recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Combine Ace

## Overview

**Aces** are some of the newest and most dangerous additions to the Combine force. While they may appear weaker than default Overwatch Soldiers with their jumpsuit-like armor, they are much faster, capable of running up to 3-4 times faster than Soldiers and Metrocops, as well as being able to perform very high jumps, often in places the player cannot reach. In addition, they actually have higher health than all other Combine humanoid units, having 100 health in total.

## Behavior

Combine Aces are almost always alert, often running from place to place, attempting to seek out their enemies. The moment they notice one, they immediately begin to run around the area, firing away while they do so, rarely taking breaks in their sprints. Unlike Soldiers and other enemies, Aces will almost never fire in bursts, nearly always firing fully-automatically with striking accuracy.

If given the opportunity, Aces may begin to super-jump to very high up areas to throw off the player, which can prove to be a problem if the player has few weapons suited to long-range conflicts.

Aces usually carry MP5's, but may appear with other weapons as well, such as the default MP7 or AR2's. If the player is especially unlucky, they can also appear with Pulse Machine Guns on occasions.

Aces are often freakishly accurate with their weapons, often landing headshots on the player and causing untold amounts of aimpunch as a result, making counter-attacks quite difficult.

Something very unsettling about Aces is that they seem to have *massively* increased magazine sizes with their weapons, as they almost never have to reload. While most will run out of ammo with an MP5 within about 4 seconds, Aces are able to fire anywhere from 8-15 seconds straight, for example.

Thankfully, Aces almost never show up until the later chapters of the game (Anticitizen One, Nova Prospekt, etc.), and even when they do, they usually appear one at a time, albeit with other enemies coming to back them up.

## Tactics

As Aces are very quick and usually don't stop moving, faster firing, moderate damage weapons are preferable, such as the MP40 or PMG. It is advisable to clear away any other enemies that may be in the area so they don't bother you, as having both an Ace and several Overwatch Soldiers on your tail at the same time can prove to be a serious problem.

Experienced players can try waiting until an Ace stops moving before quickly pelting them with a high damage weapon, such as a Karabiner 98 or Sawed-Off Shotgun. However, due to how short the intervals are between the Ace moving and stopping, this may not be the best idea.

Bullet Time can also be used to slow down the Ace, although this will slow down your bullets as well, so leading is often necessary.

If in a pinch, heavy weapons can be used to deal with Aces quickly, such as the Laser Rifle, although this is best saved as a last resort.

## Trivia

Aces bear a striking resemblance to the Combine Assassin from the Half-Life 2 Beta.
Desert Eagle

## Overview

The **Desert Eagle,** or **Deagle,** is a powerful Magnum-like handgun found in the Canals. It can be compared to the Magnum in power, but the Desert Eagle can be fired much faster, sports a laser sight, is nearly as accurate (if not more so), reloads faster, and is more powerful. Essentially, the Desert Eagle is an upgrade to the Magnum in every way. However, unlike the Magnum, the Desert Eagle can only be found once.

## Acquisition

The Desert Eagle can be found in Water Hazard, in a dumpster next to a Metrocop-controlled outpost. To get into the dumpster, the player can climb up a ladder attached to the side of the dumpster. The Desert Eagle is lying near the center of the rubbish inside, near an item crate.

If it is missed there, the Desert Eagle cannot be found again.

## Advantages

-Very powerful; can kill an Ace in two shots.

-Very accurate.

-It has a bright laser sight, which can make targeting easier without iron sights.

## Disadvantages

-Easy to miss for players that don't check around much.

-Uses the moderately rare magnum ammo.

-Lacks a crosshair without the laser sight.

-Mediocre reload speed.

-Small magazine size.

-It can only be found once.

## Tactics

-Use the Desert Eagle carefully, as it's ammo is hard to come by.

-The Desert Eagle is very effective against heavier enemies; Augmented enemies drop quite easily from just a few headshots.

-If you're careful, the Desert Eagle can be used as a sort of pseudo-sniper rifle, due to it's remarkable accuracy and damage.

-Remember to turn on the laser sight with the secondary fire button; without it, you'll be stuck firing without a crosshair and you'll have to use iron sights for precise shots.

-Remember that the laser sight oddly turns itself off after a reload or after exiting iron sights.

-Pick your fights carefully. The Desert Eagle has a small magazine and reloads fairly slowly. Get to cover if you need to reload; you don't want to get caught with your pants down.
Spike Grenade

## Overview

The **Spike Grenade** is a curious grenade-like device of unknown origin. It operates similar to a standard grenade (IE, being thrown and exploding on a timer), however, once it's timer goes off, the grenade will abruptly burst into a massive spray of bolts, heavily wounding and puncturing whatever or whoever the bolts came into contact with.

Unlike the other grenades available, the Spike Grenade cannot be dropped with a secondary attack; it must be thrown via primary attacks.

## Acquisition

The Spike Grenade appears in Route Kanal, in a Combine controlled outpost. It can be found inside an item crate next to another crate, which are beside 4 large shipping containers; two red, two orange. The containers are to the right of a door the player walks through, right after a small stairwell.

If it is missed there, it cannot be found again.

## Notes

Currently, advantages, disadvantages, and tactics are put on hold for the Spike Grenade while the other pages are being worked on.
OICW

## Overview

The **OICW** is a Combine-adopted rifle found in SMOD: Redux. It is a somewhat stubby assault rifle with a fairly large green scope and grenade launcher under the barrel.

