Skarvald, what is best in life?

.. besides being an eye-patch wearing, frost axe-wielding Space Wolf Wolf Lord riding on a Thunderwolf, to crush your enemies, see them driven before you... and to hear the lamentation of their women?

It is the end of Games Workshop's Special Characters Week and I feel the need to mention my favorite Special Character in the 40,000 Universe. While he isn't mentioned in any of the officially released books, codeces, White Dwarves or any fluffopaedias he very well should be, because his glory rivals that of many of the characters that you already know and love. Or hate.

Skarvald the Troll-faced

The Jaws of Death 

The Scarcarver

Harbinger of the Wolftime

To me, Skarvald epitomizes the EPIC part of the Space Wolves codex and Warhammer 40,000 in general. Not only is he the centerpiece of my army but he is always the center of attention in any game that I field him in. There are plenty of "special characters" and HQ's that give nice little boons to people's armies, even combat specialists and many of them could easily be ignored in regular games. Lots are even boring to play against simply because you see them all the time and often it doesn't make any sense that such individuals would be even fighting in such small battles. You know what I'm talking about..

"Oh, you brought Vulkan He'Stan.. nice." 

"Eldrad, huh? Well at least it makes sense, since Eldar cannot fight without him and win."

"Cool, Marneus Calgar is apparently taking a hand-full of Tactical Marines and Scouts on a field trip. Look, he even has his blue Ultramarines School Bus."

"Ghazghkull Thraka leading a WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH with ~180 boyz?"

There's nothing wrong with it, but I know that many of you have the same problem. Maybe some of you will even say that Skarvald, a Wolf Lord, would also never fight in the tiny insignificant skirmishes that most 40k games usually turn out to be. But see, he's an ale-lovin' warrior who rides on top of a cybernetic wolf the size of a Rhino. He can't stay in one place longer than it takes for him to eat, get drunk and sleep. 

And as long as his opponents pick legendary special characters, Skarvald will follow them across the galaxy to accomplish whatever Saga the Rune Priests bestowed upon him just to prove himself to his retinue, Chapter and of course the Emperor. 

Besides, he is EPIC. A character that is a tough, strong AND mobile point-sink? I'll drink to that.

He and his retinue of Thunderwolves have survived and killed some of the greatest and most legendary champions and tyrants of the 40,000 universe. 

He has survived a charge by and KILLED:

- Ghazghkull Thraka with his 10 Power Klaw Nobz

- Gabriel Seth's Assault Marines

- Kitted out Blood Angels Honour Guard Squad with a Sanguinary Novitiate, Blood Champion, Chaplain and a Librarian with The Sanguine Sword

- Astaroth the Grim's and his Death Company

And that's not even counting the many times he has been in other epic encounters. Shot by and charged with more than 50 Ork Boyz, 15 Nobz with Big Choppas, a Warboss with a Power Klaw and Old Zogwort? Check. Survived Apocalypse games while other Named HQ's died in droves? Check. 

Even that is not enough to describe his gretness. I suppose I'll have to finally finish building him, paint him and write some fluff... After all, Skarvald the Troll-faced has become something of a legend where I go to paint and play with my little plastic dude men. I've been asked to show people his entry in the Space Wolves codex. One day I'll have to do that and add a page in my codex with his stats. Hehe..

And you? Do you have your own Legendary generic HQ that you are proud of?