Combine Soldier

Combine soldiers fighting the military in the Battle of Big City.

Combine soldiers are the backbone of Doctor Breen's army, and a common enemy encountered by the protagonist(s) throughout Seasons 2-5 of the series, as well as the Last Hope series. They use the same models and coding of their counterparts in Half-Life 2. They take orders from Doctor Breen, and are loyal to him until death. They have been voiced on several occasions by various members of the series.

## Pre-Apocalypse

Combine Soldiers were part of the government-sponsored Super Soldier Program. They were presumably former military soldiers, who volunteered to be part of the program. It is unknown exactly what joining the program entailed, but it is assumed that the soldiers had to havee been genetically enhanced to be better fighters, as David says that they were formed to deal with large scale apocalyptic scenarios like a potential third world war. They likely would undergo a brutal training, and learn how to use their high-tech armaments such as AR2s, as these were still prototype weapons not distributed to the rest of the military.

## Post-Apocalypse

After the apocalypse, when Breen broke away from the government, the Combine soldiers- with the exception of few soldiers like Rob- remained loyal to Breen. They were first seen in episode 2 of Season 2, guarding Doctor Breen. From then, they become a regularly encountered force by David and other protagonists. They are used as the staple ground unit of the Combine, usually being supplemented by heavier units like Hunters or Striders.

Doctor Breen seems to view them as disposable pawns, and usually has very low expectations from them except to die- despite them being biologically enhanced, and better suited to survive most other dangers the apocalypse hold.The soldiers are commonly dispatched on missions to capture David Hawkings, and despite him having killed plenty of soldiers with ease before, Breen still sends them of these practically suicide missions. They are usually sent with little support except their own, indicative of Breen's low standards for them.

The soldiers are also the bread and butter of their army in larger scale conflicts as well, and they are the main force encountered by the military during the Battle of Big City. Compared to the average army soldier, the Combine are better them in most physical respects- better training, better armor, and biological enhancement. However, it seems that military weapons, such as the M16A1, tend to pack more of a punch than that of the Combine's likely due to the early-stage nature of the weapons that the Combine use.

## Classes of Combine Soldiers

Breen's army consists of various different types of Combine soldiers, each having their own unique armor and equipment.

### Overwatch Soldier

The most basic unit of the Combine army is the common infantry grunt of the Combine. They commonly come to battle equipped with an MP7A1, and on occasion heavy gunners will carry the AR2. They wear a completely grey uniform from head to toe. Their head is protected by a gasmask with air filter, and their voice is masked by a vocoder inside their helmet- likely so they can't be identified when on duty. They wear a heavy kevlar vest covering their entire torso, with a light pack for small items on the back. Their knees are covered by armored pads, and they wear brown combat boots.

### Nova Prospekt Soldier

The Nova Prospekt soldier, named after the location they are encountered in Half-Life 2, are rarely encountered in the field. Instead, their task seems to be more mundane- guarding already established Combine zones, and VIPS like Doctor Breen. They come equipped with the same loadout as normal infantry Combine, and can be identified by their blue uniforms, yellow goggles, and the words *NOVA PROSPEKT* imprinted on the back of their armor.

### CQC Soldier

The Close-Quarters-Combat (CQC) Combine soldier usually comes as the support for a squad, always carrying around a SPAS-12 shotgun. Their armor is the same as that of the infantry grunts, however, they can be identified by the orange tint to their armor, and the skull insignia they wear above their shoulder pads. The normal blue glow of their goggles is also replaced with that of an orange one.

### Overwatch Elite Soldier

Elite soldiers are the best Breen has to offer in terms of Combine troops. They are the highest ranking of Combine soldiers, and can be seen in the field commanding their own squads. They will always come equipped with an AR2 rifle. In terms of armor, he is much more distinct compared to his lower-ranking counterparts. They wear several medals on their chest, implying one must be a very decorated officer in order to achieve this rank. They also bear the same skull insignia as the CQC soldiers, implying the both are high ranking soldiers.

They wear a gas mask and vocoder similar to other units, however, they have a single goggle in the middle of their mask instead of one for each eye, which possibly enhances their vision. The rest of their armor seems similar in protection offered, however it bears a distinct white color, with a red armband on the right arm.