature of its gene-seed, although what separated it from the other proto-Legions was not yet apparent to outsiders.

Evidence further indicates that the VI Legion's passage between stages of expansion was slower than many of its peers, slower perhaps in its first years than any save the XX Legion's, whose strange and obscured origins are the subject of another record. In retrospect this is likely to have been because of the high levels of fatal implant reaction rates among the Legion's candidates, which was to be demonstrated subsequently as a factor of the VI Legion's gene-seed before its later stabilisation with its Primarch's genetic pattern. Regardless, like the other proto-Legions of the trefoil, the VI was largely held back from full engagement in armed conflict during the closing stages of the Unification Wars and the re-conquest of the Sol System. This not only served to further isolate them from their peers but also denied them the boons of vastly increased recruitment intake gained by those Legions that had participated in the subjugation of Luna and the reward of primacy in the use of its gene-labs. Perhaps ironically, this segregation also spared them the travails of the gene-seed crisis which almost destroyed the III (later the Emperor's Children) and caused damage to the V (later the White Scars) and the IX (later the Blood Angels), as well.

It was almost a standard decade after the Great Crusade had broken free of the confines of the Sol System and spread out to distant stars that the VI Legion was to be unleashed openly en masse against an enemy. What occurred in the previous decade remains entirely lost, even to the Space Wolves Legion's own history, but record of that first great battle, the Compliance of "1-122," known to its indigenous human population as Delsvaan, are clear. Despatched from the shadow of the Principia Imperialis, the great Expeditionary Fleet commanded by the Emperor Himself, the then full strength of the VI Legion, some 3,500 Astartes, descended upon a world that had already met the overtures of the Imperium with violence. Delsvaan had weathered the Age of Strife relatively well, maintaining a technologically advanced, highly industrialised society, governed by a militarised plutocracy dedicated to the tangible profits and political control of its many production-combines. Hubris and arrogance rather than any deviancy or deep-seated malignity was its sin, but its people had defied the Imperium and they would be shown the error of their ways.

Left to their own devices as to the planning and execution of the operation -- as was no doubt part of the testing of the Legion, for surely a test this was -- Commander Enoch Rathvin, the VI Legion's first master, executed a multi-vector planetstrike operation aimed directly at Masaanore-Core, the fortified dormitory-city of the most powerful of Delsvaan's combines. Under cover of near-indiscriminate bombardment of the city's outer areas and infrastructure nexus, dozens of separate landing areas were breached in the ensuing confusion by gunship and Drop Pod strike, with Rathvin landing nearly his entire strength within a single solar hour and holding back no reserve. Tactical commentaries made by Imperial observers clearly state that what appeared at first sight to resemble the "point of the spear" shock assault tactics already widely practised by the Legions as pioneered by the XVI Legion under Horus -- then the only extant Primarch -- were quickly shown to have developed, or as some detractors had it "devolved," into something else.

Most of the defenders were killed where they stood, trying to mount firing lines to hold the advance, or cut down in their hundreds as attempted counterattacks turned into routs, the panicked militia themselves soon tangling with thousands of fleeing civilians. Faced with this stampede of terrified humanity, the VI Legion seemed to redouble its attack as if goaded on by the the scent of blood and terror. They fell on the the people of Masaanore-Core and there was great slaughter. There remains debate in the historical record whether at this time Legion command actually lost control of its units to the ongoing violence, however briefly, but in any case Enoch Rathvin did not quickly rein in his forces, and when he finally accepted the surrender of Masaanore-Core, its streets had been painted crimson with the blood of its inhabitants. The fate of the city was example enough however for the leaders of the other combines, and quickly they saw the folly of further resistance and so Delsvaan was brought into Compliance. The cost to one city had been great, but comparably to other Compliance actions, the cost to the world had been minor. The VI Legion's performance, while disquieting to some in the Imperium's hierarchy, more for its apparent ill-discipline than its results, was clearly sufficient for the Emperor's satisfaction to grant it its own sub-fleet to command; Expeditionary Fleet 115 -- still affiliated to the core of the great Armada of the Principia Imperialis but otherwise internally independent with its own tenders, Escort craft and warships.

For the next dozen standard years, the VI Legion continued as an active fleet command of the Great Crusade, its numbers steadily growing to recorded levels of nearly 5,000 at the Battle of Hyn'tal and then 7,000 active Astartes at the start of the Relovs Landing campaign. Given this relatively small size -- Legions such as the Luna Wolves and the Dark Angels of the I Legion numbered thrice and four times that number respectively -- they often served alongside other Legions and large Imperialis Auxilia forces in major campaigns or were entrusted with smaller, often bloody missions to destroy particular knots of enemy resistance in shock assaults. Over time the VI Legion developed particular expertise also in conducting rapidly moving hunter-killer operations, particularly in city-fighting conditions, or in undertaking more generally punitive actions, such as suppressing rebellions by inflicting short, brutal reprisal actions-tasks for which the VI under Rathvin seemed particularly suited, and indeed missions of which type Rathvin often requested for his Legion.

During this period, when many other Legions were adopting liveries and slowly forging their own martial traditions, the VI notably maintained a curiously unadorned appearance, seldom varying its armourials other than to feature an indication of combat role and tactical division. One notable exception was when it was placed in command of Imperialis Auxilia regiments, the addition of the twin flame-blade insignia of the "Sanghauta" being prominently displayed. This icon, more commonly used by the Discipline Master and Provost Corp of the Imperialis Militant, carried with it a very definite meaning; it displayed clearly the power of life and death every Astartes of the VI had over the lesser troops under his command. It was a power they were infamously quick to exercise in its extreme, a summary punishment for any merely human forces who they felt lacked militancy or discipline alongside them. During the earliest years of the Great Crusade, the VI embodied feral ferocity and aggression, but exhibited little of the control they later possessed. As a consequence, the Legion employed a far larger number of Disciplinary troops than almost any other Legion, barring perhaps only the XII Legion. These Disciplinary Corps served to maintain order in the ranks, both during and away from battle, as well as curb any attempts to disregard or circumvent orders. The Consul-Opsequiari were selected from among the most stable of the Veterans of the VI and granted the power of life and death over their brothers, and were marked by the distinctive emblem of that oft-maligned Order. The Molorian Revolt stands as a prime example of the need for such detachments. The world, only recently brought to Imperial Compliance, had declared an open rebellion against the Imperium's rule, and the 8th Company of the Legion had been despatched in response. What began as a surgical strike against the Renegade government's palaces rapidly degenerated into a killing spree as the rebel forces counterattacked. Spreading out across Molar's capital, the Space Marines began to slaughter all they encountered, to the extent that the preservation of the industrial capacity of the world was put at risk. It was only by the brutal efforts of the Discipline Corps that any of the Molorians within the city survived, though that survival was bought at the cost of a number of summary executions.

Of Jackals and Hounds
The VI Legion's reputation amongst the wider forces of the Great Crusade by its second Terran decade was by this point something of a mixed one. They had an unarguable track record of success and had won numerous battle honours, but accusations and stories of unneeded collateral damage and casualties among human civilian populations where they fought were widespread. It was said, long before the influence of Fenris and its culture on the Legion, that there was something of the bestial to the Legion's warriors, something readily apparent in the first foreshadowings of a mark of what was to become later known as the Canis Helix upon them, though insufficient time had yet passed for this to become so very pronounced. More than this, some had concerns that the VI were said to be an internally fractious Legion, ruled more by the strength of its officers than obedience to legitimate authority, and violence and factionalism within the ranks was said to be far too common. This was in an age where the Primarchs themselves, save Horus, had not yet been found to stamp their mark upon their Legion, but the likes of the VIII Legion was already gaining a reputation as the Emperor's agents of terror and fear, and the "unwonted savagery" of the VI was often spoken of alongside the future Night Lords in the symposia of the great and the good of the Great Crusade's hierarchy, with some even warning that the Legion should be closely monitored lest it become uncontrollable. But of all the accusations, perhaps the most cutting was that the VI Legion was never keener to the fight as when an enemy had already broke and fled before it -- when its victims were helpless.

With this came an informal and insulting cognomen for the VI Legion of the "Rout"; a collective noun often used for carrion jackals and the mutated pariah dogs of Terra's dry seas that hounded and preyed upon refugee columns and wastelanders -- creatures brave only when their victims were half-dead or exhausted. Ironically enough, this insult may even have been meant to unfavourably compare the VI to the equally ferocious XII, already become known as the War Hounds, a Legion also renowned for the unbelievable violence of its mettle in battle, but which was at this time held up as an example of honourably controlled fury, its rage directed only at the direst foes and used to overcome the most overmatching odds. This comparison seems now as some macabre joke given the very different paths these Legions were to take and what future history had in store for them -- paths dictated in no small measure by the effect that the finding of their Primarch was to have upon them both. That change, and truly transformative it would prove to be, was not long in coming for the VI Legion.

The Emperor and the Wolf King
Unlike the rediscovery of Horus -- the first Primarch returned to the Imperium -- in the case of Leman Russ, and indeed many of those Primarchs whose rediscovery came after, very few definite facts can be obtained, and with Russ, the matter is further shrouded by a fog of carefully and deliberately crafted allegory and myth. What can be said for certain is that Leman Russ was the second Primarch to make an appearance openly at the Emperor's side, doing so a handful of standard years before the rediscovery of Ferrus Manus on Medusa. Leman Russ had been found upon the Death World of Fenris, a planet itself shrouded in considerable mystery and legend, and like Medusa, known by name to some of the most ancient star charts of the Dark Age of Technology still extant. As the ancient Fenrisian sagas state, it was the Emperor Himself, disguised in a long, plain robe and cloaked in psychic runes of disguise and confusion who entered the long hall of Russ. Those few natives that were sharp-eyed and sober, as well as Russ' companion Fenrisian Wolves, shrunk from this new, powerful presence. Russ refused to pay him homage as the Master of Mankind. The Emperor had known well that proud Russ would never bow to His rule without being beaten in a contest. The Emperor was convinced of His own power, and knew that such a challenge would be as nothing to Him.

The Three Challenges
The strange wanderer approached the gnarled wood of the Wolf Throne and its gargantuan occupant, and stood firm, staring hard at where Russ was presiding over the feast. It was then that the stranger offered His challenge. The nature of the contest was for the Wolf King to decide. If He won, the stranger asked for nothing but to be allowed to drink at the right hand of Russ during the feast. Russ demanded that should the wanderer fail, He would serve at the king's behest for a year. Grimly, the stranger accepted. Russ challenged the Emperor to a series of tests. The Wolf King did not wish to spoil a good feast; his first challenge was to an eating competition. The stranger ate well indeed, consuming many times more than the stoutest warriors present without pause. But when He looked up from His plate, Russ had already consumed three entire aurochs. The stranger had lost the first challenge. But the king was enjoying his sport. He realised that the brown-cloaked traveller had the spirit of a Fenrisian. And so he challenged the outlander to a drinking bout. But by the time the wanderer had reached His sixth barrel of strong Fenrisian mead, there was no more to drink. The Wolf King had drained the entire feast dry. Once again the Emperor had lost. The light of anger appeared in the wanderer's eye.

Driven by disappointment in His offspring, the wanderer called Leman Russ a drunkard and a glutton, able to achieve nothing more in life than stuffing his face and bellowing hollow boasts. The Wolf King calmly laid down the consequences of his last challenge, and his court backed away as one. The court grew silent, daring not even to breathe as Russ drew his great sword from its scabbard and stepped onto the long banqueting table. For the third challenge Russ boasted he could defeat the Emperor in combat. The Emperor threw away His cloak, the hood falling from His face, His true form revealed. He stood far taller than any man present, swathed in light and clad in baroque golden Power Armour. This time, the Emperor defeated Russ, felling Him with a mighty blow from his Power Glove. When Leman came back to consciousness within the hour, he admitted defeat and with a bloodied smile and a broken fang, he swore fealty to his true father, the Emperor of Mankind.

The VI Legion and the Great Crusade
Spiriting the great Wolf King away from Fenris, the Emperor began Russ' tutelage in the ways and technology of His star-spanning Imperium. The Primarch's teaching and training went swiftly; it was only a matter of solar weeks before the Emperor judged Russ worthy of leading His armies in the Great Crusade across the galaxy. Leman Russ was introduced to the warriors of the VI Legion of Space Marines who had been created through the implantation of gene-seed organs that had been grown from his own DNA. And so it came to be that Leman Russ became the father, progenitor and Lord of the newly named Space Wolves Legion of the Legiones Astartes and joined the glorious action of the Great Crusade. He was armed with a thrice-blessed suit of Power Armour and his greatsword was replaced with the legendary Frostblade Mjalnar, whose teeth were torn from the maw of the Great Kraken Gormenjarl and were then used in its forging. Reputably, the blade could cleave the ice mountains of Fenris in half.

With Leman Russ went as many as several hundred Fenrisian warriors who had, despite their age, undergone and survived the implantation and gene-processing required to become Astartes, at least to the greater part. Many had died in the attempt, but far less than might have been expected, and this was for two reasons. The first was the stabilising effect of Leman Russ' own gene-helix pattern over the existing VI Legion gene-seed, which seems to have all but reversed the prior difficulties of candidate survival. The second was that the Fenrisians themselves proved of extraordinarily resilient stock, a factor attributed to long-term human survival on Fenris in general, and that world's own many mysteries. These men were to be Leman Russ' first "Varagyr," rendered sometimes as "Varangii" in Imperial records, or more literally "Wolf Guard." They were Russ' oath-bound warriors, sworn to him even if it meant denying the jaws of death to be at his side, and whose loyalty had seen them leave their world of ice and blood and ascend uncomprehendingly but undaunted to the stars in their lord's footsteps. These Varagyr were valued by their king for this loyalty over the might of the transhuman Astartes of the VI he was given to command, despite their vaunted strength and savage reputation, for they had not yet proven themselves as warriors or earned his respect. This lesson was the first Leman Russ was to teach the VI and an early sign that under the Wolf King's rule, his Legion would be very different to any other.

The Wolves that Stalk the Stars
"...as the strands of iron are twisted and hammered together in the forging of a killing blade, so shall we be. I and my oath-sworn have been until now the Wolves of Fenris, and you, cousins of my blood, the Wolves of Terra. Together we shall become the Wolves that Stalk the Stars, and the beasts that crawl and feed in the darkness of the void shall come to fear us, and know themselves hunted."

- Primarch Leman Russ speaking to his warriors upon taking the reigns of leadership of the VI Legion

Records which remain about the transition of command in the VI Legion indicate that things went generally smoothly, at least at first. That their Primarch had been the second recovered was a matter both of rejoicing and some pride within the ranks of the Legion, and that their new lord was of barbaric mien was perhaps of less consternation to them given many of the individual Astartes' origins than it otherwise might have. Russ also was charismatic and readily inspired awe among those he had been given to command, and in a Legion which already respected strength over perhaps anything else, here was a warrior whose strength exceeded any of them by a degree as to seem almost absurd in comparison. Rathvin relinquished command to his Primarch perhaps grudgingly but without open challenge, and if the presence of the Varagyr, who Leman Russ had ordered dispersed partly through the ranks, was cause for some resentment, it was quickly made known that both Russ' rule was not to be questioned, and that the Varagyr were more than willing to offer themselves in single combat to decide any argument over the matter. Before any acrimony could fester, Leman Russ in his wisdom determined to take his Legion into battle so that he, his kinsmen and his gene-sons would spill blood and face death together and so be forged anew as one.

The Wheel of Fire
The target for this first campaign undertaken with his Legion had been carefully selected in council with the Emperor and Horus, and would prove for the VI a true test of its mettle. Their target was a sector of the expanding frontier known as the "Wheel of Fire," to the galactic east of the Segmentum Solar. It was a sprawling wilderness of erratically transiting star systems and burning nebula, wracked by frequent ion and Empyreal tempests and home to at least a score of xenos-occupied worlds, many under the dominion of the Orks, and thereby a source of periodic drifting Space Hulks and marauder attacks into the nascent Imperium. Human occupation in the region was scant, viable resources few and the cost of pacification projected to be high. For this reason the Wheel of Fire had so far been left alone save for a few probing raids, but now the Great Crusade sought again to expand towards the far larger and more dangerous prize of the worlds beyond Seraphina, an area itself controlled by a vast Ork empire. The threat of the Orks of the Wheel of Fire attacking at the Great Crusade's back in support of their kind was a real one, and to negate that threat, the VI would take the Wheel of Fire and purge it, regardless of any cost they would pay. One of the more notable engagements of this campaign took place during this time. This was a massive joint-Compliance campaign that included multiple Legiones Astartes, including the Iron Warriors and the White Scars, as well as thousands of troops of the Imperialis Auxilia and substantial Mechanicum assets. They were charged with the eradication of the massive Ork horde of WAAAGH! Mashogg. Legends record that it was the Primarchs Leman Russ and Jaghatai Khan who routed the Orks of Overdog Mashogg's WAAAGH!, while Perturabo was featured only as the "comrade" who calculated the optimum way to bypass Mashogg's low orbital defences.

For five standard years the war went on, never letting up in tempo, never abating in fury. Casualties for the Legion both in terms of warriors and in ships were frighteningly high, with almost a full third of the Legion destroyed before it was done and the Wheel of Fire left a graveyard of its war dead. Of the many slain were included the increasingly unstable Commander Enoch Rathvin, crushed in the hydraulic claws of an Ork hell crawler while leading a suicidal charge on Xyat. But for every Astartes who fell, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Orks perished. This was war without quarter, war without relenting; it was not an act of conquest, but of extermination, and was carried out with a ruthlessness and indefatigability that no unaugmented human could have maintained. It was what the VI Legion had been made for, and on the Wheel of Fire, just as Russ had promised, it was re-forged anew.

The old enormities and excesses of which the VI had been accused were themselves made good under Leman Russ. Its blood lust controlled with discipline and iron will, and its rage shackled by duty and oath-sworn loyalty, Russ gave his Legion pride in what it was, pride in the power it wielded, pride even in the monstrous violence which lurked within its heart, but with all this he did not allow them to crave glory for its own sake, nor wallow in the bitter poison of mindless bloodshed. He gave them purpose and he gave them honour, bleak as it was. They served the Emperor and that duty was a sacred one; they were made to be the fangs fastened around the throat of humanity's foes. Just as on Fenris, war was ever slaved to the survival of kith and kin, the galaxy would be made a safe and secure home for human life, even if the Wolves that Stalked the Stars had to wash it clean in blood first.

Warlords of the Imperium
With his mighty Frostblade, Russ would continue to plunge headlong into the fighting at the forefront of every battle, vanquishing all before him. Throughout the long and difficult battles of the Great Crusade, the Space Wolves and their lupine allies drawn from amongst the Fenrisian Wolves were always at the front line. Russ strode at the head of his VI Legion, slaughtering all who dared stand before him, his coming announced by the howling of the pack. Leman Russ fought well during the Great Crusade, gaining a reputation as a cunning and fierce, if slightly unstable, Imperial warrior and Astartes leader. The Great Crusade was still young and the Imperium's wars were yet unwon. Its war machine needed as many warlords of Leman Russ' calibre as it could get, despite that several other Primarchs such as Ferrus Manus, Fulgrim and most lately Rogal Dorn had also now re-joined their Legions. After replenishing their numbers following the Wheel of Fire campaign, the VI Legion was once against ready to answer the call to war. The solar decades that were to follow saw Leman Russ and his Legion participate in scores of successful Compliance actions and military campaigns, both alone and in command of numerous secondary war fleets, regiments of the Imperialis Auxilia and even on several occasions, other bodies of Space Marines whose Primarchs had not yet been found. This period of the Legion's history often goes unremarked but in it can be seen a series of victories that reveal Russ and his Legion to be far more than the savage semi-beasts some later portrayals make them out as, and confirm Russ as a field general of surpassing skill and noteworthy record. Before the VI, xenos domains of the Orks and Eldar, Taralais and Saharduin all fell, and famously on the ancient Hive World of Nova Borilia, the alien tyranny of the Noman, an enslavement that went back millennia, was destroyed. This last conflict in particular was a celebrated victory, for which the ancient battle tank STC restored to the Imperium in that same campaign was named in Leman Russ' honour by the Mechanicum.

As time passed, the warriors of Russ began to refer to themselves as the Vylka Fenryka -- the "Wolves of Fenris" in the Fenrisian dialect. The VI was now a Legion on who Leman Russ' famous words and the snarling crimson wolf's head badge -- adopted now as the Legion's own -- had long since confirmed the common epithet of "Space Wolves." Much, it was said, to the private consternation of Horus, whose own "Luna Wolves" wore such a similar name first, but seemed the worse fit for it. Most Astartes of the VI Legion bristled at this cognomen as it was the foolish name given to them by offworlders who recognised none of their customs and traditions. But for all the Legion's conquests on the expanding frontier, it was for the Traitor and the turncoat that Russ and his warriors savoured a particular ire. It was for the aftermath of such actions as these and scores of others, of punishment meted out to "oath breakers" whose savagery was named "excessive" even by generals upon whose orders armies went to their graves and worlds were set flame, that the dark tales that had long surrounded the Legion were once more kindled. The stories were fuelled by the increasingly savage disposition and appearance which was starting to take over the Space Wolves, a name which now seemed as much statement as an enunciation of Legion heraldry.

Compliance of Molech
The Space Wolves also took part in the massive Imperial Compliance campaign on the newly discovered Knight World of Molech, which was led by the Emperor Himself, and included multiple Legiones Astartes, including the Luna Wolves, Dark Angels and the White Scars, as well as thousands of troops of the Imperialis Auxilia and assets from the Mechanicum and Legio Titanicus. After achieving victory, Cyprian Devine of House Devine was named Planetary Governor of Molech. In the presence of several of His Primarch sons, the Emperor led them to a Warp portal hidden underground, where He proceeded to enter into the Realm of Chaos to parley with the Ruinous Powers. When He finally returned, the Emperor appeared aged, but much more powerful. He then suppressed His sons' memories of Molech and stationed a large garrison force comprised of nearly 100 Imperialis Auxilia regiments, three Legio Titanicus cohorts, and detachments from two Space Marine Legions to protect the secrets of the Warp portal on Molech.

The Wolf & The Lion
As the Space Marine Legions pushed back the frontiers of the Imperium, each Primarch strove to excel in the eyes of the Emperor and none more so than Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves. Only Horus Lupercal of the Luna Wolves and Lion El'Jonson of the Dark Angels could claim more victories than Russ and this was a constant frustration for him. It was on the world of Dulan where the Space Wolves were fighting alongside the Dark Angels that matters came to a head. During the pacification war to bring Dulan into Imperial Compliance, the Dark Angels Legion aided the Space Wolves, and the leader of this particular planet insulted Leman Russ' honour. As such, Russ wanted to defeat the leader personally for the insult. The Dark Angels and Space Wolves, both led by their respective Primarchs, assaulted the tower where the leader was located. Leman Russ burst into the throne room just in time to see the Dark Angels' Primarch, Lion El'Jonson, beheading the world's leader with his mighty blade. Angry that the honour was not his, Leman Russ marched up to the Lion and punched him in the jaw. This led to a battle that lasted for a day or more, until finally Russ saw how immature their squabble was and started laughing. Lion El'Jonson took this action to be a direct insult to him because he mistakenly believed that Russ was mocking him with laughter and so he punched Leman Russ once more and knocked his brother Primarch into unconsciousness before leaving the planet in a dark mood with his Legion. This fight led to a bitter feud between the Legions (and the subsequent Chapters), which lasts to this day. Although recent events may finally have led to an end to the rivalry, it is still customary for selected champions from both Chapters to engage in a (usually) non-lethal duel whenever they meet in remembrance of this ancient feud.

Night of the Wolf
As the Great Crusade wore on there were the number of those in the Imperial military who whispered that Angron was mad and his World Eaters Legion had followed with him into madness were increasing. These whispers became openly voiced as widespread discontent and demands for censure when stories began to circulate that Angron had ordered his Apochecarion to conduct widespread psycho-surgery, and implantation of the so-called Butcher's Nails cranial implants, after the infamous Ghenna Massacre came to light. This action, undertaken at Angron's instigation, resulted in the entire planetary population that had rebelled against its installed Imperial Commander being wiped out in a single night of extraordinary bloodshed. After Ghenna, the Emperor quickly moved to act and called Angron before Him for reprimand. He sent Leman Russ and his Space Wolves to Ghenna, to submit before them, and be brought back (in chains if need be) to Terra for judgement and sensor. Russ warned Angron that the Emperor had ordered the end of such prohibited surgery in the Legion. Though the Wolf King tried to talk sense into his blood-maddened brother, Angron refused to listen to reason. Eventually, with tensions rising on both sides, an inevitable confrontation took place. No one is exactly sure who started the melee, but Russ wisely chose to order his Legion to withdraw, as both Legions faced mutual annihilation if they continued their course. The World Eaters were later issued with orders to depart to the northern fringes of known space, there to harry and reave against xenos far from the Imperium's core worlds. This lamentable confrontation came to be referred to as the "Night of the Wolf".

Aghoru Compliance
The Aghoru Campaign was an Imperial Compliance action carried out by the then-loyal Thousand Sons and a small contingent of the Space Wolves Legion in the waning years of the Great Crusade. The Imperial Compliance of the world of Aghoru (officially codified in Imperial records as 28-16) was an action carried out by units of the Thousand Sons Legion that was achieved through diplomacy and was considered a success. Interestingly, the human population possessed ancient legends of a race of elder beings known as the "Elohim" (which might be analogous to the Eldar). According to their mythology, a perverted and corrupt daemonic force, known as the "Daiesthai", who had succumbed to the corruption of the Elohim's self-obsession, and hedonistic excesses, were imprisoned within the massive, artificially constructed peak, designated by the Thousand Sons as "The Mountain". The Thousand Sons Primarch Magnus was enthralled by the planet's mountain and the tomb of the dormant Daiesthai. Upon further investigation within the artificial mountain, Magnus discovered that it was some kind of gateway with a web-like network of conceptual conduits, containing billions of pathways between worlds. Unfortunately, Aghoru's link to the network had become corrupted by the warp and was ultimately sealed. Yet somehow, these daemonic forces were inadvertently released from their imprisonment and took over the massive Revenant Titan guardians that stood sentinel over "The Mountain", and began to attack Magnus and his Thousand Sons. These daemons were only defeated by the combined efforts of the Crimson King, his Thousand Sons and a contingent of the Space Wolves 5th Great Company, led by Jarl Amlodhi Skarssen Skarssensson, who had recently arrived to from the campaign in the Ark Reach Cluster. The Primarch had initially bristled at the Jarl's cursory and demanding manner that was typical of the VI Legion, and thus, had held off in giving the deputation a timely reply. After the conclusion of the battle, the Crimson King appreciated his cousin Legion's efforts, and deigned to give the Jarl his assent. Magnus then gathered his Legion and made all due haste towards the Ark Reach Cluster.

Ark Reach Cluster Campaign
"This is not over. Blood of Fenris is on your hands, and there will be a reckoning between us, Magnus. This I swear upon the blade of Mjalnar"

- Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves, to his brother Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons during the conclusion of the Heliosa campaign

The Ark Reach Cluster had been discovered by the Word Bearers Legion's 47th Expeditionary Fleet; it was a group of binary stars occupied by a number of belligerent planetary empires that rejected the Imperium's offer to become part of the Emperor's growing demesne. When negotiations broke down between Imperial representatives and the Phoenix Court, a representative body of six systems of the Ark Reach Cluster, hostilities commenced. The first four systems easily fell to the combined efforts of the Space Wolves and the Word Bearers. The Rout waged a genocidal campaign that laid waste to the intransigent worlds while the Word Bearers' Ashen Circle destroyed much of the culture of the Ark Reach Cluster, hunting down works of false doctrine and those who purveyed it, and consigning both to destruction and eradicating flame. The two Legions continued the prosecution of this campaign for the next two years until only two worlds still resisted Imperial efforts, thanks in no small part to the Avenians, who lived in silver towers on top of the tallest mountain peaks of Ark Reach Secundus, which was known to the local inhabitants as Heliosa.

It was soon decided that in order to ensure a successful Compliance, a greater Imperial presence must be felt. To this end, Leman Russ decided that he would send for assistance from Thousand Sons in the nearby Aghoru System, to help bring the sixth and final world, Shrike, into Imperial Compliance. When the XV Legion finally arrived they found themselves deployed at a more frantic war pace than what they were accustomed to. The Space Wolves Compliance operations were conducted swiftly, and over the next six months the Rout continued to spearhead the efforts on Shrike. The Imperial ground forces found themselves being viciously attacked by varied and hostile avian creatures almost incessantly, which forced the Imperials to modify their weapons for point-defence in order to clear the skies around them. These vicious avians were known by the local inhabitants as snow-shrikes (razor-beaked birds) that made short work of the Imperial forces during multiple assaults. This earned the planet the sobriquet, "Shrike" by Imperial forces.

Despite the punishing pace of the campaign, the Thousand Sons helped play an instrumental role in the final defeat over the Avenians when they took the objective named Raven's Aerie 93. This final battle was won in a matter of hours, with only a fraction of casualties incurred by Imperial forces. The Avenians surviving leaders and military forces withdrew and retreated to their capital world of Heliosa. With the precognitive abilities of the Thousand Sons' Corvidae Cult members, they were able to determine the location of hidden enemy forces, whom the Space Wolves savagely killed with their warriors, while the Word Bearers burned their fortresses with purifying flame.

Even after achieving victory, tensions between the Space Wolves and the Thousand Sons continued to boil over, until it finally came to a head during the battle for Phoenix Crag, Shrike's capital city. The Crimson King had become disgusted by what he saw as the wanton destruction and near-genocide committed by the Space Wolves of the planet's population. The Space Wolves pointed out to their cousin Legion that the Avenians were an unrepentant and degenerate society who refused to accept the Imperial Truth. Soon tensions flared, and several of the Space Wolves charged the Thousand Sons. The warriors of the XV Legion utilised their deadly psychic abilities and slew several Fenrisian Wolves as well as disabling the bodies of the Space Wolves themselves.

In the midst of the fighting, disaster struck, in the form of one of the Thousand Sons, a Pavoni Cult member known as Hastur, when he succumbed to the dreaded "flesh-change" after over-exerting his psychic powers. This caused his body to spontaneously mutate uncontrollably, which caused panic within the ranks of the Thousand Sons, and resulted in further mutations amongst some of its members. A surging wave of power erupted as Magnus the Red came forth and stepped towards the hideously transformed Hastur, who seemed to reach out to Magnus, as though to embrace him, and the Primarch opened his arms to receive him with forgiveness and mercy. Suddenly, a thunderous bang sounded and Hastar's body exploded as a single, explosive round detonated within his chest. Silence ascended, as the heavy tink sound of a monstrous expended brass casing struck the ground. It was the Wolf King himself who had ended Hastur's suffering.

The Wolf King walked calmly towards his brother Primarch, as both sides readied themselves to make war upon one another. Total war between the two Legions seemed imminent. Fortunately, disaster was just barely averted when Primarch Lorgar interposed himself between his brothers, and through his masterful oratory, managed to calm the tense situation. Magnus refused to stand by as the Wolves ravaged Heliosa. But Russ retorted that this world was discovered by his Legion, and therefore, it was his to do with as he saw fit. The people of this world had chosen to fight the Imperium, and therefore had chosen death. As the Wolf King departed, he turned to face Magnus once more, and swore a blood oath against the Crimson King, promising that one day soon, there would be a reckoning between both of them. The Wolf King then slashed his blade across his palm, and let his blood spill to the ground. He then threw his head back and howled, and his warriors added their voices to their master's cry -- a lament for the dead and grim warning of things to come.

The Wolves In Shadow
"We are the wolf that stalks the the cold skiles, And swallows the star-fire, We are the hidden in the darkness when the light has gone, Our light is within us, We run the Ruin of Fire in the Darkness, Foes burn in our passing."

- From the battle chants of the Space Wolves Legion, translated from the Fenrisian dialect by Captain Aaraths Lux of the Raven Guard Legion

By the second century of the Great Crusade, the Space Wolves were truly a Legion apart from their brethren. Their Expeditionary Fleets and taskforces went where they willed, fought where they willed, and undertook such requests for aid as their master and his warlords saw fit, and most often they fought alone. The high commanders and Lords Solar of the Imperium knew better than to try to bring them to obey their orders, for it was widely known that the Legion heeded only one commander, Leman Russ, and Leman Russ only acknowledged one overlord: the Emperor Himself. In this loyalty the Legion was adamant and unshakable, and they cared little or nothing for the good opinion of any other, be they Primarch or provincial governor. Of their brother Legions, they maintained something of a particular comradery and rivalry in equal measure with the Dark Angels, with whom they had shared dark passages of history, but for the others they seemed to have held a distant respect at most, barely disguised indifference for others and at least in the case of the Thousand Sons, outright scorn. The Legion maintained no domains save Fenris, and needed none. It had long since been all but self-sufficient save in the production of the greater patterns of warships and the introduction of newly-minted war engines and weapons intended for the Legiones Astartes, which it acquired directly from Terra or from the forge-shipyards of Ryza or Lucius in infrequent batches. Approach to Fenris was forbidden without invitation, save for the emissaries of the Throne World, even to brother Astartes, and the Legion had become profoundly strange and inscrutable to outside observers. In short, many outsiders looked upon the Space Wolves and were afraid, but did not know that this very fear was deliberately crafted for them to feel. They saw barbarity, but did not understand that such barbarity was deliberately honed and tempered to a killing edge by keen minds. So it was that allies and enemies alike saw what the Space Wolves wished them to see, and many underestimated the VI Legion and the weapon it had become in the Emperor's hand.

Silent History
The post-Rangdan pogroms had been far from the only "secret" war the Space Wolves had undertaken at the Emperor's command. In the solar decades in which they had made war in the Imperium's shadows as well as in the glare of the fires of the frontline of the Great Crusade, it is recorded of them on the black basalt memento-morion Baal and nowhere else that side-by-side with the Blood Angels they had exterminated a fourth stage Enslaver outbreak on Poseidonis Secundus, marking one of only three occasions in the entire Great Crusade that an Enslaver outbreak of that intensity had been defeated without resort to Exterminatus. Known to few but the Wolf King and his Emperor, the Legion faced and bested many threats both nightmarish and arcane, from the godlike power of the psyker-kings of Vhallach to the insidious menace of the Lacremara infestation of Morox. These victories and unknown others, conflicts so terrible they are recorded only as battle honours on the Great Bell of Terra, remain occluded -- all data regarding them sealed or purged from human memory.

It is the case that many of the Space Wolves' victories of the latter years of the Great Crusade -- even those that were not sealed under order of high authority -- were neither widely lauded nor eulogised by the Remembrancers and Iterators of the Imperium with which the Legion held little truck. Indeed, in scorn of such men they freely lied and mocked, and played the barbarian as expected. For where the Wolves stalked, they often stalked alone. For their true histories were theirs alone, preserved in webs of saga and myth where the facts and direct memories had been purged from the mind by psycho-memetic obliteration to preserve the sanity of the warrior from the things they had seen and done, and to remove from them knowledge they were not meant to have. The secrets the Space Wolves had been charged to keep by their Allfather and their Wolf King they would keep to their grave, and beyond if needs be.

Horus Heresy
Just prior to the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, the Space Wolves came into conflict with one of their brother Space Marine Legions once again. The Primarch of the Thousand Sons Space Marines, Magnus the Red, had ignored the Imperial proscription against the use of psychic sorcery that had been decided by the Emperor and the other Primarchs at the Council of Nikaea during the Great Crusade so that he could warn the Emperor in astral form that Horus had turned to Chaos. Magnus' psychic intrusion into the Imperial Palace on Terra had disrupted the Emperor's secret Imperial Webway Project and killed thousands of workers, Adepts and Servitors. To make matters worse, the Emperor refused to believe that his favoured son Horus had betrayed him and instead he believed that it was Magnus who had been corrupted by Chaos because of his continued use of sorcery. Leman Russ and the Space Wolves were then ordered by the Emperor to bring Magnus before him on Terra to account for his actions.

Fall of Prospero
However, the treacherous Warmaster Horus had other plans in mind. Ignorant of the changes in his brother Primarch since his corruption by the Chaos Gods, Russ was convinced by Horus' silver tongue to launch an all-out planetary assault on the seditious Thousand Sons rather than attempt to negotiate with them or bring their Primarch Magnus the Red back to Terra peacefully. Horus claimed that the Emperor wanted to punish Magnus, who had already shown himself disloyal by using the psychic sorcery that Horus knew Leman Russ found dishonourable in the extreme and had been absolutely forbidden by the edicts of the Council of Nikaea. The surprise assault upon the Thousand Sons' homeworld of Prospero was ferocious and brutally successful; however, many of the Thousand Sons, including Magnus himself, eventually gave themselves over to the Chaos God Tzeentch in order to save themselves and their precious collected arcane knowledge about the Warp and psychic power on Prospero from being destroyed by the Imperium. After agreeing to give themselves over to the Changer of Ways, the Thousand Sons escaped through his assistance into the Warp rift called the Eye of Terror and found a new home on the Daemon World known as the Planet of the Sorcerers. As a result of the Fall of Prospero, the two Legions came to bear a deep, abiding and eternal grudge against one another. This grudge is still very deep between the Space Wolves and the surviving Astartes of the Thousand Sons, who are now the Chaos Space Marines Traitor Legion dedicated solely to the service of Tzeentch.

Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula
Following the Razing of Prospero, Leman Russ ordered his battered VI Legion to muster within the Alaxxes Nebula. But unknown to the Wolf King, Horus had deployed the XX Legion to launch a massive assault on Russ' battered and outnumbered Space Wolves. The Alpha Legion and its twin Primarchs, Alpharius Omegon, had long harboured deep grudges against the Space Wolves, and Russ in particular, for his criticism of their reliance upon trickery, manipulation and subterfuge to win battles rather than engaging in what the Space Wolves Primarch saw as honourable, open combat. The Alpha Legion relished the chance to prove their superiority against the arrogant Wolves of Fenris by delaying them long enough to keep them from contributing to the Imperial defence of Terra. Russ sent a distress call to the nearby White Scars, requesting that his brother Primarch Jaghatai Khan send his forces in order to assist the beleaguered VI Legion against the traitorous Alpha Legion. Unsure as to which side the Space Wolves truly belonged, the Khagan sympathised with his brother Primarch's predicament, but refused to get involved until he was able to sort out the conflicting and often contradictory astropathic messages he had received. Until he knew, beyond a shadow of doubt, who was ally and who was an enemy, he refused to choose sides. Wishing his brother the best of luck, Jaghatai wished to seek his answers elsewhere.

Realising that VI Legion faced a hopeless situation, Russ was demoralised and isolated himself within his personal chambers, forcing his First Captain Gunnar Gunnhilt, aboard the battleship Ragnorok, to assume command in his Primarch's absence. Ruminating upon the role the Emperor had forced upon him, Russ received counsel from Bjorn "The One-Handed", a young Pack Leader in Tra (the Third Great Company) who had risen in much esteem since Prospero. He helped his Primarch come to terms with his past as the Emperor's "Executioner", realising it had done nothing but brought ruin upon the Vlka Fenryka. Meanwhile, Gunnhilt led the Space Wolves fleet in a desperate attempt to breakout or else be destroyed. Harried at every turn, the Space Wolves' fleet faced imminent destruction by the larger Alpha Legion fleet. Reinvigorated by the reemergence of the Wolf King, First Captain Gunnhilt and his crew sold their lives dearly in order to help slow the Alpha Legion advance, unfortunately the Alpha Legion fleet was still able to catch the limping Space Wolves fleet.

During the height of the ensuing battle, a large contingent of elite Cataphractii Terminators of the Laernaean teleported aboard the bridge Russ' flagship, Hrafnkel, where the Wolf King seemingly battled Alpharius disguised as one of his own Laernaean Terminators. As the Alpha Legion was on the verge of ultimate victory, help arrived from an unexpected quarter, in the form of a large Dark Angels fleet led by a mobile Ramilies-class Starfort, the Chimaera, who had heard the Space Wolves' distress signals and determined that the VI Legion was in fact still loyal to the Emperor. With the assistance of their I Legion cousins, the Space Wolves were able to force the Alpha Legion to withdraw.

In the battle's aftermath, the Wolf King and a contingent of his most trusted warriors sought audience with the Dark Angels' commander, Chapter Master Althalos, who was still ostensibly loyal to the Regent of Caliban, Luther. He informed the Primarch that his fleet had been despatched 59 years before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy by the Regent, in order to conquer worlds and establish outposts. The Dark Angels hidden within the Alaxxes Nebula had been completely unaware of the eruption of the galaxy-wide rebellion or Luther's corruption back home on Caliban. At some point they had received fractures of information, but had no clear view of who was now Loyalist or Traitor. During the battle, one of their officers, Captain Ormand, had secretly infiltrated the Wolf King's flagship in order to determine if the Space Wolves were still loyal to the Emperor. His duplicity was discovered by Rune Priest Kva, who brought him before Russ. Seeing the Space Wolves valiantly battle the treacherous Alpha Legion, Ormand determined the VI Legion was still loyal and informed his commander of their intent. They had then intervened on the Wolves' behalf and helped route the Traitor fleet. In exchange for men and materiel by the Dark Angels, the Wolf King gave a full accounting of the Warmaster's treachery and the view of the wider events that had thus far played out across the galaxy. Saddened by the news, Chapter Master Althalos decided to lead his forces back towards Caliban while Russ decided to set course for Terra, and the inevitable showdown with his treacherous brother, Horus.

Battle of Terra
During the final epic battle of the Heresy, the Space Wolves were still far away from the Throneworld during the Siege of the Imperial Palace. Knowledge of the imminent arrival of two Loyalist Legions, which included the Space Wolves, would inevitably tip the balance in favour of the Loyalists. This pushed Horus at the climax of the Battle of Terra into allowing the Emperor to personally teleport aboard his flagship, the Vengeful Spirit, in orbit over Terra in a desperate gamble to bring the terrible civil war to a swift conclusion. The two Legions arrived just after the battle concluded, with the Warmaster and the Blood Angels' Primarch Sanguinius (killed at the hands of Horus), already dead. The Emperor Himself had been mortally wounded and was later interred within the arcane life support mechanisms of the Golden Throne by Rogal Dorn.

Post-Heresy
The Emperor's body had breathed its last breath after the Battle of Terra, and His spirit achieved apotheosis and ascended into the Warp as the new God of Mankind after being interred within the Golden Throne. Leman Russ was devastated by his inability to save the Emperor during the final battle of the Horus Heresy aboard the Warmaster Horus' flagship. Following the conclusion of the Horus Heresy, the Imperium set out to quell the Chaotic uprisings against the Emperor's authority that still burned throughout the galaxy and restore order to itself. As word spread of the Warmaster's defeat throughout the Imperium, widespread fighting renewed. Revitalised by the news of the death of Horus and the routing of his Traitor Legions, the Loyalists fell upon the Traitors with a vengeance. The Great Scouring had begun, as Imperial forces bled the Traitors dry as they desperately turned on all within their reach in a final despairing orgy of destruction. The Space Wolves Legion spearheaded the Great Scouring, continuing to wage war on the Traitors for another seven standard years before the last rebel formations were destroyed or exiled to the isolated Warp rift known as the Eye of Terror.

The Disappearance of Leman Russ
"Listen but closely Brothers, for my life's breath is all but spent. There shall come a time far from now when our Chapter itself is dying, even as I am now dying, and our foes shall gather to destroy us. Then my children, I shall listen for your call in whatever realm of death holds me, and come I shall, no matter what the laws of life and death forbid. At the end I will be there. For the final battle. For the Wolftime."

- Last words of Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves Chapter, taken from the Codicium Imperialis, Vol. VI, Part I of the Liber Honorus

No one knows what happened to Leman Russ. Some say he disappeared in the Eye of Terror whilst searching for his old friend and rival, the Dark Angels Primarch Lion El'Jonson. Others say that, to this day, he walks disguised among Mankind, watching over the people of his Emperor and guarding them from the powers of Chaos. All that is known for sure is Leman Russ vanished in 211.M31, nearly two standard centuries after the Emperor was entombed upon the Golden Throne. At that time, all of the Space Wolves warriors and their Wolf Lords, including the Great Wolf himself, were gathered for a feast on Fenris. The holiday, known as the "Feast of the Emperor's Ascension", commemorated the day the Emperor defeated Horus and "ascended" back into the Immaterium after being entombed upon the Golden Throne. On this occasion, Leman Russ quieted the great hall of his warriors to speak, but then froze in place as his eyes glazed over as if seeing a vision. The assembled Space Wolves looked on in horror as their Primarch fell to his knees and called for his Wolf Guard and closest retainers to attend him, all save the youngest, Bjorn the Fell-Handed. Giving his closest companions his instructions, Russ turned and left the Great Hall with his bodyguard in tow, leaving only Bjorn behind. The tale of his disappearance is retold every thousand standard years by the Dreadnought Bjorn the Fell-Handed, the oldest Astartes Dreadnought still in service in the entire Imperium. It is believed by some Astartes amongst the Space Wolves that Russ left Fenris and journeyed into the Eye of Terror to find the fabled Tree of Life, a font of uncorrupted Warp energy hidden somewhere within the Immaterium that bears fruit said to be able to heal the Emperor and restore Him to full life.

Every standard year after his disappearance, Russ' place was laid at the same feast. Every year his drinking horn was filled should he return. For seven long, painful Terran years the Space Wolves waited patiently for their lost Wolf-King to return to them, but when he failed to do so, Bjorn was elected the new Great Wolf and led the Chapter on their first Great Hunt to search for Russ. The Great Companies took to their voidships and sailed in separate directions across the Sea of Stars. They sought their lord on many worlds and in many places. They fought battles and overcame monsters and the tale of their deeds is too long to recount save on Allwinter's Eve when the Rune Priests gather to chant the sagas. The Space Wolves sought and they sought, and Bjorn eventually took his search to the Eye of Terror itself. There Bjorn was mortally wounded and entombed within the adamantium sarcophagus of a Dreadnought. Of Russ they found no sign till eventually they were recalled to Fenris, bearing nought but a few dismal prophesies and the tale of their adventure. Thus the first Great Hunt ended in failure and in sadness.

The second Great Hunt led to the recovery of Russ' armour from the Temple of Horus on the world of Rudra on the edge of the Eye of Terror. The fourth Great Hunt uncovered the Corellian Conspiracy and foiled its efforts to overthrow the Administratum in a bloody coup. The ninth Great Hunt led to the destruction of the Genestealer-infested worlds of the Gehenna System. Over the various Great Hunts in the millennia since, many glorious victories have been won, each hunt beginning when Russ speaks through visions into the minds of the Chapter's Rune Priests, granting his sons his wisdom from time to time and sending them on new quests. None have succeeded in the final goal of recovering their gene-father, but Russ has assured his sons with his final words that he will return to them in time for the final battle of the Imperium against the Forces of Chaos, a period he called the "Wolftime". Many Space Wolves believe that time will soon be upon them and the Imperium of Man at the end of the 41st Millennium, as various forces all seeking the destruction of Mankind begin their final assault upon humanity. Even now, reports of the 13th Great Company's return from the Eye of Terror during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41 may portend the return of the Wolf King.

Reformation of the Imperium and the Second Founding
Seven standard years after the death of Horus, the Second Founding of the Space Marines was carried out on the orders of Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion who now became essentially the new Regent of the Imperium in the Emperor and Malcador the Sigillite's absence. The Horus Heresy had revealed weaknesses in the gene-seed of several Space Marine Legions that had made those Astartes unusually susceptible to corruption by Chaos. These defects had been exacerbated by the accelerated gene-seed cultivation techniques needed to keep the Space Marine Legions up to strength during the latter stages of the Great Crusade. The Ruinous Powers were able to exploit the resultant physical and mental corruption and turned Horus and the Traitor Legions under his command against the Emperor.

The first objective of the newly created military treatise known as the Codex Astartes that had been authored by Guilliman as the ultimate expression of his towering tactical understanding of how to best deploy the power of Space Marines, was to reorganise the Space Marine Legions into much smaller military formations and expunge these weaknesses. The Legions were broken down into Chapters, an already extant Astartes military formation in some of the Legions that consisted of 1,000 Battle-Brothers of fighting strength. Never again would one man wield so much power over vast legions of superhuman troops at his command.

However, Leman Russ suffered no interference where his Legion was concerned, and flatly refused to listen to Guilliman. According to the Wolf Lord Bulveye of the Legion's 13th Great Company, Russ once dared strike the Emperor in person when He offered criticism to Russ. What the volatile Primarch would not accept from his Father, he would certainly not tolerate from his brother. Only when the situation almost devolved into another Imperial civil war did Leman Russ seemingly relent. The canny Primarch pulled a sleight of hand on his brother Guilliman, ostensibly agreeing to separate the Space Wolves Legion into thirteen independent Great Companies, each roughly a Chapter in strength. The Great Companies, however, already were semi-autonomous, each with their own armouries, starship support and answering to their Jarl or Wolf Lord only, with all of the Jarls answering only to Russ. In essence, Russ' acquiescence changed nothing in the modus operandi of the Space Wolves Legion save for its official table of organisation. Guilliman, with a whole Imperium to rebuild, never had the time to verify that Russ had indeed implemented the teachings of the Codex, and took the Wolf King at his word. The consequence was that today, when all the Great Companies assemble under the Great Wolf's banner, the Space Wolves Chapter numbers far, far more than a thousand Astartes and is the largest currently in existence, save perhaps for the Black Templars Chapter, which has an eerily similar disregard for the Codex Astartes; and maintains a structure of autonomous Crusades answering only to an officer known as the High Marshal.

However, Guilliman's Reformation of the Imperium gave Russ the occasion to implement another idea of his, namely the creation of the ill-fated Wolf Brothers Chapter. It was Russ' plan to eventually create enough Space Wolves Successor Chapters to encircle the Eye of Terror, and use them as bulwarks against any re-emergence into realspace of the Traitor Legions. Alas, the Canis Helix's genetic instability made the Wolf Brothers suffer from the Curse of the Wulfen to such a degree that the Chapter had to be purged by the Inquisition for genetic deviancy. The High Lords of Terra recognised the problems of genetic instability that would eventually plague the genetic seed of Leman Russ, giving rise in later times to the terrible Curse of the Wulfen, and therefore decided against dividing and further spreading the Space Wolves' genetic base across the newly-Founded Adeptus Astartes of the Second Founding. The Space Wolves' lack of Successor Chapters has often been noted as unusual given its status as a First Founding Legion with a history extending back to the legendary days of the Great Crusade. Russ' idea of ringing the Eye of Terror with guardian Space Marine Chapters, however, was retained by the High Lords of Terra, who created a group of 20 Space Marine Chapters known as the Astartes Praeses to monitor the Eye of Terror and prevent the return of the servants of the Ruinous Powers.

Echoes In Time
The great contest of souls between Chaos and Order has come to a crux point at the close of the 41st Millennium. Nowhere is it harder fought than in the Fenris System, called home by the Thousand Sons' eternal enemies -- the Space Wolves, warrior scions of the Primarch Leman Russ. Closer and closer drew the hand of doom, moving ever nearer towards blackest midnight. In a galaxy already tearing itself apart with wars uncounted, a new disaster loomed. This latest string of calamities did not happen by chance, but by design. A series of complex machinations beyond the ken of mortal minds had begun with the return of the long-lost Space Wolves 13th Company. As Warp Storms spread ruination and corruption across the galaxy, the forces of the Imperium were beguiled. False evidence and heinous illusion eroded trust or inflamed ancient rivalries. Soon Space Marines pitted their might against their own brothers. So Tzeentch has ever fought, spreading lies and sowing doubt so that even steadfast allies might eye one another warily. Just as in the darkest days of the Imperium, the forces of Humanity were divided by their greatest foe. As the Warp Storms worsened, daemonic warhosts spilled forth into reality.

Return of the Wulfen
This mass invasion could not have come at a worse time for the Sons of Russ. Accusations of deviancy had lately sprang up around the Space Wolves' exploits, and not without cause. The omens spoke true, and millennia-old legends had been proven sound. In a dozen war zones across the galaxy, the lost brothers known as the Wulfen had returned. The Great Companies took to the Sea of Stars once more, searching the galaxy for signs of their mutated kin. Many Packs were found, embattled against the daemonic hordes of the Chaos Gods, and many victories were won. Those Space Wolves touched by the outward signs of the Canis Helix had always been long of tooth and sharp of claw, but the Wulfen took this atavism to extreme levels. In appearance they were as much lupine beast as they were Space Marine. Still, they bore the heraldic markings of the Chapter, and some spoke in the tongue of Asaheim. Though many had misgivings -- Wolf Lord Harald Deathwolf amongst them -- the Wulfen were marshalled and brought to Fenris.



In battle after battle the Wulfen fought alongside the Space Wolves against the daemonic incursion. They proved sound of mind in later parleys with the Wolf Lords, and when brought back to the fortress of The Fang, they were re-equipped and inducted into the Chapter's ranks. Ulrik the Slayer, trusted Wolf Priest and mentor of the High King Logan Grimnar, welcomed the Wulfen as heralds of their long-disappeared primogenitor, Leman Russ. The priest maintained that the Wolftime was upon them, and that the Primarch would soon return. Yet still there were those Wolf Lords who harboured suspicions about the Wulfen. Worse, there were those outside of the Chapter that had been manipulated into seeing the Wulfen as dangerous creatures of Chaos. The coming storm grew thunderous indeed.

Deceived by Tzeentchian wiles and the damning evidence of mutation amongst the Space Wolves' ranks, it was the Dark Angels Chapter that watched their fellow Adeptus Astartes closest of all. The Dark Angels were no strangers to subterfuge, for they had long been haunted by their own dark past, but the rivalry between their Chapter and the Space Wolves was so ingrained over the millennia that none spoke in their defence. When the Dark Angels investigated a Space Wolves attack upon the world of Nurades, they intended to rendezvous with the garrison of Scouts they had left to watch over an artefact from their Chapter's history. The young warriors had been slain to a man. Further inspection appeared to betray the identity of the killers -- not the creatures of the Warp, but those same Wulfen the Space Wolves had taken into their own fold. The implications were disturbing indeed.

Upon Tranquilitus, the Dark Angels and the Space Wolves fought against the daemon hordes. They did so not as brothers, but as rivals, for their Primarchs had clashed long ago, and the uneasy respect that had grown between the Chapters skirted the brink of scorn. They were Astartes first and foremost, however, and against Chaos the two brotherhoods stood united -- for now, at least.

