Locust (Gears of War)

The Locust Horde is a race, or alliance of several races that, until Emergence Day, remained in the subterranean regions of Sera. The Locust Horde has decided its ultimate goal is the extermination of the human race down to every man, woman, and child, however, its reasons for doing this remain a mystery. It is possible that the locust horde fight to keep the imulsion from being depleted. Or because humans have turned some locusts into lambent (infected with imulsion), through their overconsumption of the energy source. these lambent then went on to attack the locusts, forcing them out of the Hollow and into a war with humanity. All attempts at negotiating with the Locust Horde have ended in violence. Locusts consist of a common race of drones and all manner of mutants and monstrosities. The Locust Horde exists in underground tunnels known as the Hollow, which is a short term used to describe the hollow portions of planet Sera. The Locust Horde technology appears to be at around the same level as that of humans. Locust troops will use nearly any weapon, whether it is one of their own or human made.

Hand-held
Hammerburst

Boltok Pistol

Torque Bow

Boomshot Grenade Launcher

Poison Grenade

Gorgan Burst Pistol

Boomshield

Explosive Flail

Butcher's Cleaver

Explosive Stick

Sword

Double-Chainsawed Bow-Staff

Troika (Only General Raam can do this)

Mounted
Troika Heavy Machine Gun

Locust Vehicles
Brumak - 10+ infantry

Reaver - 2+ infantry

Hydra - 3+ infantry

Bloodmount - 1+ infantry

Torture Barge - unknown, likely 20+ infantry

Gunboat - 10+ infantry

Locust Queen (Myrrah)
The Locust Queen is the enigmatic leader of the Locust Horde. Though she is never present on the battlefield, she is able to observe skirmishes with the COG and possibly even command the units of her army. However that may just be another General. It is unknown if she is a member of any known Locust races. Since locust speech in general is deep and sometimes unclear (Drones not Therons) and she appears far more similar to a human, it brings up the question of her clear speech, and whether she is a different species.

General RAAM
General RAAM was the Leader of the Locust Horde military, and was second to the Locust Queen. He appeared as a large Locust shrouded in a small swarm of Kryll. RAAM had pronounced facial features, with large, bony eyebrow ridges and a seemingly constant snarling expression. He is said to have been a Theron before being promoted to General. During the final battle RAAM fought, he carried a Troika machine gun (although this weapon is normally mounted on a turret, RAAM wielded the weapon with one hand). He had one advantage over enemies of the battlefield, his shroud of Kryll. This is only one of the many reasons Raam was feared. He was killed by Marcus Fenix.

Skorge
Skorge was the High Priest of the Locust Horde. He is a member of the Kantus caste of priests, sharing their tall, sinewy frame. It would seem that after RAAM's demise he took the position of the Horde's highest military leader. He wears specialized armor, studded with spikes. He also sports several dreadlocks that seem to come from his helmet (though they may be his hair or tentacles). In addition to standard Kantus priest combat equipment, he uses a formidable bow-staff with chainsaws at each end. He too is killed by Marcus Fenix, aided by Dom. He is also seen jumping out of the ground, chainsawing a tank in half, and protecting the Queen as well as performing reconnaisance as stated by the Queen

Drones
Drones appear to be the common race among the Locust Horde. They are larger than humans and have chalky white skin with gray, scale-like patches that most likely are hardened to protect them from minor damage. Sniper Drones often wear goggles for increased accuracy. They were bred in the Hollow to be bloodthirsty fighters. When ordered, Drones will throw their lives away by the hundreds to kill one Gear. They often crawl out of "emergence holes," which the Locust use as a bridge between underground and the surface world. Drones follow basic infantry tactics of flanking, dominating the terrain, and setting up ambushes. Almost fearless, they know little in the way of self-preservation and rarely retreat.

They will usually wield the Hammerburst assault rifle. While some regular Drones have taken to using the human Lancer assault rifle, (Dubbed Cyclops for the headgear they normally wear in tandem with wielding the Lancer) and will use the chainsaw bayonet. Most basic drones wear a helmet and body armor while Grenadiers mainly go into battle armorless except for shoulder plates.

