Hunters

The Hunters are the enemy faction first introduced in the Survival update in Tom Clancy's The Division. They are arguably one of the most dangerous enemies a Division agent can encounter.
With the ability to imitate Division agents, these Hunters have increased mobility and the ability to use Skills; their tactics and behaviors being more akin to players than any other kind of enemy. Hunters can be clearly identified by their trademark ballistic masks alongside the multiple glowing orange and red (Rogue) Smart Watches they wear as trophies from agents they have executed.
The identity and motives of the Hunters have mostly remained a mystery, seen only showing extreme hostility to Division agents that is nothing short of homicidal in nature; much to the point where they will even use a crash axe to strike and execute them, provided the opportunity to do so.
It is revealed however, in Hidden Alliance, that the Hunters are in fact working for the director of Homeland Security, Calvin McManus. The Hunter program was likely founded by McManus as a sort of failsafe towards The Division, due to their nature as an agency which operates with almost complete autonomy and little accountability. 
In First Rogue, it is also revealed that many of the Hunters were recruited to the program before the Division's activation via a USB drive containing a roster. And it is apparent that that a sizeable number of government officials didn't trust Division Agents to follow their mission: Ensuring continuinity of government. Thus, they approved the use of Hunters as watch-dogs for those agents and eliminate them if they become the problem 
== Appearance==
Each Hunter has a different appearance, but they share the same overall motif of dark heavy armor and dark ballistic masks. The Hunters are also adorned with SHD watches taken from the agents they have killed, as well as military grade equipment and armaments.
In Tom Clancy's The Division, there are five distinct appearances for the Hunters:
*Black ballistic mask and gray clothing.
*Black and Yellow striped ballistic mask and white clothing.
*Black ballistic mask with night vision goggles and black clothing.
*Black and Yellow striped ballistic mask and gray clothing.
*Camo striped ballistic mask, ghillie hood, and camo clothing.
Hunters in Tom Clancy's The Division 2 have much more varied appearances with each Hunter sporting an assortment of different vestments and gear, alongside a unique recognizable mask, which will drop upon being killed.
==Known Hunters==
== Role in Tom Clancy's The Division ==
The Hunters have mostly remained a mystery throughout the conflicts that first sprang with the early outbreaks of Green Poison in New York City. From New York's collapse, the activation of two separate waves, and the events leading up to the conflicts within Washington, D.C., very little information on them has been gathered. There is extremely little to elaborate on with them as a collective, and practically no data on nearly any of them as individuals. 
The first signs of involvement began with initial strikes taking place during the collapse of New York. Division agents were tasked with entering the Dark Zone to retrieve experimental antivirals that could lead to a potential cure for Green Poison. Unfortunately, an exceedingly dangerous storm had taken place at this time. With record low temperatures and unforgiving snowfall, agents would be met with harsh resistance from the very beginning of their expedition. Unaware of the dangers that lay ahead of them, they pressed onward into increasingly hazardous territory. Eventually these experimental antivirals would be successfully retrieved. In search of a way out of the Dark Zone, Division agents would use their skills and ingenuity to craft a makeshift flare. Flare at the ready, agents headed towards the nearest extraction site. It is here that one of the most dangerous enemies a Division agent could face, would make themselves known. The Hunters.
It is estimated that of the many agents missing in the field, Hunter engagements accounted for a considerable number of them. This much has been confirmed through survivor accounts noting the copious amount of smartwatches that Hunters adorn themselves with. Given the capabilities of Division agents and their technology, along with the extensive amount of confidential information and data involved, Hunters collect these watches in an attempt to consolidate SHD equipment and deny state assets from falling into the wrong hands. Under no circumstance do Hunters leave SHD smartwatches behind.
