- "The faint buzz is a warning. It may be the last thing you hear, but I'm the last thing you'll see."
— Grim
Charlie Tho “Grim” Keng Boon, is an Attacking Operator featured in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, introduced in the Operation Brutal Swarm expansion.
Biography[]
- "Withdraw your men, I'm going in."
— Grim
Growing up in Jurong, Singapore, Keng Boon could often be found in the wilderness learning and practicing the skills he was taught by his survivalist father. At 18, he was conscripted into National Service and thrust into the NDU - Singapore's elite naval special forces formation. A prime candidate for the Frogman School (FMS), Keng Boon’s endurance and focus assured successful completion of FMS training and advancement to the Clearance Diving Group (CDG).
As part of the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit (EOD), Keng Boon worked closely with countermeasure platforms. He then attended the SAF Military Intelligence Institute's School of Army Reconnaissance where, as the “eyes and ears” of the SAF, he was trained to be stealthy, obtain information, and provide accurate and timely intelligence reports. His skills in reconnaissance and security brought Keng Boon to Kali’s attention who subsequently recruited him into Nighthaven. Shortly after Nighthaven defected from Rainbow, Keng Boon and fellow operative Ngũgĩ “Wamai” Furaha took part in a successful anti-piracy operation.
In 2022, Keng Boon accompanied James "Smoke" Porter and his men as they discovered an unconscious Nighthaven guard in the forest outside of the organization's headquarters. He noted that the guard was hit hard but would live. Moments later they heard gun shots over the radio and saw flashes in the server room of the nearby facility. Keng Boon ordered Smoke to withdraw as he entered alone. Once inside, he was ambushed and stabbed in the leg by Karina "Nøkk" Gaarddhøje. As Nøkk fled, Keng Boon shot a canister of his Hive Launcher at her and applied a tourniquet on his leg. While pursuing her, he was surprised to find his nanobots unable to effectively track her. After eventually catching up to her, Keng Boon used Nøkk's knife to slash her face veil, narrowly missing her throat. The two then engaged in hand-to-hand combat which ended with Nøkk in a choke hold. Keng Boon threatened to kill her unless she gave up the stolen data key but was interrupted by the detonation of a nearby Nitro Cell. Nøkk stood in the new hole in the wall and mocked him before falling backwards. Keng Boon looked out to see a man drive her away in a RHIB. As he watched them leave the area, Keng Boon spoke with Smoke over the radio. He told him that the stolen server data was of QCR shipment records and that he was not sure who would take it or why.
Three hours after the incident, Kali gathered every operative in a meeting room and displayed a surveillance photo of the intruder. She demanded they find out who stole the data and why. As Anja "Osa" Janković tied to explain the data was useless as she had encrypted it herself, Kali interrupted by saying that they needed to assume the intruder was capable. She then tasked Boon with interviewing each member individually to learn anything about the intruder. After questioning several operatives, he was informed by Osa that the infiltration could only have been done by Nøkk. He then met with Kali and told her of his findings. Angered by Rainbow's actions, Kali told him that retrieving the stolen data was no longer part of the mission. Instead, she told him to find out Nøkk's identity and who she's protecting to blackmail her. She also made it clear that he was not to infiltrate any Rainbow facilities or kill any Rainbow personnel as she did not want to make an enemy out of them just yet. Using the knife she left behind as his lead, Boon brought it to a weapon store and threatened the worker to find out who crafted the custom knife. This led him to a banker associated with a black market. After obtaining an address for the banker's contact, he went after a group of mercenaries and killed all but one of them. Boon then threatened to torture man for information. The next day, he traveled to an amusement park and ambushed a man who held classified information and promised to kill him unless he was given information on Nøkk. The man relented and told Boon everything about her. The following day, Boon broke into Nøkk's secret home and waited for her to return inside from gardening. Nøkk noticed her house door open and investigated, finding Boon sitting at her dining room table. After offering him tea, Nøkk asked him what his name was and how he found her home. As he pulled out her knife to show her, Nøkk splashed his face with tea and attacked him. She took back the knife and lunged at him but was blocked with a butcher knife. Moments later, Nøkk subdued him to the floor and held the knife to his throat. Before she could kill him, Boon told her he was not there to kill her and pulled out an envelope. He revealed that it contained all of her redacted information, including her real identity and the ones she was trying to protect. Grim then proceeded to blackmail her with this information, threatening severe consequences if Rainbow crossed Nighthaven again.
Psychological Profile[]
Agent Charlie Tho "Grim" Keng Boon is a difficult man to get to know, let alone bond with. Within minutes of our initial meeting, I had the sense he was conducting his own evaluation. There is a coldness to him that makes me wonder what would have occurred had I not met his qualifications.
Even as a child Keng Boon displayed a predatory disposition. When he talked about afternoons spent helping his mother tend her beehives, he referred to an incident worth exploring. One of those afternoons was interrupted by an armed assailant. Using a strategy he observed in bees, Keng Boon took down the man, who was twice his size, by focusing on the sensitive areas around the head. His aggression was so precise and overwhelming that his mother's attacker never recovered from the resulting coma. When I asked if this event affects him today, Keng Boon answered "No." Whether guilt regarding the event was dismissed or present at all is undetermined.