A Curse Unchecked
Many times did the agents of Tzeentch leave a trail of misdirection in the path of the Space Marines. By subterfuge and misdirection, the daemon known as the Changeling widened the cracks of mistrust that had appeared between the Space Wolves and their brother Astartes. The Great Wolf and his champions were embroiled in ceaseless war against the daemon hordes ripping their way into reality in the late 41st Millennium, and there were none to refute the claims made about the Space Wolves' fate. With the agents of Chaos walking the lands, even the legendary Grey Knights joined the fray, fighting alongside the Space Wolves to overcome the vilest of foes. The combination saw hundreds of daemons banished from reality, but the most foul of their works had already been wrought. Though the Space Wolves knew it not, the true enemy lurked within the Chapter.

Those Space Wolves who fought alongside the Wulfen found the bestial side of their souls surge to the fore, driving them to ever more extreme acts of bloodshed. Some changed in body as well as mind, their forms altering to echo that of the lost brothers they had hoped to save. Soon there was evidence of extreme genetic deviance in every one of the companies of Fenris. Those who had called the reappearance of the Lost Company a curse were being proved right. Questions soured into conjecture, and suspicions hardened into conclusions. Astropathic choirs sang of secrets and lies. With great and sombre slowness, the judgement of the Adeptus Astartes was turned upon the Sons of Russ.

The Great Companies returned to the Fenris System, the holds of their voidcraft echoing with the howls of the Wulfen. An armada of Imperial battleships was inbound upon the same coordinates. At the head of the fleet was The Rock, fortress-monastery of the Dark Angels. Soon after emerging from the Warp, that vast fragment of their lost homeworld hung in Fenris' orbit like a titanic sword dangling over the heads of the accused. The intent of the fleet's commanders was to arrest, interrogate, and -- if the fates were unkind -- make the Space Wolves pay for their deviance. Supreme Grand Master Azrael of the Dark Angels had initiated an Imperial Crusade capable of wiping out the Sons of Russ, should it come to that. Magnus the Red, watching from his forbidding tower in the Eye of Terror, found the echo of Prospero's ancient persecution most pleasing. His interlocking schemes were accelerating fast.

As the prosecutors of the Emperor's will approached the Fenris System, the Great Companies found their homecoming far from glorious. Unbeknownst to them, the planets that orbited the star known as the Wolf's Eye had already been assailed by the daemonic and the traitorous. Valdrmani the Wolf Moon, home of the astropathic relay station Longhowl, gave a distress signal that no true hero could ignore. The ocean moon of Svellgard churned with daemon-spawn, its volcanic islands bastions of order amongst seas of utter mayhem. The main gun-fortress of the planet Frostheim, famous for its formidable defences and iron-hard ice, was assailed by warbands of the Alpha Legion, whose blood rituals were opening Warp rifts across that realm and beyond. Disaster was rife.

Upon the Precipice
Most diabolical of all fates was that of Midgardia. A proud part of the Fenris System, Midgardia was a world of jungles so toxic the populace had made its home in sprawling cities under the planet's crust. Since the appearance of Warp Storms in the Fenris Sector, that teeming civilisation had been infested with noxious legions of Nurgle daemons. It was to this forsaken war zone that Logan Grimnar, Chapter Master of the Space Wolves, made haste -- and he was not alone. At his side fought not only the Champions of Fenris, the mightiest heroes of their Chapter, but also the armoured columns of Egil Iron Wolf. The Great Companies hit the planet's invaders like a thunderbolt. With the Space Wolves' dramatic counter-invasion, many hundreds of daemons were banished back to the Warp. Yet so strange was Midgardia's terrain that within a matter of solar hours, Egil Iron Wolf and his Spears of Russ found themselves bogged down in the quagmire, fighting hard for every inch of ground they took.

Logan and his champions, taking the fight below ground, banished a host of Plaguebearers before meeting the architects of the planet's demise -- an alliance of four Daemon Princes known as the Infernal Tetrad. The Champions of Fenris met these titanic fiends blade to blade, only to be buried under tonnes of rock -- the daemons' trap had been well laid. The Space Wolves had been robbed of their wisest leaders in their greatest hour of need, and all the while, the Imperial fleet that held their doom grew ever larger in the firmament of Fenris.

The Enemy Within
Upon the bridge of The Rock, the fate of the Space Wolves was debated at length. The Changeling, a shape-shifting daemon of Tzeentch, had impersonated a slain Dark Angels Scout in order to gain access to The Rock's Apothecarion. Once inside, he had stolen the form of the fortress' Vox Seneschal. Ships from a dozen Chapters stood ready to follow the orders of The Rock's masters. The judgement of the Space Wolves hung in the balance.

The daemon wearing the skin of the Vox officer wove its webs of deceit. It claimed that not only was the Curse of the Wulfen irrevocable proof of malefic taint, but that the Great Wolf, Logan Grimnar, had been confirmed as dead, and that his Wolf Lords were either missing in action or at each other's throats, impotent in the face of the Chaos infection. The Dark Angels alone could restore order to the troubled Fenris System -- where the grievous influence of Chaos had taken hold, they must burn it clean. With a heavy heart the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels considered the order for the bombardment of the Fenris System, and what it might portend. He gave it nonetheless.

Though only the hidden architects of this unfolding tragedy fully appreciated it, the echoes of that which had occurred upon Prospero were profound indeed. The Space Wolves were to be punished for their genetic deviance and pursuit of hidden truths, much as they had brought the intolerant justice of the Emperor to Prospero in ancient days gone by. It was a delicious irony to the servants of Tzeentch, and Magnus the Red foremost amongst them.

The daemonic entity that had infiltrated the bridge crew, known in the sagas of the Space Wolves as the Changeling, was in its element. It had sown confusion and angst throughout Chapter Serf and Space Marine alike. Posing as Vox Seneschal Mendaxis, the daemon had formally announced to the Dark Angels that the Space Wolves had used the stronghold of Longhowl to open fire on the fleet belonging to the newly arrived Grey Knights. This news, coming so soon after the pict-thief footage of Dark Angels Scouts being slain by the Wulfen, sealed the guilt of the Sons of Russ in the minds of their prosecutors. The Chapter was irrevocably tainted.



One of the Fenris System's worlds, Midgardia, had already fallen to daemonic invasion. Azrael concluded there was no recourse but to scour it clean with the killing fires of Exterminatus, even though there were still Space Wolves upon its surface. The declaration was met with awed silence, but with Logan Grimnar missing, presumed dead, there were few with influence enough to gainsay him.

To their horror, Grey Knights Brother-Captain Arvann Stern and the other warrior heroes that had approached The Rock to consult with Azrael in person found that they were too late. The bombardment cannons of the Imperial fleet had already opened fire upon the planets under their gunsights. Midgardia had been subjected to such a brutal and extensive firestorm its surface was little more than a worldwide conflagration. Morkai's Keep upon Frostheim had been blasted to rubble by a Lance strike levelled by the calculating Iron Hands Chapter. The Fenris System was besieged by both foes and allies, and the planets and moons where the daemonic incursions were most apparent were already suffering grievous wounds under the Crusade fleet's onslaught. The war that Stern and Ragnar had come to stop was already in progress, trusted brothers at one another's throats.



Everywhere confusion reigned, inflamed by the wrath of the crusader and the defiance of the accused. On the vast hololith displays at the fore of the bridge, the dispositions of the Imperial fleet and the defensive citadels of the Space Wolves flickered and came into focus. The fate of the two rival Chapters hung in the balance, the voidships of their fellow Adeptus Astartes all but silent as a suffocating miasma of doubt and despair threatened to erase millennia of hard-won brotherhood.

Upon the bridge, the parley between traveller and commander was swift and intense. When the echoes of harsh-tongued speeches had faded from The Rock's bridge, it was Stern who spoke alone. As a Brother-Captain of the legendary Grey Knights, his words carried gravitas indeed. He spoke of Chaos, and those who would spread it. He had already judged the souls of those Wulfen he had encountered, and those of the warriors who had fought alongside them. He had found them sound. However, there was one upon the bridge of The Rock who did not belong, who was more than a hidden agent of corruption. He was anarchy incarnate. Stern pointed an accusatory finger at Vox Seneschal Mendaxis, and named him for the daemon he truly was.

With the Changeling eventually defeated in the bowels of The Rock after the battle that ensued, the Dark Angels realised they have been manipulated. They ordered a ceasefire and concentrated on the purge of all daemonic taint within their own fortress-monastery, before dispersing the Imperial fleet across the wider Fenris Sector to take war to those worlds that sent astropathic distress calls matching the signature of Tzeentchian invasion. The Great Companies of Bran Redmaw, Gunnar Red Moon, Bjorn Stormwolf and Engir Krakendoom, having made transition into Fenrisian space within solar days of one another, made haste to join their fellows upon Fenris. With the Daemon Engines known as Silver Towers entering the sector in great number, they were soon embroiled in a series of desperate wars.

Architect of Fate Revealed
During the Horus Heresy, when the Space Wolves came for Magnus the Red, they forced his hand. The consequences of the deal with the entities of the Warp, set in motion before Horus had even become the Warmaster, was hastened into fruition. With his power base forcibly dislocated to the Eye of Terror in order to escape the Space Wolves, Magnus used spells with the ease a mortal man might draw breath. He erected the eldritch Tower of the Cyclops upon his adoptive world, the better to survey the Empyrean and realspace alike. His defeat at the hands of Leman Russ had broken him in mind as well as in body, the shards of his consciousness dispersed to the four winds. Even the Thousand Sons still bound to their Primarch's cause could not heal his wounded animus. There Magnus brooded, his body saturated with the power of the æther.



For long centuries Magnus sought vengeance against the Imperium, and the Sons of Russ in particular. In the 32nd Millennium he struck at Fenris, having lured the Great Companies from their lair with false visions. He was denied at the last by the redoubtable might of The Fang and the wisdom of the ancient hero, Bjorn the Fell-Handed. Since that day, Magnus' ambitions have grown ever deeper and more esoteric. Now he seeks not just to conquer the Space Wolves, but to strip away all they hold dear, corrupt those under their aegis, and visit upon them the same horrors his beloved Legion once witnessed. The conquest of the Fenris System is just the beginning. The final defeat of the Space Wolves will be the jewel in the crown of a far-greater work -- one in which the Imperium itself is tipped screaming into a sea of anarchy from which there can be no escape. Across the galaxy, the Thousand Sons used their fell magicks to manipulate the Warp rifts that had disgorged the Wulfen. Within days of the Wulfens' recovery by the Great Companies, Rubricae were sighted wherever the bestial warriors had been recovered. The sorcerers of the Thousand Sons were using the Warp rifts to launch a galaxy-wide invasion.

The Silver Towers of Tzeentch and War Zone Fenris
Colossal in size and staggering in their complexity, the Silver Towers scar the minds of all who look upon them. They are the citadels and spires of ancient Prospero, torn free by sorcery -- but at the same time they are fragments of Tzeentch's Crystal Labyrinth, bequeathed unto his most devious servants so they might spread his Chaotic influence in realspace. The enchanted Silver Towers float through the skies, arcane lightning playing around the strange structures at their base. Oppressive and maddening to behold, they are the strongholds of Magnus' chosen. Many are studded with deadly cannons and arcane guns. Yet they are not bound to a single locale, nor a single dimension -- the master of each tower simply has to will his fortress to move, and it floats eerily through reality at his bidding. The appearance of one Silver Tower is enough to spell doom for a civilised world. Upon Fenris, no less than nine of these surreal fortifications descended from space, each aligned with a site of geomantic power. The Crimson King's great work of conquest had begun. Fenris itself had once more become a war zone.

