Gray Jacks are decrepit Hybrids that have almost outgrown their bodies. They are not an individual strain of Chimera, since they are simply elderly Hybrids. They exclusively appears in Resistance: Fall of Man.
Overview[]
Initially created as Hybrids, there was a general expectation that they would not survive for a long period of time. However, as human forces were overrun with relative ease, millions of Hybrids were still active after the fall of the United Kingdom and their increased metabolism forced their bodies to grow as they aged. This resulted in elongated limbs and as a result, their cooling units were placed under increasing strain as it was not designed to handle the bodies at this size. As such, with these units unable to handle the accelerated metabolism, the "elderly" Hybrids bodies literally cook themselves from the inside out, with Gray Jacks being the final product of this process. Near-death, this results in a necrotic appearance and the perpetual, characteristic odour of decaying flesh.[1]
Despite these Chimera being unarmed and their lanky appearance, under no circumstances whatsoever should they be underestimated. They possess a long reach and wicked claws, giving them a devastating close-range attack. The British Intelligence Corps, in conjunction with the Army Medical Corps have released a memo stating that those wounded by a strike from a Gray Jack suffer injuries that are exceedingly difficult to sterilize and highly prone to infection, resulting in a high mortality rate. Due to their already extremely rare nature, Gray Jacks are amongst the few Chimeran forces that are not formally inducted into its military units. Many are instead relegated to patrolling Chimeran bases, or at times, suicide units deployed as part of Chimeran assaults on human military bases, as seen in Northern Command.
With the destruction of all Chimeran forces in the United Kingdom, British forces have noted that the Gray Jacks have not been seen amongst the European front, suggesting that most "elderly" Hybrids were deployed in the United Kingdom, have already aged and died out. By the events of Operation Overstrike, former British Marine James Grayson notes that most conversion facilities that he had destroyed were on the verge of collapse, with variants such as Menials and Gray Jacks having all but disappeared.[2] It can be presume that the Gray Jacks are rendered disused from Daedalus's overhaul of the Chimeran army.
Resistance: Fall of Man[]
With most Hybrids deployed to the United Kingdom having presumably served during the invasion of mainland Europe in late 1949, this has led to a number of them aging rapidly. As their metabolism increases, these Hybrids begin sporting elongated limbs, and suffer necrotic flesh due to their bodies cooking themselves inside out. Unfortunately, the Chimera have been unable to reverse or at least halt the process, as a result, these Hybrids begin "evolving" into Gray Jacks. Sometime during the occupation, members of the British Intelligence Corps were able to recover a number of these creatures, and sent them to Northern Command for further evaluation. Quarantined in specimen tanks, these creatures were examined, which allowed for both the Intelligence Corps and Army Medical Corps to determine the nature of this unusual creature and provide intelligence to British forces. Because of the rarity of such units,however, British forces tended not to encounter them.
During the Chimeran infiltration of Northern Command, the Gray Jacks trapped in their specimen tanks were released when Chimeran forces hijacked the facility's command center, allowing nearly all Chimeran specimens to escape from their cells and wreaking havoc across the base. Sgt. Nathan Hale first encounters a Gray Jack attacking a lone British soldier in the Gray Jack's containment room. Escaping their cells individually, the creatures attempt to kill Hale and the soldier, but are quickly eliminated.
Next seen in Cheddar Gorge, at least three Gray Jacks are part of the Chimeran defenses that Hale encounters during his investigation of the recently excavated Chimeran tower.
Once again, Hale encounters several Gray Jack groups during his exploration of the Chimeran-infested tunnels of Bracknell and working with Leapers, Gray Jacks often ambush Hale.
Last seen in the alleyways of London, at least one Gray Jack is seen after killing X-Ray Four and Six and attempts to ambush Hale as he heads for the rooftops.
General strategies[]
- Because they invariably charge towards their targets in a mindless rush, a very effective tactic is to introduce them to a Rossmore 236 shotgun, and especially its double-barrel blasts. The Grey Jack will flinch back on the first shot, if close enough, giving time for more shots to bring it down. Sapper mines also work well.
- In two-player modes, have one person lure the Gray Jack to bait it in, then get the second player to hide somewhere and greet it with shotgun shells.
- A surprisingly effective method of taking down Gray Jacks is to use the standard melee attack. This works for any weapon as the melee attack Gray Jacks absorb can cause them to flinch back, allowing another opportunity for players to kill them. This method should enable the player to take them down without losing even a single sliver of health. The best weapon to use would be the Reaper Carbine given that they have two melee attacks unlike most weapons (one per carbine), thus enabling a quicker takedown.
- In Cheshire the Fareye's secondary fire allows the Gray Jacks to be easily taken down with headshots as they emerge from their tanks. Despite its penetration capability, shooting the tanks with the Auger while they are lowered or before they open does not damage the creature inside.
- The Bullseye is also devastating, due to its extreme cyclic rate.
- Grey Jacks are very silent, even when they charge the player. This calls for the player to be more alert in later levels.
- In co-op mode, players can watch each others' backs as they advance through territory held by these creatures. However, the Reaper Carbine is absent, perhaps due to the presence of two weapons.
- If attacked by numerous enemy archetypes, the player should try to either kill a Grey Jack as fast as possible, or simply run away and wait for a few seconds. The Grey Jack will actually ignore the player and return to its original position should one break off from combat.
Intel[]
“ | Gray Jacks are decrepit Hybrids which have nearly outgrown their bodies. As they approach death, their cooling units are over-taxed and their rampant metabolism steadily cooks them from the inside-out. The resulting necrosis gives Gray Jacks an odor of decaying flesh. Though unarmed and seemingly frail, the long reach of their wicked claws can be deadly. Their wounds they cause are very difficult to clean and often fatal. | ” |