"If the transhuman forces are to prove themselves an indispensable augmentation to the Combine Overwatch, they will have to earn the privilege." ―Dr. Wallace Breen
The transhuman forces, also referred to as stabilization forces in Combine terminology, is a division of the Combine Overwatch which serves as their military ground force.
Overview[]
Transhuman soldiers, in a more specific stance, are humans modified with Combine technology to become cybernetically enhanced. Additionally, a special class called the Combine Elites, who are the crème de la crème of transhuman units, are deployed either as squad leaders, special escorts or in squads of their own as shock troopers. This branch sports a much larger arsenal than Civil Protection, ranging from conventional human designs to Combine pulse weaponry.
Equipment[]
Standard Combine Soldiers, like other soldier variants, wear standard-issue blue and grey camo body armor over their torsos with padding on their arms, thighs, and groin. Several insignia can be found worn on their arm pads, signifying their position in the Combine regime. Perhaps the most advanced piece of equipment found on Combine Soldiers are their helmets, which cover the head entirely and are equipped with air filters. These helmets have glowing goggles, and appear to be a cross between an old Soviet PMG and PBF gas mask.
Combine Soldiers are equipped with Submachine Guns, shotguns or AR2 Pulse Rifles, as well as grenades. Using these standard-issue weapons, Combine Soldiers typically work in squads of four to six, each squad having at least one soldier armed with a shotgun and another armed with an AR2 Pulse Rifle, while the rest are armed with SMG . During combat, soldiers make use of squad tactics and will attempt to flank its enemies and cover each other.
Designations[]
Like many of the forces of the Overwatch, soldiers are given a unit name and accompanying number from one to nine. These default designations are leader, flash, ranger, hunter, blade, scar, hammer, sweeper, swift, fist, sword, savage, tracker, slash, razor, stab, spear, striker, and dagger.[1]
Trivia[]
- Although the transhuman soldiers are completely stripped of their human memories and empathy, they still demonstrate a degree of understanding of emotions and morale. For example, Dr. Wallace Breen addresses the transhuman arm of Sector 17 Overwatch directly via Breencast, announcing his dissatisfaction with their continuous failure to apprehend Gordon. Breen then further admits to the Combine's growing concerns about his adequacy and states that "if the transhuman forces are to prove themselves an indispensable augmentation to the Combine Overwatch", they must complete their assigned objectives with greater success. The Overwatch Voice also threatens them with "off-world reassignment" from time to time, requesting them to sacrifice their own lives to complete missions.
References[]
- ↑ Half-Life 2 game files, "V_MYNAMEP" in sentences.txt