Notable Campaigns

 * Compliance of 1-122, 'Delsvann' (Unknown Date.M30) - This is one of the first recorded campaigns of the VI Legion when they were unleashed en masse against an enemy almost a solar decade after the Great Crusade had broken free of the Sol System and spread out to distant stars. This campaign took place as the Compliance of "1-122," a world known to the indigenous human population as Delsvaan. Left to their own devices as to the planning and execution of the operation, this was no doubt part of the testing of the Legion. The then full-strength of the VI Legion, some 3,500 Astartes, under the command of Commander Enoch Rathvin, the VI Lgion's first master, executed a multi-vector planetstrike operation aimed directly at Masaanore-Core, the fortified dormitory-city of the most powerful of Delsvaan's combines. Rather than conducting a direct advance to areas of the enemy's command and control as was the standard practice, the VI Legion spread through the city more like a raging fire than an assaulting army. The native army -- conscripts lightly armed with laser weaponry, reinforced by detachments of better trained and carapace-armoured combine soldiers -- stood little chance against this onslaught, utterly unprepared for the speed or strength of the armoured invaders, or the sheer violence with which they dove on. Most of the defenders were killed where they stood, trying to mount firing lines to hold the advance, or cut down in their hundreds as attempted counterattacks turned into routs, the panicked militia themselves soon tangling with thousands of fleeing civilians. The VI Legion seemed to redouble its attacks as if goaded on by the scent of blood and terror, as they fell upon the people of Masaanore-Core and committed great slaughter. There remains debate in the historical record whether at this time the Legion command actually lost control of its units to the ongoing violence, however briefly, but in any case Enoch Rathvin did not quickly rein in his forces, and when he finally accepted the surrender of Masaanore-Core, its streets ran red with the blood of its inhabitants. The VI Legion's performance, while disquieting to some in the Imperium's hierarchy, more for its apparent ill-discipline than its results, was clearly sufficient for the Emperor's satisfaction to grant it its own sub-fleet to command -- Expeditionary Fleet 155 -- still affiliated to the core of the great Armada of the Principia Imperialis but otherwise internally independent with its own tenders, Escort craft and warships.
 * The Wheel of Fire Campaign (ca. 800s.M30) - Following their reunification with their Primarch Leman Russ, who had been rediscovered upon the Death World of Fenris and given command over the Legiones Astartes of the VI,the Space Wolves, despite their superhuman strength and savage reputation, had not yet proven themselves as warriors or earned his respect. This campaign was an early sign that under the Wolf King's rule, his Legion would be very different to any other. Before any acrimony could fester between the newly-inducted Fenrisians and the Veteran Terran-born warriors, Leman Russ in his wisdom determined to take his Legion into battle so that he, his kinsmen and his gene-sons would spill blood and face death together and so be forged anew as one. The VI Legion was given the monumental task of cleansing the expanding frontier region of the galaxy known as the "Wheel of Fire," located to the galactic east of the Segmentum Solar. It was a sprawling wilderness of erratically transiting star systems and burning nebula, wracked by frequent ion and Empyreal tempests and home to at least a score of xenos-occupied worlds, many under the dominion of Orks, and thereby a source of periodic drifting Space Hulks and marauder attacks into the nascent Imperium. Entering the Wheel of Fire as one, the VI Legion's fleet split into a dozen smaller squadrons of various sizes, each despatched to strike at targets of their own. The largest force with the heaviest ships was under Leman Russ' personal command, and it set out directly for the heart of the Ork powerbase in the Wheel of Fire. At Leman Russ' command, war came to the Wheel of Fire like a raging hurricane, war the likes of which even the brutal and bellicose Orks that claimed its mastery had never known. This campaign would rage unabated for the next five standard years, never letting up in tempo or in its fury. Before the Imperium was able to claim victory, the VI Legion would pay a high price in combat casualties, with the loss of almost a full third of the Legion. Among the many slain would be the VI Legion's first commander, Enoch Rathvin. Just as Russ promised, it would be during this brutal campaign that the VI Legion was forged anew.
 * Destruction of WAAAGH! Mashogg (ca. Mid-800s.M30) - The Space Wolves took part in this massive joint Imperial Compliance campaign, which was a part of the larger Wheel of Fire campaign, that included multiple Legiones Astartes, including the Iron Warriors and the White Scars, as well as thousands of troops of the Imperialis Auxilia and substantial Mechanicum assets. They were charged with the eradication of the massive Ork horde of WAAAGH! Mashogg. Legends record that it was the Primarchs Leman Russ and Jaghatai Khan who routed the Orks of Overdog Mashogg's WAAAGH!, while Perturabo was featured only as the "comrade" who calculated the optimum way to bypass Mashogg's low orbit defences.
 * Rangdan Xenocides (860s.M30) - When the Imperial Expeditionary Fleets of the Emperor's Great Crusade at last had breached the Eastern Fringe of the galaxy, they inadvertently attracted the attention of the Rangdan Cerabvores, a species of such macabre power and technological might it seemed, for a time at least, that the Imperium had met its doom. Facing waves of attack from the galactic east and north, and suffering losses that would not be exceeded until the dark days of the Horus Heresy, the wars of the Rangdan Xenocides were the most terrible of any yet fought. Whole Expeditionary Fleets went to their deaths without a single survivor, worlds were laid waste, dozens of Titan Legions were obliterated and by the end, entire Space Marine Legions (exactly which Legions were affected was purposely redacted from Imperial records) had been lost to the Imperium. Much of what happened during this abyssal conflict is still locked under seal, but what can be said is that with the breaking of the Labyrinth of Night by the Emperor, the threat was at last stymied. What remained was for the Rangdan taint to be purged in a subsequent standard decade-long series of bio-pogroms that left entire human inhabited sectors lifeless to ensure what was hoped to be a final victory. It was then given to the Space Wolves of the VI and the Dark Angels of the I Legions -- the latter who had suffered themselves so very dreadfully against the horror -- to conduct these purges, as these two Legions were entrusted above all others to do what had to be done.
 * Compliance of Molech (869.M30) - The Space Wolves took part in the massive Imperial Compliance campaign on the newly discovered Knight World of Molech, which was led by the Emperor Himself, and included multiple Legiones Astartes, including the Luna Wolves, Dark Angels and the White Scars, as well as thousands of troops of the Imperialis Auxilia and assets from the Mechanicum and Legio Titanicus. After achieving victory, Cyprian Devine of House Devine was named Planetary Governor of Molech. In the presence of several of his Primarch sons, the Emperor led them to a Warp portal hidden underground, where He proceeded to enter into the Realm of Chaos to parley with the Ruinous Powers. When He finally returned, the Emperor appeared aged, but much more powerful. He then suppressed his sons' memories of Molech and stations a large garrison force comprised of nearly 100 Imperialis Auxilia regiments, three Legio Titanicus cohorts, and detachments from two Space Marine Legions to protect the secrets of the Warp portal on Molech.
 * Compliance of Dulan (900s.M30) - As the Space Marine Legions pushed back the frontiers of the Imperium, each Primarch strove to excel in the eyes of the Emperor and none more so than Leman Russ, Primarch of the Space Wolves. Only Horus of the Luna Wolves and Lion El'Jonson of the Dark Angels could claim more victories than Russ and this was a constant frustration for him. It was on the world of Dulan where the Space Wolves were fighting alongside the Dark Angels that matters came to a head. The Tyrant of Durath had personally insulted the Emperor, sacrificing thousands of Imperial priests to his patron Daemon, and both Russ and Jonson desired the honour of slaying this fool. The Tyrant Durath insulted Russ, causing him to demand the right to lead the attack on the fortress. Johnson ignored him and led his own carefully planned attack instead, killing the Tyrant personally. After the battle Russ confronted and attacked Johnson, and the two dueled for a day and a night. Russ eventually stopped attacking, seeing the humor of the situation, at which point Johnson knocked him unconscious. Only then did El'Jonson consider his honour to be satisfied. The prostrate Russ was carried from the fortress by his Astartes and, when he regained consciousness, the Dark Angels had already departed to fight in the Alisore Campaign. Russ swore he would avenge the stain on his honour and, to this day, whenever the Space Wolves and Dark Angels meet, one of their number is called upon to refight the ancient duel of the Primarchs in order that honour may be satisfied.
 * Night of the Wolf (ca. 900s.M30) - Imperial records state that two Primarchs came to Angron, both claiming to have been sent by the Emperor in an attempt to stop him from implanting his Astartes of the World Eaters Legion with the cortical implants known as the Butcher's Nails that were transforming his Space Marines into berserk and savage killers. The first arrived soon after Angron joined his Legion after being unwillingly rescued from his homeworld of Nuceria. The second would not come until almost a century later. By then, it would already be too late for the XII Legion. The "Night of the Wolf" is a little known incident that occurred shortly after the World Eaters' massacre of the entire planetary population of the world of Ghenna. The Primarch Leman Russ had been charged by the Emperor to take his Space Wolves Legion to Ghenna to bring the World Eaters to heel. The two Legions met at Malkoya, on the fields beyond the dead Ghennan city of that same name. The World Eaters, battered and bleeding from Ghenna's Imperial Compliance campaign, formed ragged lines before the assembled Space Wolves Legion. The Primarchs stood before their hosts, armed and armoured -- Angron awash with blood and carved up by fresh wounds; Leman Russ in resplendent battle-plate the colour of the storms on his tempestuous homeworld of Fenris. In these early years of the Great Crusade, Angron still carried his first axe, the precursor to all others. He called it Widowmaker. It would break this very day, never to be used again. Russ carried Krakenmaw, his immense Chainblade, toothed by some Fenrisian sea-devil from that blighted world's many myths. Angron refused to recognise his brother's authority, and warned the Wolf King to depart before the situation became something that he would regret. But Russ refused to be cowed by the warlike Primarch. He informed Angron that the implantation surgeries must end, for the Emperor Himself had deemed it so. The massacres of newly discovered human worlds were to end with the fall of Ghenna. The World Eaters were to submit to the Space Wolves as their escorts for their Legion's return to Terra. Once they reached the Imperial Palace, everything would be done to remove the parasitic Butcher's Nails implants from the World Eaters' minds. Angron was not amused by Russ' implied threats. No one ever saw who fired the first shot. In the decades after, the World Eaters claimed it came from the Space Wolves' lines, and the Space Wolves claimed the same of the XII Legion. Without either Primarch giving an order, the two Space Marine Legions fought. The Night of the Wolf, it was later called. Imperial archives referred to it as the Ghenna Scouring, omitting the moment the World Eaters and Space Wolves drew blood. A source of pride for both Legions, and a source of secret shame. Both claimed victory. But both feared they had actually lost, and in truth, the battle proved bloody but inconclusive. But the World Eaters did not return to Terra, and Angron refused to stop the implantation of his Astartes.
 * The Purging of Cortonis (ca. 900s.M30) - The Space Wolves and Night Lords fought alongside one another to purge the world of Cortonis from the xenos/Abhuman Pantaratine. Even after the vile xenos were butchered the human settlements of the system refused to comply with the Imperial Truth and had to be systematically subdued and purged as well.
 * The Burning of the Grey Worlds (ca. 900s.M30) - The Space Wolves, Blood Angels and Night Lords participated in a massive joint Imeprial operation known as the Burning of the Grey Worlds. The details of this campaign are long lost to history. What is known is that it was one of only a handful of occasions where the VI and VIII Legions served side-by-side.
 * The Fall of the Hunderax Autonomy (ca. 900s.M30) - One of the final occasions where the Night Lords and Space Wolves fought together, the Fall of the Hunderax Autonomy illustrated the extremes of violence and butchery the Night Lords were willing to perpetrate on those too brave or foolish to bend knee to the Emperor.
 * The Dead of Ashkhelon (ca. 900's.M30) - This particular campaign was one of the few documented during the Space Wolves' involvement in the latter stages of the Great Crusade, which was a relatively brief but extremely brutal affair which took place on the world of Ashkhelon III in a star system of the same name in the Ultima Segmentum, close by what is known as the Golgothan Expanse. Discovered by an Imperial Expeditionary Fleet, the people of Ashkhelon gratefully welcomed the Imperial emissaries and were rapidly brought into Imperial Compliance. A coterie of magi from the Forge World of Ryza were despatched to the newly Compliant world. Over several solar decades, the Mechanicum Tech-priests helped Ashkhelon to become a working cog in the vast machine of the ever-expanding Imperium. But tragedy soon struck, when the magi inadvertently awakened a long forgotten evil from the bygone era of Old Night. Before disappearing, a secret Mechanicum astropathic missive had been sent into the aether, which contained only the memetic symbol-forms for two words, translated to the common Gothic as "Heretek Omega." In the parlance of the Omnissiah, this was a dire warning of having encountered a sin of the Dark Age of Technology; a human-made horror which could not be allowed to continue to exist. In response, the entire 11th Great Company of Jarl Varald Helsdawn was sent the Wolf King, alongside a Mechanicum war-barque despatched from Mars by the Fabricator-General himself. The two forces descended to the surface of the planet, where they quickly discovered that despite the obvious signs of violence, there were no bodies whatsoever. But soon, the Imperial forces were beset upon by creatures from beneath the surface of the planet that were revealed to be no mere beasts of flesh and blood, but a mechanism, things of false life, neither Servitor nor automata as the Imperium reckoned them. They were creatures akin to them, grown and spliced into frames of hydraulics and gears, and pulsing with unnatural life. While the battle raged upon the surface, several of the Space Wolves, alongside their Mechanicum allies, made their way into the darkness below. Here at last they discovered the fate of the dead of Ashkhelon, where they were stacked neatly in red-weeping alcoves by the tens of thousands, in vault after vault with no rhyme or reason other than that they had been placed there carefully. It was as the Space Wolves breached a final chamber that they encountered the foul presence of the thing that controlled the lesser creatures still attacking their forces upon the surface -- it was a Silica Animus, the blasphemy of a true machine-mind. Through the combined efforts of the Ruststalkers and the Space Wolves, the Silica Animus' corporeal form was destroyed. Its machine-creatures, mere extensions of a single false life and inhuman will, then also perished, just as the body of a serpent dies when the head is struck off. The dead of Ashkhelon had been avenged, and a nightmare of ages past had been destroyed. From orbit, the two flagships of both the 11th Great Company, the Void Wyrm and the Mechanicum war-barque Axiom of Trinity, levelled every standing structure and hammered the sub-surface vaults into collapse. Ashkhelon was deemed a forbidden and Dead World to which humanity must never return.
 * Unknown Campaign (965.M30) - 
 * Suppression of Kernunnos (ca. 997.M30) - This was an Imperial Compliance campaign carried out by the Wolf Lord Bulveye of the Space Wolves 13th Company and the Imperial Army contingent known as the Arcturan Dragoons against the world of Kernunnos located in the Lammas Sector. When the 954th Expedition came to the Lammas Sector, they brought good tidings and the Imperial Truth from the Emperor. But despite the Wolf Lord's open handed gesture of peace, the twelve ruling self-styled Tyrants of Lammas spat upon his gesture of peace and unity. Seven standard years later, their fleets lay broken and their armies scattered. During the final engagement of this brutal campaign the Dragoons had spearheaded the attack on the Tyrants' capital and had fought their way first to the battered palace at the centre of the city. Meanwhile, the fleet of the 954th Expedition laid down a constant bombardment of the Tyrants' last refuge bored deep within the Elysians mountain range. This was a vault bored into the heart of one of the largest peaks that had been built during the Age of Strife. It soon lay in rubble. If it had been up to Bulveye, the vault would have been the Tyrants' tomb. But in the Allfather's wisdom, the Tyrants were spared, stripped of their position of power and all their pilfered wealth, which would be used to help rebuild what was lost, and ensure that the worlds of the Lammas Sector became prosperous and stable members of the Imperium. Each planet would have an Imperial Planetary Governor to oversee their reconstruction, and they would send Wolf Lord Bulveye regular reports of their efforts. He left them with a warning not to give him a reason to return there ever again.
 * Aghoru Campaign (ca. 999.M30) - The Imperial Compliance of the world of Aghoru (officially codified in Imperial records as Twenty-Eight-Sixteen) was an action carried out by units of the Thousand Sons Legion that was achieved through diplomacy and was considered a success; secondary combat occurred against apparent Warp denizen infestation (beings known to the local population as "Elohim") within the subterranean passages of a titanic peak that stood taller than Olympic Mons on Mars. The Thousand Sons forces were enhanced by a small unit drawn from the Space Wolves Legion during this operation.
 * Ark Reach Cluster Campaign (ca. 000.M30) - The Ark Reach Cluster had been discovered by the Word Bearers Legion's 47th Expeditionary Fleet; it was a group of binary stars occupied by a number of belligerent planetary empires that rejected the Imperium's offer to become part of the Emperor's growing demesne. This Imperial Compliance action of the Great Crusade was carried out through the combined efforts of the Thousand Sons working in concert with elements from the Space Wolves and the Word Bearers Legions. The first four star systems fell to the Word Bearers and Space Wolves. But the fifth and sixth world, known as Shrike, required the assistance of the Thousand Sons. The return to the XV Legion of the dreaded mutational "flesh-change" occurred at the conclusion of this campaign and helped to bring on the eternal enmity between the Space Wolves and the Thousand Sons, as the Space Wolves increasingly regarded the Astartes of the XV Legion as "impure".
 * Subjugation of the Akum-Sothos Cluster (ca. 000.M30) - The Aukum-Sothos Cluster, which had been brought into Compliance by the Luna Wolves early in the Great Crusade, mysteriously rebelled against Imperial rule due to the actions of controlling xenos. Horus had formulated a plan to cast down the so-called "Unsighted Kings", the xenos-possessed leaders of the insurrection, in a lightning war that would purge the afflicted population while retaining the cluster's highly developed infrastructure for future re-population. The Warmaster's plan called for the bulk of four Legions -- the Luna Wolves, Space Wolves, Iron Warriors and Raven Guard -- to converge on the heavily fortified lair of the Unsighted Kings before a final, overwhelming assault was launched. Having brought the outer worlds of the cluster to heel in a matter of solar weeks, the Warmaster called a council of his brother-Primarchs, one part of his plan calling for the Raven Guard to make a frontal assault directly into the guns of the defenders of Gate Forty-Two. Corax argued against what he denounced as a waste of resources and a needless squandering of his warriors' lives. In answer, Perturabo accused Corax of seeking to avoid battle, a crime verging on dereliction for a Primarch of the Legiones Astartes. The two very nearly came to blows, with only the intervention of Leman Russ staying bloodshed. The Wolf King counselled Corax to heed the words of the Primarch who the Emperor had set above his brothers. Russ urged Corax to smother his bitterness, but not to extinguish it, and allow that guttering flame to kindle the fire necessary to carry the battle through. Taking his leave of the council, Corax mustered the Raven Guard before Gate Forty-Two. Despite his misgivings, Corax complied, and assigned the majority of the Terran-borne veterans of the old XIX Legion as the assault's vanguard element. At the height of the battle, with the assault companies decimated and the attack faltering in the face of overwhelming fire, Corax himself led the forlorn hope, his battle cry firing the Legion to such efforts that the breach was carried and Gate Forty-Two taken. The honour of slaying the Unsighted Kings was claimed by Horus as Warmaster and at the moment of their execution, the xenos' hold over the population was dispelled. The Akum-Sothos Cluster was delivered and Horus' prize was reclaimed. The cost was terrible however, thousands of Raven Guard, the bulk of them Terran-born, had given their lives before the shattered walls.
 * First Kobolt War, Razing of Thuyela (ca. 000.M30) - During the Great Crusade in the late 30th Millennium, the 40th Expeditionary Fleet encountered a race of humanoid xenos in Kobolt space who were lethal and proud, and had no interest in human affairs. The xenos' base of operations was a great transparent vessel that sparkled as if it was made of glass, and so was nicknamed by the Imperials "Scintilla City". This vessel was in actuality an Eldar Craftworld, and was called Thuyela in the Eldar Lexicon. True to their capricious nature, the Eldar of Thuyela attacked the 40th Expeditionary Fleet without apparent reason or explanation, and managed to fight the Imperial fleet to a standstill. Fleet commanders called for the help of the Space Marines. An unrecorded number or Great Company of Space Wolves Astartes answered the call and quickly overcame the xenos. As "Scintilla City" shattered around them, the desperate Eldar realised that all would be lost if they continued to fight, and the xenos attempted to plead for terms. Imperial commanders involved in the action might have been content to naively negotiate a surrender, but the Space Wolves were not. Thuyela was sacked and its people slaughtered by the Space Wolves. It was so completely destroyed that there was nothing left for the Imperial forces to recover or plunder. The fate of Thuyela's survivors, if any, is not recorded in Imperial records. Senior commanders of the 40th Expeditionary Fleet were so horrified by the incident that they were left with a disinclination to call upon the ferocity of the Space Wolves again, until they were forced to do so in the assault upon the homeworld of the Olamic Quietude not long after.
 * Second Kobolt War, Suppression of the Olamic Quietude (ca. 000.M30) - The 40th Expeditionary Fleet was an expeditionary force during the Great Crusade that was shadowed by an Astartes complement made up of the Space Wolves' 3rd Great Company ("Tra" Company). During the Second Kobolt War, the 40th Expeditionary Fleet met up with the Space Wolves near Gogmagog Beta, pressing fruitlessly into the territory of the cybernetic Abhumans called the Olamic Quietude. Near the end of the Great Crusade, some time before the Council of Nikaea, the 40th Expeditionary Fleet first encountered the Quietude. The Quietude were immediately hostile and had attacked the 40th Fleet in two separate actions, attempting to drive it out of their space. In the second of these actions, the Quietude captured the crew of an Imperial warship. The Quietude then ignored an Imperial ultimatum to cease hostilities and return the crew, instead subjecting them to torture and vivisection to extract information. The Quietude claimed the information extracted from these unlucky subjects "proved" that the Imperium were simply pretenders to the heritage of Mankind; and that when the Age of Strife ended the Olamic Quietude would return to the wider galaxy and take their rightful place as the true inheritors of the human future. Naturally finding such a contradiction of the Imperial Truth unacceptable, but evenly matched by the formidable forces of the Quietude, the 40th Expedition grudgingly called for the aid of the Space Marine Legions in the form of the Space Wolves' 3rd Great Company ("Tra" Company) to assist in the assault on the Quietude's homeworld. The Space Wolves began the attack by assaulting the orbital facility above the planet, and despite the Quietude's martial reputation and advanced technology, easily overcame the formidable onboard defences composed of graceful and robust cybernetic troops. The 40th Expeditionary Fleet then began an orbital bombardment of the planet below, which proved ineffective against the ice caps that the Quietude had extended over their hive cities. Imperial Army ground forces found the going much more difficult when they landed, despite being supported by Titans and super-heavy tanks, with the strange lamp-like beam weapons mounted on the Quietude's defence towers extracting a heavy toll from the Imperial forces. After sustaining heavy casualties, the Imperial Army forces were withdrawn on the request of the Space Wolves, much to the anger of the Imperial Army commanders involved in the assault. Instead of another frontal assault, the Space Wolves used the vast orbital facility they had captured to unleash an orbital bombardment. Forcing the space station out of its orbit, it fell into the world's atmosphere and smashed into the Quietude's cities with the power of tens of thousands of nuclear weapons, breaking through the ice shields and inflicting cataclysmic damage. This unconventional assault was followed by a full scale attack on the now-burning cities from the combined Astartes and Imperial Army force that brutally eradicated the Quietude and purged all trace of their presence from the galaxy. It was later discovered that the orbital space station or "Instrument" as the Quietude called it that the Space Wolves had dropped on the planet was, instead of a weapon or military base, a vast archive that contained the last record of all Quietude culture and technology, causing it to be lost to Mankind forever.
 * The Thardia Campaign (004.M31) - After the Council of Nikaea concluded, the VI Legion forces that had attended embarked on a twenty-six solar week journey to the Thardia System, ostensibly to conduct a campaign of Imperial Compliance there. In truth the Space Wolves Legion was rallying to four separate locations in preparation for a campaign against Prospero and the Thousand Sons if the Sons of Magnus did not abide by the Emperor's Decree Absolute. The six companies gathered together at Thardia formed Taskforce Gaeta.
 * The Razing of Prospero (004-005.M31) - The Fall of Prospero was the name given by later Imperial scholars to the sanctioned Imperial military reprisal against the XV Legion's homeworld of Prospero at the start of the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium. The action was carried out by the Space Wolves Legion and elements of the Legio Custodes and the Sisters of Silence as a punishment for the Thousand Sons' flagrant violation of the Emperor of Mankind's edicts against the use of sorcery made at the Council of Nikaea. Though the Thousand Sons' Primarch Magnus the Red was aware of the impending assault and the vulnerability of orbital attack, he chose not act, as he felt that his sins warranted the Emperor's sanctions against him. The Space Wolves viciously bombarded the surface of planet and then launched a massive orbital strike with devastating results, slaughtering all life on the surface of Prospero. The battle finally concluded with Magnus and Leman Russ facing one another in personal combat, which resulted in the Red Cyclops being cast down and his back broken. Seeing his imminent demise near at hand, Magnus cast a mighty spell that took the great city of Tizca, his remaining Astartes and what precious archives of forbidden lore they could save, to their new homeworld known as the Planet of the Sorcerers, prepared by their patron Chaos God Tzeentch somewhere within the Eye of Terror.
 * The Wolf and the Khan (007.M31) - The White Scars learned of the Warmaster's heresy when they established contact with Leman Russ in the aftermath of the Space Wolves' destruction of Prospero. Faced with the dilemma of aiding the weakened Space Wolves against a powerful force of Alpha Legion attackers, or returning to Terra as ordered by Rogal Dorn, Jaghatai Khan choose the higher duty and returned to Terra.
 * Watch Pack Strong-grin and the Night Haunter (005.M31) - Just before the terrible events of the Drop Site Massacre of Istvaan V the Pack of Theodore Strong-grin was tasked with linking up with the Nightfall, flagship of Konrad Curze, and taking their place as Watch Pack to the Primarch of the Night Lords. Pack Strong-grin could not have known the treachery to which the Night Lords were already sworn or the gruesome ends they were soon to meet. Ordering his Battle-Brothers to stow their weapons and approach the waiting ranks of Night Lords unarmed, Pack Leader Strong-grin approached Kurze and announced his purpose. Without a word the Night Haunter began to laugh and the butchers of his Legion attacked. The four members of Theodore's Pack were savagely murdered, only one able to bring down any of his attackers. Theodore himself was kept alive and sent back to the Sol System, his broken body placed like a message within the hold of the Pack's shuttle. Despite his injuries, Theodore was still alive when the shuttle was recovered and all efforts were made to save him. His ultimate fate remains unknown.
 * Watch Pack Redknife and the Signus Campaign (005.M31) - After the betrayal of Magnus the Red, a small contingent of Space Wolves were despatched to every Space Marine Legion to watch the remaining Primarchs for signs of treachery or corruption, a measure that was too little and came too late, as fate would have it. Under the command of Captain Helik Redknife a small contingent of Space Wolves joined up with Sanguinius' IX Legion, the Blood Angels, just prior to the Signus Campaign. Redknife and his warriors fought alongside the Blood Angels as they battled the foul forces of Chaos corrupting the Signus System, but it was not the forces of the Traitors whom Redknife and his command would ultimately fall to. Rather, it was the crazed berserkers of Captain Nassir Amit's 5th Company, the "Flesh Tearers." At the height of the Battle for Signus Prime many Blood Angels were lost to the newly emergent genetic curse known as the Red Thirst, including Captain Amit himself alongside his now nearly feral Battle-Brothers. Not realising Redknife and his men were allies, Amit and his warriors tore the Space Wolves apart, a treachery that was subsequently hidden by the Blood Angels senior commanders -- hidden even from Sanguinius himself. Redknife and his Battle-Brothers were simply reported as killed-in-action.
 * Watch Pack Bludbroder and the Ambush at the Residency of Macragge (007.M31) - Assigned to watch Roboute Guilliman, the Watch Pack of Faffnr Bludbroder remained in the residency of Macragge, knonw as Macragge Civitas, the official home of the Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion, while the Battle-Brothers of the Dark Angels, the Ultramarines and the Shattered Legions chased the Night Lords Primarch Konrad Curze throughout the Fortress of Hera. When the Night Haunter gave his pursuers the slip and struck at the Residency, he did not realize any defenders would be left. The Primarch of the Night Lords attacked Guilliman's adoptive human mother, intending to strike a dire blow to the Ultramarines Primarch's morale. Instead he found the Watch Pack waiting. While Curze played with his prey the Watch Pack moved into position and without warning launched their attack. The private office of Guilliman was trashed by Bolter fire and blades as all ten of the Space Wolves threw themselves at Curze. But one by one they were thrown aside or smashed to the ground, yet they kept clambering back up and futilely throwing themselves at the Primarch. Where many hardened veterans of the I and XIII Legions had been cut down with contemptuous ease, the VI Legion warriors not only managed to survive but draw blood before the half-mad Primarch Vulkan intervened and smashed Curze out through a nearby window. Of the ten Space Wolves who crossed blades with Curze only one perished, brother Shockeye Ffyn, who was thrown from the window and crushed many stories below.
 * Watch Pack Torbjorn and The Betrayal at Pelago (007.M31) - The Watch Pack of Torbjorn of Fror (4th Company) met up with the Alpha Legion fleet in the Golan System, in orbit over the fifth planet from the sun, an Ocean World known as Pelago. Torbjorn's eight-strong Pack met with an individual claiming to be Alpharius and intended to begin their assigned duty only to face the Bolters of Traitors. Though most of the Pack were slain in the ensuing fight, Torbjorn managed to slay the warrior claiming to be Alpharius, capture an enemy gunship and make good his escape. However, before the Watch Pack could find safe harbor, a pair of Alpha Legion saboteurs who had hidden aboard the stolen Stormbird struck, forcing the gunship to crash-land on the Ocean World. Two of the remaining Space Wolves died in the crash but Wolf Guard Champion Torbjorn was dragged from the wreck by a group of locals. A gunship flying the colours of the Space Wolves found Torbjorn but the ship was really a vessel of the Alpha Legion. Before Torbjorn could draw his blade he was gunned down by the Traitors along with most of the locals. With this act of base treachery, the war for the Golan System began.
 * Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula (007.M31) - As the Space Wolves were still licking their wounds following their heavy losses during the Razing of Prospero, they were ambushed by a sizable Alpha Legion strike force and were subsequently routed at Yarant. Primarch Leman Russ organised a tactical retreat and fled towards the Alaxxes Nebula. The Alpha Legion gave chase and soon the VI Legion found itself in a precarious predicament -- they were effectively cut-off and surrounded. Russ reluctantly sent a distress call to his brother-Primarch Jaghatai Khan, of the White Scars Legion. The Khagan declined to assist the Space Wolves and instead set course for Prospero to determine the truth for himself in regards to the Warmaster's heresy. The Space Wolves were eventually forced to flee in order to survive. A final confrontation eventually erupted between the Loyalist and Traitor forces as the Space Wolves vowed to take as many of their foes with them before they were annihilated. The Sons of Russ received relief from an unexpected quarter, in the form of the Dark Angels Legion, and their mighty Star Fort, the Chimaera. Answering Russ' distress signal, the combined force of Loyalists were able to turn the tide, and inflict serious losses on the Alpha Legion, and forced them to withdraw. After the Wolf King informed the Dark Angels' commander of the wider events of the Heresy, and an exchange of men and materiel, the Space Wolves set course for the Throneworld and the inevitable confrontation with the Traitor Legions.
 * Fall of Batzel III (008.M31) - Space Wolves strike forces eradicated the entire 39th Millennial of the Emperor's Children during the storming of the Vykstag Winter Palace as part of the Batzel III Campaign for control of the Brozyn-Primaris sector of the Segmentum Obscurus. Leaderless, Batzel succumbed to infighting and ultimately genocidal civil war. While exiting the sector, the Space Wolves strike force clashed inconclusively with an unknown and elusive Legiones Astartes force which bore no recognisable heraldry.
 * The Vannaheim Space Drop (008-009.M31) - The Iron Warriors launched a daring void assault against the orbital hives of Vannaheim, capturing vital facilities after ten days of brutal fighting. A Loyalist force in the Segmentum Tempestus, including isolated elements of the Space Wolves Legion, was drawn into the conflict, launching three successive counter-assaults in order to recapture the orbital hive stations' vital altitudinal control grid, but each failed to achieve its goal and countless thousands of Loyalist lives were lost. The famed Space Wolves grand cruiser, Helicon Spear, was captured and became a prize of the Iron Warriors Legion during the last, disastrous attempt.
 * The Fall of the Kalida Secundus Fortress (Unknown Date.M31) - During the dark days of the Horus Heresy, those Loyalists still able made all haste to Terra in the desperate desire to join the Emperor in battle against the Arch-Traitor before it was too late. The fleets of the I and VI Legions linked up during their voyage to Terra and joined forces. The alliance was an uneasy one, however, for Russ and Lion El'Johnson had feuded in the past and even in such dire circumstances still disagreed on how to prosecute their journey. El'Johnson wanted to make best speed for Terra but Russ argued for the fleets to stop and aid those Imperial star systems through which they passed, for what would be the good of saving the Emperor if He had no Imperium left to rule? One of the planets the two fleets stopped to defend was Kalidus. The Lion believed the diversion was a waste of time while the Wolf King wanted to destroy Kalida Secundus, an armored moon fortress controlled by the enemy that was bombarding the Loyalists on the surface of Kalidus. Fuel was added to the fire of the two Primarchs' debate in the form of Tarus, a survivor from the orbital bastion who claimed the crew were possessed by daemons. For a full solar day the two Primarchs debated until their heated argument erupted in a contest of arms. Each Primarch drew the blood of the other before the duel was stopped by Iron Priest Hrothgar who revealed Tarus to be a mind-control daemon in the guise of a man. Agreeing the duel was a draw the two Legions launched an assault on the orbital fortress, carving their way through the mutated hordes of the crew to the fortress' reactor. There Russ personally planted demolition charges before the Legions withdrew and obliterated the fortress. On Kalidus the terrified Loyalists saw a second sun birthed in orbit, but as the bombardments ceased they realised their salvation and gave thanks to the Emperor. The Dark Angels and Space Wolves continued onwards with their journey to Terra.
 * The Pirates of Lemora (Unknown Date.M31) - During the joint voyage of the I and VI Legions to Terra the Loyalists encountered a fleet of reavers in the Lemora System. The outbreak of the Horus Heresy and the disruption of Imperial rule gave opportunists and pirates an opportunity to pillage and raid with impunity, until they came up against the combined might of the Dark Angels and the Space Wolves. The fleet leader, Ghoran the Navigator, was defeated in personal combat by Leman Russ, but rather than slay the brigand Russ spared his life in exchange for his renewed oaths of loyalty to the Emperor. In the battles that followed Ghoran showed great bravery in battle against the Traitors and his grandson would later repay his family's debt with the utmost honor.
 * Death of the Tyrant Mashashi (Unknown Date.M31) - In the region known as the Shield Worlds the joint fleet of the I and VI Legions defeated the Tyrant of Mashashi and his army of ten million blood-thirsty men. The Tyrant himself fell to a blow from Russ' great axe, though before he perished, the Chaos Sorcerer and seer laughingly told El'Johnson and Russ of the Warmaster Horus' planned assault on Terra. Mashashi told the Loyalists that the Emperor would die, slain by the hand of His favoured son Horus. The Tyrant possessed an ancient seeing crystal, and looking into it El'Johnson and Russ saw the Traitor Legions fleet heading to Terra -- five full Astartes Legions sworn to Horus descending on the Throneworld, aided by hordes of Chaos Cultists, daemons and unnumbered twisted horrors. They saw a scene that brought sheer horror even to the war-hardened hearts of the Primarchs, a scene of utter chaos where the Emperor and Horus fought to the death and the broken body of their brother Sanguinius lay dead at the combatant's feet. The two Primarchs debated their course of action, for these visions could be a ploy by the enemy to lead them into a trap, however the consequences of inaction outweighed the risks. Russ and El'Johnson chose to use the seeing crystal to aid their journey through the Warp to Terra.
 * The Fall of Varskjøld (Unknown Date.M31) - Very few know the story of Varskjøld or how he fell, yet it is a tale of bravery and sacrifice to equal any of the greatest sagas sung in the halls of The Fang. Like a number of Astartes who fought across the width and breadth of the galaxy in the chaotic war of the Horus Heresy, Brother Varskjøld renounced all oaths to his Legion and Primarch to join Malcador the Sigillite's band of Knights-Errant led by Battle-Captain Nathaniel Garro, formerly of the Death Guard. Varskjøld did not survive to reach Terra and join the Sigillite, however, for the Imperial Fists frigate Xanthus in which Varskjøld was being transported was intercepted and shot down by the traitorous Death Guard over the forested moon of Algonquis. Not content merely to consign the Imperial Fists and the lone prospective Knight-Errant to a slow death, the commander of the Death Guard vessel despatched Chaplain Morgax Murnau and a squad of Destroyers known as the Graven, to ensure there were no survivors. The Imperial Fists Captain perished in the crash-landing, leaving command of the small Astartes detachment in the capable hands of Varskjøld. The Sons of Dorn rapidly barricaded and sealed up the crashed derelict and even managed to bring one of the ship's killing Plasma Cannons online. Three of the Destroyers fell to the Loyalists' guns before their corrupted Chaplain led them in a brutal assault on the Xanthus. Three more Destroyers perished in the brutal close-quarters fighting before at last coming to the final bastion of the Loyalists on the sunken gunnery deck. Without the numbers to rush the defenders, Sergeant Gorphon rolled two canisters of the dreaded chemical agent Phosphex into the gunnery deck, expecting the defenders to counterattack rather than perish to the slow burning mist of toxic fumes. Instead the defenders held position, forcing the determined Chaplain Morgax to lead his warriors into the Phosphex to ensure there were no survivors. Deep into the gunnery deck the Death Guard found Varskjøld, crawling slowly across the deck, his face slowly being eaten away and his lungs turning to liquified mush. The Sons of Mortarion should have killed him then, but in their arrogance held their blades. Varskjøld transmitted his last order to the Imperial Fists Sergeant who overloaded one of the plasma batteries. The newly created massive hole in the side of the sinking frigate was quickly flooded by the stinking quagmire Algonquis had become, consigning the Death Guard to a watery grave. Before he was cut down at last by Chaplain Morgax, the dying Brother Varskjøld blew the brains of Sergeant Gorphon out of his skull, a last act of defiance in the face of imminent death. Varskjøld may not have lived to reach Terra, but he could be contented at least that he went to the Allfather's side with more slain foes to his name than his fallen allies.
 * The Battle of Gryth (Unknown Date.M31) - During the dark days of the Horus Heresy the VI Legion fought many dire battles against the forces of the Traitors. Whether the enemy the Legion fought were mortals, posthumans, twisted machines or vile killers of Warp flesh, the enemies were without number and the battles too many to count. One such battle was fought on Gryth, a Daemon World of Nurgle covered in miasmic plague plains. It was here that the Pack of Bjorn the One-Handed was slain by a Bloodthirster of Khorne. Following this loss, Bjorn became a Lone Wolf, a maddened slayer who hunted down his foe with an unquenchable thirst for vengeance for standard years before finally cornering his prey during the Battle of Velbayne and exacting his Pack's bloodgeld from the creature's hide.
 * The Battle of Velbayne (Unknown Date.M31) - Years after the battle for Gryth the entire VI Legion brought battle to the daemonic hordes of Chaos on Velbayne. In the midst of this apocalyptic battle the Lone Wolf Bjorn the One-Handed drove through the fighting with singular purpose, his target the Bloodthirster who had killed his Pack many years ago on the world of Gryth. Though mighty, the daemon stood no chance against the hardened killing machine Bjorn had become and its doom was all but assured. Bjorn fought his way to the creature and then climbed up its back before throttling it to death with his Wolf Claw clamped around the daemon's throat. With this victory Bjorn's time as a Lone Wolf ended and he rejoined the brotherhood of the Legion with his honour restored.
 * The Voyage to Terra (ca. 014.M31) - Never before or since has such a long or dangerous journey through the Warp been attempted as that made by the combined fleets of the Dark Angels and Space Wolves Legions. The Warp was a tempest of storms that hampered the fleets at every turn, which threw them off course, and tore many of their starships apart. Daemons beset the vessels and many brave souls perished, driven mad, starved or were torn apart by predators from the Warp. For solar weeks the ships braved the storms and attacks, and at the last the fleet was led by Russ himself, at the helm of the Winter Wolf, after the ship's Navigator went mad from prolonged exposure to the Warp. Despite all their efforts, the fleets arrived too late, for while only solar weeks had passed for them, many months had come and gone in realspace.
 * The Battle of Terra (014.M31) - The fleets of the I and VI Legions emerged in the Sol System in the midst of the final epic battle of the Horus Heresy. Horus lay dead and the Emperor mortally wounded as the last gambit of the Arch-Traitor had failed, but the fighting was not yet over. The Dark Angels and Space Wolves voidships raced for orbit and tore into the Traitor Legions' fleet. Russ and his warriors descended to the surface around the shattered Imperial Palace. With his wolves and bodyguards at his back, Leman Russ shot and carved his way through the disintegrating lines of the Traitors and into the heart of the Imperial Palace. As his bodyguards fell one by one, Russ pushed on heedless until he reached the Emperor's great Throne Room. With no more Traitors to slay and the Golden Throne empty, Russ at last fell to his knees and cried out in despair even as the horns of victory sounded. For the Emperor had fallen and the victory was hollow. As Russ knelt on the marble floor of the Emperor's Throne Room the air crackled with the distortion of a teleport field. With a thunderous crack of light and displaced air the Imperial Fists Primarch, Rogal Dorn, appeared bearing the mortally wounded body of the Emperor. Behind Dorn stood warriors of his Legion carrying the broken body of Sanguinius, the fallen Primarch of the Blood Angels. Russ left the hall to be alone with his thoughts. Later Lion El'Johnson sought out his brother and found him standing beneath the Monument to the Victory at Durath. The two argued bitterly, for El'Johnson accused Russ of slowing them down at Kalida Secundus, if not for that delay they might have arrived in time. Russ refused to be drawn into a fight and told El'Johnson to go away, then he lay down to sleep beneath the monument. The Emperor came to Russ in his dreams and told him that now was the time when the Loyalists would be tested -- that the Emperor's true sons must strive to hold the Imperium together -- and that the feud between Russ and El'Johnson must finally be settled. When he awoke Russ found El'Johnson standing over him armed for combat and demanding they continue their duel that was aborted on Kalidus. Russ refused, for now was not the time for the Loyalists to tear themselves apart in petty disputes. Enraged, El'Johnson would not back down, but rather than fight Russ simply bared his chest to his brother. Johnson struck for Russ' hearts but at the last moment pulled his blow up short, piercing his brother's primary heart but not his secondary. When Russ at last awoke from his injury he found Dorn and El'Johnson standing over his bed. The Lion knelt down and begged his brother's forgiveness and Russ gave it. With bonds of brotherhood reaffirmed the Primarchs struck out from Terra with the remaining Loyalists, driving the Traitors towards the Eye of Terror.
 * Great Scouring (014-021.M31) - As one of the largest remaining Loyalist Legions that emerged relatively unscathed from the Horus Heresy, the Space Wolves Legion played an instrumental part in the Great Scouring. This was the Imperium of Man's great counter-offensive against the Traitor Legions of the slain Warmaster Horus, following the end of this lamentable civil war after the Battle of Terra. Before actually being confined within the life support mechanisms of the Golden Throne, the Emperor had pronounced judgment on the Traitors: declared Excommunicate Traitoris, they were to be driven into the hellish region of the Warp rift called the Eye of Terror, which would hold them for all eternity. All records and memory of the Traitor Legions were to be expunged from the Imperial archives. Worlds such as Istvaan V and Davin were scoured clean of all life because of their corruption by Chaos. The Traitor Legions' associated troops from the Dark Mechanicus or the regiments and starships of the Imperial Army that had turned to Chaos were to be destroyed or driven into the Eye. It would be as if the Traitor Legions had never existed to sully the Imperium with their betrayal. The fighting would continue for another seven years.
 * First Battle of Garm (Unknown Date.M31) - In the aftermath of the Horus Heresy, the Thousand Sons attacked the Space Wolves' Shrine World of Garm, which was named for a famous Wolf Lord from the earliest days of the Space Wolves Legion who had given his life defending the Primarch Leman Russ from an attack by Magnus the Red. Leman Russ raised a cairn to Garm upon the place of his death and placed the Spear of Russ, the mighty weapon gifted to him by the Emperor Himself, which had wounded the Traitor Magnus, atop Garm's tomb. The Space Wolves were able to fight off the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion and drive them from the world.
 * The Primarch Departs (211.M31) - During the 197th Feast of the Emperor's Ascension on Fenris, Leman Russ was overcome with a mysterious vision. He gathered his closest retainers and departed for the Eye of Terror without explanation, leaving behind the youngest warrior of his Great Company, Bjorn the Fell-Handed.
 * The First Great Hunt (218.M31) - After seven standard years of waiting for their Primarch to return, the Space Wolves elected Bjorn the Fell-Handed -- the only member of Russ' Wolf Guard to be left behind -- as their leader. In his first act as Great Wolf, Bjorn announced the Great Hunt. The entire Space Wolves Chapter set forth in an attempt to discern the whereabouts of their missing Primarch, though they were ultimately unsuccessful.
 * The Battle of Marelion (511.M31) - The Great Wolf Bjorn the Fell-Handed led a Strike Force to the ash plains of Marelion to slay a Great Unclean One of Nurgle, the commander of a foul daemonic army. During the battle, Bjorn slew the Greater Daemon but was himself mortally wounded. The Battle of Marelion is one of two accounts detailing the fall of Bjorn set roughly four hundred standard years apart. It is unclear now, ten thousand standard years hence, which battle truly resulted in the fall of Bjorn and his internment in the armored sarcophagus of a Dreadnought war machine.
 * The Proxima Rebellion (934.M31) - The second account of Bjorn the Fell-Handed's heroic career being tragically cut short supposedly occurred during the Proxima Rebellion. Bjorn led a successful raid to free those of his Battle-Brothers trapped in the Dreadsun Fortress, but his body sustained such terrible injuries that, to preserve his life, what was left of his shattered body was interred in a Dreadnought. Acutely aware that, as a Dreadnought, he could no longer fulfil his duties as Master of the Chapter, Bjorn abdicated his position as Great Wolf.
 * The Battle of Algol Nine (434.M32) - Approximately five standard centuries after Bjorn the Fell-Handed was interred within the sarcophagus of a Dreadnought, the Space Wolves brought battle to the Forces of Chaos on the world of Algol Nine. At the height of the battle the Venerable Bjorn slew the Daemon Thran'saba and saved the Planetary Governor from being sacrificed in a dark Chaos ritual.
 * The Battle of Quaran (Unknown Date.M32) - Amid the deserts of Quaran the Venerable Bjorn cut down the Greenskin Warlord Makrima, breaking the strength of WAAAGH! Makrima.
 * The Rebellion of Thranx (Unknown Date.M32) - When the Hive World of Thranx was thrown into turmoil the Space Wolves responded in force. Venerable Bjorn fought at the forefront and slew the rogue psyker Vornalan, putting an end to the rebellion and restoring order and Imperial rule.
 * First Battle for The Fang (742.M32) - Harek Ironhelm was the Chapter's Great Wolf during the 32nd Millennium. Ironhelm sought for many years to bring the Thousand Sons' Primarch Magnus the Red to battle. Several times Magnus appeared to him in visions amongst the ruins of devastated cities that had been laid to ruin by the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion striking from out of the Eye of Terror and taunted the Great Wolf for his inability to stop him. After many fruitless efforts to catch up with the Chaos Space Marines, Harek became obsessed, and took to searching worlds along the edge of the Eye of Terror itself. Eventually he found what he believed to be the Thousand Sons' secret base on the world of Gangava and launched a full-scale planetary assault against it. This was a deception intended to draw the bulk of the Space Wolves' forces from their homeworld, leaving it undefended; for in truth Gangava was held by a Chaos force allied to Magnus but it served only as a distraction, intended to draw the Space Wolves away from their homeworld so that a massive Thousand Sons' fleet could besiege Fenris itself. The Space Wolves' Fortress-Monastery, The Fang, was held by only a small force of Space Wolves and their Servitor-thralls. For forty days and forty nights the Thousand Sons assaulted the citadel. Bjorn the Fell-Handed, the most ancient of the Space Wolves' Dreadnoughts, was woken from his long sleep and took charge of the defence. The assault was held at bay as a force of Scout Marines under Haakon Blackwing escaped to Gangava to locate Harek. Shamed and furious, Harek Ironhelm returned to meet Magnus in battle on the slopes of the Fang itself. Although Magnus was terribly wounded, even Harek could not stand against the power of a Primarch who had been further exalted to become a Daemon Prince of Tzeentch. Harek was slain, but the Thousand Sons were ultimately defeated and scattered, the Traitor Legion's warbands forced to return to the Planet of the Sorcerers within the Eye of Terror.
 * The Defence of Mordrak (Unknown Date.M34) - One of the battles recounted in the Saga of Wolf Lord Durfast tells of how he led his warriors in the defence of Mordrak, a long-dead world that was once home to a formidable race of techno-savants. Durfast defeated the unnamed Ork WAAAGH! that had threatened the world and in doing so discovered a wealth of hidden archeotech, ancient technological marvels whose secrets of creation the Imperium had lost long ago. The discovery of these artefacts was a huge victory for the Imperium and a legendary accomplishment for Durfast and the Chapter. One of the recovered artefacts, a temporal precognitive device, was fashioned into Durfast's wolf-head helmet. Known as the Helm of Durfast, this master-crafted battle helm grants the wearer a momentary vision of the past, present and future, enabling him to anticipate an opponent's movements with preternatural skill.
 * The Ninth Great Hunt (671.M34) - During the Ninth Great Hunt the Space Wolves discovered a massive infestation of Genestealers throughout the worlds of the Gehenna System. In a brutally-thorough xenocidal campaign the Space Wolves purged the Gehenna System of the vile xenos taint.
 * Second Battle for The Fang (ca. Early 300's.M36) - During the Age of Apostasy's Plague of Unbelief, Apostate Cardinal Bucharis of Gathalamore launched an invasion of Fenris on his way to Terra. For three standard years, Bucharis laid siege to The Fang after the Space Wolves' fleet waged furious battles against the Renegade Imperial Navy forces of Bucharis. Some of the Space Wolves' starships managed to break through, such as the Cruiser named the Claw of Russ. However, the fighting saw millions of Fenrisians fall to the invaders as the people of Fenris, the Space Wolves and even the Fenrisian Wolves of the wild waged war against their corrupted Chaotic attackers. Despite numerous efforts to break the siege, the Space Wolves could not get through, until returning from a five-year-long expedition to the Eye of Terror, Kyrl Grimblood and his Great Company smashed through Bucharis' fleet and then launched a devastating assault on the rear of Bucharis' siege forces, killing thousands and sending many fleeing into the wilds of Fenris to die horribly at the claws of the unforgiving creatures and the touch of the deadly weather. With Kyrl's efforts weakening the invaders, the Space Wolves launched a break-out counteroffensive and smashed through their attackers, routing them. Bucharis was forced to flee and while his defeat at the hands of the Space Wolves did not end his reign, others fought against the "Plague of Unbelief" he had unleashed and Bucharis was eventually defeated by a resurgent Imperium. Yet it is due to the efforts of Kyrl Grimblood that the ambitions of the Apostate Cardinal Bucharis were brought to a turning point and the Second Battle for The Fang was won.
 * The Shadows of Russ (313.M41) - The Sky Warriors saw greatness in the young Fenrisian warrior Logan Grimnar. A Wolf Priest followed the exploits of the young warrior and the Iron Blood tribe to which he belonged, as Logan fought across the freezing oceans of Fenris. During the Sea of Blades, a host of tribes descended upon the Kraken's Spur to do battle, and the Wolf Priest witnessed the shadow of Leman Russ lingering in the wake of young Grimnar. A potent sign of the Primarch's favour, it was all that the priest needed to induct Logan into the fabled Sky Warriors.
 * The Bloody Crescent (357.M41) - Quickly earning a place in the Great Company of Asvald Stormwrack, Logan Grimnar rose to the rank of Grey Hunter. At the battle of Blood Falls, on the broken world of Hesperia, Logan saved the Wolf Lord's life when the latter was trapped under the mangled wreck of a Helbrute. Logan alone was able to reach Asvald, standing over the broken Chaos machine for long minutes, single-handedly holding back the Chaos Space Marine Renegades of the Bloody Crescent. For the Grey Hunter's bravery, Asvald inducted Logan into his Wolf Guard.
 * The Thirteenth Great Hunt (Unknown Date) - The Thirteenth Great Hunt, like all those before it, failed to locate the Primarch Leman Russ, but the hunt did lead to confrontation with the Chaos Space Marine warband known as The Lost. In the fighting that ensued, The Lost were wiped out to a man, ending a dire threat to the Imperium.
 * The Black Crusade of Tallomin (Unknown Date.M38) - In the 38th Millennium the Chaos Lord known as Tallomin, the Prince of Princes, led a major invasion into Imperial space. Tallomin's forces included the Renegade Space Marine warband known as Skyrar's Dark Wolves. Though the invasion caused untold damage it was eventually halted by the intervention of the Space Wolves, reinforcing the belief by some that the Dark Wolves were once a Great Company of the Chapter.
 * The Battle of Blood Falls (357.M41) - In 357.M41, the young Grey Hunter Logan Grimnar earned a place within the Wolf Guard of Asvald Stormwrack during the Battle of Blood Falls against the Chaos Space Marine Renegades of the Bloody Crescent warband. The fighting across the broken surface of Hesperia was furious and bloody, and at the height of the fighting Wolf Lord Asvald Stormwrack fell beneath the dead weight of a wrecked Helbrute, helpless against the blades of the foe. Of all the warriors of the Great Company only Logan Grimnar reached the side of his lord, holding back the Chaos Space Marines single-handed. In recognition of Logan's skill and bravery Jarl Asvald promoted him to his Wolf Guard.
 * The Macharian Crusade (392-399.M41) - The Wolf Lord Logan Grimnar led a task force of Space Wolves to fight alongside the Lord Solar Macharius during the Macharian Crusade.
 * Asvald's Final Battle (415.M41) - Asvald Stormwrack met his end during the war for the Cyclopean Rift on Zylor IX. For over a decade Asvald's Great Company had fought against the pale Orks of the Rift. The Ork Warboss Dakfang led constant attacks up into the sublevels of the great hive cities of Zylor from the rifts below. Finally, Dakfang and Asvald faced each other on the bridge-maze under Zylor Primus, the two warlords mortally wounding each other before plummeting into the dark below. With the death of Asvald, Logan Grimnar was named Wolf Lord, taking command of the Great Company.
 * Mantle of the Great Wolf (440.M41) - Logan Grimnar quickly earned the respect of his fellow Wolf Lords, despite many being centuries older than him. When, on the battlefields of Xor, a Dark Eldar Succubus murdered the reigning Great Wolf Sigvald Grimhammer, Ulrik put Logan's name forward as his successor. Amazingly there was no resistance to Logan's ascension, and when the runestones ware counted every vote had been cast in Grimnar's favour.
 * First War for Armageddon (444.M41) - During the First War for Armageddon the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar led 300 Space Wolves alongside 100 Grey Knights against the World Eaters' Daemon Primarch Angron and a diabolic horde of Khornate Berserkers and Khornate daemons. The Imperial forces eventually proved victorious after the Grey Knights banished Angron back to the Warp from whence he came. The Space Wolves continued to fight in the First War for Armageddon through to its conclusion.
 * Months of Shame (444-451.M41) - Although they had defeated all that the Forces of Chaos had thrown at them during the bloody campaign that was the First War for Armageddom, the victorious soldiers of Armageddon were doomed from the start. They had gained knowledge of the existence of Chaos, and been exposed to its corruption. The Inquisition had no intention of letting the wider Imperium discover the true nature of the daemonic foe that had attacked Armageddon, or of the ways and means victory had been achieved with the aid of the Grey Knights; the Inquisitors present voted to sterilise and quarantine-for-life the remaining population of the Hive World even though it was generally considered untainted, and ignorant of the truth concerning the existence of Chaos. The valiant Imperial Guard, PDF regiments and other human defenders of the world were to suffer the same fate or be liquidated. The Inquisition ordered all of the people who had fought on the planet, except for the Space Marines, to be rounded up at gunpoint, sterilised to prevent any possible Chaos-induced mutations in their offspring and placed in Adeptus Arbites work camps across the galaxy, with their world to be re-colonised by people from other regions of the galaxy with no knowledge of the war. Over the strident protests of the Space Wolves and their Great Wolf Logan Grimnar, the Inquisition followed through with this plan, and the Grey Knights frigate Karabela still in orbit of Armageddon was ordered to destroy the first Imperial Guard troop transport to leave Armageddon as it approached a Warp jump point off-world. Following this first incident, a months-long cat-and-mouse campaign later remembered as the "Months of Shame" took place between the Space Wolves and their human charges from Armageddon on one side, and the Inquisition and Grey Knights on the other. It was characterised by increasingly deadly fratricidal actions by both sides, and rapidly escalated into a full-fledged Imperial civil war between the Space Wolves and the Inquisition. However many of the attached Grey Knights were upset at their involvement in the purge, and were demoralised by having to fight the brother Astartes of the Space Wolves. Grimnar saw the Inquisition's actions following the war as betraying the very people who had honourably fought for their homes and for the Emperor, and if the Imperium did not protect those who fought for it, he did not believe it had any purpose. The Inquisition saw this policy as an unfortunate but necessary part of its mandate and duty in applying the Imperial policy of secrecy concerning Chaos, and it would not suffer the questioning of its authority. Finally, in an attempt to bring the conflict to an end, in 445.M41 the Inquisitor Lord Ghesmei Kysnaros ordered his growing Inquisitorial armada, including Grey Knights Chapter fleet vessels, to Fenris, the Space Wolves' lightly defended homeworld, in a last-ditch gambit to force those Astartes to comply with the Inquisition's wishes concerning the liquidation or imprisonment of Armageddon's survivors. Kysnaros' armada, including a multitude of Inquisition warships, Grey Knights vessels, and the entire Chapter fleet and strength of the Red Hunters Space Marine Chapter, arrived at Fenris and surrounded the planet in high orbit whilst targeting The Fang, the Space Wolves' fortress-monastery, for a devastating orbital bombardment. The planet was virtually undefended as the vast majority of the Space Wolves and their Chapter fleet were dispersed on missions across the galaxy. Kysnaros again asked for a parlay with any ranking Space Wolves present. A delegation consisting of Kysnaros, the Grey Knight Hyperion (who commanded respect amongst the Space Wolves as the "Bladebreaker") and Inquisitor Annika Jarlsdottyr, a native Fenrisian, arrived at The Fang for the meeting. The Space Wolves had awoken the Venerable Dreadnought Bjorn the Fell-Handed to deal with the Inquisitorial party. The ancient warrior who had once fought beside the Primarch Leman Russ during the Great Crusade immediately received the unbidden respect and reverence of the Inquisitorial delegation, and was thought to be a more temperate and wise representative for the Chapter than Logan Grimnar. Kysnaros asked for the Space Wolves' express obeisance to Imperial authority and the chain of command, and a Penitent Crusade to be undertaken to expiate the Chapter's guilt for their attacks upon the servants of the Inquisition. In exchange, the Inquisition and the Imperium at large would take no other action or censure against the Chapter. Before negotiations could go further, to the surprise of everyone, the Space Wolves' Chapter fleet under the command of Logan Grimnar translated from the Warp near Fenris. As the Inquisition delegation made haste to their flagship, a short, brutal fight ensued over the planet. Eventually Grimnar and his Wolf Guard teleported to Kysnaros' flagship's bridge, where the Great Wolf unceremoniously beheaded the Inquisitor Lord. Grimnar then proceeded to maul the last survivor of the Grey Knights' Squad Castian who had survived the conflict on Armageddon. To save his brother, Hyperion confronted Grimnar, and in the duel that followed, he used his psychic powers to crack Grimnar's ancient, venerated Frost Axe Morkai. As Hyperion then confronted Grimnar and twenty Space Wolves alone, Bjorn the Fell-Handed teleported to the bridge and put an end to the fight. Bjorn told Grimnar that the internecine war between the Chapter and the Inquisition on behalf of the survivors of Armageddon had to stop. The Inquisitorial force should be allowed to leave Fenris unscathed, and the Space Wolves should reach an understanding with the Imperium. He then addressed Hyperion and Inquisitor Jarlsdottyr, as the ranking Inquisition representatives present, and told them that no Inquisition vessel should ever again appear above Fenris. Additionally, the Space Wolves who had acquired knowledge of the existence of the Grey Knights would not be mind-scrubbed, as was customary, though the remaining Armageddon survivors would be handed over for mind-wiping and dispersion across the galaxy. The combatants accepted the terms, and shortly afterward, the Inquisitorial force left the system. Yet, the larger institutional dispute between the Inquisition and the Space Wolves was not resolved. As a result of what they continued to believe was a betrayal of the Imperium's core values, the Space Wolves have never again trusted the Inquisition and move to frustrate Inquisitorial designs at every opportunity. Since that time the Space Wolves have had little but hostility to show towards the Inquisition and few indeed are the Inquisitors allowed into The Fang in recent times. Both the Armageddon campaign and its aftermath caused extensive casualties amongst the Grey Knights, which lost almost 200 Astartes engaged in the combat. Several Grey Knights starships were lost or destroyed during the hostilities with the Space Wolves, including at least one capital vessel.
 * Uprising on Palacia (499.M41) - Logan Grimnar proved his reputation as both a great warlord and respected leader during the Palacia Heresy. Taking command of the bickering Astra Militarum regiments, he put an end to the systematic execution of the planet's population. Under the banner of his Great Company the Loyalists rallied, many cities thought lost to the Heresy proving their worth and turning on the Traitors. Word soon spread of the Great Wolf's victory, but also of the fair and just way in which he treated the people of Palacia.
 * Well of Darkness (539.M41) - Logan Grimnar led the purge of the Space Hulk Well of Darkness as it drifted past Fenris, his Wolf Guard Terminators cleansing it of alien horrors. During the fighting the Great Wolf fell through a weakened section of deck, plunging down a dozen levels and becoming hopelessly separated from his Battle-Brothers. When he returned to them solar days later, he was covered in alien ichor and filth from countless kills, a savage grin upon his face.
 * The Battle of Rygan II (ca. 500s.M41) - Brother Ranulf was formerly a warrior of the Iron Blood tribe, the same tribe from which Logan Grimnar hailed. He was raised on stories of the legendary sea-raider Logan and when Ranulf met the Wolf Lord in person it was like seeing a figure of legend standing before him. From that day forward Ranulf fought to prove himself in Grimnar's eyes and earn a place at the Great Wolf's side. During the Battle of Rygan II the Grey Hunter Ranulf was thought lost in the maze-city and likely slain by the Dark Eldar raiders against which the Great Company fought. Only many solar months later was it discovered that the missing Grey Hunters had actually been captured and taken to the gladiatorial pits of Commorragh, the dark city of the fallen Eldar corsairs. In a virtually unheard of feat of skill and courage, Ranulf escaped the fighting pits and returned to the Chapter. For this legendary feat Ranulf earned a place in Grimnar's Wolf Guard and also earned his deed name Ironfang after the metal replacement forged to replace a fang he lost in the arenas of Commorragh
 * War of the Wolf (612.M41) - Logan Grimnar learned of the location of a Wolf Brother Space Marine, one of the long-lost members of the Space Wolves' only Successor Chapter. The Great Wolf led his Champions of Fenris to rescue the Battle-Brother from the clutches of the Black Legion, before the Arch-Traitor Fabius Bile could use him for some nefarious experiment.
 * Magdelon Confrontation (712.M41) - Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane led his Great Company against a splinter warband of the Renegade Bleak Brotherhood, and the two forces clashed in the shattered ruins of the world of Magdelon's Crystal City. Having been ejected from Magdelon, the Bleak Brotherhood fled to the planet of Lycanthos Secundus, where they occupied the mighty bastion known as the Widowmaker. This stronghold withstood repeated assaults by numerous Imperial forces, including a pack of Space Wolves Vindicators, for three standard decades before at last falling to the Astral Claws in 780.M41.
 * The Purging of the Starcrusha (739.M41) - The titanic flagship of WAAAGH! Godstompa burst from the depths of the Warp in a localised nebula of green ectoplasm. Wolf Lord Finn Goresson immediately diverted his fleet's course to engage the Space Hulk and its attending Ork warships. He was victorious in his early engagements, at one point driving the armoured prow of his Strike Cruiser straight into the weak point of the Ork Superkrooza Longtoof and out the other side, breaking it in two. His ships were dwarfed by the Space Hulk Starkrusha, however, and sustained serious losses from its firepower. Finn ploughed on through the ectoplasmic cloud until the side of the Starkrusha loomed up ahead. He slamed his Strike Cruiser into the maw-like launch bays of the Hulk and led his Great Company in a sustained boarding action against the Ork horde inside. The resultant war in the bowels of the Orkoid colossus lasted for the best part of six solar months, but nonetheless Finn eventually emerged triumphant, Godstompa's severed head hanging from his belt as a grisly trophy.
 * The War of the Giants (741.M41) - Inquisitor Bastalek Grim broke the laws of Fenris when he records the sagas recounted during the Great Feast of Gerrod Redbeard with eidetic bionic implants. The Inquisitor records the sagas in a treatise titled, The War of the Giants. This act of subterfuge further estranges the Space Wolves from the Inquisition.
 * The Stench of Chaos (741.M41) - Logan Grimnar travelled to the besieged world of Vara III to break the deadlock between the Imperium and the separatist forces under Planetary Governor Tor Rex. The Great Wolf quickly realised all was not as it seemed and orchestrated a council between Tor Rex and the forces of the Imperium. In respect for Grimnar, Rex attended but was quickly set upon by the incumbent Imperial Commander Keel. Logan catched the scent of Chaos upon Keel and realised the Imperial forces on Vara III were under the thrall of the Dark Gods, while Rex remained loyal to the Imperium. The Great Wolf personally riped Keel's head from his shoulders and in just a few bloody weeks the Space Wolves hunted down and killed every Heretic within the Varan fleet, bringing an end to the war.
 * The Achilus Crusade (777-Date Unknown.M41) - A Warp Gate is discovered in 755.M41 in the Calixis Sector which leads to the lost Jericho Reach, a sector of space in the Eastern Fringe that had been severed from contact with the Imperium for over a thousand years. On the eve of the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension in 777.M41, the Achilus Crusade was launched, a massive host of millions of Imperial Guard, thousands of Adepta Sororitas and elements from over a dozen Space Marine Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes that tore through the Warp Gate and into the long lost Jericho Reach. The Great Company of Gunnar Red Moon was operating along the Eastern Fringe at the time and chose to despatch a contingent of warriors to join the Crusade's effort. During one notable campaign, Gunnar Red Moon's Great Company suffered grievous losses against the Orks of WAAAGH! 'Eadbusta. Only the tenacity of the Long Fangs saved their kinsmen after they held Moonfang Pass for three solar days until reinforcements arrived. For three standard years the Space Wolves participated in many major conflicts of the Crusade before a Chaos incursion in the Calixis Sector necessitated the withdrawal of Gunnar Red Moon's warriors. However the Space Wolves felt honour-bound to support the Crusade and as a result small forces and individual squads continued to participate in a number of campaigns and battles across the Jericho Reach in the years since. Rumours of the presence of a Lost Company in the Reach centuries earlier led Logan Grimnar to despatch an investigatory mission that, while it could not find any trace of the Lost Company, resulted in a continued Space Wolf presence with the forces of the Crusade for some time. A number of Space Wolves have also joined the Deathwatch of Watch Fortress Erioch to further battle the forces of xenos assailing the Jericho Reach.
 * The Prophecy of the Curseborn (780.M41) - The Prophecy of the Curseborn foretells the discovery of the Wulfen-possessed Dreadnought Murderfang some 180 standard years later.
 * The Hunt on Bathrath (ca. 700's.M41) - During the Achilus Crusade a force of Space Wolves participated in the battle to reclaim the world of Bathrath from the Tau. During the fighting the Space Wolves encountered massive and agressive fen beasts in the swamps of Bathrath and organised a beast hunt. In the spirit of comradery the Sons of Fenris invited the Deathwatch to participate in the hunt to foster better relations with the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos.
 * Scouring of Gnosis Secundus (787.M41) - In response to the Eldar invasion of Gnosis Prime the Space Wolves were dispatched to defend the planet. Unfortunately they were blown off course by a Warp Storm and arrived a standard year too late. Unable to save the people of Gnosis Prime, Logan Grimnar headed to Gnosis Secundus seeking revenge against the Saim-Hann Eldar still in-system.
 * The Battle of the Maelstrom's Maw (800s.M41) - The Great Company of Osric Three-Fists is ambushed while circling the Maelstrom on a Great Hunt by a significantly larger Chaos fleet. The Chaos flagship the Storm of Hate disables Osric's vessel, the Voidfang, with a single broadside. With moments to act before their vessel came apart around them, the Space Wolves donned helmets and leapt from their ship, boosting through the void to cut their way into the Chaos flagship. Wolf Lord Osric and a mere thirty of his warriors survive the firestorm filling the void between the two warships. Undaunted by the losses the Space Wolves cut their way in and storm through the ship to the bridge, slaying the Chaos Champions and taking control of the vessel. Lord Osric turns the Storm of Hate ' s own guns on the Chaos fleet and in so doing wins a stunning victory for the Imperium.
 * The Massacres of K'ras'n'dar (801-849.M41) - The Greater Daemon of Khorne, known as K'ras'n'dar, emerged on the fourth planet in one of the few populated systems between the Halo Stars and the western end of the Segmentum Pacificus. The Grey Knights purged the daemon while the Space Wolves of Bran Redmaw's Great Company slaughtered their way through the Khornate cultists. The Inquisition sealed all records of the campaign but the account of Redmaw is held in the Great Company's Saga. By the time the fighting ended in 849.M41 more than a billion Imperial Guardsmen were lost to the Forces of Chaos.
 * The Siege of Hethgard (817.M41) - Established as a Fortress World early in the Achilus Crusade the world of Hethgard stood firm for thirty standard years before coming under assault by sizable elements from Hive Fleet Dagon. Elements from the Space Wolves and Storm Wardens fought alongside the Imperial Guard defenders to hold back tides of millions of Tyranid bio-engineered killing machines.
 * The Slaying of Ur-Bolg (818.M41) - Brother Throth Half-Head hunts down the father of giants, Ur-Bolg, a creature that had been causing havoc throughout the armored fjords of Fenris' continent of Asaheim. Though Ur-Bolg is a mountainous monster, Throth Half-Head uses cunning to defeat the giant, blinding him with a plasma blade. Throth sends the giant stumbling into the ocean and a watery grave. This victory earns Throth a place in the sagas of Fenris for all time.
 * The Hunter's Hunted (822.M41) - The piratical Dark Eldar Kabal of the Shattered Hand flew unhindered over the defence networks of the Luetin Necropolis. They had barely begun their bloody work when they were ambushed in turn, the Great Company of Erik Morkai hurling itself from the windows above and boarding the jagged transports of the xenos raiders to cut down the degenerate invaders.
 * The Scrapshire Incursion (830.M41) - Logan Grimnar led a rescue mission to recover a priceless Standard Template Construct (STC) database from the wreckage of the downed Adeptus Mechanicus vessel Eternal Iron. The ship had crashed on the Ork world of Scrapspire, a dumping ground for rubbish from across the sector. On a sea of scrap metal the Space Wolves fought their way into the great city of the Ork Warboss Krugfist, finally reaching his treasure vaults and recovering the STC Cogitator core. In the fray Grimnar hacked Krugfist's mechanical Power Klaw from his arm, taking it with him as a trophy.
 * The Oathsworn (833.M41) - When Wolf Lord Krom Dragongaze saves the life of an Imperial Knight of House Hawkshroud, the Knight becomes Oathsworn to Krom, bound by honour to repay the debt of his life to the Jarl of the Space Wolves.
 * Honour's End (837.M41) - During the Eclipse Wars, the Flesh Tearers Chapter fought alongside the Space Wolves and the Angels Vindicant Chapters upon the Shrine World of Lucid Prime. Largely due to a ferocious Flesh Tearers' counter-attack, Imperial forces were able to drive off the Chaos Space Marine forces terrosing Hive Ratspire. However, the Flesh Tearers continued their indiscriminate slaughter of civilians even after the Chaos Renegades had been driven away. Despite Chapter Master Seth's insistence that his men were purging those that had been tainted by the presence of Chaos, the Space Wolves were outraged and attacked the Flesh Tearers at once. The resultant battle saw brother fighting brother, with the death of many hundreds on either side. This terrible event was known forever after as Honour's End.
 * The Ambush of Hel's Ridge (848.M41) - A vast Tyranid swarm surrounded Bran Redmaw's Great Company after their Imperial Guard allies were waylaid and slaughtered to a man. The timely arrival of a dozen Stormfang gunships helped to clear the skies before a savage counterattack led by Redmaw and his Blood Claw Packs turned the tide against the Tyranid ground forces.
 * The Daemonbane War (853.M41) - The Space Wolves of Sven Bloodhowl's Great Company are battling the Forces of Chaos on the daemon-infested world of Yaogeddon when, to their surprise, the Khornate and Slaaneshi Chaos forces turn against each other. The Radical Inquisitor Lord Querrian manipulated the conflict between the factions of Chaos. The astonished Space Wolves stand down while the Chaos forces nearly annihilate each other. When the dust settles Bran and Querrian join forces to mop up the few survivors. A few solar days later Puritan Inquisitors of the Ordo Malleus arrive on Yaegeddon demanding the execution of Querrian for heresy. Bran intervenes, engaging the Ordo Malleus forces long enough for Querrian to escape before withdrawing.
 * From Out of the Warp it Came (877.M41) - Engir Krakendoom's Great Company was close to hand when a vast anomaly breached the yawning Warp Gate of Sloth. Twelve thousand miles of heaving flesh; the entity defied classification until a xenobiologist realised that the anomaly was once a peaceful Void Whale, twisted by the unnatural tides of the Warp. As the monstrosity prepared to engulf the astral stronghold of Perillia, the Space Wolves boarded it in drill-tipped torpedoes. Fighting amongst frond-forests and gill-chasms, Engir and his men battled through the nightmare products of its hostile ecosystem before planting thermal charges deep within its vital organs. They escaped with only solar seconds to spare before the behemoth finally came apart in a great cloud of tainted blood. The Perillian Gas Belt was born from its remains.
 * The Murdermake Crusade (880.M41) - This is a little known event in the annals of official Imperial records, and the Space Wolves sagas make little mention of it.
 * The Ecclesiarchy Comes to Fenris (886.M41) - A delegation of Ecclesiarchy officials approached Fenris, intending to assess the Space Wolves after hearing rumours of their worship of false gods. Logan Grimnar refused to meet their demands when they commanded him to open the gates of The Fang and undergo interrogation. Foolishly, the Ecclesiarchy decided to press the matter and when their envoy Cruiser was destroyed trying to dock with The Fang the rest of the Adeptus Ministorum officials retreated, finally realising the Great Wolf was not be trifled with. However, it was not a lesson learned, and almost a year later the Ecclesiarchy and three Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas attempted to enter Fenrisian space in force. The resultant war lasted for three solar weeks before the Ecclesiarchy decided to let sleeping dogs lie and withdrew its forces.
 * Slaying of the Ice Trolls (892.M41) - Harald Deathwolf -- in mortal life a champion of the Fenrisian Tide Hounds tribe -- heard tales of a migration of ice trolls that had reached his ancestral lands and was devouring his people. In a rage, he made an unsanctioned return to his mortal roots and led his savage tribe-kin to victory against the marauding monsters, claiming the enchanted pelt of the largest of their number as a trophy.
 * Bad Blood is Spilled (894.M41) - The Space Wolves and the Dark Angels fought alongside each other for the first time in many years to quell an uprising in the Artemis System. In the wake of the conflict, Ranulf the Strong inadvertently killed the Dark Angels champion, Balthasar Xaphan, in the traditional contest that reenacted the duel fought by Russ and El'Jonson. Blood was shed on both sides in the ensuing fracas.
 * Betalis III Campaign (894.M41) - The frigid Ice World of Betalis III was the site of the Betalis III Campaign fought in 894.M41 between the forces of the Imperium defending the system and the Eldar who sought to recover the armour of the ancient Phoenix Lord Iryllith, the founder of the Shadow Spectre Aspect Warriors, whose vessel had crash-landed on the world millennia before. An alliance of Eldar forces from the Craftworlds of Mymeara and Alaitoc, as well as Eldar Corsairs from the Void Dragons, Sky Raiders, and Sunblitz Brotherhood, descended on the frigid world to recover their beloved Phoenix Lord's armour before it was discovered and defiled by the human miners present on Betalis III. In this way, the Mymearans hoped that Irillyth might be restored to fight once more for his people, since his spirit would have remained intact within his armour's Spirit Stone. Betalis III was reinforced by Imperial Guard regiments drawn from the Cadian Shock Troops and the Elysian Drop Troops as well as Titans from the Legio Gryphonicus and the Space Wolves Astartes of Bran Redmaw's Great Company. After the Imperial forces fought the Eldar to a bloody standstill, the mysterious xenos vanished as quickly as they had arrived, presumably after they had recovered Irillyth.
 * An Alliance Broken (895.M41) - When the Ork WAAAGH! of Grimtusk Bloodboila looked set to consume the entire Athelaq Sector, it was not only the Great Company of Egil Iron Wolf that stood in its path. An Eldar warhost fought hard to contain the Greenskin invasion to prevent the Space Wolves from becoming surrounded. Egil's tanks took a heavy toll on the Ork vanguard and, after weeks of bitter warfare, Warlord Grimtusk was killed and the WAAAGH! blunted. Later, Autarch Elenduil visited the throne room of Egil Iron Wolf in great ceremony, his bodyguard of Striking Scorpions respectfully bearing the recovered bodies of fallen Space Wolves. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be a parley over a parting gift turned sour at a single stray mistranslation. Insults were exchanged and blades drawn. The sudden violence of the ensuing fight was but a shadow of the destruction that followed as the sector descended into total war between the three factions.
 * The Battle for Montberg Spaceport (897.M41) - Hive Fleet Colossus descended in force upon the Civilised World of Thressiax, and the forces garrisoned there proved unable to stop the Tyranid invaders. Imperial High Command called for all remaining forces to withdraw and left the settlers of Thressiax to their fate so that the Tyranids could be exterminated from space. Bran Redmaw, resupplying upon Thressiax at the time, objected fiercely to this dictate. He sent two full squads of Grey Hunters to reinforce the vital spaceport of Montberg so that the people of Thressiax could evacuate. Scant solar days before the aliens' impending attack, the Grey Hunters intensively trained the menfolk of Montberg, putting the fear of Fenris into any considering desertion. Against all the odds, the Grey Hunters and their new mortal recruits held the walls of the spaceport against the Tyranid swarms, buying the civilians enough time to escape. When the six surviving Grey Hunters finally withdrew from the spaceport, Imperial High Command demanded that they be stripped of all honours for disobeying a direct command. Instead Bran Redmaw promoted all six into his personal Wolf Guard in recognition of their valourous deeds.
 * Battle of Centius Prime (897.M41) - The Ork warlord known as Big Boss Gigabob led the invasion of the Feudal World of Centius Prime, searching for loot with which to arm his forces for a planned Greenskin WAAAGH! Finding the world had little technology more advanced than a crossbow, he indulged in a campaign of vengeful wrath, only to be halted by a combined force of Space Wolves and Mantis Warriors Space Marines answering the planet's astropathic distress call.
 * The 30th Great Hunt (900.M41) - The Great Wolf led the 30th Great Hunt to find the Chapter's lost Primarch, Leman Russ. For over a standard decade Logan Grimnar's Great Company and scores of the Space Wolves' mightiest warriors traveled the void, having bloody adventures and fighting glorious battles. While no definitive clues to the whereabouts of Russ were uncovered, the Great Hunt saw a host of threats to the Imperium destroyed and many more quelled before they could grow to become a danger.
 * The Loss of Svengar the Red (912.M41) - During the 31st Great Hunt in 912.M41 in search of the Primarch, the Great Company of Svengar the Red sails through a wyrmhole to find their ships transported well beyond the rim of the galaxy, beyond the Ghost Stars. Unsure of his location, Svengar decides to press on. As the solar months roll on the company is on the verge of turning back when they discover a dark planet just visible in the distance. When the company arrives they find a paradise far removed from the war and conflict of the greater galaxy. Slowly the Space Wolves relax and begin to celebrate with the locals, but it is only when Svengar makes a pass at one of the local women that he discovers they are not human at all. Though the Great Company fights valiantly they are outnumbered and slain to the last.
 * The Hunt on the Moon of Gallimius (913.M41) - Wolf Lord Harald Deathwolf was tasked by the Great Wolf to hunt down and slay the traitorous Wolf Lord Svane Vulfbad, who had become disillusioned with the Imperium and fallen to the temptations of Chaos. Deathwolf tracked Vulfbad and his warriors to the storm-shrouded moon of Gallimius in the Cliedes System. The storms forced Deathwolf to hunt down the Traitor by scent alone, leading a small band of Wolf Scouts to the peak where Vulfbad was attempting to summon a horde of daemonic allies. In the battle that followed Vulfbad was struck down by Deathwolf just as the duelling warriors were struck by a bolt of lightning. When the dust settled all that remained of Vulfbad was his Frost Axe, a shard of which now replaces the fang lost to Harald's Thunderwolf in the attack, earning the Wolf Lord's mount the name Icetooth.
 * Cleansing of the Vulture Clan (ca. 900s.M41) - Hidden for centuries in a deep valley within the mountains of Fenris was a tribe of degenerate rogue psykers known as the Vulture Clan. For generations the clan had conducted heathen rituals, worshipped the Chaos Gods and made blood sacrifices to the Warp. Upon discovering the existence of this tainted mountain tribe a strike force of Wolf Priests led by Ulrik the Slayer and Vortigan Breakbone attacked the Valley of the Burning Stones and exterminated the tribe nearly to the last. Only five young boys were initially spared, for they were young enough to potentially serve as Aspirants to the Chapter, and though drawn from a tainted source, psykers were nevertheless a precious enough resource to warrant consideration. Three were immediately found to be tainted beyond salvation and were left in the wilderness to die. A fourth perished during his Blooding. The fifth was executed by a Bolt Pistol shot to the chest by Vortigan Breakbone and taken to The Fang for dissection. Miraculously however, the youth somehow managed to cling to life and awoke in one of The Fang's crematoriums. The boy's endurance impressed the venerable Wolf Priest Ulrik the Slayer and he stayed any further execution, allowing the boy to argue for his salvation. Upon learning more about the youth Ulrik chose to send him to the Apothecarion to be patched up and then on to become an Aspirant to the Chapter. Years later, the young boy would grow to become Rune Priest Ulli Iceclaw, a mighty warrior of the Chapter and a fearsome battle-psyker.
 * The Battle of Phalakan (ca. 900s.M41) - On the rock-strewn fields of Phalakan the Space Wolves fought against a host of Eldar. The wily xenos were fast and deadly and few Space Wolves survived the battle but survive they did, and the Eldar did not. The fighting was incredibly fierce and relentless. At first, Rune Priest Ulli Iceclaw, then an apprentice under Rune Priest Torgrim Splitbeard, rune-marked his brother's Bolters. When the Bolters ran out of ammunition he rune-marked the Wolves' blades. When those dulled or ran out of fuel he rune-marked rocks and the Wolves used them to bludgeon the xenos into bloody pulp into the ground. Brother Tanngjost Seven Fingers earned wicked scars to Eldar weapons during the battle and Saehrimnar Brokenaxe earned his deed-name when his axe broke and he took up a discarded Heavy Bolter, gunning down the fleet xenos scum when they refused to fight him face to face.
 * The Victim's Dance Denied (ca. 900s.M41) - The formerly ordered world of Phalakan was laid low by a combination of spreading civil unrest and rebellion and a devastating invasion by the Eldar. The Great Company of Ragnar Blackmane responded and deployed to Phalakan to restore order. During the fighting, Pack Hengild was separated from the rest of the Imperial forces in the ruins of the Phalakan Academy where the Pack came under attack from a troupe of Eldar Harlequins. The Eldar were attempting to conduct the "Victim's Dance," a ritual performance where the xenos ritually executed a victim with a single stab through the heart. When the first skirmish between Pack Hengild and the Eldar went badly the Pack chose to regroup and draw the Eldar into an ambush. Feigning surrender to the ritual, Brother Saerhimnar allowed the Shadowseer to draw close and stab him through the heart. Kept alive by his secondary heart, Brother Saerhimnar drew a knife and killed the Shadowseer. The rest of the Pack sprung their ambush as the outraged Harlequins tried to close in and exact revenge. Bursting through the floor of the Academy Museum the Space Wolves butchered the remaining Eldar within a matter of moments. Only a single Harlequin escaped the fight and vanished, taking with it the story of how the Sons of Fenris foiled the Victim's Dance.
 * Draxian Incursion (Ca. 900s.M41) - The Space Wolves entered the fray against the forces of the xenos Draxians during the Draxian Incursion into Imperial territory on the world of Medes 841.
 * Hesperida Campaign (Unknown Date.M41) - The Space Wolves met the Forces of Chaos on the world of Hesperida. Portions of Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company saw action in this conflict.
 * Corinthus V (Unknown Date.M41) - Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company was deployed to the Imperial world of Corinthus V to aid the regiments of the Imperial Guard in throwing back the Forces of Chaos.
 * Second Battle of Garm (ca. 900s.M41) - During the 41st Millennium, the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion once again assailed the Shrine World of Garm. Led by the foul Thousand Sons Chaos Sorcerer Madox, a Chaos Cult uprising on a planetary scale provided the necessary cover for the sorcerer to steal the sacred Spear of Russ. Soon a great portion of the Space Wolves Chapter was deployed to Garm (11 Great Companies) to help quell these massive uprisings. One of these Great Companies was under the command of Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist. During a climatic battle between the Chaos Sorcerer and Ragnar Blackmane, the young Space Wolf hurled the sacred Spear of Russ into a Warp portal to prevent the summoned Daemon Prince Magnus the Red from entering realspace and turning the tide of battle. Though even the Space Wolves' Great Wolf Logan Grimnar believed that Ragnar's actions had saved the Chapter from a potential disaster, many Space Wolves believed Ragnar had dishonoured himself and his fellow Battle-Brothers by losing one of the Space Wolves' greatest relics.
 * The Battle for Hyades (ca. 900s.M41) - During Ragnar Blackmane's service to the Wolfblade he and his comrades found themselves defending the world of Hyades from no less than the devious Dark Angels. Driven against each other by the foul plots of the Thousand Sons, the Dark Angels and Berek Thunderfist's Great Company waged war through the capital city of Lethe and in orbit over the world. The two sides only joined forces when the greater threat of a Chaos fleet forced them to co-operate, and even then, they did not do so at first. Berek's warship the Fist of Russ fought against overwhelming odds and managed to cripple or destroy several of the Chaos ships on its own. Just as the Space Wolves thought their hour had come, the Dark Angels rejoined the fray, hitting the Chaos forces from the rear. While the two Chapter's mutual distrust had not been healed in any way by this action, they did manage to fight off the Chaos scum, though the "friendly fire" incident of Hyades would return to trouble the Space Wolves again in the not-too-distant future.
 * The Battle for Charys (ca. 900s.M41) - On the world of Charys the Thousand Sons infernal plotting came to a climax, threatening to drown the entire Space Wolves Chapter in mad bloodlust. However, Ragnar Blackmane, Torin the Wanderer and Haeger the Brute alongside a warband of the legendary lost 13th Company managed to infiltrate the mirror shadow world the Thousand Sons had created and disrupted the foul Chaos ritual at its most vulnerable hour. Haeger gave his life to smash his way to the top of the dais where the Chaos Sorcerer Madox was performing his vile rituals and pull the stolen Spear of Russ from his grasp. This act allowed the Navigator Gabriella to free the spirit of the Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist and also broke the Chaos ritual, freeing the Space Wolves from the overpowering urges of the Wulfen within them. Charys suffered badly during the battle and many heroes fell that day, including the entire Imperial Guard Command, but the Imperium was nevertheless victorious and the Thousand Sons were defeated yet again. Better still, Ragnar Blackmane recovered the Spear of Russ and returned it to its rightful resting place on Garm.
 * Battle for Midgardia (933.M41) - A Necron fleet led by Trazyn the Infinite descended upon the jungle-covered Death World of world of Midgardia in the Fenris System. The Necron Overlord sought a shard of the C'tan Nyadra'zatha that slumbered in the core of the Fenrisian planet. Angered by the audacity of his foes, Logan Grimnar led a huge force against the Necrons, turning the toxic jungles and subterranean cities of Midgardia into a bitter and brutal warzone.
 * The Abomination of Cyriax (954.M41) - Legends came to life in the underhive as, deep in the night-shrouded bowels of the Hive World of Cyriax's Hive Necros, something huge and terrible stired within the stygian darkness. Though it killed hundreds of underhive dwellers over several nightmarish solar months, the call for help was only issued when a member of the hive's aristocracy was messily devoured. Logan Grimnar bade his elite Thunderwolf Cavalry mount up and hunt the much-feared Abomination of Cyriax until death. The myth of giant warriors riding metal-skinned wolf-daemons soon spread across the entire planet.
 * The Wolf's Eye Blinks (959.M41) - A Warp anomaly results in the first solar eclipse to ever occur on Fenris, obscuring the light of the Wolf's Eye. To the Fenrisians this event is an omen of dire times ahead.
 * The Hollow Worlds Campaign (960.M41) - Shortly before the onset of the Pandorax Campaign in 960.M41, a combined task force of Inquisition agents and elements of the Space Wolves fought a series of underground tunnel fighting campaigns across the Hollow Worlds System.
 * Murderfang's Rampage (960.M41) - On the hell world of Omnicide, Logan Grimnar's Great Company stumbled upon a feral Space Wolf Dreadnought carving its way through a force of Chaos Space Marines. The identity of the warrior bound within the Dreadnought Sarcophagus has been lost, his name stricken from the sagas for his terrible deeds. Lost to the Curse of the Wulfen this savage warrior was placed in glacial stasis by ancient helfrost technology after a fierce struggle and returned to the Fang, there to wait in the vaults with the rest of the chapter ancients until dire circumstances necessitate his revival and deployment into the heart of the most savage of battlefields.
 * War of Infamy (962.M41) - When the Tau raided Imperial shipyards at Ethron's Harbour, destroying numerous escort vessels and crippling the battleship Pretorius Rex, Logan Grimnar's Great Company led a retributive strike against the nearest Tau outpost world. Taking advantage of a localised Warp anomaly to cross the sector in a matter of hours, the Space Wolves fell upon the unsuspecting Tau even as they refueled and recovered from their raid. Though the battle was brutal and bloody, costing the Space Wolves dozens of their Battle-Brothers, the Great Wolf was determined to send a clear message to the Tau and left no survivors.
 * The Battle for Fellcore Moon (963.M41) - Elements of the Space Wolves and Iron Hands joined forces during the Battle for Fellcore Moon. However, criticism of Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane's impetuousness by Iron Captain Telavech led the two Chapters to come to blows.
 * Thorgir and the Bladed Dragon (963.M41) - While passing the Feudal World of Isoulde, the Thunderhawk Wyrmsbane receives a distress call from the High Magister. The gunship diverts and quickly locates the source of the distress call, a monstrous bio-terror savaging the keeps of Isoulde. The Space Wolves immediately launch an attack but do not anticipate the deadly gouts of fire the beast can hurl into the air. The Wyrmsbane is blinded by a scouring blast across the front of the gunship and crashes in a horrible tangle of twisted ceramite and adamantium. Only Brother Thorgir Redhand survives the crash. Pulling himself from the wreckage Thorgir tracks down the beast and attacks it from beneath, smashing its slimy underside with repeated blows from his Thunder Hammer. Enraged, the beast follows Thorgir into the great stone cathedral known as Loftspire. The creature smashes through the walls, weakening the structure, which Thorgir then collapses with a mighty blow to the central support pillar of the building. With agonising slowness the spires of the cathedral collapse, piercing the neck of the beast and slaying it in a single stroke. Thorgir is buried under thousands of tons of rock but survives and is dug out by the thankful locals.
 * The War Under the Ocean (966.M41) - The Tau Empire, encroaching ever further into Imperial space, mined the bed of the Ocean World of Kvariam Alpha. It took a full Terran decade for the domes and corridors that stretched along the ocean floor to be discovered by an Imperial Augur probe. With the Imperial Guard unable to engage the Tau forces so far below the sea, the Space Wolves were called in. Gunnar Red Moon's Great Company made planetfall upon Kvariam's meagre land mass and took the fight to the Fire Warriors stationed there. Having established a beachhead, Gunnar and his men split off from the main invasion force and launched a massed armoured assault into the depths. They drove deep into the ocean along the sea bed, the adamantium hulls of their Land Raiders proof against the terrible pressures of the ocean. As the tanks neared the alien domes and spires of the Tau cities to disgorge their Terminator-Armoured passengers, circular portals in each section faned open and teams of graceful, propeller-tailed Battlesuits moved to intercept the slowly approaching armoured column. A desperate, silent undersea battle erupted, but despite the bewildering array of sleek torpedo-armed craft brought to war against them, the Space Wolves still managed to shatter the domes of the Tau mining operations. The sea around them was choked with corpses before the Tau finally fled.
 * The Hungering Void (972.M41) - Logan Grimnar's Great Company chanced upon a Tyranid splinter fleet deep within the void. Not content to leave the Tyranids to continue on their path deeper into the Imperium -- even though they were still centuries from the nearest system at sub-light speeds -- the Great Wolf launched an assault. Focusing on the Hive Ship in the centre of the cluster, Grimnar led a boarding party to plant a powerful Vortex Mine in the beast's synaptic core. The Wolf Guard fought their way through the nightmarish body of the beast as it awakened around them, disgorging thousands of Tyranid organisms to devour them. Finally, Grimnar was able to plant the charge and escape, detonating it even as his Stormwolf lifted off. With the Hive Ship destroyed, the Space Wolves eradicated the remaining disorganised and scattered Tyranid vessels with ease.
 * Battle for Parenxes (981.M41) - An Astartes fleet, including elements from several Space Marine Chapters, attempts to lay an ambush for the infamous Chaos Lord Huron Blackheart and his Red Corsairs Renegades in the Parenxes System. The Tyrant of Badab learns of the ambush ahead of time and lays a trap for the Space Marines instead. Attacking from two quarters Blackheart forces the Astartes forces to break out from a two-pronged assault of Red Corsairs vessels. Most make it, but two are forced towards the system's sun instead. Knowing that the Astartes would rather scuttle their ships than let them be captured, Blackheart powers down his flagship, a former Astral Claws Battle Barge, leaving an illusory gap in the enclosing fleet. Seeing the opportunity both Astartes Strike Cruisers make for the gap. A Fire Hawkss vessel is too badly damaged in the attempt for Huron's Renegades to repair so it is let go, but the Wolf of Fenris suffers far lighter damage apart from a crippling blow to its engines. With his target chosen, Blackheart launches a series of well-coordinated boarding assaults, starting with the enginarium. Despite a counter-assault from the ship's Iron Priest, the engine bays are captured by the Red Corsairs forces. Next Huron launched several fresh assaults amidships and towards the bridge, holding off Space Wolf reinforcements and striking at the bridge. Breaking into the command deck with a phase field generator, Huron duels the ship's commander Gnyrll Bluetooth and defeats him, ripping out his fangs as a trophy. With the bridge and engines firmly under Red Corsairs control, Huron's Battle Barge powers up and begins launching additional boarding parties giving the Renegades overwhelming numerical superiority. Led by a Wolf Priest, the port gunnery decks fight a furious but ultimately futile battle while the starboard gunnery decks appear to hold firm temporarily, before Traitors within the Space Wolves' ranks turn on their own brethren and swear oaths of fealty to Huron Blackheart. For this act, Huron grants command of the Wolf of Fenris to the traitorous Space Wolves. The Space Wolves Strike Cruiser is Huron's greatest prize to date.
 * The Avenging of Berek Thunderfist (983.M41) - Ragnar Blackmane slew his liege's killer, Chaos Champion Ghorox Bloodfist, in single combat. The vengeful Blackmane and his hand-picked strike force later hunted down and defeat Bloodfist's Word Bearers allies during the Gravespite Massacre. The young Ragnar was subsequently elected as the fallen Wolf Lord's successor in recognition of his heroic deeds.
 * Riders of the Storm (988.M41) - Logan Grimnar, majestic atop his gravitic chariot, Stormrider, led his Great Company in the charge that finally broke the Necron phalanxes of Imotekh the Stormlord on Vhaloth IV. Though a great victory over the Necrons, it was a hollow one for the Great Wolf, as the hunt that brought him to Vhaloth IV was intended to locate Trazyn the Infinite to deliver retribution for the attack on Midgardia.
 * An Oath Fulfilled (989.M41) - After more than 350 Terran years, Ulrik the Slayer avenged the Aspirants lost to the Dark Eldar Haemonculi coven, the Hex, after Erik Morkai's Wolf Scouts tracked the elusive coven to their latest "living art" gallery. Khaeghris Xhakt, the Haemonculus Ancient who masterminded the atrocities so long ago, was betrayed by an ambitious underling, who left his ghoulish overseer to face Ulrik alone. Xhakt's head soon adorned a spike in the Trophy Hall of The Fang.
 * A Jest Too Far (990.M41) - Lukas the Trickster roused the volcanic wrath of Bjorn Stormwolf by soiling the Wolf Lord's Terminator Armour with a swarm of microscopic bloodlice. Bristling with indignation -- and no small amount of uncontrollable itching -- Stormwolf battered the sniggering Jackalwolf unconscious. Fortunately for the Blood Claw, Ragnar Blackmane interceded before the giant could land a finishing blow, claiming the mischievous warrior for his own Great Company and, in doing so, saving Lukas' life.
 * Third War for Armageddon (998.M41) - The Space Wolves fielded 5 Great Companies in the defence of the Hive World of Armageddon during the Third War for Armageddon and acquitted themselves admirably in the successful defence of this strategically vital hive world from the Orks of WAAAGH! Ghazghkull.
 * The Battle for Alaric Prime (998.M41) - After the destruction of the Magnir's Revenge, the Great Wolf himself led the Sons of Russ to the Sanctus Reach Sub-sector, only to dive headlong into battle on the beleaguered Knight World of Alaric Prime against Ork Warlord Grukk face-Rippa's Red WAAAGH!.
 * The Great Devourer comes to Shadrac (998.M41) - A Tyranid splinter fleet fell upon the isolated Ice World of Shadrac. The frostbitten Imperial Guard stationed there needed a miracle to survive, but when a Pack of Space Wolves appeared out of nowhere, there remained a glimmer of hope. Led by Skold Greypelt, the Space Wolves joined the remaining Guardsmen in a desperate fight. Only a handful of warriors escaped, leaving much of the swarm to be annihilated in a devastating explosion. Shadrac still fell to the Tyranids, though the Hive Mind learned to be wary of the Sons of Russ.
 * The Kraken Awakes (999.M41) - The fifty-foot long, leather-skinned "Kraken's Egg" held in the Trophy Hall of The Fang splits opened to disgorge a slithering swarm of tentacled beasts. Harald Deathwolf's Fenrisian Wolves smelled their acrid stench first, and led the Wolf Lord himself to investigate. Together with Canis Wolfborn and a warband of Battle-Brothers, Harald messily butchered the abominations in a series of devastating charges. It was a hard-fought victory, however, and none of the combatants escaped without the circular scars of the kraken-spawns' tentacles somewhere upon their body.
 * Volturna Campaign (999.M41) - Following the Third War for Armageddon warbands of Orks terrorised and ransacked the surrounding star systems. One such system was Volturna. Warboss Skargutz the Render led his warband in a series of successful raids throughout the system, seizing loot and plunder and then moving on before the Imperial Navy could arrive. Finally the system's Imperial Governor grew desperate and called on the Space Wolves for aid. Carefully watching and waiting, the Space Wolves infiltrated Wolf Scout teams to the world of Cambion when the Warboss launched a raid against it. For a solar month the Scouts watched the Ork forces and placed locator beacons in preparation for the Space Wolves fleet to arrive and lay waste to the Orks. All went to plan until the orbital drop and bombardment commensed, when all of a sudden powerful jamming signals blocked out the locator beacons and locked up Imperial communications. The Space Wolf drop forces were left isolated and under immediate attack. The fighting was desperate and furious, with each Space Wolf fighting like a hero of ancient sagas, but at last the primary drop point was overwhelmed, and nearly every Space Marine there killed. Only the mighty Wolf Priest Rothgar survived, despite grevious injuries. Wolf Lord Heldane Ironhammer was slain during the fighting and his body carried back to the hidden base of Warboss Skargutz. A Pack of Blood Claws led by Kjarl and a Wolf Scout Pack led by Wolf Guard Pack Leader Skaflock Sightblinder infiltrated the Warboss' base and slew him and a Dark Eldar mercenary who had provided the Orks with their advanced jamming technology. This effectively ended the rampage of WAAAGH! Skargutz.
 * 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - When Abaddon the Despoiler spilled forth from the Eye of Terror to launch the 13th Black Crusade, the Space Wolves were one of the first Chapters of the Space Marines to meet the challenge. Logan Grimnar and the Space Wolves were among the first Imperial defenders to arrive in the Cadian System to stem the tide of Chaotic filth. The entire Chapter deployed to support the Cadians, as the Space Wolves committed all 12 of their Great Companies against the Forces of Chaos. As Grimnar was among the oldest and wisest Space Marine commanders in the Imperium and possessed a stalwart reputation, he was elected to overall command of the Imperial defenders for the conflict. The Space Wolves are one of only four Space Marine Chapters to have fought in both the Third War for Armageddon and the 13th Black Crusade.
 * The Disaster on Voidsoul (999.M41) - During the 13th Black Crusade, an Imperial Guard regiment of Cadian volunteers, who dubbed themselves "Creed's Blade," sought to bring battle and retribution to the Daemon World they named Voidsoul. The world designated E678, as it was known to the Ordo Malleus, proved far more hazardous than the Cadians could have imagined in their darkest nightmares. What was to be a battle proved almost immediately to be a disastrous slaughter. Only a handful of landers made it to the surface intact, as most were torn apart by the howling, blood red storms constantly sweeping across the skies of Voidsoul. Those unfortunate few who made it to the surface lasted little longer than their comrades, ripped apart by the blades and hellish talons of a horde of horrors spawned from the raw stuff of madness. The slaughter would have been complete were it not for the intervention of the 13th Company. Emerging seemingly from thin air, the long-lost warriors of Russ carved into the daemons with all the savagery and viciousness that the monsters had shown while slaughtering the Cadians. Not only were the Wolves undaunted by the horrors before them, they could hurt them as well, and the daemons howled in pain and terror as they faced a foe who was more than their equal. Those few who survived the slaughter stumbled to whatever drop-ships still functioned and made their escape. Upon returning to the Imperium the survivors were rounded up and taken to the ironclad moon fortress of Inquisitor Lord Torquemada Coteaz, for interrogation and destruction. Before the survivors could be destroyed, however, the 13th Company struck. The mighty Inquisitorial fortress thought impregnable proved utterly vulnerable to the Wolves, who breached the citadel with lightning speed, taking the Cadian survivors and withdrawing before any resistance could be mounted. Whether the 13th Company was unwilling to see innocents harmed in such a manner or simply sought to prevent knowledge of their existence from reaching the Inquisition is unknown. All Coteaz could do was bluster in impotent fury and frustration as his mighty fortress was so easily violated and his prisoners taken.
 * The Fall of Elixir (999.M41) - The unforgiving Wolf Lord Dvorjac banished Lukas the Trickster to the Ork-infested Agri-world of Elixir. Once rich in iron, the Orks had since mined the planet dry and used the raw materials to forge a vast horde of metal monstrosities -- Deff Dreads, Stompas and Gargants of all shapes and sizes -- ruled by the Ork genius Megamek. Examining the available data on Elixir the cunning Blood Claw discovered that the world's temperate climate was actually the result of an ancient STC Climatrope housed in a complex now serving as Megamek's headquarters. Lukas and his Blood Claws undertook a daring jump-pack assault on the complex and managed to disable the Climatrope with bundles of Krak Grenades. Over the weeks that follow a devastating winter descends on Elixir, freezing the Ork hordes in their tracks and turning the Greenskin warmachines into rusted piles of scrap. Wolf Lord Dvorjac leads his Great Company to Elixir to clean up the remaining Orks, the Wolves finding the frigid conditions much to their liking while the few remaining Orks are too frozen to offer much resistance.
 * The Assault on Wilderness Outpost Delta (999.M41) - During the 13th Black Crusade two Packs of Grey Hunters under the command of Wolf Priest Thokar were despatched to capture an enemy fortification known as Wilderness Outpost Delta. Aerial recon had determined the outpost to be in the process of being hardened by the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion. Upon making planetfall the Space Wolves quickly discovered that the outpost had already been overrun and its defenders not only slain but used as bait to lure in five Chosen Terminators who had also been cut down. More troubling was evidence that the lost 13th Company had perpetrated the assault. Before Thokar could report his findings the outpost came under assault by Iron Warriors reinforcements. Outnumbered and outgunned Thokar's Wolves might have been defeated had the 13th Company not intervened once more. A Warsmith of the Iron Warriors and his warband were slain before the murderous ferocity of the 13th Company, who withdrew as quickly and mysteriously as they had arrived. Wolf Priest Thokar hid this discovery from allied Imperial forces.
 * The Purging of the Messenger of Woe (999.M41) - The Blackmane Great Company was tasked with purging the Space Hulk the Messenger of Woe. Six squads of Wolf Guard Terminators led by Rune Priest Soren stormed the hulk and fought their way from chamber to chamber, cleansing the hulk of scores of ravening Genestealers. Ultimately the Space Wolves were successful in hunting down and slaying every last xenos and claiming the hulk and it's priceless salvage for the Imperium.
 * The Battle of Moreal's Great Flat (999.M41) - The Great Wolf Logan Grimnar despatched a quarter of the Chapter to Moreal to oppose the Forces of Chaos, comprised of mortal Traitors and bolstered by daemonic legions drawn from the Warp by blood. Among the strike force despatched to Moreal stood the legendary Bjorn the Fell-Handed. It was at the height of the fighting, as the outcome seemed to teeter in the balance, that Bjorn came. Launched from orbit in his immense Drop Pod the mighty Ancient came like a comet of vengeance -- a spear of retribution -- thrown by the arm of Russ himself. Crashing to earth in the midst of the bitterest fighting, Bjorn charged out and crushed all that stood before him, including the dread commander of the enemy, a mighty Bloodthirster of Khorne. Yet fate and time could be cruel indeed, for this dread beast was none other than the same foul creature that had slain Bjorn's Packmates ten millennia earlier during the Horus Heresy. The very same creature that had driven Bjorn to the path of the Lone Wolf and who had finally fallen only after many years of vengeful hunting. Even as Bjorn carved apart the daemon it laughed and challenged Bjorn to repeat the names he had screamed at the daemon the last time they had fought. Bjorn did so, speaking the names of Alvi, Brynjolf, Eirik, Gunnald Shieldbearer and Hiorvard but the last name, the name of Hiorvard's twin, the ancient Bjorn could not remember, for time had robbed him of his memory and thus a measure of his vengeance, his honour and his very identity. Try as he might, the name of Hrani would not come to him. The daemon howled in glee for it remembered and gloated as much to Bjorn even as the Ancient carved him apart, cutting and burning until nothing was left. Long after the daemon was dead and the battle over, Bjorn kept burning, and none of the Space Wolves would dare tell him to stop.
 * Battle of Kasr Tyrok (999.M41) - The Dark Angels and the Space Wolves set aside their ancient vendetta when Supreme Grand Master Azrael and Great Wolf Logan Grimnar came to a mutual, but temporary, understanding. Both Chapters took to the field together, in the defence of Kasr Tyrok upon the world of Cadia against a substantial force of Chaos mutants. The combined force of Dark Angels and Space Wolves smashed into the rear of the mutant mob, cutting them down without mercy, as each Chapter sought to outdo the other in their skill at arms. As the last few mutants were despatched, the rival Space Marines' friendly banter soon turned to insults. Victory had been achieved, but the Sons of the Lion and the Sons of Russ parted ways, their long-time rivalry rearing its ugly head once again.