Aside from standard drones, there are eight variants that are basically the same creature:
 * Gunner
 * Spotter
 * Grenadier
 * Sniper
 * Locust Hunter
 * Cyclops
 * Bolter

Boomers
Boomers are large, barely intelligent Locusts that are often given the 'Boomshot' grenade launcher. They are often seen partnered with other Boomers, but they do not use infantry tactics, instead they move forward slowly and fire their weapons. To combat this tactic, many Gears have noted that an easy way to defeat a Boomer is to stay behind cover and bring them down with automatic fire. Boomers mainly can be heard laughing and saying "Boom!" before they fire.

Mauler
A new race of Locust seen in the events of Gears of War 2, Maulers are basically a Boomer with a large, bulletproof shield. The Mauler's Shield (Often referred to as a 'Boomshield' due to its ability to shield from splash damage) can be wielded by a human or Drone and set in the ground for mobile cover. Maulers will slowly move wailing their frail around, and then, when they are close to an enemy, they will charge. Most Maulers carry explosive flails that are used to first disorient, then literally maul their victims (hence their title).

Butcher
Another variant of the Boomer encountered in the events of Gears of War 2, the Butcher wields a cleaver which they use to chop up Rockworm meat in the Hollow. While they have a rather non-combat related role in Locust Horde society, they are deployed as shock troopers due to their size and endurance.

Flamer
A variant of the Boomer encountered in the events of Gears of War 2, the Flamer carries a Scorcher Flamethrower (with fuel tanks on their backs) and is heavily armored. This armor also contains a helmet which must be knocked off via gunfire before a proper headshot can be made, according to COG troops. Another easy way to kill this Locust is by shooting the fuel tanks on their backs, which causes the fuel to ignite and then explode. The only difference between the Flamers and the Flame Boomers is that Flamers will run, while Flame Boomers mainly move slowly.

Grinder
Another Boomer variant encountered in Gears of War 2, the Grinder is a heavily armored Locust wielding a Mulcher Chain Gun. Its armor includes a helmet which must be shot from a specific angle before a proper headshot can be made according to COG troops. It has also been reported that before firing they will yell out 'Grind!' or anything along those lines as a signal to their comrades to get out of the way.

Berserkers
Berserkers are huge female monsters, and they cannot see, but rely on smell and sound. These Locusts will gain enough momentum when running to smash through a solid brick wall. They are unaffected by all weapons except the Hammer of Dawn. Any Gear that fights a Berserker will have to be quick with their feet to defeat her. To kill a Berserker, you must shoot it with the Hammer of Dawn. You may also then attack it with another weapon while it is stunned and glowing red, but this is not necessary.

Theron Guards
Delta Squad first encounters Theron Guards guarding the Imulsion pumping station. They are usually found in the underground or near seeder encounters. They are easily distinguishable from Drones because they wear long leather-like coats that trail behind them when they move and metallic masks. Their sibilant voices have been known to scare Gears into fleeing. Their voices are similar to that of the Ring Wraiths from Lord of the Rings. Therons are stronger, faster, and excessively more intelligent than an average drone. They mostly wield Torque Bows. They are also the only known locust race to carry and use more than one weapon at any one time.

There is also a 'subspecies' of Theron Guards, known as Theron Sentinels. They are taller and slightly tougher than Theron Guards, but other than the slight differences in size, armor, helmet and durability, there is little difference.

Some Therons do not wear helmets so it is unclear if that is a third ranks of the Therons, they usually appear on the backs of Reavers.

