The new Space Wolves codex are coming out this week and by pure happenstance, I got some cool alternative bits to review and give away from one of my favorite companies Kromlech! Kromlech is known mostly for there range of alternative Ork products, but Kromlech does offer at least one thing for every Warhammer 40k army.

Kromlech specifically for Space Wolves produces a Sons of Thor line of bits. The range offers almost everything you need to make an entire alternative Space Wolf Marine minus arms and heads.

Kromlech sent me most of the Sons of Thor line, here is a quick review of each bit.

First up are the Praetorian Shields, I like these alternative combat/storm shields because they are ROUND, Games Workshop doesn’t really do round shields and having the chips and runic details really screams Space Wolves. They easily fit over any model hand with minimal filing. The crest on the shield detail could be a bit better, and if you look at the Wolf Pattern version of the shield it is even better alternative.

Most likely my favorite bits from the Sons of Thor, are the Shoulder Pads The variety makes them fantastic, but it is actually the size that should sell anyone. The Space Wolves are one of those chapters that are larger than life, and these shoulder pads scale are large and appropriate, distinguishing models easily. The Wolf Heads and simple runic pads really stand out fit easily on Primaris and Terminator shoulders easily.

The Fur cloak Backpacks are pretty impressive, and really show well on dynamic models, they do fail a bit on static poses or can get lost on ornate models. The also have another problem by not being particularly easy to glue on a Space Marine, but they beat the basic backpacks you find, with the cloak part standing out.

The Sons of Thor Backpacks are pretty solid, they attach easily to any Space Wolf back and have a definite, “why hasn’t Games Workshop made this  already” vibe to them. Backpacks can also go a long way if you don’t want invest much into tricking out your Space Wolves, as this simple swap easily distinguish a Space Marine.

Alternative legs are usually a tricky sell, but the Sons of Thor Legs provide enough detail to keep them on par with Games Workshop legs. They only work for basic Space Wolves, the scale is just too small for Primaris Marines. They are fit easily with a Horus Heresy look an fit nicely with the MkIII Torsos, and if you have read the Ashes of Prospero make great bits for the lost 13th Company.

Finally, I got some of the Sons of Thor Torsos my second favorite Sons of Thor bit, the simple details really make these Torsos standout and feel very Space Wolf like, by not overdoing Space Wolf Norse tropes. The rune markings are simple and the fur and bone details add just enough. The tattered cloak torsos are a great way to separate your sergeants from the normal troopers too.

Here are images showing how the bits look combined with Games Workshop parts, giving you an idea on the overall look.

As you can see I threw as many of the Sons of Thor bits I could on each model. What is interesting is the scale between the Primaris and normal Space Marine, as you can see the Sons of Thor backpacks and shoulder pads really beef up the basic Space Marine almost having an equivalent scale to the Primaris Marine. As always with alternative bits, often just sprinkling them in gives you the most bang for you buck. Using just one or two Sons of Thor bits really can bring a model together and make it look special, especially compared to the blandness the Space Wolves Upgrade packs Games Workshop is trying to peddle.

Just getting one blister of each of these bits can outfit all your HQ choices and Sergeants with ease, and it they can go on almost every Space Wolves model. Also don’t forget to keep an eye on the Blood of Kittens Facebook page this week as I plan on giving away bits to random followers of the page!