Chapter Gene-Seed
The Space Marines of the Emperor's Legions of old were genetically engineered, psycho-indoctrinated warriors with superhuman abilities and minds and souls tempered for war. In addition, each individual Legion had its own idiosyncrasies and character -- the product of their gene-seed and unique warrior culture. Renowned both for their savagery and their obedience to the will of the Emperor, the Space Wolves Legion long stood apart from the other Legiones Astartes. Distant and aloof, they were separated not only by bellicose demeanour, but by an almost impenetrable web of self-generated myth and allegory which guarded well the VI Legion's secrets, not only of who they were but what they had done in the service of the Master of Mankind. The unique gene-seed of the Space Wolves, altered as it was by the inclusion of what is known as the Canis Helix, had both its advantages and disadvantages, making them at once more animalistic than their fellow Astartes -- a factor which made them uncommonly talented hunters and ferocious killers -- but also more readily prey to the power of their own instincts and drives. To their detractors, it made them more beasts than men.

Physical Appearance
The frightening potency of the Canis Helix is legendary, and has accounted for the loss of the lives of millions of Aspirants as their bodies writhe and churn in anguish. Those it does not kill it transforms into slavering monsters. The Canis Helix is necessary, however, as without this essential part of Leman Russ' heritage the other gene helices cannot be implanted at all. When it is first implanted within an Aspirant, the genetic sequence will work hideous changes on the warrior's mind and body; they revert to a primal state where their bones split and buckle, thick hair sprouts from across their body and their only desire is to gorge on fresh meat and glut themselves on blood. The warrior's body mass grows by up to eighty percent, many of the bones fuse, and canine fangs sprout from his gums. While in the midst of this radical and severely painful transformation, a warrior must overcome the shadow within himself, lest they are overcome and fall to the Curse of the Wulfen and become a giant, feral creature no longer sane or human.

As a Space Wolf warrior grows older his hair turns course and wiry, turning a particular shade of grey, and his canines lengthen into true, wolf-like fangs. Even his skin becomes thicker and more leathery like a wolf pelt and all Space Wolf Marines are usually quite hirsuite. These traits in their fully matured form are usually emblematic of a Space Wolf who has become a Grey Hunter, the name given to the Veteran Marines of this unusual Chapter. For those lucky enough to survive the brutal centuries of warfare on hundreds of different battlefields, their hair eventually turns white as the driven Fenrisian snow, and their wolf-like fangs become veritable tusks. These elder warriors, known as Long Fangs, are held in high esteem by their younger kin. For they have mastered the wolf within, and have learned to curb their warlike spirit with a will of iron, having become akin to a stone upon which their foes' blades break.

Chapter Organisation
"You will be faster than they are, stronger, quicker to sense corruption and with full sanction to destroy it. You will be girded in the armour of gods and carry the blades of ruin. You will never age, never wither, never weary. And yet, in all of this, what remains your greatest gift? Only this: while you are a brotherhood, you are unbreakable. While you form the shieldwall, guarding your Pack-mates as if they were your own kin-blood, you cannot be resisted. Solely by treachery can this power be undone, as we have learned. We emerge from the lesson stronger, tempered by the knowledge of how low our species can sink. We now know what waits for us should we fail, and that is well, for it is better to know your enemy's face than for it to remain hidden by shadow. Never forget this. When night comes again, as it surely will, only your brotherhood will protect you. Preserve it, and you will endure. Let it fracture, let if fail, and I tell you truly: our time, humanity's time, will be over."

- The Primarch Leman Russ, words recorded on Ialis III, ca. 170.M31, incorporated into Liber Malan; source-data lost

Pre-Heresy
When Leman Russ took over the VI Legion, it adhered rigidly to the guidelines and dispositions laid down by the Principia Belicosa of the Imperium's High Command. This rule was clung to by the warriors of the Legion as an anchor against the disorder their own increasingly fractious character was sowing in their ranks. Enforced discipline was common and even executions in the field were not unknown in the VI Legion. With the rediscovery of Leman Russ and the cultural influence of Fenris which he imprinted on the Legion, these factors rapidly fell by the wayside. The fury which lay within the Legion's heart was given form and discipline mastered by will, and this wellspring of savagery was channelled and directed in battle rather than left unfocused, providing a catharsis which purged the Legion of its self-destructive tendencies and unified it under the Wolf King's banner. Both the Fenrisian way of warfare as adapted by Leman Russ and the natural tendencies of the Legion to want to close and get to grips with its foes at close quarters led to a rapid and shifting focus away from the generalist and combined arms approach advocated by the Principia Belicosa and towards tactics dependent on highly mobile shock infantry units, with heavier support elements maintained, but largely focussed in specialised detachments rather than as part of the general line of battle. The Space Wolves were conditioned to hold a near-suicidal disregard for danger and trained to exploit this to the fullest on the battlefield, pitting their courage and might where it would be most effective; in the very teeth of the foe, overwhelming opponents by sheer speed and ferocity of attack, both in hand-to-hand combat and in brutal short-ranged fire fights. As time went on, their tactical dispositions shifted to better accommodate this preference, leading to the creation of unique shock units such as the "Grey Slayers" and "Bloodied Claws," which gradually came to comprise the bulk of the core infantry of the Legion by the time of the Burning of Prospero.

By the late Great Crusade era, the Space Wolves Legion had strongly deviated from the Principia Belicosa ' s definition of the Legiones Astartes structure and organisation, although they could, if pressed, readily enunciate how each warrior would fit in such a structure should it be needed. At the macro level, the Legion consisted of thirteen "Great Companies" designated by their number in the order of battle, with each nominally composed of a theoretical 10,000 Astartes, though in practice attrition and casualty rates meant this was never more than a notional figure. Below this strategic level, the Legion's host was now broken down into a shifting array of ad hoc formations either put together for a particular mission or beholden strongly to the personal authority of a particular company commander, and below them to a series of tributary sub-commanders, known variously as "Wolf Lord" (Jarl) or "Claw Leader" (Thegn), regardless of their notional or accorded rank within the Imperium's standard order of battle. These warband-like forces -- while each was part of one of the overarching Great Companies which comprised the Legion -- were largely autonomous and heavily infantry-focussed. They often lacked certain specialised units and formations found in other Legions, and could range in size from between battalion to Chapter strength in conventional terms, while below this, the more general terms of "Pack" or "Claw" became an accepted descriptor of any small tactical unit, be it a single squad of warriors or a small combined taskforce. These arrangements could be confusing to outsiders with, for example, a particular Great Company having within it several "Jarls," whose relative seniority or areas of command were far from clear to any but the Space Wolves.

These warband-like forces -- while each was part of one of the overarching Great Companies which comprised the Legion -- were largely autonomous, heavily infantry-focussed and often lacked certain specialised units and formations found in other Space Marine Legions. Particularly, this bias left the later Space Wolves Legion lacking in units dedicated to areas of warfare such as siegecraft or sustained bombardment, which did not sit well with the Legion's military philosophy or the psyche of its warriors. Elsewhere in the Space Wolves' wider ranks, the remnants of such specialised forces remained as reserve elements under the direction of the Primarch's household and the direct command of the "Iron Priests" -- the masters of the Legion's armoury -- but such formations became the exception rather than the rule in the Space Wolves' order of battle.

Of particular note within the Legion was the role played by the so-called "Priests of Fenris." This sealed chamber within the Legion embodied much of the special command functions provided by the separate Apothecarion, Librarius and Armourium in other Legions. They were suffused both with an aura of ritual and secrecy, unusual for a pre-heresy Legion, for as well as the continuation of the Legion's martial culture, the maintenance of its wargear and the preservation of its gene-seed, these "priests" also occupied the role of keepers of the Legion's occluded history and superstitions, and served as the wardens of its secrets. The senior representatives of this varied priesthood, be they Priest of Iron, Caster of Runes or Speaker of the Dead, had a place of honour on the Einherjar, the Legion's council of war, which advised their Primarch, and on which every Jarl and Thegn had a place, and where every warrior of the Space Wolves had the right to speak.

The Space Wolves Legion was a close-knit brotherhood and there was a great deal of respect and comradeship between the original VI Legion Astartes from Terra and the warriors of Fenris. Although the latter troops were organised into their own distinct squads, known as Fenris Bloods and Fenris Hunters, they also led some of the squads of Terran Space Wolves (the Hunter, Claw and Long Fang squads). The officer corps and the elite Wolf Guard were drawn from the ranks of both Terrans and Fenrisians. Both Terran and Fenrisian Space Wolves could succumb to the curse of the Wulfen. This condition was usually diagnosed during the process of surgically and psychologically modifying a normal man to become a Space Marine, but it could also strike later in a Space Wolf's life. The curse was akin to the mythical state of lycanthropy from the legends of Old Earth -- the smitten warrior would become savage and beastlike in behaviour, unable to quell the rage inside. The Wulfen were remarkably hirsute, even by Space Wolves standards, and their canine teeth grew into large dagger-like fangs. All of the Wulfen were assigned to the 13th Great Company and fought together in feral groups known as Wulfen Packs.

Order of Battle
During the latter days of the Great Crusade in 004.M31 the VI Legion, the Space Wolves -- comprised an approximate total of 73,200 Space Marines, including contingents previously on detached duties in proximity to Fenris or Beta-Garmon, and recalled for the Prospero campaign. Companies are noted here using both the numerical designation used by the Divisio Militaris records and the more archaic titles used during available recitations of the Saga of Prospero -- additional notation of current observable operational factors from Beta-Garmon data included:
 * Great Company Onn (One), The Breakers of Rings, commanded by Jarl Gunnar Gunnhil (Lord Gunn). 3,000 Space Marines, primarily formed of Varagyr Huscarl units equipped with Terminator Armour and fighting as a bodyguard, and also comprising additional Legion command elements.
 * Great Company Twa (Two), The Thread-cutters, commanded by unknown Jarl. 800 Space Marines, believed to comprise Veteran infantry units relieved from special duties with an attached Dreadnought contingent (approximately 60 individual armours of varied patterns).
 * Great Company Tra (Three), The Eagle's Keepers, commanded by Jarl Ogvai Ogvai Helmschrot. 9,800 Space Marines, mostly close assault infantry and support armour (noted in extemporaneous data as being proportionally high in Initiate-status Astartes).
 * Great Company For (Four), The Blood-worm's Masters, commanded by Jarl Hvarl Red-Blade. 8,600 Space Marines, comprising heavy infantry and self-propelled artillery, including a large number of Breacher and Assault units (ref. "Bloodied Claw" tactical formation sub-type).
 * Great Company Fyf (Five), The Blood-ice Storm, commanded by Jarl Amlodhi Skarssen. 10,000 Space Marines, comprising a mixed infantry force with light support armour, assigned while on Fenris for resupply.
 * Great Company Sepp (Seven), The Wight-flame's Wielders, commanded by unknown Jarl. 5,200 Space Marines, comprised mostly of warriors of the "Black Cull" and destroyer and immolation units.
 * Great Company For-twa (Eight), The Slaughter-fire Heralds, commanded by unknown Jarl. 9,500 Space Marines, comprising principally reconnaissance and infiltration units (ref. "Pale Hunter" tactical formation sub-type).
 * Great Company Tra-tra (Nine), The Serpents of the Battle-moon, commanded by Jarl Sturgard Joriksson. 7,800 Space Marines, comprising infantry support units and notable heavy weapons units, including Rapier weapons platforms.
 * Great Company Elleve (Eleven), The Sea-flame's Bearers, commanded by Jarl Varald Helsdawn. 9,200 Space Marines, comprising veteran infantry, believed to include a large proportion of early-induction Terran recruits.
 * Great Company Tolv (Twelve), The Shield-gnawers, commanded by Jarl Oki (called Scarred; successor to Jaurmag (called Laughing Jaurmag, who was sent to Terra before Prospero campaign). 8,700 Space Marines, comprising close assault infantry with strong contingents of ground assault vehicles.
 * Great Company Tretten (Thirteen), The Corpse-renders, commanded by Jarl Bulveye. 600 Space Marines, comprising pursuit units and light assault infantry.

The following Great Companies did not take part in the Prospero campaign. Their exact numbers and composition are unknown:


 * Great Company Sesc (Six), commanded by unknown Jarl. Number of Space Marines and composition - unknown.
 * Great Company Dekk (Ten), commanded by unknown Jarl. Number of Space Marines and composition - unknown.

Specialist Formations

 * Varagyr Wolf Guard - The Varagyr were the chosen warriors of Leman Russ, hand-picked from his own Great Company to form his personal Honour Guard and close companions in war and council. To have attained such a rank and position, each had distinguished themselves in battle many times over, and each had forged their own saga worth the telling. More so than any other of his sons they were the wolves of his Pack, marked by the great beast pelt which adorned their armour. To adopt this honour meant more than simply to walk in the Wolf King's shadow and lay down their lives for him. It meant that at least for a time they had foregone the chance to lead their brothers in battle, to watch while others struck, to stand fast and not seek out the glory of battle save when their lord commanded. When such coldly withheld fury was unleashed, however, it fell like a thunderbolt against the foe. The charge of the Varagyr was terrible to behold, a tide of armour-clad, beast skin-draped hulks propelled by superhuman strength and inhuman ferocity. Given sufficient momentum to aid their charge, the Varagyr struck their foes like cannon shells, crushing and killing their enemies before even their fearsome blades struck. Though all served the Wolf King faithfully and with fealty as his guard, the Varagyr also took great satisfaction in showing their superiority to the petty lords and champions of those they slew, vying to honour their master with the trophies of the slain justly anointed in the blood of the vanquished in the hopes of making a tale worth the telling.
 * Priests of Fenris - The Priests of Fenris existed as a series of interconnected Orders which provided for the physical, spiritual and technological needs of the VI Legion. Occluded to outsiders beneath webs of what outwardly seemed superstition and barbarism, they were more than technicians and specialists, but instead the repositories of the Legion's true history, the keepers of its secretes and the masters of its lore.
 * Speaker of the Dead - These were the predecessors of the modern era Wolf Priests, but more akin to an Apothecary. They were chosen from the most strong-willed and coldly self-controlled of their brethren, to serve as its masters of discipline, instillers of its culture, wardens both of the gene-seed and the memory of the Legion. A Speaker of the Dead was charged with overseeing the implantation of the Legion's gene-seed into potential Aspirants as well as monitoring the physical and mental well-being of their fellow warriors. In battle, they would carry a variety of sophisticated biogenic and alchemical tinctures whose use was masked in primitive ritual in order to temporarily abjure hideous injuries incurred on the battlefield. These priests walked the path that threaded between both life and death, memory and oblivion, and while their healing balms might bring a warrior back from the brink of death, their garm-blood vials symbolised the other side of that coin; in it was a bitter poison that brought on a terrible death. It was they who encoded the Legion's history within memetically patterned ' sagas ', and who recorded and judged the dedds both of the living and the dead so that the honoured might be remembered and the dishonoured despised.
 * Caster of Runes - These were the predecessors of the modern era Rune Priests. The Casters of Runes possessed the psyker's gifts, but treated them warily as a potential curse as well as a blessing, reaching for their power only through a deliberate skein of cognitive shielding within their own minds, and aided by a unique lattice of psycho-memetic pattern field technology incorporated into their armour as a safeguard both against hostile outside forces and drawing too much power into themselves.
 * Priest of Iron - These were the predecessors of the modern era Iron Priests. They were the masters of the Legion's armouries, its war machines and the technological arcana of the Space Wolves Legion. They masked their technological lore behind an outwardly barbaric show of tech-mysticism whose temper - if not form - would do justice to the most obtusely arcane adept of Mars. They role was not simply to supply their Legion with arms and maintain their wargear, but ensureed it was as self-sufficient as possible. They also stood guard over certain troves of weaponry and schematic patterns gifted by Terra and uniquely developed by the Iron Priests themselves.
 * Grey Slayer Packs - When their gene-sire Leman Russ took over the reins of his Legion, the Space Wolves had begun to change -- to become a singular hybrid of Fenris' unforgiving and ruthless way of battle and the patterns of more recognisably Imperial military doctrine that had come before. This new Space Wolves Legion was truly a union of neither of those that had come before, but something new entirely, and the increase of so-called "Grey Slayer" Space Wolves was perhaps one of the visible outward signs of the VI Legion's transformation after reunification with its Primarch. Whereas the Terran-style Tactical Squads, decreasingly evident in the VI Legion's order of battle, were disciplined cogs in an intricate machine of war, the Grey Slayers were, in effect compact individual warbands of Space Marines, all but autonomous in their own right in the field: fluid, sure-footed and largely exempt from the reliance on direct commands from above. They were expected to deal with myriad challenges on their own if needs be, and above all to close with the enemy on their own terms; to seek and destroy.
 * Deathsworn Packs - The Deathsworn were the dark heart of the VI Legion and theirs was a cause that was eventually to find its vent in the transfiguration of the flesh, but long before the first Wulfen, the descent into the depths of the beast, its predatory taint, was found within the minds of those born of the Space Wolves' gene-seed. In every Legion it was said there were those for who the horrors of all they had witnessed and all the bloody deeds they had done in the name of the Great Crusade mutilated their soul and damaged their minds to such an extent that they were no longer men, no longer Space Marines in truth, but something hollow and murderous beyond reason. In some Legions, such things might go all but unnoticed, even perhaps mark one for advancement, while in others, the gift of final peace was offered, or perhaps outcast status as one of the so-called Moritat or a place in the Destroyer units. But within the Space Wolves, such an all-consuming impulse to kill and kill again was better understood, and the ways of Fenris held the answer to such dark souls in the shape of the Cult of Morkai and its ministers, who ensured that those marked by the Death Wolf would be cast upon the enemies of Mankind with proper application of force. The warriors who gave themselves over became the Deathsworn, marked by wolf-skull helms, the embodiment of the spirit of death in the heart of the Space Wolves Legion.
 * Black Cull - Throughout the Space Wolves, many of the Legion's warriors became attracted to a particular sub-cult of the Fenrisian mythos centred around the wolf-spirit Morkai, a pseudo-deity of death and the dead. The Space Wolves who were attracted to this cult were said to be those who most "felt the breath of the wolf in their bones" and within them the fiery passions of their brethren had chilled to a bleak killing frost and only the prospect of immediate bloodshed could bestir them with feeling once more. Many such warriors who were attracted to this cult were drawn together to form the Packs of the Black Cull, an extermination corps which also specialised in near-suicidal and all but unstoppable line breaker attacks, embracing the touch of death as one might a lost friend.
 * Landayvan - A specialist formation unique to the Seventh Great Company, they were the destroyers and layers of waste, and in this company were concentrated many of the Legion's siege warfare and artillery assets, as well as those skilled in the use of such sanctioned weaponry as Phosphex.
 * Watch Packs - Even as the VI Legion brought sanction to Prospero during the early years of the Horus Heresy, a handful of Packs were speeding through the Warp on the Imperium's fastest ships. They had been given the duty by the Wolf King to link up with the remaining sixteen Space Marine Legions and take up position as bodyguards, and potential executioners, of the remaining sixteen Primarchs. By the time these Packs were assigned, however, most of the Traitors had already chosen to side with Horus. Those Packs who linked up with Traitor Legions almost certainly met a grim end. The Pack that reached the Alpha Legion Primarch Alpharius managed to kill the first officer who presented himself as the Primarch, but did not last much longer and they were run down and slain. The Pack that met with the Blood Angels Primarch Sanguinius was lost during the chaos of the Battle for Signus Prime. The Pack that joined up with the Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman wound up crossing blades with the Night Lords Primarch Konrad Curze on Macragge and shed blood to protect Guilliman's adoptive human mother. Ultimately the fate of many of these Watch Packs remain unknown, and their duty was a thankless one, but it shows the unquestioned loyalty of the VI Legion and the esteem in which the Legion was held that they were given such a dire task in the first place.
 * Sons of Ymir - The Dreadnought cadres of the Space Wolves Legion.
 * Hrimthursar - The Hrumthursar were the most hateful of all the Sons of Ymir.
 * Eldthursar - Also known as the Sons of Muspel and the Destroyers of Worlds, the Eldthursar were the most violent of the Sons of Ymir. Most often these warriors have suffered terribly before being placed within the Dreadnought's sarcophagus and the pain of their death drives them to bouts of killing mania when left conscious. Rarely are they awoken unless the Legion requires the utter annihilation of the enemy, for these war engines are not subtle weapons.

Wolves of Iron and Sky
Within the Space Wolves, as with the majority of other Space Marine Legions, armoured and airborne assets were distributed at the Chapter level, with each Chapter -- or Great Company in the VI Legion -- maintaining a pool of such vehicles to be assigned to combat detachments as required. For the assault on the capital city of Tizca during the Razing of Prospero, the vast majority of these assets were deployed in combat in support of the VI Legion's main force. This relentless use of their firepower was essential in the rapid advance of the Space Wolves Legion's units and formed the core of Leman Russ' initial tactics for combating fellow Astartes. Aircraft were often utilised in continuous ground support of the advancing Space Wolves Claws and War Packs. Such missions fell mainly to Storm Eagle and Fire Raptor gunships, as these craft were both nimble enough to keep pace with the frantic advance of the Space Wolves' lines and sturdy enough to brave the anti-aircraft fire of ground batteries and man-portable heavy weaponry. Any strongpoint that stymied the initial assaults or was bypassed by the advance felt the wrath of the airborne predators, whose relentless attacks swiftly reduced them to nothing but tattered ruins and ashes. The only limiting factor to the use of airborne assets during an assault was the need to retreat to low orbit to rearm, forcing the Space Wolves to utilise rotating wings of ground attack craft in order to maintain pressure on the enemy. This, combined with the sheer area which the craft sometimes had to cover, forced these wings to act as support for ground assaults rather than engaging in a policy of indiscriminate bombardment.

War Disposition
At the time the order reached the Space Wolves Legion for the censure of the Thousand Sons, it was able to muster what is believed to have been roughly two-thirds of its active strength. This comprised some 75,000 Astartes assigned to the Prospero assault, with the estimated remaining 20,000-25,000 either scattered across various sub-fleets and taskforces beyond their master's immediate call, with a small contingent left to garrison Fenris in the Legion's absence. This itself reflected the heavy degree of campaigning the Space Wolves had conducted in the preceding Terran decades, having fallen in overall strength from about 130,000 Astartes after a series of actions, some of whose nature remains sealed. Its fleet is believed to have comprised some sixty capital class vessels at this time, with perhaps four times this number of smaller strike craft and Escort vessels. In particular, the VI Legion was disposed towards heavily armed and augmented frigate designs, which allowed for the long-range independent operations of small task forces. In contrast, its flagship by the time of the Horus Heresy, the Hrafnkel, was one of the largest patterns from the Gloriana-class frame, and configured both as a heavy Battleship and capable of conducting independent planetkill operations.

Post-Heresy
The Space Wolves are known for their fiercely anti-authoritarian behaviour. They strongly resist the central command structure of the Imperium, organising themselves into Packs instead of the normal Squads and continue to refuse the dictates of the Codex Astartes, the standardised guide to Space Marine and Imperial Guard tactics created by the Ultramarines' Primarch Roboute Guilliman. The Space Wolves only accept some standard Imperial tactics that were considered useful for their own preferred style of warfare. As such, they have a reputation for being as ill-disciplined as they are fearless. It is often said that the best way to get a Space Wolf to do something is to tell him not to do it.

Wolf Packs
Instead of organising into the Tactical, Assault and Devastator Squads as the Codex Astartes dictates, the Space Wolves form their Battle-Brothers into Packs. Each Pack will generally be made up of Astartes who have fought together for some time and will work together as a pack of Fenrisian Wolves do on the hunt. For the Space Wolves their finely honed senses of smell and hearing are just as important to them as their keen eyesight. Packs will work together to sniff and sound out their foes, hunting their prey like the wolves of Fenris, identifying the locations of their comrades as much by their enhanced sense of smell as by any technological means. The Space Wolves have four primary types of Packs in the Chapter, including the Blood Claws, Grey Hunters, Long Fangs, and the Wolf Guard. There are also Wolf Scouts, who are an oddity among the Adeptus Astartes.


 * Blood Claws - A Blood Claw is a newly inducted Astartes of the Space Wolves Chapter and the equivalent of a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter's Neophytes or Scout Marines. Still struggling to control the spirit of the Wulfen within, Blood Claws are notoriously savage and fiercely aggressive. These hot-headed young warriors cannot wait to prove themselves, charging in howling packs at the front lines of the enemy in their efforts to garner personal glory. They prefer to fight at close quarters and are armed with melee weapons such as Chainswords and Bolt Pistols. The Blood Claws are the shock troops of the Space Wolves and spearhead the majority of assaults. If they survive to become mature and capable warriors, they will eventually be elevated to the veteran ranks of the Grey Hunters.
 * Swift Claws - A subset of the Blood Claws, the Swift Claws are culled from the ranks of the Blood Claws when the Chapter needs a swift, hard-hitting assault force comprised of Bike Squads or Land Speeders. The young and ambitious Blood Claws are well suited to this role. In addition to forming a lightning assault force, Swift Claws will occasionally be tasked with a dangerous quest to track down and slay a particularly powerful enemy. Given the opportunity to sow the maximum amount of carnage and disruption possible, these young warriors apply themselves with particular relish in the performance of their duties. Some Blood Claws are so taken by this role -- not to mention the opportunities for raising havoc that come along with it -- that they demand the right to a permanent position as a Swift Claw. Unlike other Chapters that use their Bike Squads primarily for forward reconnaissance, the Space Wolves use their bikes in a demolitions and close assault role.
 * Skyclaws - The Skyclaws are a subset of Blood Claws. This specialist unit is composed of the most headstrong troublemakers from each Blood Claw pack and are often "rewarded" by reassignment to a Skyclaw Assault Pack and thus serve as the Chapter's equivalent of Assault Marines. Entrusted with a Jump Pack, this vital piece of wargear provides the young warrior with the opportunity to indulge in their desire to charge headlong into the thick of battle. It is said amongst the more experienced Battle-Brothers of the Chapter that if the youngsters wish to slake their reckless bloodthirst, let them, and if they die in the process then they will still learn a valuable lesson. Though considered a dubious honour by their more mature brethren, the Skyclaws are bound and determined to prove themselves in the eyes of their elders. Unafraid and uncaring, they soar fearlessly through the skies in great leaps, taking great joy in watching the enemy crumble beneath the reckless fury of their airborne assault. Truly the most rebellious and free-spirited of all the Space Wolves, the Skyclaws are constantly trying to prove themselves. They are known to compete against Packs of Blood Claws through friendly contests of athletic prowess, drinking and eating. Impetuous and foolhardy, the Skyclaws are known for their fondness for practical jokes. Although transgressions that cost the lives of their fellows are punished severely, even their Wolf Lords admit that they were young once, and so they overlook these offenses. It is rare for a Skyclaw to be exiled for their reckless deeds. But those that push their luck too far and commit an offence that is anathema to their Chapter are assigned a punishment that fits the crime. One who has caused the death of a senior member of the Space Wolves may be struck down, only to awaken to a new life as a Med-Servitor.
 * Grey Hunters - If Blood Claws survive long enough to mature into seasoned Astartes, they are promoted to the ranks of the Grey Hunters. These veteran Astartes are the equivalent of a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter's Tactical Marines. The Grey Hunter packs form the greater mass of the Space Wolves' warriors. They are strong and resolute fighters, tempered by battle but as hungry for honour as any proud warrior of Fenris. They are experienced warriors, dour and sombre, proud of their skills, and rightly honoured by their younger brethren.
 * Long Fangs - Long Fangs form a cadre of veteran warriors within the Chapter. Hoary with age, proud and wise, they are quite literally endowed with long fangs, for as a Space Wolf ages his canines lengthen and his hair grows course and grey. After centuries of long wars, their esteem stands as a mountain, commanding awe and respect from those of lesser years. There are relatively few Long Fangs within the Chapter, for many warriors die in battle so only a minority survive to reach a venerable age. Their saga is almost complete. These veteran warriors are disciplined and steady even in the heat of battle, and hence entrusted with the Great Company's heavy weapons. They are the equivalent of a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter's Devastator Marines. Having fought and survived so many wars the Long Fangs are rarely unsettled even by the most serious set-back. There are many accounts within the Chapter's history that recount the deeds of the stalwart Long Fangs, who have held the field against overwhelming odds, even after all others have fled or been slain.
 * Wolf Guard - Some Space Wolves, having achieved feats of exceptional valour and martial prowess, may become members of the Chapter's Wolf Guard. These mighty Astartes can lead smaller forces of Space Wolves drawn from other Packs, serve as the Space Wolves' version of an Honour Guard for the most experienced warrior in a deployed Space Wolves force or serve as the Pack leader for a Great Company's squads, imparting their knowledge and experience to their younger charges and serving as the equivalent of standard Space Marine Sergeants. In addition to access to the best suits of Power Armour and the most advanced wargear available to the Chapter, the Wolf Guard have earned the right to wear Terminator Armour. Unlike other Chapters, entrance into the elite ranks of the Wolf Guard is not the result of seniority or Veteran status but is an honour earned directly through merit, through the display of extraordinary acts of courage and heroism under fire. Eventually, it is possible for a Wolf Guard to rise to the position of Wolf Lord, the mighty officers equivalent to standard Space Marine Captains who command one of the 12 Great Companies that comprise the entirety of the Chapter.
 * Thunderwolf Cavalry - Thunderwolf Cavalry units are a sub-group of the Wolf Guard. According to official Imperial records, the Thunderwolf Cavalry doesn't exist and the Space Wolves keep them as a closely guarded secret. Thunderwolves are giant Fenrisian Wolves that stand about the height of a Terran rhinoceros and are used as mounts by the most elite members of the Wolf Guard. Thunderwolves are used in the near-mythical Thunderwolf Cavalry, and are often augmented with adamantium jaws, Imperial bionics, and back-jointed metal limbs that end in razor-sharp blades. The havoc that these creatures are capable of wreaking is said to be startling to even a hardened Veteran Space Wolf. The taming of a Thunderwolf is often used as a ritual trial for a Space Wolves Astartes who wishes to rise into the ranks of the Wolf Guards.
 * Wolf Scouts - For some Space Wolves Astartes, the close-knit and boisterous brotherhood of the Pack (squad) is not well suited to their personality, as they yearn for the open spaces and isolation of the Fenrisian tundra. These Space Marines are selected to become part of a Great Company's Wolf Scout force, providing reconnaissance and disrupting enemy movements. These Space Marines are often already Veterans, as opposed to the raw Neophytes commonly used in other Chapters' Scout Marines Squads.
 * Lone Wolves - Over time, as Space Wolves Packs take casualties and gain experience, they pass through the ranks, and eventually the last few survivors make it into the vaunted ranks of the Wolf Guard. However, sometimes a Pack will suffer particularly harsh casualties, leaving a lone survivor who has not yet earned a place in the Wolf Guard. These last standing Lone Wolves will take on an air of vengeance and doom, determined to regain the honour of their Pack in combat or die trying. Those who succeed in their quests to seek out and slay dangerous or potent enemies and survive are accepted into the Wolf Guard, while the rest have at least earned an honourable death in combat like their Packmates.
 * Wolfblade - The Wolfblade is an ancient honour guard of Space Wolves that are sent to Terra to protect the ancient Navigator House of Belisarius, long-time allies of the Chapter. They train the Celestarch of Belisarius's House troops and lead them into battle. They act as his strong right arm when there is need. They slay his enemies in open battle and by stealth if need be. This pact's origins are lost to legend, but the most commonly accepted version of the story dates it from the time of the Great Crusade and the friendship between Primarch Leman Russ and Alexander Belisarius. Belisarius was a Navigator of genius, who aided Russ on many of his adventures. On the day of the Feast of the Founding they are said to have sworn a pact of eternal friendship. As a sign of this friendship, the Belisarius family agreed to provide Navigators for the Chapter in perpetuam, in return for the Space Wolves' martial aid. An entire Pack of Space Wolves would accompany the Celestarch of the House Belisarius as his bodyguard. Given the fractious nature of the Navigator Houses of the Navis Nobilite, and a commercial rivalry which, at that time, could result in conflicts as large as wars, this was an alliance of vast importance for the Navigators. The Space Wolves still enjoy a close bond to House Belisarius, an alliance between a Navigator House and a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes shared only by the Blood Ravens, White Scars, and Blood Angels Chapters.

Specialist Ranks

 * Great Wolf - The Great Wolf is the Space Wolves' equivalent of a Chapter Master. The Great Wolf is generally considered only a steward of the Chapter rather than its true lord, since he is only awaiting the return of the Primarch Leman Russ who has always been the Space Wolves' only true leader. The Great Wolf leads the Chapter in Russ' absence. Chosen from among the Chapter's Wolf Lords, the current Great Wolf is Logan Grimnar, who has lead the Chapter for over eight standard centuries as of 999.M41.
 * Wolf Lords - A Wolf Lord is the Space Wolf officer who is the equivalent of a standard Space Marine Captain and who commands one of the 12 Great Companies that comprise the full Space Wolves Chapter's military force. A Wolf Lord may be accompanied by the huge Fenrisian Wolves and is always protected by a contingent of Wolf Guard specifically loyal to him. The Chapter's Great Companies are led by the 12 current Wolf Lords, a number that includes the current Great Wolf, Logan Grimnar. Much of the time the attrition rate for Wolf Lords is fairly significant because of the Chapter's preference for close combat. However, some Wolf Lords have managed to see their thousandth year pass in service to the Emperor. Ragnar Blackmane is one of the Chapter's current Wolf Lords and is in fact the youngest Astartes to have ascended to the rank of Wolf Lord in the Chapter's history. The current Wolf Lords of the Chapter include:
 * Logan Grimnar
 * Harald Deathwolf
 * Bjorn Stormwolf
 * Egil Iron Wolf
 * Krom Dragongaze
 * Ragnar Blackmane
 * Sven Bloodhowl
 * Kjarl Grimblood
 * Bran Redmaw
 * Engir Krakendoom
 * Erik Morkai
 * Gunnar Red Moon
 * Iron Priests - The Iron Priests are the Chapter's equivalent of Techmarines. Sent off for training at Mars with the Adeptus Mechanicus like all Techmarines, the Iron Priests maintain the Chapter's equipment and forge all necessary replacement wargear. Iron Priests are traditionally attached to the Great Wolf's Company and re-assigned to other fighting forces on a situational basis. Iron Priests also have a place in the transformation and initiation of new recruits.
 * Wolf Priests - Wolf Priests are a unique officer class within the Chapter. A combination of the roles of Chaplain and Apothecary found in Codex-compliant Chapters, the Wolf Priests administer to the physical and mental well-being of the Chapter's warriors and also choose the Aspirants to the Chapter from among the feral barbarian tribes of Fenris. Ulrik the Slayer is a famous Wolf Priest who mentored many notable members of the Chapter, including Logan Grimnar and Ragnar Blackmane.
 * Rune Priests - The Space Wolves do not have Librarians as such because of their great abhorrence of psychic abilities, which they equate with foul sorcery; instead the Chapter maintains a number of Rune Priests -- potent psykers who examine the minds of all Aspirants to the Chapter for any sign of Chaotic taint or treachery. Armed and equipped differently from Librarians, Rune Priests do not wear the Psychic Hoods of Librarians, and do not always carry Force Weapons, what the Space Wolves prefer to call Runic Weapons. The Rune Priests, however, are actually quite potent psykers in their own right and as fierce warriors as any man born of Fenris.
 * Venerable Dreadnoughts - The Dreadnoughts of the Space Wolves are generally ancient and wise warriors, who spend a great deal of time in dreamless sleep beneath The Fang. They are only awakened from their deep slumber in times of great need. The Venerable Dreadnoughts of the Space Wolves may sometimes even lead forces of their fellow Astartes into battle in the absence of another capable war leader, or sometimes in deference to their ancient wisdom and extensive tactical experience.
 * Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts - The Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought has an uneasy reputation as a result of the dark and strange history of this combat walker within the ancient VI Legion which was woven into the sagas and legends of the present day Space Wolves Chapter. The Contemptor was never as numerous a pattern within the Space Wolves as it was in some of the other Space Marine Legions of the Great Crusade era, as they favoured the Castraferrum Mars Pattern Mark IVs and Mark Vs from the start due to their robust natures and ease of repair. The Space Wolves' Contemptor Dreadnoughts developed a reputation within the Legion for engaging in excess on the battlefield and unwarranted savagery that stained the character of those interred within the Dreadnoughts' armoured carapace. This infamy became a form of self-fulfilling prophecy in some cases as the superstitious Iron Priests of the Chapter began to inter only elite fallen Astartes who already possessed sagas relating deeds darker than most of their peers in pursuit of the foe. As a result, the few Contemptor Pattern chassis that survived the Fall of Prospero and the heavy losses the Chapter sustained during the Wars of Apostasy of the 36th Millennium still serve, but are always looked upon as troublesome and ill-omened allies at best by the Astartes of the Great Companies. They are valued for their great prowess in combat and always afforded the respect that all Dreadnoughts are due, but are never fully trusted as is normally the due of such living Ancients amongst the Get of Russ.

Non-Astartes Personnel
Like all Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Wolves maintain a sizable army of mortal support staff and specialists who keep the Chapter running. Generally referred to as Bondsmen, the Space Wolves' Chapter Serfs crew the Chapter's warships, man the defences of The Fang, provide medicae staff, repair crews and all the various types of labour that allow the Chapter's warriors to travel and fight the Emperor's many foes.


 * Thralls - -The Thralls make up the majority of the Chapter's serfs and include the many mono-tasked Servitors used by the Iron Priests.
 * Grooms - Grooms are a sub-set of the Chapter's Thralls.
 * Kaerls - -The Kaerls are the armed serfs charged with the defense of the Chapter's vessels and holdings.
 * Huskaerls - The Huskaerls are the field officers of the Kaerls.
 * Rivenmasters - The senior officers of the Kaerls, each Rivenmaster commands a force of five hundred armed Kaerls.
 * Ship Masters - The mortal commanders of the Space Wolves' void vessels are known as Ship Masters, charged with commanding the Chapter's warships in the absence of the Space Wolves themselves.
 * Star-speakers - The Astropaths in service to the Space Wolves are known as Star-speakers.
 * Navigators - Like all Imperial Warp-capable void vessels, the Space Wolves' starships require Navigators to travel the tides of the Warp. The Space Wolves have a long standing alliance with the Navigator House Belisarius to provide guides for the Chapter's voidships. Twenty-four Space Wolves are assigned to House Belisarius as guards and officers, known as Wolfblades, in exchange for the service of an equal number of House Belisarius' most skilled Navigators.

The Great Companies
Due to Russ' defiance in the wake of the Horus Heresy, the structure of his Chapter owes more to his personality and Fenrisian culture than to the formal dictates of the Codex Astartes, which he essentially rejected, though never formally. The Space Wolves are divided into twelve Great Companies (a Great Company being closer in size to an entire normal Space Marine Chapter than the company of 100 Astartes that normally comprises a Chapter's constituent units), with a 13th Company named in honour of a large group of Space Wolves who had disappeared during the Horus Heresy. This 13th Great Company came to represent all the Great Companies in the Space Wolves' history that had been destroyed, lost on campaign or had recanted their oath of loyalty to the Great Wolf. Each of these Great Companies are ruled over by a Wolf Lord (Captain), a warrior-king who in turn is advised by a council of elders, just like the native tribes of Fenris.

Each Great Company is a free-standing body of troops in almost all respects, occupying its own territory in the massive fortress-monastery of the Space Wolves that is built inside a huge mountain known as The Fang, possessing its own equipment, forges and spacecraft, and following its own customs, traditions, and heroes. Usually, a Great Company will make use of the tactics and strategies favoured by their respective Wolf Lord. No two Great Companies wage war in exactly the same way. While some tactics and methods are relatively universal amongst the Sons of Russ, some are significantly different, such as the Great Companies of Wolf Lords Engir Krakendoom and Erik Morkai.

Each Great Company also takes its name from its current Wolf Lord, and also adopts the mythological Fenrisian symbol the new Wolf Lord associates with. When a Wolf Lord dies, another is chosen to replace him from the slain leader's Wolf Guard, causing the Great Company to reinvent itself. Thus, unlike the companies in other Space Marine Chapters, the Great Companies of the Space Wolves do not have fixed heraldry, but change through the ages. During the dark days of the Horus Heresy, the Space Wolves Great Companies were known by their numeric designations in Fenrisian dialect -- Onn (One - First Company), Twa (Two - Second Company), Tra (Three- Third Company) and so forth -- but following the departure of the Wolf King the Chapter ceased with the use of numeric designations. Henceforth, a Great Company would take its name from its current Wolf Lord -- Bjorn Stormwolf's Great Company, for example, is also known as the Stormwolves. There is no fixed size for a Great Company, but each has its own headquarters, spacecraft, armoury, forges and other facilities within the Chapter's massive citadel.

In almost all respects, each Great Company is a separate, self-sufficient brotherhood of warriors, with its own ancient customs, traditions and renowned heroes. When a Wolf Lord is slain, a successor is elected by the old Lord's retinue of Wolf Guard (Honour Guard), and the Great Company takes on his name instead. When elevated to the rank of Wolf Lord, each new commander chooses a symbol from the ancient legends of Fenris as his emblem. This image is borne on the Great Company's banner and repeated on the armour of members of the company. It is not unheard of for a Wolf Lord to change his name to echo the symbol he has taken for his own; for instance, Egil Silverhand took the name Egil Iron Wolf when he chose the mythical beast that lies beneath the mountains as his totem. Though there have been thousands of Wolf Lords over the Space Wolves' long history, many have chosen to repeat sigils used by famous precursors. Amongst the most favoured emblems is that of Drekan the Thunderwolf, who in Fenrisian legend was defeated by Leman Russ. Currently, Bjorn Stormwolf's Great Company carries this device, though it will no doubt recur long after Bjorn has passed into legend.

The Company of the Great Wolf
Unlike most Chapter Masters, the Great Wolf commands his own company. The company of the Great Wolf is effectively another Great Company in itself, but differs from the others in some important respects. This company is host to the Chapter's priesthood -- its Wolf Priests, Iron Priests and Rune Priests -- and other auxiliary elements. These assets and figures of legend are added to other Great Companies as and when the Great Wolf deems it necessary. When a Great Wolf dies, his Great Company first elects a new Wolf Lord -- then the entire Chapter selects his successor from amongst the twelve existing Wolf Lords. To vote, each Space Wolf casts a stone inscribed with a name-rune into the Dragon's Skull in the heart of The Fang. Whichever Lord has the most runestones at the stroke of midnight is elected as the new Great Wolf. These votes are usually carried by a huge margin in favour of one candidate or another, for the Space Wolves value courage, strength and honour over blind loyalty to their Wolf Lord, but should two Lords accrue the same amount of stones, they will fight a duel upon the feasting table of the Great Hall, as Russ and the Emperor once did. The victor, helping his opponent back to his feet, is hailed as the new Great Wolf. The Great Wolf's sigil is always the same -- the Wolf That Stalks Between Stars; the ancient badge of Leman Russ himself and the symbol proudly emblazoned on the Chapter's banner.

