Silas Ovik
Silas Ovik is a Cadian Tank Commander of the Imperial Guard, serving in the 1652nd Armored Regiment.[1]
History
Rumoured to have been the bastard son of a noble family who was exiled to carve out a life in the wilderness, Silas Ovik has developed something of a grim, determined and aloof nature, even for a Cadian. As a child he came to the attention of the Imperial Guard officer corps after he shot dead a pack of slobbering Cultists attacking a local settlement. It transpired this boy had taught himself how to maintain and even improve the lasgun he had used to such effect in the incident. Despite the feral look about the lad, and his small, wiry frame, the value of such initiative and instinct did not go unnoticed. Due to his time spent hunting in the wilds of Cadia, Ovik had developed a strange propensity to wait until the last possible moment, making absolutely sure of the shot before pulling the trigger. His rivals in the cadet brigades would mutter that this betrayed suicidal tendencies, but his senior officers recognized it indicated an unusual level of calm and focus under pressure. They decided that young Ovik’s skills were perfectly suited to the tank regiments.[1]
Because of his short stature, his upbringing and his rather unusual nose, Ovik has received more than his fair share taunts – over the years, many have joked that Ovik’s father was a Ratling. But he has never risen to the bait. As a man of few words, he has instead earned the respect of his men by letting them witness his skills at the hunt. Despite being a master of all variants of the Leman Russ, Ovik prefers to command from the cupola of a Leman Russ Vanquisher, where he can destroy war engines from afar just as he hunted wild beasts as a child on Cadia: one shot, one kill.[1]
With his deft touch and quick mind guiding the tankers under his command, Ovik’s squadron famously stalked the Daemon Engines that had infested Prosan during the Belliger Invasions of 988.M41. His pinpoint accuracy took apart Warpsmith Vutos' monstrous creations one by one and denied the momentum that would surely have seen the fall of the planet. Later that year, during the Ork incursion of Crisson Vael, Ovik was forced to assume command after a suicidal air strike took out the Cadian command headquarters. There, he led two squadrons of tanks against three Stompas, outwitting and frustrating his foes long enough for further support to arrive and destroy them outright. Such demonstrations of grit, nerve and intelligence saw Ovik promoted to the legendary Steel Host of the Cadian 1652nd. In a regiment already celebrated for its high level of efficiency, Ovik’s record since joining has been nothing short of remarkable. As the commander of the Steel Host, he has repeatedly led Cadia’s armies to victory from within his Leman Russ Vanquisher, Ovik’s Fist. It has become a mark of pride for other tankers to have fought alongside him, and his men obey him without question.[1]
Sources
- 1: Sanctus Reach: The Red Waaagh! - Tank Commander Silas Ovik
