Dead Space Necromorphs vs. The Fellowship of the Ring Part 1

For this match I wanted to do something different then I usually do. Inspired by Roker's Foxhound vs. L4D special infected I have been inspired to create my own fictional matchup. The idea came to me while trying to imagine what would be another great, random matchup.

This is a battle between two icons of their respective industries. Tolkien is surely one of the best authors in history, and his Lord of the Rings books are, in my opinion, the bible of the Fantasy genre(yes I would rate him next to the authors of the bible). His influence is everywhere, whether it be in games (they need to do one on the Silmarion), movies (the series that Peter Jackson is most famous for), and books. The Fellowship is everywhere except, to my disappointment, on Deadliest Warrior ( but that will change now).

The Necromorphs (word literally means Dead-Form) are a newer breed of monster, one born out of the widely successful video game Dead Space, and due to the lack of public awareness on them I will explain a bit more than I did for the Fellowship. Born out of a desire to do something new with the Zombie and Horror genre, Necromorphs are the mutated monstrosities born out of an alien virus taking over dead bodies, and then changing it to fit its horrifying purpose. They are uncompromising, unrelenting and having only one sinister purpose, to create more bodies to spread the infection (with one exception to be talked about later). Arguably there have been few, if any, other monsters better suited to this task. Possessing the intelligence of a master predator, durability unmatched by any living organism (can survive in extreme places, like Cryro-storage and the Void of space), and the ability to take wounds that would kill anything else (can survive simultaneous decapitation and removal of both legs) these are truly a worthy opponent for the godlike martial prowess of the Fellowship.

Rules and grading:

The Fellowship

"Nine companions. So be it. You shall be the The Fellowship of The Ring."

-Elrond

To compensate for their lack of members in comparison to the Necromorphs and to show off their extreme martial prowess, the Fellowship will be graded to a higher scale then the Necromorphs. The hobbits, being the weakest of the group, will still be graded out of 20, while heavier hitters will be graded out of 30. In addition their characters will be manipulated to have the best possible defense/offense/magic against the Neromorphs. Aragorn will have his Andruril reforged blade (which he had when he began his journey in the books), while Legolas will have duel elven long knives in addition to the bow (added in movie). Most will have mail or in mithril in Frodo's case. Essentially anything that they had before the breaking of the Fellowship (Boromir’s death) they will have (I am making one story alteration in that Gandalf survives Moria) like the Light of Galadriel and Healing herbs.

The Necromorphs

"Take their legs out, and they'll drag themselves toward you. Shoot off an arm, and they'll use their other arm to rip into you. Nope, the only real way to take these creatures out is to completely rip them apart."

The Necromorphs are numerous in number, and hard to kill to boot. While most variants of Necromorphs will have only one of its members appearing in this fight, there are four exceptions. The Pack, Slasher and Stalkers will come in numbers as their tactics are all geared to attacking in groups. The Pack could have numbers as high as 7-8 , while the Stalkers will have 3, due to the fact they are one of the most dangerous enemies in the game. Slashers are a variable number and the reason why leads me to my fourth exception: The Infector. This necromorphs sole purpose is simply to create new neromorphs and as such, yes there will be dead bodies laying around. To make it a little more fair, only the first few slashers will be at their enhanced versions, the rest that are created by the infector will be normal, weaker version-UNLESS the infector manages to turn a dead Fellowship member, in which case that necromorph will be enhanced. All Other Necromorphs will exist as their enhanced versions, with some exceptions like the Pack, who don't have an Enhanced version. Also most of their members will be /10, with the exception of some more threatening variants like the Stalkers and Brute who will be out of 20. There will be ONE advanced form necromorph(Boss), in addition to the Marker being featured as a Psychological weapon.

* The following Basic forms won't appear: Nest, Cyst, and Wheezer

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Necromorphs

Slasher

"More than one way to skin a recombinated cat, you ugly fucker!"

-Abraham Neumann, last survivor of Aegis VII

The first and most common form of Necromorph is known as the Slasher. Made from ordinary bodies, this variant comes in many additional sub-forms, only two of which will be featured.

The regular and most common form of Slasher is a body that is reanimated by an Infector. They now have four arms, with an additional two growing out of the stomach. Hands are now elongated claws. The neck is now twisted and can bend in directions that would break a human’s neck. Most of the flesh from their body has been removed, like it was stripped off, and they are now sporting 2-3 foot blades out of their original arms. In addition their teeth have been sharpened, allowing for biting attacks.

"

The second Variant is known as the Enhanced Slasher. While physically similar, their limbs are now blacker and they possess glowing eyes. Its body is now almost crawling with maggots, and their blades are sharper and stronger. They are also more aggressive, charging at speeds that only the Twitcher (a third variant that will have it's own separate section) can best. They are also more bulky and can take more damage than average Necromorphs. Both variants can survive a lot of damage, able to keep going even without an arm, head or legs (or a combination of these!). In addition they absorb the armor of the being who they assimilate (for example an enemy armored with mail would be a mail skinned necromorph).