The exact strength of the Great Wolf's company can vary. For example, the strength of Strike Force Stormclaw that recently deployed to Alaric Prime in 998.M41 is believed to stand at exactly 200 Battle-Brothers strong. Known officially as the Champions of Fenris, these stalwart warriors also bear the sigil of the Wolf that Stalks Between the Stars. Before his ascension to the position of Great Wolf, Logan Grimnar's Great Company were known as the Night Runners. The Battle-Brothers of the Champions of Fenris can either bear the icon of the Wolf That Stalks Between Stars or the Night Runner, and the latter is usually borne by those venerable warriors that have served with Logan since before his rise to the position of Great Wolf, though these Battle-Brothers are now few and far between. The Great Wolf's company is the largest Great Company in the Chapter, followed closely by the Blackmane Great Company. The Champions of Fenris possess more Wolf Guard than any other Great Company and many of the Great Wolf's elite guard, known as the Kingsguard, have the honour of wearing suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armor and utilise a number of special formations that take advantage of the Terminator Armour and the deadly weapons the Wolf Guard have access to. The Shieldbrothers and Void Claws both specialise in close combat, the former wielding Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields and forming a bodyguard for Logan Grimnar with the Champion Arjac Rockfist at their head. The Void Claws are elite warriors whom wield pairs of matched Wolf Claws.

Order of Battle
The Space Wolves have a unique organisational structure that is quite different from that of a Chapter that follows the dictates of the Codex Astartes. Rather than being made up of 10 companies of 100 Astartes each, the Space Wolves consist of 12 Great Companies which contain Astartes of varying and often irregular strengths. Each Great Company is based in The Fang, the Space Wolves' Fortress-Monastery on Fenris and is led by an officer known as a Wolf Lord, equivalent to a standard Space Marine Captain, who answers only to the Great Wolf, the Chapter Master of the Space Wolves.

Each Great Company is a fully self-contained army, with all the troops, vehicles and wargear necessary to make war, as well as the spacecraft required to transport its troops and vehicles. Each Great Company is far more autonomous than a Codex-compliant Astartes company, and maintains its own forges, traditions and customs. The size of each Great Company is unknown but the Space Wolves Legion was said in ancient times to be one of the smaller Space Marine Legions, which may have affected the present-day Space Wolves if they maintained a similar structure to their forebears of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. As each Great Company now serves as an independent, largely autonomous military force from its fellows, they each maintain a much larger number of Astartes than a Codex-compliant company, which accounts for why the Space Wolves Chapter is far larger than most other Adeptus Astartes units. Each Great Company is made up of a number of Packs that function much like a standard Space Marine Squad. However, their tactical usage varies greatly. Each Pack is unique in that it does not ever receive reinforcements, making the more veteran Packs smaller in number compared to a Pack of inexperienced Blood Claws. Many Blood Claw Packs start with as many as fifteen Astartes. However, losses take their toll, and by the time the members of a Blood Claw Pack become Grey Hunters, normally only 9 or 10 Space Marines are left. As they age, further losses limit the Pack sizes of Long Fangs to just 5 Astartes or less.

One of the 12 Great Companies is that of the Great Wolf, the Space Wolves' Chapter Master. The Company of the Great Wolf has a similar organisation to the other Great Companies, but additionally includes the Chapter's Wolf Priests, Wolf Scouts and Dreadnoughts. Vehicles and aircraft are not listed in each Great Company's organisation as the Space Wolves maintain all of the Chapter's vehicles in a common pool at The Fang, dispensing them as needed to each Great Company depending on the tactical profile of their various assignments. Note: In earlier editions of Warhammer 40,000, the Company of the Great Wolf was a separate body that existed in addition to the 12 Great Companies and essentially acted as a headquarters unit.

The following represents the established order of battle of the Space Wolves Chapter as of 999.M41. Unlike other Adeptus Astartes orders of battle, exact numbers cannot be given, due to the constantly shifting and irregular numbers that are a result of the Space Wolves' unique traditions and way of war.

Great Wolf's Great Company
The Great Company of Logan Grimnar is fanatically loyal to their charismatic and cunning leader. Each warrior is extremely proud of his link to the supreme lord of the Chapter, and constantly vies with his peers for the Old Wolf's favour. Logan Grimnar firmly believes that a battle can be carried by a few heroes in the right place at the right time.

As of 999.M41, this is the current disposition of the Great Wolf's Great Company, known as the "Champions of Fenris":

The Great Companies
As of 999.M41, this is the current disposition of the Space Wolves' Great Companies and their Wolf Lords:


 * Bran Redmaw's Great Company (The Bloodmaws): Bran Redmaw's personal icon is the Bloodied Hunter. The savagery of his company is legendary. Some say the curse of the Wulfen haunts their ranks, for their enemies are often found literally torn to pieces. Yet they are also cunning -- Bran's numerous Grey Hunters will often lie in wait for the foe after the fury of his frontal attack forces their retreat.
 * Engir Krakendoom's Great Company (The Seawolves): Engir Krakendoom's sigil is that of the Sea Wolf. Chosen from the kraken-hunting islanders of the south, his men are dark of skin and temperament. They go to war in armoured transports and assault craft, their Swiftclaw outriders ensuring they reach the foe as an unstoppable tide. Engir has led many a successful quest across the Sea of Stars.
 * Erik Morkai's Great Company (The Sons of Morkai): Named after the Fenrisian wolf-god long before he took the sign of the two-headed beast, Erik Morkai has always been grim and stern of aspect. His company has a great many Wolf Scouts, fellow veterans who appreciate their master's taciturn demeanour and no-nonsense approach. Erik was elected more for his terrifyingly effective methods than his personality -- he invariably solves the problems that come his way with swift and bloody acts of violence. In battle, a large number of the warriors of Erik Morkai's Great Company have a preference for deploying in Carapace Armour rather than regular Power Armour, and most unusual, is that no one in Morkai's company makes use of Terminator Armour. Standing at just over one hundred warriors, the Morkai Great Company is slightly larger than a standard Codex-oriented company and includes a very large number of specialist formations and comparatively few line troops (Tactical Squads). This composition makes the Morkai Great Company an incredibly rapid formation with nearly half the company troops serving as infiltration specialists who are able to lay in wait and ambush the enemy, while the remaining force of the company is possessed with significant speed, which includes; 20 Skyclaws, 10 Swiftclaws and 10 Thunderwolf Cavalry.
 * Gunnar Red Moon's Great Company (The Red Moons): The Wolf of the Red Moon is a skeletal beast that prowls the seven hells, devouring the bodies of the unworthy and yet never growing fat. The Wolf Lord who bears it as his personal symbol, Gunnar Red Moon, is as broad as a menhir and as boastful as a bard. A roaring bear of a man, Gunnar favours his Long Fangs -- veterans possessed of a similar appetite for violence and feasting alike.
 * Harald Deathwolf's Great Company (The Deathwolves): Harald Deathwolf takes the symbol of the Ravening Jaw, icon of the Wolftime -- when Morkai will eat the sun and eternal night will shroud the stars. Harald himself rides to war upon Icetooth, a great grey Thunderwolf. He is the Chapter's foremost hunter, for his senses are so sharp he can smell fear. Harald's Great Company includes a host of lupine beasts, be they flesh and blood or cybernetic construct.
 * Bjorn Stormwolf's Great Company (The Stormwolves): Bjorn Stormwolf is a ruddy mountain of muscle and bellowed impatience. He has taken the Thunderwolf as his symbol, for he too is a creature of ferocity over stealth. When the Stormwolves go to war, they field many heavy weapons, Bikes and Vindicators, for they rejoice in the din of battle more than any other Company.
 * Egil Iron Wolf's Great Company (The Ironwolves): Egil Iron Wolf is a cog-toothed brute made more of metal than flesh. His Great Company is replete with metallic beasts of war. The armoured assaults of Egil's company are famous throughout the Imperium, typified by great roaming packs of vehicles that cut off the prey's escape routes whilst Egil's heavily-armed tanks deliver the fatal blow.
 * Krom Dragongaze's Great Company (The Drakeslayers): Krom Dragongaze has a presence of will so strong that his fiercely loyal Wolf Guard say only the mythical Sun Wolf has a hope of staring him down. Krom loves taking part in all kinds of contests, from the Trial of the Bladed Eye to the rivalries he fosters within his Great Company and without.
 * Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company (The Blackmanes): Perhaps the most talented Wolf Lord of all, Ragnar Blackmane's sheer ferocity is the stuff of legend. Though he is comparatively young, he is without doubt a warrior born -- Ragnar frequently has the honour of leading the Space Wolves' planetary invasions, for his Packs are the undisputed masters of the Drop Pod assault. During their recent deployment to Alaric Prime in 998.M41, the Blackmanes stood at exactly 188 Battle-Brothers, making them the second largest Great Company after the Champions of Fenris. The Blackmane Great Company possessed a surprisingly large number of Blood Claws, Skyclaws, and Swiftclaws -- at eighty-five strong nearly half the company is made up of the youngest of the Space Wolves' Packs, an unusual composition for a Great Company. The Blackmane Great Company specialises in planetary assaults -- Drop Pod assaults in particular -- and is often called on to serve as the spearhead of Chapter assaults. To facilitate this specialty the Blackmane Great Company occasionally utilises modified Thunderhawk Transports who can carry and deploy Drop Pods in place of Rhinos or Land Raiders. This allows the company to rapidly recover or redeploy already landed Drop Pods and launch a secondary assault on additional targets or initiate surprise assaults from low altitude without giving an enemy the advance warning of the pods making atmospheric entry.
 * Sven Bloodhowl's Great Company (The Firehowlers): Sven Bloodhowl's warriors tattoo themselves not only with their volcanic icon, the Fire Breather, but also with runes and scenes from their own sagas. Sven himself is tattooed from head to toe, yet still he requires more room, for his kin prefer to win their victories in the glory of close combat.
 * Kjarl Grimblood's Great Company (The Grimbloods): In Fenrisian myth, the Fire Wolf burns hot without being consumed. Some whisper Kjarl Grimblood bears a gift from his sigil; that he can read the future in the fires of war. True or not, his Company uses many Flamer Weapons, exulting in the smell of cooked flesh.
 * 13th Great Company (The Wulfen): The blank obsidian name-stone set into the Grand Annulus was once that of Jorin Bloodhowl's Great Company, known as the Wulfenkind; they who hounded the Thousand Sons into the Warp during the Horus Heresy. It represents all of the Great Companies across history that have been destroyed in battle, lost on campaign or claimed by dishonour. Only a handful of outsiders know of its existence. The 13th Great Company was lost to the Warp during the Horus Heresy, yet elements of the 13th Great Company survived within the Immaterium and reemerged into realspace during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41. However, the 13th Company is no longer considered to be an official part of the Chapter's order of battle, though its survivors will always be considered Space Wolves.

Pre-Heresy
The Space Wolves Legion's reputation as hunters amongst the Legiones Astartes was matched only by the White Scars, although the tactics of pursuit and the killing blow were enacted similarly by the two both in conception and execution. The Space Wolves valued speed and the surety of their strike as did the White Scars, but favoured more the bloody, relentless wearing down of a foe, much as their namesake of Terran lore. No mercy or honour was offered to the prey, and theirs was a fate of remorseless cruelty after which death seemed as a blessing to many.

Unique Rite of War

 * The Bloodied Claws - The Space Wolves had never shied from the gore-drenched demands of the all-out frontal assault, but in this, as with other facets of their way of war, their unique character and controlled savagery shaped much of what they did when faced with such a dire prospect. To them such battles rested upon a single, terrible moment: the breaking of the line, where one side shattered the other's strength in a single act of unstoppable violence, and all that came afterwards for the forces of the foe was little more than the living body's death after its heart was ripped from it by a bloodied claw.

Post-Heresy
The forces of the Space Wolves have a very different approach to martial strategy from their brother Space Marines. There are several distinct types of squad, or Pack, in each Great Company, and each fulfills a different role in battle. As a Space Wolf progresses through his life, he may rise through the ranks until he is old and his fangs are long. If his bravery and might are without question, he will be asked to join the Wolf Guard, or even become a Wolf Lord himself. Most Space Wolves begin their careers as Blood Claws, hot-headed young warriors who cannot wait to prove themselves, charging in howling Packs at the front lines of the enemy in their efforts to garner personal glory. The Blood Claws are the shock troops of the Space Wolves and spearhead the majority of assaults. If they survive to become mature and capable warriors, they will be elevated to the ranks of the Grey Hunters, tempered by battle but nonetheless to give their lives in the name of honour. When the Space Wolves are truly mature, their hair grey and their canines pronounced, they are likely to be inducted into the Long Fangs, veteran soldiers who are disciplined and steady even in the heat of battle, and hence are entrusted with a Great Company's heavy weapons.

The bravest and strongest of the Space Wolves, after proving themselves in a feat of exceptional valour or martial prowess, may become Wolf Guards. The Wolf Guard either lead less experienced Packs of warriors into battle, or form a retinue for the mightiest warriors of the battleforce, the Wolf Lord. Few can stand against these heroic warriors, equipped as they are with the best wargear in the Great Company's armoury, making them virtually unstoppable in close combat.

The Space Wolves' combat doctrine is unfortunately nowhere near as organised as their brother Chapters. Given that they live for the honour of battle, it is almost certain that the younger Space Wolves will abandon a standard tactical structure in favour of simply rushing headlong at the enemy, howling at the tops of their voices. This has been known to aggravate many allied commanders over the millennia, including Lord Solar Macharius himself, who famously recorded his displeasure in the Tactica Ultimatum. However, far from being uncontrolled berserkers, the Space Wolves as a Chapter simply relish the thrill of close combat above all else. Nonetheless, their battle tactics are undeniably effective; the Space Wolves have fought in a similar manner on a hundred thousand battlefields since their conception, and are unlikely to stop merely to conform to the precepts of the Administratum.

Chapter Beliefs
"I recognize my failing and will be sure to correct it."

- Penitent oath uttered by a Space Wolf Battle-Brother after an officer pointed out a mistake or failing

The Space Wolves are brought up believing in mystic legends and sagas of star-striding wolves, horrendous monsters and mighty heroes. Mistrustful of advanced technology and sorcery alike, the people of Fenris are a brutal but noble people and this bearing is brought to the Chapter by its recruits. Central to their belief system is Leman Russ and the Emperor, known to the Space Wolves as the Allfather, whom they see as the greatest pinnacles of mankind and heroes to inspire valor and honour. The Space Wolves' beliefs are generally regarded with distaste if not outright hostility by the Ecclessiarchy, and seen as backwards, barbaric and superstitious by many others. The Sons of Russ make no excuse for their ways, however, and have come to blows and at times outright warfare with the Ecclessiarchy and others over their beliefs and way of life.

Space Wolves refer to their own souls as threads, for when a Space Wolf dies it is said his thread was severed. In the past, slain Space Wolves were generally burned in a pyre, rather than buried in a crypt. Following the death of a particularly important, high ranking or respected member of the Chapter, a sending away feast is held in his honour. Before the feast, the Great Company Skjald learns stories about the deceased of variable length and nature from every member of the Great Company and retells these tales during a period of ritual feasting with lengthy rest periods between each tale. The sending away feast lasts for an indeterminate amount of time, however long it is necessary to tell all of the Skjald's memorised stories, and as such, can last for solar days or even weeks. During the feast the feasting chamber is sealed and none may enter or leave until the conclusion of the feast. For example, after the death of Heoroth Longfang during the Great Crusade, Tra Company held a feast where 432 separate tales were told. In the present era of the late 41st Millennium, the Space Wolves' dead are interred or burned on the flattened peak of Mount Krakgard, or laid to rest in other locations of significance, such as the Tomb of Garm where the Spear of Russ is held, or the Tomb of Harek Ironhelm on the flank of The Fang.

An ancient tradition of the Chapter dictates that judgements and trials must be conducted on solid ground, not aboard a cold starship sailing through the void. When a judgement must be passed, the Space Wolves will divert to the closest available planet or moon and set down to conduct the trial, pass judgement and, if necessary, perform an execution, on solid earth as the ancient traditions of Fenris demand.

Traditions

 * Eye of Aversions - Known as the Eye of Aversion, this symbol is used by the Space Wolves to ward away evil and sorcery. In battle it is carved into a wall, support or whatever is at hand to mark an area of great danger or heavy enemy opposition. When the danger has been removed or eliminated, the mark is struck out to show the area is clear.
 * Fenrys Hjolda - Known as Rout-Masks, these leather and bone masks were worn by the Space Wolves and their serfs during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, but had largely gone out of use by the time of the First Battle of The Fang in the 32nd Millennium. The masks were intended to scare away Maleficarum (daemons).
 * Primordial Annihilator - The is a term used by the Space Wolves to refer to the fell powers of Chaos.
 * Runes - The Space Wolves Rune Priests use a form of divination known as the Casting of the Runes to tell the future and advise the Chapter's Wolf Lords and Great Wolf on decisions of great importance:
 * Adjarr (Blood)
 * Fengr (The Wolf Within)
 * Gmorl (Fate)
 * Hata (Unknown meaning)
 * Hjarz (Ice-rune)
 * Ragnarok (Ending)
 * Rhozan (Rune to ward against Maleficarum)
 * Sfar (Rune to ward against Maleficarum)
 * Trysk (Ice)
 * Ymr (Unknown meaning)
 * Zhaz (Rune to ward against Maleficarum)

Wolves of Fenrisian Myth
The legacy of the Wolves of Fenris is long and storied, from the days ten millennia past when their Primarch Leman Russ led them in reclaiming the galaxy for Mankind, to the present era of the late 41st Millennium, as they continue to strive to hold the Allfather's realm together in the face of Traitors, daemons and aliens. When they are first inducted into the Chapter, Aspirants are taught about the Twelve Wolves of Fenris -- the legendary wolves of Fenrisian mythology -- which are always beside them in battle, whether at home, on another world or in the stars. Each of the twelve Great Companies takes its symbol and battle style from one of those twelve wolves, each of whom has a different lesson to impart. Noble and honourable warriors, the Space Wolves constantly struggle with the savage spirit that lurks within, including the Thirteenth Wolf, the barbaric Wulfen that haunts their souls.


 * The Blackmane - The Blackmane is the deadliest of all Fenrisian Wolves.
 * The Bloodied Hunter - The Bloodied Hunter is the wolf of the hunt, a feral killer that rejoices in nothing greater than the tracking and killing of prey beneath a full moon.
 * The Dark Wolf - Virtually alone amongst all the wolves of Fenris the Dark Wolf never howls, never growls, silent as the deep cold of the underverse. In Fenrisian mythology, the Dark Wolf stalks the deepest shadows and follows the spirits of the dead, shepherding them into the cold tombs where they are to wait until the final battle of the Wolf Time. Rune Priests often envision the Dark Wolf stalking their threads, ever watching their wyrd for the time when death will take them.
 * Drekan the Thunderwolf - The Thunderwolf exemplifies strength and raw power over subtlety or guile.
 * The Fire Breather - The Fire Breather is a wolf who dwells in one of the largest volcanoes on Fenris and who spews his wrath into the heavens when angered.
 * The Fire Wolf - The Fire Wolf heralds the coming of Fenris' Season of Fire, when the snows melt and the lands rage, islands sink and new ones rise. It is the coming of the Fire Wolf that heralds either glory or doom to the people of Fenris.
 * Freki & Geri the Twin Wolves - Freki and Geri were the Fenrisian Wolf companions of Leman Russ. These wolves represent what can be achieved through brotherhood and teamwork, for the strength of a pack is greater than the sum of its parts and together can defeat foes no single wolf would ever be able to tackle.
 * The Great Devourer - Depicted as a wolf devouring a star, the Great Devourer is an ominous symbol from Fenrisian mythology.
 * Haegr the Mountain Wolf - Haegr the Mountain teaches the Wolves to endure the harshest of elements without complaint, for it is those very same things that forged the Space Wolves into the warriors they are. Haegr endures all and when faced with the worst of environments it is to Haegr that the Space Wolves look to for example.
 * The Ice Wolf - In Fenrisian legend, the Ice Wolf was one of the fiercest of Morkai's dread lieutenants. After the defeat of Morkai, the Ice Wolf attacked Leman Russ and struck him dire blows but was defeated and its corpse was cast into the Eye of the Wolf, the sun around which Fenris orbits. At the end of the struggle, the only remnant of the Ice Wolf left was a single fang embedded in the leg of Leman Russ. The slightest touch of the fang could chill the blood of a mortal man but against the fearsome constitution of the Primarch it was barely an irritant. Russ had the fang forged into a mighty blade for his sons and Svellbrandr serves the Chapter to this day.
 * The Iron Wolf - The Iron Wolf is the spirit of the Forge and the Iron Priests, and this wolf teaches the Sons of Russ the value of craftsmanship and the forge.
 * Lakkan, the Runed Wolf - Lakkan is the totem of the Rune Priests and teaches the mysteries of Runes to those who seek them.
 * Lokyar, The Lone Wolf - The Lone Wolf is the aspect of all Wolf Scouts and this wolf teaches that sometimes Wolves must fight and live alone.
 * Morkai - Morkai is the twin-headed guardian of the Fenrisian underworld. In Fenrisian mythology Morkai was the ruler of the wolves of that frozen world. When Leman Russ came to Fenris, he fought Morkai and his many lieutenants, casting Morkai down to the underworld to stand as its guardian and slaying all of the two-headed wolf's generals who dared face him.
 * The Night Runner - This wolf is often borne as an icon by the Great Companies of the Space Wolves; currently the Great Company of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar bears the Night Runner as it’s original icon.
 * Ranek, the Hidden Wolf - Ranek is the Wolf who stalks the shadows, and teaches the young Wolves the virtues of stealth and hunting, for the fang from the dark is sometimes doubly as wounding as any other.
 * The Sea Wolf - The Sea Wolf is a beast of the deadly Fenrisian oceans, the totem of all those who sail and do battle on the waves.
 * The Spirit Wolf - The Spirit Wolf is the guardian of the soul, invoked by Fenrisians and Space Wolves alike to protect their spirits from corruption and possession when in the presence of maleficarum or when sailing the Sea of Souls (the Warp). Two metal Spirit Wolf totems mark the hull of Logan Grimnar's chariot Stormrider.
 * The Sun Wolf - The Sun Wolf is the Fenrisian Wolf who makes his lair in the heart of Fenris' sun and arises each day to shine his harsh light on the world.
 * Thengir the Wolf King - Thengir represents Fenris and The Fang, the domain of the Space Wolves, the crowning jewel of the Sons of Russ as it towers over the harsh yet majestic domains of Fenris.
 * Torvald the Far-Sighted - Torvald is the Wolf whose eyes see all and miss nothing. This Wolf's teachings instruct young Space Wolves to use their eyes and heads before their blades, for sometimes it is in observation and looking ahead that victory is achieved.
 * Wolf of the Red Moon - The Wolf of the Red Moon is a terrible stalker of the seven hells of Fenris, a skeletal apparition that claims the bodies of the fallen unworthy of entrance into the halls of Morkai.
 * The Wolf that Stalks Between Stars - This Wolf was the totem of Leman Russ and is still the icon born by every Great Wolf. The Stalker Between the Stars teaches the Sons of Russ that wherever they walk, no matter how distant, they bring the glory of Fenris with them.
 * The Wulfen - The Wulfen is the cursed Thirteenth Wolf of Fenrisian lore. Bestial in nature it is this Wolf that the Space Wolves must ever guard themselves against, less their feral natures overcome them and lead them into madness.

Deed Names
Most Space Wolves bear a deed name that is either appended to their given name or replaces it entirely amongst their warrior brethren. Deed names are awarded for particular feats of courage, daring, luck, skill or knowledge. Sometimes they describe an aspect of the warrior, like the bionic Power Fist of Berek Thunderfist, or a childhood amongst wolves, as is the case with Canis Wolfborn, or the physical features of a particular warrior, such as the great shaggy eyebrows of Ulf Blackbrow. Other times a name is awarded for a particular accomplishment such as Njal Stormcaller, who earned his name after driving the Forces of Chaos from the field by summoning a massive storm during the Tokaran War. Another example is Ragnar Blackmane, who is named after the legendary and deadly Blackmane Wolf he slew during his Trial of Morkai. Some deed names do not take great imagination as to how they were acquired, such as the case of the Wulfen-afflicted Wolf Lord Bran Redmaw. Deed names are many and varied, and over time many veteran warriors will acquire more than a few names, each added to the last. Sometimes the new name will replace the old as the common title of the warrior, other times a favorite will remain in use for the rest of the warrior's life, regardless of other titles or deed names he acquires.

Beast-Hunts
During particularly savage winters a Wolf Lord may choose to take his warriors into the wilderness on a beast-hunt. Unarmed, the warriors must hunt the beasts of Fenris with only their wits and skills to aid them and are not allowed to return to The Fang without the carcass of a beast as proof of their deeds. The first to return is usually the Wolf Lord, who takes his place at the head of a feast table. The last to return, dubbed the Tail, serves his Battle-Brothers red meat and blood-laced ale rather than participating in the feast. The ignominy of this position tends to result in a brawl before long.

The Great Hunts
Occasionally the Great Wolf or Rune Priests will see a vision of the lost Primarch, and declare a new Great Hunt. While none of the Great Hunts have resulted in the discovery of Russ, each has accomplished some significant feat. The Second Great Hunt saw the recovery of Russ' sacred armor from the Temple of Horus on the world of Rudra, situated near the dreaded Eye of Terror. The Fourth Great Hunt led to the uncovering of the Corellian Conspiracy, which had been close to taking over the Administratum in a bloody coup for power, while the Ninth Great Hunt saw the destruction of the Genestealer infestations in the Gehenna System. Every time a Great Hunt is called it seems that the lost Primarch has a task in mind for his sons.

Chapter Homeworld
Fenris is the Imperial Death World in the Segmentum Obscurus that is the homeworld and recruiting ground for the Vlka Fenryka, as the Space Wolves are known in their native tongue. It was also the homeworld of the Space Wolves' Primarch Leman Russ. Fenris is the location of The Fang, the Space Wolves' massive fortress-monastery, considered by many Imperial savants the greatest bastion of the Imperium of Man outside of the Imperial Palace on Terra itself. Fenris takes its name from the mythical Norse wolf fathered by the god of tricksters Loki that would assault the Norse gods during the Final Battle of Raganarok. Most of the names of locations on Fenris are also drawn from Norse mythology and the lost languages of Old Earth.

Fenris is situated in the galactic south of the Segmentum Obscurus, at the end of the Warp rift known as the Eye of Terror, from which come the Forces of Chaos to raid and pillage. Fenris thus lies at the forefront of the Imperium's defence against Chaos. The Space Wolves maintain the vigil that began many millennia ago at the close of the Horus Heresy and watch over a hundred other worlds besides. Their demesne stretches far and wide across the scattered stars that girdle the Fenrisian star system, but it is the bitterly cold Death World at its heart that the Space Wolves proudly call home. A planet of fire and ice, dominated by extremes of climate, Fenris is listed in the Apocrypha of Skaros as one of the three most deadly and turbulent worlds inhabited by humanity in the Milky Way Galaxy. Its surface is mostly covered by water and its tiny land masses are no more than islands scattered sparsely upon the ever-churning sea. The single sizable continent, Asaheim, lies at the world's northern polar region. Fenris follows a highly elliptical orbit around its pale K-class sun, called the Wolf's Eye, that takes approximately 2 Terran standard years to complete. This period of time is known as a "Great Year" to the people of Fenris.

For much of each long year the world is remote from even this feeble star and its surface remains deeply frigid. The oceans, known as the Worldsea, freeze over as Fenris draws away from its sun and at its farthest point even the equatorial seas are covered with ice, making the planet appear to be a frozen snowball from orbit. The volcanic activity of the bleak mountains that punctuate the waters are stilled so that at the height of the Fenrisian winter a man can walk between the many isles upon which the Fenrisians dwell. Towards the end of the year, as the planet sweeps close to its sun once more, the Wolf's Eye swells in the sky and the brief spring warms the surface. During this period, the ice retreats to the world's poles and the gargantuan dwellers of the deep waters emerge to enjoy the bounty of sun-spawned plankton, bladefish and other short-lived aquatic fauna. As Fenris reaches the point at which it is closest to its sun, the passage of the planet near the star produces tidal forces that break and twists the sub-oceanic crust, exposing Fenris' molten mantle to the frigid waters. It is then that the time of fire and water has arrived.

With explosive violence the world is torn asunder. Blazing islands rise from the steaming sea spewing flames, with lava pouring down their slopes. Below the surface the waters boil into steam that engulfs Fenris with its sulphurous fumes. Great tidal waves scour the coastlines of Asaheim and the islands. Islands created in the upheavals of preceding years are cast into turmoil by this global transformation. Some endure, but many are broken apart or swallowed by the seas, engulfed in the churning waters and casting their unlucky inhabitants into the deeps. But the great lump of solid granite the Fenrisian tribesmen know as Asaheim always stands fast, a single, changeless continent on a world of fire, ice, ruin and torment. This extreme geography has resulted in the human population of Fenris becoming one composed largely of primitive, nomadic barbarian tribes. The tribes constantly seek secure territory, and as a result skirmishes and feuds over land between rival tribes are common. The people are hardened to the changes in temperature and environmental extremes, and so is the fauna.

Of the resources available on Fenris the most valuable is the land itself. No man knows how much the land will change with the turning of the Great Year. Sometimes old islands survive the changing seasons and good fortune may preserve a tribe's territory intact for many Great Years, but it is more likely that the archipelagos will be broken and destroyed, submerged beneath the oceans by the vast upheavals of Fenris' crust. When this happens there will be vicious wars between the tribes and only those who succeed in finding new land and establishing themselves on it will survive. Once the time of fire and water has passed, the Fenrisians must settle the newly formed lands quickly, for soon their supplies will run out. If they can find no new land they must resume their wars for the territories of other tribes. So it is that the life of a Fenrisian is one of constant seaborne migration and warfare. The people of Fenris speak their own distinct dialect of Low Gothic called Juvjk which is very similar to the ancient Scandinavian languages of Terra and represents the culture of the world's original colonists.

The Fang
Native Fenrisians are used to the pattern of destruction that engulfs their planet every Great Year and have learned to love the endless mutability of their lands with a fierce warrior pride. Only on the northern polar continent of Asaheim are the human populations of Fenris protected from the extreme climate. Here there are many unique creatures not able to live elsewhere on the world. These include massive ice bears, gigantic elk and shaggy mastodons as well as stranger creatures such as the snow trolls, shape-changing doppegangrels and the great white wyrms that burrow through the glaciers and fjords. The deadliest creatures are the native semi-sentient Fenrisian Wolves themselves, for their wits are as sharp as their teeth and the largest of their number is the equal of any of the great predators that slither and stalk through the icy Fenrisian wastes. Yet Asaheim is remote, surrounded by towering cliffs that rise thousands of feet into the air above the seas and separate it from the oceans. Its fabled land mass provides no refuge for those that live beyond its rocky confines. To a Fenrisian tribesman, it is truly the land of the gods.

The Space Wolves' fortress-monastery, known widely across the Imperium as The Fang and the Aett by its inhabitants, is a massive citadel built atop the tallest mountain of Asaheim. This mountain is known by many names, including The Shoulder of The Allfather, and volda hammarki, the World Spine. The Fang is the home base of the Space Wolves and extends into the surrounding mountain range as well as into orbit, drawing energy from the geothermic source of the planet's molten core. The complex includes huge ground-based anti-ship orbital defence laser weapons concealed as nearby peaks, docks at the summit for the Space Wolves' Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers, numerous shrines to the Emperor along the lower slopes, and massive fusion and geothermal reactors deep underground. Outside of Terra itself, the Fang is considered one of the most impregnable fortresses in the galaxy, constructed by the Adeptus Mechanicus during the Great Crusade using technology that has long since been lost. It has never been conquered, although the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion, the Space Wolves' most hated foes, did manage to briefly occupy the outer slopes of The Fang after luring the bulk of the Space Wolves' forces away during the First Battle for The Fang in the 32nd Millennium.

The Shrine of Garm
One of the Space Wolves' most sacred sites, the Shrine of Garm, located on the eponymous world of Garm, is built around the sarcophagus of the legendary Chapter hero of the same name. This mighty hero fought during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, and valiantly gave his life in order to save the life of the Wolf King Leman Russ. In gratitude for Garm's sacrifice the Primarch had built an intricate and lavishly built sarcophagus of astounding detail to recount Garm's deeds and house his remains for all time. Upon the lid of the sarcophagus Russ placed his weapon, the Spear of Russ, a legendary relic of the Chapter upon which countless oaths had been sworn and whose worth to the Chapter and the Imperium was beyond counting. For thousands of standard years the Shrine of Garm was a place of ritual pilgrimage for countless Space Wolves and was garrisoned by a small detachment of Astartes and Kaerls.

When Ragnar Blackmane was still a Blood Claw in the Thunderfists Great Company, a force of Thousand Sons under the command of the vile Sorcerer Lord Maddox attacked the shrine and stole the Spear of Russ. Outraged, the Space Wolves went in force to end the emerging rebellion on Garm and reclaim the spear. At the height of the fighting Ragnar cast the Spear of Russ into the cyclopean eye of an emerging image of the Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red through a Warp portal that had been summoned beneath one of Garm's manufactory cities. Though this act succeeded in closing the portal and winning the battle, the Spear of Russ was lost and Ragnar was exiled to the Wolfblade as punishment. In time, the Space Wolves uncovered a plot by the Thousand Sons to use the spear to bring about the downfall of the Chapter and a strike force containing Ragnar and two of his Wolfblade companions struck at the ritual site. Though it cost the lives of many young Blood Claws and one of the Wolfblades, the Thousand Sons were defeated and the Spear of Russ was reclaimed. Once more the spear now sits safely atop the sarcophagus of Garm and serves as an eternal reminder of duty, honour and sacrifice.

The Temple of the Storm Wolves
Located on the world of Pelius, the Temple of the Storm Wolves was once the resting place of the Fist of Russ, a legendary artefact of the Space Wolves Chapter said to have been wielded by Leman Russ himself. The Fist of Russ was stolen thousands of standard years ago during a raid by unknown xenos and was lost for all time. Since then, many had searched for the Fist, including the Lord Solar Macharius, but none have yet succeeded in locating or reclaiming the artefact. Of the Temple of the Storm Wolves itself, little is known, and it is unclear if the temple even still stands or if it is still garrisoned by the Space Wolves Chapter now that its greatest relic has been lost.

Unknown to the Space Wolves, the world of Demetrius had become home to a radical worship of Leman Russ. The Priests of Demetrius used arcane technology to transform mortal men into lumbering beasts, with hugely oversized muscles, thick growths of white fur, and lupine snouts filled with razor-sharp fangs. The priests and their guards fought fiercely against the Imperial Guard forces of the Macharius Crusade, particularly in the protection of an artefact known as the Fist of Demetrius, an ancient Power Fist the Lord Solar Macharius believed to be, in actuality, the legendary lost Fist of Russ. The artefact was not, in fact, a weapon of the Primarch but was an ancient relic of the Space Wolves Chapter. The Priests of Demetrius claimed the fist had been left in their care by Leman Russ himself during the Great Crusade, and this might have been nothing short of the truth. It would certainly explain the fierce devotion the locals showed to the Space Wolves and the artefact, even if the Astartes had not set foot on the planet in many thousands of Terran years.

Recruitment of a Space Wolf
The act of turning a mortal man -- even one who has managed to thrive in the harsh environs of Fenris and therefore cannot be considered typical -- into one of that world's "Sky Warriors" is a long, arduous and incredibly perilous process. Many that undertake this trial perish. To survive is to prove one's cunning, strength and fortitude beyond question, and to be a worthy successor of Leman Russ' gene-heritage. Like all Astartes, new Space Wolves are recruited in early adolescence, selected from the most able youths of the feral tribes of their homeworld of Fenris. Unlike other Chapters, the Space Wolves have one of the longest and most arduous series of Trials ever crafted to test their Aspirants. On Fenris, strangers stalk the lands of men. In the long halls, tales are told of mysterious, fur-clad wanderers who arrive in the depths of winter and challenge the strongest and most boastful of the Fenrisian tribesmen to bouts of strength and drinking. They are a frightening sight -- huge, burly warriors with burning eyes, who always outwrestle the strongest warriors and outdrink the staunchest. Once they have fought every challenger they pick the most worthy and take them away into the dark, never to be seen again.

When the native tribes of Fenris clash for settling rights of the new islands that have risen from the churning seas, the same strangers can often be seen standing imperiously atop a nearby hill. If a warrior shows the signs of greatness during battle, the strangers may descend from on high and approach him, to the awe of all who witness it. Even should the chosen be on the point of death, the strangers care not. They take their prize with them away into the blizzards, and the youth is never seen again. The tribesmen do not mourn the loss of such a valiant warrior, for they know he has been chosen to live among the gods. The mysterious strangers that select these warriors are actually the Wolf Priests of the Space Wolves, Choosers of the Valiant. The youths they pick will be tested sorely, for if they have true steel in their souls, the legacy of Leman Russ will be implanted in their bodies, and they will ultimately become Space Marines. But such a gift is never given lightly.

Once chosen the Aspirants are taken to training camps such as Russvik, Grimnir and Valksberg. These young Fenrisian tribal warriors form ad hoc units in battle known as Wolfbrothers. At these camps the Aspirants learn and train, engaging in gruelling challenges of skill, endurance and cunning designed to weed out the unworthy. Where other Chapters simply have Aspirants fight until only the strongest stand, the Space Wolves set a more exacting standard. Skill in battle is important, but it is not the only thing that matters in becoming a Wolf of Fenris. The Aspirants are forced to train as teams, working together as Packs to succeed or fail together. These training Packs must face the harshness of nature, the depredations of the wild monsters of Asaheim, and the exacting expectations of the training officers. Only those who have proven themselves worthy are at last brought into the Chapter as Blood Claws.

The Gate of Morkai
Many are the trials which a young warrior must endure before he can join the ranks of the Space Wolves. Each test will try the Fenrisian's wit as well as his strength, and place him in mortal dangers from which he must emerge alive if not unscathed. If an Aspirant survives the first few solar months of training, he must undertake the two Trials of Morkai -- one for each of the wolf-god's heads. For the first of these trials, he will be brought before the council of Rune Priests, who will test his mind as keenly as the Wolf Priests challenged his body. In the very bowels of The Fang lies the Gate of Morkai, a vast portal surrounded by fiery rivers of lava. The wolf-god's image crowns this mighty gate and its carven flanks bear enchanted runes of great power. Once the young warrior has seen the ancient archway, he must pass through it; to back down is as good as admitting weakness or deceit, and the Sky Warriors do not suffer those without purity of heart and purpose to live. As soon as he steps through the Gate of Morkai, the Aspirant's mind belongs to the Rune Priests. They will scour his soul for doubt, impurity and buried temptations -- anything that may be used against a Space Wolf or his Battle-Brothers by the fell and alien powers they will one day face. Only one who can steel himself against such horrors is worthy to call himself a Son of Russ. The exact means by which a candidate is tested will vary according to the individual. Most commonly, an Aspirant will find himself faced with impossible odds in a number of conjured scenarios. Under the spell of the Rune Priests, the young warrior will believe the situation to be reality, and react according to his heart's instincts. Those who fail this test will never wake up from their dreams, for the Rune Priests will scrub their minds and hand them over to the Iron Priests to serve out their lives as Thrall-Servitors. For those that pass, the toughest trial is yet to come.

The Test of Morkai
Although the length and nature of any further trials an Aspirant must endure will differ, the final test is always the same. This is the Test of Morkai, and it will challenge even the hardiest Aspirant to the very limit of his endurance. Some fail this final test and are claimed by Morkai and forgotten. The trial is long, for the warrior is taken a thousand miles into the barren wastes beyond the fortress of The Fang. The Aspirant begins his trial by drinking a strange, heady mixture from the Chapter relic known as the Cup of Wulfen. An ancient legend of the Chapter tells how Leman Russ gave the Cup to his original followers, the first men from Fenris to join the VI Legion, telling them to drink from the Cup. The first man who drank, named Wulfen, was secretly jealous of Russ, drank, and became the first canine mutant known as the Wulfen, an angry amalgamation of the Wolf Spirit and the secret darkness that resided within the heart of the man. He leapt to attack Russ, who throttled him with one hand. Russ then declared that all those who were unworthy of becoming a Space Wolf would become a Wulfen after they drank from the Cup. Russ would allow any of those who had come to turn back from the path before drinking, but none did. Those who drank and survived became the first Space Wolves to be recruited from Fenris.

In truth, when the Aspirant drinks from this Chapter relic, his body absorbs the first and most deadly gene-seed of the Space Wolves -- the unique Canis Helix, the Spirit of the Wolf, which is actually a genetic cocktail drawn from the genome of Leman Russ and used as a catalyst to activate the viral machinery of the Aspirants' gene-seed implants, much as the Blood Angels Chapter's Aspirants drink a minute portion of the blood of their Primarch Sanguinius from the Red Grail to begin their transformation into Space Marines. The frightening potency of the Canis Helix is legendary, and has accounted for the lives of millions of Aspirants as their bodies writhe and churn in anguish. Those it does not kill it transforms into slavering monsters. The Canis Helix is necessary, however, as without this essential part of Leman Russ' heritage the other gene-seed helices cannot be implanted at all. In reality, those Aspirants who are likely to fall prey to the Wulfen mutation inherent within the gene-seed of Leman Russ do not do so after immediately imbibing the Canis Helix mixture, but usually over the solar weeks and months of training that follow afterwards.

Whilst in the throes of transformation, the Aspirant is cast out into the wilderness to make his own way back to The Fang. The introduction of the Primarch's genome and viral machines work hideous changes on the warrior's mind and body; he reverts to a primal state where his bones split and buckle, thick hair sprouts from across his body and his only desire is to gorge on fresh meat and glut himself on blood. His body mass grows by up to eighty percent, many of his bones fuse, and fangs sprout from his gums. Whilst his body is wracked with pain, the warrior must overcome the shadow within him lest it possess him entirely. If he does not, he will become one of the giant, feral mutant creatures known as the Wulfen, those who failed to overcome the curse. To become one of the Wulfen is to fall from grace, and to roam the wilderness for evermore as a creature of the darkest night, or be captured by his former brothers and held as a caged beast until the time is right for them to be set loose in battle.

If the Aspirant manages to find his way back to The Fang despite the ravages wrought upon him and the many perils that lie between him and his goal, he is implanted with the remainder of the Space Wolves' gene-seed, stabilising the genetic sequences of the Canis Helix and completing his apotheosis into a fully-fledged Sky Warrior. The newly-inducted warriors are gifted with the ancient Power Armour of a fallen Wolf-Brother and welcomed into the ranks of one of the 12 Great Companies as a full Battle-Brother. For the Space Wolves, no Astartes is considered a Neophyte, instead each new man has been accepted into their ranks as a full Initiate known as a Blood Claw. With time, it becomes clear that some of these warriors have not completely conquered the Canis Helix's original effects, and in times of great stress they will alter into the bestial state that haunts their soul like a ghastly shadow. This is the Curse of the Wulfen, and it is rightly feared. However, as Space Marines these successful Aspirants will live for hundreds of standard years, if they do not die in battle, and they will voyage through the stars to fight in the Emperor's name. They will battle monstrous Orks and hideous daemons. They will encounter the horrors of the Tyranids and they will endure the indescribable perils of Warpspace. To a man born and raised amongst the barbarian warrior tribes of Fenris, this is indeed a life amongst the gods.

Deathwatch Service
For some Space Wolves, service in the Deathwatch, the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos, offers a unique opportunity to compose new passages in the ongoing saga of their life. While in the ranks of the Deathwatch, the Space Wolf travels to undreamed of places to battle against enemies from nightmare. Often, such enemies are entirely unknown to the Imperium and to the Space Wolf's home Chapter, and he may therefore be the only Space Wolf ever to face one, a proud boast to tell in the mead-halls of The Fang on his return to Fenris. Though many great heroes of the Deathwatch have been drawn from the Space Wolves, it takes a special type of Battle-Brother to leave the extremely close-knit Packs of Fenris to serve alongside strangers from other Astartes Chapters. It is not uncommon therefore for two or more Space Wolves to join a Watch Fortress together, so that they might witness one another's deeds and one can tell the other's tale should he fall in battle. Though Space Wolves are extremely gregarious, if somewhat uncouth to some, they soon come to regard the members of their Kill-team as brothers, treating them as if they too were born of the savage tribes of Fenris. Most Deathwatch Astartes learn to accept the Space Wolves' rough ways, and some even acquire a taste for the Fenrisian Ale invariably brought along. The presence of one or more Space Wolves in the complement of a Watch Fortress can be discerned by the sound of raucous feasting and drinking on the eve of battle, savagely joyous boasts and bold oaths echoing down the usually silent passageways and cloisters. Some find such displays disruptive, but most Watch Commanders soon learn to let the matter be, for Kill-teams including Space Wolves amongst them often become the most effective and coordinated squads the Deathwatch can field.

Relationships with other Imperial Organisations
The Space Wolves are a controversial Chapter within the sordid world of Imperial politics. Logan Grimnar is completely unafraid to defend his Chapter's autonomy and will wage war even against other Imperial institutions if he feels it is just. The Adeptus Ministorum and Inquisition have both attempted to force the Sons of Russ into compliance with a spectacular lack of success. This quarrelsome and fiercely independent attitude has surrounded the Space Wolves with numerous enemies but has also earned the Chapter many stalwart allies and supporters. The legendary reputation and widespread respect of the Great Wolf has led to his position as the foremost Imperial commander during Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade. Standing alongside such valiant leaders as Ursarkar E. Creed of Cadia, the grizzled and venerable Great Wolf helps lead the Imperium's vast armies against the invading Forces of Chaos, hurling the Black Legion and their allies back into the Eye of Terror.

Remembrancer Order and Outsiders
At best, the Remembrancers were a barely indulged nuisance by many Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade. At worst, the Legiones Astartes were openly hostile to their presence. The Space Wolves were among the latter camp. The Sons of Fenris strictly opposed the use of any form of recording during the Great Crusade, preferring the oral traditions of Fenris to more formal written records. The Skjalds of each Company memorised the Sagas of each warrior for retelling during feasts and ceremonies. As the millennia wore on, the Space Wolves have taken to using archives, data-crystals and other recording medium to ensure the knowledge and wisdom of the Chapter is passed on and the ancient and esteemed Dreadnought, Bjorn the Fell-handed, periodically awakens from his long slumber to test the knowledge of the Rune Priests every millennium. A notable exception to the Space Wolves aversion to outsiders was an Imperial Conservator named Kasper Ansbach Hawser, also known as Ahmad Ibn Rustah. Hawser was given unique and virtually unheard of access to The Fang and the Space Wolves themselves during the latter days of the Great Crusade and the beginning of the Horus Heresy, witnessing some of the final battles of the Crusade alongside the warriors of Tra (Third) Company, and was present during the Scouring of Prospero. Hawser was ultimately revealed to have bee unwittingly tainted by the powers of Chaos for many solar decades, acting as one of the Hidden Ones and as an infiltrator to the Space Wolves. Despite his loyalty to the Emperor, the Space Wolves put Hawser in frozen stasis for both his own, and their, protection. His current status is unknown.

In the late 41st Millennium it is not unheard of for visitors to be permitted entry to The Fang, even rarely an Inquisitor who has earned the Chapter's trust. However such visitors and honoured guests are few, and their access limited, as is commonly the case with the more insular Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.

House Belisarius
The Space Wolves maintain a firm alliance with the Navigator House Bellisarius that predates the foundation of the Imperium. House Bellisarius provides the Space Wolves with 24 of their best Navigators in exchange for 24 Space Wolves known as the Wolfblade, to serve as a bodyguard for House Bellisarius' leadership. Assignment to the Wolfblade is a dubious honour and is generally considered an exile of sorts. Individual Battle-Brothers whose quirks prevent them from properly integrating within the Pack structure of the Chapter will most likely soon find themselves seconded to the Wolfblade indefinitely. However a significant number of Space Wolves heroes and leaders have, at one time or another, served as a part of the Wolfblade. Since House Bellisarius is an ancient and powerful Navigator House they maintain their headquarters on Terra, homeworld of Mankind and seat of the Imperium's vast bureaucracies. As such, service in the Wolfblade provides promising Space Wolves with invaluable experience within the world of Imperial politics. Some of the current heroes of the Chapter that have served in the Wolfblade include Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane and the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar himself.

Lord Solar Macharius
No one man since the Emperor Himself walked amongst mortal men has reclaimed more worlds in the name of the Emperor than the Lord Solar Macharius, Warmaster of the Imperium, the Lord High Commander of the Macharian Crusade, the Lord of Emperor's Glory and commander of the Lion Guard. More than a solar decade into his Crusade the Lord Solar Macharius found himself undermined at every turn by the questions of doubters who worried that the Lord Solar was gaining too much power and by disgruntled officials who disliked the Warmaster changing rules established for thousands of standard years. The Administratum and the Departmento Munitorum grew increasingly opposed to Macharius demanding ever greater levels of efficiency, speed and coordination from them, and they disliked the Warmaster cutting through red-tape, circumventing procedure and demanding immediate action. The Imperium's bureaucracy was accustomed to moving at its own pace, following exacting and convoluted procedures and demanding outlandish rituals of conduct, none of which suited the needs of Macharius' ever-growing war machine.

To continue his Crusade without interference the Warmaster knew he would need powerful allies both politically and militarily. He knew what he needed were the Adeptus Astartes. Though many Chapters had involved themselves in the actions of the Crusade already they had done so on their own terms, arriving and departing at will and disdaining any form of coordination with the forces of the Lord Solar. Macharius needed a real alliance with a Space Marine Chapter and the most convenient Chapter available was the Space Wolves. The Lord Solar approached the Great Wolf Ulrik Grimfang through the Chapter's alliance with the Navigator House Belisarius and sought to cement the alliance by gifting Ulrik with an artefact he believed was the legendary Fist of Russ. Ultimately such bribery was unnecessary, as the scope of Macharius' ambitions and expanding campaigns appealed to Ulrik Grimfang greatly. The promise of thousands of battles across hundreds of worlds through dozens of campaigns was something that the Space Wolves simply could not turn down. The Space Wolves' first action in working in conjunction with the forces of Macharius was the Cleansing of Procrastes. The then-Wolf Lord Logan Grimnar led his Great Company to fight alongside Macharius' own Lion Guard against Dark Eldar raiders that infested the remote backwater world of Procrastes.

The Inquisition and The Grey Knights
Relations between the Space Wolves and the Inquisition have ever been cool at best, as the autonomous nature of the Space Marine Chapter being not well-suited to friendship with the secretive and scrutinous nature of the Inquisition. Yet in 444.M41, the relations between the two boiled over into outright conflict in the aftermath of the First War for Armageddon. Having fought furiously and shed much blood in the defence of the valiant people of Armageddon against the vile Forces of Chaos, the Space Wolves were unsurprisingly furious when the Inquisition, led by Inquisitor Lord Kysnaros, decided to forcibly sterilise the Hive World's populace and herd them into work camps to labour until death. The conflict between the Space Wolves and the Inquisition came to be known as the Months of Shame amongst the Chamber Militant Space Marine Chapter of the Ordo Malleus, known as the Grey Knights, and led to the deaths of countless millions of Imperial citizens and the destruction of thousands of outposts and installations across scores of star systems. Yet despite the vast cost in life, the Inquisition failed to prevent the escape of Armageddon's survivors. For every voidship and every regiment silenced, others slipped through their fingers, shielded and dispersed by the relentless Sons of Russ. In the end, Lord Kysnaros was slain, his flagship destroyed, more than a hundred Grey Knights were slaughtered including a Grand Master, the warships of the Red Hunters Chapter were boarded and it took the intervention of the legendary Bjorn the Fell-Handed to end the hostilities. Since driving the Inquisition and their allies from the space around Fenris, the Space Wolves stand as the only Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes not aligned with the Inquisition to know of the existence of the Grey Knights. The Chapter also has a standing policy of firing upon any Inquisition vessel entering the Fenris System without permission. Doubtless there are many within the Holy Ordos who would dearly love to see the Chapter brought to heel, but whether the Grey Knights hold any grudges with the Space Wolves for their losses is unknown. It is likely that Logan Grimnar stands as the only Chapter Master to have slain a Grand Master of the Grey Knights.

The Knight World of Alaric Prime
In the aftermath of the Battle for Alaric Prime, the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar knew the Ordo Malleus would come seeking to purge all witnesses to the daemonic incursion atop Scrap Peak, as he believed the Inquisition would even go so far as to annihilate the very world the Imperium had fought so hard to defend. Grimnar knew well the dangers of the warp and daemonkind, but just like on Armageddon, he would not allow the Inquisition to sacrifice the very people he and his battle-brothers had fought to protect. To protect the Knight World the Great Wolf declared Alaric Prime wargelt of the Space Wolves Chapter, placing the planet under the Chapter's protection. To enforce this decree Grimnar left a permanent detachment of three Chapter vessels and made sure the planet's defences wre prepared to blast any Inquisition vessel that tried to enter orbit without permission from his Chapter vessels in orbit. Sure enough, in the months that followed a vessel of the Ordo Malleus, loaded with cyclonic warheads and veiled from detection by all but the most sophisticated sensors an Inquisition vessel could possess, prepared to enter orbit and enact Exterminatus on the Knight World. The Space Wolf fleet intercepted and drove the ship from orbit, sending it fleeing back to Bakka. Despite this victory it is certain that the matter is far from settled and the fate of the redeployed Cadian survivors is still uncertain, most of them will surely perish at the hands of the Ordo Malleus purge teams but for now at least Alaric Prime still stands.

The 13th Company
"Guard your tongue, whelp, lest I cut it out. I care not for your moon-touched ramblings, nor for the tales of your grandmother. Mark this well - of the 13th Company we do not speak."

- Ulfric Hoodclaw

The Space Wolves' most coveted legend states that the group that came to be known as the Space Wolves' 13th Company was ordered by their Primarch Leman Russ to pursue the Thousand Sons Legion into the Warp, after the failed attempt to eliminate that Traitor Legion on their homeworld of Prospero at the very start of the Horus Heresy. The 13th Company vanished from Imperial records, and their loss is honoured by a black stone in the Grand Annulus (the record of Space Wolf Great Companies).

Just before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, the Primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion, Magnus the Red, sent his astral body through the Warp using the Eldar Webway to reach Terra and warn his father the Emperor of Mankind of the Warmaster Horus' turn to Chaos and his betrayal of the Imperium. Magnus had by then already been unwittingly corrupted by the Chaos God Tzeentch and his psychic intrusion destroyed the psychic barriers around Terra and the Golden Throne. Magnus' arrival on Terra killed all of the human cult members on Prospero who had initiated the spell that allowed Magnus to enter the Webway, drove thousands of people involved in the Emperor's Webway Project on Terra insane because of the phenomenal energies released upon his arrival, killed all of the workers, Adepts and Servitors working on the psychic amplifier known as the Golden Throne and opened dangerous portals through the Warp to Terra, through which daemons and other Warp entities could invade the homeworld of Mankind.

