Buck

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Buck
Alias(es)	One-Eyed Commander; Captain Buck; one-eyed veteran 11 26 105
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Granary Seven / Eastern Granary Defense Force 11 83 108
Occupation/Role	Defense Force commander; Rovi's frontline subordinate and combat leader 11 40 54
First Appearance	Chapter 11

Background / History

Buck served as the armed commander aligned with Rovi during the struggle for Granary Seven. Fully armed and alert, he reported to Rovi at the Repair Workshop before Kase's attempted coup. During the confrontation in Kase's office, he killed a Black Robe Cultist assassin with his Bolter and later had Kais taken away for servitorization on Rovi's orders 11 14.

As Rovi consolidated control, Buck became a key officer in the granary's defenses. He test-fired the newly assembled Heavy Logging Guns, led Defense Force squads during the airdrop operation, and obeyed Rovi's retreat order when confronted by Old Huck, though he initially hesitated before the Nurgle threat 20 22 27.

Buck was among the officers affected by the euphoric effects of Enhanced Green Slop. Rovi administered “Clarity” to him, restoring his fear and pain at the cost of severe physical and emotional distress. Buck subsequently operated Warp-modified Heavy Logging Guns against Nurgle creatures, enduring their intense recoil and heat 29 31.

During later operations, Buck supported expeditions to Granary Four and Granary Nine, served as a gunner and convoy leader, and helped capture Genestealer hybrids within the refugee camp 39 40 46. A psychic storm later left him permanently deaf; rather than retire, he accepted painful second-hand cybernetic auditory implants so he could remain Rovi's commander 53 58.

Buck continued to lead elite Defense Force personnel in Rovi's campaigns, including the hunt through pipeline B-7, the defense and harvest of Gray Mule-1 wheat, and the Northern Granary alliance. After Valentin's failed takeover, Buck recovered the fallen honor guard's weapons and received the master-crafted Boltgun Emperor's Wrath 59 99 102.

Appearance

Buck is a scarred, one-eyed veteran with a rough, intimidating bearing. His remaining eye is augmented, and he later receives a salvaged cochlear implant after losing his hearing 26 53 58.

• Usually carries a Boltgun and wears military gear suited for immediate combat 11 14.
• Wore polished Carapace Armor early in Rovi's rise at Granary Seven 11.
• Later wears patched, acid-scarred armor stripped from fallen comrades 100.
• Has a bionic/artificial eye that can adjust its focus 26 27.
• Keeps his cochlear implant visibly active after the surgery 59 109.

Personality

Buck is fiercely loyal to Rovi and follows orders even when they are dangerous, morally troubling, or difficult to understand. His obedience is not thoughtless: he hesitates over using plague bathwater as fertilizer, questions the use of widows as bait, and struggles with the cruelty of Rovi's policies toward civilians 46 49 64.

As a veteran, Buck is practical, aggressive, and protective of his soldiers. He values weapons primarily for their ability to bring his men home alive, and he repeatedly seeks better equipment and ammunition for them rather than personal comfort or rewards 105 106.

Buck is also deeply affected by hunger and deprivation. The discovery of concealed military rations triggers an emotional breakdown as he recalls the starvation of his Third Platoon during an earlier tithe mobilization 92.

Abilities & Skills

Combat Leadership

Buck commands Defense Force personnel in combat, security operations, convoy escorts, and weapons deployments.

• Maintains formation and discipline during a Genestealer ambush at Granary Four 40.
• Leads soldiers in apprehending Genestealer hybrids in the refugee camp 46.
• Commands the First Battalion and positions heavy bolt machine guns when hostile forces threaten the granary 83.
• Directs squads during hazardous harvesting operations and battlefield cleanup 99 102.

Heavy Weapons Operation

Buck is experienced with weapons too powerful for ordinary infantry use.

• Test-fired Heavy Logging Guns and understood their overheating limitation after Rovi's warning 20.
• Operated a Warp-modified Heavy Logging Gun against Nurgle creatures despite severe recoil and heat 31.
• Supervised the mounting and maintenance of Heavy Boltguns on convoy vehicles 39.
• Coordinated heavy grenade-launcher fire against an elite mutated plant 99.