Attack: Blades, Biting

This Necromorph Variant has two primary weapons to attack with; it's massive arm-blades and its mouth. The blades on it's arms are excellent slashing tools, and with enough force and time can slash through even the best armor in the game(can it slash through mail though, is the question). They can also be used to stab, which would essentially be impaling with arms as large and as wide as those. Should these weapons fail, or if the Necromorph wants to hold an enemy still, he could choose to enfold his prey inside his arms, using his mouth to bite down deep- and eventually decapitate.

Tactics/Behavior: Psychological, Ambush, Pack, "Play Dead"

Slashers are quite capable of Psychological warfare, often using roars and screams when it knows that the prey is near, but not in sight, to scare them. When their prey moves into position they will usually ambush them from nearby vents, rafters, dark corners or other hiding places, giving them a powerful element of suprise.Usually they will do this in numbers to increase effectiveness of ambush. When the ambush fails they are capable of a remarkable display of intelligence that could suggest either a form of telepathy or hive mentality is present. For example in the movie when the horde of slashers is pinned down by a well stocked security team, most of the horde continued trying to rush the spot while a small group of Necromorphs flanked them, killing their strongest member(and the one with the excess ammo).

Finally the Necromorphs, when there is no adequate place to ambush from, often "play dead" lying on the middle of the ground, prone and seemingly unmoving. If the prey is not paranoid or wise to their tricks then when he turns his back, or comes up closer to investigate the Necromorph up close, he'll reawaken and try to slaughter the unfortunate.

Effectiveness:

The slashers will be the most common form of the Necromorph that the Fellowship will face, and the one form that could increase as time goes on through the powers of the Infector. They are also the form the Fellowship will find easiest to deal with. Regular slashers are quite easy to hack into, and while arrows won't do very much(unless shot by Legolas) Gandalf can use Kinesis to simply push them off ledges, into hazards ect. Aragorn, Boromir, and Legolas all have skill in close range fighting and can surely fight them off, while the hobbits will likely try to hack at their feet while they are fighting the big guys. Gimli's axe, while not well suited for cutting off individual limbs, can crush the Necromorphs bones and limbs, thereby rendering them a flailing mess. Still their tactics, possibility of horde and surprise factor will surely take a toll, and i can certainly see at least ONE unwary hobbit falling for the 'play dead’ trick. The enhanced slasher will likely be even more formidable, and will take coordination to take down. In addition to this it will be a HUGE moral hit to even experienced and hardened members like Legolas, Aragorn , Gimli and even Gandalf, to see one of their former friends running screaming at them, with intent to kill. Also will serve as distraction for other Necromorph forms.

Video of the Beast in Action: Execution move

HEre (1)

Here(2)

One Armed Slasher (3)

One More (4)

Infector:

"The chest of the corpse has started to expand, like it's taking a deep breath. Something appears to be happening under the surface of the skin. The body is convulsing - a yellowish briny liquid bursts from the mouth accompanied by choking noises. There's a crunching noise as the throat bulges and the jaw collapses. The head is splitting apart... reforming now into what appear to be a proboscis and feelers. The chest splits along the centre now as the flesh stretches and expands outwards; the organs, bone and muscle bend inwards. The internal organs contort and reorganize themselves into an odd structure central to which is a massive bladder. The bladder is filling with a liquid, some of which can be seen spilling from the proboscis. I can only assume the two are connected.

The legs are quivering as the flesh peels away and meshes with the flesh from the chest region. There is a sudden snap halfway through the process as one leg bends backwards. More quivering now and the other leg has snapped at the knee. The changes appear to be slowing now... it starts to sit up, the body is convulsing, the legs flopping. It is trying to take its first step, uneasy as first... but now it is adapting quickly. A half-dozen steps and it seems to be perfectly at home with the new, contorted form. "

- Dr. G. Abernathy, describing the transformation of a deceased coworker into a infector.

This is the "recruiter" of the Necromorph army, and the only way that the Necromorphs can increase the number that they are allotted originally.

They most resemble giant, headless bats and even mimic their flying style. It's "wings" are the fold of skin between their disjointed arms and legs, with its head now being completely unrecognizable, being a long retractable proboscis. It is through this proboscis that the virus is administered, by utilizing yellow fluid stored in the beast's bladder(not what you think). While most of time they walk on the floor on their talons, they are capable of brief flight. They will usually avoid attacking unless there are no more bodies to infect.

Attack: Talons, Proboscis

Infectors will generally try to avoid fighting unless A. there are no more bodies to infect B. They are harassed while trying to create more bodies. or C. as part of a ambush. When they are forced through whatever means to fight their primary weapons are its razor sharp talons, which will easily rip through flesh. When the want to move in for the kill however, they will grapple with their prey by latching on with its talons and then attempting to impale that unfortunate will their 2 foot long proboscis.

Tactics/Behavior: INFECT!, surprise

The main purpose of this Necromorph is to create new necromorphs, and it will forgo fighting completely unless one of the above conditions are met to fulfill this objective. Should the Fellowship fail to take him out in time they could be facing a whole army of slashers. Like all other necromorphs, this monstrosity is quite capable/willing to ambush its enemies, jumping down from rafters to ambush Franco in the beginning of Dead Space 2, giving us a close-up and first hand glimpse of a necromorph transformation.

