Part of our Space Wolves hub: every Space Wolves guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place. Browse all 1000-point army lists.
Few armies love a charge as much as the Space Wolves. The Sons of Russ are Space Marines who would rather settle things with an axe than a bolter, and they back it up with Wulfen, giant Thunderwolves and some of the hardest characters in the game. At 1,000 points (an Incursion game) you get a compact, aggressive force of roughly 20 to 40 models.
The playstyle is easy to pick up: push forward, take the middle of the board and hit the enemy before they hit you. You still have Space Marine toughness, so mistakes are forgiving, but the army rewards bold play and good timing on the charge.
New to the Chapter? Our Space Wolves army guide covers the background and every unit. For the Primarch himself, read our Leman Russ lore, and for the Chapter’s current leader, see who is Logan Grimnar.
A quick note on rules and points
Space Wolves don’t have their own 11th Edition book yet. They use the new Codex: Space Marines for 11th Edition for the shared Space Marine rules and datasheets, plus their existing Space Wolves Codex Supplement rules for Chapter units and detachments, until a new Space Wolves book arrives. Games Workshop has said no more codexes are coming until 2027, and our codex release order tracker shows the current schedule.
Every points value below is approximate. 11th Edition points change with each Munitorum Field Manual and balance update, so check the Warhammer 40,000 app before you play.
How 1,000-point games work in 11th Edition
At 1,000 points you get 2 Detachment Points to spend on detachments, rather than picking a single detachment. Each detachment costs 1 to 3 DP depending on how much of your army it affects. Our detachment points explainer shows how to spend them.
One exception: the core rules let you take a 3 DP detachment as your only detachment in a 1,000-point Incursion game. You just can’t add anything alongside it. Check each detachment’s DP cost in the app before you finalise a list.
Two other 11th Edition changes matter for the Space Wolves:
- Cover is now -1 to Hit against ranged attacks for Infantry in terrain. Moving Blood Claws and Grey Hunters from ruin to ruin keeps them alive until they’re ready to charge.
- Objectives are terrain pieces. Your infantry can sit in an objective’s terrain while the fast units go hunting.
The full list is in our 11th Edition rules changes guide.
The lists below use the Saga detachments from the Space Wolves supplement: Saga of the Hunter, Saga of the Bold and Saga of the Beastslayer. Each Saga gives you a goal to complete during the game and a reward when you do. You can also use the detachments in Codex: Space Marines, and there’s a newer Saga of the Great Wolf detachment worth reading once you know the army.
List 1: Pack Starter (beginner)
This list is built around the current Space Wolves Combat Patrol box, which contains a Wolf Guard Battle Leader, five Wolf Guard Terminators, five Wulfen and ten Blood Claws. Add Grey Hunters, a Rhino, some Thunderwolves and a couple of wolf packs and you have a well-rounded army that teaches every phase of the game.
Army composition
- Wolf Guard Battle Leader — ~65 pts
- Wolf Priest — ~70 pts
- 10x Blood Claws — ~135 pts
- 10x Grey Hunters — ~165 pts
- 5x Wolf Guard Terminators — ~170 pts
- 5x Wulfen — ~85 pts
- 3x Thunderwolf Cavalry — ~115 pts
- Rhino — ~75 pts
- 5x Fenrisian Wolves — ~40 pts
- 5x Fenrisian Wolves — ~40 pts
Detachment: Saga of the Hunter, the simplest Saga to complete
Approximate total: ~960 pts
Unit roles
Wolf Guard Battle Leader: your Warlord and a strong melee character. Attach him to the Blood Claws to turn them into a real assault unit.
Wolf Priest: a support character who keeps the squad he leads fighting. Attach him to the Grey Hunters.
10x Blood Claws: young, reckless and very good on the charge. Ride them forward in the Rhino and hit whatever is sitting on the middle objective.
10x Grey Hunters: your steady line infantry. They’re good at range and in melee, so they hold the central objective and counter-charge anything that gets close.
