Hi folks,
I learned how to play 40K back in the mid 90's, when two of my good mates happened to bring their rulebooks with them on holidays. We played a bunch of games on a folding camping table, using folded paper miniatures and handmade templates. One of the guys was an avid Space Wolves player and regaled us with stories about his favourite heroes. Chief amongst them was the Dreadnought known as Bjorn the Fell-Handed. The idea of having a special character who was a Dreadnought sounded awesome to me. It was one of those conceptual hooks that made (and still makes) 40K such an immersive universe to delve into. Additionally, the 2nd Edition Bjorn the Fell-Handed model was a beauty!
Bjorn the Fell-Handed is (arguably) the oldest living Space Marine, having fought alongside the Primarch Leman Russ and the Emperor during the Horus Heresy. Bjorn served in the 3rd Company during the Battle of Prospero, where he lost his left arm to the malignant sorceries of a daemon.
On the volcanic world of Gryth, Bjorn fought a battle against Arvax the Arch-slaughterer, barely surviving whilst the brothers around him all fell. Mourning the lost kinsmen of his pack, Bjorn swore an oath of vengeance against the daemon king of Khorne. It would be many years before he got an opportunity to fulfil his oath, as rumours of the Arch-slaughterers location began to surface. Leman Russ himself led the attack, but was denied his own personal vengeance, when Bjorn struck the daemon down by tearing out its throat with his Wolf Claw. In honour of this mighty deed, Bjorn was promoted into the Wolf Guard and given the name "Fell-Handed".
When Russ set forth on his final crusade to the Eye of Terror, accompanied by his Wolf Guard, Bjorn alone was left behind. It was judged that only he had shown the requisite strength and determination to lead the Space Wolves in the Primarch's absence.
During the Proxima Rebellion Bjorn led a successful raid to save a force of Space Wolves trapped within a Dreadsun Fortress. The raid was successful, but Bjorn sustained such horrendous wounds that, to preserve his life, he was interred into the sarcophagus of a Dreadnought. Abdicating his title of Great Wolf, he returned to the battlefield with renewed vigour, crushing the enemies of mankind in the arching talons of his lightning claw. The centuries of warfare took their toll, however, and he began to spend longer periods of time dormant in stasis. Now, he is only awakened in times of greatest need.
It is a testament to his character that, despite all the centuries of faithful service, Bjorn the Fell-Handed still feels the pain of being left behind so keenly. Many believe that he will not allow himself to die until he has fought alongside Russ one final time.
I think that original model still holds up. I remember he was really impressive back in 2nd edition also, and was an auto-include for a lot of players.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I would love to paint him someday (perhaps for DreadTober!). Many of the Wolves players I went up against included him in their lists. He had good rules and stat-line, the assault cannon could be really devastating in 2nd Ed. and the lightning claw had the strength of a powerfist with the ability to parry like a power sword [chef's kiss].
DeleteI never played 2nd edition, but he was still a beast in 3rd edition. 5th edition, my main edition, Bjorn was still awesome and could gold his own against many of the top tier units.
ReplyDeleteHe's one of those characters which has always been treated with respect and not made into a form of "ultra-cool-the-best-at-everything". His cameo at the end of the novel 'The Emperor's Gift' is extremely good.
My original army was Space Wolves back in 2nd edition. So I still have my original Björn model and now have another model of him as well, in metal and all.
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