Effectiveness:

This necromorph is most effective in it's passive role, i.e. creating more necromorphs. Unless the Fellowship can stop it immediately, they may be facing a whole army of slashers, which may also feature familiar faces in the crowd, leading o decreased morale. When it finally decides to attack however, it's effectiveness is mixed at best. It's slashing talons aren’t that effective against unarmored foes, and the chainmail of most of the Fellowship will pretty much negate it . Likewise it won't be able to pierce the chainmail with its proboscis either, meaning that it will only really be used for head and neck attacks. Gimli's axe will likely be its greatest foe, as it could easily crush all of the Infector's organs in one blow. It's grapple will be deadly against the small hobbits, but I can see anyone else standing a chance of being able to successfully fight him off in without help. With the rest of the team there, it's likely that even the hobbits can fight it off with help. This doesn't make the infector completely weak, and it can certainly get a kill as a result of an ambush.

Infector: In action: Execution

Here

Infector in Action: Transformation/Execution

Here

Pregnant:

The Pregnant is aptly named, as the biggest danger from this monster comes from inside it's womb, rather than outside.

The Pregnant is very much like the slasher, with three glaring exceptions. First the blades of this beast are wider, longer and thicker then the average slasher. Secondly the legs are shorter and stockier, to better support the third and most noticeable attribute of this monster, its giant abdominal sac. Inside this sac resides Swarmers, who will be described next.

Attacks: Blades, Payload

The blades of the Pregnant are both more damaging and heavier than the regular slashers, and can be used to hack and stab. As such when they hit it will be devastating but that is a big if, especially against lightly armored or agile foes. It's main "weapon" can only be used once it's dead; the biological terror contained in its stomach. More about them down below.

Tactics/Behavior: kill, RELEASE THE KRACKEN!!

Like all other Necromorphs its main purpose is to kill non-necromorphs, although the delicate state of its sack prevents it from being as good of a ambusher as it's comrades. Due to its payload it is one of the slowest necromorphs, and at its fastest it is roughly the same speed as you power walking. Should it fall or show signs of being in mortal danger its purpose will shift from kill to releasing the contents of its sack. Pregnant have been observed using their own blades to disembowel itself when mortally wounded , so that it's brood may go free and wreak havoc. They have about ten of them in their sac.

Effectiveness:

The Pregnant's main advantage will be its sac, which will certainly be a target for the Fellowship, who likely wouldn’t know better. The thrown axes and arrows of the Fellowship also won't have much of a effect , and again likely serve to unleash the payload. In close combat it will be at a disadvantage against faster opponents, like Legolas and the hobbits. I can easily see them dodging the initial slash and them hewing out the Pregnant’s legs out from under her(him?), or Legolas merely slicing off the offending arm. Gandalf's magical ability will likely allow him to push it back, or else fry her with his lightning/fire, which will also kill the brood. Fighting Boromir and Aragorn will also be dangerous, as both are capable of dodging and then cutting off her legs, or in Boromir's case merely blocking with the shield and then countering. The Best person for the Pregnant to fight in close quarters it Gimli, as he usually goes for the chest with his axe, which will unleash the payload directly upon him, giving the pregnant if she is still living a chance to finish off the distracted dwarf. In addition he'll have difficulties dodging. The swarmers present their own unique advantages.....

Pregnant in action:

Pregnant video

Pregnant attack/death

Swarmer:

"They're everywhere"

- Unknown

The swarmers are the foul brood of the Pregnant. It is hard to describe them, but they look like mutated hands or at least flesh that includes mutated fingers. It is unknown how they make noise, lacking a mouth, or bite (although they could stab at their prey with their long nails).

Attack:"Bite"

As previously stated they "bite" their prey, although it does not appear that they have mouths. A theoryis they dig deep in through the flesh of their foes with their sharpened fingers.

Tactics/Behavior: SWARM! High jump

As suggested by the name, the Swarmers overwhelm their prey by latching onto them and ripping off skin. While not particularly devastating individually, get 6or 7 of them on you and they will very quickly bring you down. They have the ability to jump to a height at least 15 times their size, allowing them to jump on their opponents hard to reach back.

Effectiveness:

Against a lone member of the fellowship a swarm of ten will likely be fatal, if they are able to latch on. Against multiple not so much, as the team will likely stop and help pull them off. They can pretty much be crushed with bare hands, so they are not particularly hard to kill. The Swarmers will be great distracters though, and the team will have to worry about both what's on their back and what's in front of them.

Swarm death

The Exploder:

The Exploder is aptly named, and in Melee combat there are none that can do more damage with a single strike. The problem is that a single strike is all this guy has got.

The exploder has been radically transformed by the infection. It's head has been vertically split in two, each side brimming with sharp teeth. It's left arm has transformed into a glowing, pulsating, HUGE pimple/explosive. It's right arm has become enlogated enough to function as a leg, while it's real legs has fused together.

