Themed
Army Ideas
Other
Space Marine Themed Army Ideas
Ferin Ironhammer
concept
and design by Patrick Eibel; text by Kenton Kilgore
Space Wolves
are already a themed army: they’re Vikings in power armor! But you can
make your force distinct from all other Space Wolf armies while still staying
within the boundaries of the rules. How? By further refining the Viking
theme.
Most people
think of Vikings as bloodthirsty barbarians in horned helmets. While the
Vikings were certainly not people you’d want to introduce to your mom,
they were more than just raiders and killers (and they probably didn’t
wear horned helmets). The Vikings were also far-ranging explorers; admittedly,
they were looking for riches and territory for themselves, but so were
most explorers throughout history. Taking this exploration angle, Pat has
created Ferin Ironhammer and his band of adventurers, whose motto is: “To
boldly go where no Wolf has gone before!”
Background
Ferin Ironhammer
was one of the finest Iron Priests the Space Wolves had ever known. Not
only was he skilled in his craft and a clever inventor, he also was a natural
leader, a skilled tactician, and fearless in combat. He served for many
years before he was crippled at the “Battle of the Two Fangs” on the planet
Bray, when the Space Wolves and Fighting Tigers were forced to concede
the planet to an Eldar warhost, the Lotus Storm of Impossible Contemplation.
Harald Stormwolf, the Great Wolf at that time, restored Ferin as a Dreadnought,
one of the few Iron Priests so honored.
Above: Venerable
Dreadnought Ferin Ironhammer, former Iron Priest
As the millennia
have gone by, Ferin has continued to serve and has become a Venerable Dreadnought.
Logan Grimnar has put Ferin in charge of a exploration mission to recover
some of the fabled gold and technology of the lost realms of the dvergar,
known to most as the Squats. Ferin and his men have spent over 38 years
searching the area around the Galactic Core; though they have discovered
some tantalizing clues (and new lifeforms and civilizations), they have
not yet found the riches of the Squats.
Philosophy
Ferin’s mission
is not to wage war but to salvage treasures from the ruins of the supposedly-extinct
Squat civilization. Thus, his army is built more for self-defense. Nevertheless,
there are still times when Ferin and his men have to attack, such as to
replenish their own supplies, seize an area or item that could help them
locate the lost Squat realms, or just to retaliate against aliens or Traitors
who have tried to attack them! See the Optional Rules below.
Ferin’s army
is large (slightly over one full detachment), as it has to operate on its
own in dangerous and often unexplored areas of space. It is also mobile
and comprised of experienced, level-headed men—no rambunctious Blood Claws
to cause trouble!
HQ
Ferin Ironhammer,
Venerable Dreadnought. Ferin is equipped with twin-linked heavy bolters,
a Dreadnought close combat weapon with a storm bolter, smoke launchers,
and extra armor. When his band arrives at a planet, Ferin usually directs
the men from the bridge of the starship Munnin, but if necessary
he will descend to the surface via drop-pod.
Rune Priest
Horsa Drachenbane. He is accompanied by 5 Wolf Guards and they use
a Razorback for transport. Horsa is Ferin’s second-in-command and his powers
have been invaluable to the mission. Specifically, his Storm Caller ability
has saved many a man from death.
Wolf Guard
Battle Leader Lars Ulrik, equipped with Terminator armor and accompanied
by 4 Wolf Guard Terminators. They use a Land Raider for transport. Lars
usually leads any fighting operations and keeps the men in line with his
sharp tongue and sarcastic wit.
Above: Lars
Ulrik, another of Ferin's most trusted warriors
Elites
In addition
to the Wolf Guard who accompany the HQ and Troops units, Ferin’s army also
enjoys the services of Skjall, an Iron Priest, and his 4 Thralls.
Skjall is responsible for the day-to-day operations (such as maintaining
the weapons and vehicles) that Ferin has no time for or would be impossible
to perform due to his bulky form. Skjall usually assists Ferin aboard the
Munnin
while
the rest of the band investigates, but if necessary he will descend to
the surface by drop-pod.