Since their activation in the months that followed, up to the events of the D.C. campaign, increasing amounts of information have slowly begun coming to light. Due to the ongoing armed conflict taking place in New York months after the outbreak, agents Alani Kelso and others were dispatched to assist fellow agent Faye Lau in the manhunt for rogue agent Aaron Keener. During this excursion, following the operation that ended Keener's reign in New York, agent Faye Lau would immediately betray the Division soon after Keener's death on Liberty Island, much to the dismay of her fellow agents and few close allies, Roy Benitez and Paul Rhodes. It is revealed that Lau and then B.T.S.U. leader: Bardon Schaeffer, had kept in close contact for a short time just before the events of the New York campaign. 
Following the subjugation of extremely lethal rogue agents, Molly "Jupiter" Henderson and Carter "Hornet" Leroux, Bardon Schaeffer would be next on the list of high value targets to neutralize. Unbeknownst to the Division agents however, a much more problematic threat was looming over the horizon. The manhunt revolving around Bardon Schaeffer would be one of the most grueling hunts yet. This time Hunters would be getting directly involved, with lone individuals being strategically deployed away from the eyes of each high value target within Bardon's cell. Ultimately culminating in a decisive battle between an extremely lethal figure and very particular Hunter later on, towards the very climax of the manhunt. Division agents would ultimately reign triumphant and capture the target, Bardon Schaeffer. Albeit in critical condition.
The consequences of Lau's betrayal were significant. Her actions could no longer be ignored and a subsequent manhunt to capture or kill, was enacted. Continuous operations led by Lau and her cell of rogue agents have put the Division in jeopardy, as her betrayal had also led to the most paramount event to take place thus far. The assassination of then-United States President, Andrew Ellis. This has painted Lau in far beyond a negative light, with Division agents being ordered to put Lau down, effective immediately. Lau's betrayal however, was not without meaning. Shortly afterwards it is uncovered, that the events that led to the manhunt and eventual capture of Bardon Schaeffer were, in fact, a ploy devised be none other than Lau and Schaeffer themselves. With the entire plan hinging on Schaeffer's survival as his capture was, in reality, an intended outcome. With President Ellis's betrayal and allegiance towards the Black Tusk, Lau saw no other way to put an end to Ellis's agenda than by his death. And in her final moments, the reality of the grave situation about to take place would soon unfold. 
Lau's death would mark the beginning of hidden messages unraveling, with agent Alani Kelso and Division coordinator Manny Ortega pondering the meaning behind her sacrifice. It is here that agent Alani Kelso discovers sets of encrypted files detailing the talks between Lau herself and Schaeffer. The communications between the two have slowly let slip a deeper relationship between the Hunters and the overarching details about them in regards to ongoing conflicts. With Schaeffer's survival being the key component to understanding just what exactly is happening within the Division that no one is being told. It is within these secret rendezvous between Lau and Schaeffer that a key figure is revealed to be involved. The currently seated Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States, Calvin McManus. The Hunters are in fact, working for homeland. 
After Lau's demise, an old rival would soon re-emerge. The True Sons have come back, and they are deadlier than ever before. The True Sons have begun consolidating power and are starting to pose a real threat to national security. But this consolidation of power comes at a cost. A hidden alliance between the True Sons and the Black Tusk has begun to surface, and the resulting alliance has left some True Sons members skeptical of their place in the future. One such member was Captain Fredrick Lewis. Formerly a JTF officer, he has climbed through ranks within the True Sons, and has authority nearly comparable to then de-facto True Sons Leader, General Peter Anderson. 
After the declaration to neutralize Captain Lewis, yet another extensive manhunt had been enacted, with the neutralization of each individual target leaking increasing amounts of information regarding the alliance between Black Tusk and True Sons. Most notably the events that lead up to that alliance being the sole reason that Captain Lewis had defected from the True Sons in the first place. The information acquired through communication logs have slowly made revelations that show an ongoing, secondary alliance, between Black Tusk founder, Natalya Sokolova and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Calvin McManus. 