Despite his lack of sociability, he demonstrates no discomfort working within a combat unit. In [REDACTED], Commander [REDACTED] states "Keng Boon's ruthlessness is an asset to (REDACTED]. The [REDACTED] casualties resulting from [REDACTED] were justifiable risks with no unsanctioned kills. Despite [REDACTED]'s brutality he knows the rules and operates within them." He seems to regard other soldiers as tools in his well assembled arsenal, deploying them in a dehumanizing yet effective manner. I admit to some concerns regarding Agent Keng Boon, his sense of detachment could signal unaddressed traumas that diminish his efficacy in the field...
(Comment_J.K.Shah: His tough exterior doesn't come from any unaddressed trauma, he just doesn't give a shit. - Kali)
[..] I did expect some friction in the lab with Jankovié given how protective she is of her space. So far he's displayed nothing beyond exemplary professionalism. While she does most of the talking and Keng Boon all the frowning, there seems to be a mutual understanding between them; Jankovié was even seen reading a detective novel that was previously on Keng Boon's desk. [...]
- - Nighthaven Psych Division
Nighthaven Psych Note 11 recording: Grim.
Many struggle to understand how someone like Grim could integrate with a unit without causing any conflict. He bring structure and erases doubt, and that can be worth more than a kind word.
He may not connect with others on a personal level, but he does respect their boundaries. His reasons are his own, and he makes sure they don't get in the way.Gameplay Description[]
| Loadout | |
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Primary
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Secondary
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Gadget
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Ability
 Kawan Hive Launcher x5 | |
Grim's Unique Gadget is the Kawan Hive Launcher. It fires canisters which attach to any surface, and release a swarm of nano-bots. Any Defender which enters a swarm will not only be pinged, but the swarm will follow the affected Defender for a period, allowing Grim to track them in real time.
The launcher features five rounds and no reload between shots, firing the canisters at 70 RPM. It takes 1 second to equip the launcher. There are two firing modes, Sticky and Bouncy. The Sticky Hive will stick to the first surface it come into contact with and then release the bees. The Bouncy Hive will bounce off walls and ceilings so can launch your canister around cover. The Bouncy Hive will also bounce off the floor to get a little bit of extra distance and coverage with your nano-bot swarm. Both types of canisters behave the same when activated:
- It takes 0.4 seconds to fully activate and release the swarm
- The swarm lasts 16 seconds
- The radius from the canister is 4.6 metres
- The bees will detect any part of a defender inside the swarm
- There is no projectile drop
When a defender is stood inside the swarm, they will get pinged in real time so the ping icon will follow them until they leave the swarm. After leaving the swarm, the pings will decay within 4 seconds with each ping being 1 second apart from the last.
Regardless of the firing mode, the hives can be shot out to prevent deployment if the defenders' reaction times are quick enough.
Synergies[]
- Grim works well with Jackal and Lion, as their tracking gadgets working in tandem can effectively detect any roaming Defenders.
Counters[]
- Mute's Signal Jammers not only prevent Hive Canisters from deploying their Swarms, they also prevent any Defender within their radius from being detected by the swarm. Defenders who are being tracked by a Swarm can also enter a Signal Jammer's radius to remove the Swarm.
- Walls electrified by Bandit's Shock Wires or Kaid's Electroclaws will destroy any Hive Canisters that touch them.
- Hive Canisters can be caught and destroyed by Jäger's ADS, Wamai's MAG-NET or Aruni's Surya Gates
- Vigil won't be pinged if his ERC-7 is on.
- Impact Grenades are a quick and effiecient way to get rid of deployed Hives before they activate.
Device Description[]
- "Uncomplicated design with superior tracking application, the Kawan Hive Launcher couldn’t suit Grim better if I created it myself... which I did."
— Osa
You've heard the buzz, and the Kawan Hive Launcher is here! Firing off a projectile releases a swarm of bots that track the location of opponents who walk through it. Just don't get them in your eyes.
Device Evaluation[]
Device: Kawan Hive Launcher
Operator: Agent Charlie Tho "Grim" Keng Boon
Evaluation Lead: Agent Anja "Osa" Jankovié, QCR Lead
To fully explain the Kawan Hive Launcher, I would have to break it into parts. While the launcher has been adapted from a generic model, the projectile has moved beyond robotic process automation and into hyper-automation.
It was a challenge to develop an adhesive that allows the canister to stick to horizontal surfaces without jamming the CO2 cartridge. If a target is missed it should still deploy - not that I'm suggesting Grim would miss but, if he were to, it's a non-issue... The Canister does still need proper weight distribution to stick to vertical surfaces.
There is a brief delay after deployment and before activation during which the hive can be disabled. Once active only something like the electrical field produced by Mute's Jammer would be able to interfere. The actuation device itself is the most complex structure of the Kawan Hive launcher. With airframe construction based on magnesium and carbon fiber composites, the micro air vehicles (MAVs) are among the most advanced tracking systems available.
These little bee bots are extremely useful for battlefield situational awareness. Grim doesn't seem to have many friends, so I gave him a swarm of them.
- Agent Anja "Osa" Jankovié, QCR Lead
Quotes[]
| Grim's Quotes |
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Trivia[]
- Grim is the only Operator in the game to never have been a part of Rainbow.
- Grim is the latest three-speed attacking Operator since Maverick in Grim Sky.
- "Kawan" means friend in Malay and Indonesian.
- This is explained in the Device Evaluation section of Grim's Bio, where Osa states: "Grim doesn't seem to have many friends, so I gave him a swarm of them."
- In Article 5, his quotes were replaced with Ash's for unknown reasons.
Gallery[]
Concept Art[]
Video[]
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