Ferin is not
the only Dreadnought in the army: two others sleep aboard the Munnin
and can be awakened for battle in case the expedition gets in real trouble.
Angus
the Black, a former Long Fang, is equipped with a twin-linked lascannon
and a missile launcher. Valnir the Reaver, a former member of the
Wolf Guard, is equipped with twin-linked heavy bolters, a storm bolter,
and a Dreadnought close combat weapon. Both Old Ones have smoke launchers
and extra armor.
The army also
has a band of Wolf Scouts to roam ahead of the main force and warn them
of potential dangers.
Troops
Six Grey Hunter
packs, each comprised of 9 Grey Hunters and a Wolf Guard leader. Each pack
has a Rhino for transport. In addition to guarding the army’s surface base
or conducting raids for supplies, Grey Hunters investigate ancient ruins
and compete against each other to find artifacts and treasures.
Fast Attack
No Blood Claw
units, as they’re more trouble than they’re worth on an extended mission
that requires intelligence and subtlety (Blood Claws are not known for
their patience at poking around dusty old ruins--especially without breaking
anything or stirring up hostile lifeforms). Instead, Ferin’s army uses
three Land Speeders, a Land Speeder Tornado, and a Land Speeder Typhoon
to scout ahead of the main force.
Heavy Support
In addition
to the Land Raider that Lars and his Terminators use, Ferin’s army defends
itself with a Leman Russ Exterminator (vs. infantry) and a Predator Annihilator
(vs. tanks).
Modeling and Painting
As per Codex:
Space Wolves. Remember that Ferin was originally an Iron Priest,
so though he leads this expedition, he does not lead a Great Company. Hence,
the men under him are “on loan” from a Wolf Lord and would bear that Wolf
Lord’s insignia. As Iron Priests directly serve the Great Wolf, perhaps
the men accompanying Ferin belong to Logan Grimnar’s Great Company, and
thus will all bear his symbol. Alternatively, Logan could have asked each
Wolf Lord to contribute some of their finest men, and each pack could be
from a different Great Company and thus have different markings.
This army has
no Wolf Priest, so over the long haul, many of the wounded will have to
rely on bionic parts manufactured by Skjall: convert as many figures as
you want to have bionic limbs, eyes, etc. The army has been deliberately
designed the army this way to emphasize its “techno” aspect.
General Tactics
Though built more around self-defense
than all-out attack, Ferin’s army can nevertheless deal with any threat.
In general, Ferin’s army would slowly advance on the enemy, whittling them
down with firepower while the Wolf Scouts and Speeders harry the enemy’s
flanks. Ferin, Horsa, and Lars would then lead the Grey Hunters in a charge
to finish off the enemy.
Optional Rules
Loot:
Ferin’s army is meant to travel very long distances across harsh landscapes
to find and haul away ancient treasures. With your opponent’s permission,
the army could include up to three additional Rhinos, which are used
for carrying supplies and riches. These additional Rhinos would make good
objectives for missions: imagine Dark Eldar or Orks attacking Ferin’s army
to steal the loot, or Eldar trying to destroy deadly artifacts before the
Space Wolves figure out how to use them…
“We Don’t
Want to Have to Hurt You…”: Despite being Space Wolves, Ferin and
his men are usually not looking for a fight: they’re on a long-term mission
very far from home and can’t afford to take too many casualties. Sometimes,
however, they are forced to attack for a variety of reasons. For any mission,
roll a d6: on a 1-5, Ferin and his men are the defenders; on a 6, Ferin
and his men are the attackers (unless fighting Dark Eldar or Necrons, who
are always the attackers).
Related
Pages
Characters
with Character: Converting
Ferin Ironhammer
Tigers
Eternal: Fiction with
Ferin Ironhammer
Tooth
and Claw Campaign: Ferin
and his men defend Veda
Tournament
results for Ferin's army
Keric
Quicbrand's Great Company:
Ferin's Lord returns from the warp
Other
Space Marine Themed Army Ideas
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© Copyright Patrick
Eibel and Kenton Kilgore, May 2000.
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