Hunter

First Seen: Episode One, Chapter Two - Direct Intervention
 * Health total: 300 (In Episode Two)
 * Weapon damage: Flechette Launcher (damage not known yet), Ramming attack
 * Entity:  (spawned in Episode One only), renamed to   in the Particle Benchmark.

The Hunter is a fast and efficient synth used by Combine forces as a scout and escort. Although weaker than its larger cousin the Strider, Hunters make up by being very agile and using a variety of deadly attacks against its opponent. Hunters are frequently encountered in Episode Two.

Appearance
The Hunter has a more rounded body than the Strider, with two green, expressive eyes. The body contains the Hunter's flechette launcher and a sharp retractable 'arm' used as a melee weapon. Attached to the body are the Hunter's three powerful legs. The Hunter has a powerful gait, similar to that of a gorilla, which allows the Hunter to easily outrun any human and even smash through some walls. Hunters have a number of vocalizations, all of which are shrill and fierce. When damaged, Hunters leak a gray, semi-clear fluid.

It is interesting to note that the Hunter bears a slight resemblance to the Houndeye from the original Half-Life. Considering that the Combine frequently take existing creatures and enhance them with technology, it seems possible that the Hunter is in fact a technologically enhanced Houndeye.

Behaviour
Hunters normally try to engage opponents at medium range, allowing them to fire their flechette launchers with great accuracy. When targets take cover, Hunters use their flechette launchers and fire them near their opponent (such as a wall behind their cover), so that when the flechettes explode, their targets will be caught in the splash damage. Once they have their target out in the open, they'll often charge to ram it. Up close, Hunters use a variety of powerful melee attacks.

Hunters are fully aware of their surroundings, in or out of combat, so using stealth tactics are not very effective, however surprise attacks sometimes work well.

Employment
The Hunter is first seen in Episode 1, as part of the force seen attacking the base where Judith Mossman recorded her transmission.

Hunters were not present in City 17, suggesting that Hunters are only used in wilderness areas. Hunters are commonly used to scout areas, but in Episode 2, Hunters were used to intercept Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance, who were carrying an important data packet.

Notably during the offensive against White Forest, Hunters acted as escorts for the Striders, and would immediately fire upon any Magnusson Device launched at the Striders.

Counter Tactics
The AR2 Pulse Rifle's secondary fire (the Combine energy orb launcher) can disintegrate a Hunter with one hit. The Muscle Car can also be used to kill a Hunter, if it rams the Synth with enough force. Failing this, Hunters can be brought down with the Rocket Launcher or SMG1 grenades. If explosives or the Combine AR2 Pulse Rifle's secondary fire are not available, firearms such as the Shotgun or the Magnum can also be used, however the Hunter can absorb a lot of damage from conventional weaponry.

Achievement
You can gain an achievement, "Payback", by killing a Hunter with its own flechettes. As the flechettes cannot be handled directly with the Gravity Gun, achieving this involves holding a physics object in front of you when a Hunter is shooting at you. The flechettes will then stick to the object, which is then tossed at the Hunter.

Trivia
- Hunters were originally intended to be vulnerable only to blows from objects launched at them with the Gravity Gun. Later, Valve made them vulnerable to all weapons as the Hunter design changed, but they are still more vulnerable to blows than gunfire.