| abstract | - In warzones such as the volatile Spinward Front, this often means duking it out with the meanest Orks of WAAAGH! Grimtoof and so any brawler who has survived even one such encounter is likely to be a giant amongst men and to have very little capacity to feel pain or to accept when he is beaten. These Ork-like qualities serve the units fighting on the Spinward Front well, and so many have amongst their ranks individuals who could be considered brawlers by dint of surviving such conflicts through savage force of arms. Some regiments make specific use of troopers who prove to be especially gifted at melee combat with additional training and equipment and designate them as close combat specialists. In battle, such warriors might perform as line troopers for most of the time, but step to the fore when the time comes to fix bayonets and engage the enemy in the bloody maelstrom of hand-to-hand combat. Other regiments frequently assign their particularly talented scrappers to certain roles, taking advantage of their particular skills as Rough Riders, scouts, or in other ways. Plenty of regiments do not designate specific individuals as melee specialists but field them nonetheless. This generally happens on an ad hoc basis, where the largest or most belligerent troopers find themselves at the head of the charge time and time again. With their continued survival these troopers become unofficial champions to their comrades, who follow their lead into the maelstrom of hand-to-hand combat. A squad with a trooper particularly talented at close combat can make substantial use of his abilities, as well. When confronted by a singular enemy against which the massed Lasguns of the Imperial Guard have little effect, it often falls to a unit's brawler to take up his trusty melee weapon and step boldly forward to accept the challenge. While his fellows hold the bulk of the foe at bay, the brawler might go toe-to-toe with the largest and most horrific of abominations. The resulting combat might last seconds or hours, but two things are near-certain -- only one combatant can emerge victorious, and the loser’s comrades will be ground beneath the boots of the victor's allies if they rally around this victory and sweep forward to glory. Not all Brawlers rely upon raw muscle to defeat the foe. In fact, some of the most lethal are those who appear the most innocuous. These are perhaps amongst the most dangerous, vicious killers seemingly born with blood upon their hands.
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