The Impaler is a massive 
Terminid with extreme armor that has acquired a unique and powerful adaptation. As if this monster wasn't terrifying enough, it has a head made up of three bladed tentacles which it burrows into the ground to break up a 
Helldiver's attempts at retreating.
Impalers will attempt to attack only from a distance or behind cover, as they are meant to be long range units. If faced in close combat, they will attempt to crush you with their large armored claws; if attacked, they will then try to retreat back to cover to burrow again.
Behavior
Despite their heavy armor, Impalers are sluggish and predictable on their own as they only have one close range attack: a slow yet powerful slam with their claw which can usually kill a Helldiver if they are careless enough to stray too close. However, their primary attack: their three frontal armor will be buried to the ground which will reveal three bladed tentacles used in impaling their target. These sharp tentacles often serve as timed obstacles used as diversion or to prevent retreating.
However, when they attack, they expose a weak spot: their eyes. Any high explosive weapon can easily kill an Impaler in 1-3 shots to their eyes. This can be tricky, though, as they often stay in the back lines so they can support their fellow Terminids and also preserve themselves.
Tactics
- Impalers have Heavy armor all around. However its underside, face, and tentacles are unarmored.
- In its mobile state, the Impaler only has one attack during this state, and it is attempting to crush its target with one of its front claws, which are slow and relatively easy to avoid. It will also only resort to attacking if enemies wander too close to it. It will typically attempt to retreat when attacked, to burrow.
- Once it burrows its tentacles, its vulnerable bright-colored flesh is exposed and it is completely immobile (which makes them vulnerable to a counterattack such from a Stratagem). Their weak point has no armor, and any weapon can do damage to it. Weapons with high alpha-strike damage, or high-RoF, are recommended as Impalers will retract their tentacles if enough damage is done to them.
- While its face is fully vulnerable, its true weakpoint is the "forehead", a small spot above its cluster of eyes. A direct hit here from an anti-tank rocket is enough to kill them on one shot.
- Impalers will make an attempt to burrow either behind cover like craters or mountains. They will also almost always bury behind a Terminid attack swarm, which makes getting to them a bit challenging to get to them while a team is under attack.
- The armor on an Impaler's limbs can be broken to expose a weak point, much like Chargers.
- The ground will rumble and the dirt around their spawn point will be visibly loosening before a tentacle erupts from under it. If you see dirt particles around yourself: dodge to the side.
- Impaler tentacles do two types of damage on spawn; anything it directly pops out under from is instantly killed (although this has a small radius, and typically requires the Helldiver to be completely still). Secondly, the shockwave from the tentacles do less damage, but any Helldiver nearby will be ragdolled and sent airborne.
- When fully erect, the Impaler's tentacles will attempt impaling anyone and anything nearby with lethal crushing force. They are not too terribly difficult to avoid, but they will force players to continually move around.
- Shooting the Impaler's tentacles will force them to individually return underground, Shooting all the tentacles will force the Impaler to cover its face again. This however, does not damage the Impaler itself.
- Make sure to avoid the Impaler's tentacles when it sprouts from the ground by performing a prone or swerving around. Straying too close will cause the player to take damage or be ragdolled, leaving them vulnerable to a follow-up attack.
- Impalers will still prioritize sentries over players in most cases. Due to the sentries' small size, Impaler tentacles have a particularly difficult time destroying them.
Notes
- The tentacles have a long range underground, reaching up to 150 meters.
- Impalers originated from the first game, but much smaller with less health. It is possible that Terminid mutations from The Gloom allowed them to return, bigger and more fascist than ever before.
- The Impaler, Bile Titan and Dragonroach have their unique theme upon engaging them.[1]
Bugs
- If a Helldiver is standing on an Impaler's face when it retracts its tentacles, they will be launched into the air.[2]
- If a Helldiver is in a exo-suit they will be launched into the air if an Impaler tentacle emerges underneath the exo-suit, but neither the exo-suit nor the Helldiver will take any fall damage.
- Both of these bugs have since been patched.