Field Awareness

Buck has practical knowledge of hostile environments and battlefield threats.

• Identified Traitor Guard positions and their heavy machine-gun ambush near the airdrop site 27.
• Recognized the danger posed by unusually large Mutant Giant Rats from their remains in pipeline B-7 59.
• Reacted quickly to the sentient compound eye that emerged on the Wall of Gluttony 64.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Boltgun / Bolt Pistol — Buck routinely carries bolt weaponry and used a Bolter to kill the Black Robe Cultist assassin threatening Rovi 14.
• Heavy Logging Gun — Used in the defense of Granary Seven, including with Warp-thermal modified ammunition 20 31.
• Heavy Boltguns — Operated and mounted during the Granary Four supply expedition 39.
• Heavy Grenade Launcher — Used to engage mutated crops during the Gray Mule-1 harvest 99.
• Carapace Armor — His equipment ranges from polished armor to later patchwork armor salvaged from fallen comrades 11 100.
• Bionic eye — Augmented eye used for focus adjustment and surveillance 26 27.
• Second-hand cochlear implant — Installed after a psychic storm destroyed his hearing; the implant was salvaged from dead Servitors 58 59.
• Emperor's Wrath — Master-crafted Boltgun recovered from a fallen Valentin honor guard and awarded to Buck by Rovi 102.
• Hellguns — Buck's force also receives three recovered Hellguns, though their battery requirements limit regular use 102 105.

Relationships

• Rovi — Commander and trusted subordinate. Buck protects Rovi, executes his plans, questions his harshest decisions, and ultimately stands watch while Rovi finally rests after days without sleep 14 49 64 106.
• Alpha Priest — Works with Alpha on weapons and equipment matters. Alpha reprimands Buck for mishandling Emperor's Wrath but permits him to retain it after finding that the weapon does not reject him 20 108.
• Defense Force soldiers — Their commander and advocate. Buck prioritizes discipline, weapons, and the survival of his men 40 83 105.
• “Butcher” Bill — Initially confrontational during the Northern Granary alliance; Buck is prepared to defend Rovi when Bill locks them in his office and later angrily confronts Bill over the hidden food stores 89 92.
• Valentin Family honor guard — Buck envies their superior equipment, then leads the recovery of their weapons after their defeat in the Gray Mule-1 harvest 100 102.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Granary Seven Power Struggle

Buck supports Rovi during the fall of Supervisor Kase, kills the cultist assassin in Kase's office, and assists in removing Kais after Rovi takes control 14.

Defense Against Nurgle

He tests and operates the granary's heavy weapons, survives the effects of Green Slop, receives “Clarity,” and fights Nurgle forces with Warp-modified Heavy Logging Guns 20 29 31.

Resource-Recovery Expeditions

Buck serves as Rovi's military support during the airdrop operation and the dangerous expeditions to Granaries Four and Nine, facing Traitor Guard, plague creatures, Genestealers, and environmental hazards 27 39 40 59 64.

Deafness and Cybernetic Recovery

After the psychic storm, Buck loses his hearing permanently. He refuses retirement and undergoes a brutal implant procedure to retain his position as commander 53 58.

Gray Mule-1 and the Northern Granary

Buck assists with the harvest of the mutated wheat, challenges Valentin's incompetent takeover, loots valuable weapons from the fallen honor guard, and helps escort Gray Mule-1 north for processing 99 102 105 106.

Notable Quotes

“Playing with knives in front of me? You must be dreaming.” 14

“We know these things are valuable. More valuable than our worthless lives. But as long as we have these things in our hands, the next time we run into something like this, I can bring a few more living brothers home.” 105

Trivia

• Buck treats Emperor's Wrath with such protectiveness that sleeping while clutching it causes its Machine Spirit to issue an overload warning 108.
• The Alpha Priest finds that Buck's body heat keeps Emperor's Wrath’s propellant chamber at a favorable preheating temperature, despite Buck's improper handling 108.
• Buck's Third Platoon reportedly numbered four thousand men and starved to death while holding a tithe transport route 92.