The OICW is a very well balanced weapon, having moderate damage per shot, fairly high accuracy while stationary and crouching, an innate scope and grenade launcher, and a fairly basic 30 round magazine. However, it's recoil is rather intense while firing full-auto, and it's accuracy while running is very poor.

While the OICW is essentially non-existent in the early levels of the campaign, it becomes more common in the later chapters of the game, Nova Prospekt in particular. It does, however, still remain uncommon even in those chapters.

## Acquisition

The OICW is first found in Nova Prospekt, being held by a Combine Elite by the stairs leading to cell block B4. After that, it is uncommonly held by various Soldiers across Nova Prospekt and beyond.

## Advantages

-Moderately high damage per shot.

-Sizable 30 round magazine.

-Sports an underslung grenade launcher

-Equipped with a scope, making long and medium range engagements easier to manage.

-Notably accurate while stationary and crouch-walking.

-Remains accurate when fired in short bursts.

-Grenade launcher inflicts very heavy damage if targets are near the blast's center.

-Scope uses a deep-green color, which brightens up dark areas without brightening lighter areas, avoiding potential blindness to the user.

-Although firing in full auto causes recoil to increase, accuracy remains relatively precise.

-Fairly high but manageable rate of fire.

## Neutral

-Zooming in will slow down the weapon's fire rate, which helps for accuracy, but can make dealing with groups harder.

## Disadvantages

-Very heavy recoil if fired in full-auto for too long.

-Terrible accuracy while running.

-Uses the fairly scarce Rifle ammo.

-Grenade launcher uses the rare SMG grenades.

## Tactics

-As the OICW has very rough recoil if fired in full-auto, try firing in bursts or single shots to retain accuracy.

-If firing in full-auto is necessary, try carefully pulling down on the mouse while firing to counteract the recoil.

-Use the grenade launcher sparingly, as the grenades used for it are fairly rare.

-Consider using the grenade launcher against packed-up groups. Due to the heavy damage of the grenades, you will almost certainly kill or seriously injure most or all of the targets.

-The OICW is one of the best weapons to use against Aces, as the moderate accuracy and damage per shot, as well as the fairly high rate of fire make this weapon very well suited to faster moving targets. Not to mention, the grenade launcher is capable of doing major amounts of damage to the Ace, should you be able to catch them in the blast.

-Combine Elites are capable of using the grenade launcher against the player and their allies. If you hear them charging up, be sure to get out of the way.

## Trivia

The OICW is a fixed and refurbished variant of the original OICW from the Half-Life 2 Beta.
P90

## Overview

The **P90** is a unique submachine gun found in SMOD: Redux.

The P90 fires quickly, has little recoil, poor accuracy, enhanced zoom, and a large capacity. It can be considered similar to the MP7 in terms of performance, but in comparison, the P90 reloads slower, does higher damage, sports higher accuracy, has higher zoom, and lacks a grenade launcher.

## Acquisition

The P90 can be found in Water Hazard, shortly after the player fends off the first Hunter Chopper at a Combine outpost. After the player rides for a moment, they come across a bridge with a stopped train at the top. If the player looks to the left, they will find a hidden Resistance cache holding 3 item crates. The P90 is in the rightmost crate.

If the P90 is missed there, it cannot be found again.

## Advantages

-Fires quickly.

-Little recoil.

-Decent damage for an SMG.

-Accuracy is unaffected by movement.

-Has enhanced zoom compared to some other weapons.

-Large magazine.

## Disadvantages

-Inaccurate.

-Reloads slowly.

-Fairly low damage compared to other weapons.

## Tactics

-Take advantage of the P90's high fire rate and use it against groups.

-As the P90 deals little damage, try aiming for the head.

-Don't bother trying to use the P90 outside of medium range. Even with it's enhanced zoom, it still performs poorly at a distance due to it's low damage and accuracy.

-If precision is necessary, try firing slowly and in bursts.

-Because the P90 fires quickly, keep an eye on your ammo count.

-The P90 reloads slowly, so it's recommended to take cover when you run out of shots.
AK-47

## Overview

The **AK-47** is an assault rifle used extensively by both the Combine and the Resistance. It is widely used due to its power and accuracy, being able to kill an Ace in 6 body shots, and being able to snipe rather effectively should it be fired carefully.

The AK sports a fairly slow fire rate and reload speed, as well as a heavy recoil, so care must be taken to get the most out of it.

## Acquisition

The AK can first be found in Highway 17, shortly after obtaining the Scout Car. A few Combine Soldiers can be found shooting Antlions with it. Afterward, it appears on a table near Odessa. if missed there, it will begin appearing somewhat uncommonly in the hands of various Combine and Resistance members.

It becomes vastly more common in later chapters of the game, such as Nova Prospekt.

## Advantages

-High damage for an assault rifle.

-Very accurate if fired slowly.

-Decent 30 round magazine.

-Decent iron sights.

-Becomes more common in later levels; ammo may become less of a concern.

## Neutral

-Slower than average fire rate, which helps with accuracy, but can make tackling groups more difficult.

## Disadvantages

-Heavy recoil, especially if fired too quickly.

-Accuracy diminishes quickly if fired automatically.

-Ammo is fairly rare in earlier maps.

-Somewhat slow reload of 3.3 seconds.

-Enemies with this rifle become common later on, and can become a problem for both the player and their allies.

## Tactics

-Be sure to fire this weapon slowly. Accuracy and recoil becomes quite an issue if fired too quickly.

