| abstract | - Most Space Wolves begin their careers as Blood Claws, hotheaded young warriors who cannot wait to prove themselves, and who charge in howling packs at the front lines of the enemy in their efforts to garner personal glory. The Blood Claws are the shock troops of the Space Wolves and spearhead the majority of the Chapter's assaults. If the Blood Claws survive the fiercest conflagrations of war to become mature and capable warriors, their Wolf Guard mentors consider them to be eligible for elevation to the ranks of the Grey Hunters. It is the Grey Hunters who comprise the main body of each Great Company. These doughty warriors are still as hungry for honour as any of their younger brethren, but their raw aggression has been tempered by battlefield experience. Nonetheless, the Grey Hunters stand ready to give their lives in the name of honour. Each Grey Hunter Pack can be a small army in its own right, their oaths of brotherhood binding them fast in the face of impossible odds. The transformation from Aspirant to fully-fledged Grey Hunter may take decades or even centuries, but should a Blood Claw not find his death upon the field of battle then that transition is all but certain. A Grey Hunter's hair begins to grey and his canine teeth lengthen, his skin becomes more tanned and leathery and, in extreme cases, his eyes yellow and transmute until they are like those of a wolf. These physical signs born by the Grey Hunters mark them as having come into their heritage as strong and mature Battle-Brothers at the peak of their powers, truly worthy of the name Grey Hunter. This name is well chosen, for they are masters of the hunt, stalking their enemy as they might one of the giant Fenrisian Wolves. The Grey Hunters track their prey with the cunning and patience of a wolf pack. Laying down disciplined overlapping fields of fire, the Grey Hunters drive the enemy to seek cover. Once the prey is surrounded, only then do the Grey Hunters spring their deadly trap. The Grey Hunters leap at their foes with the elation of a savage beast that has long stalked its quarry and scents blood at last. Or they may draw the enemy forward by feigning weakness whilst waiting for the opportune moment to strike. The battle ploys and cunning of the Grey Hunters are legendary. It is this uncanny calm and patience which distinguishes the mature warrior of the Space Wolves from the fiery young Blood Claw.
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