Space Wolf Theme Research

The key thing I want to work on with the new space wolf project is try and get a real sense of the space wolves as described in the Black Library Books.

For the 13th Company my favorite description comes from the short story "wolf at the door" by
Mike Lee in the short story compendium Tales of Heresy.



Ive copied out some of my favorite passage here:

"The assault ramps on two of the transports rang with swift footfalls as grey-armoured warriors dashed out onto the plateau, their huge boltguns held at the ready. They were Space Wolves, gene-engineered supermen of the Emperor’s VI Legion and the pinnacle of the Imperium’s military might, yet their appearance was a study in contrasts between the advanced and the archaic. Servos whined beneath the overlapping plates of their Mark II Crusader-pattern power armour; helmeted heads swept left and right, scanning the landing zone with augmetic optical systems that perceived wavelengths from the infrared to the ultraviolet. Yet their broad shoulders were framed with heavy cloaks of wolf or bear skin, and strange fetishes of iron, wood or bone were affixed to their scarred breastplates. Every one of the warriors carried a sword or a battle-axe at their hip, and many boasted gruesome battle-trophies, like gilt skulls or exotic weapons slung from equipment hooks at their waists. Even the hardest veteran among the Arcturan Dragoons lowered their eyes as the Emperor’s Wolves went by." pg 37 Digital edition

"The Wolf Lord and his chosen men were resplendent, their power armour polished to a mirror sheen and adorned with tokens of honour and courage earned in the crucible of war. Gold wolf’s head medallions glittered from their grey pauldrons, each one bearing a frayed strip of parchment inscribed with war-oaths or invocations to the Allfather. Their breastplates were decorated with medals of silver or plaques of rune-etched iron, each one representing an act of valour against humanity’s many foes. They wore their best cloaks of wolf or ice-bear hide, and at their belts hung their most prized battle-trophies: gilded fangs, cracked skulls or ivory finger bones taken from enemy champions slain in single combat. Bulveye’s armour was more ornate still: fashioned by the master-artificers on distant Mars, the edges of his pauldrons were chased in gold, and the curved surfaces were inscribed with ornate scenes of battle. Trophies from scores of hard-fought campaigns hung from his cuirass and his war-belt of adamantine plates, and a circlet of hammered gold rested upon his brow. A heavy, single-bladed battle axe was clenched in the Wolf Lord’s gauntleted hand; the steel haft was wrapped in strips of cured sealskin, and the casing of the power weapon’s field generator was etched with runes of victory and death." pg 38 Digital edition.


I really just love both those passages for the description of the wolf brothers (13th company).

The next bit of research I have then done is go through the Horus Heresy Collected visions collection and source all the space wolf images I can.

 Ill aim to build my terminators to a semblance of what we have here.

 I love this one with the face paint - im definatly going to work that into the models.

Anyway this is what I normally do when planning any modeling and or painting project.  The key thing is this all allows me to get the picture in my head right so when I'm putting together the models i have a heap of reference points for the little detail elements.

In the next few weeks ill have the 1st squad built and ready for painting - ill have a few progress shots up in the next day or so.