Attack: KABOOOM!, Bite

The main attack for this Necro is to swing their giant arm-bomb onto the enemy-or the ground should he miss. The blast radius is akin to that of a small grenade, and pretty much everything around him, including himself, will be blown to pieces. In the rare case that the bomb is severed from his body and he still lives, he will try to hit the enemy with his mouth flaps.

Tactics/Behavior: Ambush, Suicide bomb

Like most Necromorphs, the exploder is capable of pulling off an ambush, often jumping out of vents or dark corners once the enemy is close enough. Once in range he will wing it's arm as high as he can and then bring it down to the ground, blowing up everything around him.

Effectiveness:

There are some serious issues that stop this guy from getting full points. One is that every time the enemy gets close and he catches sight of them he gives forth a weird gasp/wail, which will alert the Fellowship to its presence. IF it can get close enough to detonate then it will undoubtedly be devastating to the Fellowship, and may wipe out most of them depending on how clumped together they are, but that is a HUGE IF. Reason being is that the exploder doesn’t really take any steps to ensure a stealthy approach, and he has a powerful nemesis in this fight ; Legolas. Perhaps the best archer to ever be conceived, this guy is a marksmen on par with legends such as Robin Hood and Odysseys, and is capable of rapid fire. Hell I would bet that he could beat the Cho Ku Nu in pumping out arrows, and unlike the repeating crossbow actually has great penetrating power. Point is the Glowing arm-bomb is basically a big target for the Elf, and I can see him taking it out from a great distance whenever he is around ( I really can't conceive of him missing this ). Should the elf be unavailable or, gods forbid, dead, Aragorn also has a bow which he is decently skilled at, and Gimli has a throwing axe. Lastly Gandalf has Telekinesis, and I can see him slamming the arm into a wall. If any of these guys take out the arm prematurely then it will be very detrimental to the Necromophs, as anything around the exploder will also die.

Crawler:

"Come here, come to mama."

-last words of a Nursery worker

The Necromorph invasion has spread, and not even the young and innocent are immune.

The virus has twisted this once innocent baby into a monster. It's torso is now a explosive, in the same manner as the Exploder's arm. Its arms and head are all twisted backwards, while it's legs are fused together.

Attack: Baby Bomb

The only attack of this corrupted infant is self detonation. Basically when it gets close enough to its target it will explode. The blast is significantly smaller than that of the Exploder's, but still devastating.

Tactics/Behavior: Suicide bomb, baby sounds

Self explanatory and it only exists for said purpose, not really attempting to use strategy to get close to its opponent. It does give of creepy baby sounds though.

Effectiveness:

Without a doubt this will be one of the more unnerving of the Necromorphs, effecting even hardened heroes like Gandalf and Aragorn. IT suffers from all the same problems that the exploder does though. Its approach is obvious, and it's torso is essentially a giant target. Expect this child to have the same nemesis as the exploder; Legolas. The ensuing explosion will likely take out any Necromorphs traveling with it as well. Aragorn and Gandalf would also be up for the task, if the can get past their revulsion and pity for the thing.

Crawler in action

Here (nursery worker)

Flyer:

"Oh God, how are we supposed to stay safe if those things can fly?" And now so I can Keep track

-Lexine Murdoch

The only necromorph that is capable of full flight, compensating for its lack of melee ability.

Since I have not played Dead Space Extraction, and cannot adequately describe one, i will copy the Wiki's description.

A Flyer seems to consist of an upper torso twisted and flayed into a shape vaguely resembling a stingray, topped by a partially-skinned human skull and possessing a 'tail', presumably composed of either intertwined nerves, a dangling spinal column, or both. The arms are twisted forwards and fused to the cheeks, forming a crude "frame" for the wings. They have horribly twisted facial features such as the skin from the jaw and part of the face have peeled away. Their jaw has also split in two. Unlike Infectors, Flyers move only through the air and possess considerable mobility and agility, making it hard to shoot them while they are in a dive.

Attack: Sharp tail, biting

Flyers only have two forms of attack, both utilizing hit and run tactics. They either bite at their enemy then run away, or slash at them with their tales.

Tactics: Hit and run, long, predictable dives

As mentioned the Flyers utilize guerilla tactics on their enemies, attacking and running away. They make long, predictable runs toward their enemies however, so it's unlikely that he'll get many kills.

Effectiveness:

The Ability to fly gives it some bonus, as it is the most mobile out of any necromorphs. Its predictability will certainly hurt it, as I can see even hobbits cutting it down as it pass, and Legolas will certainly be able to predict its movements well enough to shoot it out of the sky. In my opinion this creature is good only as a form of distraction and it will be hard pressed to get a kill.

Leaper

"Holy Shit! Come on, get out of here!"

- Hammond upon seeing a Leaper

Leapers are one the most visually horrifying of the necromorphs. Their head has been split in half along the jaw line, and jointed fanlike appendages are forced out of its mouth to serve as teeth, looking kind of like a undead saber toothed tiger. Its intestines and legs are merged together to form a scythlike tail, and the Necro's spine has popped out of its skin in various places. The enhanced version is completely black with glowing eyes, along with being stronger.

