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Hello all:

I am in the planning/looking/getting ready to buy stage of building an army.

My requirements are something fun to paint, something to take pride in, something with a fun backstory/fluff line.

I believe I want to build and play a Space Wolves army: they look like fun to paint (I love cavalry in other games and think the wolf mounts will be fun to paint), I like the idea that they are futuristic Vikings (they look that way to me), I think I can have some fun being creative while painting and basing them.

My question is, where should I start? I know I need to pick up a Codex but I have some free time around the holidays and would like to start to paint a unit or two. What are the basics that I should get to start out? I don't want to buy a bunch of flashy models and end up never putting them on the board.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Skip

inb4 people tell you not to play 40k.

If you really want something to paint, start with this: http://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Space-Wolves-Grey-Hunters

That will you get two 5-man Tactical Units,aka 2 Troops. Then you'll need plus 1 HQ to start playing.

http://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/Space-Wolves-Rune-Priest

After that, I'd suggest getting your codex and the Battle Rule Book 7th edition (you can score this and your codex for around $30 a piece on eBay).

well your going to want to start with some bloodclaws or some grey hunters, their a staple unit that always do well, a solid bread n butter team. you have 10 guys in a box per squad you get its a solid buy in, dont focus on making a bunch of guys with different weapons try and make as many people uniform as you can, bloods are a more cc oriented unit where your greys are for midrange shooting more.

then your going to want an hq you can pick from any of the hq's games workshop sells, they currently have a bundle where you get njal in tda, and then ulrik the slayer, a rune priest, and a techmarine with space wolf stylings as one set.

if you want a wolf lord you can buy any old captain and then use the bits from your bloodclaws and hunters to make a unique lord all your own

when youve gotten beyond there you can look at transports and specialists like wolf guard, thunderwolves, skyclaws, land raiders, and the ever important whirlwind.

a lot of people will probably spit on me for recommending the whirlwind but i believe that every non codex: space marines; marine army; that can buy a whirlwind should takethe time and buy one and invest in one, minimum buy the turret so you can make a razorback or rhino or predator into one when you want one. its too useful to have that chaffe removing wonder even if it sits in cold storage and you use it once every few months

Wasn't there a "dark vengeance" style battle box for space wolves not that long ago? you could try and find that on ebay.. I recall it being a very good boxset. Plus you would get a mini 7ed rulebook in it!

 Grizzyzz wrote:
Wasn't there a "dark vengeance" style battle box for space wolves not that long ago? you could try and find that on ebay.. I recall it being a very good boxset. Plus you would get a mini 7ed rulebook in it!

Aye, Stormclaw. Pick it up if you can, and either trade the Orks or sell them, or just try to buy the SW half on eBay.

Not really worth it to be honest. The Terminators you won't use for long, the Special Character is a Lord with an Axe and MUST accept Challenges so he is not as good as say a regular lord with the Armor of Russ. And the rest of the models is one Grey Hunter box. Good box, but not a good Space Wolf army there especially considering it's been OOP for long enough that the price has been going up. I usually see it around $170-180.

I'm going to take a moment to spit on ionusx's Whirliwind. Just used one in a game to try it out again and damn was that thing worthless. Don't get them Spurn them with hatred. If you feel the need to take armor and want some barrage, just ally in the Armoured Spearhead Formation from vanilla and take Thunderfire Cannons. Better in every way.

There is a big box set still floating around with a Commander, three Grey Hunter boxes, Skyclaw box, Drop Pod and I think two Long Fang boxes. So basically a Demi-Company if the Space Wolves did that. One fell swoop will get you everything but the transports and armor. Throw in a Stormwolf for a Wolf Guard squad, Grey Hunters in a Pod and put the last squad as Blood Claws in maybe a Land Raider, Long Fangs with various weapons and the Skyclaws... well, if you have to use them then sure. After that, all you need is Thunderwolf Calvary. It would still be a while before you're competitive but it would get you on the table fast and able to play against other friendly lists even without the other transports.