-Try not to use this weapon too much in the early levels, as ammo is fairly difficult to come by. Later levels fix this somewhat.

-This weapon is able to tear down hardy enemies quickly. Consider using it on them.

-Spraying with this weapon is best left saved as a last resort.

-Aiming for the head is lethal to almost all Combine enemies. Only Augmented and heavy enemies are able to survive a hit to the head.

-The AK is one of the few weapons capable of shooting through Riot Gear. Consider using it on units armored with it. Even if it doesn't successfully penetrate, it will almost certainly destroy the gear in a few shots.
Headshot

## Overview

**Headshots** are a key part of SMOD. They are simply attacks from firearms, melee weapons, etc. that strike any part of the head. These attacks deal heavy damage with essentially all weapons, and cause heavy amounts of aimpunch to the player, causing their screen to fly off and messing with their aim.

Headshots can be inflicted with nearly any weapon, and are often necessary to deal with heavier targets, such as Augmented units.

Noticeably, some enemies are immune to headshots, such as Antlions or Antlion Guards.

## Tactics

-If an enemy is able to shoot you in the head, your aim will go *flying* and you will take a *lot* of damage. Some weapons are also able to outright kill you instantly if they score a headshot, even with full armor. An example of this being the Dragunov. Do your best to keep your head out of range, such as moving sporadically.

-Some enemies will spawn with Riot Gear to protect themselves from headshots. If an enemy has a helmet on, you have two options; shoot the helmet enough times to shatter it, leaving the head vulnerable, or shoot them anywhere in the body to kill them elsewhere. Examine the enemy and see what's best.

-Some weapons are able to instantly kill the toughest of enemies on headshots, such as the Karabiner. If you feel you need a lot of damage fast, use a weapon like that and go for the head.
Shovel

## Overview

The simple, but dangerous **Shovel** is a weapon presumably used by the Resistance judging by the Lambda sigil on the hilt.

Compared to other melee weapons, the Shovel moderately quick in speed (with primary attacks), and is very forceful and powerful.

Primary attacks will involve the player quickly swinging the Shovel to-and-fro with one hand, violently smacking and beating whatever the shovel hits.

Secondary attacks involve the player thrusting the Shovel forward, jabbing their targets, dealing high damage.

## Acquisition

After Father Grigori lifts the gate for you, there is a building to the right. The building has a small section that sticks out. On top of that section is the shovel. In order to get the shovel, you use your gravity gun and proceed to try to pull the shovel in. Also, stand at a distance where you can see the shovel too. Do this while jumping up and down so you can slowly pull the shovel in.

## Advantages

* Deals heavy damage.
* Primary attacks are fairly quick.
* Secondary attacks have a longer range.
* Moderate range for a melee weapon.

## Disadvantages

* Every successful hit from the Shovel will violently shake the screen, which may disorient the player.
* Secondary attacks are rather slow.

## Trivia

* Interestingly, if the player is airborne, secondary attacks will quickly thrust the player forward in whatever direction the player was facing.
* Strangely, every time the Shovel hits something with a secondary attack, a stab-like sound will play, even if the weapon hits something like a wall.
The Couple Confusion

The Couple Confusion is the fourth episode of the second season and the twenty second overall. It aired April 15, 2016.

## Summary

A new project in Mrs. Fisher's class teams up the students, and oddly enough, some very strange groups are created. Eta and Marvel have a discussion which propels forward some suspicion, and, why is Greyson "hitting" on Arwyn?

## Characters in Order of Appearance

Lorea Dyme

Jezebel Bradley

Revlon Cosmir

Locke Menzel

D.C Cosmic

Eta's Sisters

Valentina

Arwyn Bishop

Henrietta Fourtris

Marvel Cosmic

Ms.Fisher
Fists

## Overview

Gordon Freeman's rock solid **Fists** are melee weapons exclusive to the player.

Primary attacks consist of fast, moderate damage jabs, whereas secondary attacks consist of slower, high damage hooks.

## Acquisition

The Fists are acquired as the player gets their HEV suit. As a result, they are the first weapons the player can obtain.

If they are 'dropped', they cannot be found again unless picked up.

## Advantages

* The fastest melee weapon available when using primary attacks.
* Damage racks up quickly with the primary attack.
* It doesn't require ammo.
* Always available unless dropped.
* Secondary attacks deal high damage.
* It has a moderate range for a melee weapon.

## Disadvantages

* It can only be found once.
* It has no world model; it can make reacquisition difficult if the player drops them.
* Short range.
* Secondary attacks are fairly slow and are outright sluggish if they don't hit anything.

## Tactics

The Fists attack fast when using primary attacks. If you can spare the time, consider using them against groups of weaker enemies, such as Headcrabs.

Remember that secondary attacks are powerful; they are strong enough to kill Zombies and Soldiers in two hits.

Primary attacks are so fast, they are able to immobilize enemies, Soldiers in particular, which prevents them from moving or attacking.

Try using combo attacks on enemies to knock them out quickly. For example, use two or three primary attacks on an enemy, and then quickly finish them off with a secondary hook. This combo is powerful enough to kill Metrocops and Soldiers instantly with little effort.

## Trivia

* Fists are one of the two weapons without a world model, the other being the Bug Spawner.
A35

## Overview

The **A35** is a multi-chamber Combine grenade launcher, used by Soldiers on rare occasions.

