Half Life 2 Combine
The Combine 'clamp' symbol, seen in propaganda throughoutFirst game(2004)Created byDesigned byGabe Newell,Voiced byInformationAliasOur Benefactors, The Universal UnionAffiliationDr. Wallace BreenThe Combine is a empire which serves as the primary force in the 2004, and the subsequent episodes developed. The Combine consist of alien, synthetic, and human elements, and dominate Earth. They are encountered throughout Half-Life 2 and its expansions as hostile as the player progresses through the games in an effort to overthrow the Combine occupation of Earth.The Combine are frequently shown as harsh rulers over the citizens of Earth, suppressing dissent with brutality, policing using violence and using invasive surgery to transform humans into either soldiers or slaves. Throughout the games, the player primarily battles transformed humans as well as synthetic and mechanical enemies that are the product of Combine technology.
The atmosphere generated by the Combine state has been praised by reviewers, although the of the Combine characters was thought to be inferior to that of other characters in Half-Life 2. In addition to their role within the Half-Life series, the Combine have been adapted for productions and one Combine character type has been made into plush toys by Valve. Artwork of a Civil Protection OfficerSome elements of the Combine's appearance, such as that of the Advisor, are inspired by the works of. The towering Striders seen throughout Half-Life 2 and its subsequent episodes are based directly on the Martian of the novel, where said Martians invade, using the tripods as their main 'weapon'. The name 'Combine' itself is a tribute to novel, which features a collection of authorities which mechanistically manipulate and process individuals.During Half-Life 2 's development, various concepts for Combine non-player characters were cut. Female Combine assassins, similar to assassins featured in the first game, were planned but later abandoned, although they appear in the arcade game. Another non-player character, the cremator, was conceptualized as a Combine laborer who cleaned the streets of bodies after a battle with an acid gun and although removed from the game, its head was featured in 's laboratory.
Other cuts included a variety of alien Combine soldiers that would have complemented the trans-human soldiers in the game and a number of synthetic combat machines. Many of Half-Life 2 's Combine characters went through multiple redesigns; the Combine Overwatch soldier was subjected to at least twelve redesigns before the final appearance was settled on.Opera singer and actress provides the voice for the Combine Overwatch announcer and dispatcher in Half-Life 2 and its episodic expansions, while the various Combine soldiers throughout the games are voiced. Attributes Society Little is revealed of the Combine's role outside of Earth, but dialogue in states that they control worlds in different dimensions and inhabited by a range of species.
The Combine occupation of Earth, however, is shown to be a brutal. In, an city, Civil Protection units are seen frequently, often conducting random searches of apartment blocks, interrogating human citizens and engaging in random. The military Overwatch forces of the Combine are shown attacking human resistance bases in an effort to further solidify their control.
The citizens themselves are all clad in blue uniforms and live in designated apartment blocks. Citizens are shown to be moved around to different cities or locales at the Combine's will, using passenger trains., alien creatures from the original, are also shown to have been enslaved, and are observed in various jobs such as janitors. According to, the Combine are draining the Earth's oceans, minerals and resources to be used on other Combine worlds; while in both City 17's waterways and the outskirt's coastal shores the water levels are greatly reduced.At the heart of the Combine's command structure in Half-Life 2 is the Citadel, an enormous structure of Combine construction, reaching approximately 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) into the sky from ground level, and delving deep underground. Located within City 17, the Citadel serves as the primary headquarters of the Combine, housing both Combine Advisors and the office of the Earth administrator,.
Breen is frequently seen on large screens around the city from which he spreads. The Citadel projects an energy field that is able to prevent human reproduction, as well as a field that keeps dangerous alien wildlife out of the city. In addition, the Citadel contains a trans-dimensional teleporter which allows the Combine to travel between their native universe and Earth. The Citadel also contains construction facilities for various synthetic Combine combat machines.Depiction The Combine is composed of various species and machines. The most commonly encountered enemies throughout Half-Life 2 and its expansions are the Overwatch soldiers and human Civil Protection officers. A variety of combat machines also encountered, ranging from and to a giant 'Smart wall' which encloses occupied cities and gradually destroys anything in its path.
A number of weaponized alien 'synths' are also encountered by Freeman. Advisors. The Advisor's grub-like appearance was inspired by the works of science fiction author.Advisors are large larvae-like creatures which are virtually featureless, with no visible eyes, ears or limbs, though they do possess an eye-like mechanical device attached to the left side of their heads, and detachable mechanical arms. Their faces are covered by a form of respirator, which is able to lift to reveal a mouth-like orifice from which extends a long flexible.
