Soldiers are Greater Husks that first appear in the mission [ 2-2: DEATH AT 20,000 VOLTS ]. They are augmented and upgraded versions of Strays, and share very similar appearances and function in combat.
Appearance[]
Soldiers are an improved iteration of the Stray, with new attacks and mechanical additions such as an arm cannon, a metallic mask, and a mechanical leg. They also appear to be cleaner, with less blood smearing them, and their bones appearing whiter.
Combat[]
They have two attacks, both of which make use of their augments; their primary ranged attack and a defensive melee kick. Their primary attack is a volley of four (six on Violent and Brutal difficulty) red Hell Energy projectiles fired from their arm cannon in a spreading triangular (pentagonal) formation, with the center projectile aimed directly at V1. Parrying one projectile in a volley will prevent the rest of the projectiles in that volley from damaging V1.
Their secondary attack is a powerful melee kick using their prosthetic leg, which they only perform if V1 gets too close, rather than running away like the Stray. In addition to the high damage of this attack (one of the most powerful attacks among the fodder enemies), it also launches V1 far away from them.
On Brutal difficulty, they gain a new attack, combat rolling similarly to the Ferryman, but firing 6 projectiles in a crouched position afterwards, similarly to their ranged attack. During the roll, they can't be bounced off the ground using ground slam shockwaves.
Difficulty Changes[]
Other than the default changes introduced by the various difficulties, Soldiers boast some unique differences:
- HARMLESS / LENIENT
- Soldiers fire 4 projectiles per shot in a tight, triangle-shaped pattern displaying a larger orb at the center;
- Their melee attacks are less frequent;
- They lack their trademark Explosion resistance;
- STANDARD
- Soldiers fire 4 projectiles per shot in a triangle-shaped pattern with notable spread;
- They will always melee when V1 is in range;
- They take 25% of damage from yellow Explosions;
- VIOLENT
- Soldiers fire 6 projectiles per shot in a pentagonal pattern and lead their aim;
- They will always melee when V1 is in range;
- They take 25% of damage from yellow Explosions;
- BRUTAL
- Soldiers now actively attempt to lead their shots;
- Soldiers have 100% immunity to yellow explosions when grounded;
- Soldiers can perform a combat roll and fire 6 projectiles afterward in a crouched, offset position; During a combat roll, they're not affected by Ground Slam shockwaves;
- Soldiers will perform leaps and will actively run towards V1 in order to perform their melee attack;
Terminal Data[]
For more information, see Terminal.
TYPE: GREATER HUSK
DATA:
Soldiers are an augmented version of Strays, whose technological implants have been scavenged from broken machines to channel Hell Energy with greater efficiency.This increase in power gives Soldiers more self-confidence, causing them to act more aggressively than normal Strays.
Despite the enhancements, their intelligence remains low and it has yet to be determined who or what actually augmented them.
STRATEGY:
- The shotgun is an excellent weapon against Soldiers, as long as its use is swift so as to not allow them to protect themselves with melee attacks.- Since Soldiers charge their shots in front of them rather than above them, the charge is also easier to interrupt via a precise revolver shot for an explosive kill.
- Thanks to their augmentations, Soldiers are able to withstand normal explosions with little to no damage. The more powerful red explosions will go through their guard however, and they are unable to block if not on the ground or when covered with gasoline.
Rending Apart[]
Much like any other Husk enemy, Soldiers are not particularly difficult to deal with, though they can be surprisingly tough to manage in a heated battle.
The Shotgun is very effective at point-blank range. This always kills them, though their powerful melee attack makes this a risky move. Pulling soldiers with a Whiplash will always ensure they perform a melee attack. Alternatively, you can also parry the kick, though the attack will carry through regardless.
The Marksman Revolver and Alternate Revolver are the most advisable weapons against Soldiers; they can be used from afar where the Soldier's combat effectiveness is drastically reduced. They can be can instakilled with an Alt Revolver shot or a simple coinshot from the Marksman.
In addition, while Soldiers are charging their projectile attack, the growing Hell Energy projectile can be shot out of their hand cannon, causing it to explode. This will instakill the Soldier and deal strong explosion damage to all nearby enemies; this is especially helpful in the Cyber Grind, where they tend to spawn on high platforms with other ranged enemies.
With a perfect timing, it is possible to parry both the soldier and its projectiles with a Feedbacker simultaneously, resulting double or even triple parry. Note that this causes self-damage to the player, unless dodged.
Direct punch with a Knuckleblaster can kill a Soldier with a single punch. Soldiers get gibbed when punched with a knuckleblaster heal the player at full health.
Soldiers will block regular explosions on Standard and above, unless covered with gasoline. This reduces the amount of damage they receive. Blocking an explosion reduces damage by 75% on Standard and Violent and 100% on brutal, but they will still be knocked back somewhat by the explosion and blocking instantly cancels their attack. They can block any explosion, including ones from projectile boost, core ejects, Malicious Face beams, overcharges, Cerberus orbs, and rockets. However, parrying their projectiles back to then or performing an interruption will still kill them despite causing an explosion.
Soldiers cannot block if airborne, however, taking full damage from all the sources listed above. They also cannot block red explosions from sniping core ejects or hitting other falling enemies with rockets. Direct hits from the Malicious Railcannon will still damage them as the beam itself cannot be blocked; 2 direct hits will kill them, but you shouldn't be wasting 2 railcannon charges on a single Soldier anyways.
Trivia[]
- Among all the collective attacks of all the basic fodder enemies, the Soldier's kick is the second most powerful attack, second only to the Streetcleaner's canister explosion and the Sentry's rifle.
- Despite being just a Stray with mechanical augmentations, they are significantly shorter compared to a normal Stray.
- Prior to the addition of the "Enemies" terminal tab in Early Access version 5a, Soldiers were referred to interchangeably as Shotgun Husks and Shotgunners. They still retain the "Shotgunner" moniker in several places in the game files.
- The culmination of the P-2 ARG revealed that Hell itself is responsible for augmenting Strays into Soldiers and replacing Stalkers' boulders with sand bombs, to create a fighting force of tortured souls melded with human technology for its own entertainment.[1]
Gallery[]
References[]