It is in this moment the Division agents learn that Hunters are in fact, part of hidden, highly classified group of individuals belonging to the so called "Hunter Program", hand-picked and chosen by McManus himself. These individuals form an extremely secretive group of incredibly skilled soldiers that function as McManus's "clean up crew" and are tasked with eliminating threats before they become a problem. As such they follow orders from McManus and no one else, acting only on his behalf. 
During the operation to capture Captain Lewis, a top secret training session was about to take place. After the fall of the Hunter in Coney Island during the manhunt for Schaeffer, McManus is looking to replace his lost asset. Looking to Natalya for a way to replenish his men, he unveils that quite a few number of them are already embedded within Black Tusk, much to her surprise. It is at this time that Natalya lists several potential candidates to meet McManus's demands. One of said candidates was B.T.S.U. operative Jack Bonney. Bonney would be handed an SHD watch with classified status and undergo the secretive training session while being overlooked by a particular Hunter, referenced only as "The Recruiter" by Lewis. Jefferson Trade Center was chosen as the training grounds for the candidate. "The Recruiter" would make several appearances throughout the testing grounds, but never getting directly involved. This made it clear that the Division agents and Lewis were seen as little more than obstacles for Bonney to prove himself with. 
After a series of engagements and encounters, Jack Bonney was ultimately defeated and killed in action. Thus concluding the training session. The SHD watch collected from his corpse by the Division agents would then be confiscated for future analysis. 
Some time has passed since the events following the recruitment drive to replace McManus' lost Hunter. The Black Tusk have prepared a response. Regrouped with enough manpower and a strategically planned out operation, Natalia Sokolova is finally baring her fangs. With the capture of the perfusion bioreactor and Bardon Schaeffer in custody, Sokolova will tolerate failure no longer. With his intentions unclear, and loyalties faltering, Sokolova has finally decided to tie up loose ends, deploying a new team of Elite B.T.S.U. operatives as well as key figures within the True Sons. 
It is here that a new manhunt is enacted with special targets Charles "Chunks" Crawford, Lieutenant Bantam, Mort "Cursed" Kellogg, Beatrice "Auntie" Kaplan, and prime target Zachary "Stovepipe" Beattie. 
With each target taken out commission, the manhunt continues with increasingly concerning information being acquired. Sokolova is becoming more interested in the effects of radiation, specifically in regards with contaminated munitions and artillery. It is here that Beattie interjects his concerns and begins to question Sokolova's curiosity. 
Unbeknownst to Division agents, the manhunt was nothing more than a ruse to deceive the Division, orchestrated by none other than Sokolova herself. After Beattie's refusal to assist Sokolova in what he deemed to be a questionable use of munitions, and act of insubordination, Sokolova has Beattie assassinated. Acting as nothing more than a distraction, the entire operation to track down and eliminate Beattie gave Sokolova the window of opportunity that she needed in order to launch an assault on the White House. 
With Division agents away and tracking down Beattie on Coney Island, Sokolova launches a full on assault. Her goal: Eliminate Bardon Schaeffer and Secure the perfusion bioreactor. Division agents, discovering Stovepipe's corpse, are finally made aware of Sokolova's true intentions. After making an escape from Coney Island, they are quick to return to the White House, and are ordered to immediately retaliate and eliminate all hostiles. The attack itself has devastated the White House, with various personnel killed or missing. Among these individuals are John Yazzie, Eva Garcia, Lauren Fong, Mitchell Billings, Mari Singh, Cindy McAllister, Mel Arnold, Jack Arnold, and Vikram Malik. The bioreactor has also been reclaimed by Black Tusk. 
Alarmingly, two key individuals had also been taken by Black Tusk. Vitaly Tchernenko was reclaimed in the attack and Outcast strategist Harlan Lloyd, has been captured and taken into custody. 
In defense of the White House, Captain Fredrick Lewis was also lost in battle, assassinated by an unknown assailant, discovered after analysis of a reconstructed evidence correlation holographic overlay (ECHO). 
