Shock Trooper

"I've never seen that species before!"

- Black Mesa scientist

The Shock Trooper is the most intelligent and dangerous of the Race X aliens. Physically, they are humanoid with four arms and have a posture that makes them vaguely resemble Vortigaunts, but with many key differences. Their bodies are covered in plate-like sections, similar in appearance to insect exoskeletons. Their skin is pale blue, and is not mottled or patchy like the skin of Xen creatures. They have a single large eye, whereas Vortigaunts have six or four. This eye is apparently part of a common morphology between Race X creatures - every Race X alien with a large eye (including the Pit Worm) has two eyelids which regularly blink horizontally across the eyeball and what appears to be "tentacles" surrounding their mouth (which is under the head).

Weaponry


Their primary weapon is the Shock Roach; a living creature, similar to the Alien Grunts' hivehand. The Shock Roach fires bolts of electricity, which it constantly recharges on its own. The Shock Roach cannot survive without a living host for very long; if its Shock Trooper dies, it will detach itself and pursue a new host. If it nears a player that already has a Shock Roach, it will attack in a similar way to a headcrab before dying.

Shock Troopers also have the ability to regurgitate and throw spore grenades, which they tend to use against distant or concealed enemies. Infant Shock Troopers will forcibly launch the same type of spore when squeezed, and can thus be used as a Spore Launcher weapon. (The Spore Launcher is listed as "baby trooper" in the game's files.) Their 3rd, least used attack, only when approached, is scratching Shephard with their 3 remaining arms, much like what Alien Grunts do to Freeman when touched.

Infant version


Baby Shock Troopers (named Spore Launchers in-game) are effectively tadpoles, an earlier stage that is only a head and torso, with tentacles trailing behind. Beyond the small size and lack of limbs, Baby Shock Troopers are also notable for having gills, one or two stubby arms, thin spikes, and two small eyes instead of the adults' single large one. They are amphibious, although immobile outside of water. Baby Shock Troopers are first found kept in a tank in the Sector E Biodome Complex of Black Mesa. How they appeared there is unknown, but given the design, it appears that the Black Mesa Science Team had been in slight interest with Race X in addition to Xen creatures. However, this leaves questions for why the scientist who saw an adult Shock Trooper claimed that he had never seen anything like it. It might be that they were only recently acquired.

These aliens can actually be used as a weapon, with a small pair of legs used as a handle, capable of only firing spore blobs collected from around the rest of the game in small buds, both used as "bullets" and grenades, both very toxic to enemies. Adrian Shephard seems to have some fondness for this creature, as during one of its idle animations, it emits an amphibious purr, which is followed by Shephard's hand stroking its back gently to and fro.

Behavior and skills
"Ksswirras" - "fire in the hole"; Shock Troopers always shout this prior to throwing a spore grenade. "Ksskyurkiml" - "get down"; reaction to an incoming grenade. "Ditdit", "Ditksskss", "Kssdit ditkss" - said when a human is spotted. "Purthirv purksskss" - said when a Xen creature is spotted. "Kagablis bliska" - said when the Trooper is under fire and retreating. "Kimlkiml" - probably a taunt. "Mubpuhmub ditdit" - "moving in". (this is the most commonly heard phrase) "Kukurku" - idle. "Puhpur hyuka" - said when idle, the answer is always "dupdup". "Dupblis dup" - "all clear". "Ksskss" - "stay alert"; said when idle, but aware of an enemy nearby.
 * Shock Troopers are usually encountered in small groups, and often fight together with other Race X aliens, whom they seem to be allied with. Shock Troopers also possess a verbal form of communication, uttering strange electronic-sounding noises to each other. A skilled player can learn to recognize certain "phrases" muttered by a Shock Trooper and react accordingly. The full list of phrases and probable translations:


 * Shock Troopers have mastered teleportation technology and use it to travel in and out of combat. They also control the teleportation of Pit Drones and Voltigore. It is interesting to note that at one point, the player observes a Shock Trooper grab a Black Mesa scientist prior to teleporting away; effectively kidnapping him. One of the obese security guards, if Adrian chooses for him to follow, observes this and mutters, "Those poor bastards." One of the guards who was zapped to death quoted a Star Wars joke, saying, "Have you seen the new IG-88?"


 * At another point in the game, after witnessing G-Man holding a cell phone in front of a sprite-powered portal, Shock Troopers teleport to a caved-in wall at the end of a hydroelectric dam and shoot at the Gargantua instead of the player and his soldiers, indicating that Xen creatures are sworn enemies of Race X or are just very territorial.

List of appearances

 * Half-Life: Opposing Force