5x Wolf Guard Terminators: your toughest unit. Deep Strike them onto a contested objective on turn two, or walk them up the board as a wall your opponent has to deal with.
5x Wulfen: savage melee beasts. Keep them just behind your front line and send them in once the enemy commits.
3x Thunderwolf Cavalry: fast, tough and dangerous. Use them to hit flank objectives and finish off damaged units.
Rhino: carries the Blood Claws and blocks lines of sight.
2x 5 Fenrisian Wolves: cheap and fast. Use them to grab distant objectives, screen against Deep Strike and get in the way of enemy charges.
List 2: Heroes of the Fang (elite)
This list goes heavy on famous characters. Logan Grimnar and Arjac Rockfist each lead a squad of Wolf Guard Terminators, Ragnar Blackmane leads the Blood Claws, and Bjorn the Fell-Handed stomps up the middle. It has fewer models than List 1, so every loss hurts, but your opponent will struggle to kill anything.
Army composition
- Logan Grimnar — ~110 pts
- Arjac Rockfist — ~105 pts
- Ragnar Blackmane — ~100 pts
- 5x Wolf Guard Terminators — ~170 pts
- 5x Wolf Guard Terminators — ~170 pts
- Bjorn the Fell-Handed — ~160 pts
- 10x Blood Claws — ~135 pts
- 5x Fenrisian Wolves — ~40 pts
Detachment: Saga of the Bold, the Saga built around Space Wolves characters
Approximate total: ~990 pts
Unit roles
Logan Grimnar + 5 Wolf Guard Terminators: the Great Wolf leading his bodyguard. Your Warlord, your anchor and the unit you build every plan around.
Arjac Rockfist + 5 Wolf Guard Terminators: a second Terminator brick. Arjac makes this squad very hard to shift, so drop it onto the objective your opponent wants most.
Ragnar Blackmane + 10 Blood Claws: your fast hammer. Ragnar makes the Blood Claws even scarier on the charge, so use them to clear an objective early.
Bjorn the Fell-Handed: the oldest Dreadnought in the Chapter. He’s tough, shoots well and draws a lot of fire away from your infantry.
5x Fenrisian Wolves: home objective holders and a Deep Strike screen.
The trade-off is board control. With only four real units on the table, you can’t be everywhere. Pick two objectives, take them hard and make your opponent come to you.
List 3: The Great Hunt (themed)
If you want the wild side of Fenris, this is your list. Two packs of Thunderwolf Cavalry, Murderfang, Wolf Guard Headtakers with their hunting wolves, Wulfen and a big pack of Fenrisian Wolves all race forward together. It’s the fastest Space Wolves force you can field at 1,000 points.
Army composition
- Wolf Guard Battle Leader on Thunderwolf — ~80 pts
- Ragnar Blackmane — ~100 pts
- 3x Thunderwolf Cavalry — ~115 pts
- 3x Thunderwolf Cavalry — ~115 pts
- 3x Wolf Guard Headtakers with 3x Hunting Wolves — ~110 pts
- 5x Wulfen — ~85 pts
- Murderfang — ~150 pts
- 10x Blood Claws — ~135 pts
- 10x Fenrisian Wolves — ~80 pts
Detachment: Saga of the Beastslayer, the Saga for hunting down the biggest enemies
Approximate total: ~970 pts
Unit roles
Wolf Guard Battle Leader on Thunderwolf: your Warlord. Attach him to one of the Thunderwolf Cavalry units to make it a serious threat.
Ragnar Blackmane + Headtakers: an elite assault unit that moves fast and hits hard. Point it at enemy characters and elite infantry.
2x 3 Thunderwolf Cavalry: your main damage. Between them they can hit two flanks at once or crash into the same target.
5x Wulfen: melee shock troops that follow up behind the cavalry.
Murderfang: a frenzied Dreadnought built for melee. Send him at enemy vehicles and monsters.
