Wolf Guard
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This article is about the Space Wolves Veteran Unit; for the Heresy-Era Leman Russ Honour Guard, see Varagyr Wolf Guard. |
Wolf Guards,[1] or Varagyr[8], are the veteran elite of the Space Wolves Chapter.[1]
Contents
Overview
During the Horus Heresy, Leman Russ personal Honour Guard and Elite warriors were named the Varagyr or Wolf Guard in the Fenrisian language.[8]
The Wolf Guard are the greatest warriors of the Space Wolves Great Companies. It is their duty to lead packs into battle or provide a body guard to important members of the chapter on the battlefield, especially as the Wolf Lord. They are also often the leaders of squads, imparting their knowledge and experience on their younger charges.[1][2] Unlike other chapters, age is not the main route into the Wolf Guard. Progress is generally dependent on bravery and heroism. To enable them to perform their role properly, the Wolf Guard have access to the best equipment that the Great Company has to offer, including suits of Terminator armour.[1]
Other than earning the respect of the Wolf Lord of their respective Great Company, there are no specific criteria for the elevation to the ranks of the Wolf Guard. Battlefield skill and heroics are the most likely way to receive a promotion, but saving the life of the Wolf Lord during battle is another sure way.[3b]
Great Wolf Logan Grimnar's Wolf Guard is so large that is is split into several smaller packs. However collectively, they are known as the Kingsguard.[4a]
Void Claws
The Void Claws are Logan Grimnar’s favoured boarding troops for space battles, their fearsome wolf claws deadly in the close quarters of ship corridors and chambers. Those Wolf Guard that choose this way of war favour close combat even more than many of their brothers, and revel in the fierce joy of sinking their claws into their foes’ flesh. They are led by Torfin Daggerfist.[4b]
Bladeguard Veterans
Recently, the Wolf Guard has inducted the Chapter’s Primaris Bladeguard Veterans into their ranks.[13]
Wolf Guard Battle Leaders
It is not only as bodyguards that Wolf Guard excel, but also as mentors for younger members of the Chapter due to their battle experience and raw talent. As such, Wolf Guard who are especially charismatic but also domineering are assigned to lead packs of Battle-Brothers, guiding them in the finer arts of war. The most heroic Wolf Guard, typically those judged by their Wolf Lord as born to command, are sometimes assigned control of an entire strike force as a Wolf Guard Battle Leader. Should a Battle Leader prove himself capable of excelling above and beyond expectations, he may find himself next in line as Wolf Lord. Many of these Battle Leaders are now also Primaris Marines.[3a][13]
Wolf Guard Headtakers
Headtakers are Wolf Guard, who are charged with taking down the Space Wolves' toughest foes. Those who have retained their youthful energy are especially chosen for the role and Headtakers are accompanied by packs of loyal Fenrisian Wolf companions.[18]
Wargear
Wolf Guards themselves fight with the weapons at which they excel and no specific protocol is required. Some will favour the wargear they used in their former roles as Blood Claws, Grey Hunters, and Long Fangs, but there are few who can turn down the lure of raw power afforded by Terminator Armour.[3a] Thus Wolf Guards are most commonly equipped with Terminator-class weapons such as Storm Bolters, Power Weapons, Lightning Claws, Assault Cannons, Heavy Flamers, and Cyclone Missile Launchers.[3b]
The Wolf Guard can be clad in either Power Armour[6] or Terminator Armour.[7]
Notable Wolf Guards
- Alrik Doom-Seeker[4b]
- Arjac Rockfist
- Arn Ironjaw[5], See also his quote
- Baldin of the Red Sea[9b]
- Berda Ironbreak[9c]
- Brand Sabrewulf
- Canis Wolfborn
- Durfast
- Grimnr Blackblood — Chief of the Wolf Guard during the Horus Heresy
- Hagrik Wyrdfang
- Haldor Icepelt
- Ingvarr Thunderbrow
- Isulf Bladegaze[11]
- Jorn the Tall[9c]
- Kaarlson
- Kvarl Hammerfist
- Leifvar Twice-Slain
- Njarl Bloodhowl
- Odyn Foe-Ruin[9b]
- Ranulf Ironfang
- Ranulf the Strong
- Red Ulfar[9c]
- Rurik Warsong — Serves in the Deathwatch
- Sven Halfhelm[9a]
- Thoryk[14]
- Torfin Daggerfist
Images
Wolf Guard Battle Leader (10th Edition)[18]
Wolf Guard Battle Leader[12b] (5th Edition)
A Wolf Guard pack in Terminator armour[7] (5th Edition)
Wolf Guard pack in Power armour[6] (5th Edition)
Wolf Guard with Wolf Claws (5th Edition)
Wolf Guard with power fist (1st Edition)
Wolf Guard in terminator armour (1st Edition)
Heresy-era Wolfguard[15]
See also
Sources
- 1: Codex: Space Wolves (2nd Edition), pg. 46
- 2: Codex: Space Wolves (3rd Edition), pg. 8
- 3: Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition)
- 4: Champions of Fenris - A Codex: Space Wolves Supplement:
- 5: Planetary Empires — Strategy Cards, "Cityfight - Major Stratagem" (archived Feb. 2011, last accessed 7 Oct. 2015)
- 6: Games-Workshop (last accessed 22 Oct. 2015)
- 7: Space Wolves Terminators (archived Apr. 2010, last accessed 22 Oct. 2015)
- 8: The Horus Heresy Book Seven - Inferno, pg. 80
- 9: The Ashes of Prospero (Novel)
- 10: Lukas the Trickster (Novel), Chapter Four
- 11: White Dwarf March 2020, pg. 25
- 12: Codex: Space Wolves (7th Edition) (E-Book)
- 13: Codex: Space Marines (9th Edition), pg. 150
- 14: Warhammer Community: Free Combat Patrol Rule Downloads Let You Fight Fast, Balanced Skirmishes in the #New40k Thoryk's Void Hunters PDF (Posted on 20/06/2023) (Last accessed on 07/07/2023)
- 15: Warhammer Webstore : Space Wolves – Varagyr Wolf Guard Terminators (saved archive)
- 16: Codex: Space Wolves (8th Edition), pg. 48
- 17: Collected Visions, pg. 138
- 18: Warhammer Community: These epic new Space Wolves will write sagas worthy of the Allfather (Saved archive page, dated 26 March 2025, last accessed 26 March 2025, original link: https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/hx9biq5l/these-epic-new-space-wolves-will-write-sagas-worthy-of-the-allfather/)