Wretches
Small, jittery members of the Locust Horde, they are able to climb on almost any surface. Their attack tactics are similar to the Fast Zombies of Half-Life 2, the Flood of Halo, or Zerglings, climbing on surfaces, and jumping forward in a frenzy to attack their prey. They are weak yet fast and come in large numbers, often used as a distraction or cannon fodder by the Locust. They often make their presence known before becoming visible by letting out a horrid, extremely high-pitched scream that can make the Gears grab their heads and ears in pain and smash nearby glass or objects (hence the name Wretches). They are very dangerous to Gears that forget to look up or are overwhelmed by a subsequent attack. Another type of Wretch also exists, a type that has become,mutant, lambent after exposure to Imulsion. This kind of Wretch is called a "Dark" or "Lambent Wretch" and explodes when killed, injuring anyone who is too close, making them extremely dangerous. Unlike the other Lambent, the Lambent Wretches are possibly members of the Locust Horde. Wretches can be dispatched in any conventional manner, including Melee attacks. Dark/Lambent Wretches also kill one another when they explode, causing chain reactions, sometimes clearing entire rooms.

It seems to be two kinds of glowing Wretches. Those found in the Imulsion factory have a cyan glow to them because of the refined imulsion they are exposed to there, while those underground and those attacking you in part 5 of the game, have an orange glow. Other than that, both types are the same when it comes to damage, damage resistance etc.

Sniper
Locust snipers are deadly, long range aggressors who wield the Longshot sniper rifle, even though these drones wield the longshot sniper rifle they will not attempt to give off a headshot unless your campaign is set to insane, then you will have to keep an eye out for them

Palace Guard
These locust are the elite warriors of the Horde and will protect the hollow and the queen with their lives. They wear ornate armor similar to that of the Theron Guards. Some of them ride upon fearsome beast's known as the Bloodmounts. You are not able to play as the Palace Guards in multiplayer in Gears of War 1 or 2.

Kantus
In Gears of War 2 there is a new Locust unit called a Kantus. They are around 7 feet in height and the Kantus are essentially Locust priests, and their chanting is used to communicate with other locust (drones,Rockworms and Tickers) often directing them to attack the enemies concentrating on him. Kantus can also manipulate their voices to very deadly effect, they are able to stun and even knock opposition down with their ear-piercing screams. Since Kantus can also revive their downed locust team mates, it is advised to kill the Kantus hanging back before wiping out the other locust. The Kantus' primary weapon is the Gorgon Burst Pistol and the Ink Grenade, which it uses to deadly effect.

Beasts
It is interesting to note that Locust beasts often have a helmet-like device on them. Coupled with the 'controls' on Reavers and Brumaks, these helmets could be used to control the animals, and would explain why Delta squad was able to pilot two Reavers and later a Brumak in Gears of War 2.

Seeders
Large, insect-like Creatures that launch Nemacysts into the air, flying jellyfish-like creatures that act as flying mines and anti-air interceptor. When Seeders are present in an area, they immediately scramble COG radio frequencies. These enemies then home in on the player, exploding on impact and injuring anyone around it. Seeders can only be killed using the Hammer of Dawn, but are also susceptible to the heavy cannon fire from a Centaur Tank or a Reaver. There are no other known weakness' confirmed yet.

Reavers
Large, flying creatures about twenty times the size of a drone. They are saddled up and ridden by a pilot Drone as well as a passenger Drone (or Theron Guard), who guns down enemies. The passenger often wields a Torque Bow. Reavers have very weak armor, and can be killed easily by Troika machine guns or when it lands carfully move your way under its underbelly and shoot it once with your shotgun for an easy kill.

Corpsers
Corpsers appear as horrific giant spider-like monsters covered by a mysterious armored helmet. Their heads appear almost humanoid except for their insect like eyes. Corpsers have eight thick rock camouflaged legs that guard their vulnerable underbellies, which is the only exposed part of one's body besides their mouth. The Locust Horde uses Corpsers to dig tunnels through the soil of Sera, allowing the other members of Locust to move about undetected, and even allows the Horde to dig behind COG lines. Corpsers are often seen moments before Locust attacks, and they are often symbolized leading the Locusts out of the ground on Emergence Day. The Jacinto Plateau, which is positioned on a huge slab of granite and marble, it is the only place on Sera that the Horde can not dig through quickly which made it suitable for the COG's main Headquarters. You only fight one in the first game in act 3 angry titan, though there are several in Gears of War 2.

