The Warhammer TV crew have been busy Crusading for a few months now, and while he’s still in the zone, we thought we’d ask Space Wolves super-fan Si to tell us all about the thematic new rules that the Sons of Russ are getting in their upcoming Codex Supplement.
To the battle-hungry tribesmen of Fenris, there is no greater reward in life than to be chosen to join the mighty Sky Warriors of Asaheim – to be remade into one of the Allfather’s superhuman champions and sail forth across the Sea of Stars to make war upon his enemies. It’s a simple dream, but one that has ensured that the Sons of Russ remain among humanity’s greatest hopes against the ever-encroaching darkness. What’s more, you get to do it yourself by taking your Space Wolves on Crusade!
The Space Wolves have always been among the game’s most narrative-driven factions, making them a natural fit for campaign play. Never is this more evidenced than in the transitional nature of their Crusade rules, which enable your force to evolve over time to an even more nuanced degree than the core Adeptus Astartes rules.
The combination of two Requisitions, Pack Bonded and Tempered by the Grey Beards, enable your key Battleline units to grow in age, wisdom, and experience, and to adapt their skill set to one more appropriate to their new role as they do so.
PACK BONDED 1RP
In war, death is inevitable. As a pack’s strength is whittled away, the survivors gain experience, rising through the ranks of the Great Company as their fangs lengthen and their beards turn grey.
Purchase this Requisition after a battle. Select one of the following:
Select one Blood Claws unit from your Crusade army with the Blooded rank or higher. Remove that unit from your Order of Battle and spend 5 Honour points to add one Grey Hunters unit to your Order of Battle.
Select one Grey Hunters unit from your Crusade army with the Battle‑hardened rank or higher. Remove that unit from your Order of Battle and spend 5 Honour points to add one of the following units to your Order of Battle: Wolf Guard Headtakers; Wolf Guard Terminators.
When a unit is replaced in this way, the new unit starts with the same XP, Battle Honours and Battle Scars as the one it replaced and, until it is removed from your Order of Battle, each time it would gain 1XP as a result of Dealers of Death (see the main Crusade rules), it gains 2XP instead. You cannot purchase this Requisition if doing so would cause your Crusade force to exceed its current Supply Limit.
TEMPERED BY THE GREY BEARDS 1RP
The youth amongst the Space Wolves are prone to recklessness. It falls to the elders to temper their furyand provide the guidance such impetuous warriors require.
Purchase this Requisition before a battle. Select one Blood Claws or Grey Hunters unit from your Order of Battle, then select one Battle Honour that unit has. Replace that Battle Honour with a new Space Wolves Battle Honour of your choice (this must be a Battle Honour the unit can have).
Like all Adeptus Astartes characters, your Fenrisian heroes can earn promotion within the Chapter’s command structure, but they can also earn a reputation – perhaps even a worthy suffix to their name – through Deeds of Making. Did your Wolf Guard Battle Leader cut down a Tyranid monstrosity in glorious combat last game? Why not spend 15 Honour points on the Beast Slayer moniker, and give them the best chance of repeating that epic feat!
BEAST SLAYER 15
In his headstrong youth, Targal had once launched himselffrom an airborne Thunderhawk to catch a giant leathery‑winged xenos beast. Intercepting it mid‑flight, he crunched into its carapace like a comet before plunging his blade through itsfoul heart.
Each time this model makes a melee attack that targets a Monster or Beasts unit, you can re‑roll the Wound roll.
Does the Deathwolf seemingly curse your dice rolls every time you take an Out of Action test? Cheat Morkai out of his due by turning your Wolf Priest into a skilled healer.
DEATH CHEAT 10
The inferno that engulfed the Wolf Priest Snorri seemed sure to end his saga, yet from its embers, he strode forth, blackened but unbowed. By the grace of totem and ritual,he had been spared Morkai’s embrace.
Wolf Priest model only. At the end of the battle, if your Crusade army included this model and it was not destroyed during the battle, you can re‑roll up to two failed Out of Action tests taken for Adeptus Astartes Infantry or Adeptus Astartes Mounted units from your Crusade army.
