SW bondsmen/Auxilia troops

[George Labour]

There is a thread in the general section wherein a player is upset about the loss of the Leman Russ Exterminator from the new SW codex. Amongst the suggestions on how to work it in was to do a small Imperial Guard force as Space Wolf Bondsmen troops, similiar to the planetary defense Auxiliaries used to defend Macragge alongside the ultramarines. This would let you have an even larger fluffy force replete with artillery, ogryn, wolf riding guardsmen to back up the thunderwolves, and even Stormlord superheavies in space wolf colors.

BUt here is the question. Does anyone have any idea how the Bondsmen troops might look? In the novels there are a few examples of high level officials such as ship captains, and the servitors used as grunt labor, but I don't recall any mention of the 'minor' figures utilized by the chapter.

I think perhaps their troops would be a bit more wild looking much like the wolves themselves, but still cladd in fairly respectable kit. Maybe something like cadian torsos, with chaos marauder or spare SW heads, with bits of vikingish stuff added on, just like the full fledged wolves. Maybe catachan arms, but I think they're a bit to big for cadian torsos.

Anyone got any ideas, or perhaps have you already done something like this?

[gwensdad]

I kinda envision Wolf PDF to look a little more like fantasy norsemen (they used to be in WFB, now I only see them in Blood Bowl). Mostly unkept looking, but armed as Imperial Guard, probably all fielded as veterans. The presence of abhumans (Ogryn, ratlings) would depend on the chapter's attitude towards them, but they would probably not be represented at all.
And I can defiinately see entire companies of Leman Russ MBT and variants in the armories, "just in case".

[George Labour]

So probably a mix of Chaos Marauder parts with the demony bits shaved off, and cadian bodies? WHich sounds good as my savlar chem riders use the horsemen kits as a base, so I have plenty of wild heads left over. ^^

Or, maybe regurlar marine scouts with the aforementioned heads, and lasguns instead of bolt weapons. Though that migh get them confused with the wolf scouts which apparently will use the same kit with SW bits.

There is always the option of using Valhallans, but their gear isn't what you'd expect of vikings in space, despite them coming outfitted for cold weather. Vostroyans are a bit to eccentric to be easy converts either, but a few fangs and some putty might change that.

[Vash113]

Well remember that Space Wolf Bondsman would not be organised like your traditional PDF/IG force, would not likely include anything like Ogryn's or Ratlings or given their feral superstitions Sanctioned Psykers are probably right out. Wolf Riders for Rough Riders would be hard to justify as well, the Space Wolves themselves dominate packs of Fenresian Wolves by killing a Pack Alpha but they are still very much wild animals, a normal unaltered human couldn't likely do that. Baneblades and other Super-Heavies would also be difficult to justify, perhaps not right out but given that Space Marines are technically forbidden such vehicles if the Wolves still have any they probably wouldn't bring them out too often. But then again Marines aren't supposed to be cruising around in Battleships but the Wolves do anyway so I guess if you really want a Baneblade or variant you could do it. So anyway there are deffinitely some options that don't make much sense fluff but there are still quite a few options.

The Bondsman in the SW books also weren't always officers or high ranking officials, the descriptions are pretty interresting. Basically the Space Wolf bondsman were fairly ordered looking and professional, all were armed but their armament was random and out of personal choice. Remember the Bondsman crews defend Space Wolf ships while the Wolves are off boarding an enemy vessel and for the most part seem quite successfull in doing so.

Overall the best way to represent bondsman that I've seen is to use the Inquisition Codexies. Now unfortunately that would mean no Leman Russ Exterminator outside of Apocalypse, however the rules for Inquisitorial Storm Troopers and Inquisitors mean that you could legally include the models in a Wolf army even outside of Apocalypse and the rules represent the hardened and capable nature of the Bondsman but also doesn't make it look like there are tens of thousands of them like with most PDF type forces.

Finally keep in mind that Bondsman don't really deploy with the Wolves much, they may have helped garrison the Shrine of Garm, and they crew the Wolves ships and fight to defend them but there's little to no indication that the Bondsman would actually deploy to a warzone with the Wolves, their duties keeping them on the ships or in the installations to which they are assigned. So it wouldn't be easy justifying a huge IG force with your wolves unless it's like a defending the Shrine of Garm scenario or something.

As for modeling your basic Cadian models wouldn't do badly, however doing minor conversions on weapons to make as many of them as possible look different and giving them bare heads (like from the marauder kit) with hair and beards would help give them a more feral appearance. Adding in knives, pistols and other personal gear would also help however the books descriptions didn't talk about Wolf pelts and other more outlandish clothing, the variation seemed to mostly be in the weapons the Bondsman carried rather than their uniforms which were pretty plain and un-ornamented.

Now even using the IG rules doesn't fully adress the loss of the Space Wolves tank as it was actually crewed by Space Wolves not Bondsman. In my opinion your best off making an Apocalypse Datasheet for the Leman Russ Exterminator with an increased BS and maybe a wolfy tank commander option or something of that nature.

[George Labour]

Well I envisioned most of these auxilia to be from planets under the wolve's protections, not Fenris itself which probably doesn't need a large garrison like Macaragge has.

Which just reminded me of the last two novels in the series in which they fought on planets near their home system. Though I rememberthe fighting forces on both specifally not being wolfish in design, that doesn't mean another protected planet wouldn't.

Mostly this is just an idea to let folks use their LREs in games with minimdal fuss. FOr a cheap 310 points you get a barebone regurlar game legal IG force that would then get a LRE for 150-190 (200 with pask for BS4). In apoc you could just take the tanks, and use the IMperial armor battlegroup rules to have them all be BS4. in fact you can go to the FW website and get that list more or less for free now.

Ermm sorry for the divergence, this is modeling not tactics. XD

Back on topic. I think from what's been said it's actually a pretty darn easy conversion that's simply headswaps for most of it and only requires extra vikinihgness if your regiment background requires it.

I guess once I get my hands on one of the new wolf sprues I'll see how well it carried over to some spare cadians bodies I have laying around. Until then I'll have to fight back t he urge to paint a stormlord up in Wolf grey.