Not all hope is lost however. Sokolova could not achieve one of her objectives. As Bardon Schaeffer was taken into the safety of a panic room hidden within the walls of the White House, buying ample time for Division reinforcements to arrive and successfully repel the attack. In the days that followed after the assault, things have begun to settle down. With Manny looking to expand Division influence, he decides its time to reclaim the Castle Settlement. And to take back the people he lost in the White House, with it. 
And so begins the rescue operations for the missing individuals. 
Following the creation of a new alliance between True Sons and Black Tusk, the attack on the White House and the subsequent rescue of Mari Singh at the Manning National Zoo, the Recruiter is mobilized. This time, taking a more active role in dealing with the remaining hostages Cindy McAllister, Mel Arnold, Jack Arnold and Vikram Malik, as the agents he once watched kill his trainee would start a new hunt, this time, to locate the hunter himself. 
In the days that followed after Mari's rescue, The Recruiter would be personally responsible for overseeing the escort and management of captured hostages Cindy McAllister, Mel Arnold, Jack Arnold, Vikram Malik and his sister "Birdie". As this is happening, notorious agent Brian Johnson has made his appearance, assisting fellow Division agents and taking part in ongoing operations to rescue the hostages held by Sokolova and The Recruiter. 
After a series of successful rescue operations, Vikram Malik pleads for the rescue of his sister, "Birdie", having located her in Camp White Oak. 
Johnson and the agents go to Camp White Oak in order to rescue his sister, Birdie, bringing the mobile SHD server with them. Amidst instabilities in the server and the agents assault on the Black Tusk and True Sons soldiers at the camp, Birdie reveals to the agents she was told by Sokolova that the Division and Black Tusk were now allies, and she was sent there alongside agent Johnson, who she reveals to be the none other than The Recruiter himself.
Johnson, in a desperate attempt to escape Camp White Oak with the stolen SHD server, engages the agents in combat while waiting for the extraction helicopter sent by Natalya. During the fight, Johnson is mostly protected by his SHD Defender Drone, leading Birdie to use the Black Tusk's countermeasure to deactivate both his and the agents' SHD tech, leaving him temporarily vulnerable. After a tough battle, Johnson is hit by a mortar strike sent by Birdie, collapsing on the floor and dying from his injuries. With all hostages rescued, Sokolova's plan to steal the mobile SHD server thwarted, and McManus' most esteemed Hunter dead, the manhunt is completed. Once again, the Division proves their tactical superiority. The balance of power is beginning to shift.
The main goal of Calvin McManus is to take up power with Nataliya Sokolova and use her Black Tusk Assets to restore the government of the United States of America. Thereby making his Hunters and the Black Tusk legal aides of the United States Government. 
When Agent Melanie Hoskins went to a Hunter's FOB as an assignment from Aaron Keener, she found a USB drive filled with a roster. That roster contained the names of every Agent that was recruited to the Hunter program before the Division's activation, as the powers that be couldn't trust Division Agents to get their job done, and needed the Hunters to maintain oversight. And if necessary, eliminate agents who are off-mission.
==Gameplay==
===Tom Clancy's The Division ===
When in Survival, Hunters will only appear when the player calls in an extraction. The number of players at the extraction will be equal to the number of Hunters the players will face. It should be noted that if more players arrive in the extraction area after the extraction is called, more Hunters will spawn to make the number of Hunters equal the number of players. Once the extraction is called, the player's HUD will begin to glitch evermore aggressively and skills will be temporarily jammed. This indicates that the Hunters have arrived. 
Hunters have high mobility equal to that of players. They are capable of mimicking player behaviors such as rolling to avoid incoming fire and grenades, and have faster sprinting and mantling speed as compared to other NPCs. Hunters will aggressively assault players in an attempt to force them into a corner. Unlike other Chargers who take a straight path to the player, Hunters will move from cover to cover quickly in a zigzag pattern towards the player. When working with other Hunters, it is common for one to suppress their target will the other tries to flank them.