10x Blood Claws: your objective holders. Keep them in cover on the middle objective.
10x Fenrisian Wolves: a fast screen and objective grabber.
General tactics at 1,000 points
Charge first. Space Wolves are built to fight. Work out which enemy unit you want to hit, then move so you get the charge rather than receiving it.
Use the terrain on the way in. With the -1 to Hit cover rule, moving from ruin to ruin keeps your infantry healthy until they can strike.
Pick your Saga goal early. Each Saga rewards you for doing something specific. Know what yours needs and plan your first two turns around it.
Use your wolves. Fenrisian Wolves are cheap. Use them to screen, grab points and soak a charge so your elite units don’t have to.
Don’t leave objectives empty. It’s tempting to send everything forward, but you still need units sitting on objectives to score.
What to buy first
Start with the Space Wolves Combat Patrol. It gives you a Battle Leader, Terminators, Wulfen and Blood Claws, which is the core of List 1. From there:
- Space Wolves Combat Patrol — your core.
- Thunderwolf Cavalry — fast, tough and used in two of the lists above.
- Grey Hunters — steady line infantry for holding objectives.
- Fenrisian Wolves — cheap and useful in every list.
- A character such as Logan Grimnar or Ragnar Blackmane — if you want to build towards List 2.
Want to know more about the Chapter’s cursed warriors? Our Wulfen guide covers them in detail. Ready to start painting? Our how to paint Space Wolves guide covers the classic grey-blue armour.
Common mistakes
- Charging into the wrong target. A failed charge or a fight you can’t win leaves your best unit stranded. Pick fights you know you’ll win.
- Leaving characters on their own. Most Space Wolves characters do their best work leading a squad. Attach them.
- Forgetting your Saga. Every Saga has a goal. If you ignore it, you’re giving up a free bonus.
- Overextending the cavalry. Thunderwolves are fast, but they’re expensive. Don’t send them so far ahead that the whole enemy army can shoot them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many models are in a 1,000-point Space Wolves army?
Usually 20 to 40 models. Lists with lots of Blood Claws and Fenrisian Wolves sit at the top end, and character and Terminator lists sit at the bottom.
Do Space Wolves have an 11th Edition codex?
They use the 11th Edition Codex: Space Marines for shared rules and datasheets, plus their existing Space Wolves supplement rules, until a new Space Wolves book arrives in 2027 or later.
Is the Space Wolves Combat Patrol enough for 1,000 points?
No. It’s the core of a 1,000-point army, but you’ll need a few more units, such as Grey Hunters and Thunderwolf Cavalry, to reach 1,000 points.
Are Space Wolves good for beginners?
Yes. They have Space Marine toughness, a simple plan and lots of strong melee units. The main thing to learn is when to charge and when to wait.
What is the best detachment for a 1,000-point Space Wolves list?
Saga of the Hunter is a good place to start because its goal is the easiest to complete. Once you know the army, try Saga of the Bold or Saga of the Beastslayer, and check each detachment’s DP cost in the app.
Can Space Wolves use regular Space Marine units?
Yes. Space Wolves use Codex: Space Marines for the shared datasheets, so units such as Intercessors, Terminators, Rhinos and other core Space Marine kits are all available alongside Chapter units like Blood Claws, Wulfen and Thunderwolf Cavalry. That makes it easy to use models from a general Space Marine starter set in a Space Wolves army.
How long does a 1,000-point Space Wolves game take?
Expect roughly one and a half to two hours once both players know the rules. An Incursion game has fewer units than a 2,000-point Strike Force game, so turns move faster, and an aggressive, low-model-count army like Space Wolves is quicker to play than a big horde. Your first few games will take longer while you look things up.
Related guides
See every faction in our Warhammer 40k army lists hub. More 1,000-point lists: Dark Angels, the Wolves’ oldest rivals (read about the feud in Space Wolves vs Dark Angels), and Blood Angels for another Chapter that loves a charge.