- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Hunters should be FASTER. And they won't always hesistate to charge like a rampaging rhino to turn you into roadkill. Almost as quick in strafing as a Elite. Sometimes they can even quickly sidestep to dodge a rocket fired at them. Hunters won't always flinch and stagger when they're pelted by sniper shots or high velocity rounds(well maybe the AP turrets-cause those tear them apart)except for their exposed orange flesh. This should keep you on your toes. But they do get momentarily confused should a grenade explode on or near them. But know this-Hunter pairs work together very well. If you can get the best of one Hunter, expect his brother to step up to bash your skull in or send you to your demise with its Fuel Rod. I don't think a rampaging Brute should do that much damage to a Hunter. Brute charges at Hunter-in return, Hunter fires its Fuel Rod directly at Brute or otherwise bashes the Brute and sending him flying just as the Brute is face-to-face with the Hunter. In other developments, even the mighty Hunter can be sweeped off its feet and pinned to the wall by a beserk Brute with a crushing blow(followed by a pained groan). Sidenote:Hunters can hold their own amazingly well, against any enemy. Equivalently, this can be done if you catch a enemy Hunter off-guard and ram into him with say, a Ghost or Warthog. I have thought of whether you can pop off the Hunter's Fuel Rod(which fires a uncontrollable stream rather than a traditional bolt) after it's dead and use it. With a slightly different design, the weapon is still dubbed the Fuel Rod Cannon, but with a different mode of function. Has only battery charge up to 50 max. The power source for the gun is still intergrated into the Hunter armor, which you can't pop out with the main gun. When Hunters use their Fuel Rods, they don't just fire in your general direction(and miss alot of times)-they saturate their whole line of vision with it. One badass tactic of the Hunter-You know the Hunters do that back swing with their shield if you get up close behind it(by swinging its arm around)? Hunters can do a back swing with their shield without turning to face you immediately(mostly if it's preoccupied with another enemy while you try to sneak up on it from behind), meaning the Hunter doesn't even acknowledge you and simply bashes you aside(usually a fatal blow) without batting a eye. In addition, Hunters can elbow you with their shield(not always a bash) just as deadly.
Hunters will succumb to a single Energy Sword slash to its unprotected back.
Another intresting tactic of the Hunter-Say you're driving down New Mombasa in a Warthog. The music changes more dramatically("Brother in Arms"-the music in Truth and Reconciliation of Halo 1 where the Hunters are first deployed at the T&R's grav-lift after the initial waves of enemies)as a pair of Hunters stroll up the street. You, thinking you can run them over, are gravely mistaken. Hunters can react by holding their ground against your Warthog(you're thinking-this guy must really be stupid, isn't he going to at least jump to the side?), then suddenly raise their shield and bring it bashing down on your Warthog's hood either totalling your Warthog(sometimes you can survive on foot after your Hog's been totalled) and/or send your Warthog in a somersault over the Hunter who bashed its hood and skid a few feet on its roof overturned. If it's a Ghost, the Hunter can smash the Ghost into the ground by bashing it on its hood, also totalling it.Then it or its not-too-far-away brother will utter a chortle. Fishtailing into it won't do either. Hunter can boldly step up and bash the side of your vehicle to send it tumbling.
Alternatively in the same such a situation, the Hunter(s) might just fire direct Fuel Rods at your vehicle. The other will follow in the same fashion that could mean trouble even for a mighty Scorpion.
ANNDDD...Hunters can use their shields as even more effective battering rams. They can smash down concrete columns(whether for cover, a distraction, destroying enemy cover, or simply in a beserk rage to quicker get to your soon-be-dead body)and splinter even the thickest tree trunk. There's Bungie's promise on how enemies would know how to destroy enemy cover and the enviroment to their advantage. When you kill one of the Hunter pairs, the other will become enraged. Notice that they don't care about bashing through and stepping on their Grunt and Jackal underlings who get in his way of you. Well it might be funny to see a Hunter plow through some Grunts, sending them all flying like popcorn while other Grunts go "Whoa!" and dive out of the way from being crushed.
Example of Hunters: In the Delta Halo ruins, you are facing two Hunters. With your shields down, you attempt to hide behind a wall. Then suddenly, the wall you are hiding behind is smashed to rubble by a Hunter, and killing you in the process.
And so, to sum it up: Hunters can dodge rockets fired from afar, charge at you, side strafe, support each other, smash down columns and pillars with the feral aggressiveness of a bull, blow through doors, and quite formidable in their anti-vehicular tactics. This is PAYBACK, for all the times you killed Hunters with a single pistol shot from Halo 1 or lured it to melee itself off a cliff or fishtailed into it or whatever. Yes, Hunters are vicious this time around. They can run alot faster than they used to be too. I want people to actually post on internet message boards saying how fearsome Hunters are now. And the rest would agree following a nice discussion on the Hunters. But don't worry. All the stuff I just described Hunters could do-mainly corresponds of which difficulty setting you're playing on. But on normal settings, Hunters can employ any of these tactics in specific situations or if you just plain decide to provoke them(of which you'll be met with a vicous response).
I believe, there's this one part in the game somewhere where two Hunters leap down from a ledge with a kneeling stance(is that cool or what? your screen shakes accordingly too to emphasize the Hunters' sheer weight bearing down on the floor)to back you up or clean out a room of Brutes.