Unfortunately, Magnus' continued use of sorcery was a direct violation on the ban of its use within the Imperium imposed at the Council of Nikaea during the Great Crusade. The Emperor also refused to believe that his beloved son Horus could possibly betray him and mistakenly believed that it was Magnus, not Horus, who had truly betrayed him. The Emperor ordered Leman Russ and his Space Wolves to bring Magnus to Terra to face judgment for his defiance of the Council of Nikaea's ban on the use of sorcery. Horus convinced Leman Russ that it would be a waste of time bringing Magnus to Terra and that he should be killed on Prospero for his defiance of the Emperor's will. The Space Wolves were accompanied by the Sisters of Silence and the Adeptus Custodes and their attack on Prospero proceeded smoothly largely because Magnus refused at first to join the fray, believing that his world and Legion should fall because he had inadvertently allowed himself to become a pawn of the Chaos Gods.

In the final moments of the Battle of Prospero, the Thousand Sons were already reduced to a force of only about 1,000 Space Marines and the Space Wolves, Adeptus Custodes and Sisters of Silence possessed approximately 3,000 warriors combined. The Thousand Sons took shelter in the Pyramid of Photep, the Sanctum of Magnus on Prospero, while their Primarch dueled with Leman Russ outside. The battle between Leman Russ and Magnus was quick and brutal. Magnus drove his fist into Russ' chest, the icy breastplate cracking open with a sound like planets colliding, and shards of ceramite stabbed the Wolf King's heart. In return, Russ snapped Magnus' arm back, and the Thousand Sons sorcerer Ahriman heard it shatter into a thousand pieces. A blade composed of pure psychic energy unsheathed from Magnus' other arm, and he drove it deep into Russ' chest through his shattered Power Armour. The blade burst from Russ' back and the Wolf King loosed a deafening bellow of pain.

Magnus and Leman Russ found themselves locked in battle high above the causeway, the furious horror of their struggle obscured by ethereal fire and bursts of lightning. A flare of black light erupted and Russ cried out in agony. His blade lashed out blindly and struck a fateful blow against his foe's most dreaded weapon: his eye. In an instant, the pyrotechnic cascade of light and fire was extinguished and a stunning silence swept outwards. All motion ceased, and the titans battling on the causeway were no more, each Primarch now restored to his customary stature. Magnus reeled back from the Wolf King, one hand clutched to his eye as his shattered arm crackled with regenerative energies.

As broken and bloodied as Leman Russ was, he was warrior enough to seize his opportunity. He barreled into Magnus and gripped him around the waist like a wrestler, roaring as he lifted his brother's body high above his head. All eyes turned to Russ as he brought Magnus down across his knee, and the sound of the Crimson King's back breaking tore through every Thousand Sons' heart. With the last of his strength, Magnus turned his head, and his ravaged eye found Ahriman. Leman Russ' blade swept down, but before its lethal edge struck, Magnus whispered unnatural syllables. Magnus' body underwent an instantaneous dissolution, its entire structure unmade with a word, and Ahriman gasped as vast and depthless power surged into his body. Then the Thousand Sons, each carrying a crystal from the refracting caves on Prospero, vanished into the Warp at Ahriman's word and were transported to the Planet of the Sorcerers, a Daemon World prepared for them by Tzeentch. Leman Russ then ordered the 13th Company of the Space Wolves to be sent into the Eye of Terror to pursue the Thousand Sons and put an end to their threat to the Imperium once and for all.

The 13th Company's reappearance at the beginning of Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade returned them to realspace for the first time in over 10,000 years. They appear to still be in pursuit of the goal Leman Russ set for them and still desire the destruction of the Thousand Sons at all costs and possess an abiding hatred for sorcery and all forms of psychic powers.

The 13th Company's organisation departs heavily even from the already-independent Space Wolf norms, due to their lack of reinforcements and new recruits, the inability to train members in specialist roles, the lack of heavy equipment, and the effect of having to exist within the Eye of Terror for 10,000 standard years. The core of a 13th Company warband are the Grey Slayers. Similar to Grey Hunters but far beyond them in skill, they fulfill the same tactical roles in battle. Because of the impossibility of recruiting new brethren, there are no Blood Claws in the 13th Company. Each and every Blood Claw of the 13th Company has long since advanced to a higher rank. The Company's assault specialists are the Storm Claws. They are equally experienced, but still more hot-headed and aggressive than the Grey Slayers. The key to the 13th Company's movement through the Warp were its Rune Priests. Because the Eye of Terror unlocked hidden psychic powers in many of the 13th Company's original Astartes, the Company had no shortage of these highly gifted individuals.

Lost Companies
First and foremost the most legendary amongst the Lost Companies of the Space Wolves is the fabled 13th Great Company. During the dark days of the Horus Heresy, the entirety of this company supposedly vanished into the Warp in pursuit of the retreating Traitor Legion forces. Far beyond the eyes of the Imperium the 13th Great Company continued to hunt the Traitors throughout the Eye of Terror for the next ten millennia, only reemerging at long last during Abaddon the Despoiler's 13th Black Crusade, ever in pursuit of the oathbreakers. The first and most obvious way in which a Great Company becomes lost is the damnation of becoming lost in the Warp. This usually occurs when the vessels of a Great Company are caught in a deadly Warp Storm or dragged to their doom by a predator of the Empyrean, their bodies and souls trapped within the Warp for all time. Their vessels sometimes surface ages after their disappearance as ghost ships or as part of a dreaded Space Hulk, chilling reminders of the perils of Warp travel.

The second way in which a Great Company becomes lost is by choice. This seems strange to some in the Imperium but to the Space Wolves it can be a matter of pragmatism. Sometimes a Great Company will find itself so far afield that to return to The Fang would take standard years, if not solar decades. Occasionally a Warp Storm might block any hope of return. In these cases some Wolf Lords choose to forgo any attempt at a return and simply soldier on, campaigning until the last Space Wolf falls. At other times a Wolf Lord may have a fundamental disagreement with the current Great Wolf, and rather than continue in his service, will opt to take those warriors and vessels loyal to him and leave to fight the enemies of the Emperor in whatever way he chooses fit until his warriors' strength is expended.

The last and most insidious way a Great Company can become "lost" is to turn their backs on Russ and the Allfather, becoming pirates, Renegades and Traitors. The worst cases are when a Lost Company wholly embraces the corruption of Chaos. No Chapter speaks easily about those of their number who have fallen to the grip of damnation, but it happens to them all, as only the secretive Grey Knights of the Ordo Malleus can claim to have never had an Astartes fall to the temptations of Chaos. Traitor warriors are hated and reviled by the rest of the Chapter and no sacrifice is too great to see these Heretics destroyed and the honour of the Chapter restored. Several notable examples stand out in recent Chapter history. One is the capture of the Space Wolves' Strike Cruiser Wolf of Fenris by the Red Corsairs Chaos warband at the Battle of Parenxes, sometime after the Badab War. During the battle, the Red Corsairs managed to sway a number of the Space Wolves crew to their side. These Oathbreakers turned against their brothers and helped the Chaos Space Marines seize their own vessel. In reward for their treachery, the turncoat Space Wolves were given command of the Wolf of Fenris and have continued to sail under the command of Huron Blackheart and the banner of his Red Corsairs ever since.

More recently a small Pack of Grey Hunters from the Blackmane Great Company chose to go rogue, stealing a Ryza Pattern system-runner called the Hlaupnir. This Pack of six Battle-Brothers then sailed out on their own. These Grey Hunters have chosen to hunt down leads on a secretive organisation within the greater Adeptas of the Imperium known only as the Fulcrum -- a group they believe is conspiring to destroy the Space Wolves Chapter. If they prove successful in hunting down and eliminating this most dire of threats, they will no doubt be welcomed back to The Fang with open arms, and glorious sagas will be sung of their great victory, their boldness and bravery. Should they fail in their self-appointed task, they will die as Oathbreakers, their names stricken from the sagas of the Chapter. Yet such a decision is not unusual, for the desire to be the outrider, to strike out on one's own recognizance has forever been ingrained amongst those who bear the Canis Helix. This ultimate gamble of not only life, but honour and legend is one that few Sons of Russ can resist.

The Wulfen
The Space Wolves suffer from a flaw in their gene-seed found in the Canis Helix gene sequence of Leman Russ, the genetic catalyst which every Space Wolf Aspirant imbibes from the Cup of Wulfen to begin their transformation into full Astartes. This flaw often leads them to take on many canine traits as they age, such as enlarged canine teeth, yellow eyes and abnormal growths of hair. Unfortunately, in some Space Wolves the mutation proceeds too far and transforms them during the heat and passion of battle into more bestial, wolf-like humanoids. These Space Marines are said to bear the "Mark of the Wulfen" by the other members of the Chapter because they grow elongated canine teeth and bestial claws. The only time that the Space Wolves turn into fully wolf-like humanoid mutants called the Wulfen is when they are exposed to large amounts of Warp energy (such as the Space Wolves' 13th Company in the Eye of Terror). In this case, the metamorphosis is not a Chaotic mutation, but rather a defensive mechanism induced when the Space Wolves' altered DNA is flooded by the power of Chaos, for such bestial mutants actually possess more resistance to Chaotic corruption than standard Astartes. The Space Marines who mutate into Wulfen bear a dim resemblance to the werewolves of ancient human myth in much the same way that certain members of the Blood Angels Chapter who suffer from the Red Thirst desire to ingest blood like the legendary vampire. Space Marines who fully mutate into Wulfen usually escape to the hinterlands of Fenris, or are locked up or sorrowfully put down by their fellow Battle-Brothers. The "Mark of the Wulfen" normally manifests itself at the Neophyte stage of Space Marine development and thus new Space Wolves must spend time during their training in scenarios designed to determine which of their number will suffer from the change.

Though the Space Wolves sometimes use individual Wulfen in battle, the legendary 13th Company use entire packs of the mutants. Each and every member of the 13th Company carries this genetic flaw, and it manifests itself in these Space Wolves at different times. The flaw has manifested itself so strongly in the 13th Company because it was suffused with the influence of Chaos which was rampant in the Warp where the 13th Company was trapped for the last ten millennia. Yet, as noted above, this flaw can also serve as a form of spiritual and biological defence mechanism since beings whose sentience has been compromised tend to be corrupted far less easily by Chaos. As a result, the Space Wolves are exceptionally resistant to the malign influence of Chaos compared even to other Space Marines. It is believed by members of the Adeptus Mechanicus that the 13th Company were only able to remain uncorrupted during their 10,000 year sojourn in the Eye of Terror precisely because they all carried this "flaw".

Heresy Era Personnel

 * Leman Russ - Leman Russ was the Primarch of the Space Wolves who led his Legion to uncounted victories during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. After the Heresy, Russ disappeared during the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension 197 standard years after the Emperor was entombed within the Golden Throne. Overcome by a mysterious vision, Russ gathered his Wolf Guard, save for the youngest, Bjorn the Fell-Handed, and departed The Fang. It is believed by some Astartes amongst the Space Wolves that Russ left Fenris and journeyed into the Eye of Terror.
 * Bjorn the Fell-Handed - Bjorn the Fell-Handed is the oldest Venerable Dreadnought in the Imperium. Bjorn fought alongside Leman Russ during the Horus Heresy and was the only member of Russ' retinue left behind by the Primarch when he disappeared. He became the first Great Wolf of the Chapter after Russ disappeared and led the Space Wolves on the first Great Hunt, the Chapter's epic but fruitless quest to find its lost Primarch, and it was he who reluctantly gave the order to cease the hunt after he was mortally wounded within the Eye of Terror. He believes that Russ will one day return to their Chapter, and he plans on being there to meet the Primarch in person.
 * Wolf Lord Gunnar Gunnhilt, "Shieldbearer of Russ" - Gunnar Gunnhilt, also remembered by his surname of "Lord Gunn" was a mighty Wolf Lord and the Jarl of Onn, the VIth Legion's First Great Company. As Shieldbearer of his Primarch he was the second-in-command of the entire Legion, a solemn duty he carried out with great honour and pride. Gunnar Gunnhilt was justly famed for his aptitude in naval warfare although his tactics always relied upon delievering Space Wolves boarding parties to other vessels and destroy them from within or possibly capture them. From the bridge of his flagship, the mighty Ragnarok, Lord Gunn had proven his worth countless time, but his singlemindedness and sense of honour would see him fail during the fatefull battle in the Alaxxes Nebula. Harried, hunted and cornered by the superior fleet of the Alpha Legion, Gunnhilt's tactics failed to turn the tables on their enemy and his frustration upon this almost led him to disobey the orders of his Primarch. Harbouring considerable ill-will against Bjorn the Fell-Handed whom he considered a rival for Russ' favours, Gunnar Gunnhilt tried to use the Primarch's seclusion to bring the fleet about and engage the Alpha Legion in a glorious, if doomed, last charge. Returning just in the right moment, Russ countermanded his Shieldbearer's orders -- which would have seen the end of the VI Legion -- but understanding that Gunnhilt's heart could not be swayed, he released Gunnar from his oath of servitude. Thus liberated, Gunnar Gunnhilt returned to his ship and ordered his warrior to abandon it and seek refuge onboard the Hrafnkel before sacrificing the Ragnarok on the Alpha Legion's guns. Such was his skills that he destroyed countless smaller vessels and hindered the entire enemy fleet from further pursuing the Space Wolves. With the Ragnarok ablaze from prow to stern, Gunnar ordered it to ram the biggest enemy ship he could locate, tricking it into full-stop which made it for a perfect target. Lord Gunnar Gunnhilt perished onboard the Ragnarok as its engines drove it and its final victim deeper into the corrosive gas-clouds of the Alaxxes Nebula.
 * Wolf Lord Ogvai Ogvai Helmschrot - Jarl of Tra, the 3rd Company during the Great Crusade and nominal Commander of the Space Wolves Legion after the Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula, for Leman Russ had chosen to depart for Terra and seek the council of Malcador the Sigilite.
 * Wolf Lord Hvarl Red-Blade, "The Ravager," "The Headsman of Koltok" - Jarl of For, the 4th Great Company during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras, Havarl Red-Blade had a reputation as a dourly humourous and often choleric-temperamental warrior, whose greatest skills was to be found in the din of war and whose battlefield cunning was something of a legend. Master of his Great Company for more than five decades at the time of the Razing of Prospero, he was a veteran warlord as renowned for his scourging tactics as he was for encouraging the taking of heads from the enemy fallen as a form of competition among his warriors. Each gory trophy was to be accompanied by a tale of how it was taken around the Great Company's fires after battle, and with a grand tale, the head-taker was held of little account and the warrior scorned, and so were his Space Wolves that pushed towards greater reaches of valour. Though considered volatile and perhaps a little insane by his fellow Jarls and Thegns, Hvarl's often striking insights into a foe's plans and motivations made his voice one that was still well-respected in the Einherjar - his Legion's war council - while in battle, his sharp-witted savagery was counted on by his Primarch to leave nothing alive in his Great Company's wake.
 * Wolf Lord Amlodhi Skarssen Skarssensson - Jarl of Fyf, the 5th Company during the Great Crusade. He fought alongside the Thousand Sons Legion on Heliosa during the Ark Reach Campaign. Later, participated in the Burning of Prospero.
 * Wolf Lord Sturgard Joriksson - Jarl of Tra-tra, the 9th Great Company of the Space Wolves Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. He took part in the Razing of Prosopero. Jarl Joriksson's ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Wolf Lord Varald Helsdawn - Jarl of Elleve, the 11th Great Company of the Space Wolves Legion during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. He took part in the Razing of Prosopero. Jarl Helsdawn's ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Wolf Lord Oki, "Scarred" - Jarl of Tolv and successor of Laughing Jaurmag, who was sent to Terra before the Razing of Prospero campaign. Jarl Oki's ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Wolf Lord "Laughing" Jaurmag - Jarl of Tolv, the 12th Great Company of the Space Wolves Legion at the times of the Great Crusade, Chapter Master of the 'Cry of the Grieving Dragon', known also as 'The Shield-gnawers'. Laughing Jaurmag renounced his position as Jarl to accompany a lone squad of Space Wolves, Howl of the Hearthworld, to Terra to watch over the Primarch Rogal Dorn, a task that was perceived as a dishonnour and equal to banishment. Jaurmag got his nickname for his appearant lack of sense of humor for he seldomly participated in the raukous laughter of the Space Wolves.
 * Wolf Lord Hjalmar Stormfist - Hjalmar Stormfist was the Jarl of a large force of the 13th Great Company that emerged from the Eye of Terror during the 13th Black Crusade. He fought during several notable campaigns of the Great Crusade, and disappeared alongside a sizeable force of the 13th Great Company during the Burning of Prospero. He was one of the original "Wolf Brothers" of the Dekk-Tra, having served as one of Leman Russ' warriors before the coming of the Allfather to Fenris during the Great Crusade. He was one of the handful of veteran warriors to survive the implantation process in spite of his age, becoming Dekk-Tra's Standard Bearer. He later reemerged, ten millennia later, as Jarl of a sizable force of the 13th Company from the Eye of Terror during the 13th Black Crusade. But his presence and the fact the he and the rest of his fellow Space Wolves bore ancient marks of Power Armour that had salvaged bits of battle-plate from fallen Chaos Space Marines provoked Inquisitor Lord Karamazov to order a strike force of Sisters of Battle to attack the Space Wolves. In the ensuing battle, Stormfist valiantly fought against the Battle-Sisters, but ultimately met his fate when he was torn limb-from-limb by a Penitent Engine.
 * Wolf Lord Bulveye, "Axeman of Russ" - Bulveye, known as the "Old Wolf," was a Jarl of Dekk-Tra, the Space Wolves lost 13th Great Company. He had fought alongside the Primarch Leman Russ before the coming of the All-father to their homeworld of Fenris. During the Great Crusade he served as Huscarl of Jorin Bloodhowl, the former Jarl of Dekk-Tra. During the Dulan Campaign, when two of the Dekk-Tra's Astartes fell to the Curse of the Wulven, Bulveye secretly tasked both Wolf Priest Ulbrandr Crowhame and Rune Priest Leif Hemligjaga with finding a cure for this genetic affliction. Sometime later, he succeeded Jorin Bloodhowl as Jarl of Dekk-Tra, and commanded the Space Wolves' 954th Expeditionary Fleet. He later fought during the Burning of Prospero, and at the end of the battle disappeared with a large force of the Dekk-Tra into the Warp in pursuit of surviving Thousand Sons Legionaries. Since the dawn of the Imperium, Bulveye had been the Great Company's Jarl, leading the 13th Great Company from Prospero, to the untold horrors of the Eye of Terror, and back into the present age of the late 41st Millennium. Bulveye and a warband of the 13th Company aided a young Ragnar Blackmane, who was serving as a member of the Wolfblade, in the recovery of the Spear of Russ from the Thousand Sons Chaos Sorcerer Madox, staging a distraction to allow Ragnar and his companions to reach the stronghold of the Thousand Sons while most of the Traitor forces were engaged with the 13th Company. Bulveye spoke of Russ, as only one who knew him in life could, and together with his warriors spoke of ten thousand years of struggle within the Eye of Terror, fighting the Forces of Chaos and the daemonic beasts within as they searched for Magnus the Red. His ultimate fate is unknown
 * Wolf Lord Jorin Bloodhowl, "Shieldbearer of Russ" - Ancient contradictory accounts state that it was Jorin Bloodhowl who led the fabled 13th Great Company -- given command by none other than the Primarch, Leman Russ himself. Whether or not this is fact, the truth remains unknown due to the passage of time, missing lore and and contradictory accounts. Though Jorin Bloodhowl may well be a Wolf Lord of the 13th Great Company, it is unknown if he is the senior Wolf Lord, and therefore the true leader of this Great Company. Despite contradictory accounts, Jorin Bloodhowl was indeed once a Jarl of Dekk-Tra. A native Fenrisian, he served as one of the first Einherjar to the formidable warlord Leman, King of the Russ, the lost Primarch and rightful leader of the VI Legion of Astartes before the coming of the Allfather to their world during the Great Crusade. These formidable warriors served as an honour guard to Leman Russ, having been reavers and sword-brothers to their fearsome lord. He would become one of the 'Old Guard', one of the first Fenrisians to be inducted into the VI Legion, and despite warnings from both the Emperor and the Mechanicum, would go on to survive the dangerous process of becoming a Legiones Astartes. Two score of the Einherjar managed to survive and Leman Russ formed them in a new, elite company of warriors. The other warriors of the VI Legion referred to these warriors as the "Greybeards". But the members of this company called themselves the "Wolf Brothers." Jorin joined the other Greybeards, forming the core cadre of the newly created Dekk-Tra (13th) Great Company, who were considered the most honourable Astartes of the Legion and the closest to their Primarch. Jarl Jorin Bloodhowl would go on to serve during many campaigns of the Great Crusade, most notably the Dulan Campaign. His eventual fate is unknown, but at some point before the Burning of Prospero he would pass on leadership of Dekk-Tra to his Huscarl Bulveye.
 * Valief Thunderbrow The first Jarl of Dekk-Tra, Valief Thunderbrow was one of the "Old Guard," an original member of the 13th Great Company who fought alongside Leman Russ before the coming of the All-father to Fenris during the Great Crusade. He was a part of the initial intake of warriors from Fenris that survived the implantation process to become an Astartes despite his age, and he joined Dekk-Tra, becoming its first Jarl. His ultimate fate is unknown, but at some point during the Great Crusade he was succeeded by Jorin Bloodhowl as Jarl.
 * Wolf Lord Hirkon Grail - Ancient contradictory accounts also state that it was Hirkon Grail who led the fabled 13th Great Company. But once again, the truth cannot be ascertained with any certainty. He is more than likely one of the remaining Wolf Lords of the original 13th Great Company, when it was at its original Chapter-sized strength.
 * Wolf Lord Garm - Garm is one of the first and greatest of the Wolf Lords who rose to fight alongside Leman Russ during the Great Crusade. Garm fell in battle on the world that carries his name to defend the Space Wolves' Primarch. He was honoured with a shrine-tomb on that world called the Shrine of Garm's Skull. The Spear of Russ was entrusted to the Shrine of Garm's Skull and worked into the ornate sarcophagus of Garm himself. It is said that the shrine still carries a measure of the Primarch's power and many of the Space Wolves who make the pilgrimage to the shrine leave changed in mind, heart and soul. The shrine has a permanent garrison of Space Wolves to protect it from looters and invaders. It is a great honour within the Chapter to be selected to serve for a time as an honour guard for the shrine.
 * Varagyr Thegn Ortheln of the Blood-Worm - One of the hundred-strong Varagyr retinue which accompanied the Wolf King during the Razing of Prospero and the fighting at Tizca, Ortheln saw combat throughout the anomalous event known as the 'Impossible Battle'. After-action reports filed with the Divisio Militaris and even a stanza in the Fenrisian ' Saga of Prospero ' list Ortheln among the dead, yet in the campaigns following the Prosperine Crusade, he appears very much alive and active in the ranks of the First Great Company. According to several eye witnesses and the oral saga, Ortheln was slain in the last few moments of the battle, one of the few Space Wolves to have breached the walls of the Pyramid of Photep, locked in combat with members of the Thousand Sons Scarab Occult. This confusing anomaly has been put down to the influence of the Thousand Sons sorcery that occluded the fleet's sensors and warped the weather, though as the Horus Heresy erupted, Ortheln is present at a surprising number of incidents involving aberrant Warp activity. His ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Terminator Thegn Thorwal King's-Bane - Thorwal King's-Bane was served in the Twelfth Great Company during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. He was one of the very few fortunate individuals who received the rare Tartaros Pattern Terminator Armour just before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy. He was a part of the Prosperine Censure Host and took part in the epic Battle of Tizca. The Twelfth was known for its bloody predilection for engaging in firefights at cut-throat range, having earned the epithet the ' Shield Gnawers ' for its belligerence and impetuous assaults. He was a part of the body of warriors who were deemed ideal for the combat trials of the new armour, with the first such action occurring in the final year of the 30th Millennium. The fighting on Xantriss proved both the capabilities of the armour as well as the bloodthirsty nature of the Twelfth Great Company. Initially a disciplinary action targeting a battalion of rogue Imperial Army troops, it escalated into a full-scale purge conducted across the remote feral moon the battalion had claimed for its own, culminating with the execution of the Imperial Army colonel turned king. The battle, fought predominantly through the subterranean passageways of the inhospitable moon, established the Tartaros pattern's reputation for a high degree of manoeuvrability compared to previous patterns.
 * Speaker of the Dead Ulbrandr Crowhame - Ulbrandr was a Wolf Priest of Dekk-Tra during the Great Crusade. When two Legionaries succumbed to the Curse of the Wulfen during the Dulan Campaign, Ulbrandr examined the bodies of the Legionaries through dissection but was unable to discern an adequate physiological explanation for their condition. Both he and Rune Priest Leif Hemligjaga were tasked by Huscarl Bulveye with finding a cure for this genetic deficiency. His ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Caster of Runes Torvald - Rune Priest of the 13th Great Company. Known as Torvald the Reaver of Red Kraken Hold. This mighty Son of Russ was one of the Space Wolves' first Rune Priests. He fought by the side of Russ himself during the Great Crusade and has been Wolf Lord Bulveye's lieutenant since that bygone era. His ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Caster of Runes Asmund - Admund was a Rune Priest who fought in Dekk-Tra as a part of the Censure Host during the Fall of Prospero.
 * Caster of Runes Leif Hemligjaga - Leif Hemligjaga was a Rune Priest of Dekk-Tra during the Great Crusade. When two Legionaries succumbed to the Curse of the Wulfen during the Dulan Campaign, Leif examined the bodies of the Astartes and determined they were free of maleficarum. Both he and Wolf Priest Ulbrandr Crowhame were tasked by Huscarl Bulveye with finding a cure for this genetic deficiency. Like the rest of Dekk-Tra, Leif would later disappear during the Fall of Prospero while battling against the Thousand Sons. He would later emerge ten millennia later as part of the 13th Great Company force led by Jarl Hjalmar Stormfist from the Eye of Terror during the 13th Black Crusade. His presence, along with the fact that he and his fellow Space Wolves were wearing salvaged battle-plate from Chaos Space Marines, provoked Inquisitor Lord Karamazov into ordering a strike force of Sisters of Battle to attack them.
 * Caster of Runes Priest Ohthere Wyrdmake - Rune Priest of the Space Wolves during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. Ohthere befriended Ahriman of the Thousand Sons in an attempt to learn about the sorcerous tenets of the Legion and spoke against the Thousand Sons on that basis during the Council of Nikea.
 * Caster of Runes Kva "Who-is-Divided" - Kva was a powerful and experienced Rune Priest who had the ear of Leman Russ himself during the time of the Horus Heresy, and especially during the fateful battle in the Alaxxes Nebula. Far too old to be made a Space Marine, the broken form of Kva was augmented as best as could be done to allow him to follow and guide his Primarch amongst the stars. Kva was always accompanied by his two guardians, the Runewardens, two twin Astartes that were also his trainees in the matters of the runes. It would be Kva who would capture Ormand and thus uncover the Dark Angels presence in the Alaxxes Nebula. It was also Kva that finally convinced Leman Russ to take Bjorn the Fell-Handed into his inner circle.
 * Priest of Iron Slejek Blademaker - Slejek Blademaker was the Space Wolves' Master of Forges and senior Iron Priest at the times of Leman Russ and the Horus Heresy. As such, his domains were the forge-levels of Hrafnkels -- the Space Wolves' flagship -- where he would toil to arm and equip the Astartes of the Vlka Fenryka. He is remembered as a talented weaponmaker and a pragmatic person whose dry voice was prompt to give into laughter. He remains famed for having refused to interrupt his works to forge a new weapon for Bjorn the Fell-Handed, even mocking him for his lack of patience and telling him to get in line like the others who had need of his crafts.
 * Haraal - A Wolf Guard of Jarl Jorin Bloodfang during the Great Crusade. He was one of two Astartes that succumbed to the Curse of the Wulfen during the Ynniu Void Battle of the Dulan Campaign.
 * Lars – One of Bulveye's Wolf Guard, he was described as a fearsome warrior. He was decapitated by a Dark Eldar lord whilst fighting on the world of Antimon during the Great Crusade.
 * Geigor Fell-Hand - Geigor Fell-Hand was one of the "Old Guard," an original member of the 13th Great Company who fought alongside Leman Russ before the coming of the Allfather to Fenris during the Great Crusade. He was a part of the initial intake of warriors from Fenris that survived the implantation process to become an Astartes despite his age, and he joined Dekk-Tra. He quickly rose through the ranks to become the Company Champion of Dekk-Tra. Known for his hatred of sorcery, he was given command of Dekk-Tra's Blooded Claws during the Burning of Prospero. Though he cautioned his Jarl, Bulveye, on the follies of following the Thousand Sons through the mystical portals they utilised to travel across Prospero, his warnings fell on deaf ears. Geigor's ultimate fate following this campaign is unknown.
 * Pack Master Arvan Woundweaver - With the treachery of four Primarchs confirmed at the beginning of the dark days known as the Horus Heresy, Leman Russ and Malcador the Sigilite decided to despatch several squads of "honour guards" of the fiercest warriors the Space Wolves could offer to ensure the remaining Primarch's loyalties. Arvan Woundweaver was one of those tasked with this mission, he and his pack were charged by the Wolf King himself to join the XIX Legion and watch over Corvus Corax; however the Raven Guard being famed for their stealth, Woundweaver could not locate the Primarch and erred for five long years aboard his ship. The VI Legion had established a series of well hidden and well-defended outposts in several dead systems that were being used as armouries and it was during one of their resupply stops that the enemy reared its ugly head in the form of a Cruiser of the heretic Sons of Horus, the Warmaster's own scum. With three members of his squad choosing this ill-fated moment to fall prey to the curse of the Wulfen, Woundweaver had no other choice than to put them down and seclude himself in the outpost's central keep. Sending his abandoned ship on an automated course as a bottle into a fathomless ocean, the seven remaining Space Wolves entrenched themselves in the station's keep and battled the Sons of Horus which had landed their own troops. Fortunately for Woundweaver, his drifting ship was discovered a few weeks later by the Fearless, a Raven Guard Light Cruiser commanded by Lieutenant Navar Hef of the Raptors-contingent. Arvan Woundweaver's saga was abruptly cut short when the plan he had devised to slay the besieging Sons of Horus backfired. He and his squad are believed to have become locked down in combat and thus unable to evacuate the compound before its Plasma Reactor went critical and vaporised Traitors and Space Wolves alike.
 * Pack Leader Dagmar - One of Bulveye's Pack leaders in the 13th Company.
 * Pack Leader Mjollnir - Leader of a Wolf Guard Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Thorlief - Leader of a Wolf Guard Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Skirnir - Leader of a Wolf Guard Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Guntor - Pack Leader of the Fenris Bloods during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Kolbyr - Pack Leader of a Hunter Support Squad during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Sigfasti - Pack Leader of a Seeker Squad during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Thorbrand - Pack Leader of a Hunter Squad during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Ragvard - Pack Leader of a Sky Claw Assault Squad during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Horgun - Leader of a Blood Claw Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Jorlund - Pack Leader of a Hunter Support Squad during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Garan - Leader of a Blood Claw Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Jortan - Leader of a Stalker Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Davyn - Leader of a Fire Team during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Ansuarr - Leader of a Blood Claw Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Leiknir - Leader of a Wulfen Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Tammikk - Leader of a Wulfen Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Ornulfer - Pack Leader of a Hunter Squad during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Aldrim - Pack Leader of a Hunter Squad during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Leiknir - Leader of a Wulfen Pack during the Horus Heresy.
 * Patrekr the Great Fanged - Hero of the Space Wolves during the Horus Heresy.
 * Pack Leader Kargir - Kargir was the Sergent of the 19th squad of the 12th Company, or as a native Fenrisian would say Thirteen Stars Falling, then of Howl of the Hearthworld, the most veteran squad of Tolv. Thirteen Stars Falling was a remnant of a forgotten age, the last of the first generation of Fenrisians to have stayed a squad-commander and fought hard to remain so. When Leman Russ selected Kargir's squad as a Watch Pack, to act as bodyguards and watchers over Rogal Dorn, the Primarch of the Imperial Fists Legion, Kargir voiced his discontent with this decision but dared not disobey an order from his own Primarch.
 * Bavdir - Bavdir was one of the "Old Guard," an original member of the 13th Great Company who fought alongside Leman Russ before the coming of the Allfather to Fenris during the Great Crusade. He was a part of the initial intake of warriors from Fenris that survived the implantation process to become a Legiones Astartes despite his age, and joined Dekk-Tra. Bavdir fought during the Burning of Prospero. His ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Dagmar - Dagmar was one of the "Old Guard," the initial intake of warriors of Fenris that joined Dekk-Tra during the Great Crusade. He fought during the Burning of Prospero. He later emerged ten millennia later, serving as one of Jarl Bulveye's Pack leaders in Dekk-Tra. His ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Halvdan Bale-eye - Halvdan Bale-eye was one of the "Old Guard," an original member of the 13th Great Company who fought alongside Leman Russ before the coming of the Allfather to Fenris during the Great Crusade. He was a part of the initial intake of warriors from Fenris that survived the implantation process to become a Legiones Astartes despite his age, and joined Dekk-Tra. In the early days of the Great Crusade, Halvdan was Bulveye's chief lieutenant. He was a grim, brooding figure even at the best of times. Halvdan's left eye socket was seamed and uneven, the bone broken by a sword stroke that had put out the eye as well. He survived the terrible wound and had disdained an eye-patch afterwards, using the empty socket to unnerve foes and shipmates alike during his raiding days on Fenris. When he became a Space Marine he had it replaced with the unblinking lens of an augmetic eye. Halvdan fought during the Burning of Prospero. It is not known if he lived past the days of the Horus Heresy.
 * Jorllon - Jorllon was one of the "Old Guard," the initial intake of warriors of Fenris that joined Dekk-Tra during the Great Crusade. He fought during the Burning of Prospero. His ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Jurgen - One of the "Old Guard," the initial intake of warriors of Fenris that joined Dekk-Tra during the Great Crusade, Jurgen was a lean and rangy Wolf Brother of that Great Company. He wore his black hair cropped short and had adopted the Terran tradition of shaving his chin, earning no small amount of jibes from his pack-mates. He fought during the Burning of Prospero. His ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Krodus - Krodus was one of the "Old Guard," the initial intake of warriors of Fenris that joined Dekk-Tra during the Great Crusade. He fought during the Burning of Prospero. His ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Vangun - Vangun was one of the "Old Guard," the initial intake of warriors of Fenris that joined Dekk-Tra during the Great Crusade. He fought during the Burning of Prospero. His ultimate fate is unknown.
 * Othgar - Commander of the Haukr, one of six sub-Warp interceptors of Grimur Red Iron's hunt.
 * Ranulf – Ranulf is a Space Wolves Stormbird pilot, and one of Bulveye's pack-mates.
 * Veteran Legionary Isem - Serving in Thelm's Warband in the Second Great Company, Veteran Legionary Isem was known to have taken part in the Razing of Prospero. By this time, the Second bore a reputation for vicious efficiency in war, and much of that Great Company was engaged in campaigns against Hrud migration fleets in the galactic south-west at the time of the Prospero campaign, where their skills were put to bloody work. Thus, of its nominal strength of 10,000, only 800 were able to join Leman Russ' crusade, largely operating as reconnaissance and line breaker formations in the tangled streets of Old Tizca. Many of the Second were still equipped with the older Mk II pattern armour of the early Great Crusade, eschewing the option to requisition newer wargear in favour of the armour in which they had conquered a galaxy. These suits were much modified from the base pattern, having been in service for nearly two centuries in some of the oldest examples, and many bore exotic decorations and honour markings as evidence of their long service. His ultimate fate remains unknown.
 * Legionary Hruga- Legionary Hruga, known as the Karic of the Norn's Warband, served in the Space Wolves Eighth Great Company during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. He was a part of the Prosperine Censure Host that took part in the Razing of Prospero in 004.M31. Legionary Hruga and the bulk of the Eighth Great Company spent the earliest stages of the fighting on Prospero engaged in combat with Imperial Army elements at the Palatinate Mansions. Unlike the fighting against the lightly equipped Spireguard infantry, the troops entrenched within the Mansions' walls had access to the full panoply of the Great Crusade's vast armoury and proved more serious opposition for the reavers of the Eighth Great Company. Hruga and the other members of his war band were tasked with the reduction of enemy self-propelled guns and armour, a mission complicated by the relative lack of heavy support weaponry among the Eighth. Utilising the ornamental hedgerows, culverts and canals of the Mansions' gardens to assault enemy positions, Hruga and his companions used melta bombs and other improvised explosives to disable and cripple  the Medusas and the ironically named Leman Russ battle tanks arrayed against them.
 * Long Fang Freyr - A Space Wolves Long Fang during the Horus Heresy.
 * Eldthursar Har Skrinn - A Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, Har Skrinn, known as the Flame Lord of the Sons of Ymir, was an Ancient of the infamous Thirteenth Great Company. Also known as the Sons of Muspel and the Destroyers of Worlds, the Eldthursar are the most violent of the Sons of Ymir, as the Space Wolves style their Dreadnought cadres. Most often these warriors have suffered terribly before being placed within the Dreadnought's sarcophagus and the pain of their death drives them to bouts of killing mania when left conscious. Rarely are they awoken unless the Legion requires the utter annihilation of the enemy, for these war engines are not subtle weapons. Eldthursar Skrinn was destroyed during the fighting on Prospero when his berserk fury drove him to stand against the immense power of the Canis Vertex, yet even after his metal body was laid low by the Titan, the Eldthursar continued to twitch and claw impotently at the churning heavens, his fury unquenched even in his final death.
 * Hrimthursar Aesir - Legion Dreadnought in service during the Horus Heresy.
 * Hrimthursar Arn Therod - A Legion Leviathan Pattern Siege Dreadnought known as the Ice Lord of the Sons of Ymir, Hrimthursar Arn Therod was an Ancient of the Fourth Great Company during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras. Renowned among even the bitter ranks of the Hrimthursar for his grim demeanour and unremitting wrath, Therod was among those present for the sundering of the Acropolis Magna's gates and the slaughter of all within. The systematic slaughter of the Prosperine Guard, whose weapons proved little more than annoyances to Therod's Dreadnought shell, continued for some hours before the Ancient deemed his  work complete.
 * Hrimthursar Ymir - Legion Dreadnought in service during the Horus Heresy.

