Angels are the highest ranking strain of Chimera, appearing first in Resistance: Fall of Man. The strain assumes command roles over the other strains of the Chimeran virus, giving them a great deal of influence among the species as a whole. The extent of this connection is unclear.
Overview
The Angel strain was only recently discovered through observations by the British Army at the time of Fall of Man, and was believed to be the most advanced of the Chimeran strains that was operating within the United Kingdom. They are often encountered near Chimeran strongholds (such as the Chimeran Towers) though there have been some battlefield sightings. Many reports suggested that they served a purpose on the battlefield, but that purpose was unknown for some time. As commanding units, Angels usually don't participate in combat. It was later discovered (after the destruction of the hub tower in London) that the Angels maintain a telepathic hive mind over the normal Chimeran strains; without the Angels and thus removing their telepathic connections, normal Chimera could simply not survive.[1] They receive their name from their ability to fly, which is most likely caused by the exhaust that is vented out of the cooling apparatuses attached to their backs.[1]
Resistance: Fall of Man
A screaming Angel.
An Angel, through unknown means, managed to be captured by the British Army and to be exchanged for American military support and supplies during Operation Deliverance, in the hope of using it against the Chimera. However, the exchanged failed after the British delivery team was ambushed and heavy Chimeran forces annihilated American forces in York. The transport containing the Angel was later recovered at Manchester and delivered to a British military base in Cheshire, only to be later attacked by the Chimera when the Angel contacted its species in order for it to be rescued. Nathan Hale fought through the base and confronted the creature, where it tried to control Hale's mind. Fortunately, Hale resisted the mind control and ultimately killed it.
By the conclusion of Fall of Man, the destruction of the Chimeran Tower network and the extermination of all Angels throughout Britain caused all Chimeran strains to die out without the Angels' telepathic connection. This discovery of the importance of the Angels and their weakness gave humanity a major turning point against the Chimera.
Strategy
Angels are first encountered in Tower. Angels shoot poisonous spikes that excrete large amounts of toxic gas (much like an air fuel grenade) at the player, which then spreads across the ground. If the player is not hit by the initial attack, then move away as soon as possible or else the gas can still cause damage.
- While the Angel is a large target, their main advantage is their ability to fly, making them a difficult target to hit. The ideal weapon to use is the LAARK or the tracking rounds from the Bullseye Mark II, but a fun and challenging way to kill an Angel is to use the Rossmore 236. As an advantage, killing an Angel by only using the Rossmore gives the player the, "What would Hale do?" Skill Point. This particular Skill Point is worth two points overall in the rewards structure of Fall of Man.
- Another way to kill an Angel (which usually is quite fast on Easy difficulty) is to try to get some really accurate shots off with the Splitter with all shots separated. If the player is lucky, they may only need one shot from the Splitter to kill it.
- Angels have very high health, and require almost a full 70 round magazine of Bullseye Mark II fire to kill. If attempting to kill one using the Rossmore 236 shotgun for the "What would Hale do?" Skill Point, it will require almost the maximum number of shotgun shells you can carry to do the job.
- The LAARK's shredders can actually take out an Angel with one rocket. This method can save LAARK ammo.
Resistance: Retribution
An Angel from Resistance Retribution.
During the events of Operation Overstrike, Angels are seen not only in Chimeran Towers but also in specialized conversion centers that produce newer Chimeran strains, such as the facility in Bonn and the Chrysalis Lair in Paris. It is presumed that the Angels were specifically tasked in overseeing and commanding theses facilities.
Strategy
- Angels serve as bosses in some levels of Retribution. Like in Fall of Man, the Angels shoots spikes to dispense poisonous mist and dodge incoming fire, but they can also create a force-shield around themselves, making it immune to the player's attacks until their shield's energy is depleted. It first appears in Filling the void after Grayson rescues Raine Bouchard.
- The L206 LAARK is more suitable against the Angel, and there certain boss fights where there is spare ammo to replenish the player's supply.
Resistance 2
By the events of Resistance 2, the Angels were phased out as Daedalus saw that the Angels were too inefficient to serve the Chimera in a useful manner anymore (seeing as how humans now knew that without the Angels' telepathic connection to the other Chimera, they wouldn't be able to survive). Instead, he instituted a new command structure within the Chimeran hierarchy, utilizing Primarchs and Overseers instead of Angels.[2]
The method Daedalus used for phasing out the Angels' command structure without killing all of his troops is currently unknown. However, it is unknown if Daedalus actually eliminated the Angels, as in a Co-Op Intel, it states the Chimera cannot be defeated by solely targeting Angels, suggesting that they are still alive.[2] Presumably, they fill a role similar to Primarchs and Overseers. This is in fact the case when in Resistance: The Gathering Storm, an Angel led a raid on a human resistance stronghold in Chicago in late 1951.
