Impaler

Impaler

By far the most unnerving and unusual phenomena following the Gloom's emergence is perhaps the re-arrival of the Impaler strain of Terminid. Once thought to be extinct following the defeat of the so called "Buggers" nearly 100 years ago, the Impaler or "Hydra" has somehow made a return to plague our worlds once more. Truly a nasty brute of a relic the likes of which have caught many a Helldiver off guard. It stands out by burrowing its "head" of 3 gargantuan tentacles tipped with mighty claws into the ground where they later emerge a short distance away from their target to practically pulverise into paste. However it is also both practically immobile and leaves its true fleshy head completely exposed when doing so. Do not underestimate these goliaths, they have the strength to completely crush Exosuits with ease as many pilots have found out the hard way.

• While formidable they also lack subtlety, their tentacles often making great disturbances beneath the terrain as they travel towards their intended target. A vigilant Helldiver can hear an Impaler attacking coming well before they see it, those few seconds meaning the difference between life and death.

• SEAF Veterans have noted that the tentacles themselves can be damaged. While we are not sure if it actually deals any lasting damage to the Impaler, the pain alone is enough to drive it off, if only temporarily.

• Much like the Chargers they seemingly descend from, their Legs are also susceptible to heavy firepower, be it from the ever reliable AC-8 Autocannon or the vaunted GR-8 Recoilless Rifle. According to the Ministry of Science, destroying said leg supposedly causes enough trauma to outright kill the goliath, happy hunting Helldivers.