Compared to the grenade launchers on weapons such as the MP5 or OICW, the A35 deals similar damage, but fires much faster and has to be reloaded. Both the A35 and other launchers on different weapons use the same ammo; SMG grenades.

## Acquisition

The A35 can first be found in Highway 17, being wielded by a Soldier occupying a roadblock, nearby the first available Crossbow. Afterwards, more Soldiers can be found wielding the A35, generally in areas that would potentially catch the player off guard, such as on top of a tunnel, waiting to bombard the player and their jeep with a hail of grenades.

The A35 cannot be found in the hands of Resistance members.

## Advantages

-Has a six round magazine, more than enough to rain down destruction and death in a short period.

-Each grenade inflicts heavy damage.

-Reloads individual grenades fairly quickly.

-Fires faster than other grenade launchers.

-Isn't massively difficult to acquire.

-Comes equipped with a scope.

-Despite the crosshair widening, the A35 is always perfectly precise with it's shots, even while moving.

-Minimal recoil.

## Disadvantages

-Uses the rare SMG grenades, and the weapon itself is also rare.

-Can damage (and potentially kill) the player and their allies.

-Though it's faster than other grenade launchers, it still isn't too fast of a weapon.

-Enemies wielding this weapon can (oddly) fire faster than the player, and can reload their entire drum instantly.

-Reloading the entire grenade drum isn't very fast.

## Tactics

-Use the A35 if you need to inflict heavy damage to an area fast.

-Don't use the A35 excessively, as the grenades for it are rare.

-The A35 is capable of blasting apart entire rooms of enemies, or alternatively, can be used to dispose of heavier enemies quickly, such as Antlion Guards.

-The A35 can be used to take out faster enemies such as Aces quickly, but caution is recommended to ensure the player doesn't run out of grenades.

-Be careful when using the A35 at closer ranges. It isn't hard to kill yourself or your allies with this weapon.

-Remember that the A35's grenades fly in an arc. You can use this to hit enemies behind cover.

-Aim higher to counter the arc of the grenades if you need to deal with targets at a distance.
HECU

The **Hazardous Environment Combat Unit** was formerly the top military team for the United States during the events of the original Half-Life. Ever since the events of Half-Life 2, however, they have almost entirely been wiped out, likely due to the Seven Hour War, but SMOD: Redux reveals that a few units have survived, and are still fighting on.

## Overview

The HECUis an allied faction in SMOD: Redux, appearing rarely in various chapters, such as 'We Don't Go to Ravenholm...' and 'Highway 17'. They are allies with the Resistance, and appears to have lost their hatred for Gordon Freeman since the events of the original Half-Life, as they freely assist him in his journey whenever possible.

The HECU act similar to Overwatch Soldiers in their combat style and choice of weapons, preferring to stick together and cover each other while moving from place to place, firing their weapons in short bursts, or fully automatically, depending on what they were given. They generally rely on SMGs, such as the Grease Gun, but they also tend to use heavier weapons such as the AK-47 and the Karabiner.

HECU soldiers first appear in 'We Don't Go to Ravenholm...', where at the very beginning of the chapter, two soldiers are seen fighting off a horde of Zombies with Grease Guns, and will tag along with Gordon when they first see him. Another lone unit appears later in the chapter attempting to fight off several zombies inside of a building, but almost never survives.

Two more soldiers are found in 'Highway 17', one of them is armed with a Karabiner and is attempting to fend off a group of Soldiers alone, while the other is attempting to rush to his partner's aid alongside a group of Rebels and Father Grigori. This particular unit is armed with an AK-47.

A total of six appear in the chapter 'Anticitizen One', scattered around multiple different areas and rooms. Most of them use the AK-47, but two of them appear with the Garand, while another appears with the MP5.

Eight more appear in 'Follow Freeman!', two of them at the start facing off against the Snipers, the rest appearing during the battle against the Striders.

## Tactics

-HECU soldiers are very tough compared to ordinary Rebels, and are almost always armed with powerful weapons. If you feel you can't tackle a threat head-on, let them soak up some damage and deal with a few enemies for you. But remember, they are far from invincible.

-While they make valuable allies, HECU soldiers are very rare, and almost never spawn in groups larger than 2. Protect them well, if you can.

-Due to their effectiveness in combat, you can often let your units deal with a few enemies at once while you deal with others. Just remember not to get carried away; it's very easy to get overwhelmed.

-Remember that HECU soldiers can heal themselves with medkits on the ground. If you feel a unit is too valuable to lose, consider leaving a kit or two for them.

## Trivia

Upon death, HECU soldiers will make the sound of a Combine Soldier dying.
Crossbow

## Overview

The **Crossbow** is a Resistance-forged sniper weapon found in Half-Life 2 and SMOD. It is a crudely, yet efficiently, forged crossbow capable of firing red hot spikes of rebar.

The Crossbow was the sniper weapon of Half-Life 2. It works by firing a single powerful spike of rebar that flies in an arc, dealing roughly 100 damage and pinning whatever it killed. However, in SMOD, it generally doesn't see much use due to having a minimal magazine size, projectiles that fly in an arc, fairly rare ammunition, as well as little ammo reserves. As a result of it's flaws, it is almost always overshadowed by it's alternatives, such as the Karabiner or Dragunov.

Oddly, despite being a Resistance weapon, no Resistance members are ever seen using it.

## Acquisition

The Crossbow is first found in Highway 17, by a dead corpse on a hill, perched by a rock. The Crossbow is lying next to the body.