With this, they can examine objects, or attack and kill enemies. Advisors appear to be feeding upon their victim during their attacks.
It is implied that Advisors are the original master race behind the Combine, with the Earth administrator Wallace Breen answering directly to them. Although Advisors are usually seen in protective pods guarded by Combine soldiers, they also possess with which they are able to float through the air and immobilize enemies so that their proboscis can examine their victims without interference. Their appearance was based on the from the film. Civil Protection Civil Protection is the Combine's agency on Earth, consisting of humans who have agreed to work on behalf of the Combine. Also referred to as metrocops, Civil Protection units wear light armor and gas masks, which heavily resemble a somewhat modified. They are usually armed with and, and are occasionally seen using. Metrocops are brutal in their methods, keeping the local populace in line via intimidation and physical force.
Interrogations, inspections, raids, random beatings, summary executions and acts of extreme are all used as a means of policing their respective jurisdictions; their methods are justified by their role as 'protectors of the civilians ' well-being'. On the outskirts of, Civil Protection units are observed patrolling for escapees from the city. Civil Protection officers are in constant contact with Combine Overwatch headquarters, which gives them objectives and situation updates.
On the death of an officer, that officer's armor detects that its wearer is no longer alive and automatically informs headquarters of the fatality and advises nearby units as to the place of death. Overwatch The Combine Overwatch is the primary force of the Combine on Earth. It consists of humans, who wear heavily padded long-sleeve body armor and gas masks. The markings on the suit change depending on each individual unit's assignment and rank.
Elite Combine soldiers wear bright white armor with one red eye, while the majority of soldiers wear blue armor. Shotgun units wear similar armour to the standard Combine Soldier, but coloured brown with orange eyes. They are armed with a variety of firearms, including, submachine guns,. Overwatch soldiers usually operate in small groups, using squad tactics and to flush out and flank the player. They occasionally provide support to Combine synths, and often travel to areas by use of. They use radios to communicate with each other and with Overwatch headquarters. Combine Overwatch soldiers are usually encountered outside City 17, and only appear in the city after 'The Uprising' near the end of Half-Life 2.
Combine technology The Combine use a large array of technology. They have access to technology, which takes them from their dimension to Earth. However, their teleporter technology is restrictive in comparison to that developed by, and in that it cannot be used to teleport to other locations on Earth without significant modification. Throughout the games, various futuristic computer consoles, doors, power sources and weapon emplacements are encountered. In addition, the Combine employ the use of small airborne robots, scanners, to observe the citizens of Earth. The city variant merely moves about the streets, monitors individuals, and takes photographs, while the combat equivalent is capable of dropping mines into an area.
Civil Protection makes use of smaller airborne robots called manhacks, which fly using razor-sharp rotating blades with which they attack their targets to cause injuries. These are often deployed in closed-in areas. The Combine also use two types of; hopper mines throw themselves into the air and detonate when an enemy is detected nearby, while the spherical rollermines roll towards vehicles or other enemies, attach themselves and deliver damaging electrical attacks. Combine technology is also used to transform humans into Overwatch soldiers or stalkers, deformed and mutilated humans with no memory of their past selves who act as slaves and maintenance workers in Combine facilities. Transformation into a Stalker is considered among the Combine's worst punishments for dissidents.Militarily, the Combine make use of both synthetic machines—machines powered by organic components—and traditional mechanical machines such as. The most prominent of the synthetic machines are the insect-like; and Striders, 50-foot-tall (15 m) armored creatures that walk upon three legs, which are armed with a high powered warpspace cannon and a head-mounted pulse turret. In Episode Two, a smaller equivalent to the Strider, the Hunter, is introduced.
These 2.5 m (8 ft) tall, tripodal assault machines fire explosive flechettes at targets and are small enough to maneuver indoors. Other synths are seen near the end of the Half-Life 2, although their roles are not elaborated on. Are also used by the Combine. The Combine also use as a against dissidents, firing artillery shells loaded with the creatures into areas and allowing them to infest the vicinity.
Appearances Half-Life series According to the backstory presented during Half-Life 2, the Combine appear on Earth after the death of the, the at the end of. The death of the Nihilanth, a powerful creature controlling the dimensional rip between and the on Earth, causes the rip to worsen, resulting in 'portal storms' which spread the hostile wildlife of Xen across Earth.