Not a good ork box either. Kanz? Nobz? They even have a special grot squad that costs 5 pts more than a regular grot squad. Without any bonuses.

That's an odd box. It has a lot of cool models that have poor rules.

I would make sure i had the codex or some way of referencing the relevant squad compositions before getting any models. Nothing worse than assembling and painting up an illegal unit of models that needs to be modified/replaced before it can be fielded. Having said that, if you like the look of the space wolf thunderwolves then start with them. From what i hear they're one of the more competitive units in the space wolf list.

Thank you for the quick responses and the information provided! It is greatly appreciated.

I looked for a Stormclaw box but they are hard to find and are running in the $170 and up range. Kind of expensive for a mini book and a few models.

I did find a Space Wolves Battleforce box that is out there. It has 20 wolves that can be assembled as Grey Hunters, Blood Claws or Wolf Guards, it also includes 5 scouts and a drop pod. I have not seen anyone here mention using scouts and I have not seen many references to them in all of the articles/blogs that I have read over the past few weeks of research.

I've looked around and can not find anything larger than a Battleforce box. Does anyone know what the demi-company box may be called?

Looking around it is hard to find a lot of the Space Wolves stuff easily. Am I making a mistake going with them? Unfortunately this is all new to me, I have the theory down but not all of the information I need to make a good decision.

Thanks again for all of the help!

Skip

Skip2a wrote:
Thank you for the quick responses and the information provided! It is greatly appreciated.

I looked for a Stormclaw box but they are hard to find and are running in the $170 and up range. Kind of expensive for a mini book and a few models.

I did find a Space Wolves Battleforce box that is out there. It has 20 wolves that can be assembled as Grey Hunters, Blood Claws or Wolf Guards, it also includes 5 scouts and a drop pod. I have not seen anyone here mention using scouts and I have not seen many references to them in all of the articles/blogs that I have read over the past few weeks of research.

I've looked around and can not find anything larger than a Battleforce box. Does anyone know what the demi-company box may be called?

Looking around it is hard to find a lot of the Space Wolves stuff easily. Am I making a mistake going with them? Unfortunately this is all new to me, I have the theory down but not all of the information I need to make a good decision.

Thanks again for all of the help!

Skip

it is not a mistake going with them. If your looking for tournaments and competitive play.. then maybe it is not the right move, but it sounds like you like the flook/fluff and honestly, that is all that really matters. Some armies have really good boxsets others don't. It may be the case the best method is to buy individual boxes of what you want!

One other thing. Do figures need to be painted the way you see them on the web? I keep watching videos on painting different ones and everyone seems to use the "recommended" colors. Can I be unique and come up with a fitting color scheme to match the feel of my army? I am thinking Space Vikings are more earthy colors and not pale blue but that is just me.

Thanks again for all of the info!

Skip

It's your minis and you paint em how you like. After all you'll be looking on em the most and they have to satisfy you.

Skip2a wrote:One other thing. Do figures need to be painted the way you see them on the web? I keep watching videos on painting different ones and everyone seems to use the "recommended" colors. Can I be unique and come up with a fitting color scheme to match the feel of my army? I am thinking Space Vikings are more earthy colors and not pale blue but that is just me.

Thanks again for all of the info!

Skip

Many people like to follow the "codex standard" paint schemes. I am one of those people, haha. When I played space marines, I originally painted a dark green scheme (not DA but similar), and I played multiple chapters. I got annoyed with people assuming I was always playing Dark Angels, so I started painting chapter colors. XD

Grubass wrote:It's your minis and you paint em how you like. After all you'll be looking on em the most and they have to satisfy you.

Exactly, in the end you can do whatever you want!

It's your game mate, paint them as you see fit. Perhaps they are a new chapter which recruits from a feral world, thirteenth company come back from the Eye of Terror or a secerit successor chapter (although I think Wolves are one of the few exceptions which don't have successors)

Also, rumour abound that Wolves my be getting a new codex Feb 16, although apply salt as necessary.