If not picked up there, it can later be found in a house in the same chapter, occupied by a Combine Sniper. The player must jump up a broken staircase to get it, where it can be found lying in the middle of the room, conveniently being the same room the Dragunov is first found in.

If it was still not picked up, it can later be found on the bridge in the same chapter, on a platform at the lowest point the player can go, lying near another corpse next to a crate full of rockets.

## Advantages

-Very high damage.

-Perfectly accurate outside of the arc.

-Reloads fairly quickly.

-Ammo comes in large packs.

## Neutral

-Projectiles fly in an arc. While helpful for hitting targets below the player or behind cover, it can make tackling targets at a distance difficult.

-Increased zoom. Helpful at a distance, hindrance up close.

## Disadvantages

-Slow projectile speed.

-Only loads one bolt at a time.

-Can only hold 11 bolts in total; one in the magazine, ten in reserve.

-Ammo is fairly rare at first, and becomes much harder to find in later levels.

## Tactics

-Lead your targets if they are moving to compensate for the weapon's slow projectile speed.

-The weapon is perfectly accurate when it's unzoomed. If someone gets close, shoot them without zooming in for an easy kill.

-Be careful about repeatedly using the Crossbow. It doesn't hold many bolts in total and ammo can be tough to find.

-Headshots are usually unnecessary for the Crossbow due to it's high damage. Unless the enemy is Augmented, it's recommended to just go for bodyshots.
Riot Gear

## Overview

**Riot Gear** is energy-based armor occasionally used by Combine forces to strengthen themselves. It appears in forms of shields, helmets, waistbands, gauntlets, chestplates, etc.

Upon being struck by a bullet, melee weapon, or pulse, a moderately large wave-like effect will appear on the barrier, and the armor will lighten. Upon taking sufficient damage, the armor will shatter and vaporize, leaving the body part previously protected as vulnerable. Some projectiles, such as crossbow bolts, are capable of automatically shattering the armor, while other projectiles, such as grenades, will merely bounce off harmlessly.

Notably, some weapons are able to instantly shatter or outright puncture Riot Gear, such as the Karabiner or Magnum.

The frequency of Riot Gear appearing, as well as the gear's durability, depends on the difficulty; from never appearing on Easy, to being somewhat common on Nightmare.

## Tactics

-For targets wearing Riot Gear, it's often best to simply shoot a target in an unprotected area. For example, units wearing helmets can be shot in the chest, and units with larger shields (pictured above) can be shot in the feet, even if they are alert.

-If attacking a target's gear is the only option, try using heavier weapons to get rid of it straight away rather than whittling it down with repeated, weaker shots. Powerful weapons like the Karabiner or AK-47 will often do the job fine.

-If you are unable to get any good shots on a protected target, or simply don't wish to waste any ammo on them, you can try lining up the target with another unit, humorously causing one to kill the other with friendly fire. This does not work on higher difficulties, due to enemy friendly fire being disabled.

-If you're forced to melee a geared unit, don't try kicking their armor, it simply has no effect. Go for any exposed areas you can see, or use a high damage melee on their armor or bodies, such as the Sword.
Augmented Combine

## Overview

**Augmented Combine** (unofficial nickname) are rare, modified Combine units that sport discolored equipment, and have noticeably higher health and accuracy than their normal selves.

The frequency these units appear depends on the difficulty setting; Augmented are essentially non-existent on Easy mode, but are merely uncommon spawns on Nightmare mode.

These units are much stronger than their default counterparts. For example, a default Metrocop is only able to take one or two headshots from a CZ57 before dying, whereas an Augmented Metrocop is able to take up to five or six.

They are also generally more accurate, commonly landing headshots even while spraying with their SMGs, often making them very high threats, especially since they are able to appear in even the earliest levels; they are able to spawn as early as Point Insertion, even before the player has their HEV suit.

Augmented Combine are able to spawn with Riot Gear as well, making them even more powerful than they were before.

Almost any type of Combine can spawn as an Augmented, including Elites, and possibly even Aces.

While the accuracy values are currently unknown, when compared to their default variants, red units have roughly four times as much health, whereas blue units have a hefty eight times as much health.

## Tactics

-Since Augmented Combine are often quite hard hitting and difficult to take down, it's often best to take them out as soon as possible, especially if they are armed with stronger weapons such as the OICW.

-Always try landing headshots on Augmented units. Weapons like the Karabiner should be able to make short work of them with a few shots.

-If you are particularly desperate to get rid of them as soon as possible, you can eliminate them with heavy weapons such as the Laser Rifle, although this is best saved for dire situations.

-Augmented units that spawn with Riot Gear are, as one would expect, particularly tough to take down, and are particularly threatening as a result, especially if they spawn with helmets. Explosives may be necessary to take them out quickly, such as an A35

-Despite their higher health, Augmented Metrocops will still die instantly to fire. Weapons such as the Flare Gun will make short work of them.

## Notes

Augmented Soldiers have a texture glitch that prevents them from changing colors, making it difficult to determine whether a Soldier is actually augmented or not.
Alyx's Gun

## Overview

**Alyx's Gun** is an unusual pistol-like hybrid gun, previously used exclusively by Alyx Vance.

Alyx's Gun has a selective fire feature that allows it to fire semi automatically, in three round bursts, or fully automatically. The fire mode can be selected via the secondary fire key.