Post-Heresy Era Personnel

 * Great Wolf Logan Grimnar - Logan Grimnar is the current Great Wolf of the Space Wolves Space Marines Chapter. He is one of the most belligerent and headstrong Chapter Masters in the Imperium of Man, as well as perhaps the greatest Wolf Lord of all time. He remains loyal to the Emperor of Mankind and the great Primarch of the Space Wolves, Leman Russ. Grimnar has been the Chapter Master of the Space Wolves for over 700 standard years and is one of the oldest Chapter Masters of a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter. Like his fellow Space Marines, Grimnar is a fearsome warrior with great martial pride. He has led his Great Company against many enemies of the Imperium and has shown a renowned thirst for battle, which some say, even rivals that of their legendary Primarch Leman Russ. Logan, or the "Old Wolf" as he is known by his brethren, is an extremely powerful warrior who will always fight to the end in pursuit of what he believes in; both in the name of the Emperor and for the lives of his beloved Space Wolves.
 * Great Wolf Sigvald Grimhammer - Sigvald Grimhammer was Logan Grimnar's direct predecessor as as the Great Wolf of the Chapter. The reigning Great Wolf was murdered upon the battlefields of Xor by a Dark Eldar Succubus. Wolf Priest Ulrik puts Logan Grimnar's name forward as his successor. Despite many of his fellow Wolf Lords being centuries older than him, amazingly there is no resistance to Logan's ascension, and when the runestones are counted every vote has been cast in Grimnar's favour.
 * Great Wolf Anakron Silvermane - Anakron Silvermane was the reigning Great Wolf of the Space Wolves Chapter four centuries earlier (during the 500's-M41). His final stand took place nearly four Terran centuries ago on the world of Melkior where his command post came under a surprise assault by an Eldar warhost. Logan Grimnar and Wolf Guard Pack Leader Hakon both participated in the battle.
 * Great Wolf Gerrod Redbeard - Gerrod Redbeard served as the reigning Great Wolf sometime during the early 41st Millennia. It was during a Great Feast of Gerrod Redbeard that Inquisitor Bastalek Grim used an eidetic memory coil to record the Sagas recounted during the feast and later publish them in the infamous work he called ' The War of the Giants '.
 * Great Wolf Ulrik Grimfang - Ulrik Grimfang was the reigning Great Wolf during the Macharian Crusade era (392-399.M41). During this time, he was approached through his Chapter's connections to the Navigator House Belisarius to form an alliance with Lord Solar Macharius to lend their military and political support to the great Imperial commander's ongoing crusade. Wishing to cement his alliance with the Space Wolves, Macharius gifted the Chapter with an ancient artefact he believed to be the Fist of Russ. Unfortunately, the relic had been stolen by the insidious Dark Eldar. Once the Great Wolf learned this, he agreed to take part in the liberation of a beleaguered Imperial world in the Procrastes System that the Dark Eldar were currently ravaging. A Great Company of Space Wolves, under the command of Wolf Lord Logan Grimnar, were sent to Macharius to take part in the campaign. Ironically, the Space Wolves would have been more than willing to join Macharius' cause with the promise of glory and conquest and the reaping of souls for the Allfather, rather than extravagant gifts or backroom dealings, which were unnecessary to win their support. Ultimately, the so-called Fist was not the actual relic.
 * Great Wolf Fenrik Grimheart - Great Wolf Grimheart led the Space Wolves to victory in the Battle of Balinor, one of the Chapter's most renowned battles of the 38th Millennium.
 * Great Wolf Harald Stormwolf - Harald Stormwolf was the reigning Great Wolf during the Second Battle for The Fang in the 36th Millennium. He famously defended the Space Wolves' home world of Fenris from the invading forces of the Apostate Cardinal Bucharis during the bleak era known as the Plague of Unbelief. For three standard years the fanatical armies of Bucharis pounded upon the gates of The Fang. When they faced the final assault by Bucharis' forces, they were saved from certain death by the timely arrival of Wolf Lord Kyrl Grimblood and his Great Company, who smashed into the flanks of the enemy forces and decimated the invaders.
 * Great Wolf Oberik Kelman - The 23rd Great Wolf of the Space Wolves Chapter, Oberik Kelman was a famously temperamental man, given to terrifying rages when frustrated. A statue of him resides within The Fang's great Hall of Battles.
 * Great Wolf Arvek Hren Kjarlkskar - Great Wolf successor of Harek Ironhelm following his death during the First Battle of The Fang in the 32nd Millennium.
 * Great Wolf Harek Eireik "Ironhelm" Eireiksson - Harek Eireik Eireksson was a Great Wolf of the Chapter during the 32nd Millennium. He was also known as "Ironhelm" due to the cybernetic implants he received within his skull. Throughout his years as Great Wolf, Harek became obsessed with hunting down Magnus the Red, for Magnus was able to escape him time and time again. Ultimately, Eireksson fell in battle against that Daemon Primarch during the final day of the First Battle of The Fang.
 * Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane - Ragnar Blackmane is the youngest Wolf Lord in the Space Wolves' history and the protagonist of the Space Wolf novel series. Blackmane's Great Company frequently has the honour of leading the Space Wolves' planetary assaults, a role at which Ragnar and his warriors excel, for his packs are the undisputed masters of the Drop Pod assaults known as the Claws of Russ. He is the only Space Wolf to become a Wolf Lord without first becoming a Grey Hunter. Blackmane is the current Champion of the Chapter and bearer of the Wolf Helm of Russ, which he presented to Ulrik the Slayer as a sign of respect. Blackmane prevented the return of the Thousand Sons Legion to the world of Garm, a planet sacred to the Space Wolves because it was the home of the Shrine of Garm's Skull, by casting the Spear of Russ into a Warp Gate, an action which for a time earned him the bitter enmity of his fellow Battle-Brothers before his actions earned redemption.
 * Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist - Berek Thunderfist was the Wolf Lord of the Great Company to which Ragnar Blackmane was originally assigned and served as a teacher and an inspiration for the young Blood Claw at the time. Berek was a legendary warrior within the Chapter, named after his bionic hand and his preferred use of an overcharged Power Fist that crackled with lightning in battle.
 * Wolf Lord Sigrid Trollbane - The principal rival of the popular Berek Thunderfist, Sigrid was a more devious political animal and tactician and did little to hide his desire to attain the rank of Great Wolf.
 * Wolf Lord Kvalnir Silverclaw - Kvalnir Silverclaw was the Wolf Lord of the Silverclaws Great Company. One of the longest serving Wolf Lords in the history of the Space Wolves, his long and distinguished career spanned five centuries. As a Blood Claw and Grey Hunter, Kvalnir performed with the honour and valour worthy of a Space Wolf. But he hardly looked like Wolf Lord material, that is until he was promoted to the venerable ranks of the Long Fangs. Only then did it seem the spirit of Russ seemed to flow through Kvalnir with renewed vigour. Kvalnir quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant, spending a century leading his own Long Fang pack. During the Fifth Great Hunt, the Space Wolves pushed the foul hordes of Chaos further into the Eye of Terror. The Space Wolves were in embittered fighting with their hated enemy, the Thousand Sons. During the height of the campaign, the Silverclaws, then led by Jaegar Silverclaw, were driving the Thousand Sons with the spirit of Russ behind them. But they were led into a cunning trap, for out of the Warp, the Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red appeared. Summoning foul denizens of Tzeentch from the Empyrean, the Silverclaws were soon beset and were forced to fall back. The Wolf Lord fought valiantly, but was eventually slain by the eldritch magic of the Crimson King. Though faced with overwhelming numbers, Kvalnir knew if the attack failed the entire Space Wolf campaign would be at risk. Kvalnir ordered his Long Fangs to stand firm, and from their position they poured heavy weapons fire upon the innumerable Chaos Spawn. Slowly the fell creatures began to retreat, while Runepriests managed to close the summoned Warp gate. The rest of the Silverclaws rallied around Kvalnir and resurged to win the battle and drive the Thousand Sons further into the Eye and evict them from yet another world. Due to the tragedy of losing the entire Wolf Guard, Logan Grimnar bestowed the honour of Wolf Lord upon Kvalnir for showing great courage and leadership and saving the Wolves of Fenris from almost certain defeat. Allowed to chose his own totem, Kvalnir opted to instead keep the name of Silverclaw for the Great Company. Since he had led his Great Company to victory in the Great Hunt, so the Silverclaws they would remain.
 * Wolf Lord Jaegar Silverclaw - Former Wolf Lord of the Silverclaws Great Company. He, along with the entirety of his Wolf Guard, were slain during the Fifth Great Hunt by Magnus the Red after his Great Company was led into a cunning trap by the Space Wolves' hated enemies, the Thousand Sons.
 * Wolf Lord Sven Bloodhowl - Current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. Sven has embraced the sign of the Fire Breather, a volcano that lies a hundred leagues north of The Fang. Bloodhowl goes to war amidst a great horde of close combat specialists, breathing flame into the ranks of their foe. The warriors of Bloodhowl's Great Company tattoo themselves with runes, interlacing designs and scenes from their own sagas. Sven's own saga is so extensive that every inch of his body is tattooed. He has taken to using the skins of his victims as a canvas with which to chronicle his latest deeds.
 * Wolf Lord Harald Deathwolf - Current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. Deathwolf has taken the symbol of the Ravening Jaw, which symbolises the Wolftime -- the end of all things -- when Morkai will eat the sun and eternal night will shroud the stars. Harald himself rides to battle upon the great grey wolf, Icetooth. It is said that Harld's senses are so sharp he can smell the fear of his prey from several leagues distance. His Great Company goes to war accompanied by a host of lupine beasts, be they flesh and blood, cybernetic construct or even the spirits of loyal companions.
 * Wolf Lord Krom Dragongaze - Current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. Krom's sigil is that of the Sun Wolf, who makes the belly of the sun his lair, and attacks Fenris anew with every dawn. Known as the "Fierce-eye", his presence and sheer force of will can be petrifying to a lesser man. He keeps a great many Wolf Guard in his Company, for the Fierce-eye believes that valour should be rewarded wherever it is to be found.
 * Wolf Lord Kjarl Grimblood - Current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. Kjarl Grimblood is a fierce rival of Sven Bloodhowl. He and his Great Company bear the sigil of the Fire Wolf. In Fenrisian myth the Fire Wolf burns without being consumed, and it is his voice of flame that melts the snows and thaws the glaciers before each season. They say that Kjarl's foresight is so supernaturally acute that it is whispered that he possesses the Gift, able to see the future in the flames. His Great Company favours a great many flame weapons, boasting no fewer than twelve Land Raider Redeemers. His Grey Hunters have a special rite of passage -- once they have killed his prey with flame, they have earned the right to paint their face with blood before each battle, the crimson flames upon their countenance marking them as a Red Hunter for all to see.
 * Wolf Lord Egil Iron Wolf - Current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. Egil has taken the totem of the Iron Wolf. In Fenrisian mythology, the Iron Wolf lies dormant beneath the continent of Asaheim, a beast so vast that the mountains are the fur on his back and the seams of metal within them are his veins. Egil's company is famous across the Fenris System for its armoured assaults, with the Iron Wolf himself riding at the head of each assault in a personalised Land Raider.
 * Wolf Lord Engir Krakendoom - Current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. Born of hardy stock, his people are dark of skin and temperament. Engir comes from a proud line of warlords who rule over the southernmost isles of Fenris. Accomplished explorers and oarsmen, they ply the infested oceans of Fenris in search of sea monsters. It is said Engir was given the name Krakendoom after he was borne under the waves by a giant, many-limbed sea devil. When they eventually surfaced, Engir alone roared in triumph. He has taken the sigil of the Sea Wolf. His Great Company prefers to go to war in armoured transports, and boasts many Swiftclaws that act as outriders for the main force. His Great Company excels in ship-to-ship conflicts and boarding actions.
 * Wolf Lord Erik Morkai - Current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. Named after the Deathwolf long before he took the sign of the two-headed beast, Erik has always been grim and stern of aspect. His Great Company boasts many Wolf Scouts. Fellow Veterans appreciate their master's taciturn demeanour and no-nonsense approach. He has a tendency to solve problems with swift and bloody acts of violence. His more stable twin, Irnist the Wise, left Erik's side to serve as a Rune Priest to the Great Wolf; an act for which Erik has never truly forgiven him.
 * Wolf Lord Bran Redmaw - Known as the Curs'd Lord, Wulfen-Kin and The Bloodied Hunter, Bran Redmaw serves as the current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. He and his Great Company are looked upon with suspicion by the other 11 Wolf Lords, for they are regarded as tainted. More Space Wolves bearing the Curse of the Wulfen serve alongside Redmaw's company than in any other. The unspoken truth is that Redmaw has risen to become a Wolf Lord despite himself being afflicted with the curse.
 * Wolf Lord Gunnar Red Moon - Current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. The Wolf of the Red Moon is a terrible god of vengeance in Fenrisian society; a great skeletal beast that prowls the Seven Hells, eternally devouring the bodies of the unworthy and yet never growing fat. A broad, roaring, laughing bear of a man, Gunnar favours his Long Fangs more than most, for he reasons that Veterans make the best companions in the feast hall as well as upon the battlefield. Red Moon's Great Company saw considerable service in the Jericho Reach. They were especially active along the Eastern Fringe for several years, and at the opening of the Achilus Crusade, a detachment was sent to bolster Space Marine numbers in the opening battles. The Packs of this force took part in dozens of operations over the course of three standard years, before being recalled to their Great Company to counter Chaos incursions coreward of the Calixis Sector.
 * Wolf Lord Bjorn Stormwolf - Current Wolf Lord of one of the Chapter's Great Companies. Bjorn's Great Company is notable for their noisy, intimidating splendour on the battlefield. He has taken the Thunderwolf as his symbol, for he too is a creature of might and ferocity over stealth. This Wolf Lord's spectacular assaults reflect his impatient and aggressive nature, and invariably include lots of heavy weapons, Bike Squads and Vindicators. The Great Wolf employs Bjorn's company for frontal assaults rather than stealth missions.
 * Wolf Lord Gnyrll Bluetooth - In 999.M41, Bluetooth was the commander of the Strike Cruiser Wolf of Fenris. Lured into a trap, the Renegade Space Marines warband known as the Red Corsairs ambushed the Space Wolves' warship and boarded it. Wolf Lord Gnyrll Bluetooth fought the infamous Chaos Lord Huron Blackheart in hand-to-hand combat on the bridge of the Strike Cruiser. Unfortunately, Gnyrll was no match for the Chaos Lord and was torn apart by Huron's Power Claws. The Wolf of Fenris became one of Huron Blackheart's greatest prizes.
 * Wolf Lord Sigvald Deathgranter - A Wolf Lord who played a crucial role in capturing the vital manufactoria of Junkatta during the Imperial campaign known as the Crusade of Fire during the late 41st Millennium. Fighting alongside the Imperial Fists Chapter, Deathgranter led his Space Wolves into the heart of the traitorous Forces of Chaos, battling both Chaos Space Marines and Traitor Guardsmen. Following the success of this battle, the Space Wolves next descended upon the world of Alfrost, but were attacked by a large Dark Eldar raiding party. Though Deathgranter slew the Dark Eldar Succubus, he was captured by her vile handmaidens and taken back to Commorragh. However, the wily Wolf Lord managed to escape his brutal captors and would eventually return to the Imperial lines to lead his Space Wolves during the Crusade once more.
 * Wolf Lord Hrothgar Ironblade - Wolf Lord Ironblade captured the Mars-class Battlecruiser The Resolute, an Imperial warship that had formerly served in the Battlefleet Obscuras but had joined the Arch-Heretic Vortigern during the Alphalus Insurrection of the late 39th Millennium. With his great voidship lost, Lord Ironblade took control of the Resolute during the Battle of Sestus Proxima and returned it to the service of the Imperium under the new name Fist of Russ. Despite the objections of the Imperial Navy, the Space Wolves retained the vessel and it continued to serve the Great Company up through the command of Berek Thunderfist.
 * Wolf Lord Svengar the Red - In 912.M41, Svengar the Red and his Great Company sailed through a wyrmhole in search of their lost Primarch, but soon found themselves beyond the rim of the galaxy, past even the Ghost Stars. Pressing on through the empty void, they eventually discovered a distant orb. Expecting trouble, they instead found a civilisation of tall, fair people who lived in an opulent luxury of their own making, far from war and the confusion of the galactic core. Though initially they were relieved to find a base of operations, their elation soon turned to terror when the Space Wolves realised that their hosts were not human at all. Though they fought bravely, Svengar and his men were never seen again.
 * Wolf Lord Sven Ironhand - In 815.M41, Wolf Lord Ironhand led his Great Company into exile in the Eastern Fringe, forswearing his oaths. The Great Wolf Logan Grimnar declared Ironhand Renegade and ordered a new Great Company formed to replace the Ironhand Great Company. Sven Ironhand is only one of many Wolf Lords that have led their Companies away from The Fang and become "Lost" but he is noted as the most recent to have done so.
 * Wolf Lord Finn Goresson - Known for being famously stubborn and ferocious, despite being vastly outnumbered, Goresson immediately diverted his meagre fleet to face the titanic flagship of WAAAGH! Godstompa, a converted Space Hulk, in 739.M41. Finn was initially victorious in his early engagements, at one point driving the armoured prow of his Strike Cruiser straight into the weak point of the Ork Superkrooza Longtoof and out the other side, breaking it in two. His warships were dwarfed by the Space Hulk Starkrusha, however, and suffered serious losses from its firepower. The Wolf Lord valiantly ordered his flagship to slam into the maw-like launch bays of the Hulk and lead his Great Company in a sustained boarding action against the Ork horde inside. The resultant war in the bowels of the Starkrusha lasted for the best part of six solar months, but nonetheless Finn eventually emerged triumphant, Godstompa's severed head hung from his belt.
 * Wolf Lord Kyrl Grimblood - A mighty Wolf Lord during the 36th Millennium, Kyrl Grimblood held a place of honour within the Chapter's Hall of Heroes, for it was he and his Great Company that saved Fenris at a time of ultimate peril. Though Grimblood fought in a thousand or more battles and personally slew countless enemies of Mankind, in delivering The Fang, and by extension all Fenris, from the clutches of Cardinal Bucharis' Renegade armies during the Plague of Unbelief, Kyrl restored hope to the floundering Imperium and heralded the end to the tyranny and oppression that had been ravaging the Emperor's domain.
 * Wolf Lord Hef Icenheart - Wolf Lord during the Age of Apostasy in the 36th Millennium.
 * Wolf Lord Borek Salvrgrim - Wolf Lord of the 2nd Great Company during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Wolf Lord Morskarl - Wolf Lord of the 3rd Great Company during the 32nd Millennium. He was known for wearing an archaic Heresy-era face mask.
 * Wolf Lord Egial Vraksson - Wolf Lord of the 5th Great Company during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Wolf Lord Lord Rjak - Jarl of the 6th Great Company during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Wolf Lord Rekki Oirreisson - Wolf Lord of the 7th Great Company during the 32nd Millennium, a hirsute monster with a heavy jawline and bunched shoulders.
 * Wolf Lord Gunnlaug - Jarl of the 8th Great Company during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Wolf Lord Hoskuld - Jarl of the 9th Great Company during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Wolf Lord Thorlakk - Jarl of the 10th Great Company during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Wolf Lord Ulfar - Jarl of the 11th Great Company during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Wolf Lord Vaer Greyloc - Wolf Lord Vaer Greyloc was the Jarl of the 12th Great Company during the early 32nd Millennium. Not known for his camaraderie, Greyloc was a lean, agile hunter. Pale of skin and white of hair with eyes the colour of cold steel, Greyloc was often likened to a ghost and was known by his deed name "White Wolf." Unusually for a Space Wolf, Greyloc bore a Fenrisian axe from his time as a mortal tribesman named Frengir. Though the Wolf Priests frowned upon such practices, and the blade was made of regular iron and thus far too soft for a Space Marine to wield in battle, the Wolf Lord had kept the blade pristine over the long years. During the First Battle of The Fang, Wolf Lord Greyloc chose to wear a mighty suit of Terminator Armour and wield a pair of Wolf Claws against the Thousand Sons interlopers. The prowess and majesty of Wolf Lord Greyloc during this famous battle were worthy of many Sagas, as the White Wolf led the defence of The Aett, including the defence at Sunrising Gate, fighting tirelessly to hold back the enemy in the defence of Borek's Seal and finally fighting free to confront the Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red himself in the upper reaches of The Fang. Greyloc, Sturmhjart and the 12th Great Company's two surviving Wolf Guard fought peerlessly against the fallen Primarch, and managed to wound the mighty being grievously before they were all finally felled. Greyloc was the last to fall before Ironhelm himself arrived to battle the Crimson King. Alas, Ironhelm would also eventually be cast down and have his two hearts torn out by the foul Traitor.
 * Wolf Lord Oja Arkenjaw - Previous Jarl of the 12th Great Company before Vaer Greyloc.
 * Wolf Lord Osric Three-Fists - Osric was as famed for the ugliness of his mien as he was for his victories in battle. He had the honour to lead a Great Hunt, which was ambushed by a massive Chaos warfleet as the hunt neared its end. Osric's ship, Voidfang, was crippled by the Chaos flagship Storm of Hate. Despite the severe disadvantage, Osric led his warriors out the Voidfang's airlocks and assaulted the Chaos flagship. Despite barely thirty warriors making it to the hull of the Chaotic ship, the Space Wolves succeeded in hammering their way inside, slaughtering a path to the bridge and turning the Chaos vessel's guns against the rest of the Chaos fleet. This act of insane bravado secured victory from certain defeat and is the epitome of the tenacity and determination displayed by the Space Wolves in the face of extreme odds.
 * Rune Priest Njal Stormcaller - Called the Tempest that Walks, Njal Stormcaller is the Space Wolves' greatest Rune Priest (Librarian). He has proven to be of unparalleled ability both as an Astartes warrior and a formidable psyker without peer. In battle he is accompanied by his companion Nightwing, the Psyber-Raven.
 * Rune Priest Irnist the Wise - A Rune Priest of the Chapter, Irnist the Wise is the twin brother to Erik Morkai and advisor to the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar.
 * Rune Priest Hrothgar - Rune Priest who currently serves with Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Rune Priest Lauf Cloudbreaker - Rune Priest during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Rune Priest Skalf Halfhand - Rune Priest during the 32nd Millennium, he helped defend the Space Wolves' fortress-monastery during the First Battle of The Fang from the hated Thousand Sons Traitor Legion. Skalf's role within the Chapter would go on to far outlive Great Wolf Harek Ironhelm, who died at the hands of the Daemon-Primarch Magnus the Red.
 * Rune Priest Odain Sturmhjart - Rune Priest during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Wolf Priest Ulrik the Slayer - Also known as Grandfather Lupus and the Guardian of the Sons of Russ, Ulrik is the Wolf High Priest of the Space Wolves Chapter and is the oldest of all living Space Wolves other than the Chapter's venerable Dreadnoughts. His great mane is white as the slopes of Asaheim on the Space Wolves' Chapter homeworld of Fenris. Legend has it that Ulrik is older even than the mighty Logan Grimnar, the current Great Wolf of the Chapter, who has fought in the name of the Emperor for over 700 Terran years.
 * Wolf Priest Ranek Icewalker - Wolf Priest of the Chapter. Ranek was the Wolf Priest who chose Ragnar Blackmane to become a Neophyte of the Chapter and first saw greatness in him. Ranek was Blackmane's friend and mentor and was one of the few Space Wolves to praise Blackmane for losing the Spear of Russ to prevent the emergence of the Thousand Sons Daemon Primarch, Magnus the Red, from the Warp on the world of Garm. He has remained the youngest Wolf Lord's close mentor and confidante.
 * Wolf Priest Sigurd - A young Wolf Priest, Sigurd fought alongside Ragnar Blackmane during his time in the Wolf Blade and would later fight alongside him when he became the Wolf Lord of his own Great Company. While initially at odds with Blackmane, Sigurd learned to value Ragnar's abilities as a warrior and a leader and is now amongst that Wolf Lord's most trusted officers.
 * Wolf Priest Vagnai Ravenmane - Wolf Priest who recorded the re-telling of Russ' disappearance by Bjorn the Fell-Handed in the 35th Millennium.
 * Wolf Priest Thrar "Wyrmblade" Hraldir - Haldir was a Wolf Priest during the 32nd Millennium. He was instrumental in the creation of the genetic alteration program known as The Tempering -- the effort to expunge the genetic deficiencies of the Space Wolves' gene-seed, in particular the Canis Helix, in order to create new Successor Chapters. He had come closer than any other since the time of the Emperor himself at understanding the nature of the Canis Helix. During the First Battle of The Fang, he confronted the Thousand Sons Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red and was slain. With his death, the secrets of the Space Wolves' gene-seed and how to remove the taint of the Curse of the Wulfen died with him.
 * Wolf Priest Sternhammer, Warden of the Lost - A warrior known only as Sternhammer to the defenders of the Cadian Gate came to represent all the actions of the Space Wolves' lost 13th Company during the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41 falling on the foul Forces of Chaos mercilessly and then withdrawing before any Imperial force could make successful contact. Sternhammer was reported to have been in a great many different war zones light years apart from each other, leading a band of bestial warriors that he would unleash like giant hunting hounds upon the foe. He was reported to have saved the 143rd Cadian Regiment at Cadmus Binary. Alongside a powerful Wolf Lord, this Wulfen Guard slew the Night Lords Chaos Lord Sinax. Only a few days later and five light years away, Sternhammer was reportedly sighted once more, leading a boarding action aboard an Imperial Navy vessel that resulted in the scuttling of the Light of Fatidicus, so that the enemy would not capture it. More than a hundred victories were attributed to Wolf Priest Sternhammer and his warbands. Whether they were the same band, or many, and whether Sternhammer led them all himself is unknown, but the Defenders of the Cadian Gate remain both heartened and terrified at the memory of the mournful howls of the Wulfen he led into combat.
 * Iron Priest Rorik - A senior member of the Chapter's Iron Priests, Rorik serves as an advisor to the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar.
 * Iron Priest Jurgen - Iron Priest currently serving with Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Iron Priest Ulf Blackbrow - At the Battle of Rust World, the Rune Priest Njal Stormcaller saved the life of Iron Priest Ulf Blackbrow from the jaws of Morkai with a deadly accurate axe throw. The great blacksmith, a fierce man who did not like to owe anything to anyone, repaid the debt by forging Njal the psyber-raven Nightwing that has saved Njal's life more than once, pecking out the eyes of those enemies that dare attack his master.
 * Iron Priest Harl Greyweaver - Harl Greyweaver is an Iron Priest who has been seconded to the elite xenos-hunting Deathwatch -- the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos. He has been the Forge Master of Watch Fortress Erioch in the Jericho Reach since his predecessor answered a summons to serve the Achilus Crusade a decade ago. He is notoriously intolerant of other Chapter's brands of tech-craft, but his efficacy in conjuring the tools of war is so great that no one has yet been able to oust him. Every piece of xenotech adopted into the Deathwatch arsenal since his arrival has been so grudgingly.
 * Iron Priest Garjek Arfang - Iron Priest that served in the 12th Great Company during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Iron Priest Horgan Steelsoul - A Space Wolves Iron Priest who served during the 32nd Millennium. He helped to defend The Fang during the First Battle of the Fang against the hated Thousand Sons Traitor Legion. The duty of awakening the ancient and revered Bjorn the Fell-Handed fell to Steelsoul, who at that time, was a young Iron Priest who shadowed the noble Bjorn since his awakening during the defence of The Fang.
 * Iron Priest Berensson Gassijk Rendmar - Senior Iron Priest during the 32nd Millennium.
 * Iron Priest Fergus Forgrim - Legendary Iron Priest who crafted the first Frost Blade, called Frostfang, which is currently wielded by Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane. Renowned as a master craftsman and worker of metals, Forgrim fashioned the chain blade of Frostfang from a rare and unknown metal, which increased its lethality in battle. Unfortunately with the death of the revered and ancient Iron Priest, the secret of his techniques in the blade's forging were lost to the Chapter for all time.
 * Wolf Guard Arjac Rockfist - Arjac Rockfist, also known as The Man-Mountain, Grimnar's Champion and the Anvil of Fenris, is the personal champion of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar. Arjac was formally a blacksmith of the Bear Claw tribe of Fenris, whose true skills lie not in the forge, but in the crucible of battle. His incredible strength and fortitude so impressed the Great Wolf that he was made his personal champion even before he was inducted into the Space Wolves.
 * Wolf Guard Havard - Member of Logan Grimnar's Bodyguard.
 * Wolf Guard Holger - Leader of a Grey Hunter Pack in Logan Grimnar's Great Company.
 * Wolf Guard Per - Member of Logan Grimnar's Bodyguard.
 * Wolf Guard Lars Helltongue - Personal Herald of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar.
 * Wolf Guard Red Erik - Member of Ragnar Blackmane's bodyguard, killed fighting the Thousand Sons on Hesperida.
 * Wolf Guard Liet - Member of Logan Grimnar's Bodyguard.
 * Wolf Guard Olaf - Member of Logan Grimnar's Bodyguard.
 * Wolf Guard Mikal Sternmark - Wolf Guard Champion to Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist, Mikal had to take charge of the Thunderfist Great Company during the Charys Campaign. At the height of the fighting and the sorcerous influence of the Thousand Sons Mikal succumbed to the call of the Wulfen and in a fit of rage slaughtered the Imperial General Lady Commander Athelstane. He was placed under the care of the Wolf Priests for some time, but returned to serve as Berek's Champion one last time in his final stand and died at the side of his Wolf Lord. Mikal wielded the relic Power Sword Redclaw.
 * Wolf Guard Thorin Shieldsplitter - Former Champion of the Thunderfist Company, the aging Thorin was replaced by the upcoming Mikal Sternmark but remained a loyal and dependable warrior. During the Charys Campaign it was Thorin who stood over the bier of the Wolf Lord Thunderfist with his two-handed Power Axe, prepared to defend the comatose Wolf Lord with his life if need be, and should he recognize death as imminent, his task was to trigger the Melta-charges planted within Berek's bier and make sure that the enemy would not get the chance to sully the body of the Wolf Lord.
 * Wolf Guard Horgrim - Wolf Guard to Berek Thunderfist.
 * Wolf Guard Bjorn - Member of Mikal Sternmark's Wolf Guard Terminator Pack during the Charys Campaign.
 * Wolf Guard Haakon - Member of Mikal Sternmark's Wolf Guard Terminator Pack during the Charys Campaign. Haakon was armed with a massive Cyclone Missile Launcher mounted to his back and after it ran out of missiles used the targeter built into his left fist to guide his Battle-Brothers' aim.
 * Wolf Guard Ranulf Ironfang - Ranulf Ironfang currently serves as one of Grimnar's elite Kingsguard. Ranulf was a member of the Iron Blood tribe before the Sky Warriors took him, and grew up on stories of the legendary Captain Grimnar and his fearless crew of raiders. Ranulf first came to the attention of Logan Grimnar on the battlefields of Rygan II, the Space Wolves arriving to defend the planet from a massive Dark Eldar raid. Then a Grey Hunter, Ranulf was among a handful of Space Wolves thought lost during the frenzied fighting in Rygan's Maze-city. Only some solar months later did the Chapter discover that the foul Eldar had taken their Battle-Brothers to Commorragh and subjected them to unimaginable trials of blood and death. From this hell Ranulf escaped, something virtually unheard of in the sparse Imperial records of that forbidden realm, and a feat that earned him a place in the ranks of Grimnar's Wolf Guard. In the near ceaseless gladiatorial bouts of the arenas he had received countless scars and injuries, among them the loss of one of his fangs, smashed from his mouth by an enraged Ork Warboss. Thereafter, its iron-forged replacement would become his namesake. With over four centuries of war under his belt, Ranulf has seen it all, done it all, and killed most of it to boot. His crackling frost blade has tasted the blood of thousands, but his greatest foe -- and the one that almost finished him -- was the Chaos Champion known as Voidheart. The traitor took Ranulf's eye, though the old Wolf Guard lopped off his foe's arm in trade. Voidheart is still out there somewhere, and Ironfang swears there will be a reckoning.
 * Wolf Guard Gunnar Redhammer - Gunnar Redhammer currently serves as one of the Great Wolf's personal Kingsguard. The skjalds say of Gunnar Redhammer that the fiery heart of a Blood Claw still beats in his breast. Certainly this massive, feral warrior has a temper that would cause an ice troll to quail, and is never shy about setting it loose. Though he must, on occasion, be restrained by his cooler-headed comrades, in battle Redhammer lives up to his name. Gunnar carves a red path of ruin through his enemies with his Thunder Hammer's every meteoric swing.
 * Wolf Guard Ulli Dragonsmote - Ulli Dragonsmote currently serves as one of the Great Wolf's personal Kingsguard. From a young age, the warrior who would become known as the Dragonsmote had a fascination with fire. Before ascending to the ranks of the Sky Warriors, Ulli would fight his tribe's foes with a flaming axe, dipping its blade into kraken's oil before battle and setting it alight. It was this spectacle that first caught the eye of Ulrik the Slayer on the day of Ulli's choosing. This fascination with fire persisted throughout Dragonsmote's time as a Blood Claw and then as a Grey Hunter, where he wielded his squad's Flamer with unsettling glee. When his ascension to the Wolf Guard came, it seemed only fitting this perennial fire-wielder be accorded the honour of bearing his squad's Heavy Flamer. This he has done ever since, bathing his foes in searing death and responding to their frantic screams of pain with his own joyous howls.
 * Wolf Guard Skard Frostmane - Skard Frostmane currently serves as one of the Great Wolf's personal Kingsguard. Frostmane was so named for his preference for fighting amid the fury of the Fenrisian snows. An expert hunter and tracker, Skard prefers to do battle as the Thunderwolf does, his crackling Wolf Claws taking the place of his totem-beast's claw-jagged paws. In battle, Frostmane will circle his foes searching for a weakness, using concealing snows or dense mists whenever possible to veil his approach.
 * Wolf Guard Ingvarr Thunderbrow - Ingvarr Thunderbrow currently serves as one of the Great Wolf's personal Kingsguard. The skjalds claim that Thunderbrow has never once smiled, words his packmates can well believe. Grim of aspect, Thunderbrow rarely speaks. Yet the Claws of Grimnar know that they can rely absolutely on their seemingly sullen packmate, for he will never, ever let them down -- Ingvarr Thunderbrow is the unbending iron backbone of his veteran pack, and his storm bolter's roar is voice enough.
 * Wolf Guard Karl - Member of Mikal Sternmark's Wolf Guard Terminator Pack during the Charys Campaign.
 * Wolf Guard Nils - Member of Mikal Sternmark's Wolf Guard Terminator Pack during the Charys Campaign.
 * Wolf Guard Snurri - Member of Mikal Sternmark's Wolf Guard Terminator Pack during the Charys Campaign.
 * Wolf Guard Morgrim Silvertongue - Wolf Guard and Skald of Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist's Great Company.
 * Wolf Guard Volkbad Wulftongue - When Volkbad was a Blood Claw he claimed to be able to speak with wolves. Much to the mocking of his Battle-Brothers, the young Space Marine would bark and growl at the Chapter's packs of Fenrisian Wolves or even try and stare down the hulking Thunderwolves they used as mounts. When the animals would invariably snap back at him or pay him no mind, Volkbad simply claimed they were either not interested in what he was saying or had taken offence. For all his eccentricity, Volkbad is a formidable warrior that earned a place in Logan Grimnar's Wolf Guard through exceptional bravery and fighting prowess. Volkbad's favoured weapons are the Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield, a combination that suits the Wolf Guard's preferred combat style -- namely knocking his enemies to the ground and then caving in their skulls with a single devastating blow. Volkbad's bullish aggression and quick wit have earned him a small following within the Wolf Guard, and when he marches to battle with the Great Wolf he often does so leading a squad of hammer and shield-armed Terminators.
 * Wolf Guard Jurgen Whitemane - Jurgen Whitemane commanded the Space Wolf garrison on Garm. Whitemane was one of the oldest living Space Wolves of the time and amongst the few surviving contemporaries of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar and the Wolf Guard Pack Leader Hakon. His death was a serious blow to the Chapter and a slight that would not go unavenged.
 * Wolf Guard Torfin Daggerfist - Torfin Daggerfist has carved out a bloody legend for himself among Logan Grimnar's Wolf Guard. He is the current Pack Leader of the Void Claws -- Wolf Guard Terminators armed with paired Wolf Claws for brutal close combat engagements. Blood Claws swap stories of how Torfin once single-handedly slew a massive Ork Squiggoth. When the beast rampaged through his Wolf Guard he thrust his claws into its hide and began hacking away at its heart. A gore-soaked mile later, the story goes, the creature finally collapsed and Torfin got to his feet covered in its blood. Such is Grimnar's trust in Daggerfist that the Wolf Guard is often given command of detachments in the Great Wolf's absence, and bears the banner of the Great Wolf.
 * Wolf Guard Alrik Doom-Seeker - Void Claws are often chosen for their recklessness as much as their skill at arms. Alrik Doom-Seeker embodies a measure of this wild bravery, hurling himself across the void between closing warships or charging out across the burning hull of a cruiser. In these chaotic space battles, the Void Claws will often find their battlefield bereft of atmosphere or gravity. In these instances their claws may come to the fore, something Alrik has proven more than once, anchoring and dragging himself along with his Wolf Claws to get at his enemies.
 * Wolf Guard Hagrik Wyrdfang - Hagrik Wyrdfang currently serves in the Great Wolf's elite Void Claws. It seems that the wolf gods of Fenris may well have blessed Hagrik Wyrdfang, such is the luck that surrounds him. During the battle for the scrap world of Tyrbor XV, when Orks triggered an avalanche of debris upon Hagrik's squad he somehow escaped harm, rising out of the wreckage to tear apart the barbaric xenos. Likewise when his Boarding Torpedo was cut down by turret fire Hagrik somehow leapt free, crashing into the hull of the enemy vessel and using his Wolf Claws to cut his way inside.
 * Wolf Guard Kvarl Hammerfist - Kvarl Hammerfist currently serves in the Great Wolf's elite Void Claws. When he lost his hands to a Tyranid Warrior, Kvarl did not even scream out, but merely growled in rage before cracking the thing's skull open with a thunderous headbutt. Since that battle, his replacement augmetic hands have come in useful on numerous occasions, and work just as well when encased by his Wolf Claws. However, the Wolf Guard often underestimates the strength of his prosthetics, and has a healthy pile of crushed tankards, broken weapon hilts and bruised Battle-Brothers to show for it.
 * Wolf Guard Leifvar Twice-Slain - Leifvar Twice-Slain currently serves in the Great Wolf's elite Void Claws. Leifvar has a reputation for stubbornly refusing to die. The first time he was thought dead was when the Chaos Lord Krag'kar impaled Leifvar upon the prow of his corrupted Land Raider as a trophy. Much to Krag'kar's surprise, when Leifvar recovered consciousness he pulled himself free and destroyed both tank and the Renegade. The second time Leifvar was presumed killed was when his voidship was destroyed. Leifvar was found drifting in the void amidst the debris, still alive within his frost-covered Power Armour.
 * Wolf Guard Bran One-Eye - Bran and his Grey Hunters squad, the Wolfkin, helped defend The Fang during the First Battle of The Fang against the hated Thousands Sons Traitor Legion in the 32nd Millennium. Reputedly, Bran had half of his face torn away by an Ice Troll, which made his demeanour increasingly dark over time.
 * Wolf Guard Kaarlson - Kaarlson is a legend within the Chapter, having reputedly survived being stepped upon by a Titan.
 * Wolf Guard Durfast of Mordrak - While investigating the Dead World of Mordrak, the Space Wolves found themselves thinly stretched when attacked by a massive force of Ork raiders. Durfast took command of three packs of Space Wolves to defeat the incursion of Orks that numbered several hundred. Thanks to Durfast, the surviving Space Wolves made it out alive. He later succeeded to the leadership of his Great Company and went on to fight many more battles.
 * Wolf Guard Ranulf - Ranulf is supposedly the largest Space Wolf in the Chapter's entire history, said to have rivalled even the mighty Leman Russ in size. Ranulf was a legend in his day as a member of the Wolf Guard Terminators and remains a legendary figure in the Chapter even now. His specially-customised Terminator Armour rests in the Hall of Heroes in The Fang, towering over all who view it.
 * Wolf Guard Brynngar Sturmdreng - Wolf Guard Brynngar was a senior officer of the Legion during the later days of the Great Crusade and the beginning of the Horus Heresy. Brynngar was stationed on the Vangelis way-station awaiting pick up along with a scattered group of Space Marines from other Legions including some of the grizzled Veteran's contemporaries from the Ultramarines Legion. Captain Cestus of the Ultramarines was fighting alongside the Space Wolves on Carthis against the Kolobite xenos. Brynngar had saved Cestus' life during that battle but had lost an eye in the process, though in true Space Wolf fashion, he had the mandible of the creature that took his eye fashioned into the Rune Axe Felltooth.
 * Wolf Guard Grimnr Blackblood - Grimnr Blackblood was a mighty warrior of the VIth Legion that had made it to the rank of Huskarl of Leman Russ' honour guard.
 * Thunderwolf Rider Canis Wolfborn, The Lone Wolf - Canis Wolfborn is a loner, a warrior who is more at home in the company of Fenrisian Wolves than men. Though he is a member of the Wolf Guard of Harald Deathwolf's Great Company, Canis Wolfborn's saga is utterly different from those of his peers, and his prowess in combat is unmatched. He rides a Fenrisian Thunderwolf into battle.
 * Wolf Guard Thunderwolf Rider Hagni - Hagni rode the Thunderwolf Warg, but he fell to the Curse of the Wulfen and presumably killed his own mount as well as his Brother Barak and his Thunderwolf mount. The Thunderwolf Pack of Skaeln Icefang chased him across the frozen surface of Skorbad until he led them to a last member of the Scions of Pestilence who was possessed by a Greater Daemon who had somehow avoided the other hunters.
 * Wolf Guard Thunderwolf Rider Skaeln Icefang - Skaeln rides the Thunderwolf Fenrir and led the Thunderwolf Pack deployed to Skorbad to fight against the Death Guard Traitor Legion warband known as the Scions of Pestilence. For three weeks the pack hunted the Scions and killed them one by one, leaving just a mass of leaderless Plague Zombies for the Imperial Guard to mop up. Skaeln wields a rune-etched Power Axe. Fenrir was killed during an attack on a Plague Zombie-infested Cadian Bastion. An Autocannon tore the Thunderwolf apart just as the Space Wolves reached the gates.
 * Wolf Guard Thunderwolf Rider Afgar Ironmane - Afgar rides the Thunderwolf Skoll. Skoll drowned when it and Afgar fell through the ice whilst crossing a frozen lake. Afgar was dragged to safety by his Battle-Brothers but Skoll was far too heavy and sunk to the frigid depths. Afgar succumbed to his many and severe wounds after he and Skaeln had cleansed the Plague Zombie-infested Bastion.
 * Wolf Guard Thunderwolf Rider Thorgard - Thorgard rides the Thunderwolf Magni. Magni was killed by a daemon-possessed Traitor Marine of the Scions of Pestilence. Thorgard himself fell trying to slay Hagni who had become overcome by the Curse of the Wulfen. The stealthy and jovial Thorgard wielded a pair of Wolf Claws.
 * Wolf Guard Thunderwolf Rider Barak Thunderborn - Barak rode the Thunderwolf Garrik, and both were killed during the Skorbad Campaign.
 * Deathwatch Champion Attalus Fellhand - Attalus Fellhand is another recent arrival to Watch Fortress Erioch in the Jericho Reach. Attalus has won renown as a great slayer of Orks amongst his Battle-Brothers in the Space Wolves Chapter -- a tremendous accolade in a Chapter so well-known for its fierce love of hand-to-hand combat. He has been sent from the Great Company currently serving in the Orpheus Salient to learn the ways of Tyranid fighting at Erioch so that he can return and teach them to his Battle-Brothers. In truth, Attalus makes a poor student and a worse teacher, a fact he's painfully aware of and deeply worried about. Attalus covers his fear of failure with brash antagonism, much preferring to work out his frustrations in duels or challenges. He has gained a reputation for impulsiveness and disorderly conduct that has strained the nerves of the Chamber of Vigilance more than once. Unsurprisingly, Harl Greyweaver is vociferous in support of his Chapter-brother. Greyweaver insists that the "young-pup", as he calls him, will shape up with time. Mordrigael has struck a balance by assigning Attalus just about any Deathwatch mission involving even a scent of Tyranids. It is hoped that Attalus will be more successful at learning by doing in the company of Deathwatch Battle-Brothers knowledgeable in the ways of the Tyranid. As a side effect, the policy serves to keep the troublesome Attalus away from the fortress for lengthy periods of time.
 * Deathwatch Watch Captain Haakon Draugrsbane - Assigned for secondment to the xenos-hunting Deathwatch, Watch Captain Draugrsbane is a formidable warrior who wields a mighty Thunder Hammer, Doombringer, in battle.
 * Dreadnought Alrik - One of the Chapter's mighty and revered Dreadnoughts.
 * Dreadnought Grendel - One of the Chapter's most ancient and Venerable Dreadnoughts who participated in the Battle of Granica.
 * Dreadnought Gymir the Ice-Fisted - One of the Chapter's Ancients (Dreadnoughts) who participated in the Battle for Hyades with the Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist's Great Company.
 * Dreadnought Helgan Umberclaw - One of the Chapter's Ancients, Helgan is one of the Chapter's more ancient Dreadnoughts. When a Dreadnought grows old, as Helgan has done, often his mind slips away until only his sense of honour and hunger for war remain. Unaware of all but the battle raging around him, Helgan's sense of duty and thirst for blood are all that drive him on.
 * Dreadnought Horthgar Frostskull - One of the Chapter's Ancients, Horthgar's saga is one of revenge and bloody retribution. Mortally wounded by the Daemon Prince Gorehide, he would spend many long centuries hunting down his foe. Eventually Frostskull brought Gorehide to battle, in his new form as a Dreadnought.
 * Dreadnought Murderfang - Murderfang the Curseborn is one of the Chapter's Ancients (Dreadnoughts). It was Logan Grimnar's Great Company that discovered the metal-skinned monster in 960.M41 on the hell world of Omnicide. Grimnar's warriors stumbled upon the feral Space Wolf Dreadnought carving its way through a force of Chaos Space Marines. After a fierce struggle, the murderous machine was captured and frozen in stasis, before being taken back to The Fang for study. Though the mysterious Dreadnought mentioned in the Curseborn Prophecy must once have had a name, the identity of the once-noble hero within its sarcophagus is long lost, consumed by the bestial thing that now leers from its facade. Named Murderfang by the Space Wolves, it is a force of untamed destruction. In times of great strife, the machine-beast is released from its glacial prison and set upon the foe, and it will claw and stamp and bite until nothing is left but ruin. At battle's end, the Space Wolves will freeze it with helfrost technology, hoping that Murderfang's wrath can be stayed for long enough to see it contained once more in the caverns beneath The Fang. Yet all know that as the Time of Ending approaches, the white heat of its rage will be needed more than ever. In battle, Murderfang utilises The Murderclaws -- fearsome claws of enchanted alien ice that can carve through flesh and armour with equal ease.
 * Dreadnought Skvald Warbringer - One of the Chapter's Ancients, Skvald was the only Space Wolf to survive the destruction of the Land Raider Hel's Fury. Found badly crushed underneath the vehicle's wreckage, he stubbornly defied death's call and was eventually given new life and purpose as a Dreadnought.
 * Dreadnought Svard Bloodfang - One of the Chapter's Ancients, Svard has always been more than a little reckless, his furious attacks and wild charges legendary even among the Company of the Great Wolf. During the battle on Gnosis Secundus Svard joined the ranks of those few to have brought down an Eldar Wraithknight.
 * Dreadnought Thorik Crowbane - One of the Chapter's Ancients (Dreadnoughts), his thread was severed when he was cut in two during the Battle for Gethrom's Reach in the Great Crusade. Honoured for his service, Thorik was interred within a mighty Dreadnought chassis, from which he continued to serve the Chapter with his battle-lore. He helped defend the Space Wolves' fortress-monastery during the First Battle for The Fang in the 32nd Millennium.
 * Dreadnought Thorir - One of the Chapter's Ancients (Dreadnoughts) that fought alongside Kyrl Grimblood's Great Company during the Second Battle of The Fang in the 36th Millennium.
 * Pack Leader Ragnild - Leader of a Grey Hunter Pack in Egil Ironwolf's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Anders - Pack Leader in Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Einar - Leader of Sven's Grey Hunter Pack in the Thunderfist Great Company. Lost an arm to an Eviscerator and entered the Red Dream during the Battle for Charys. He appears to have survived his injuries and continues to lead packs of Space Wolves in Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Hogun - Pack Leader of Ragnar's Blackmane Great Company, Hogun lost himself to the Curse of the Wulfen and killed several members of his pack. Rather than killing him, Ragnar got him under control and returned him to the Company to serve as a warrior Marked by the Wulfen. He was placed in the care of Wolf Priest Sigurd.
 * Pack Leader Leif - Leader of a Grey Hunter Pack in Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Magnus - Leader of a Grey Hunter Pack in Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Ranulf - Leader of a Grey Hunter Pack in Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Stiggar - Leader of a Long Fang Pack in Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Tor - Leader of a Grey Hunter Pack in the Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Uller - Leader of a Grey Hunter Pack in the Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Urlec - Pack Leader in Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company. Promoted to command of a pack after the death of Pack Leader Vitulv, the young Urlec questioned Ragnar's decisions as Wolf Lord in private quite often until he saw the true prowess of the Wolf Lord in close combat with a Chaos Sorcerer of the Thousand Sons.
 * Pack Leader Vitulv - Former Leader of Urlec's Pack in Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Petur - Leader of a Wolf Scout Pack in Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Joris - Pack Leader Joris replaced Hakon as the commander of Ragnar Blackmane's Blood Claw Pack during the Campaign for Garm.
 * Pack Leader Hakon - Senior officer entrusted with training and leading new packs of Blood Claws. Critically wounded on Garm, the venerable Astartes lived but was badly injured and would never fight again.
 * Pack Leader Ferek - Pack Leader of Berek Thunderfist's Great Company who participated in a boarding action against a Chaos warship during the Garm Campaign. Ferek's squad nearly managed to fight their way into one of the Chaos warship's magazines but were at last repelled by heavy weapons fire. This was somewhat fortunate for if Ferek and his squad had succeeded they might well have blown the entire ship apart and the Thunderfist Great Company with it.
 * Pack Leader Hengist - Leader of Ragnar's Blood Claw Pack during their first deployments on Fenris, Hengist was killed by the Thousand Sons fighting in a rearguard action to give Ragnar and his companions time to reach the surface with a warning for the Chapter.
 * Pack Leader Urlek - Leader of a Blood Claw Pack despatched into the rugged wilds of Asaheim to investigate a potential meteor impact. Instead of a routine piece of rock the pack discovered an infiltration force of the Thousand Sons and were overwhelmed. The fate of Urlek's pack was discovered later by Wolf Guard Hengist's Pack and the news of the Thousand Sons' presence cost many of his pack's lives as well as that of Hengist himself.
 * Pack Leader Hef - Pack Leader of Berek Thunderfist's Great Company. Hef's pack participated in a boarding action against a Chaos warship during the Garm Campaign. Hef's pack came under heavy assault and would have been overrun, but the crafty Space Wolves escaped through ventilation ducts and left proximity mines to kill their attackers when they eventually got the courage to investigate the abandoned position. Hef's pack acted as the rearguard for the Space Wolves' fighting withdrawal to the Fist of Russ but could not stay ahead of the mutants attempting to run down the Space Wolves. Hef's pack then turned and made a last stand, sacrificing themselves to allow the rest of the Great Company to escape the doomed Chaos warship.
 * Pack Leader Krom - Leader of a Grey Hunter Pack in Berek Thunderfist's Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Thorvald - Leader of a Grey Hunter Pack of the Thunderfist Great Company.
 * Pack Leader Varig - Pack Leader of Berek Thunderfist's Great Company. Varig's pack participated in a boarding action against a Chaos warship during the Garm Campaign during which Varig led his squad in attacking a sizable horde of Chaos mutants from two directions and kept them pinned within a large corridor. Varig's men then used demolition charges to collapse both ends of the tunnel and trap the mutants inside.
 * Pack Leader Njan "Greyflank" Anjeborn - Grey Hunter during the 32nd Millennium who commanded the Strike Cruiser Skraemar. He was left behind on void duty when the entirety of his Chapter, under the command of Great Wolf Harek Ironhelm, departed to confront the Thousand Sons on Gangava. When the Thousand Sons appeared in-system with a sizable attack fleet, he bought valuable time for the defenders on Fenris to prepare for the inevitable assault by the Traitor Legion, sacrificing himself and destroying four enemy vessels in the process.
 * Grey Hunter Sven Dragonfire - Sven Dragonfire was a Grey Hunter in Berek Thunderfist's Great Company. He was one of Ragnar Blackmane's original pack brothers during his days as a Blood Claw. Short and stout for a Space Wolf, Sven eventually became one of Ragnar's closest friends before his exile to Terra.
 * Grey Hunter Strybjorn Grimskull - Grey Hunter in Berek Thunderfist's Great Company. One of Ragnar Blackmane's original pack brothers during his days as a Blood Claw. Before being chosen to become a Sky Warrior, Strybjorn was a member of the raiding party that wiped out the Thunderfist Clan. As a result of this, there was enmity between him and Ragnar during their training days at Russvik and also during their first mission as Blood Claws.
 * Blood Claw Lukas the Trickster - Lukas the Trickster is a notorious character amidst the ranks of the Space Wolves, a raucous and ebullient figure who defies authority just as willingly as he defies the enemies of the Chapter. He is a Blood Claw, and will forever be a member of that immature group of Space Wolves.
 * Blood Claw Lars - Lars was a Blood Claw of the Chapter. He was one of Ragnar Blackmane's original pack brothers during his days as a Blood Claw. Lars was regarded as a strange, fey youth who would one day join the ranks of the Rune Priests. He was killed on the planet Galt by an Ork Warlord during the mission to reclaim an ancient Eldar talisman.
 * Blood Claw Nils - Nils was a Blood Claw of the Chapter. He was one of Ragnar Blackmane's original pack brothers during his days as a Blood Claw. Nils fell to the Nurgleite daemon known as Botchulaz on the planet Aerius during the mission to reclaim an ancient Eldar talisman.
 * Blood Claw Drenn Redblade - Young, loud, brash and undeniably gifted in the art of close-combat fighting. It is whispered that Drenn's secondment to the Deathwatch was a ploy by his Wolf Lord, so he might be free of the youth's incessant boasting, but the Space Wolf keeps an impressive kill tally all the same. He fights in the style of most Space Wolves, head bared to the elements, clutching his combat blades so he can revel in the joy of fighting face-to-face.
 * Wolfblade Valkoth - A senior member of the Wolfblade and superior to Ragnar, Haegr and Torin, Valkoth was well-versed in the politics of the Navigator Houses on Terra and just how dangerous their competition with each other could prove.
 * Wolfblade Haegr the Mountain - Haegr's legendary size was matched only by his legendary appetite. Friend and comrade to Ragnar Blackmane and fellow member of the Wolfblade bodyguard assigned to the Navigator House Bellisarius, Haegr was a Space Wolf of immense size whose bulk was the result of an aberrant mutation in his development in which he simply did not stop growing. Although many saw Haegr as a strange simpleton, Haegr was nevertheless relentless, loyal and fiercely potent in combat. Haegr met his end during the Charys Campaign, but in doing so saved the Chapter with his sacrifice, using his last moments of life to wrest the Spear of Russ from the grasp of the Thousand Sons and thwarting their attempt to destroy the Space Wolves.
 * Wolfblade Magni - A young and impetuous Astartes recently assigned to the Wolfblade, Magni fought with distinction but was killed during the Battle for Hyades.
 * Wolfblade Skander Bloody-axe - Skander was a member of the Wolfblade. He was the previous bearer of the Frost Blade now wielded by Ragnar Blackmane. Skander was a Space Marine who went through initiation and basic training with Logan Grimnar and was one of the few remaining members of Grimnar's original Pack of Blood Claws. There were few left from that generation in the Chapter by the late 41st Millennium, and Grimnar and Skander were amongst the last. Skander was killed during the assassination of the Patriarch of the Navigator House Bellisarius. Ragnar Blackmane replaced him in the ranks of the Wolfblade and, after losing his Chainsword while fighting to save the new Patriarch from another assassination attempt, was gifted Skander's Frost Blade as a replacement and reward.
 * Wolfblade Torin the Wayfarer - The second companion and friend of Ragnar Blackmane in the Wolfblade, Torin was a cunning if eccentric Space Wolf, who had the rare talent of understanding foreign cultures and politics. His service with the Wolfblade was exemplary, but like many Astartes of the Chapter sent to serve in the Wolfblade, he was not well suited to life with the rest of the Chapter. He was the only Space Wolf to voluntarily become a member.
 * Lone Wolf Torvald Fellhammer - During the heavy fighting against the Orks of Warboss Grukk Face-Rippa on Alaric Prime, Torvald and his Blood Claw Pack attempted to keep up with their Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane's reckless charge into the Ork horde, but soon found themselves isolated and grievously outnumbered. By the time relief finally arrived, in the guise of Logan Grimnar and his battle-hardened Veterans, Torvald was the last survivor of his Pack. Having grabbed a Thunder Hammer from a fallen mentor, he was still swinging it in mighty sweeps, slaughtering a handful of Orks with each murderous impact. Now fighting as a Lone Wolf, Torvald strides fearlessly into battle, clad in a formidable suit of Terminator Armour, still bearing the very same Thunder Hammer he first claimed on Alaric Prime. His tally grows with every battle, and his wrath has yet to be sated.
 * Lone Wolf Olaf Silvermane - White of hair and long of tooth, this gnarled Veteran is one of the oldest warriors in the Chapter, and remembers the days when even Ulrik the Slayer was but a young whelp, hungry for glory. Over the centuries, Olaf has witnessed the death of each and every member of his Pack, feeling the loss of each kinsman more keenly than the last. Olaf now stands alone, the last Long Fang of his Pack. Yet it was two long standard years after the death of his last kinsman before Olaf became a fully-fledged Lone Wolf. During a brutal campaign against the vile Death Guard, the brutal campaign dragged on for many more solar months than expected, and Olaf never truly expected, nor even wanted, to survive the war that had claimed the last of his packmates. Yet as the war continued to grind on, Olaf became increasingly frustrated and reckless, often discarding his Missile Launcher and advancing to take on the loathsome Chaos Space Marines in close combat. However, no foe was up to the task of granting Olaf the glorious death he sought, and when the war was finally won, he was forced to take measures into his own hands in order to join his packmates in death, becoming a Lone Wolf.
 * Lone Wolf Bulveye the Berserker - A notable Lone Wolf, Bulveye first came to the attention of the Chapter's Wolf Priests when he slew a stalking Ice Bear with his bare hands during his Trial of Morkai. Even after being transformed into a full-fledged Space Wolf, Bulveye became renowned for his berserk rages in the heat of battle. It was clear to the Wolf Priests that Bulveye bore the Mark of the Wulfen. It was during the Assault on Hellmaw Spire, however, where Bulveye's career took on a wildly different path. His Blood Claws Pack had become separated from the rest of his Great Company as they relentlessly charged into the hordes of daemons. Bulveye was discovered alone, drenched in blood and ichor, surrounded by the dismembered bodies of Daemonettes. But his entire Pack had also been slain -- messily torn apart, but whether by the daemons or the hand of Bulveye was uncertain. From that time forth, Bulveye swore to avenge his fallen packmates as a Lone Wolf, bathing his hands in the blood of his enemies. Now he rushes headlong into enemy lines, never once bearing a weapon, tearing into his foes in a shower of gore with his elongated claws. Behind his back his detractors call him "kin-slayer", but none would dare call him this to his face. The Wolf Priests keep a close eye on Bulveye lest his inner beast thrive and consume him entirely. Few would be surprised if such an outcome is indeed his wyrd, yet Bulveye's dedication to his oath remains strong enough to control the beast -- for now at least.
 * Skold Greypelt - Greypelt is a Space Wolves Astartes of unknown rank and company. Greypelt led a detachment of Space Wolves against the Tyranids on the Ice World of Shadrac.
 * Wolf Scout Haakon "Blackwing" Gylfasson - Haakon Gylfasson was a Wolf Scout of the Chapter during the 32nd Millennium. He did not speak like a typical Space Marine, and had none of the overt, bristling threat about him that most Astartes did. His colouring was dark, and his facial hair thick and matted. He was slighter than most Pack members, even when kitted out in his full array of Scout Carapace Armour. He was left behind on void duty in command of the Scout Ship Nauro when the entirety of his Chapter, under the command of Great Wolf Harek Ironhelm, departed to confront the Thousand Sons on Gangava. When the Thousand Sons appeared in-system with a sizable attack fleet to unleash the First Battle of The Fang, he was ordered to flee the system to bring word to the Great Wolf of the attack on Fenris by the Thousand Sons, and successfully accomplished this mission.
 * Renegade Wolf Lord Svane Vulfbad - Svane Vulfbad was a Renegade Wolf Lord of the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter. He became so disillusioned with the grinding workings and soul-killing bureaucracy of the Imperium that he turned to the worship of Chaos, and more particularly the faith of the Blood God Khorne. Wolf Lord Harald Deathwolf and his Great Company were charged in 913.M41 by the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar to track down and execute the notorious Traitor. Deathwolf and his company eventually uncovered Vulfbad in the Cliedes System, tracking their elusive quarry to the storm-wracked moon of Gallimius. Deathwolf rode his ferocious Thunderwolf through the planet's ferrite dust storms at the head of a small strike force of Wolf Scouts. The visibility was so bad that Deathwolf had to track his quarry purely by scent, but he later claimed the stink of rank sweat and treachery was so strong it was child's play to follow. It has been said that Harald's senses are so sharp he can smell the fear of his prey from several leagues distance. After weeks of stalking their prey, Deathwolf's hunting party cornered Vulfbad atop a dust-crowned mountain just as the vile Traitor was completing a sorcerous summoning ritual that would have seen his traitorous forces thronged with Daemons. The Renegade Space Wolf fought like a madman even after his allies had been slain, badly wounding Harald's Thunderwolf in the process, but he was ultimately outmatched. As Harald brought his axe around to deliver the deathblow, a bolt of lightning struck them both. When the dust settled all that remained of Vulfbad was his Frost Axe, a shard of which now juts from the cybernetic jaw of Harald's Thunderwolf. The beast has been known as Icetooth ever since.

Chapter Fleet
The Space Wolves maintain one of the largest fleets amongst all Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, with 2 Ramilies-class Starforts, 8 Battle Barges, thirty-plus Strike Cruisers, 20-plus Hunter-class Destroyer Squadrons and 20-plus Gladius and Nova-class Frigate Squadrons. Fifteen of the largest and most powerful of these vessels are known as the Great Ships, one for each Great Company with 3 in reserve. Each of the 15 warships is unique unto itself, the fleet including many different classes and configurations of vessels. Two of these Chapter ships are massive warships akin to Imperial Navy capital ships. The Iron Wolf is the ship of Wolf Lord Egil Ironwolf which he claimed in combat when his Great Company's own flagship was badly damaged. It is slightly larger than the Pride of Fenris, which is the flagship of the Chapter fleet and personal vessel of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar.

While the total numbers of the Chapter fleet are impressive, in reality many of the Chapter's ships lack the distinctive hammerhead prow of purpose-built Adeptus Astartes vessels. Rather, many of the Space Wolves' ships are vessels of all makes and sizes, captured and re-purposed over the long millennia of the Chapter's service. From Frigates to Heavy Cruisers the Chapter's Strike Cruisers contain a myriad of classes of vessel all refit and rearmed by the Chapter's Iron Priests to serve as Strike Cruisers. On the smaller end of these re-purposed ships would be the Heimdall, the personal transport of Njal Stormcaller and originally a Gladius-class Frigate. The Heimdall was refitted with five hangar bays and a dorsal mounted Bombardment Cannon transforming the light fleet Escort into a ship-of-the-line roughly comparable in speed and firepower to an Astartes Strike Cruiser. On the larger end of what might constitute a Strike Cruiser in the Chapter fleet would be the Fist of Russ, an Imperial Navy Heavy Cruiser taken by the Space Wolves from Renegades and re-purposed into the Great Ship of the Thunderfist Great Company.

Sheer size is not the only thing that makes the Space Wolves Chapter fleet stand out amongst the battle fleets of the Adeptus Astartes. Just as the Space Wolves themselves favor combat up-close and personal on the ground so do the Chapter's Wolf Lords and Shipmasters prefer to slug it out at extremely close range in the void, closing to practically point-blank range to strafe an enemy with devastating broadsides or launch and receive brutal boarding attacks. While the Chapter and its Kaerls are extremely proficient at such close-range void combat it certainly does see the Chapter's vessels receive a notably greater level of damage than the norm, even for an Astartes fleet. The Space Wolves give little thought to such considerations however, for if a ship is crippled or lost in such aggressive combat the Wolves will simply take another, preferably the enemy's. Perhaps most impressive is the speed that the Space Wolf fleet can manage. Helmed by the Chapter's Rune Priests the Space Wolves fleet has on occasion shown the ability to bludgeon a path through the Warp far faster than would normally be possible. This allowed the Scramaseax and its attendant fleet to journey a shocking distance in a matter of solar hours to arrive in orbit over Fenris mere moments after the Inquisition and Red Hunters Chapter fleet launched their orbital assault on The Fang at the conclusion of the Months of Shame. Even more daring is the Chapter's willingness to break the veil between realspace and the Warp dangerously close to planetary bodies and gravitational fields, a move that most fleet commanders would deem insanely reckless. Such bravado has at times led to the disastrous loss of vessels, but just as often sees the Space Wolves drive straight into the heart of a stunned foe utterly unprepared for the sudden and devastating arrival of an enemy in their midst.

Like many Chapters the Space Wolves use Thunderhawk gunships and Thunderhawk Transporters as their primary gunships, dropships and Attack Craft. Some Stormbirds likely remain in the Space Wolves arsenal and variant craft known as Dropfalcons and Stormcrows saw service during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy but it is unknown whether any remain in service to this day. Caestus Assault Rams, Storm Eagle and Fire Raptor gunships are also seen in varied numbers within the Chapter fleet along with a variety of other transports, gunships and Attack Craft captured or acquired by the Space Wolves.

Unique to the Chapter are the Stormwolf and Stormfang gunships. Developed from existing STC fragments, and bearing a resemblance to the design of the Caestus Assault Ram, the Stormwolf and Stormfang gunships use a unique hull design featuring twin jet thrusters mounted on either side of a stern situated cockpit, omni-directional maneuvering thrusters and rows of gravitic repulsor plates situated beneath the transport compartment. The Stormwolf features rear-mounted twin-linked Helfrost Canons and has a transport capacity similar to a Land Raider Crusader while the Stormfang sacrifices transport capacity for a forward mounted Helfrost Destructor, a massive directed energy weapon capable of carving apart the heaviest of armour or flash-freezing whole squads of enemy troops.

The Space Wolves are also known to utilise a variant of the Imperial Navy Cobra-class Destroyer known as Hlaupa-class Escorts. The Hlaupa-class is heavily armed and capable of docking with the upper peak of The Fang. In addition to the Chapter gunships The Fang itself is defended by Skarr gunships, small, four-man Attack Craft crewed by Kaerls and armed with twin-linked Heavy Bolters mounted beneath the wings.

Unlike other Chapters, the Space Wolves have no Space Marine Captain in overall charge of the Chapter's fleet of warships as the Master of the Fleet. Instead, each Great Company maintains its own flagship, which is manned by Chapter Serfs. The Chapter Serf who bears the rank of Helmsmaster serves as the Captain of the Great Company's flagship, and is trusted by the Space Wolves to deliver them safely to their objective, often in the midst of the enemy.