The Combine manipulate this tear in the spacetime continuum, widening it to allow access to Earth from their dimension. When it is sufficiently wide, the Combine invade in force, and in the subsequent Seven Hour War quickly defeat the forces of Earth and destroy the in. Earth's surrender is negotiated by, who is then made the Combine puppet administrator of Earth, and uses as his base of operations. Two Overwatch soldiers in Episode Two, with a Hunter in the background.The Combine's first appearance is in Half-Life 2. Through the early stages of the game, Combine Civil Protection units pursue Gordon Freeman through City 17 after he accidentally reveals his presence to Wallace Breen.
Due to Freeman's actions in Half-Life, Breen sees Freeman as a major threat. As Freeman escapes the city, Civil Protection units raid the resistance base of and capture resistance leader, who is transferred to holding facilities at. Freeman and Vance's daughter break into the facility to rescue him, but Eli Vance is teleported to the Combine Citadel by double agent. However, the strike against Nova Prospekt is seen as the start of a revolution by the citizens of Earth, who take up arms against the Combine. In response, Combine Overwatch are deployed to City 17, and heavy street fighting takes place. Freeman manages to infiltrate the Citadel but is captured and taken to Breen.
Mossman allows Freeman to break free of his captivity, and Breen flees to the Citadel's trans-dimensional teleporter, intent on escape. However, Freeman destroys the teleporter's reactor before Breen can escape, causing a large explosion that destroys the top of the Citadel.In, the destruction of the teleporter at the top of the Citadel has isolated the Combine forces on Earth, but also caused its primary reactor to begin to melt down. This forces Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance to journey back into the critically damaged Citadel to temporarily stabilize its reactor while the city's inhabitants are evacuated. The Combine forces, however, instead attempt to accelerate the meltdown in order to send a message to their native universe for reinforcements.
After Alyx acquires an encrypted copy of the message to be sent, Overwatch forces desperately attempt to stop the pair from escaping the city, spurred on by Combine Advisors. As the pair escape on a train at the end of the game, the Citadel detonates, sending the message and destroying City 17.opens with Alyx and Freeman discovering that the Citadel's destruction has resulted in the formation of a to the Combine dimension, which is slowly progressing to a stage where the Combine can send overwhelming reinforcements. They also discover that the data packet in the message they retrieved from the Citadel contains codes that can be used to close the portal, and so traverse the countryside to deliver the packet to the resistance headquarters at. As they progress, it becomes evident that the Combine Advisors escaped the Citadel's destruction, and that remaining Combine forces are regrouping, albeit under occasional attacks. Aware of the resistance's plans to close the super portal, the Combine attack White Forest in force, but are repelled. The super portal is destroyed after the resistance launch a satellite containing the appropriate data.
However, in the game's closing scenes, two Advisors attack Freeman, Alyx and Eli Vance, and kill Eli before being driven off by Dog.Appearances in other media The use of sandbox applications like have allowed for Combine to be used in a variety of and productions. The Combine are also referenced in the. In one webcomic, the Combine are portrayed as a highly bureaucratic and often inept organization. One issue shows a Civil Protection briefing for attempting to capture the comic's protagonist Gordon Frohman, in which officers are instructed to cluster around explosive barrels, seek cover on unstable structures and rappel down from bridges in front of fast moving vehicles. In another example, the machinima series Combine Nation follows Civil Protection officers in a similar style to documentaries. The officers perform their duties with various twists, such as the team's medical officer having an obsession with and the legal consultant, an Overwatch soldier, favoring dramatic entries, such as throwing, which often backfire on him. Another web series, called The Combine, parodies the TV show.
This series attempts to portray the combine as an intergalactic corporation that suffers from everyday office issues and problems. One episode shows the soldiers attempting to bypass a so they can watch videos online instead of working. Other media portray the Combine with more serious overtones, such as the video The Combine Interview, which parodies an interview with discussing. The video, described by ActionTrip as 'eerie, to say the least' and by both and as 'creepy', instead presents an interview with a Civil Protection officer discussing the Combine's rule of Earth, adapting Cruise's words to fit the Combine theme. Noted that 'the suggestion, of course, is that Scientology's purpose or self-image in some way resembles that of the homogenising intergalactic murderous alien collective'. Cultural impact Merchandise The Combine have inspired the creation of several items of merchandise for the Half-Life series. A toy was created by Valve, based on the synthetic tripod Hunters introduced in Episode Two.