Attack: Tail, Claws, Fangs

The Leaper has an extremely powerful tail which is quite capable of eviscerating its prey. It can even leap in with its tail out, causing extra damage to its quarry. Should that fail he also has pretty sharp claws, quite capable of tearing through flesh. Should even that fail, he also two pretty nice pairs of sabers that are his teeth, quite capable of "going for the jugular".

Tactics: Phenomenal Acrobatic skill, Guerrilla tactics, surprise

The Leaper is quite capable of jumps that span upwards of 50 feet. He can climb and walk across walls. He prefers to be part of a surprise attack, jumping down from the walls and slashing with his tail without preamble. He'll then retreat back to the walls before a counter attack can be made, where he'll plan his next attack.

Effectiveness:

Though his tail won't be all that great against armor, it will be excellent against unprotected flesh like the neck and legs. He's also fairly hard to hit for everyone this side of Legolas, and in melee range he'll be pretty proficient at dodging enemy blows. The Leaper is a great ambusher, and in the past has coordinated with other good necromorph guerillas (Slasher and Leaper). If his tail is destroyed then he can also grapple with the target and try to finish him off with his formidable canines. Admit ably pretty bad in stand up fights but overall a pretty decent contender .

Leaper in action: Here

And here

Divider

The divider is an extremely tall, gaunt necromoph with freakishly long limbs. While at first it looks semi-normal once killed its body parts will dissemble into spider like beings, around five of them to be exact.

Attack: Claws, Choke, Body Hijack

In its combined form, the divider attacks with its long sharp claws. It can also wrap one of its appendages around its opponent's neck, eventually resulting in decapitation. When split apart the individual pieces are able to slash with their own claws, along with one of the more unique and fearful moves in the game. It will wrap around the prey's neck, choking him, until it decapitates him like the combined version. Unlike the combined version it will then attach itself to its new body's nerve ending and essentially hijack it.

Tactics/behavior: Cannot run, slow, can take ALOT of damage

The divider doesn’t really have any tactics, going straight for the enemy as soon as it notices their presence. Due to the amount of coordination between its individual parts (its 5-6 sentient pieces attached to a random torso) it cannot run and is very slow. It makes up for this by being able to take a ton of damage, and when it finally succumbs it will split into many individuals.

Effectiveness:

This creature (or cluster of creatures) is practically immune to arrows as even if the arrows kill a few components it can still hold itself up. Gimli's axe is also going to do little to it, as most of his blows will be aimed at the inanimate chest and against limbs it'll only be able to crush one or two before a strong counter from the divider. It will take well coordinated slashing attacks from the Fellowship to win, that or Gandalf. Gandalf has the ability to simply fry or electrocute the Divider, killing all of its parts. Should the parts split then they have a severe annoyance on their hands. While it's unlikely that the pieces will be able to successfully hijack a body(everyone is quite capable of fighting them off individually, to say nothing as a group) they will distract the fellowship against other monsters.

Videos of both forms of the Divider can be found here and here along with their famous whale call.

Lurker

The Lurker is the second infant based necromorph, after the crawler. It has the unique ability to both climb walls and remain perched on them when attacking, even when it is suspended on the ceiling. It utilizes numerous suction-like tentacles coming out of its stomach to grasp onto the surface of any wall and then once it is place, uses three additional spiked tentacles on its back to shoot force barbed projectiles.

The enhanced version is entirely black, and fires more lethal barbs.

Attack: Tentacles

The Lurker’s sole means of attacking are with its tentacles. At long range it fires three barbed projectiles with each volley, and in a fairly rapid rate. When forced into close range it will use its tentacles to slash and stab, and can grapple with its suction like tentacles. Although these suctions don’t do any damage by themselves, they do allow the Lurker easier access to the target’s face and back.

Tactics/behavior: Wall Climbing, Support unit, Ambush

As mentioned the Lurkers love to climb walls and fire on a unsuspecting humans from those positions. As such he is great at participating in an ambush, although he is better at support then as an instigator. With the Fellowship focused on his brethren he can get a lot of damage in from a hidden position.

Effectiveness:

This Necromorph is pretty much the best support unit his side has. Firing fairly rapid volleys from difficult to discern from positions, this creature is a must have for any ambush squad. He will also be nerve wracking to the Fellowship, who will likely be shocked and disheartened at fighting such a deformed, mutilated infant. Outside of ambushes though is where the effectiveness diminishes. One on one the Lurker is outmatched by all nearly all the Fellowship, as the armor is going to stop a lot of its barbs. In close range fighting I can see Gimli being this monster’s bane as he is capable of crushing the Lurker in one almighty blow with his axe. Once again the worst enemy that the Lurker has will be Legolas, whose calm demeanor and awesome archery skill means that the Lurker will be a target even in the most chaotic battles.Expect Aragorn and Gandalf to also do range damage to it as well.A video can be found Here

Drag Tentacle:

The Drag Tentacle is what the name implies, a extremely long, thick Tentacle that DRAGS you to your death. It has a huge pulsating middle. It also has auxiliary tentacles that em

erge from the hole once close enough.

