Warhammer 40k - Detachment Review 9 - Space Wolves, Champions of Russ
Hello everyone! Zak Ludick here from Cape Town, South Africa and this is a Warhammer 40k - The Great Unit Review Wheel! post!
Now known as the Unit Review Library! Here is the current Library Link post!
What is it all about? It is not there to just give a stat. It is there to give MY review of the unit!
Space Wolves incoming!
As explained in This post about new reveals at Adepticon the Space Wolves are suddenly being launched and dropped on our heads suddenly!
Thus my time for reviewing their Datasheets is running out. I have 34 Reviews to do, I am trying to maintain a fast pace so I will give myself 17 days including today to complete all of these. That means that the last day of this personal challenge will be the 15th of April 2025!
Today is Day 16/17.
I have reviewed 33/34.
Time elapsed: 94.11%
Review Completion: 97.05%
One Ahead!
Beyond them looms another 85 reviews of the Coming soon section! I better get cracking!
Hobby Fund - Working myself into the clear
With my hobby posts, I generate a hobby fund. 50% of the income goes into the fund. At the moment I put all my HBD earned from Warhammer posts into my alt account @zakl.hobbyfund.
I am collecting funds in the following ways:
- Blogging about Warhammer to earn HBD
- Accepting donations - Can be sent directly to @zakl.hobbyfund in HBD
- Selling some of the collection to friends.
At the current count I am paying off some hobby debts. I still have $242 to pay off!
Every bit counts!
Back to the review.
Army Rule Recap
Like all Space Marines, Space Wolves get Oath of Moment, the ability to target a priority unit and get re-rolls to Hit against that unit until the next turn!
Detachment Rule - Deeds Worthy of Saga
At the start of the game, select one of the Sagas below, this Saga is considered completed by your army.
Throughout the battle, at the end of each player turn, a Saga can be declared complete. Each Saga has a condition that must be completed by a Character. When this is done, the Space Wolves Army gaines the associated Benefit of that Saga for the rest of the game.
Saga of the Warrior Born
Condition: Completed when a Character model from your army destroys an enemy Character unit.
Benefit: Astartes units in your army have the Sustained Hits 1 in Melee.
Saga of the Beast Slayer
Condition: Completed when a Character model from your army destroys an enemy Vehicle or Monster.
Benefit: Astartes units in your army have the Lethal Hits in Melee.
Saga of the Bear
Condition: An Astartes Character from your army ends the battle round on less than half of its wounds remaining.
Benefit: Astartes models from your army get a 6+ Feel No Pain.
Saga of Majesty
Condition: A Character model from your army is in range of and you control that objective marker in your opponent's Deployment Zone.
Benefit: Astartes models in your army have +1OC.
Thoughts
A lot of people did not like this Detachment rule because you need to work for the benefits. But then they gave you 1x of the Sagas for free. If you also consider that the Enhancements in this Detachments also promote the completion of the Sagas and that you have a massive base of Epic Characters to choose from, completing Sagas are not so difficult to achieve!
Enhancements
Every Detachment has their own Enhancements to put on Characters. You cannot put 2 Enhancements on 1 hero, Epic Heros cannot take theim either and you are limited to 3 of the 4.
Here are the Enhancements for the Champions of Russ:
Black Death - 25pts
Melee Weapons borne by this Character have the Anti-Monster 4+ and Anti-Vehicle 4+ Rule.
This means that no matter the Toughness of the Monster or Vehicle, a Critical Wound is scored on a 4+!
I like putting this on a model with lots of Thunderhammer attacks! A Thunderhammer has Devastating Wounds. On Critical, which is usually only a 6, you cause Mortal Wounds which cannot be blocked by armor or invulnerables.
Put this on a Thunderwolf Wolf Lord and you get 5x 3+ to hit 4+ to crit 3 Damage Mortal Wound attacks!
This makes it VERY simple to kill a Monster or Vehicle and earn that Saga of Beast Slayer!
Frost Weapon - 15pts
Melee weapons wielded by this model game +1 Strength and +1 Armor Penetration. They also have Precision.
