Half life 2 crab synth series#

This Synth was never completely finished and the alias 'Mortar Synth' seems to be a temporary name, likely related to its use of a mortar (with the Crab Synth, it is one of the few Synths to have 'Synth' in its name). According to the file 'skill.cfg' in the Half-Life 2 files, its energy grenades were to have a good range but only inflict minor damage. It was likely to be used as a support unit by the Combine, for its offensive method allow it only to hit distant targets and inefficient at close range. Hovering low above the ground, it was to use its mortar to throw 'energy grenades' by flinging its rear mortar upwards like a catapult. On its front are many curvy spiked protrusions and various glowing blue mechanical systems. The Mortar Synth consists of a fleshy, greenish triangular body with two elongated tentacles and a mortar located on its back. With the Crab Synth, it is said to be 'the backbone of the Combine's subsequent armies'. It is unknown where they were transported to, as they are never encountered in combat anywhere during the game or its episodes. It is likely that Synths were the primary forces used by the Combine during theВ Seven Hour WarВ as the human-derived Combine units, such asВ Overwatch Soldiers,В Hunter-Choppers, andВ APCs, would have only started appearing after the Combine rule on Earth had been established.The Mortar Synth is only glimpsed towards the end of the game during Gordon Freeman's second pod ride in the Citadel, on several conveyor belts along with two Crab Synths. The only weapons that are known to be effective against the larger Synths are explosives (such as theВ RPG, theВ MP7's secondary fire, or theВ Magnusson Device) and the CombineВ Energy Ball. These outer shells can be ripped open with enough force, however, as demonstrated when DOGВ tears aВ Strider's head open in Episode Two. Their carapace-like flesh is largely immune to small arms fire (with the notable exceptions of the HunterВ and Shield Scanner) and bullets striking it produce a metallic 'ping' noise. Synths are also never observed to be 'self-replicating' in-game, but seem to be raised and/or manufactured by the Combine. For instance, StalkersВ can be seen working on Gunships in the lower levels. Synths do not necessarily arrive on Earth after having been modified, as the City 17 Citadel features factories where Synths are modified. It is also suggested that some were created from scratch by the Combine (the City ScannerВ for instance bears some design similarities with Synths, while being fully mechanical). The Strider however appears to have a brain, as seen in Episode TwoВ (this is the only known Synth to possess any 'organ' at all). It is also unclear whether they originally were fully organic or were already cyborg creatures when the Combine enslaved them, and if they all come from the same planet (mirroring the Xen creatures that were also brought from other worlds and, for some of them, also enslaved).

Half life 2 crab synth series#

It is unknown how many of the Synths presented in the series are 'true' to their initial species or forcefully evolved by the Combine, since the Combine modify their appearance by adding mechanical equipment and weaponry.

Synths always appear as average to large insect-like or arthropod-like creatures, usually with segmented legs or antennae-like sensory structures, recalling locusts, crabs or similar beings. Synths have been officially described as 'self-replicating robots that evolve' they are created from a combination of mechanical components and organic features from various alien species that the Combine have conquered. These entities come in a number of configurations suited for different purposes such as reconnaissance, transport and combat. 'Synth' is a term used in Half-Life 2 to describe a series of bio-mechanical constructs utilised by the Combine.