## Acquisition

Alyx's Gun can be found in Water Hazard. During a segment where a Hunter Chopper is chasing the player in an airboat, a few Citizens can be found standing on a platform, appearing to have set up base there. Alyx's Gun is on a table in their setup.

To reach it, the player needs to get out of their airboat, then has to climb on top of it to jump up into the Citizen's base.

If Alyx's Gun is missed there, it cannot be found again.

## Advantages

-Capable of firing in three different modes.

-Large capacity of 25 rounds.

-Quick reload of 2.5 seconds.

-Uses the common pistol ammo.

-Moving doesn't affect accuracy.

## Disadvantages

-No zoom.

-Can only be found once.

-Inaccurate for a handgun.

-Deals low damage outside of headshots.

## Tactics

-Always aim for the head. Alyx's Gun is quite weak if you aim for the body.

-As this weapon doesn't have any zoom of any type, use Alyx's Gun at closer ranges.

-Use semi-auto or burst mode if you need precision.

-If you have to deal with multiple targets at once, or your enemy has Riot Gear equipped, switch to automatic mode.

-If an enemy has a Riot Helmet equipped, use automatic mode to take it off quickly if bodyshots aren't an option.

## Trivia

Interestingly, if Alyx dies, her gun cannot be taken off of her.

A Citizen can be seen holding Alyx's Gun in Eli's lab during the elevator ride, behind two Vortigaunts.
Gauss Rifle

## Overview

   The **Gauss Rifle,** or **Tau Cannon** is a Resistance-made weapon originally meant to be used with the Scout Car. This particular version was modified and adjusted to be handheld.

On primary attacks, the Gauss Rifle will quickly let out a jolt of tau and gauss particles as a form of laser-like beam, violently jolting and damaging whatever the weapon was aimed at.

Secondary attacks will charge the weapon, storing up the particles in the weapon's capacitors, causing them to wind and spin at an increasingly rapid rate. Upon being let out, the weapon will deal a varying amount of damage, dealing anywhere from 20 to 200 damage, depending on how long the weapon was charged, as well as causing considerable knockback to the user. The user must be careful, however, as if the weapon is charged for too long, it will suddenly discharge and backfire, damaging the user.

## Acquisition

The Gauss Rifle can be found in Sandtraps, inside a supply crate located in a garage, the same one used to hold the player's Scout Car.

If the weapon is missed there, it cannot be found again.

## Advantages

-Decent damage on primary attacks.

-Can deal moderate to massive damage on secondary attacks.

-Large magazine capacity of 50 rounds.

-Holds a large amount of ammo; 150 in total, 50 in the magazine, 100 in reserve.

-Primary attacks are very quick.

-Secondary attacks can be used as a sort of boost or pseudo-jump, thanks to it's knockback.

-Infinite range.

-Reloads quickly.

## Disadvantages

-Ammo isn't very common.

-Secondary attacks can damage the user if held for too long.

-Can take quite a few jolts from primary attacks to kill tougher enemies.

-The knockback from the weapon can put the player in danger, such as knocking them off a ledge.

-Can only be found once.

## Tactics

-Be careful when charging the weapon's secondary fire, as holding it for too long can damage you.

-Keep in mind that secondary attacks tap directly into the weapon's ammo reserve, not the magazine.

-Remember that primary attacks are rather quick, allowing you to tackle groups of enemies, provided they aren't too strong. Alternatively, you can try dealing with faster moving targets, such as Aces.

-Slow moving, tougher enemies are particularly vulnerable to the Gauss Rifle's secondary fire.

-If you have no alternatives, feel free to tackle enemies at long range with the Gauss Rifle, since the weapon has no range limit.

## Trivia

Humorously, the Gauss Rifle's ammo icon is merely a small text box that reads 'gauss ammo icon', meaning the icon may not have been completed.
Dark Energy Hopwire

*Not to be confused with the Hopwire Grenade*

## Overview

The **Dark Energy Hopwire** is a prototype weapon, persumably developed by the Combine.

When used, the Hopwire will roll around harmlessly before stopping. However, upon using a second primary attack, the Hopwire will suddenly jump into the air, and will then violently burst into a vortex that lasts approximately 4 seconds, sucking in any NPCs and props nearby, and blinking them out of existence. Afterwards, both the Hopwire and vortex will vanish.

Curiously, any weapons the NPCs were carrying while being sucked in will not dissapear with them, and can still be picked up.

## Acquisition

It is currently unknown if the Dark Energy Hopwire can be found in the default campaign of HL2. If a source or location is found, this page will be updated accordingly.

## Notes

The advantages, disadvantages, and tactics of the Dark Energy Hopwire will not be given until the weapon is confirmed whether it appears in the campaign or not.
AR2

## Overview

The **Overwatch Standard Issue Pulse Rifle**, or **AR2**, is, as the name implies, the standard issue assault rifle given to most basic Combine ground units.

The AR2 is a moderately balanced weapon, having decently high accuracy, moderate damage, an underslung energy ball launcher, a fairly quick fire rate and reload, and a basic magazine size of 30 rounds.

The AR2's main drawbacks are it's heavy recoil and low accuracy if fired automatically for too long, along with it's low maximum ammo capacity of 120 rounds total (30 rounds in the clip, 90 in reserve), less than that of the AK-47 and OICW, which total at 150.

## Acquisition

The AR2 is first found at the end of "We Don't Go to Ravenholm...", being wielded by several Combine Soldiers, along with two being left on a box inside of a train car. Afterwards, it appears commonly in the hands of most Soldier types.

