Patrekr's Long Fang Pack

This is Patrekr's Long Fang pack. You may remember Patrekr the Sharp-minded from a previous blog post. He's now completely finished, along with his pack.

This is your typical missile launcher Long Fang pack. Now I'm not one to subscribe to net lists and things like that, but it was clear to me from the Space Wolf codex that Long Fangs with missile launchers are a steal being so cheap, versatile, and effective. These are the only missile launcher Long Fangs in my army, however. Personally, I don't like to duplicate units.

With this unit I tried to make them all look at rest to represent the calmer and more measured nature of Long Fangs. It's quite a nice contrast to the much more aggressive poses of my other units.

After the break, individual photos and background for these venerable old warriors.

Patrekr the Sharp-minded

"Don't be so quick to reach for that blade of yours, pup. Sometimes the sharpest weapon lies between your ears."

-- Patrekr the Sharp-Minded to an unnamed Blood Claw

After undergoing the transformation into a Space Marine, just about every aspect of a person is enhanced. Strength, endurance, speed, agility: all these things are clearly superior to a normal man. However, a Space Marine's enhanced mental faculties often go overlooked. For those aspirants who already possess a keen intellect, this can sometimes be enhanced to towering proportions.

Patrekr is one such warrior. A keen mind was honed by the arcane methods of the Wolf Priests into the sharpest of intellects.

Perhaps in another chapter Patrekr would have become a great warrior and scholar. But the Vlka Fenryka do not believe in written records. There are no libraries in The Fang, only haughty old warriors with wisdom to tell around the fire with a barrel of mjod.

Still, Patrekr's sharp mind has found it's use in more practical matters. Tactics, strategy, logistics; all these things Patrekr excels in and his Jarl, Rikkard, always seeks his council and insight.

In fact, Rikkard and Patrekr are very old comrades. Once, many great years ago, Patrekr was Rikkard's pack leader before the now great Jarl of Fyf was raised to the Wolf Guard of Fyf's previous Jarl, Egberd Greywolf.

Rikkard, and Egberd before him, on several occasions asked Patrekr to join the ranks of the Wolf Guard, but this is an honour Patrekr refuses, preferring to stay with his pack and now, as a venerable Long Fang, directing the supporting fire of his pack as his younger brothers unleash their rage at closer quarters.

In his many years of service to the Allfather, Patrekr has seen it all and triumphed. So many young whelps have sought his council over the years, most finding him as he sits quietly in the feasting halls contemplating some advanced concept beyond the ken of his brothers. Certainly, when this cunning old wolf finally falls, the telling of his account will last for days.

Balgyr the Sure-sighted

"To fight, first you must observe."

-- a saying of Balgyr the Sure-sighted

Observational skills come in extremely handy for a Long Fang. The ability to spot threats at a distance and react to it can save the lives of brothers. Balgyr always had a reputation of keen vision, and has as a consequence excelled in the fire support role of a Long Fang.

The older members of Fyf enjoy telling the youngest whelps in the Blood Claws that Balgyr can even see through walls. "Best watch what you do, lad – old Balgyr will see you" they say to terrify the naive warriors, but it keeps them in line at a time when a young warrior can be ill-disciplined and unruly.

Perhaps Balgyr's greatest feat of sight was in the aftermath of a furious advance Rikkard's Great Company made in the conflict against the vile Demagogue of Hersa. The warriors had devastated a regiment of the Demagogue's most corrupted warriors and as Jarl Rikkard walked across the field of broken bodies, from his vantage point overlooking the devastation, a very slight movement caught Balgyr's keen eye. One vile foe, in his cowardice, was merely playing dead and the slight tension in his muscles as the Jarl approached alerted Balgyr's senses. Quick as a flash, Balgyr bellowed a warning across the vox to his Jarl and just in time, Rikkard raised his shield as the heretic detonated himself with some manner of sorcery. Rikkard was spared from the worst of the attack, but his armour required weeks of repair.

In this and many other ways, Balgyr's gift of incredible vision has contributed to his Great Company's successes.

Edda Forkbeard

"If my foe is admiring my beard, he's not looking at my blade."

-- Edda Forkbeard on his flamboyant hirsuteness

The reason for Edda's nickname of "Forkbeard" is clear to all who see him, sporting as he does a flamboyantly forked and plaited beard. So proud is he of this beard, after a battle he always cares for it's appearance before that of his armour. Edda once had his beloved beard cut off when barely dodging a viscous sword strike to his head in the midst of battle. After slaying the petulant foe, he recovered the severed plaits before tending to his missing left eye.

Edda wears a specially modified missile carrier on his backpack on which the Iron Priests attached a servo arm to pass missiles to him. The reason for this is a devastating shoulder injury Edda suffered late in his career as a Grey Hunter which limited the mobility of his left arm. A brutish Ork buried its crude axe so deeply in his shoulder it severed all the major tendons leaving the arm useless for several months and it has never quite recovered. Wyrd was not with the Ork as it was unable to pull it's axe from Edda's pauldron and stupidly refused to let go as Edda tore the beast's throat out with his one good arm.

Stalwart, hirsute, and a lover of fine mjod, Edda is a model warrior of the Rout.

Jerold the Brewer

"Fear not, pup – only the first draught burns!"

--Jerold the Brewer, pouring a flagon of his fearsome mjod for a young Blood Claw

Mjod is the drink of the true Sky Warrior, and it is well known in the Aett that Jerold brews the most delectable (and potent) concoction available. Jerold's recipe is a secret known only to him and there is always much celebration when Jerold brings his latest brew into the packed feasting halls. While the warriors rejoice, the serfs lament as they know they will soon need to source new flagons to replace the corroded ones.

Despite his love of mjod, Jerold is no drunk and remains a potent force on the battlefield. Although Long Fangs are supposed to take a more measured approach to combat, Jerold is never without his trusty chainsword he has lovingly maintained since his first deployment as a Blood Claw. It sees less use these days, but it is ever ready to strike when missiles fail to do the job.

Vedjarfr Spearcaster

"I have the skies, my brothers."

-- Vedjarfr Spearcaster

Although of no real use in battle, spearcasting is a skill much practiced among warriors of the Rout. Proficiency requires a strong arm and a good aim; valuable qualities both. So as 74 time champion of Fyf's bi-annual spearcasting tourney, Vedjarfr has quite the reputation among his peers. Not only does he cast spears in the tourney, it is his favourite tool when hunting. It is said Vadjarfr can put a spear through the eye of a Kraken from a moving boat at a distance of 150 yards. This is unconfirmed, but Vadjarfr certainly does nothing to dismiss the notion.

Although not an "official role" (insofar as anything is "official" in the Rout), Vadjarfr has recently taken it upon himself to be his pack's "eye on the sky", as he calls it. His brothers do not know why, but Vadjarfr has recently become more concerned than before about enemy aircraft. Perhaps it is a premonition, perhaps a change in wyrd only Vadjarfr is aware of, who can say?

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I hope you enjoyed Patrekr and his pack. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. All are welcome.