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An Alien Grunt, with a higher resolution rendering than in-game.

Overview

The Alien Grunt is the shock trooper of the Xenian army.

Alien Grunts possess helmets, shoulder pads, metal plates covering their legs and headcrab-resembling codpieces. These armor pieces are grafted onto their body and cannot be ripped off with gunshots [2].

Behaviour

Alien Grunts usually work together, and may be accompanied by Vortigaunts. They will attack with their Hivehands at long range, and may use a devastatingly powerful melee attack at close range. They also keep track of their current enemy, so it relays who that enemy is to the hornets through their Hivehands. The device fires hornets that home in on a target, so corners are less of a problem for them than any other NPC.

Alien Grunts have the ability to detect nearby physics objects and either push them towards the player or smash them entirely, à la zombies.

Other behaviours more like HECU Marines (e.g. take cover, give order to other alien grunts) aren't yet confirmed, but they can be possibly added. [3]

Small arms fire ricocheting off the grunt's armor.

Tactics

When faced with an alien grunt, it is suggested to either use the .357 Magnum or the Crossbow at a range, or the SPAS-12 close up, and aim for either the face or the exposed chest.

Rendering attacks against the protected areas of the grunts body are less effective, because their armour pieces deflect bullets and reduce the damage [4].

Media

The alien grunt model render.

Face close-up.

The unarmored version, likely to be seen in the chapters Questionable Ethics and Xen [1]

Redesign History

The Alien Grunt was the most challenging character of Black Mesa to recreate. His model has been worked on since the beginning of the mod, and gone through two different concept artists and four different designers (which created various concepts attempts and iterations, both in 2D and 3D). [5] According to Carlos Montero, “there have been more versions and iterations of the AGrunt than any other character in the game” [6].

The current version was concepted and created by Ivan Vavilov, a different design approach compared to the original – with a thin shape that slightly resembles the Vortigaunts - is the one that the developers decided fits best for Black Mesa. That decision was taken because the version more like the HL1 style would not work well in the mod without a significant rework. [7]

Redesign Gallery A very early render of the Alien Grunt. Ditto. The very early model in testing. Another model for the grunt - still early - without textures. The same model, with textures. Carapace-like armour concept design. Gladiator-style armour concept design. Shelly-like armour concept design. Highly technical armour concept design. Render of a WIP early model with armour. Notice the Hivehand attached to his right hand. The current model sketch, with the redesign directions. Exoskeleton detail. The current model final concept. Low-poly render.