The following list includes any starship that is known to have served as a part of the Space Wolves' Legion fleet during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy or the Chapter fleet after the Second Founding. It is not to be considered a full list of the Chapter's current fleet complement in the late 41st Millennium:


 * Hrafnkel (Gloriana-class Battleship) (Destroyed) - A massive vessel that served as the flagship of the VIth Legion and the Primarch Leman Russ during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium. This mighty warship was lost the Space Wolves many millennia ago.
 * Fenrysavar (Capital Ship, Unknown Class) - Survivor of the Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula during the Horus Heresy.
 * Holmgang (Capital Ship, Unknown Class) - Starship of an unknown class that served as the flagship of the Thunderfist Great Company during the Charys Campaign.
 * Kerberaus (Capital Ship, Unknown Class) - Great Ship of the Space Wolves Chapter during the battle over Fenris that followed the Months of Shame.
 * Nidhoggur (Capital Ship, Unknown Class) - The Nidhoggur was a mighty vessel that had served the Space Wolves since the Great Crusade. Traditionally, it has always been the ship of Tra -- the 3rd Great Company -- and was commanded by the great Ogvai Helmschrot during the Horus Heresy. The Nidhoggur was a survivor of the great space Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula.
 * Ragnarok (Capital Ship, Unknown Class) (Destroyed) - A mighty vessel that served as the flagship of Gunnar Gunnhilt, Jarl of Onn during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. The Ragnarok was perhaps the most powerful vessel in the Space Wolves fleet after the Hrafnkel itself and was rightly feared as a terrible adversary in naval battles. The Ragnarok met its fate in the Alaxxes Nebula. While being hunted by the XX Legion, the Ragnarok alone veered off course and confronted the approaching fleet. Intent on delaying the Alpha Legion's fleet to save its own, the Ragnarok expended her munitions on its enemies, destroying several Escorts before sacrificing itself in a glorious last charge, ramming one of the Alpha Legion's capital ships -- the Delta -- and plunging it into the Nebula itself, where the corrosive gases did the work of destruction as surely as any broadside.
 * Retribution (Capital Ship, Unknown Class) - Unknown class of starship in the Space Wolves' Chapter fleet.
 * Sky's Hammer (Capital Ship, Unknown Class) - Great Ship of the Space Wolves Chapter during the battle over Fenris that followed the Months of Shame.
 * Vengeance (Capital Ship, Unknown Class) (Destroyed) - One of the Chapter's starships of an unknown class lost above the world of Jytor.
 * Voidfang (Capital Ship, Unknown Class) (Destroyed) - Warship of an unknown class under the command of Osric Three-Fists, destroyed in the Battle of the Maelstrom's Maw in 781.M41.
 * Iron Wolf (Battleship, Unknown Class) - The Iron Wolf is currently the second largest starship of the Chapter fleet and a former Battleship of the Imperial Navy, under the command of Egil Ironwolf.
 * Pride of Fenris (Retribution-class Battleship) - The Pride of Fenris is the flagship of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar and the largest warship of the Space Wolves' Chapter fleet in the late 41st Millennium.
 * Allfather's Honour (Battle Barge) - Personal vessel of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar, and current flagship of the Space Wolves Chapter.
 * Defender of Russ (Battle Barge) - Battle-Barge that is currently serving the Chapter during the 13th Black Crusade.
 * Ironwolf (Battle Barge) (Destroyed) - Vessel in service to the 13th Great Company and flagship of the 954th Expeditionary Fleet during the latter days of the Great Crusade. Likely destroyed by Dark Eldar over the world of Antimon in the Lammas Sub-sector.
 * Iron Wolf (Battle Barge) - This vessel is the second largest ship of the Chapter fleet and former Battleship of the Imperial Navy, under the command of Egil Ironwolf. Captured from Heretic forces, the Imperial Navy has repeatedly requested the vessel's return and repeatedly been refused, causing tension between the Chapter and the Imperial Navy.
 * Fenrysavar (Battle Barge) - One of the larger VI Legion vessels present at the Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula. The Fenrysavar escaped into the nebula with the majority of the fleet but suffered grievous damage in the process.
 * Gylfarheim (Battle Barge) - The Gylfarheim played an instrumental role when it arrived to reinforce the Chapter's fleet at Armageddon following their victory and subsequent betrayal by the duplicitous Inquisition during the First War for Armageddon. They helped in forcing the Inquisition vessels to call off their attack of Imperial troop transports, which the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar saw as a gross betrayal of their faithful service, despite having witnessed the horrors of Chaos.
 * Herald of Morkai (Battle Barge)
 * Russvangum (Battle Barge) - This mighty vessel dates back to before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy and was built using designs and technology now long-lost to the Imperium. Only the Hrafnkel was larger and boasted more firepower. Even other Strike Cruisers were dwarfed in sheer size by this massive warship. The Russvangum was present at the beginning of the Space Wolves Legion and served its Legion faithfully throughout the entire Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. It was in the thick of the fighting during the infamous space Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula and would survive the Horus Heresy where other ships failed to do so. After the departure of Leman Russ, it served as the Chapter's flagship during the 32nd Millennium under the command of the Great Wolf Harek Ironhelm.
 * Scramaseax (Battle Barge) (Destroyed) - This mighty vessel served as the flagship of Logan Grimnar during the First War for Armageddon. The Scramaseax suffered significant damage at the hands of the treacherous Inquisition multiple times in the solar months after the defeat of the Daemon Primarch Angron. Dating back to the Great Crusade era, the Scramaseax was a mighty relic of the Imperium lost to the Chapter sometime after the First War for Armageddon.
 * Spear of Russ (Battle Barge)
 * Wolf Spirit (Battle Barge) - This vessel saw service with the 13th Great Company during the Horus Heresy.
 * Fist of Russ (Mars-class Battlecruiser) (Destroyed) - This retrofitted Mars-class Battlecruiser was captured from Renegades and re-purposed to serve the Chapter as a Strike Cruiser. The Fist of Russ served as the Great Ship of the Thunderfist Great Company for some time before it sustained heavy damage which forced it to remain behind at The Fang while the Great Companies went to war. Necessity drove the Fist of Russ back into service before it was fully repaired and eventually saw the ship destroyed during the Charys Campaign.
 * Claw of Russ (Strike Cruiser) - This vessel was the first Space Wolf ship to encounter the oncoming fleets of the Apostate Cardinal Bucharis during the Plague of Unbelief in the 35th Millennium. The Claw of Russ was destroyed by an Imperial Navy Cruiser and bulk transport before escaping conflict and bringing word of the impending attack to The Fang and the Great Wolf Harald Stormwolf.
 * Gotthammar (Strike Cruiser) - Vessel under the command of Wolf Lord Arvek Hren Kjarlskar, Jarl of the 4th Great Company in the 32nd Millennium. This vessel was on a long patrol in pursuit of the elusive Thousand Sons' Primarch Magnus the Red. The Gotthammar caught nothing but shadows until it encountered the Thousand Sons in the Gangava System.
 * Holmgang (Strike Cruiser) - Ship that served the Thunderfist Great Company during the Charys Campaign.
 * Hunter of Fiends (Strike Cruiser) - Strike Cruiser that currently serves the Blackmanes Great Company.
 * Ironpelt (Strike Cruiser) - The great ship of Wolf Lord Krom Dragongaze during the Sanctus Reach Campaign.
 * Kraken (Strike Cruiser) (Destroyed) - This vessel served as part of the Space Wolves fleet during the Battle of Alaric Prime. The Kraken was destroyed during the fighting but managed to hold on long enough to empty its decks of fighting forces, deploying every last Drop Pod and gunship to the planet's surface.
 * Magnir's Revenge (Strike Cruiser) (Destroyed) - The Magnir's Revenge was attacked and crippled by the Ork Freebooterz of Kaptin Badrukl shortly before the Battle of Alaric Prime. Badrukk had been attacking the Chapter's holdings for solar months seeking to rile the Space Wolves up and lure them to Alaric Prime. The Magnir's Revenge was struck with traktor mines that dragged the ship's Escorts into the Strike Cruiser, mangling and warping the vessels, causing extensive damage, and crippling the fleet in a single fell strike.
 * Nidhoggur (Strike Cruiser) - Strike Cruiser in service to the Space Wolves Legion during the Great Crusade.
 * Seawolf (Strike Cruiser)
 * Shadow of Fenris (Strike Cruiser) - Vessel that served as the flagship of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar during the Scouring of Gnosis Secundus.
 * Skraemar (Strike Cruiser) (Destroyed) - Vessel saw service to the 12th Great Company in the 32nd Millennium. It was the only Great Ship left behind to defend The Fang with less than a dozen Escort craft when the left of the Chapter Fleet departed for the Gangava System. The Skraemar was an old and seasoned vessel that had fought through the Great Scouring in the days following the Horus Heresy and had earned a hundred and more great honours since. The vessel broke the blockade of Pielos V, outfoxed a squadron of Chaos warships for two solar weeks in the Aemnon Belt and destroyed the Eldar Corsair flagship the Or-Iladril. The Strike Cruiser fought its last battle in orbit above Fenris against the invading fleet of the Thousand Sons during the First Battle of The Fang, reaping a heavy tally of Traitor warships before at last falling apart under the fire of the Traitor Legion's flagship the Herumon.
 * Stormblade (Strike Cruiser) - Vessel saw service to the 13th Great Company during the latter days of the Great Crusade.
 * Stormwolf (Strike Cruiser) - Vessel that is currently in service to Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company.
 * Void Wolf (Strike Cruiser) - Flagship of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar during the Battle of Midgardia.
 * Wolf of Fenris (Strike Cruiser) - This ship was captured in the Parenxes System by the infamous Huron Blackheart and his Red Corsairs Renegade Space Marines in the Parenxes System some time after the Badab War.
 * Wolfborn (Strike Cruiser)
 * Blood Eagle (Frigate, Unknown Class) - Rapid strike Frigate of the Space Wolves that was responsible for inserting the Space Wolves' Scout Teams onto the Forge World of Cambion.
 * Helrider (Frigate, Unknown Class) - This vessel fought in the VI Legion fleet and participated in the Scouring of Prospero and the Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula against the Alpha Legion fleet.
 * Icebitten (Frigate, Unknown Class) - The Icebitten was a Fast Attack Frigate of Tra Company which participated in the great space Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula. Bjorn One-Handed and his squad launched from the Icebitten towards the Alpha Legion vessel identified as the Iota Malephelos which they would subsequently conquer.
 * Ogmar (Frigate, Unknown Class) (Destroyed) - Frigate in service to the Space Wolves during the Thousand Sons invasion in the 32nd Millennium during the First Battle of The Fang. Destroyed by the invading Chaos fleet.
 * Sleikre (Frigate, Unknown Class) (Destroyed) - Frigate in service to the Space Wolves during the Thousand Sons invasion in 32nd Millennium during the First Battle of The Fang. Destroyed by the invading Chaos fleet.
 * Runefyre (Gladius-class Frigate) - Vessel which was boarded and presumably destroyed by daemons.
 * Undrider (Blackwing-class Frigate) (Destroyed) - The Undrider was a Blackwing-class Frigate, likely named after the legendary Wolf Scout Haakon Gylfasson Blackwing, and the design was influenced by his legendary voidship the Nauro. The Blackwing-class was small for a frigate, with larger engines and smaller guns, with a bridge that sat lower than usual for an Imperial design. The Undrider was assigned to transport Grey Hunter Pack Járnhamar to Ras Shakeh and was destroyed in combat with a Nurgleite plagueship.
 * Frostborn (Hunter-class Destroyer) (Destroyed) - An Escort vessel belonging to the Space Wolves, despatched to bring warning of the invasion of Armageddon to the Grey Knights. Overrun by the Forces of Chaos in the Warp and found drifting in the Valdasca Caul. It was bound for the Jopal and Ruis Systems where Inquisitor Annika departed service with the Wolves, two regions bordering the Tisra System in which the world of Armageddon resides. More than twenty Space Wolves were aboard the vessel including Rune Priest Angriff Blightbreaker. Only one survived to deliver the ship's warning.
 * Veregelt (Hunter-class Destroyer) (Destroyed) - A Hunter-class Destroyer belonging to the Space Wolves, the Veregelt was also despatched to bring warning of Armageddon's invasion to the Grey Knights alongside the Frostborn. Though both warships were overrun by the Forces of Chaos, the Veregelt succeeded in emerging from the Warp in the void above Titan, broadcasting its warning on a repeated Vox loop before crashing into the surface of Titan. None of the crew survived, either dying to the enemy, the crash or having become corrupted and then slain by the Sons of Titan.
 * Svart-Sól (Destroyer, Unknown Class) (Destroyed) - A veteran vessel from the opening days of the Great Crusade, the Svart-Sól was lost in during the Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula, caught up in a tongue of corrosive gases vomited by the Nebula, which caused its Plasma Drive's reactor to go critical.
 * Dmarchus (Zeta-class Courier) - The Dmarchus was a Courier vessel assigned to the Pack called Howl of the Hearthworldwhile it was deployed to Terra to serve as a Watch Pack to the Imperial Fists Primarch Rogal Dorn during the latter years of the Great Crusade.
 * Waning Crescent (Zeta-class Courier) - The Waning Crescent was a Zeta-class Courier vessel assigned to the Watch Pack of Faffnr Bludbroder during the latter years of the Great Crusade.
 * Hlaupnir (Ryza-class System-Runner) - Laid down on Ryza the System-Runner is a small voidship, ninety metres long with a crew complement of just a few score. What the System-Runner sacrifices in size and firepower it makes up for in sheer speed. Nothing can match the System-Runner for sheer velocity, even void-capable gunships and interceptors are outpaced by these ships. Rare in the extreme very few Ryza-class System-Runners remain, making the Hlaupnir a prized possession of the Space Wolves Chapter fleet.
 * Yvekk (Ryza-class System-Runner) - An old but functional System-Runner in service to the Chapter. Captained by a kaerl named Rurik the Yvekk, he was assigned to transport Grey Hunter Gyrfalkon on the last leg of his journey back to Fenris.
 * Frostaxe (Unknown Class) (Destroyed) - This vessel of the Space Wolves Chapter fleet was lost to the Warp with all hands some nine thousand standard years ago. Unknown to the Chapter, the ghost ship became the heart of a Space Hulk, slowly accruing hundreds of other ghost ships compacted against its hull along with vast quantities of rock, ice and mutated flesh. The resulting Space Hulk became known as the Festerax, a debased form of the name of the vessel at the hulk's heart. Shortly before the 13th Black Crusade struck the Cadian Gate, the Festerax was run down and destroyed by a force of Space Wolves led by Njal Stormcaller.
 * Gate of Garm (Unknown Class) - Space Wolves vessel that participated in the fleet battle over Fenris at the conclusion of the Months of Shame.
 * Heimdl (Unknown Class) (Destroyed) - Vessel of the VI Legion fleet destroyed during the Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula.
 * Jarnkel (Unknown Class) - Vessel of the VI Legion fleet destroyed during the Battle of the Alaxxes Nebula.
 * Longwarp (Unknown Class) - Starship of an unknown class that served in the VI Legion fleet during the Horus Heresy.
 * Nauro (Unknown Class) - Scout ship that was in service to the 12th Great Company in the 32nd Millennium, under the command of Wolf Scout Haakon Blackwing. The Nauro was a vessel of indeterminate classification, too small to be a frigate, but far too large to be a landing craft or gunship. A third of the vessel's length was taken up by Plasma Drives and its build was sleek and dark, making it a fast, agile and stealthy warship much favored by the Chapter's Wolf Scouts. The Nauro operated with a small crew of five hundred Chapter Serfs.
 * Starfort Gormenjarl (Ramilies-class Starfort) - One of two Ramilies-class Starforts serving as part of the Fenris system defence fleet.
 * Starfort Mjalnar (Ramilies-class Starfort) - One of two Ramilies-class Starforts serving as part of the Fenris system defense fleet.
 * Defence Platform Rieke Og (Orbital Defence Platform, Unknown Class) (Destroyed) - Orbital defence platform protecting Fenris during the Thousands Sons assault in the 32nd Millennium during the First Battle of The Fang. Destroyed in action while fighting against the Traitor Legion.

Pre-Heresy
Prior to the Horus Heresy, the Space Wolves Legion wore gunmetal grey Power Armor, reminiscent of the unadorned battle-plate of the "Grey Legions" of the Unity era Space Marine Legions. The wargear and armour of the Space Wolves Legion were renowned for their use of unique Fenrisian cultural artefacts, runic script and artisan modification in their appearance. More than simply an aesthetic influence, these carried various coded references to the history and deeds of the bearer and his unit and Great Company, and their markings could often carry multiple meanings depending on their relation and positioning. It was not unusual for older suits of armour to bear many exotic decorations and honour markings as evidence of long service. Runes of protection inscribed upon a warrior's battle-plate were often utilised as a testimonial to a their skills at war, a common practice in the VI Legion denoting leaders within warbands. The wolf hides affixed to their battle-plate is another Fenrisian tradition that was adopted across the Legion, similar to the drake hunting tradition of the XVIII Legion, and was again used as a method of denoting dominance within a warband by a display of prowess.

Post-Heresy
In the 41st Millennium, the Space Wolves' Power Armour is a blue-grey, with other colours as highlights, most commonly red and yellow. The armour is often adorned with tokens taken from Fenrisian wolves, such as pelts, tails and teeth. Great Company symbols vary, but are taken from Fenrisian mythology and are always related in some way to the Twelve Wolves of Fenris. The 13th Company Space Wolves Marines retain the old, darker grey and red Legion badge and markings, although the different warbands vary their precise markings along (albeit similar) red wolf themes.

As one might expect from a Chapter with such disregard for authority and the dictates of the Codex Astartes, the iconography used by the Space Wolves is an eclectic mix with few hard and fast rules. There is a general colour code, and warriors usually bear their Pack markings on their right shoulder plate and their Great Company designator marking on the left. However, within these guidelines there is much variety -- a range of examples are shown below:

Pack Markings
The Space Wolves keep to the honoured tradition of displaying their individual pack markings emblazoned across their right shoulder pads and may be repeated on a knee guard. The armoured vehicles of the Space Wolves bear much of the same ritualised iconography as the warriors themselves. Transports share the pack marking of their passengers, while battle tanks and support vehicles often bear the pack symbols of their crewmen. Individual honour markings are displayed on a grey background field.

Pre-Heresy
The Space Wolves Legion heraldic badge was a snarling, red-coloured wolf's head.

Post-Heresy
The Space Wolves' Chapter badge in the modern era is a black wolf's head on a yellow background. A more elaborate wolf's head badge worked in silver and laced on a silver diamond background is also sometimes used. Most Space Wolves Marines wear the chosen sigil of their Great Company rather than that of the Chapter as a whole, which is only worn by the Great Wolf and the elite warriors of his Great Company.

Great Company Badges
The Space Wolves use a radically different system of markings than that used by Codex-compliant Chapters. Rather than using the company markings as laid down in the Codex Astartes, the Space Wolves use a number of different wolf badges to denote the different Great Companies that make up the Chapter. These include some form of a stylized wolf sigil denoting some aspect of the native Fenrisian mythology. These are chosen by a new Wolf Lord upon his election from the ranks of the Wolf Guard, and are adopted by all of the Space Wolves within the Great Company as a mark of fealty. They are also woven onto the various Great Company banners. The badge remains with the Great Company until the Wolf Lord falls in battle, whereupon a new Wolf Lord is chosen, and so the badge changes. Even these badges bow to the Space Wolves' reputation for nonconformity, and hence lack of any formal system for determining the nature of the Great Company badges. There is never only one way to represent a Great Company badge, and within a Great Company it is likely to find a number of variants of the badge being used at the same time. Indeed, there are currently three different stylizations of the Blakmane Wolf emblem (currently used by Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company) in Imperial records. Indeed, over the centuries many hundreds of different styles of badges have been recorded by Imperial scribes.

The one Great Company that does not change its badge when its leader falls is the household of the Great Wolf. The household uses "The Wolf That Stalks Between Stars", the badge of Leman Russ himself, as its emblem. This badge is perhaps unique within the Space Wolves, as there are no recorded variants of it, a testament to the respect that the Space Wolves have always possessed for their Primarch. It is this badge that represents the Space Wolves as a Chapter, and is woven on the Chapter's banner.

Also, many of the Space Wolves most honoured and treasured relics carry this badge, having been in the possession or service of the Chapter (and hence the Imperium) since the days when Russ walked among the stars. Many of the Chapter's most sacred banners have a rendition of this badge on them, a tangible link to the time when Russ still led his Space Wolves into battle. Whilst many of these are treasured in their own right, perhaps the most treasured of all is the Dreadnought Bjorn the Fell-Handed, who fought alongside Russ during the Great Crusade 10,000 standard years ago. He carries the mark on his Dreadnought shell to show his unique status in the Chapter.

Honour Markings
The Space Wolves most appreciate acts of bravery, courage and skill among their comrades and proudly display markings and personally chosen badges that denote these acts. These markings are normally painted or carved into the Power Armour and personal weapons of the Space Wolf. Where a vehicle or its crew have performed extraordinary feats of bravery or sacrifice, it will be marked by an honour badge. These badges take many forms. In some, ancient Fenrisian runes tell of a great victory won. In others, a stylised heraldic symbol is used to honour both vehicle and crew. There is no formal system of honour awards in the Chapter, all that matters is that the Space Wolf's Pack understands the significance of the symbol to him. However, some honour markings have acquired a special significance to the Space Wolves over time, and the Sergeant and Veteran badges used by the Chapter are good examples of this. The Chapter utilises a rudimentary system of symbols that are repeated in many honour markings, including badges with bones that tend to signify wounds suffered in battle; knife and claw sigils that represent ferocity and bravery in combat and wolf tails that signify an event when the Space Wolf displayed exemplary courage under fire.

Task Force Markings
It is common for units from several different Great Companies to be deployed together to serve during a particular campaign. Every Space Wolf Astartes and every Space Wolf vehicle in this task force often displays a special badge on their armour which designates service within it. Of particular note is that used by the current task force of Ragnar Blackmane: a fanged wolf skull superimposed over two crossed bones, mounted on a black lozenge. This particular badge has appeared many times in the past, and therefore probably has some special significance to the space wolves.

Chapter Armouries
The armouries of the Space Wolves are ancient indeed, dating back to the age of the Great Crusade and including weapons and artefacts that even predate the Imperium itself. Many weapons and artefacts utilised by the Space Wolves are rare or completely unheard of amongst the wider forces of the Imperium. Helfrost Weapons, Frost Swords and Frost Axes, Belts of Russ and Runic Armour are all weapons and wargear known only to the Sons of Russ. In addition to such esoteric wargear, the armouries of the Space Wolves also include ancient and rare patterns of weaponry and technology including Super Heavy tanks fielded by the Legiones Astartes of old during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy eras, but are now almost unknown to the battlefields of the present late 41st Millennium. This includes such weapons as the mighty Fellblade and Glaive. Ancient Contemptor Pattern Dreadnoughts and Fire Raptor gunships are yet other examples of rare technology possessed by few present-day Chapters but which the Space Wolves can still call upon. The Space Wolves even once deployed a number of Leman Russ Executioners, warmachines modified for a transhuman Astartes crew and used in this capacity solely by the Space Wolves Chapter. Yet there are other rare munitions that were once common amongst the Space Wolves but have fallen out of common use, wargear which includes: Blind Grenades, Plasma Grenades, Photon Flash bombs, Melta Missiles, Anti-plant Missiles and Plasma Missiles. Exactly why these armaments have fallen out of common use is unknown; perhaps they have become too costly or time-consuming to produce, or the tactical uses for these munitions too limited. Enemies facing the Space Wolves invariably must be wary, for they can never be sure what weapons, warmachines or other wargear the canny Sons of Russ might still have in their arsenal.

Chapter Relics
These artefacts are items of incredible rarity, ancient heirlooms that are carefully maintained and stored within the impregnable armouries of the Fang:


 * Anvil Shield - The Anvil Shield is a relic Storm Shield. This large slab of Obstinite laced with Adamantium is wielded by Arjac Rockfist, the personal Champion of Great Wolf Logan Grimnar. It is as much a weapon as a form of protection, and has been used to crush the skulls of numerous foes.
 * Armour of Asvald Stormwrack - When Logan Grimnar was a Wolf Guard in the Great Company of Asvald Stormwrack, the Wolf Lord gifted him a suit of ancient Terminator Armour. A relic of the Chapter, it was the armour that Asvald had worn as a Wolf Guard to his lord and which his lord had worn before him, in a line stretching back many thousands of standard years. A remarkable piece from the Dark Age of Technology, the armour hides a host of nanotechnological mechanisms beneath its ceramite plates, able to repair damage and heal rents caused by powered blade or plasma bolt. Following the tradition, Grimnar grants the armour to worthy warriors that serve and protect him.
 * The Armour of Elavagar - The warplate of Russ is a suit of unique Artificer Armour whose origins can be tracked back to the mysterious period of bitter warfare which shrouds much of the Legion's history in the decades after the Primarch took over the VI Legion, and is accounted for now within the Legion's chronicles by obscure metaphor and strange and macabre allegories impenetrable to outsiders. Within its shell are strange exothermic field generators, otherwise unknown of in the Imperium's arsenal of technology which bleed energy, specifically heat and kinetic potential from their surroundings when triggered. This has the effect of creating an aura of murderous chill around the Primarch at will. It is this effect which gives the armour its name to the Fenrisians -- Elavagar -- a wave of killing frost. During the Second Great Hunt, the Space Wolves recovered an ancient suit of Artificer Armour from the Temple of Horus on the world of Rudra near the Eye of Terror. The Space Wolves believe that this armour is none other than that once worn by Russ himself, though Imperial scholars scoff at these claims. What is beyond question, however, is that the armour is of exceptional quality, and ever surrounded by a freezing aura of hoarfrost, as was Russ' armour of old. In its presence, those not born of Fenris are chilled to their very core.
 * Axe Morkai - This mighty weapon is borne into battle by the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar. The Axe Morkai is an ancient artefact, thrumming with the power of the Warp, and was a battlefield trophy taken from a defeated Chaos Champion by the Great Wolf himself. Once he had acquired it, Grimnar had the Chapter's Iron Priests reforge the deadly axe into the likeness of the twin-headed wolf-god Morkai, the guardian of the gates of the afterlife in the myths of the people of the Space Wolves' homeworld, Fenris.
 * Axe of Helwinter - Russ' favoured axe, though less strange and potent than his darkly fabled blade, was no less a weapon of great beauty and lethality. It was a Frost Axe, a prince amongst its kind, its edge made with the kraken-teeth of the mighty beast which gave the axe its name; a legendary menace slain by Russ himself before the coming of the Emperor to Fenris. Its murderous edge was further amplified by a disruption field generator which was a masterwork in its own right, so that a well-placed blow could split the armour plate of a battle tank.
 * Belts of Russ - Each Great Company has in its Armoury a single Belt of Russ. These are powerful girdles incorporating potent gravitic force fields that protect the wearer. Forged by the master Iron Priest Stef Blacksoul after the disappearance of Russ, these belts are important relics of the Chapter.
 * Bite of Fenris - The Bolter known as the Bite of Fenris visits the extreme seasons of the Space Wolves' homeworld upon those under its crosshairs. The gun's bark heralds one of two deadly fates, for its auto-selector breech can bear two different kinds of mass-reactive bolt. The gun's ice-blue Helwinter Bolts contain heat-thief charges that leave their targets as brittle statues. Its Flametide Bolts instead bring the red-hot wrath of Fenris's midsummer, their contents exploding a split second before impact, engulfing the foe in a deadly burst of superheated Bolter-shards and wrathful flame.
 * Black Death (Banisvatr) - It is said amongst the Space Wolves that the Frost Axe known as Banisvatr -- "Black Death" in the tongue of Fenris -- is amongst the deadliest weapons ever forged. Several sagas surround the blade's deeds, recounting the monsters that have fallen beneath its bite, and the piles of slain foes left in its wake. All the tales refer to the baleful runic enchantment bound into its ebon blade, the power of which is believed to turn the  Black Death' s wielder into a relentless killing machine in battle, but none ever mention who originally carved the runes, or for what purpose.
 * Blacksnow Charm - When an Ork WAAAGH! ravaged the heavily colonised Ice World of Geot, it was the Space Wolves that turned the tide. It is said that the snow itself was turned black by the ash and filthy smoke of thousands of burning Ork vehicles. The Blacksnow Charm contains a few crystals of the blackened ice kept at permanently frozen temperatures by an internal miniature refrigeration coil, as a reminder of that great victory.
 * Blódbringer - This mighty Power Axe once belonged to Bjorn the One-Handed in the days following the Scouring of Prospero.
 * Claws of Andhrimnir - These master-crafted relic Wolf Claws are borne by Long Fang Brother Skyhowler of the Redmaws Great Company.
 * Cup of Wulfen - An object older than the Aett, the Cup of Wulfen was an artefact forged in the dawn of time by the servants of the Allfather. This chalice was carried by the VIth Legion all through the Great Crusade and was part of the Space Wolves' heritage during the dark times of the Horus Heresy. The hands of Russ himself were clasped around this chalice and offered to the first Fenrisians to become true Sons of Russ. The ancients who made this vessel imbued it with potent magics, for whoever drank from this vessel would, it they were worthy, take upon themselves the mark of Russ, and with it a portion of the Primarch's abilities. Even after ten millennia, the Space Wolves still use the Cup of Wulfen in the ritual of creation of their Aspirants' transformation into full-fledged Astartes.
 * Dausvjer - This deadly master-crafted Power Sword was wielded by Wolf Guard Sigrd Brakk during the First Battle for The Fang. Upon Brakk's death the blade was taken up by Blood Claw Kyr Aesval Helfist, and upon his death was taken up by Blood Claw Ogrim Raegr Vrafsson Redpelt. Many centuries later the blade came into the possession of Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist who then passed it on to Grey Hunter Ingvar Gyrfalkon. Dausvjer served Gyrfalkon well through his fifty-seven standard year tenure with the xenos-hunting Deathwatch. Wielded by a hundred hands, Dausvjer has held many names throughout its history, including Fjorsváfi, Helsverd, Blodstefna and Doomhringir. Alongside its reputation for ancient glory lay darker whispers, claiming that the blade is wyrd-touched.
 * Djalik - This short master-crafted Power Sword is currently wielded by Brother Aj Kvara. One edge of the blade bears notched serrations. Years of heavy use saw the weapon's blade tarnished by burns from its power field. Djalik was formerly wielded by Grey Hunter Beorth who fell in battle against a Daemon Prince of the Plague God on Deneth Teros. Brother Kvara retrieved the blade and used it to slay the Daemon Prince at last. Since then, he has continued to proudly bear this formidable blade against the enemies of Mankind.
 * Fangsword of the Ice Wolf (Svellbandr) - The earliest tales of Leman Russ speak not only of Morkai's defeat at the hands of the Wolf-King, but also those of his dread lieutenants. The creature known as the Ice Wolf was amongst the most fearsome, but it too was slain by Russ in a terrible battle and cast into the Wolf's Eye. In the wake of the deadly struggle, all that remained of the Ice Wolf was a sword-like tooth embedded in Russ' leg. It is testament to the Primarch's fortitude that he survived, for the blood of a lesser being would instantly have been frozen by its chilling touch. Russ ordered the fang forged into a blade so that its power could be used to battle the Allfather's enemies. Named Svellbrandr -- "Fangsword of the Ice Wolf" in the Fenrisian tongue -- this sword can slay the hardiest foes with but a single blow.
 * Fellclaw's Teeth - Logan Grimnar's saga tells of his defeat of the legendary Thunderwolf, Fellclaw, many years ago. Though he keeps the giant beast's skull as a trophy to this day, the Great Wolf had a necklace of teeth made from the fangs of its lower jaw. This he grants to a deserving member of the Champions of Fenris as a token of his favour. To be held in such high honour by the Old Wolf himself is a sign of immeasurable esteem, and the warrior who bears Fellclaw's Teeth will fight all the harder to be worthy of the gift bestowed upon him.
 * Fenris Pattern Wolf Helm - This pattern of helmet is a unique product of the Space Wolves Iron Priests, featuring the snarling visage of a Fenrisian Wolf. In addition to the intimidating appearance of these helmets the snout also incorporates an atmospheric interchange system that enables the wearer to take in small amounts of air from the surrounding environment without compromising the environmental seals of the wearer's Power Armour. This allows Space Wolves to use their heightened senses of taste and smell while utilising the protection and auto-senses of an Astartes battle-helm.
 * Firefang - This fierce Chainsword is one of the favoured weapons of Wolf Lord Sven Bloodhowl. Marked with a long tongue of flame painted onto the casing this double-edged Chainsword is the perfect complement to Frostclaw, the Wolf Lord's other favored blade. Jarl Sven typically wields both axe and sword, pairing the weapons in a fierce dual-wielding style.
 * Fist of Demetrius - This ancient and ornate Power Fist was believed to have been the Fist of Russ. For many centuries this artefact was kept in a temple complex on the world of Demetrius, one of the planets that had been lost to Imperial rule for thousands of standard years during the Great Schism. Ten standard years into the Macharius Crusade the Imperial forces tracked down rumours of an ancient Astartes artefact on Demetrius and launched an invasion to capture the world and reclaim this artefact. Some rumours persisted that the Lord Solar Macharius sought to gift the Fist in exchange for the political support of the Space Wolves Chapter in his ongoing campaigns. Before any such deal could be struck the Fist was stolen by Dark Eldar raiders and taken to the world of Procrastes. The Night Runner Great Company under the command of Wolf Lord Logan Grimnar joined the personal Lion Guard Regiment of Macharius in reclaiming Procrastes, driving off the xenos raiders, and reclaiming the Fist. Though the Imperial forces were successful in all three tasks the Fist of Demetrius was not, in fact, the Fist of Russ. According to Logan Grimnar the Fist was ancient and undeniably a potent relic of the Imperium and the Space Wolves, but was not a weapon wielded by the Primarch Leman Russ. Logan Grimnar took possession of the artefact but its ultimate fate or current location is unknown.
 * Fist of Russ - This ancient relic of the Space Wolves Chapter is reputed to have been one of the weapons wielded by the Wolf King himself. Following the disappearance of Russ, the Fist of Russ was placed in the Temple of the Storm Wolves on the world of Pelius, where it lay for thousands of standard years until it was stolen in a lightning raid by unknown force of xenos. Since its theft, many have searched for the Fist of Russ over the millennia. Though many leads have been tracked down, many enemies fought, and many ruins searched, the Fist of Russ has yet to be reclaimed.
 * Foehammer - A potent relic of the Space Wolves wielded by Logan Grimnar's Champion Arjac Rockfist, Foehammer is a rune-inscribed Thunder Hammer with an in-built teleportation device that returns the weapon to Arjac's hand should he throw it at a foe or lose it in combat.
 * Frejya - This relic Bolter was the favoured weapon of Grey Hunter Tanngjost Seven Fingers. An antiquated pattern likely found collecting dust in one of the many armouries of The Fang, Brother Tanngjost carried the Bolter for many years. Frejya 's casing is adorned with red and gold and was rune marked by Rune Priest Ulli Iceclaw.
 * Frost Blades - Frost Blades are potent weapons, unique to the Space Wolves Chapter, that can carve through the heaviest armour with ease. Frost Blades usually take the forms of Chainswords or Chainaxes, though they can exist in the form of any type of Imperial melee weapon. Frost Blades are master works from the Space Wolves Iron Priests -- each is incredibly rare and prestigious. The teeth of these icy Chain Weapons are always cut from nigh-unbreakable substances such as Ice Kraken fangs or tempered diamond. The unique power fields enveloping Frost Blades have a distinctive blue cast. A Frost Blade combines the best qualities of a Chain Weapon and a Power Weapon. Some Frost Axes have blades of energised diamond that give the weapons the appearance that they have been carved from a single, lethal shard of ice.
 * Frostclaw - In battle, Wolf Lord Sven Bloodhowl wields the great Frost Axe Frostclaw. The weapon is the height of a man, but Sven carries it with one hand -- a testament to both his strength and the unnatural balance gifted to the weapon by its creator. It is boasted amongst the ranks of the Firehowlers that no armour forged can stop the edge of this Frost Axe. Certainly, none of Lord Bloodhowl's many opponents has yet lived to disprove this claim.
 * Frostfang - Frostfang is a mighty Frost Blade crafted centuries ago by the Iron Priest Fergus Forgrim, a famed master craftsman of the Space Wolves. Its chainsaw blade is fashioned from a rare metal, the secret construction technique of which has died with the ancient Iron Priest.
 * Frostfury - Over millennia of campaigning and fighting for the Imperium, the vaults of The Fang have become filled with rare and potent weapons. The Storm Bolter known as Frostmodr, or Frostfury in Low Gothic, is just such an example -- a weapon crafted long ago by the skilled hands of an unremembered Tech-adept. Re-chambered to fire bolt rounds tipped with Helfrost warheads, it is the only known example of such a weapon, the secrets of its creation lost. In battle, the glittering rounds impart their freezing payload as they explode deep in the flesh of their victims. Few enemies can survive both the destructive force of a detonating bolt shell and the frigid blast of the shattering glimmerfrost crystal.
 * Glacius - This mighty Frost Axe is the favored weapon of Wolf Lord Harald Deathwolf. Carved from a single ice-blue crystal, the blade is fearsomely sharp and deathly cold.
 * Glimmerfrost Crystals - These precious crystals are unique to Fenris and only grow in once place, the caverns beneath Allfather Peak. The exact location of the caves is amongst the most closely guarded secrets of the Chapter and the crystals themselves are beyond priceless. Without them the Chapter's Helfrost Weapons could not be made. Chapter legend holds that the Glimmerfrost Crystals began to grow in the caves after the Emperor was reunited with His lost son and that the crystals are a physical manifestation of the Allfather's power and a priceless gift to the Chapter.
 * Grimfang's Claw - This relic master-crafted Artificer Bolter is a treasured relic of the Chapter.
 * Great Wolf Pelts - Among the wargear of the Space Wolves are wolf pelts from some of the greatest Fenrisian Wolves that have served the Chapter. Some of these pelts are large even for a Space Marine, trailing behind them and hanging over their armour like a tide of fur. A Battle-Brother wearing such a pelt honours the memory of the wolf by carrying it once more into battle
 * Helfrost Weaponry - The Iron Priests of the Chapter have long mastered the construction of directed energy weapons that use the precious Glimmerfrost Crystals unique to Fenris as specialised focussing lenses. By altering the flow of energy through the Glimmerfrost Crystal the Helfrost Weapons are able to fire focussed or dispersed beams of freezing cold energy. Anything the Helfrost beam touches is frozen solid and made extremely brittle. Enemies are frozen in place and shattered by the lightest touch into thousands of shards of crystallised flesh.
 * The Helm of Durfast - Durfast's saga names him as the saviour of Mordrak, a long-dead world that was once home to a race of techno-savants. Many technological marvels were discovered amid the ruins of Mordrak after the Ork WAAAGH! that had threatened the planet was defeated by Durfast's Great Company. One such device was bound within Durfast's wolf-head helm by the Iron Priests on his return to The Fang, and it has since become an heirloom of the Chapter. The Helm of Durfast incorporates temporal archeotech that endows the wearer with an awareness of the immediate past, present and future. Its precognitive powers gives him momentary insight into his own wyrd, enabling him to anticipate his target's movements with seemingly preternatural speed and accuracy. The temporal technology used in this relic has long been lost to the Imperium and may even predate its existence.
 * Holdbítr - This is the revered relic Rune Blade of the Blademaster and Grey Hunter Váltyr Skullhewer. During the Battle for Ras Shakeh the sverdhjera engaged the Chaos Lord Thorslax the Blighted in close combat. Though he fought furiously he was slain and Holdbítr was shattered. Váltyr became the first, and last, wielder of the Rune Blade.
 * The Hood of Gnyrll - The Hood of Gnyrll is a special crafted Psychic Hood said to gift a Rune Priest with additional and more potent psychic abilities as well as protecting him from the psychic assaults of others.
 * Hrulf's Hood of Darkness - The Hood of Darkness is an ancient device of obscure alien origin. In battle, when activated, this device cloaks the wearer in interdimensional darkness. It also provides the wearer protection from psychic powers whilst cloaked, though he may not use his own psychic powers either.
 * Icetooth - This is an ancient master-crafted Bolt Pistol that has served the warriors of the Chapter well over many millennia.
 * Krakenbone Sword - Years when the Kraken's Spur rises from the seas of Fenris are times of plenty for the world's tribes. In the dripping grottos and shallow pools can be found the remains of ancient kraken, from whose bones priceless blades can be crafted. In his youth, Logan Grimnar had one such blade made for him by a smith of the Iron Blood tribe after recovering a suitable shard of bone from the Kraken's Spur. Though its edges were as sharp as the day it was first made, Arjac Rockfist reworked the blade into a deadly Frost Sword before presenting it to his liegelord once more. It has since become a powerful heirloom of the Champions of Fenris, for no armour can resist its bite.
 * Krakenmaw - This immense Frost Blade was once wielded by Leman Russ during the Great Crusade and was the weapon Russ carried with him during the lamentable event known as the Night of the Wolf where the Primarch of the VI Legion attempted to punish the World Eaters Primarch Angron for his Legion's continued use of psycho surgery and the implants known as the Butcher's Nails. Angron shattered Krakenmaw during his duel with Russ, even as the Wolf King destroyed Angron's first axe, Widowmaker.
 * Langnvast - For his primary weapon, Bran Redmaw bears Langnvast, a master-forged relic Frost Blade of the Chapter gifted to him by Logan Grimnar upon his promotion to the rank of Wolf Lord. This Frost Axe is an ancient and storied weapon amongst the Space Wolves, carried by many heroes of the Chapter into uncounted battles.
 * Maekr - This relic master-crafted Thunder Hammer was crafted by Rune Priest Svasund the Golden in the 38th Millennium. Currently it is borne by Wolf Guard Battle Leader Skallagrim of the Blackbrow of the Redmaws Great Company.
 * Magnir Runes - These rune stones are all that remain of Rune Priest Magnir who served the Deathwatch of the Jericho Reach centuries ago. In life Magnir was possessed of an uncanny ability to predict the future and the fates of those around him. Fellow Rune Priests of the Chapter who use the stones he left behind gain increased insight into the paths of the future.
 * Mantle of the Fallen Wolf - Wolf Priests are the spiritual leaders and counselors of the Chapter and well-respected by all Battle-Brothers. The mantles of the Wolf Priests are usually crafted from the furs of the great wolves of Fenris, and are adorned with tokens and fetishes of the Chapter. The Mantle of the Fallen Wolf is one such item, passed to the Jericho Reach Deathwatch by its previous owner who fell defeating a Greater Daemon in the Hadex Anomaly. To wear such a cloak is a great honour and marks out a Battle-Brother as a trusted member of his Chapter and a respected member of the Adeptus Astartes.
 * Mantle of the Ice Troll King - A troll-skin cloak whose thick hide shields Wolf Lord Harald Deathwolf from both small arms fire and flame, both mundane and Warp-spawned. His Saga states that it was torn from the corpse of the greatest of the Ice Trolls who threatened the Tide Hounds tribe, Harald's former tribe, and now adorn his battle-plate.
 * Morkai's Claws - Named for the legendary Fenrisian two-headed wolf Morkai, it is said that a master Artificer of Mars, whose name has long since been forgotten, was inspired by the story of the wolf-god's defeat at the hands of Leman Russ. He presented the mighty Primarch with a pair of Wolf Claws that he had forged especially to honour the victory. Imbued with all the bestial fury for which the wolf-god was renowned, to wield Morkai's Claws in battle is to unleash the wrath of the caged beast and tear every foe to bloody ruin.
 * Mjalnar, The Sword of Banelight - A weapon of truly ancient mystery, the sword of Russ has gone by many names. To the Remembrancers of the Great Crusade, it is called Banelight -- a name itself a commonplace derivation of the High Terran Maledica Nocterum-- a dark legend carried during the Age of Strife where it passed through the hands of warlords and tyrants. But to the Wolves of Fenris it has always been Mjalnar -- the fang of the Wolf King -- taken in battle as a blood-brought prize of victory. Ultimately, the Sword of Banelight was a Power Sword of unknown origin, a thing of terror and blood against which no armour could stand as the sword's sliver-white blade inexplicably darkened as it killed, first to the deep red of heart's blood, and then to a fathomless, glittering black.
 * The Murderclaws - These unique claws each bear three blades carved from a mysterious form of ice that never melts. Each claw bears the skull of a Thunderwolf worked into the back of each fist; the left skull possesses an advanced targetting system built into its right eye-socket. Wielded by the maddened Venerable Dreadnought known as Murderfang, these claws have ended countless lives, either at the end of their blades or to the flame and bolts of their in-built weapons systems.
 * Nightwing - Njal Stormcaller saved Iron Priest Ulf Blackbrow's life during the Battle of Rust World. Blackbrow was not one to owe others favours, and so the accomplished smith crafted a particularly sophisticated psyber-raven named Nightwing for Njal. Nightwing has since saved Njal's life many times and is ever swift to aid the legendary Rune Priest in combat.
 * The Pelt of Balewolf - The pelts of wolves are plentiful trophies amongst the Champions of Fenris, as each is an able and fearless hunter. However, some of these mantles are rare indeed and steeped in legend, belonging to one of the ferocious near-mythical Blackmaned Thunderwolves that, so the stories claim, escape from Morkai's realm once every generation to terrorise the slopes of the Fenrisian continent of Asaheim. The Pelt of Balewolf is one such relic. Still soaked in the scent of the long-dead creature, beasts instinctively cower before the wearer, sensing the presence of an alpha predator upon the wind.
 * The Pelt of the Dopplegangrel - Lukas the Trickster is the only individual in the Space Wolves' history who has managed to track and slay one of the legendary chameleonic Dopplegangrels of Fenris. Lukas wears the pelt as a trophy and uses its innate abilities to assist him in battle, and probably any mischief he undertakes.
 * Rothgeril - This relic blade was borne by Grey Hunter Aj Kvara during the battle for Deneth Teros. Rothgeril was wrested from Kvara's grip by a Daemon Prince of the Plague God.
 * Runic Terminator Armour of Njal Stormcaller - Njal alone has the skill to craft Runic Terminator Armour and his suit is currently the only one of its kind in the Chapter.
 * The Pelt of the Wulfen - This ancient pelt is from a massive Wolf of Fenris, the largest ever slain by a warrior of the Space Wolves. This ancient and venerable hide has been interwoven with a modified cameleoline web.
 * Runic Staffs - Runic Staffs are mighty artefacts carried by Rune Priests that are imbued with the most powerful psychic wards the Rune Priests can devise that protect the wielder from the psychic attacks of his enemies.
 * Runic Totems - The Sons of Russ have many traditions that are unique to their Chapter, and at the heart of Fenrisian mysticism stand the Rune Priests. Using their arcane arts they craft rune totems to call upon the powers of Fenris' mythic beasts, and Space Wolves fiercely believe that these talismans can lend the bearer power from the spirit whose name is inscribed upon it.
 * Sigrún - This relic master-crafted Heavy Bolter is currently borne by Grey Hunter Olgeir Heavy-hand of Járnhamar Pack.
 *  Skulbrotsjór - This relic Thunder Hammer is currently borne by Wolf Guard Pack Leader Gunnlaugur.
 * Spear of Russ - The Spear of Russ was an ancient Chapter relic once wielded by the Primarch Leman Russ of the Space Wolves Legion during the glory days of the Great Crusade. It was on the Spear of Russ that the first Wolf Lords swore their allegiance to Leman Russ and the Emperor and formed the first Great Companies. Despite the symbolic importance of the spear, Leman Russ reputedly "lost" the weapon frequently and favoured other blades such as Krakenmaw over the spear in battle. One account tells how, after drinking a immense amount of stormwine on Sirenia, Russ tried to throw the spear at the moon. It took four solar days of searching for Russ' warriors to recover the weapon. Eventually, the spear was laid to rest and kept for millennia at a sacred shrine on the planet Garm, waiting for the day Russ would return for the Last Battle. This sacred site was the final resting place of one of the Legion's greatest warriors who died protecting the Wolf King. Garm's ritually-carved sarcophagus bore a likeness of the warrior on the upper surface which gripped the spear. A pilgrimage to the shrine was a common practice for the Space Wolves and many warriors who laid hands on the spear reported an enlightening experience, as though they were reaching out to the Primarch through the ages. Eventually, in the latter years of the 41st Millennium, an Arch-heretic named Sergius stole the spear during a bloody uprising on Garm, and Ragnar Blackmane, then a Blood Claw in Berek Thunderfist's Great Company, had been among the warriors sent to crush the revolt. After numerous battles, Ragnar came face-to-face with his old nemesis the Sorcerer Madox, who had manipulated Sergius into taking the spear in an effort to summon Magnus the Red, the Thousand Sons Legion's infernal Daemon Primarch, into the physical realm. The foul sorcerer nearly succeeded, but just as Magnus began to cross the threshold from the depths of the Warp, Ragnar seized the spear from Sergius and hurled the legendary weapon at the fearsome Primarch. The spear struck Magnus like a thunderbolt and the Daemon Prince was hurled back into the raging maelstrom of the Warp. Garm had been saved, but the Spear of Russ had been lost, possibly forever. As "punishment", Ragnar was sent to Terra in exile by the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar to serve in the Wolfblade, an Honour Guard comprised of Astartes from the Space Wolves Chapter who protect the Navigators' House Belisarius on Terra, in accordance with an ancient pact forged at the time of the Great Crusade over ten millennia ago. With the aid of his fellow Wolfblades, Ragnar later managed to also recover the Spear of Russ on the Daemon World of Charys with the aid of the Space Wolves' long-lost 13th Great Company. This act redeemed Ragnar in the eyes of his Battle-Brothers and he was reinstated as a member of Berek Thunderfist's Great Company after he returned from his time as a Wolfblade.
 * Staff of the Stormcaller - The Runic Staff wielded by Njal Stormcaller, the Staff of the Stormcaller is a venerable weapon and relic of the Space Wolves that enhances the psychic abilities of its wielder.
 * Stormrider - This ancient relic of the Chapter dates back to the Great Crusade and once carried the Primarch Leman Russ on the day he took command of the VI Legion. Stormrider is a chariot forged in the shape of a Fenrisian dragonship, held aloft by arcane gravitic suspensor fields and directional jet engines. Stormrider has, since its forging, been pulled by a pair of Thunderwolves. For the last five standard centuries Stormrider has been pulled by the Thunderwolves Tyrnak and Fenrir. Logan Grimnar has adorned the hull of Stormrider with ornate panels depicting his victory over the Krakens of Fenris on one side and his defeat of the World Eaters Champion Akor Doomflayer on the other. Ceremonial shields depict further insignia of the Great Wolf and his deeds and sculpted Spirit Wolves are mounted on the back, protection against fell magics. Stormrider bears a powerful force field generator capable of deflecting all but the most powerful of attacks and ensuring that the rider can carve a path through the deadliest of battlefields virtually unscathed.
 * Teeth of the Blizzard - The Teeth of the Blizzard is a relic Frost Blade of the Chapter. During a Space Wolves deployment to drive back splinter elements of Hive Fleet Behemoth, the leading Pack, led by none other than the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar, became surrounded when hundreds of voracious Tyranid bio-organisms burst from the ground behind them. The Pack fought ferociously to defend their Lord, and one Wolf Guard named Ralaff leapt on the back of a monstrous Trygon to slice its throat with his Frost Blade. Ralaff died from his injuries, but his actions allowed reinforcements to reach the Great Wolf in time. His Frost Blade became a revered relic of the Chapter in testament to Ralaff's valour.
 * Torgarl's Plasma Blade - Though this weapon appears to be an ancient and finely decorated knife, it actually houses a plasma generator in the handle. When thrown, the blade generates an intense plasma field which can penetrate most armour.
 * Trueclaw - After Bjorn the Fell-Handed's internment within the confines of a Dreadnought sarcophagus the Chapter's Iron Priests crafted this mighty claw for the former Great Wolf in honour of the dread claw he favoured as a mortal. Adorned with gems and intricate scrollwork, Trueclaw also mounts an in-built Heavy Flamer.
 * Widow - This heavily customised Heavy Bolter was the pride of Grey Hunter Saehrimnar Brokenaxe. The Widow was destroyed shortly after Saehrimnar's death in Pack Aesor's second clash with the Ork Mekboy leading the Greenskins from the destroyed hydroelectric dam on the slopes of Sacred Mountain on Alaric Prime.
 * Wolf Amulets - These ornate amulets function identically to the Rosarius amulets used by the Chaplains of other Chapters, containing powerful force-field generators that protect the wearer from all but the most deadly attacks. Where the Rosarius is a physical representation of the ties between the Chaplains of the Adeptus Astartes and the Ecclesiarchy, the Space Wolves do not share a similar unity of faith.
 * Wolf Claws - Wolf Claws are a variant of the Lightning Claws used by other Space Marine Chapters. This particular pattern is primarily utilised exclusively by the savage warriors of the Space Wolves Chapter. Wolf Claws are heavily armoured gauntlets with curved, razor-edged talons sheathed in a rippling power field of pure energy. Used most effectively in pairs, Wolf Claws are angled to echo the talons of the wolf. They allow the wielder to cut four times instead of once with each strike, either slashing to maximise a warrior's chance of hitting the foe or stabbing deep to ensure a swift kill.
 * Wolf Helm of Russ - The Wolf Helm of Russ is an ancient artefact of the Chapter said to have been worn by their Primarch Leman Russ himself. Legend has it that this ancient helm was fashioned by the Emperor's Artificers and given to his Primarch son. The Wolf Helm is awarded to a Great Company after a tournament of champions. The last winner was Ragnar Blackmane who then presented the Helm to the Wolf Priest Ranek as a sign of respect.
 * Wolf Pelts - Fenrisian Wolves are renowned across the galaxy for their viciousness. They are respected creatures, and greatly entwined with Space Wolf beliefs. Unarmed hunting rituals exist on Fenris to prove a warrior's prowess. Should a Battle-Brother succeed on such a hunt, he typically displays the pelt of the animal thereafter.
 * Wolf Skull Helms - These stylised helms are worn by the Chapter's Wolf Priests rather than the human skull helmets more typical amongst the Chaplains of other Adeptus Astartes Chapters.
 * Wolf Tooth Necklaces - Created from the teeth of Fenrisian Wolves, a Wolf Tooth Necklace is reputed to grant the wearer strength and ferocity in combat like that of the wolf it was taken from. Whether or not there is any true power in such tokens (like those talismans crafted by the Chapter's Rune Priests), the effects on a Space Wolves Battle-Brother's morale and ferocity cannot be denied.
 * The Wulfen Stone - The Space Wolves fear and revere this gem in equal measure, for it represents both the greatest strength of their gene-heritage and their most terrible curse. Bound within a large blood diamond like a caged animal lies the raging spirit of the Wulfen -- the inner beast that lurks within the heart and soul of every Space Wolf. This ancient gem was found by Wolf Lord Jorin Bloodfang on an Eldar Crone World during the 13th Great Company's sojourn into the Eye of Terror. It was worked into a suit of Power Armour by the great artificer and one of the Company's few surviving Iron Priests, Fengri. The Wulfen Stone has the unusual property of amplifying a bearer's Wulfen rage to far beyond that of the rest of their kin. Its horror can be borne by few creatures and as a result, most foes will break and run in absolute terror before the fell creature before them. Though this dire relic is one of the Space Wolves' greatest treasures, the Wulfen Stone is a relic carried to battle in only the most extreme circumstances. Its presence triggers violent urges within the Sons of Russ, an uncontrollable rage to spill blood that any who bear the Canis Helix cannot deny.
 * Wyrmclaw - Currently borne by Wolf Lord Krom Dragongaze, this mighty Frost Axe is a revered relic of The Fang. Krom's masterwork frost axe is a perfectly balanced weapon made doubly deadly by the skill of its heroic wielder. Its blade was dusted with a bonemeal glaze made from the ground-down talons of the great ice wyrm Witherwing, lending it a razor-sharp cutting edge that can never be dulled. In the hands of Krom Dragongaze, Wyrmclaw becomes a veritable avalanche of destruction, its every blow perfectly placed and impossible to stay.

Chapter Inspiration
The most recent incarnation of the Space Wolves is described as "a fantasy-style army in a science fiction universe". The backstory and "character" of the army is inspired by Germanic and Celtic barbarian mythology with a strong focus on the mythology of the Norse Vikings. The Space Wolves are reluctant to use some forms of "advanced" technology in a desire to fight in the style of their Primarch and feral homeworld. This is, of course, reflected in the Chapter's army list and specialist rules used by Space Wolf players. They are often (mistakenly) perceived to be an all-out assault army, like the Blood Angels or Black Templars; this is, however, erroneous, for the Space Wolves have a much more flexible and balanced play style and a greater behavioural reliability than either of the above mentioned Chapters. They do favour shorter-ranged confrontation than the traditional "shooty" Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters like the Ultramarines, however.

Gallery
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