Sold and distributed via Valve's online store, the toy was released in February 2008. In addition, Valve has produced depicting the Combine's idea of humanity's, from ape to Combine Overwatch soldier, and a displaying twelve pieces of for the Combine soldier. Reception. Collectively, the Combine expressed control over every aspect of human life, from assigned living quarters to an energy field designed to suppress human reproduction. Have transformed humans into faceless soldiers, known as Civil Protection and mindless slaves known as Stalkers.– IGN, The Top 100 Videogame VillainsThe Combine have received a positive reaction from critics. Praised the 'epic feel' built up by the Combine and their harsh rule of City 17 in Half-Life 2, stating that this created 'a world governed by, decorated with urban decay, and lacking any hope'. Echoed this praise, saying that the 'vision of a dystopian police state is chillingly effective'.
Retrieved January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016. ^.
Retrieved January 25, 2016. ^ Hodgson, David (2004). ^. Archived from on March 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
31 October 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2015. (2004). Level/area: Dark Energy. Wallace Breen: Carbon stars with ancient satellites, colonized by sentient fungi; gas giants, inhabited by vast meteorological intelligences; worlds stretched thin across the membranes where the dimensions intersect.impossible to describe with our limited vocabulary!. (2004).
Half-life 2 Combine Logo
Level/area: Point Insertion. Citizen: No matter how many times I get relocated, I.never get used to it. (2006).
Level/area: Urban Flight. Isaac Kleiner: I feel obliged to point out that a more fortunate side effect of the reactor's destruction is the complete removal of the Combine's reproductive suppression field.
Previously, certain protein chains important to the process of embryonic development were selectively prevented from forming; this is no longer the case. For those so inclined, now would be an excellent time for procreation, which is to say, in layman's terms, you should give serious consideration to doing your part for the revival of the species. (2006). Level/area: Lowlife. Alyx Vance: Antlions here?
The Combine's defense field must have collapsed. Makes sense if it was powered by the Citadel.
(2004). Level/area: Dark Energy. Alyx Vance: This is the Citadel's dark fusion reactor. It powers their tunneling entanglement device. ^.
Planet Half-Life. Archived from on October 22, 2006. Retrieved 2008-09-23. ^. Planet Half-Life. Archived from on April 26, 2013. Retrieved 2008-09-23.
(2004). Level/area: Dark Energy. Wallace Breen: (to an Advisor) It's me you should be worried about! I can still deliver Earth, but not without your help!.
Half Life 2 Combine Destiny
The portal destination is untenable, surely you can set the relay else where. There's no way I can survive in that environment! A host body?!
You must be joking, I can't possibly—oh, all right, dammit, if that's what it takes. Just hurry, he's right behind me!. (2004). Level/area: Black Mesa East. Judith Mossman: We're closing in on a reliable local teleport technology, something the Combine still hasn't mastered. Eli thinks their models are string-based, similar to our Calabi-Yau model, but they fail to factor in the dark energy equations. They can tunnel through from their universe, but once they're here, they're dependent on local transportation.
(2006). Level/area: Direct Intervention. Alyx Vance: Goddamn the Combine! This is what happens to you if you resist. Or if you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
God, I hope you don't remember who you are. ^. Planet Half-Life. Archived from on November 13, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-26. (2004). Level/area: Water Hazard.
Wallace Breen: We now have direct confirmation of a disruptor in our midst, one who has acquired an almost messianic reputation in the minds of certain citizens. His figure is synonymous with the darkest urges of instinct, ignorance and decay; some of the worst excesses of the Black Mesa incident have been laid directly at his feet. And yet unsophisticated minds continue to embue him with romantic power, giving him such dangerous poetic labels as the 'One Free Man', the 'Opener of the Way'. Planet Half-Life.
Archived from on November 13, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
Half Life 2 Combine Sounds
Planet Half-Life. Archived from on October 10, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-26. Planet Half-Life. Archived from on October 10, 2012. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
(2007). Level/area: To The White Forest. Isaac Kleiner: What you're seeing is the infancy of a superportal.
If it retains full strength— / Eli Vance: It will be the Seven Hour War, all over again! Except this time we won't last seven minutes!. (2007). Level/area: Freeman Pontifex. Vortigaunt: They carry Shu'ulathoi: Advisors still in incubation pods.
They gather and unite the scattered Combine forces. (2007). Level/area: Our Mutual Fiend.