Precision allows you to bypass Bodyguards and go straight for the Character in a unit and of course, Saga of the Warrior Born means that Characters must kill Characters!
The Pelt of the Balewolf - 10pts
At the start of the Fight Phase, each enemy unit in Engagement range of the Bearer must take a Battle Shock test!
This is great for potentially suppressing other army's Stratagems used in Combat
Wolf Tail Talisman - 20pts
Each time an attack is allocated to the wielder, subtract the Damage dealt by 1.
This makes it easy to survive the turn on lower wounds. Then you can score Saga of the Bear.
Stratagems
Stratagems are used in the battle as an elective rule that can be employed in crucial moments. All armies have access to Universal Stratagems but each Detachment has their very own Stratagems that they can use.
This is what the Champions of Russ can do.
Armour of Contempt - 1CP
Can be used in the Shooting Phase or Fight Phase after an enemy unit has selected their target. That attack's AP is reduced by 1 for that attack.
This used to be for all attacks against that unit for the whole phase, now it is just for one attack.
Warrior Pride - 1CP
Used in your Command Phase. Select a unit that has a Character in it. Until the next Command phase, this unit counts as having the benefits of a Saga you have not yet completed.
This is handy to give a unit extra OC or Lethal Hits or Sustained Hits. This will often assist in gaining that Saga permanently.
Relentless Assault - 1CP
Used in the Movement Phase. Thus unit can Advance or Fall Back and still Shoot. If the Saga of the Warrior Born is already active, then that unit can Advance or Fall Back AND charge as well!
This is great, allowing one unit to travel long distances and getting into the melee
Go for the Throat - 1CP
Used in the Fight Phase. The selected unit gains improved AP to melee weapons till the end of the phase.
If Saga of the Beast Slayer is active then the unit gets Lance as well. This means that if this unit also charged, then they get +1 to Wound rolls!
Great ability again that helps you destroy something!
Runic Wards - 1CP
Used in the opponent's Fight phase or Shooting phase.
This unit gains a 5+ FNP against Psychic Attacks and Mortal Wounds.
If you have completed Saga of the Bear already then it becomes a 4+ save.
Great for facing armies that use those mechanics.
Death Howl - 1CP
Used in the Fight phase after a unit has killed an enemy unit. Instead of Consolidating 3" this unit can Consolidate 6" instead as long as this would bring them into contact with another unit.
Really good for keepng out of enemy shots by holdings some unit in combat.
Conclusion
I like it of course. Enhancements and Stratagems are good! For me, it just made sense to play Ironstorm with that many Vehicles and Dreadnoughts.
But this army has great opportunities and possibilities
Thank you for reading this post!
Warhammer Review Library
Link Container Post: Warhammer 40k Links Container Post! 26/03/2025
I shall leave Army and Detachment rules here as well as The Space Wolves Datasheets I did before.
Army Rule and Detachment Rule Reviews
| Faction | Detachment | Review Number |
|---|---|---|
| Agents of the Imperium | Army Rule #2 | |
| Aeldari | Army Rule #4 | |
| Astra Militarum | Army Rule #1 | |
| Astra Militarum | Combined Regiment | Detachment Rule #1 |
| Astra Militarum | Bridgehead Strike | Detachment Rule #2 |
| Death Guard | Army Rule Review #6 | |
| Death Guard | Plague Company | Detachment Review #4 |
| Death Guard | Flyblown Host | Detachment Review #7 |
| Space Marines | Army Rule #3 | |
| Thousand Sons | Army Rule #7 | |
| Thousand Sons | Cult of Magic | Detachment Review #5 |
| Thousand Sons | Hexwarp Thrallband | Detachment Review #8 |
| World Eaters | Army Rule #5 | |
| World Eaters | Berzerker Warband | Detachment Review #3 |
| World Eaters | Vessels of Wrath | Detachment Review #6 |
Datasheet Review list (Alphabetical)
Thank you for reading!
** Images in this post are from the Warhammer app, or Warhammer.com or otherwise referenced.
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Cheers!
@zakludick
I really like this detachment. the extra side quests you get to hunt for makes it fun and exciting. It really puts a nice feel to a space wolf army.
It is very... and bear with me here... very fluffy.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