What’s more, as befits the Chapter that breeds many of the mightiest champions in the Imperium, Space Wolves characters with the Legendary rank can peak higher than any others by becoming a Warrior of Legend. Achieving such a lofty height will not only ensure your hero’s place in the sagas, but make them a terror to behold on the battlefield.
WARRIOR OF LEGEND 1RP
The greatest champions of Fenris have hunted near‑mythical monsters, bested dark champions and waded through fire and blood, all the while howling with joy in the face of death.
Purchase this Requisition at the end of an Oathsworn Campaign. Select one Adeptus Astartes Character unit from your Order of Battle with the Legendary rank that has already been promoted using the Chapter Command or Deeds of Making rules. The selected unit can be given a Deed of Making (assuming you have enough Honour points); this does not count towards the maximum number of Battle Honours a unit can have. Each unit can only be selected for this Requisition once.
Of course, not all journeys end in glory and triumph. Some paths lead to shame and dishonour – not through want of trying, but from facing down a calamitous foe, or maybe just ill fate. Regardless, for a Space Wolf to experience the total loss of his pack is a psychological blow far beyond mere survivor's guilt. The absence of their scent, kinship, and instinctive pack mentality is a trauma quite unlike any other, and often leads the solitary warrior to swear the oath of the Lone Wolf, who vows to avenge their fallen battle-brothers and restore their honour through mighty deeds.
In Crusade, this offers you the choice to replace a Blooded (or higher ranked) unit that suffers a Devastating Blow with a Wolf Guard Battle Leader, who fights as a Lone Operative and swaps out their Tempered Ferocity ability for Oath of Vengeance.
OATH OF VENGEANCE
Each time this model makes a melee attack, you can re‑roll the Hit roll. If the target of that attack is a Monster or Vehicle unit, you can re‑roll the Wound roll as well.
So determined are they to avenge their former kin that suffering further Devastating Blows will only redouble their determination to slay the enemy! Only a fourth and final Lone Wolf Battle Scar will see their rampage finally ended, and the legacy of their pack redeemed.
LONE WOLF BATTLE SCARS
PACK OF ONE
This warrior stalks his prey relentlessly, paying no heed to the broader battle.
- This model has the Infiltrators and Scouts 6" abilities.
- This model has an Objective Control characteristic of 0.
AN HONOURABLE END
All Lone Wolves seek a glorious death in battle, resolving to take as many foes with them to the grave as possible.
- This model is eligible to shoot and declare a charge in a turn in which it Advanced.
- Each time this model fails an Out of Action test, subtract an additional 1 from the result.
VENGEANCE BEFORE DEATH
The Lone Wolf refuses to allow deathto claim him until he has avenged hisfallen battle‑brothers.
- This model has the Feel No Pain 5+ ability.
- This model can never Fall Back.
As if a Lone Wolf meeting their glorious demise wasn’t a wonderfully thematic enough event by itself, the rest of your Crusade force can actually benefit from it.
A GLORIOUS DEATH 1RP
Those who have witnessed a Lone Wolf meet their glorious end with a snarl on their lips and a weapon in their hand regale each other with tales of honour regained.
Purchase this Requisition when a Lone Wolf from your Crusade force that has 2 or more Battle Honours and 3 or more Lone Wolf Battle Scars is removed from your Order of Battle. Each Space Wolves unit on your Order of Battle gains 2XP and you gain 5 Honour points.
As well as all the fun, narrative-driven options described here, the full suite of Space Wolves Crusade rules also includes bespoke Oathsworn Campaigns, Battle Traits, Agendas and Crusade Relics – more than enough to sink your Fenrisian fangs into. So, grab your favourite frost axe, muster your packs, and get out there. After all, sagas don’t earn themselves!
Thanks, Si! You’ll be able to weave your own epic sagas shortly, as the Space Wolves Army Set arrives for pre-order on Saturday.
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