Resistance fighter: We've counted a dozen Striders just north of us. Our job is to keep them from reaching the base to the south. If they get close enough for one good shot at the silo, the whole launch is a bust.
And in case Striders aren't bad enough, recon indicates that they're being escorted by packs of Hunters. Livingston, Christopher (2005-10-07).
Archived from on May 12, 2012. Retrieved 2008-09-19. Lit Fuse Films. Archived from on October 11, 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
Currentpie Productions. Retrieved 2011-01-05. Paul, Ure (2008-09-03). Archived from on 2008-09-13. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
McElroy, Justin (2008-09-03). Retrieved 2008-10-03. Plunkett, Luke (2008-09-02). Retrieved 2008-10-03. 'The Combine Tom Cruise'. December 2008.
Archived from on March 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19. Plunkett, Luke (2008-02-18). Archived from on March 2, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19.
Archived from on March 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-19. ^. Archived from on August 6, 2010. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
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Adams, Dan (2007-10-09). Retrieved 2008-05-26.External links. on Combine OverWiki, an external wiki.
Overwatch Soldiers (also known as Combine Soldiers by, and 'Stabilization Teams' by the ), are the basic transhuman infantry units of the, composing the backbone of the 's military presence on. In contrast to, whose duties are to enforce order within suppressed population centres, soldiers of the are tasked with more hazardous actions requiring skill and tact: from patrolling the treacherous borders of -controlled territory to raiding -held strongholds.Being military personnel as opposed to law enforcement, Overwatch Soldiers are given access to military-grade equipment and tactical combat training, making them more formidable opponents than. Contents OverviewStandard Overwatch Soldiers, like other soldier variants, wear standard-issue blue and grey camo body armor over their mid-sections with padding on their arms, thighs, and groin. Several insignias can be found on their arm pads, signifying their position in the Combine regime. Perhaps the most advanced piece of equipment found on Overwatch Soldiers are their helmets, which cover the head entirely and are equipped with air filters and radios. These helmets have glowing blue goggles and appear to be a cross between an old Soviet and gas mask.Overwatch Soldiers are equipped with, or, as well as.
Using these standard-issue weapons, Overwatch Soldiers typically work in squads of four to six, each squad having at least one soldier armed with a shotgun and another armed with a pulse rifle. Later in Chapters 11 to 13, the squads have soldiers of four to eight, one or two being and sometimes including a shotgun soldier.
The rest are usually carrying pulse rifles. During combat, soldiers make use of squad tactics and will attempt to flank enemies and provide cover for one another.A stripped Overwatch Soldier during an ongoing modification. Its is based on a picture of Valve's, who was also one of the bases for Gordon Freeman's face. The very picture used in the texture is featured in; the texture file is named 'erictexcylmapevil2' in the files.Overwatch Soldiers are initially encountered in the outside, patrolling the highways for Resistance activity and staffing Combine outposts. They can, however, be found anywhere the Combine requires direct military action, as soldiers can be quickly transported to a desired area via Dropships. Overwatch Soldiers are also tasked with guarding high-security areas, monitoring in the, and serving as guards in. In addition, they also serve as pilots and gunners of the Combine.Overwatch Soldiers are humans that have undergone extensive modifications including, but not limited to, brain and chest surgery, and implantation of various mechanical devices in the throat and around the abdomen.
This procedure is carried out at Nova Prospekt and the Citadel. It is notable that in the B2 cell block of Nova Prospekt, after a few switches of a, a shirtless soldier can be seen lying on a table between two control panels. His eyes are open, indicating the soldier may not be asleep, and is being prepared for clothing. There is also a noticeable hole in the soldier's neck, implying that the vocal cords are being removed and replaced by a vocoder to communicate with others. It is theorized that Overwatch Soldiers were Civil Protection Units who have shown excellent performance and have been chosen for Transmutation.
It is also theorized that past military units who surrendered were recycled into Overwatch Soldiers.Despite the extensive surgery and modifications they receive, Overwatch Soldiers still appear to have certain human characteristics - for instance, they still feel pain, and during the Nova Prospekt chapter, is giving them what appears to be a morale-boosting speech, and they sometimes can be heard shouting expletives in the heat of battle, indicating that they still have human emotions to a certain extent. For example, if a grenade is thrown at a sniper soldier, they will sometimes yell out 'Shit!' Before the grenade explodes. (The sound files Snipers use are reused Civil Protection sounds, however.) They do not let pain and fear hinder their performance, however. It is also noted that due to an extensive brain wipe, they have no previous memories of their human life and that they are incapable of resisting, disobeying orders, and going rogue.The in-game evolution graffiti, demonstrating an Overwatch Soldier fully modified. The image implies the mask is attached to the head and can not be removed, thus being part of the soldier.When not in combat, Overwatch Soldiers are cold and unemotional.