Attack: Drag you to your doom:

The Drag Tentacle's only attack is to grab someone and then drag them to an unspecified place .Once they grab its unfortunate victim and knock him to the floor; it will then drag them to the hole that it came from, recoiling after every few steps. Once it gets to the hole it will then attempt to pull its prey down the hole, where it will the torn to pieces in an unspecified manner.

Tactics/behavior: Dramatic entrance, one purpose:

This Necromorphs always makes a dramatic entrance, often suddenly appearing from behind-corners and knocking the surprised player down. Once it does knock them down its only purpose to drag its prey to a hole and kill them. It does not coordinate with other necromorphs.

Effectiveness:

One on One the only Fellowship member with a good chance of taking it out once grabbed are Legolas, Aragorn and Gandalf, due to their ranged capabilities . It is arguably the best necromorph in this type of single combat. However as a team the Fellowship is quite capable of working together to save a targeted teammate ,as the most the Tentacle can do against multiple foes is sweep and knock them down.

While it can't/won't coordinate with other necromorphs, other Necromorphs can coordinate with it. If they were to launch an ambush right when the drag tentacle does, it could allow enough distraction for this to pull Fellowship member to its doom.

Drag Tentacle in action:

Here

Here

Here

The Grabber

The Grabber is the second Necromorph unique to the Wii game Dead Space: Extraction, the first being the flyer.

It takes the guise of a seemingly inconspicuous, but slightly damaged corpse. This is an illusion however, as it's body has been transformed to store its long muscular neck and serrated spinal blade. When in range it will extend its neck and head an impossibly long length , grappling the victim and either hold them still and distract them or drag it into the long spinal blade.

Attack: Serrated Spinal blade:

Once it has latched onto someone it will then pull him/her closer to the body. Once it is close enough to the body it will impale him/her with its spinal blade.

Tactics/behavior: Surprise, ambush, Can't move:

These guys play dead until something living gets up close enough, often using the environment to partially hide their appearance (hiding in murky water). Once they are in range the grabber launches its ambush, immobilizing or attempting to eviscerate its prey. The bright sides are that it is possible to break out of a grabber's grasp, either with help or by oneself and that it cannot move.

Effectiveness:

Here is another Non-Moving Ambush starter(together with the Guardian and Drag tentacle) . By itself the grabber isn't much, with the Fellowship probably being able to handle it before it can do much damage. When you factor in other Necromorphs however it becomes a much more effective, being able to incapacitate either temporary, or permanently(if help doesn't arrive quick enough) removing a Fellowship from the equation and leaving the rest to deal with the onslaught of Necromorphs. While it isn't the best non-moving Necromorph, that would be the Guardian, it is quite capable in its own right.

The Guardian and pods:

The Guardian is the ultimate in Necromorph defense. Having mutated from its original torso form, they now resemble as disgusting, living mound of flesh with a head attached. Placed on key paths that are usually mission specific, this necromorph is completely unable to move. It relies on shooting out embryonic creatures called pods, which possess a lurker-like tentacle. The entrails of this monstrosity have become tentacles, used to grasp onto walls, with the longest one becoming its most devastating weapon. These come out of a large hole that was its stomach. *fun fact, the Guardian is male.

Unlike most other necromorphs, the original host human is still alive here, and will give human like screams and moans to alert others to their presence, which seems to be the only thing left they have control over.

Attacks: Pods (barbed projectiles, small mine), Huge bladed tentacle

In all ranges but short, the Guardian shoots forth its embolic spawn, called pods. These have a single long barbed tentacle which shoots forth barbed projectiles. Essentially a mini version of the Lurker, although nowhere near as accurate. . When this is cut off or the pod is killed it will explode, doing minor damage to all those near. The Guardian has only one defense for itself, and that is some very long spiked tentacles used primarily for decapitation. These reach lightning fast speed, and only someone very skilled in melee has a hope of surviving an attack.

Tactics/Behavior: Placed along strategic routes, spawn pods, defend position.

Guardians seem to serve only one purpose and that is to guard a specific route. These are often very important routes that the necromorph hive intelligence (marker) puts them on. They will spawn as many pods as they are able to fulfill their defensive role.

Effectiveness:

One of the best Necromrophs in this section, it is only limited by the fact that it can’t move. Any Fellowship relying on melee has a high risk of being decapitated by this creature, and really Gandalf or Legolas are the only two that can safely take this thing out. Even they will have trouble, as they will also have to worry about the pods that are shooting at them.

Also the rest of the Necromorphs can choose to use this opportunity to attack, turning what was a rather difficult ambush point. The Fellowship will be attacked from all sides , and will have limited room to maneuver.

Videos

Pods Here

Guardian Here

The Pack:

The Pack. Before the outbreak, the Sprawl contained a lively population of youth, who contributed to the community's vibrant energy. Now, as the Pack, they move as one, engulfing their prey, leaving nothing in the wake of their destructive path."