It can be taken and used by Rebels and Citizens.

## Advantages

-Moderate damage per shot.

-Built-in energy ball launcher.

-Launched energy balls are capable of instantly killing most enemies in-game.

-Becomes quite common later in the game.

-Uses the moderately common pulse ammo.

-Rather accurate if fired carefully.

-Launched energy balls move quickly.

-Reloads very quickly for an assault rifle.

## Neutral

-Energy balls will bounce and ricochet off surfaces that they hit. While this can be helpful for dealing with targets behind cover, this causes them to become unpredictable, potentially causing them to miss entirely, or possibly causing them to smack into an ally.

## Disadvantages

-Recoil becomes very heavy if fired for too long.

-Energy balls are generally fairly rare, and the player can only hold three at once.

-Launched energy balls are able to instantly kill allies and essential NPCs if they happen to hit them.

-Obstructive and crooked iron sights.

## Tactics

-Fire in bursts or single shots to retain accuracy. Only spray if necessary.

-Be very careful when using energy balls near allies, as they will never be able to survive if they get hit. Not even essential NPCs are able to survive.

-Use energy balls sparingly. You can only carry three at a time, and they're difficult to find.

-Feel free to use the AR2 extensively in later levels of the game such as Nova Prospekt, as ammo for the AR2 is generally quite plentiful in such areas.

-Remember that killed Elites will drop energy ball cores that you can use. However, Elites themselves are also able to use the energy balls, so be careful around them.

-Energy balls ricochet and bounce off walls. You can use this to your advantage by bouncing them to hit enemies behind cover, but make sure the ball won't hit any of your allies.

-You cannot damage yourself with energy balls, so don't be afraid to use them in tighter areas.

## Trivia

Despite the AR2 having an automatic reload system, NPCs appear to reload the AR2 manually with an animation that appears to suit the OICW.
Flamethrower

## Overview

The old fashioned **Flamethrower** is a weapon of unknown origin, capable of spraying a thick wall of flame at whatever it's pointed at.

Attacking with the Flamethrower will cause it to expel a particularly bright and violent spray of flames until it runs out of fuel, or the player lets go of the button. The weapon only has 300 units of flame, and drains approximately 40 per second, giving roughly 5.6 seconds of spray time. The weapon's fuel supply automatically replenishes itself, giving it unlimited ammo.

Upon contact with the ground, a pillar of flame will rise from the ground and linger for a few moment, scorching whatever it comes into contact with. However, unlike the Incendiary Grenade, these flames do not expand overtime.

## Acquisition

The Flamethrower can be found when you first enter Ravenholm, inside the first building you enter alongside a few snacks.

## Notes

As this is a recent change, no tactics with the Flamethrower have been noted yet.
Stuff Launcher

## Overview

The fittingly named **Stuff Launcher** is a curious RPG-like weapon of unknown origin. While it looks identical to the default Rocket Launcher, the Stuff Launcher functions very differently.

When first used, primary attacks will quickly launch watermelons, while secondary attacks appear to have no effect. However, upon using the secondary fire on nearly any prop that isn't merged with the world, a beam will suddenly shoot out of the launcher and vaporize the prop. Afterwards, left clicking will now fire whatever prop was vaporized. For example, if the secondary fire is used to vaporize an explosive barrel, the primary fire will now launch explosive barrels instead of melons.

## Acquisition

The Stuff Launcher is found in A Red Letter Day, just before the stairwell that leads to the next chapter. Instead of going down the stairs, turn to the right, and run to the fence. The launcher will by lying next to a crate containing a Rollermine.

If it is missed there, it cannot be found again.

## Advantages

-Can cause catastrophic amounts of damage and mayhem.

-Infinite ammo.

-Works with almost any prop.

-Can absorb NPCs, killing them instantly.

-Can absorb and create weapons, allowing one to have an essentially infinite supply of ammo for a specific weapon.

-Can absorb and create health kits and armor batteries, as well as health and suit chargers, allowing one to have an essentially infinite supply of health or armor.

## Disadvantages

-Can only be found once.

-Some props are able to damage the player and allies just as easily as enemies.

-Spawning too many props may crash the game.

-Not every prop can be used.

-Some props act strangely if launched.

## Notes

-Tactics will not be provided for the Stuff Launcher. It's a wee bit too ridiculous for it.

-Command to issue - give weapon\_physlauncher
Flare Gun

## Overview

The **Flare Gun** is a small handgun-like weapon that, instead of firing bullets or pulses, will fire flares, setting any target they hit on fire.

Metrocops and Soldiers are particularly vulnerable to flares, as upon being struck by a single flare, they will suddenly start flailing in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames. After a moment, Metrocops will suddenly drop dead, whereas Soldiers will oddly freeze in place for a moment before dying. Even Augmented units aren't immune to this effect.

Not all enemies are affected by this, however. Aces will have absolutely no reaction to being set on fire, and both Antlions and Antlion Guards will not respond either.

Citizens have an interesting reaction to being set on fire; they will suddenly start shouting 'No!' repeatedly until they die, and will constantly start running backwards and to the side. NPCs such as Alyx and Barney have a similar reaction, but they will not say anything while running.

## Acquisition

The Flare Gun can be found in Route Kanal, shortly after first obtaining the airboat. It can be found in a crate on a small patch of land, away from the valve in front of a gate. It is next to another crate, which contains a box of flares.

If missed there, it cannot be obtained again.

