Stalker

"Able Company to Command. We've found the anti-aircraft. You're not going to believe this. It's some sort of walking tank!"

―Able Company's Commander

The Stalker is a Chimeran mobile heavy weapons platform. These vehicles are equipped with anti-aircraft autocannons, a missile pod and an anti-personnel gun. This allows a single Stalker to destroy any enemy air support on the battlefield, making it nigh impossible to land safely. The machine's multi-legged locomotion also provides superior maneuverability over almost all forms of terrain.

Resistance: Fall of Man

The Stalker as it appears in Resistance: Fall of Man.

Stalkers serve as mini-bosses and drivable vehicles for the player throughout the game. The Stalker first appears in Manchester - "Outgunned". The player has the chance to drive a Stalker twice: in Bristol, "Parting ways", and in Thames, "Giant slayer".

Strategy

• An easy way to stop a Stalker is with the Auger Rifle. The shield from the Auger's secondary fire will protect the player, thus rendering the Stalker's weapons useless, and shooting through the body of the Stalker to where the exposed part of the power core is will make easy work of the Stalker.
• The Stalker's armored hull is damage resistant, but not completely immune to small arms fire, so it can still be brought down with sufficient gunfire even without targeting the power core (a Stalker can be blown up with a little over 200 Bullseye rounds, or 250+ M5A2 Folsom Carbine rounds).
• Another useful tactic uses Backlash Grenades for more firepower. The player hides behind the Backlash's shields, so the machine gun blasts will be deflected back to the machine, and the M5A2 Folsom Carbine is a very effective attack weapon when using this technique, but any weapon will work to take them out.
• On co-op, it is possible for one person to distract it, and the other to shoot the power core. Two L209 LAARK rockets to the power core or 4 rockets to the general structure will take it out.
• Stalkers do not lead their gunfire, so it is possible to completely avoid their bullets by constantly circle strafing around them.
• A recent discovery is that the Stalker can destroyed by 5 direct Splitter shots in the mid-section of the Stalker's hull.
• Stalkers are more likely to utilize their missile pods if the player attacks their power core, so caution must be taken.

Intel

“	The Stalker is a Chimeran mobile heavy weapons platform. Equipped with an AA autocannon, a missile pod, and an anti-personnel gun, a single Stalker can make friendly air support over a battlefield impossible. Their multi-legged locomotion gives them superior maneuverability over all terrain. Stalkers are heavily armoured against a catastrophic kill. The vehicle's only known vulnerability is the partially exposed power core on their rear on their hull.	”

Resistance 2

Stalker concept art in Resistance 2.

The Stalkers seems to have been converted from a vehicle into a drone, as the cockpit has been replaced with a sensor node and a large red "eye" has been mounted on the front. It also produces a mechanical roar when damaged, unlike the earlier model. However, the power core to the rear still lacks any significant armor.

Stalkers in Resistance 2 are, as before, armed with anti-personnel rockets in addition to their machine-gun and anti-air systems. Therefore, while attacking infantry ground targets they now launch groupings of several rockets in addition to their use of prolonged machine gun fire.

The Chimera also developed a prototype Stalker, with far superior armor and firepower, which appears in the Co-op campaign of Resistance 2. This type of Stalker is a far more challenging enemy, even against a full team of eight, and is considered to be a level boss in Co-op. Also, shooting the Stalker's power core does not affect the vehicle itself.

Strategy

• There's usually an L210 LAARK lying around for the player to use to destroy any nearby Stalkers.
• Stalkers in Resistance 2 have much better armor and are much more resistant to small arms fire. It is no longer practical to bring them down with prolonged automatic weapons fire to the hull, therefore killing one requires either the use of a LAARK rocket launcher, or targeting their vulnerable power core.
• Though the Auger Mark II can hit the power core through the body of the vehicle, it does not have enough ammunition to kill a Stalker on normal difficulty without running out.
• Circle strafing is no longer effective in Resistance 2 as the player can no longer walk the same speed sideways as forwards and can only sprint forwards.
• Stalkers in Resistance 2 will also use their missile pods more frequently, so finding cover is very important.

Resistance 3

A Stalker with its shield activated.

Similar in design to the Resistance 2 Stalker, they have now been upgraded into a more efficient weapon drone and are equipped with a energy shield and a laser targeting sight. They have a faster movement speed than any prior version of the Stalker in the series.

The Stalker is first fought in "Home" shortly after Joseph Capelli and his allies had eliminated a Chimeran Death Squad. A Stalker arrives on the scene and attacks the group, killing Dale instantly.

Strategy

• EMP Grenades are highly recommended for disabling the Stalker's shield.
• It is recommended to use the HE .44 Magnum on the Stalker due to its powerful secondary fire, which can be triggered after the shield reactivates.
• The Wildfire is an effective weapon as four Wildfire rockets is most likely to destroy a Stalker.
• Another way to destroy a Stalker is by using the Atomizer. In Casual difficulty, the Stalker will simply be destroyed in less than an atomizer clip, making a quick kill, although this will remove various amount of life.
• The Auger is effective in shooting through the Stalker's shield.
• Four Stalkers appear in Central Park (The second one, which is on the hill, can be ignored by running to the shelter, causing it to flee away).

Enemy Journal

“	This mechanical monster was designed as a mobile heavy weapons platform. Its unique four-legged construction allows it to move quickly over uneven terrain. A recent upgrade has added a powerful energy shield to protect its weak outer armor. Primary Weapon - Dual anti-personnel laser cannons. Secndary Weapon - Hull-mounted missile pod. Survival Tip: Use EMP grenades to temporarily disable its shield and attack its weak armor.	”

Gallery

Fall of Man

Stalker intel.

British Forces preparing to attack a Stalker.

British soldiers in a fierce battle against a Stalker.

A Stalker as seen in Manchester.

Major Stephen Cartwright commandeering a Stalker.

A Stalker taking aim at VTOLs.

Stalker - Missile pod

Resistance 2

Concept art.

Resistance 3

A screenshot of a Stalker behind Kevin Grow during a Gameinformer interview.

Stalker launching a mortar barrage.

Trivia

Resistance: Fall of Man

• The Stalker is based off of the Landstalker from Ratchet: Deadlocked, as they both function the same, and have machine guns with a secondary mortar attack.
• Although in Fall of Man, it's stated that the Stalker is heavily armored, it is relatively weak against a LAARK rocket-launcher and its armor is no match for the main cannon of an M-12 Sabertooth tank. When piloted by the player, the Stalker has noticeably less armor than the Sabertooth tank.
• The Stalker is known to be a lot slower than most human vehicles, but what the Stalker lacks in speed it makes up for in maneuverability.

Resistance 2

• This is the first time that Stalkers become an unmanned attack drone, rather than the main battle tank. Due to redesign, it can no longer be hijacked by any player.
• In the first mission of Resistance 2, just after the player gets out of the trench, and before entering the airplane bunker with Blake and finishing the mission, there is an open view of a Stalker that tried to kill the player a while ago, and can destroy it by LAARK fire. The ammo is unlimited due to the fact that there is an ammo crate for the LAARK lying around before you fire the last shot to the Goliath.

Resistance: Retribution

• Stalkers did not appear in Resistance: Retribution, but are mentioned a few times.

Resistance 3

• The locomotion of the Stalker is very similar to the locomotion of the Crab Droid from the Star Wars series.