Great Hunt
Great Hunts refer to Space Wolves campaigns to discover their missing Primarch, Leman Russ.[1]
Background
Following the disappearance of Leman Russ after the Horus Heresy, the Space Wolves waited for his return. Every year, his place was laid at the feast table, and every year his great drinking horn was filled, in case he should return. The years slunk past and still he did not come. After seven years, the surviving Wolf Lords gathered and elected Bjorn their leader, awarding him the title Great Wolf. Bjorn gathered all his warriors together in the Hall of the Fang, and announced the first Great Hunt. Russ’ people would seek out their master if it took the rest of time to do it. So did the twelve Great Companies take to their ships and sail forth in separate directions across the Sea of Stars.[1]
The tale of their deeds is too long to recount in full save on Allwinter's Eve, when the Rune Priests gather to chant the sagas. They sought Leman Russ on many worlds and in many places. They fought intense battles against aliens and overcame voidspawn and raging Daemon alike. The Space Wolves hunted in this dimension and the next, but of Russ they found no sign, until eventually they were recalled to Fenris bearing naught but tales of their adventures. Thus the first Great Hunt ended in failure. Since that day there have been many other Great Hunts[1], but before they begin one, the Chapter's Rune Priests will tell the sagas of their Battle Brothers and their Primarch. Doing so inspires the Space Wolves to achieve the greatest heights of courage and heroism.[5] On occasion, Russ has appeared to a Great Wolf or Rune Priest in a vision and told him it is time. These are periods of daring deeds and high adventure, when the Chapter takes to the Sea of Stars to seek their lost leader. Though they have never been successful in their goal, each Great Hunt has struck a decisive blow against the enemies of Mankind.[1]
Known Great Hunts
- 1st Great Hunt: 218.M31[2b], the first Hunt was launched near the Eye of Terror and ends in regret.[1]
- 2nd Great Hunt: Led to the recovery of an artefact believed to be the Armour of Russ.[2a]
- 4th Great Hunt: Launched into Segmentum Tempestus. It uncovers the Corellian Conspiracy[1] and foiled its efforts to overthrow the Administratum in a bloody coup.[2a]
- 5th Great Hunt: ???.[Canon Conflict][4] The Space Wolves launch a campaign to push the forces of Chaos deeper into the Eye of Terror. Among the worlds they invade in that blighted realm, is one held by the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion. The Wolf Lord Jaegar Silverclaw and his Silverclaws Great Company aided in the attack and were successfully driving the Thousand Sons back, when disaster strikes. Without warning the Traitor Legion's Daemon Primarch Magnus suddenly appears and opens a Warp Rift in front of Jaegar. The forces of the Chaos God Tzeentch emerge from its depths and they soon kill Jaegar and his Wolf Guard. The Wolf Lord's death and the sudden appearance of new foes begins to cause the Silverclaws to retreat, until the Long Fang Kvalnir Silverclaw intervenes. He knows losing their battlefield position could put the Space Wolves' entire Hunt at risk and manages to rally the Great Company to his side. Thanks to his efforts, the Silverclaws regroup to close the Warp Rift and then drive the Thousand Sons from the world. They also succeed in causing the Traitor Legion to retreat further into the Eye of Terror. Afterwards, Logan Grimnar named Kvalnir as the Silverclaws' new Wolf Lord.[4]
- 7th Great Hunt: Saw the Long Exterminatus of Thransic Beta.[1]
- 8th Great Hunt: Launched into the Ghoul Stars, Russ is said to be sighted.[1]
- 9th Great Hunt: 671.M34[2b], led to the destruction of the Genestealer infested worlds of the Gehenna System.[2a]
- 11th Great Hunt: The slaying of the voidspawn Shoals.[1]
- 13th Great Hunt: The Chaos Space Marine Warband known as The Lost are destroyed.[1]
- 30th Great Hunt: 900.M41.[2b]
- Operation Stormfrost: ???[3]
Conflicting Sources
- Though it is named the 5th Great Hunt in The Citadel Journal 2, Logan Grimnar is stated to be the Space Wolves' commander.[4]
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- The Space Wolves may have found Leman Russ who had long been journeying the wilds of Fenris before his abduction by Tyranids.[6] As of 19 October 2025, it is unknown if Leman Russ was rescued by the Space Wolves, or if he is still in Tyranid captivity, though according to Andy Chambers he probably did escape the Tyranid's clutches.
Sources
- 1: Codex: Space Wolves (7th Edition) — The Disappearance of Russ
- 2: Codex: Space Wolves - Wulfen Edition
- 3: Inferno! 1, pg. 42 — Operation Stormfrost
- 4: The Citadel Journal 2, pg. 24 - Wolf Lords Kvalnir Silverclaw and Berek Thunderfist
- 5: The Citadel Journal 4, pg. 24 - Space Marine: The Power Within
- 6: White Dwarf 258 (US): Canadian Games Day, pg. 61-65
