Mortar Synth

The Mortar Synth is an incomplete Half-Life 2 aerial enemy only glimpsed towards the end of the game in the Citadel on a conveyor belt along with the Crab Synth, during Gordon Freeman's second pod ride. It is unknown where it is transported to, as it is never encountered in combat anywhere during the game or its episodes.

Overview
The Mortar Synth consists of a fleshy, triangular body with a mortar located on its back. Its front end features many spiked protrusions and various mechanical systems. It was apparently to be hovering low above the ground, using its mortar to throw unspecified projectiles, flinging upwards its rear section, similar to a catapult. It was likely to be used as a support infantry by the Combine, its attack allowing it to hit only far targets, being inefficient at close range.

Behind the scenes

 * The Mortar Synth was never completely finished. It has incomplete animations, model errors, both high and low quality textures and missing files. This is why it is only glimpsed and not confronted during the game and seems to bear rather a nickname than a proper name, being, with the Crab Synth, the only Synth to have "Synth" in its name.


 * It is likely one of the earliest created Synths (with the Crab Synth), when they bore more red and yellow and did not feature any Combine logo (see also the original Dropship). Ted Backman subsequently defined the current design, with more blue and more pale colors. Added to the fact that it is incomplete, it can be seen as an Easter Egg of the early Synth designs, while still canon.


 * The player was originally to directly confront the Mortar Synth in several situations; in the Skyscraper and during the City 17 street battles, among others.

Trivia

 * When a Mortar Synth is approached during play and interacted with the "Use" key, the entity's current animation will freeze and continue moving by frame when it is shot. Its animation would resume when the "Use" key is pressed again.


 * Mortar Synths bear some resemblance to the Manta Rays from the original Half-Life.

List of appearances

 * Half-Life 2