Merrick

Merrick is an Imperial Guard Sergeant of the 85th Vendoland stationed in Subsector Aurelia during the timeline of the Dawn of War 2 series. He appears to be a Stormtrooper sergeant, given how he appeared in the last two games with stormtrooper detachments than regular Imperial Guardsmen.

Why Merrick is badass

Merrick is voiced by Scott McNeil, which automatically makes him awesome, but no, it does not stop there, he's a prime example of what balls-of-steel guardsmen are all about. One thing that makes Merrick a total badass is that he is virtually unkillable: he survived through the first Tyranid invasion including the closing of Angel Gate due to the Tyranid incursion and Ork looter attacks, the Eldar's later attack on Angel Gate, and the supposed suicide mission to poison the Hive Mind, along with the Black Legion's incursion in the sector, another decade of non-stop combat with Chaos, Tyranid, Ork, and Eldar remnants in the sector, and up to the events of Retribution.

He gets killed in the first Tyranid mission by the Hive Lord, but we all know that the Tyranid ending can't possibly be canon (due to it leading to the consumption of the entire Aurelian Sector and giving birth to a massive new hive fleet), so it's no loss. More likely the first Tyranid mission happens just before the Imperial Guard mission starts. So the Hive Lord didn't finish him off, he just left him there to be picked up by Castor, who then proceeds to kill the hive lord, and the mere fact he survives getting 2 bone scythes shoved through him and doing all but knocking him out just adds to his undying awesomeness. He is also a snarky bugger, muttering under his breath about how much he'd like to shoot his superiors, and altogether speaking out frankly to them, mostly at Inquisitor Adrastia. One of the most badass things he does is call out Castor on his shit, beat the man to the ground, and stand defiant while LORD Commissar Bernn is HOLDING A GUN TO HIS HEAD!

Merrick also, despite seeing more grimdark and combat than most guardsmen would see in their short services, cares a lot for his men. He cries manly tears after Typhon, and the rest of the Imperial Guard detachment stationed there, were obliterated by the Exterminatus fleet, which also led him to giving Castor a shot to the gut while going emotionally awesome on him.

Merrick is also incredibly strong, being able to carry an entire heavy weapons setup on his back at a full run. It is theorized that his own balls of steel generate their own gravity, ergo, allowing him to carry autocannons and heavy bolters on his own with him only putting as much effort as lifting a lasgun.

In-game

Level him up to the point where he has no setup time for heavy weapons, and watch him tear apart whole units.

If you give him the Autocannon with the ability to call down random artillery barrages and stun infantry and vehicles, sit back and watch him solo missions.

Machine Spirits don't seem to like his jury rigged repairs however, but given that the Machine Spirits are fickle cunts who throw bitchfits because you turned on the vox too loud or you kicked open your APC's door because it's jammed, it's not that surprising.