Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I decided to start a new army and chose the Space Wolves. So I was wondering if there were any experienced players here who might be able to tell me what's good to start with.

I would wait until they get a new codex. They are not very competitive right now.

They don't have a codex, you won't win the LVO with them, or stomp folks at your FLGS with a tournament list, but you can still get your wolf on while you wait for the codex.

In the last several games I've played, Wulfen with a jump pack Wolf Priest and whatever infantry they are buffing have been my all-star models. People will either know this, or figure it out and adjust their target priorities with prejudice.

With that being said...

The space wolf start collecting box is not a bad start.

The 10 foot troops can make 2 x 5 man grey hunter squads. You can build the captain in several different ways. The frost sword/combi-plasma is a good pick as you can use the CA Relic for the sword.

The thunderwolves can be built as Fist/Shield Hammer/Shield Hammer/Shield (you will need to use one of the foot hammers from the boxes)

Wolf Lord Frost Sword/Combi Plas

5 Grey Hunters

Power Axe on pack leader

Plasma Gun

Plasma Pistol

5 Grey Hunters

Power Axe on pack leader

Plasma Gun

Plasma Pistol

TWC, TH/SS, PF/SS, TH/SS Pack Leader

Is just shy of 500 points (496)

From there - you can get a 10 man box and make another 5 man grey hunter squad.

3 Wolf Guard Pack Leaders (1 for each grey hunter squad - storm bolters if you like shooting with your favorite wolf/frost themed power weapon. Fists/Hammers for big stuff, twin wolf claws for hoard duty)

1 Wolf Priest (Plas Pistol/Converted Crozius) Sadly to get the jump pack, you will need to beg/borrow/steal or order ten online.

That gives you 2 HQ and 3 troops for a battalion. One spare guy and lots of spare bits.

Add that 'one spare guy' to a devastator box and you can have a 6 long fang pack with a leader with a storm bolter. (Two missile launchers, two lascannon and a plas cannon)

All in, depending on how you equip your Wolf Guard pack leaders, you will be just under 1000 points with those three boxes. Your other option with Devastators is to buy two boxes and make four las, four heavy bolter, but that pushes you past 1k.

After that - it's Wulfen and a method of inserting them into your enemy... for 1 CP the new stratagem is handy, for about 80 bucks the Stormwolf is another option.

Wulfen will rip everything apart. At least 10 are good to have. 5 are too few, they'll probably kill just one unit and die after that (or probably even before that if your opponent has decent firepower).
I only speak as an opponent of Space Wolves but Wulfen are always terrifying if you don't have a Gunline army.
SW Dreadnoughts are also pretty cool.
Thunderwolf cavalry didn't impress me so far in this edition, but that might change with the codex. Unlike Wulfen they need a support character to shine.
Blood claws are also nice, loyalist marines that try to play horde and they aren't that bad at it when supported by some kind of priest.
SW have the best devastators of all marines, use them.

These are my observations as a DG opponent.