Welcome to the pack. Your personal totems.

“What of the hunting, hunter bold?
Brother, the watch was long and cold.
What of the quarry ye went to kill?
Brother, he crops in the jungle still.
Where is the power that made your pride?
Brother, it ebbs from my flank and side.
Where is the haste that ye hurry by?
Brother, I go to my lair to die!”
― Rudyard Kipling,
The Jungle Books

The wolf is a smart and highly developed animal. It is the hero of many tales and legends. Wolf is considered a symbol of wisdom, devotion to the family and the ability to fend for oneself.

There is no animal on earth that is as important to humans as wolves are. They were the first to be tamed and domesticated.

These beasts have always been our closest friends and the worst enemies at the same time.

In this post:

M4A4 | Howl

Ya all know the first “Contraband Weapon” in the history of the game. And it is the only one that depicts a wolf.

Here’s what the original skin and sticker looked like.

We won’t be much wrong if we say that this skin became the symbol of the game for a long time. The “Howl” image was printed on mouse pads and mouses themselves.

Here is the brief history of this skin to remind you.

It was released in “Huntsman Weapon Case” in “Huntsman collection” in May 2014.

After less than a month the author of the image contacted Valve and told them that he never uploaded any of his images to the Steam workshop and insisted that the image was stolen.

We cannot deny that wolf was really worth stealing.

Valve reacted to the complaint but did not delete “Howl”. They just totally redrawed it.

The skin price was already very high at that time but it rose beyond imagination after “Howl” was removed from the drop.

M4A4 | Howl costs $1 269.95 – $ 5 227.50 nowadays.

We feel sorry for the decision of the “authors” to steal the image. If only they made a collab with the artist that painted that wolf.

Just compare both “Howls” and you will understand us.

The Sticker | Howling Dawn was added and then redrawn the same time the M4A4 | Howl was.

It was also removed from drop. And it is also a pricy one. You’ll have to pay $849.47 for Sticker | Howling Dawn.

During all of human history, wolves were considered companions of the gods. Vikings believed that Odin was accompanied by two wolves, Geri the ravenous, and Freki the greedy one.

Ancient Greeks associated wolves with Apollo. They believed that his son Miletus was brought up by a she-wolf. There is an Iron Wolf in East European folklore that protects the disadvantaged ones and personify chivalry and courage.

The Turks believed that wolves were their ancestors. Cheyenne and Sioux worshiped wolves. It was also believed that Navajo tribe shamans could turn into wolves themselves.

So wolves in old tales never were the “bad guys”. Sometimes they were neutral but never negative heroes. (Forget the Little Red Riding Hood. This one is not about the wolves. It’s about Cathars heretics. And the wolf there depicts a catholic inquisitors that hunted cathars in XII-XIII centuries.)

So people always respected, admired and learned from wolves as you can see.

Sticker | ESL Wolf (Foil) | Katowice 2014

Its price is $270.30

If it’s war history we’re talking about then you can see that ancient warriors considered wolf pack tactics very effective.

The Hittite, Iranian, Greek, German and other Indo-European warriors thought of their squads as of a wolf pack. They also called themselves “wolves” and wore wolf skins as an integral part of their outfits.

AUG & UMP-45 | Arctic Wolf

Looks like these skins reflect the passing beast on their bodies.

The pattern that imitates the skin of a wolf is depicted on both weapons. The AUG magazine and UMP-45 trigger are painted red so they resemble the blood splatters of the defeated enemy.

Why did warriors take wolves as an example to follow for all these years?

Wolf is not the biggest, mightiest and it’s far from being the most powerful predator.

All of that is right. But wolves have the best stamina among all.

All the missing qualities wolves make up with a collaboration with their packs, their coherence, and advanced intelligence.

That is why wolves can drive the beast much larger than itself. The pack works as one. They hunt quick and organized using every vulnerability of the potential prey.

The wolves pack tactic efficiency was highly recognized among military commanders. The Third Reich navy forces used it during the Second World War while attacking the convoys with all the submarines they could gather in the area.

The Allied forces started to call this tactic the “Wolfpack” since it was similar to the actions of wolves on a hunt. First the leader’s call, then chasing a victim and in the end the ruthless tearing of a prey as a result.

Curious fact: German submarines gained the nickname of “graue Wölfe” (grey wolves) after several successful ”Wolfpack” attacks during the Second World War.

Sticker | Lurker & Lurker Metallic

Usual “Lurker” will cost you from $0.81, the metallic one is 7 times more expensive, $5.64.

Wolves are territorial animals. The fight begins if two packs meet on neutral territory and only one pack survives the fight. The one that is faster, more skillful and more coordinated.

This is very much the same as CS GO match, isn’t it?

Every CS GO match requires dedication and coherence from its participants as wolves hunting or fight.

It seems like some of the professional CS GO teams would like to be associated with a wolf pack. They even take ones on their coat of arms.

There was decent amount of grey predators on Cologne 2014.