The Pack is a new addition to the Dead space monsters. Bridging the gap between infant and adult, these prepubescent necromorphs work in groups-hence the name pack. While lacking the sense of strategy that characterizes the stalkers, these kids do you teamwork.

A member of the Pack has a less mutated body than most other Necromorphs, having only mutilations of its abdomen, hands and face, but retaining its human form. The skin over its face seems to have been pulled away, leaving only the jaw protruding out below eyes that are fused shut. They are armed with three claw-like digits on each hand, the remains of the child's fingers. There is a large gash over the lower torso and abdomen of the Necromorph that leads down to long, thin legs. Its body is also paler than the fleshy coloring of other Necromorphs. The bones of the creature's shoulders have been pushed out of the back, shown by small fleshy protrusions behind their shoulders.

The good news though is that these Necromorphs are much weaker than any other necromorph save the volatile ones. A single hit from anything is almost certain to kill them, although some few pack are known to survive with their head or a arm ripped off.

Attack: Claws, jaws

Each pack member is armed with six razor sharp knives that are its claws. These are excellent slashing weapons, very capable of going straight through arms in a single swipe. The pack can also use its razor sharp teeth during a grapple situation, which will also sink in deep.

Tactics/Behavior: Scream, strength in numbers, Attack from all sides

When a member of the pack catches sight of a human, it will give a loud ear-piercing scream. The rest of the pack will then jump out of hiding positions and proceed to surround the poor man, striking him from all sides. During this whole time they never stop screeching, much to the annoyance of anything around them.

The pack is unique in that it will rarely attack if it is not accompanied by the rest of its play pals, or by other Necromorphs, instead choosing to intimidate and then run away.

Effectiveness:

The pack is by far the easiest of all Necromorphs to kill, and they do not have an enhanced form. Any hit against them, whether it be Legolas’s arrows or even a hobbit sword thrust or pan attack (yes I am giving Sam this!) will likely kill them. They don’t often coordinate with other necromrophs as well as they should, instead proffering to rush in. Still that doesn’t mean that they are without uses. They will be a great distraction as both their appearance and their eye-shattering screeches will cover the approach of other necromrophs. They are great as part of a greater ambush, and will quite easily overtake a lone member of the Fellowship. So all in all, a decent contribution to the Necromorph effort.

Pack Here

Puker:

The puker is a rather horrifying necromroph, with a grotesque appearance.

Its legs are twisted into a single one and intestines and nerves grow from the creature's side to form a second leg. Its fingers combine into three long claws on each hand. Its eyes are nothing but holes, its jaw melted and fused with its neck, freezing its face in a hollow, blank stare. On its torso, its lungs are clearly visible and yellow, storing a limited quantity of bile to be used at a moment’s notice, much like how the Infector carries its infectious sludge. What remains of the flesh on the Puker's body is hanging loosely around its body. The creature's constant messy expulsion of caustic fluids has melted away its facial features and the skin and muscle tissue of its torso, revealing its intestines. When any limbs are removed corrosive fluid spurts out, making them dangerous to kill. The enhanced version is

Attack: Long Range Corrosive Ball, stream of corrosive bile, Claws, grapple

At extremely long range, the Puker launches a ball of corrosive liquid at the enemy. This bile ball can eat away at armor and slow down enemies movement, but oddly does not seem to do much in the way of damage . At mid range he projects this corrosive in a stream form, hence the name “Puker’”. This does way more damage than the long range blob, and has the same effects as the blob. The Puker is one of the best necromorphs at close range attacks as well, possessing a heavy and fast windmill like claw attacks (where he swings his arms around like a windmill) and a grappling attack where he vomits directly into his opponents face. This makes the Puker one of the few Necromorphs great at ranged AND close quarter’s attacks.

Tactics/ Behavior: retching sounds, Sacrifices speed and agility for durability and range of attacks, can’t ambush

This Necromorph is not that good at ambushes, due to the horrible retching noise it constantly gives off.

It is also rare that you will see this Necromorph using any sort of ventilation system, which is odd as even the exploder is able to do this. It is also slow and not very maneuverable; however conversely it is capable of taking more hits than the average Necromorph, as well as having a greater variety of attacks, so maybe it is compensating here.

Effectiveness:

While an ambush killer, this is probably the best overall of the regular Necromorphs. Its corrosive puke is going to cause all sorts of problems for the Fellowship, slowing them down, eating through armor and skin, and giving other Necromorphs time to get in close. If the melee focused Fellowship were to try to cut it up then they most also contend with acid spewing out of its wounds, as well as its fast and powerful strikes. Only Gimli’s axe will be able to kill it without acid spewing everywhere, as his axe can crush the main body, which can be attacked with about eliciting a acidic response. At range Legolas’s arrows, unless well positioned, will do little against him. Gandalf’s magical powers will have the most effect on this guy, and I can see him using his kinesis powers to catch a ball of acid and throw it back at him.

Video Here

Spitter

This looks remarkable like the slasher, except its human arms are holding its stomach open. Its jaw is also elongated, and extendable in melee combat. It is also clearly female….