They do not speak much unless using their radio and when they do, they speak with mandatory vocabulary. Unlike Civil Protection, they do not stutter or falter when speaking such as saying 'Uhh' and other words similar (there is, however, one radio transmission in Nova Prospekt where they do).Overwatch Soldiers communicate over radios, but unlike officers, they are not addressed or controlled by but instead use them to update military situations and request backup, such as saying, 'Overwatch, sector is not secure' or 'Overwatch, request reserve activation!' According to announcements made over the public address system of Nova Prospekt, punishments for failing to achieve objectives include 'permanent off-world assignment'. It was originally planned that Gordon's suit picked up radio transmissions from the Combine, though this idea was dropped in favor of simply hearing dialogue leaked from their helmets, similar to the 's own radio signals.In combat, Overwatch Soldiers fire their weapons with decent accuracy. The amount of damage soldiers can take before dying is determined by the difficulty level the game is being played on.
If a hostile soldier is at point blank range, they will perform a melee attack with the stock of their weapon.VariantsBeing one of the most versatile units at the Combine's disposal, Overwatch Soldiers come in several varieties:Overwatch Sniper. Main article:Overwatch Snipers are soldiers armed with the mounted. Their presence (and where they are aiming) is indicated by a blue laser sight.
Aside from Gordon, they will generally shoot at anything that moves, even and moving props. They wear the standard blue Overwatch uniform, their audio is re-used clips from Civil Protection units.Nova Prospekt Prison GuardThe Nova Prospekt Prison Guard.The Nova Prospekt Prison Guard, shotgun version.Prison Guards are tasked with guarding and maintaining the Nova Prospekt facility. These guards are almost identical to standard Overwatch Soldiers, using the same weapons and having the same stats, the only differences being their armor and voices. Their armor is dark blue and they typically have yellow goggles, although the shotgun soldiers have red goggles. The words 'Nova Prospekt' are emblazoned onto the back armor as well as their shoulder.They also speak with a lower tone from their vocoder compared to standard Overwatch Soldiers, showing the possibility of further mechanical enhancements.
However, they still have the standard badge similar to their Overwatch counterparts. Interestingly, after a soldier of this kind has been killed, their allies will page them over their com-links in a deeper, more human voice, not knowing this soldier has already been killed. They also seem to use more often and they are more aggressive than normal Soldiers since the prison features more enclosed spaces than most other locations. Despite the enclosed spaces of Nova Prospekt making grenades dangerous, Prison Guards seem to use them just as much as regular Overwatch soldiers do. However, despite these minor differences, Prison Guards are largely identical to standard Overwatch troops in terms of combat behavior, regardless of the difference in weapon distribution.Shotgun SoldierThe Shotgun Soldier (with the Overwatch Elite insignia).Shotgun Soldiers exclusively wield the. Shotgun Soldiers can be distinguished by their brown and red uniforms and battle armor. Their helmets are slightly darker than the average Overwatch Soldier and have blood red/orange goggles.
They also bear the insignia on a red shoulder pad, suggesting that they may be a branch of the, a higher ranked soldier variant, or a squad leader. In Nova Prospekt they have the same dark blue armor color and Nova Prospekt insignia on their right shoulder that a regular Nova Prospekt soldier would; however, they keep the red/orange goggle lens color and Overwatch Elite insignia on their left shoulder; both of which they would normally have outside of Nova Prospekt.Shotgun Soldiers are also the only units seen manning Combine computers. This happens when the is unstable. When far away enough from the trooper, he will use the computer, seemingly in an attempt to prevent the Core's detonation. The soldier will ignore Gordon, even when shot at.Shotgun Soldiers originally only appeared in Episode 2, but have been updated into every Half-Life 2 game since.Shotgun Soldiers are also particularly extremely aggressive and lethal to NPCs, especially when they're firing while strafing (due to the ability to fire the shotgun in semi-automatic mode when moving), even essential ones like Alyx whose rapid health regeneration usually guarantees survival on lower difficulties. They can also notably drain the player's health up to 21 damage per shot.
