Warhammer 40k Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Warhammer 40k Wiki
Grey Hunters Warrior

A Grey Hunter of the Space Wolves Chapter

A Grey Hunter is a Veteran Astartes of the Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter and the equivalent of a Tactical Marine in a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter. Grey Hunter Packs represent the majority of the Space Wolves' warriors.

They are strong and resolute fighters, tempered by battle but as hungry for honour as any proud warrior of Fenris. They are experienced warriors, dour and sombre, proud of their skills, and rightly honoured by their younger brethren.

History[]

Most Space Wolves begin their careers as Blood Claws, hotheaded young warriors who cannot wait to prove themselves, and who charge in howling packs at the front lines of the enemy in their efforts to garner personal glory. The Blood Claws are the shock troops of the Space Wolves and spearhead the majority of the Chapter's assaults. If the Blood Claws survive the fiercest conflagrations of war to become mature and capable warriors, their Wolf Guard mentors consider them to be eligible for elevation to the ranks of the Grey Hunters.

Grey hunters space wolves by escudero

A member of the Wolf Guard and Grey Hunters stalwartly hold the line of battle

It is the Grey Hunters who comprise the main body of each Great Company. These doughty warriors are still as hungry for honour as any of their younger brethren, but their raw aggression has been tempered by battlefield experience. Nonetheless, the Grey Hunters stand ready to give their lives in the name of honour. Each Grey Hunter pack can be a small army in its own right, their oaths of brotherhood binding them fast in the face of impossible odds.

The transformation from Aspirant to fully-fledged Grey Hunter may take solar decades or even Terran centuries, but should a Blood Claw not find his death upon the field of battle then that transition is all but certain. A Grey Hunter's hair begins to grey and his canine teeth lengthen, his skin becomes more tanned and leathery and, in extreme cases, his eyes yellow and transmute until they are like those of a wolf. These physical signs borne by the Grey Hunters mark them as having come into their heritage as strong and mature Battle-Brothers at the peak of their powers, truly worthy of the name Grey Hunter.

GreyHunters7th

A pack of Grey Hunters

This name is well-chosen, for they are masters of the hunt, stalking their enemy as they might one of the giant Fenrisian Wolves. The Grey Hunters track their prey with the cunning and patience of a wolf pack. Laying down disciplined overlapping fields of fire, the Grey Hunters drive the enemy to seek cover.

Once the prey is surrounded, only then do the Grey Hunters spring their deadly trap. The Grey Hunters leap at their foes with the elation of a savage beast that has long stalked its quarry and scents blood at last. Or they may draw the enemy forward by feigning weakness whilst waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

The battle ploys and cunning of the Grey Hunters are legendary. It is this uncanny calm and patience which distinguishes the mature warrior of the Space Wolves from the fiery young Blood Claw.

Unit Composition[]

  • 5-10 Grey Hunters

Wargear[]

Grey Hunter Pack Markings[]

Grey Hunters Pack Markings

Example Grey Hunters Pack Markings

Each Grey Hunter Pack adopts a red and black shoulder plate design. These patterns are unique to the Space Wolves. Similar primitive tribal markings proliferate among the barbaric tribes of Fenris, where they appear as shield designs and are woven into furs or painted onto armour.

The Space Wolves' barbarian heritage is reflected in their disregard for any formal military system of uniform insignia. There is simply no single style or design which is regarded as official. These illustrated Pack markings are just some of the many hundreds of different patterns used by the Chapter over the centuries.

Notable Grey Hunters[]

  • Sven Dragonfire - Sven is a Grey Hunter who was a member of Ragnar Blackmane's Blood Claw Pack. Sven was promoted to the Grey Hunters and served with distinction under the command of the Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist. Sven was badly wounded by the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion Chaos Sorcerer Madox, but lived to fight again, though now with the help of a new augmetic hand.

Sources[]

  • Codex: Space Wolves (5th Edition), pp. 26, 71, 80, 89
  • Codex: Space Wolves (3rd Edition), p. 10
  • Codex: Space Wolves (2nd Edition), pp. 13, 32, 44
  • Horus Heresy: Collected Visions (Background Book)
  • Index Astartes II, "Wolves of Fenris - The Space Wolves Space Marine Chapter"
  • White Dwarf 259 (AUS), "Index Astartes – The Space Wolves"
  • White Dwarf 258 (US), "Index Astartes First Founding: Wolves of Fenris"
  • White Dwarf 244 (US), "Codex Space Wolves", "Sons of Russ - Codex Space Wolves," "Super-Interchangeable Space Wolves," and "The Battle of The Fang", pp. 7-19
  • Space Wolf (Novel) by William King
Advertisement