"The battle tanks of the Valhallan 12th shall be my hammer, and the fortress of Konigsreign my anvil. Let us forge war!"
- — Commander Chenkov of Valhalla
Commander Chenkov "inspiring" his men in the heat of battle
Commander Kubrik Chenkov is the commanding officer of the Valhallan 18th Regiment of the Imperial Guard, nicknamed the "Tundra Wolves," one of the units of the famed Valhallan Ice Warriors. Commander Chenkov is one amongst many whose nerve and endurance have won the Valhallans their reputation as a grim and dogged people who will fight and even die rather than give up territory to an enemy. Because of their stubbornness, Imperial Guard generals often deploy Valhallans to bolster their lines of defence, knowing that they will hold out where other troops might crumble under the onslaught of a foe's charge.
History[]
Commander Kubrik Chenkov is a ruthless commander who insists on leading from the front, eschewing the safety of a command bunker for the front lines where he can keep an ever-vigilant eye on his subordinates. Instilling his own draconian brand of motivation and encouragement, his men doggedly obey the grim-faced commander, knowing that to disobey means certain death. Chenkov has a low opinion of cowards, for if a Guardsman dares retreats within his sight, he will not hesitate to have that coward gunned down by his former comrades. It is even whispered that Chenkov has personally killed more of his own Guardsmen than he has of the enemy. His Bolt Pistol has earned a fearsome reputation amongst friend and foe alike. So high is the attrition rate amongst the Tundra Wolves that they have been refounded more than a dozen times in recent decades. Each time, Chenkov and the few remaining survivors of the decimated regiment have returned to Valhalla to lead the newly raised conscripts who will restore the Tundra Wolves Regiment to life.
Personality[]
Commander Kubrik Chenkov of the 18th 'Tundra Wolves' Imperial Guard Regiment
Like his fellow Valhallans, Commander Chenkov is notoriously stubborn, refusing to admit defeat or acknowledge surrender. Like all Valhallans, Chenkov is dour and obstinate, but few of his comrades are as ruthless or as merciless. He does not employ subtle strategy to win wars, relying instead on blunt, direct, frontal assault tactics. Knowing that he has tens of thousands of troops at his disposal, Chenkov will not hesitate to throw away men's lives in order to obtain his objectives. He believes that any opponent can be overcome if one is willing to sacrifice enough lives. Although an unimaginative commander, Chenkov's tactics are doubtlessly effective. In one year-long siege, Chenkov assumed command, and through his actions brought a swift, if bloody, end to the conflict. He stormed a heavily defended citadel without benefit of armoured support or dedicated siege weapons. In another instance, he had platoons of his Guardsmen draw enemy fire to prevent the more valuable demolition crews attempting to breach an enemy battle fortress from being discovered. During one notorious action, when an advance of Leman Russ Battle Tanks were slowed by enemy mines, Chenkov actually used his own troops to clear the explosives by marching them across the minefields. Commander Chenkov's ruthless command style continues to win the Imperium of Man many victories and though the cost is high, the price of failure for Chenkov is intolerable.
Source[]
- Codex: Imperial Guard (2nd Edition), pg. 88
- Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition), pg. 65
- Planetstrike (5th Edition), pg. 35