Alien Grunt

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Alien Grunt
General information
Type	Soldier
Affiliation	Xen
Individual information
Health	Easy: 60 Normal: 90 Hard: 120
Attacks / Weapons	Hivehand Fists
Game information
Designed by	Chuck Jones
Entity name	monster_alien_grunt

Xenotherium myrmex, commonly known as the Alien Grunt, is the primary combatant of the Nihilanth's Xen army.

Overview

Tough, strong, and extremely hostile, Alien Grunts stand about seven feet tall and are armed with a biological weapon called the Hivehand, which shoots biological "bullets" known as hornets. At melee range, it will also use weaponless hand-to-hand combat.

Alien Grunts share many features with their Vortigaunt counterparts: multiple red eyes, backwards-jointed legs, hoofed feet, and a short arm extending from their mid-torso, which is used for feeding.

Grunts are also equipped with metallic armour around the groin and shoulders, as well as metal helmets and shoes, though it has been speculated that this is actually a natural 'shell' formed as a result of a calcium-rich diet. Interestingly, this armor completely protects the Alien Grunt's back, but is open in the front leaving the Grunt's entire lower torso exposed. This may be to allow for the third arm, or indicate that vital organs are more vulnerable from behind.

Behavior and Skills

Alien Grunts use intelligent soldier-based combat tactics, such as running between cover nodes, while standing still to fire their hivehand weapon at enemies. They have roughly 75% more health compared to HECU Marines (varying somewhat depending on difficulty); combined with their bullet deflecting partial body armor, this gives them high durability. On Hard difficulty, Alien Grunts can take 4 close range shotgun blasts or up to two dozen rounds of MP5/M4 fire to kill. They also demonstrate superhuman strength in various scripted sequences seen throughout the game; such as punching a HECU Marine through a concrete wall, or quickly prying opening a large set of heavy blast doors.

Alien Grunts can be found being transported through a factory on Xen, stored in pod-shaped containers. The implication is that the Alien Grunts are manufactured beings, which is supported by the heavy amount of biological technology and weaponry featured in Xen warfare.

Weaponry

Unlike Vortigaunts, they do not seem to share the race's myriad energy-based powers; hence the need for the hivehand weapon. The Hivehand, which shoots hornets (sometimes known as "thornets"), seems to have an infinite amount of ammunition, which is constantly refreshed. The hornets seek out living things and attack them, making the attack useful for attacking from around corners.

Alien Grunts can also use melee attacks when at close enough range. They will primarily use their hands and arms to punch an enemy, dealing more damage than the longer range Hivehand attack.

Trivia

• If the player does not accept the G-Man's offer at the end of Half-Life, he will put him (unarmed) into a large room full of Alien Grunts.
• At one point in the game, a group of alien grunts appear to be commandeering, or at least have set up, an alien energy cannon, implying the necessary requirement of external weaponry.
• In the original Half-Life, Alien Grunts take significantly reduced damage (roughly 50% to 60% of normal) if shot in the armor instead of in their exposed body with a Colt Python or Black Mesa Crossbow. Lower impact rounds, such as pistol/assault rifle bullets, buckshot, and even the primary fire of the tau cannon will outright ricochet off the armor without doing any damage at all. This is not true in Half-Life: Source, since the Source engine does not support different damage values/effects for different materials.
• The Alien Grunt's armor subtracts 20 points of damage from any attack that hits it. Any projectile that deals 20 points of damage or less will simply ricochet off harmlessly.
• The Alien Grunt does not appear in Half-Life 2 and its episodes.

Behind the scenes

• The original Alien Grunt model had a more bluish armor, slightly different skin textures, and the Hivehand apparently "built-in" to its right hand, although it was probably temporary. This model was kept in the retail Half-Life as a sprite for the Alien Grunts from the back rows in the 'bad' ending.
• Before the Hivehand, the Alien Grunt was originally to use a weapon dubbed the "Black Hole Gun".
• Originally Alien Grunts were to be able to be gibbed in Half-Life: Source. The gib textures have higher resolution than the grunt's textures.

Gallery

Pre-release

• Alien Grunts in an early Advanced Biological Research Lab on YouTube

Concept art.

Ditto.

Ditto.

Early promotional image. "He would have graduated first in his class from the academy, except he ate the drill sergeant."

Early model.

Agrunt early model 2.jpg

Front view.

Early Alien Grunt about to die.

Early Alien Grunt being killed by an undetermined electrical device.

Alien Grunts in an early Advanced Biological Research Lab.

Beta Alien Grunts attacking the player (note the built-in Hivehand).

Ditto.

Ditto. Note particle tracers.

Human Sergeant, Alien Grunt, HECU grunt and dead scientist in a Black Mesa tunnel.

Alien Grunts in "kiosk" map.

Alien Grunt fires his visible hivehand.

Alien Grunt and two dead scientists in an early Datacore map, originally appeared in singleplayer.

Early Alien Grunts firing hivehands. Note the blue tracer used instead of red.

Retail

Alien Grunt, without Hivehand.

HD Alien Grunt.

HD Alien Grunt without Hivehand.

The sprite Beta Alien Grunt model used in "bad" ending of Half-Life due to optimization.

Source version of the sprite.

A firing Alien Grunt.

Alien Grunts being unloaded by a Manta Ray.

List of appearances

• Half-Life (First appearance)
• Half-Life: Opposing Force
• Half-Life: Blue Shift
• Half-Life: Decay
• Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar

References

The Half-Life Wiki has more images related to Alien Grunt.