Locust

Among the least sophisticated of the Locusts, Boomers are gigantic, tougher and far less intelligent versions of the Locust Drones that can take a lot of damage. Like Wretches and unlike Drones, Boomers do not take cover and will rush straight into the most dangerous combat situations without a second thought. A Boomer’s weapon of choice is the Boomshot (a sort of grenade launcher), which they will fire while occasionally shouting “Boom!” (thus the ‘Boomer’ moniker) which acts as a warning for Gears to move out of the way. They also sometimes say “For Queen!” (see Locust Queen) or “Die,hominid/groundwalker!”. They are often seen partnered with other Boomers, but they do not use infantry tactics, instead they move forward slowly and fire their weapons. Any Gear who can use cover can defeat this type of Locust. Boomers are incredibly tough, able to withstand three headshots from a Longshot on the Hardcore and Insane difficulties. It takes around two full magazines from the Lancer to kill one, but it is far easier to just tag him with a grenade. They can be easily identified by the rumbling noises of their footsteps, the introductory lines: “Enemies” or “Ground Walker” and have the deepest of all known Locust voices so they can be easily spotted and engaged. Sometimes, Gears will announce “Boomer!” as another form of warning that one is in range. They usually speak in one word sentences, and this also suggests that they are of relatively low intelligence.

The Grinder is a Boomer variant recently fielded by the Locust Horde. They are equipped with a Mulcher Gatling gun, which they can use to lay down thunderous suppressive fire on enemy troops. They wear standard armor with the exception that their chest-plate has a high collar to protect their neck from both enemy fire and possibly from being hit and burned by the shells expelled from their own gun. To protect their heads, they sport a high, flat-topped, cylindrical helmet with the Locust symbol shining in the center. Their helmets make them less vulnerable to headshots than other Boomers, except for the Mauler.

Bolters were a class of Drones that appeared around Operation Hollow Storm. Like their name suggests, they only wield a Boltok Pistol and are very skilled in its use. They tend to hide behind cover to reload and pop out to fire at the player. They are easily distinguished from regular Drones by their better armor, which includes a full helmet and shoulder plates

The Locust Sniper Drones were expert marksmen who can always be found wielding the Longshot Sniper Rifle, and sometimes a Snub Pistol or Hammerburst. They have little to no armor in favor of more mobility. They use Infrared/Thermal goggles to help locate enemies. They use cover such as buildings and alleyways and can almost always be found at a vantage point. They are used to pin down enemies, and have been trained since birth to kill Gears, like all Locust. They can be very deadly if not checked, as a single well-placed high caliber Longshot round can kill a Gear, and should always be taken care of before advancing.

The Kantus are the Locust priests/monks, and a caste level in Horde. They are used to communicate around the Hollow by using their powerful screeches and are deployed majorly as medics on the battlefield. They wield a Gorgon Burst Pistol and use Ink Grenades. Their special abilities give them the power to revive downed Locust soldiers and the power to summon Tickers to fight on the battlefront, as well as coax Rockworms out of hiding for Locust hunting parties. They may also be able to use this scream to control the Riftworm as their leader Skorge can. If they are indeed able to, they do not, however, which seems to mean that communication with the Riftworm is in direct relation to the ranks within the Kantus caste.