As a result, these enemies should always be targeted at top priority. Shotgun Soldiers tend to rush recklessly even if the target is heavily armored.Tactics. Overwatch Soldiers use a variety of squad tactics when engaging hostile targets. These tactics include flanking, providing each other with covering fire, and effective use of.
Always exercise caution when entering an area with structures that offer concealment (e.g., buildings and walls). When a soldier is injured or has to reload his weapon, he will typically try to find cover and get behind a solid object. When taking cover while in a fire-fight, be aware that the soldiers who are being engaged will most likely throw a grenade at Gordon, so be ready to throw it back at them with either the or the 'USE' key. If a grenade is not thrown, then it is likely that one or more of the soldiers are making their way to the player's position. Maintain complete 360-degree awareness of the surroundings while engaging a squad of soldiers.
Also, try not to concentrate on a single soldier while being engaged; be mindful of all enemy movement. Try to keep some distance from soldiers at all times. If Gordon is right in front of a soldier, or beside him, he will resort to a melee attack. Grenades will generally make soldiers disregard everything and attempt to flee the blast radius. This is an effective way to force soldiers out into the open if they are hiding behind cover, or simply to distract them for a few seconds in order to cause some damage.
Shotgun Soldiers, especially in close quarters combat, should be the first priority, as their shotguns are a much more significant threat than the weapons used by ordinary soldiers. Take them out from a distance, as their shotguns are much less effective at long range.
Shotgun Soldiers have a tendency to crouch when being shot on their upper body. This can cause slower players to miss them entirely, and waste ammunition. When shot on their lower body, they will tend to retreat a few feet, while still firing at the player. Soldiers equipped with the will usually charge the target to get within point blank, if they are successful in charging at the target, they will attack the enemy with a melee attack and then retreat. Soldiers are not very accurate and it will usually give the player and advantage. If possible, try to avoid engaging the soldier at close ranges unless the player is armed with a shotgun as the soldier appears to be weaker at longer ranges and stronger at closer ranges. Compared to the rebels, Overwatch soldiers have 25% more health and tend to carry better weapons.
They can also use a melee attack and throw grenades, abilities the rebels lack. The latter is fairly major, as one grenade can easily take out several resistance members, especially since they tend to crowd together.
However, the rebels are oddly better shots with MP7s than the Overwatch soldiers are. They are on-par in accuracy for the pulse rifle and shotgun.
Overwatch soldiers are also coded to die in one hit from, the reason being that if normal damage values applied (Antlions do 5 damage per hit, and Overwatch soldiers have 50 health), the soldiers would easily defeat the Antlions nearly every time, rendering the useless. This is not true of Civil Protection officers, as Antlions and Civil Protection never encounter each other in-game. Throwing Bug Bait at a soldier can stun him, leaving the soldier vulnerable to following attacks from the player or Antlions. However, Civil Protection officers do not react to the Bug Bait.Behind the scenes. The Combine Soldier has had many predecessors during the. The is one of them.
The early elite soldiers, the, the, and the, can also be considered as indirect predecessors. Just like for the Overwatch Elite, a more conventional look was chosen over the aforementioned concepts to avoid, among other things, overshadowing the remarkable nature of the and to keep the as a more elusive enemy. While several concepts depict helmets with fly-like eyes, the final helmet design, similar to that of the, was based on the. Alternate, green-colored Combine Soldiers with glowing orange eyes were seen in preview screenshots of, at the time when the episode was still called Aftermath. It is unclear how this variation differed from the rest of the Combine Overwatch, as they were replaced by regular Combine soldiers in the game's final release. They are, however, seen in Episode Two, wielding shotguns, but this version is maroon.
These same green-colored soldiers can also be seen in the main menu of Half-Life 2: Deathmatch. A texture from the 2003 leaked indicates that the soldiers were to have some sort of shield at one time. The Combine Soldiers in the playable Half-Life 2 Beta were also supposed to use weapons such as the HMG1, the MP5K, and the OICW. The Half-Life 2 Overwatch Soldier still has a firing animation for the HMG1, although it is unused.
In the Half-Life 2 Beta, the soldiers used the same melee kick as the HECU troopers. Originally, the Overwatch Soldiers would be able to kick doors down, as seen in the E3 demo 'Traptown'. However, this was changed most likely because, overall, the animation didn't fit the Overwatch Soldier, and using the gun as a melee weapon was more conventional.