Brumak
Brumaks are huge Monsters with extraordinarily thick hides. They often grow to 12 meters in height and tend to weigh around 10,000 kilograms (22,046lbs). They were apparently bred by the Locust Horde from smaller native apes. Brumaks are lethal at close range, and they have also been rumored to carry energy beam cannons to kill at a range. Their head-gear resemble the Corpser's helmet, but their bodies have more in common with humanoids than spiders. Brumaks appear to be a form of a Sentient being, and can carry weapons on their back for attack.

Kryll
Kryll are nocturnal small flying bat-like creatures. They stay deep underground during the day and come up to the surface the moment the sun has subsided into the night. Kryll avoid lit areas and can be dispatched by a UV light or direct sunlight which causes immense burns when exposed (weapons fire being ineffective thanks to the Kryll's small size). Kryll are carnivores that will feed on humanoids, and they will literally strip the flesh and bone away to nothing within a few seconds. They will eat both COG Soldiers and Locust Drones if they are foolish enough to step into open darkness. However, in locations close to their habitat, they are spread sparsely, since they are feeding in the cities. So far only General RAAM knows how to control the Kryll, which he uses as an advantage to shield himself. It was said in one of the collectibles in Gears of War 2 that the Lightmass bombing destroyed the Kryll breeding grounds. 99% of the Kryll were destroyed, leading to their lack of appearances in Gears of War 2.

Hydra
During the last cutscene what appears to be a subspecies of Reaver or a new species all together is shown. It looks like a Reaver but it has jaws like that of a Rhinoceros Beetle.

Also there is a unknown locust rider on the Hydra. In Gears of War 2 you fight it (mid-air boss fight) with the new Locust leader/2nd in power/ Myrrah's (Locust Queen's) bodyguard, Skorge riding on the back. The Hydra is the largest known animal in the game and even surpasses the mighty Brumak in size and possibly power, only dwarfed by the Riftworm. The main rider of the Hydra is Skorge himself. In the official gears of war 2 guide, it states that the hydra is a mutated reaver, possibly from imulsion exposure.

Rock Worm
Joining the Locust are large beasts called the Rock Worms, they are taller and tougher than Brumaks themselves, have tough hides and the new Kantus have the ability to direct them, however Marcus and his team can take advantage of the Rock Worms' mobility and can actually use its hide as cover. They eat the glowing red fruit that grows from the ceiling of the Hollow. Surprisingly, these creatures are not outwardly hostile unless you run into their head, then they will bite. They can be used as portable cover, given the fact that they are virtually indestructible.

Riftworm
Possibly a genetic defect of the Rockworm is the Rift Worm, a massive, gargantuan beast that dwarfs every other Locust and every creature on Sera. Through the events of Gears of War 2, it is revealed that the riftworm was being used to sink the Jacinto Plateau before Delta Squad killed it. It swallows the area under cities, creating city-sized sinkholes, and swallows Delta Squad. Ben Carmine is killed inside the Riftworm as Marcus, Dom, Baird, and Cole try to find their way to the first of the three hearts.

Nemacyte
The Nemacyte is a relatively small, spider like Locust only found within the Riftworms stomach, and always attack in groups. They spawn from small holes that erupt in the stomach cavity, and ambush their prey with extreme speed and accuracy. They are about the same size as wretches, so they are an easy and very weak target. They are also the small creatures seen dragging away and eating the still a live torso of Benjamin Carmine.

Nemacyst
The Nemacyst are the small Ink Mortars that are spawned from Seeders. They will hover in the air as easy targets until an enemy is spotted and will then proceed to divebomb kamikaze style and blow the frickin crap out of the area of impact. They are roughly the size of three or four wretches and have tentacles protruding from their undercarraige. Basically anything that can cause damage can kill it in one or two shots. They are seen in Gears of War 1 and 2 and are used to bomb the Assault Derricks and prevent the deployment of the Grindlifts.