The Hunters, while being classed as an , do not have armor (excluding Resistance), along with fairly low health, making them as vulnerable as a player. weapons are recommended to use against Hunters as they deal with the highest potential damage compared to other weapons of various Rarity.
As of Update 1.8: Resistance, players who engage in the Underground DLC will now have a chance to encounter Hunters mid-mission for a rare chance to get classified or exotic gear. If the player or squad is killed, the Hunters will not spawn in again and the player or group will continue with the normal mission. Hunters are included in Resistance mode as well, and once players successfully reach Wave 15 and up, Hunters are added to the waves of enemies with increasing difficulty of each wave beyond 20, each with varying skills, armaments, and most notably, armor.
Along with bosses, a singular Hunter will also spawn on eligible Legendary Difficulty missions if the group has not yet wiped. Although they have no armor, their health pool is extremely high. On death, these Legendary Hunters are guaranteed to drop one Exotic item. They can spawn on the following missions on Legendary Difficulty:
*Amherst's Apartment
*Grand Central Station
*Madison Field Hospital
*General Assembly
===Tom Clancy's The Division 2===
Following the events of the first game, Hunters make their return to Tom Clancy's The Division 2, remaining just as enigmatic as they were in its prequel.
In Tom Clancy's The Division 2, to fight a Hunter you must first follow a series of clues that will lead you to its location. Upon killing the Hunter, you will acquire its face mask.
These mysterious open world Hunter encounters can only be activated after the mission Agent Edwards Support. In this encounter, the D.C. agent searches for Agent Edwards, who has already been killed by the Hunter. After inspecting the body of Agent Edwards, a Hunter will appear and engage the agent in a small skirmish, after which the Hunter will shock the agent, taunt them, then flee. After the completion of this side mission, all other Hunter encounters are unlocked. Additionally, one unique Hunter wearing a skull mask has an important role in Warlords of New York Season 3 - Concealed Agenda.
Hunters in Tom Clancy's The Division 2 are significantly more dangerous than their Division 1 counterparts, with each Hunter having access to an array of unique weapons, grenades, and skills. Hunters are also capable of dealing tremendous amounts of damage while taking plenty of themselves. Hunters in-fact, are the singular enemy with the highest damage ramp-up of any other NPC encountered, with hunters on Challenging Difficulty already dealing damage on par with enemies such as Legendary Difficulty Black Tusk. Unlike most Hunters in The Division 1, all Hunters in The Division 2 come with armor, and lots of it. Often requiring that an agent and their team focus their fire on said Hunter before it has an opportunity to heal.
===Executions===
In Tom Clancy's The Division, Getting close to a Hunter is extremely dangerous and ill-advised, as they can instantly (and almost always will) take down any player with a melee attack from their crash axe. Should an agent go down, they may become vulnerable to a Hunter's execution, assuming the Hunter isn't busy with another target. Should an agent go down and no other threats are present, the Hunters will enter a unique execution mode in which they will shock the player with a Sticky Bomb Launcher, preventing them from moving or making any kind of possible escape. Afterwards, they will close in on the downed agent and commit a unique animation in which they will execute their target using their crash axe. Because of this tactic, revivals from allies could potentially be much more dangerous and lethal for any agent trying to get their downed comrades back in the fight, as they may lie unconscious in an unfavorable, exposed position.
Players with the gear set and/or substantial Skill Power can use the Ballistic Shield to prevent themselves from being downed with a melee attack; this however will heavily damage the Ballistic Shield. Assuming no Ballistic Shield is being used, then only by having enough stamina can an agent hope to survive a swing of their crash axe. 
In Tom Clancy's The Division 2, Hunters remain just as dangerous as their Division 1 counterparts in close quarters. However, there are notable differences. One such difference is the lack of an execution mechanic. This mechanic has not been implemented into Division 2. Instead, if given the opportunity, downed agents will only be shot dead on the spot. Alongside the absence of an execution mechanic, another notable difference is the damage done by the swing of their crash axe. In Division 2, every strike from a Hunter's axe will immediately deplete an agent of all their armor and nearly all of their health, regardless of how high or low those respective attributes may be. This effectively means that while each swing from a Hunter's axe is not grounds for an immediate game over, a swift and imminent end may occur if retreating is impossible (i.e. lack of viable cover in the immediate area).
