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In my story I have a flashback scene where the main character discusses the Codex Astartes with one of his brothers back in the Deathwatch and a Space Wolf chimes in. Does this capture the Space Wolf way of battle:

"We don’t rely on battleplans and doctrine. When a battleforce of the Space Wolves approaches an enemy force, we have no idea what we will do until we get a good look at them. Once the Wolf Scouts and the Grey Hunters have skirmished for a few moments, everyone save the Blood Claws instinctively know how our enemy will react. We know if they will break under a massed charge, we know if they will retreat under firepower, we know if they will fall into an ambush if we lay one, we know if they will pursue if we feign retreat. Any one of us could lead his pack, for every man in the pack knows exactly his place in the skirmish, and any one of the wolf guard could lead the battleforce, because every pack instinctively knows its place in the battle. That is why we rejected the Codex Astartes! Because we do not need doctrines, or battleplans: we simply trust our instincts as warriors, and our battle record speaks for itself."

Yep, I think it's a excellent capture of the Space Wolves tactic. Of course, I'm not a Space Wolf player or huge fan, but that's how I would have seen them approach a battlefield from a tactical point of view.

I think you've got it right. They don't need meticulous planning because war comes naturally to them and when the hammer blow comes its because that's when the jaws of the wolf are already around your neck.

I've always thought of Space Wolves attacking the way a wolf pack does. It attacks swiftly and wears its opponent down over time never giving their prey a moment to catch their breath. They don't charge in recklessly the way a Blood Angel does with maximum aggression. They are cunning hunters and only once their prey is weary do they send in the Blood Claws to eliminate the foe.

There would be times when patience is not needed and brute force is all that is required and a skilled Wolf Lord will recognize this and instinctively know what to do.

Space Wolves go to war with fleas and mange on a daily basis. Chainsword? No, that's just a SW's comb, courtesy of PetSmart.


Actually, that quote becomes hysterical if you imagine the enemy across from them IS actually a swarm of fleas.