Character Study of the Week: Grinner
Who: Grinner
Aka: The ‘Little 'Mech that Could
What: Wolfhound WFH-1
Wolfhound IIC (Unique)
When: 3051 - ?? ?? ?? (‘Mechs are functionally immortal with proper care and feeding)
Weapon of Choice: Having Phelan Kell as a pilot
Descended from a short but distinguished line, Grinner is a Wolfhound, a highly capable, well designed Light ‘Mech from a nation famous for favouring Heavies and Assaults, therefore being an oddballish, standout, stepchild of the Lyran military. Thankfully the line was adopted early by the distinguished mercenary units, Wolf’s Dragoons and the Kell Hounds, and it is the latter that take him in.
Assigned to Morgan Kell’s only son Phelan Grinner was named by him after a loyal, heroic dog (which because a plain, ordinary dog can’t be heroic enough might have had a bit of wolf in him, and isn’t that some nice foreshadowing in and of itself) and was off on his first mission, to hunt pirates in the coreward Periphery.
Not a glamorous assignment Grinner didn’t care because he was out doing what a ‘Mech does best: shoot stuff while being big and stompy.
Things do not go exactly according to plan when in the midst of shooting up some of those mean pirates a whole new threat came along and shot the ever living candy out of the rest of the unit.
Determined to make more of a showing of himself Phelan drove Grinner into direct combat with the nastiest Heavy ‘Mech in existence: A Timber Wolf.
Now a Timber Wolf is over twice the size of a Wolfhound, but Grinner didn’t care and as good as that pilot in that ‘Mech was Phelan was better in Grinner, faking him out, having him fire in the wrong directions and having the Timbie dead to rights fired all four forward lasers.
To no effect.
Because part of being the nastiest Heavy ‘Mech in existence is that it’s so heavily armoured that a little Wolfhound on its own isn’t likely to breach the armour without a lot of luck.
It also means it does have enough weapons to breach the Wolfhound’s armour with a minimum of luck.
That happens, Grinner goes boom, but he ejects his whole head in order to save Phelan on an airless rock.
And that could have been the end of poor Grinner, but nice Khan Ulric Kerensky felt the need to reward his student Phelan with a ‘Mech upon earning warrior status. And what better ‘Mech than a rebuilt Grinner, now sparkly and shiny with new Clantech, an act made all the more significant because according to Ulric if Grinner had been speced that way to begin with that Timber Wolf might not have won.
Now Grinner and Phelan return to the Inner Sphere as a part of the invading forces, helping take world after world until Tukkayid, where they again forge victory for Clan Wolf even as the Clans as a whole fail to win the contest.
Phelan continues to pilot Grinner as SaKhan of Clan Wolf and later as Khan of Clan Wolf-In-Exile, though not as much as sometimes little Light ‘Mechs are just too crunchy to face down Heavy or Assault ‘Mechs in single combat, as happened in Operation Bulldog.
But Grinner is there, ever at the ready, waiting the day he can charge forward and do heroic things with Phelan again.
Grinner’s exact stats are a little murky. Within the novels a whole scene is dedicated to Phelan falling to his knees, tears in his eyes, upon seeing his old friend back in shape and upgraded from the original specs to full Clan equipment.
As described by Ranna, Phelan’s really, really, really good friend who really likes being good friends, Grinner has extended range lasers replacing the arm and rear weapons, pulses up the chest lasers, uses every weight saving material the Clans have and adds an Active Probe to the head.
Which is just swell.
However a later sourcebook lists different stats, surprisingly pulsing all the lasers and adding an ECM.
What happened, Grinner?
Regardless Grinner continues on, battering away at all commers, but, sadly, Phelan starts to keep him in the kennel, piloting at various times an Executioner or Timber Wolf during the Refusal War and Operation Bulldog.
Why?
Well, although Grinner is the bestest ‘Mech it can be there are some things he’s just a little too crunchy for, like one on one battles with Dire Wolves.
And while Phelan is the most awesome special pilot Michael Stackpole can make him the writer still has to concede to that pesky reality sometimes.
But Grinner is a humble machine and does not mind these bigger, meaner, but ultimately more sensitive ‘Mechs getting some time to shine with Phelan at their controls. Sharing is caring and Grinner cares to share. Mostly lasers.
And so Grinner waits, somewhere, to be piloted by Phelan again, and perhaps one day be put in a museum or on a shiny pedestal somewhere as a monument to something, and wouldn’t that be just great.
In case it’s not clear, hope everyone enjoyed a little April First levity. ;)