Bloodmount
The Bloodmounts are usually kept in a cage with metal bars until the riders choose them. They carry an additional creature (a Beast Rider or Theron) on its back for gun support. It has two legs which it uses as claws to attack the player, but it really walks on its hands and attacks with its shriveled feet. Once the passenger has been eliminated it will run at you and claw you, this also occurs when and if you impact enough damage to its head, where it will tear of its helmet and run at you in a frenzy of rage.

Tickers
This type of Locust seems to resemble a small rodent with long front legs. It is a walking bomb that will set off when it gets close to an enemy. And, as its name suggests, it emits a 'ticking' sound. Players can melee the Ticker to knock it into the air. The new Kantus can call upon these to help defend itself against an assault. 30 melees on tickers will bag the It Takes a Lickin' achievement.

Torture Barge
The Barge is actually a massive living creature, used by the Locust to transport Human slaves and locust troops, and is an essential part of crossing the Hollow in Gears of War 2. The only way to destroy the barge is to use the Brumak's heavy machine guns or, presumably, any other heavy weapon, to destroy its legs, which it uses to crawl along the ceiling of the Hollow. Tai Kaliso is imprisoned in a torture barge and then commits suicide with the shotgun that Marcus gives him.

The Leviathan
In Gears of War 2 There is a monster that lurks in the depths of the massive lake that spans the Hollow. It's seen when the player has to board a Locust Gunboat. In order to kill the leviathan, the player must damage its tentacles (usually by chainsaw or grenade tag), shoot the eyes of the creature, shoot the tendrils in its mouth, and throw a grenade down its throat.

Birth Possibilities
It is unknown how the Locust reproduce. Some people say that they might reproduce asexually or maybe they are just "pulled" out of the ground like the Uruk-Hai and Orcs of the Lord of the Rings series. But it is also interesting to note that Berserkers and Myrrah are the only females. It is also been suggested that they are former humans turned into Locust by unknown means. In a collectible found in the High Security lab, it talks about a test subject who is a human. It says that her nails grew faster, and her hair receded, She may have been turning into a Locust (She may even have turned into the Locust Queen). In the book Aspho Fields, it is stated that the Drones mate with Berserkers, who have to be restrained in order to prevent them from pummeling the drones to death.

Lambent
A mutant variant of the Locust. The Lambent are created when a Locust is exposed to immulsion. The Lambent are stronger and faster than regular Locust, and far more deadly. Most Lambent explode when killed. When the Locust are leaving the hollow the Lambent horde are seen fighting the locust in what seems to be some sort of civil war between the original Locust horde and the lambent horde for control of the hollow.The lambent's overall goals are unknown at this point.

Wretch
Shown in the first Gears of War, the Lambent wretches were wretches sent to guard the immulsion plant. They explode when killed and are sometimes called Dark Wretches.

Drone
Drone Lambent, unlike other lambent locust, Drones do not explode when killed. Drones are the primary Locust used by the Lambent to take the hollow. Unlike the normal Locust who have a large variety of Drones, the lambent Drone class appears to be made entirely out of Grenadiers. Grenadiers are always the first ones to be sent into direct combat, so what ever started turning locust in lambent(aside from the imulsion vaporising) Grenadiers would be the first ones sent to investigate, thus being the first ones to become lambent aside from wretches. Lambent Drones are known to be very strong and resiliant, being able to drive back a squad of normal Locust consisting of a Kantus two Boomers and four Drones.

Brumak
Created when a Brumak is exposed to Imulsion for a short time. When turning Lambent it sheds its armor, grows tentacles, grows a second head out of its mouth( the same as the rock worms have) that stays out, becomes more aggressive, muscular, deadly, and explodes when destroyed. Only one Lambent Brumak has yet been seen, appearing solely in Gears of War 2.