A left-over animation of the Beta Overwatch Soldier can be viewed in the under the name of 'shootAR2G'. This animation shows what the leaked animations for the Overwatch Soldiers originally looked like: feet closer together, and although they look less experienced than the retail animations, they are more dynamic.Trivia. During Half-Life 2: Episode Two, the Overwatch Soldiers' and the 's armor and boots are flecked with mud and dirt, indicating they have been traveling by foot for long periods of time. But for some reason soldiers doesn't use this 'dirty' version. Game uses 'combineelitenoalpha.vtf' for soldiers texture, but the 'dirty' texture is named 'combineelite.vtf', therefore, the game uses a “clean” texture from Half-Life 2 files. It is a developer's oversight.
The patch worn on the left arm of Overwatch Soldiers appears to be a yellow variant of the insignia. Shotgun Soldiers appear throughout and its episodes in the console versions of, but originally only appeared in on PC. As of the May 26, 2010 updates, Shotgun Soldiers appear in Half-Life 2 and Episode One on PCs as well as consoles. This also adds red goggle-wearing Nova Prospekt guards to the PC version of Half-Life 2. In the version of Half-Life 2 there are no Shotgun Soldiers, as the latest update for the game was released before The Orange Box. An Overwatch Soldier can be seen above the sewers in the chapter, in the map 'd1canals05,' but this is likely a mistake made by developers who forgot to delete it or just left it as easter egg (this is then, technically, the first time the player sees an Overwatch Soldier).
Although the soldier can only actually be seen by using the console command Noclip, he will ignore the player completely unless he is fired at, after which he will behave normally. If it is an oversight, then the first intended appearance of Overwatch Soldiers is in, when they eject from the.
However, this might also be a mistake. It could be a remnant of the fact that Overwatch Soldiers were originally intended to appear much sooner than the final map of Ravenholm. The Combine have possibly installed technology that allows the Overwatch to upload data directly to the soldier - most likely directly into their brain. This is mentioned in the sound files for the Overwatch Dispatcher: 'Attention. Prepare for visual download of Anticitizen One.' This is a non-sequitur conclusion however, as the visual download could just as easily appear on the inside of their goggles like pilots and some soldiers already do. There are at least four Standard Overwatch Soldiers (not Prison Guards) in Nova Prospekt.
One is shot and killed by at the beginning of, and another is seen dead in electrified water later on. The final two are corpses seen right after the room with electrified water.
It could be developer oversight. This has been patched in Half-Life 2: Update. If the console command 'npccreateequipment' is set to 'weaponshotgun' and player spawn a soldier, a Shotgun Soldier will spawn. This happens in all versions.
Many players get confused that the spawn command for Combine Soldier is 'npccombine'. However using this command crashes the game, the actual spawn command is 'npccombine s'. Overwatch Soldiers will use cover if the player places boxes to form a wall. This can be done in or in-game by turning off the AI with a command, using the use key to build it, and then finally re-enabling the AI. In the May 26, 2010 update, the Overwatch Soldiers have increased aggression when equipped with the, they will most likely strafe constantly and keep firing their shotgun in semi-automatic mode and can deal much more damage to the player.
Only two soldiers out of every 'squad' can attack at any one moment in time, due to the slot-based squad AI system possessing only two attack slots. Soldiers either rapidly exchange slots to achieve massed fire or are broken up into small squads of just a handful of soldiers each, despite appearances implying larger teams. Similarly, only one soldier can toss a grenade at any one time, and this will temporarily prevent soldiers in the squad from throwing grenades again. This grenade rule only applies to each squad, so it is likely soldiers from different squads may throw more than one grenade towards the player. Any Overwatch Soldiers punted towards any hard surface by the supercharged Gravity Gun will splatter red blood on the said surface. Similarly to the HECU Marines of Half-Life, regular Combine Soldiers cannot use their standard-issue weapon's secondary fire (the dark energy sphere, as opposed to the HECU MP5's grenade launcher). This ability is restricted to Overwatch Elites.
Sometimes, if a squad of soldiers reaches Freeman without him attacking or looking at them, they will run up to a decent range and stare at the player, ready to fire. They will attack when the player takes a single step or fires a weapon. This is not commonly seen, however, and appears to only work when the player is a long distance away and the soldiers hardly identify them. This tactic is also shared by Overwatch Elites and Ceiling Turrets.Gallery Concept art.