Helghast Empire

The **Helghan Empire** is the authoritarian governing body on planet Helghan, ruling over the Helghast people.

The founder and first ruler of the Empire was Autarch Scolar Visari, who was succeeded by Admiral Orlock, the Helghast Military Commander, following the battle of Pyrrhus City, invasion of Visari Palace and his death.

## ***Military***

The Helghast peoples' lives of extreme hardship naturally make them hardened soldiers. Most of Helghan's fiscal and natural resources go towards the military, leaving little for domestic development. The Helghan military's primary tactics primarily relate to the implementation of vicious, rapidly sweeping surgical strikes reliant on the element of surprise, focusing almost completely on offensive based strategies. However, the Second Extrasolar War has shown that the Helghast military is adept in defensive tactics as well, springing numerous traps and ambushes on unwary ISA forces.

However, thirty years after the destruction of Helghan and their resettlement on Vekta, the new Helghast government has made several reforms on the military. Because of the major decrease of population, the government now relies on more highly trained soldiers with better equipment and weaponry, rather than lightly trained ones who rely on overwhelming numbers. (see here)

* **Trooper** - Also known as **Assault Infantry**, these are the most common Helghast enemy type in all three games. They are rarely found alone or even in pairs, preferring to work in larger groups. Typically armed with an StA-52 Assault Rifle.

* **Squad Leader** - These soldiers are slightly tougher than regular troopers and usually carry an StA-52 or an IvP-18 Tropov Machine Pistol. They wear gray shoulder pads and their respirators do not have air hoses attached to them.

* **Officer** - These are high ranking soldiers are stationed at forward posts and checkpoints. They also seen working alone or in pairs with leading regular troops. They armed with StA-52 Assault Rifle and occasionally M327 Grenade Launchers.

* **Light Soldier** - These are the weakest of all the Helghast ground troops, but their light armor also makes them the fastest. They usually carry assault rifles, but sometimes they carry BP-02 Pup Grenade Launchers and pistols.

* **Commando** - These are close combat specialists armed with LS13 Shotguns and thicker armor.

* **Rifleman** - These sharpshooters are armed with StA-14 Rifles and deal precise damage on the battlefield.

* **Sniper** - Helghast troopers trained to eliminate enemies from a distance. Rarely seen in the games, they are recognized by the red scope goggles they wear as well as their camouflaged (later cloaking) armor. As their name suggests, they carry StA-52 SLAR or VC32 sniper rifles, but will switch to pistols if the player gets close. They have as much health as common soldiers.

* **Shock Trooper** - These troopers were chosen by General Metrac to swiftly intercept and eliminate enemies in close quarters. They are armed with S-FOX machine pistols or StA-11 Submachine Guns, and often draw knives at extremely close range.

* **Specialist** - These soldiers consist of the brightest and most athletic of the entire Helghast Army's infantry. They are sent through an extensive and brutal training regime for them to fulfill important and critical mission roles. They are armed with the S-FOX pistol.

* **Elite Soldier** - These heavy troops are typically armed with StA-3 Light Machine Guns. They are very strong and are much more resilient than average troopers, whom they are often found fighting alongside. Elites do not wear helmets, but still wear the iconic orange goggles.

* **Assault Soldier** - These are much tougher than Elites but slow-moving due to their distinctive, thick armor, which makes them incredibly resilient to damage. They are also considerably more dangerous than assault soldiers thanks to their reliance on M327 Grenade Launchers.

* **Support Trooper** - These are similar to Assault Soldiers, albeit with less substantial armor. They are typically armed with VC9 Rocket Launchers.

* **Base Commander** - These are as strong as an Elite despite their minimal armor. As their name suggests they are only found in Helghast camps, making them quite rare. Base Commanders are easily recognized by their long overcoats and lack of helmets. They commonly carry pistols.

* **Bodyguard** - Bodyguards are the strongest enemy in the game. They are intelligent, seek cover when injured and look for opportunities to ambush the player. They usually are seen carrying StA-3s and have a distinctive visor on their helmets.

* **Heavy Trooper** - Heavy Soldiers are hulking brutes who serve as the heavy hitters of the Helghan Empire. They are slow but very strong and they carry devastating StA-6 Chainguns. Their only weak point is the gas tanks on their backs.

* **Pyro Trooper** - These troopers are armed with VC1 Flamethrowers and are typically employed to clear bunkers and trenches. They are also equipped with fire-proof suits that protect them from the flames, however, they may still be killed by explosions.

* **Supreme Trooper** - The Supreme Troopers function as support units and personal guards for General Armin Metrac. Dressed in their experimental servo-assisted armor, and brandishing heavy VnS-10B Scylla Chainguns and pneumatic manipulator arms, they resemble nothing but a walking tank.

* **Air Trooper** - These soldiers make use of SL-06 Personal Jet Propulsion systems that give these troopers mobility to fly across the battlefield. Production was ordered by General Metrac himself after witnessing the device's effectiveness.

* **Stahl Arms Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) Trooper** - These troopers are the most common in Stahl Arms' private military. Their training, equipment and armor are superior to the regular Helghast soldiers. They use the VC5 Arc Rifle effectively - facing them directly is dangerous.

* **Capture Trooper** - These elite soldiers are armed with arm-mounted blades. They are notable in that they are the only enemies to have an instant-kill melee animation in the game's campaign. They have greater strength, speed and endurance with light yet strong armor. These physical advantages may be due to possible drugs acting as steroids.

* **Sentry Bot** - These flying gun platforms attack with dual machine guns. They are not well-armored but can be hard to hit because of their tendency to stay on the move. When they are destroyed, they explode, inflicting moderate damage to anything close by.

* **Guard Dog** - These dogs wear armor similar to the common

Helghast soldier, even down to the iconic orange goggles and black respirator, adjusted for the dogs' physiology. Their only weapons are their razor sharp teeth and claws.

* **Spider Mine** - These mines are robotic spiders that chase after any living thing, whether it be friend or foe, until it detonates when it gets close enough to a target.

* **Police** - They wear riot gear with helmets marked with two yellow stripes. Unlike other Units, their duty is to enforce the law of Helghan. They are armed with StA-52 Assault Rifles.

* **Bounty Hunter** - When Templar and his squad encounter a heavily defended beacon. The bounty hunter (as referred to on the Vekta Today website) uses a laser designator to coordinate artillery onto the team, but will switch to a pistol when they get close. About as tough as a common soldier. His name suggests he is not a member of the Helghast military, but rather a private contractor.

### **Known Units**

The known military battalions and Units of the Helghast Military, are listed below as the most powerful units during the time of the Second Extrasolar War.

* Third Shock Army
* Elite Guard
* 222nd Battalion
* Helghast First Army
* Helghast 4th Core
* Helghast 5th Army
* Pyrrhus Battalion
* 23rd Blitz Army
* 21st Armored Shock Battalion
* 82nd Pyrrhus Corps
* 51st Space Cpre
* 44th Space Fleet
* Helghast Cockiaus Battalion
* Pyrrhus Arms
* Visari Corps
* 42nd Heavy Battalion
* 23rd Helghan Platoon
* 14th Elite Corps Battalion
* Helghast 61st Core Battalion
* Corpus Company
* Helghast 40th Battalion
* Helghast 72nd Armored Battalion