## Advantages

-Will make short work of most humanoid Combine units.

-Reloads quickly.

-Efficient with ammo, provided the player aims carefully.

-Has two modes of fire; short range, and long range, determined by secondary and primary fire, respectively.

-Flares move fairly quickly.

## Neutral

-Flares fly in an arc, which can be helpful for hitting targets behind cover or below the player, but can make hitting long range targets difficult.

## Disadvantages

-Can only load 1 flare at a time.

-Has little effect on some enemies.

-Can only be found once.

-Can be easily missed by those who aren't interested in item crates.

-Limited range.

-Flares are not very common, and the player is only able to carry 20 in reserve.

## Tactics

-For paired Soldiers, the player is able to burn one of the Soldiers, then gun down the other, then smack down the burning Soldier with a melee attack. This is inadvisable against larger groups of enemies.

-Remember that the Flare Gun doesn't work on every enemy. Try not using it against enemies such as Aces or Poison Zombies.

-The Flare Gun can be used to employ hit and run tactics, setting an enemy on fire, then running off and letting them burn to death.

-Remember that the Flare Gun instantly kills Metrocops after a brief moment. Save your ammo and use your flares on Augmented or Riot units.
Hopwire Grenade

*Not to be confused with the Dark Energy Hopwire*

## Overview

The **Hopwire Grenade** is a prototype explosive of unknown origin, persumably the Combine.

When thrown, the Hopwire will harmlessly roll around for a moment, before hopping into the air and releasing several clones of itself, connected by bright blue beams. If any of these beams are tripped, the Hopwire and all of it's clones will detonate, dealing colossal damage to anything close by.

## Acquisition

It is currently unknown if the Hopwire Grenade can be obtained in the default HL2 campaign in SMOD. If a source or location is found, this page will be updated accordingly.

## Advantages

-Deals very heavy damage due to combined explosions.

-Uses the common grenade as ammo.

-Effective as a means of area denial.

## Disadvantages

-Deploys clones at random, possibly landing a clone in a location dangerously close to the player or their allies.

-Kills allies and essential NPCs very easily if the beams are tripped by them.

## Trivia

The Hopwire Grenade is very similar, if not identical, to the original Hopwire in the Half-Life 2 Beta.
Бурильный робот "Танос"

Бурильный робот "Танос" был создан аргонцами для более успешной добычи минералов и полезных ископаемых а также газов и других трудно добываемых вещей. Главным преимуществом Таноса является его возможность работать в любой среде пусть даже под водой или вверх тормашками. Также он используется для добычи Рубидия возле ядра планеты из-за своей высокой термостойкости.

## Оснащение:

Танос оснащен комплексом оборудования которое очень полезно в шахтерской деятельности, а именно:

Бур с алмазным наконечником

Гидравлическая клешня способная поднимать очень тяжёлые грузы

Сцепления на ногах позволяющие прикрепляться к любой поверхности

Все системы необходимые для обнаружения полезных ископаемых

Полная защита от всех термальных угроз

Специальный пылесос для закачки газа и нефти.

## Применение:

Танос используется для добычи рубидия в центре планеты из-за своей высокой термостойкости а также для добычи трудно добываемых вещей расположенных в труднодоступных местах к примеру дно океана или вершина пещеры.
The Personality Change

**The Personality Change** is the second episode of the second season and the twentieth overall. It aired March 18, 2016.

## Summary

The first day of school takes a surprising turn for our favorite students. After Eta's sisters show up Jezzibelle, class with Mrs. Fisher results in Marvel's first appearance. We find out some new details on Arwyn's family, but the lighthearted banter comes to a halt when she and Eta enter a major roadblock in their friendship.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

Revlon Cosmir

Locke Menzel

D.C Cosmic

Arwyn Bishop

Fourtris Sisters

Henrietta Fourtris

Lorea Dyme

Jezebel Bradley

Valentina

Ms.Fisher
Point Insertion

**Point Insertion** is the first chapter of SMOD: Redux, and serves as an introduction to the game's story.

## Plot

The G-Man appears in the eye of Gordon Freeman, telling him to rise and awaken from his deep slumber. He gives Gordon a rather cryptic monologue, telling him that 'the right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world', and revealing that Gordon was on a train on it's way to City 17. The G-Man leaves Gordon afterwards.

Gordon walks his way through the train station, occasionally stopping for a chat with the locals, including a rather paranoid man that pleads Gordon not to drink the water, due to a form of amnestic or other drug being present, plaguing one's memory. He then offers Gordon his snack, otherwise leaving him on his way. He walks his way through a line-up leading to Nova Prospekt, but is cut off when a Metrocop steps in and brings him out. The Metrocop leads him into another room, and reveals himself to be Gordon's old friend Barney Calhoun, who shows him to Dr. Kleiner. Barney tells Gordon to make his way to Kleiner's lab, but the other Metrocops seem to catch on to Barney, knocking on the door.

Gordon hurries his way out into the City 17 Plaza, carefully moving his way through the city until he ends up in an old apartment. Not long after his arrival, however, a team of Metrocops arrives at the same apartment due to a citizen miscount being detected, which forces him to hastily make his escape.

As he makes his way out of the apartment, however, he is ambushed by a squad of Metrocops who beat him down, before he is swiftly rescued by Alyx Vance, who mercilessly wails on the Metrocops and beats them all unconscious. She introduces herself to Gordon and brings him down an elevator, later revealing the pathway to Dr. Kleiner's lab.