Crab

I will eat you alive!

82 (Elite)

118 (Heroic)

60000 (Heroic)

## Introduction

The **Crab** is the specialized anti-infantry member of General Algrin "A.I." Ironhand's Spider family of combat mechs. It's one of the more sadistic weapons in the United States arsenal, the mech attacks by launching razor sharp discs at enemy soldiers to cleave them into pieces.

## Overview

Due to the fact that both crabs and spiders are classified as anthropods, the Crab mech is placed in the Spider mech lineup. Like the rest of the mass produced spider mechs, the Crab has six legs, although they're positioned in the mechs front and rear in pairs of three instead of on the sides, thus it moves in the same way that a real crab crawls.

The crab's primary weapon is a rather unconventional one: a rotating disc launcher mounted on the top of its body. The weapon launches razor sharp rotating saw blades at speeds high enough to cleave a human in two. Although the saw blade launcher has lower rate of fire over conventional anti-infantry weapons like machine guns and autocannons, its range advantage allows it to take down enemy anti-armor infantries before they have a chance to fire their weapons. A group of Spider Mechs can easily chew through an infantry horde.

Despite the Crab's low ground clearance, its legs can be adjusted to raise up the mech to clear rougher terrain. Like the Spider Tank and the Dominator, the Crab mech is capable of climbing cliffs. Allowing the mech to strike from unexpected angles.

The Crab's high mobility and powerful weapons allows it to play a good role in disrupting the GLA's supply line, as long as it can find an opening, it can sneak into the back of the enemy's base or around a poorly defended supply depot and cut down the supply carrying workers one by one.

Despite all of its advantages making it a formidable weapon, the Crab mech does have some short comings to it. First of all, it's the most specialized mech of the Spider family, as it can ONLY target infantry units, making it completely useless against vehicles, aircraft and structures. The Crab also shares the flaw of low armor like the rest of the Spider family, meaning that it has to use hit & run tactics and numbers instead of direct confrontation.

## Upgrades

**Advanced Data Transmission Codes**

* Makes the Spider Tank more resistant to ECM weapons and make it harder to disable them. Available at the Strategy Center at Rank 3.

### Drones

Rank 1:

* **Battlefield Mechanic**: Repairs the Spider Tank on the field.
* **Scout Drone**: Detects stealth units, does not detects mines and traps.

Rank 3:

* **Jet Sniper Drone**: Anti-infantry drone, armed with dual sniper rifles.
* **Stinger Drone**: Anti-air drone, armed with a stinger missile launcher.
* **Zodiac Drone**: Anti-missile drone, armed with a point defence laser.
* **Hellfire Drone**: Anti-armor drone, armed with a hellfire missile launcher.

## Assessment

Pros:

* Highly effective against infantries, can one-shot almost all conventional infantry units.
* Can crush infantry and fire on the move.
* Highly mobile, has speed comparable to a Hummer's.
* Can climb cliffs.
* Can clear garrisons.
* Can be upgraded with drones to increase combat effectiveness.
* Immune to toxins, radiation, neutron, hijacking and deplioting.

Cons:

* Cannot attack vehicles without the Hellfire Drone.
* Helpless against aircraft without the Stinger Drone upgrade.
* Cannot gain veterancy.
* Weak armor, can be easily destroyed with AT weapons.

## Quotes

### When Selected

* I smell their blood...
* Their destruction is the only outcome.
* Crab awaits orders.
* Direct me to your enemy.
* You need to only tell me one word...

### When Ordered to Move

* Sure thing.
* Let us go.
* There will be death on the way...
* Approaching their position.
* Excellent!

### When Ordered to Attack

* Throwing my discs.
* A culling is at hand!
* I will eat you alive!
* You stand no chance!
* You're done for, you worm!

## Trivia

* In the earlier designs, the Crab is named the "Cutter" and is based on a Spider Tank's chassis which only has two pair of legs.
* Prior to Patch 2 of Contra 009 FINAL, the Crab, along with other members of the spider family, reused *Kane's Wrath* Nod Tiberium Trooper voice lines.

## See also

* **Dominator**
* **Spider Tank**