==Equipment==
===Skills and Abilities===
Hunters will use a variety of skills provided by the SHD Tech they have acquired from previous agent encounters. Similar to First Wave Division Rogue agents, a Hunter can hack the SHD Tech of its enemies and turn them against their user and group members. Hunters will also throw different types of grenades and send out EMP pulses, disrupting any skills.
In Tom Clancy's The Division, Hunters use two different skills and can choose from five different skills (Turrets, Sticky Bomb, First Aid, Turret and Seeker Mine).
In addition, the Hunters will have access to three medkits to heal themselves. After using their third medkit, they won't be able to heal unless the Hunter in question has First Aid or a Support Station equipped. In Tom Clancy's The Division 2, Hunters can use all skills featured from Tom Clancy's The Division and including the many new skills introduced in Tom Clancy's The Division 2. However, Hunters cannot use First Aid or the Support Station (First Aid does not feature in The Division 2, and Support Stations are only used by Black Tusk). 
*First Aid
*Support Station
*Sticky Bomb
*Turret
*Seeker Mine
*Drone
*Hive
*Chem Launcher
*Decoy
*Firefly 
*Jammer
In The Division 2, Hunters have access to four armor kits (the same amount as players who have upgraded their Armor Kit perk at the Base of Operations), and a combination of two-player skills (Most listed above, apart from the summit).
=== Weapons===
Hunters carry a variety of weapons, depending on their type. They have access to one long-range weapon (MMR, LMG, AR) and one short-range weapon (SMG, SG).
==Gallery==
===Hunter Models===
NLwIKzQ.jpg|Hunter character model
NLwIKzQ.jpg|Hunter character model
AZfbN00.jpg|Hunter character model
===Artwork ===
A3ba17d4ed20734971bf8b9f2eef033b.jpg
XXHz8In.png|A Hunter executing a Division agent
Tc-the-division-survival-npc-hunter-artwork.jpg
Hunter AK.jpg
===Photo Mode Captures ===
Divide Hunter.png|Divide Hunter
Crimson Hunter.png|Crimson Hunter
Angel Hunter.png|Angel Hunter
Drama Hunterr.png|Drama Hunter
Deceit Hunter.png|Deceit Hunter
Cross Hunter.png|Cross Hunter
Death Hunter.png|Death Hunter
Demon Hunter.png|Demon Hunter
Neurotic Hunter.png|Neurotic Hunter
Ghoul Hunter.png|Ghoul Hunter
Paranoid Hunter.png|Paranoid Hunter
Phantom Hunterr.png|Phantom Hunter
Revenant Hunter.png|Revenant Hunter
Diamond Hunter.png|Diamond Hunter
Camo Hunter.png|Camo Hunter
Veil Hunter.png|Veil Hunter
File:Trip Hunter.png|Trip Hunter
File:Lucky Hunter.png|Lucky Hunter
File:Jack Bonney.png|Jack Bonney - Candidate for the Hunter Program.
== Trivia==
*The Hunters that appear in the Countdown game mode are considered as part of the Black Tusk, further suggesting a hidden alliance between them.
*Calvin McManus confirmed that some of the Hunters are inside of Black Tusk.
*As revealed in the comms for Year 5 Season 2: Puppeteers, Hunters are instructed not to speak to avoid identification via voice recognition.
**In some instances, Hunters can be heard with distorted comms, probably as a way to avoid said identification. This is the case for the Coney Island Hunter during the entirety of his boss fight, as well as The Recruiter's initial appearances at Camp White Oak.
==Appearances==
*Tom Clancy's The Division
*Tom Clancy's The Division 2
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