Attacks: Acidic Bile, claws, jaws

The Spitter’s main attack is where it “spits” a acidic ball at someone, hence the name. Unlike the Puker’s bile ball this one is extremely devastating to those that it hits, and will quickly eat through armor. When forced to close range it can use its slasher-like claws and elongated jaws to devastating effect, with latter able to bite straight through armor and decapitate .

Tactics/Behavior: Long Range support, friendly fire , Guerilla tactics

The Spitter functions as a long range support unit, and probably the greatest that exists in Dead Space. Its acidic ball can kill much quicker than the Puker bile can, and its range is the best of the Necromorphs. Plus it will often hide behind walls and objects as it “reloads”. The only problem is that the Spitter is very easy to friendly fire with (on personal note, half of my deaths as Necromorphs on DS multiplayer are from Spitter attacks) and I can see many an unlucky Necromorph near the Spitter’s target dying.

Effectiveness:

There is not one Necromorph better at ranged attacks. The problem is that melee focused Necromorphs are also vulnerable to the acid as well, either from accidental hits by the Spitter or as a result of Gandalf’s kinesics. Gandalf is naturally the bane of this creature at long range, and Legolas will be able to secure a lot of kills as well, as the Spitter lacks the Puker’s durability. It is also extremely vulnerable in close range as its attacks are slow, and its claws can be cut off quite easily without fear of retribution(acid spewing from its wounds). All-in-all a mixed bag for Team Dead Space.

Here

Now it’s time for the four who I believe are the most deadliest.

Twitcher

"The infection process is doing something strange to these soldiers. They all had built-in Stasis units in their body armor. The infection is merging the Stasis unit into their flesh or something... making them move fast... real fast. Be careful." –Zach Hammond

The Twitcher is the fastest of all the Necromorphs as well as one of the hardest to hit.

The Twitchers look a lot like slashers, except for a couple key differences. They are more muscular, their talons are longer, their eyes are missing and tentacles cover the head. Their facial expressions never change from a blank, hollow stare. They are also much paler, and as result of being former armored security detail, the armor which they wore in a past life is now absorbed into their skin, making them much harder to kill. Often have flashlights on their heads.

In Dead Space security teams and soldiers are equipped with stasis, a device which lets the user slow down time around an object. When these security forces are transformed however, a disturbing transformation takes place. Instead of slowing down the Necromorph, the effect is reversed and they actually become much faster. They constantly twitch and spasm (giving them the name) and move so fast that it is practically a blur, zigzagging everywhere.

Attacks: Slash at devastating speeds, head butt

The Twitcher is melee expert attacking repeatedly at lightning fast speeds, all the while moving from position to position so that the enemy is hard pressed to from an adequate blocking response. In the rare event both its arms are removed it with head butt, again at extremely fast speeds.

Tactics/Behavior: Dodge, Armor, Twitch and Jibber/gabber incoherently, fake death

Although they look like regular Slasher, they constantly twitch and jibber incoherently, which given the helmet with flashlight means that it can’t ambush. But in all honestly it may not need to. The Twitchers are so ridiculously fast that they can dodge about half the guns found in Dead Space. Even when said guns manage to hit they often have to deal with the armor now fused to these creatures, which lowers the damage done to them. If a leg is successfully removed they will try to fake their death, which can be bad for the anyone who thinks its deceased , as a legless twitcher is amazingly just AS FAST as everything else in the game.

Effectiveness:

Melee is the specialty of the Twitcher, and is also the range that most of the Fellowship operates in. Its speed and agility will make it difficult for even accomplished sword masters like Aragorn, Legolas, and Gandalf to kill. Boromir will have more luck then most, as his shield may help him to block the Twitchers initial attacks ( I can see the Twitchers arms being able to go through his wooden shield though) . In long Range it will prove difficult to kill, and will dodge arrows, rocks and axes as easily as it dodges the Line gun from Dead Space.

Easy mode here

Kill Here

Stalkers:

The Stalker is described by the producers as the “velociraptors” of the Dead Space world.

The Stalker bears an exposed ribcage and a hornlike forehead plate. Its lower jaw is split in half. They are about 1 foot shorter then Isaac (the human player of Dead Space). They have three deadly claws on each hand.

Attacks: Head butt, claws

The Stalker possesses a powerful head butt, capable of knocking who it hits down and even bashing in steel helmets.They also have a rarely used deadly set of claws with powerful muscles to back that up. The Enhanced versions have glowing eyes, and can take a lot more damage.

Tactics/Behavior: Pack tactics, Guerilla Tactics, Pain Awareness, Flanking Tactics, Distraction Tactics, Cover, Charge, Screech

Arguably the most intelligent and opportunistic Necromorphs, Stalkers work in groups to distract and flank their prey. They will run around, hide, and peek behind cover, trying to lure Isaac into exposed areas. When they attack, they charge towards their prey while emitting a high-pitched screech with their limbs tucked behind them for protection and/or for streamlining. Stalker pack members will take turns in attacking him when they feel Isaac has let his guard down, and then flee before he has a chance to strike back. They specialize in mind games and hide and seek tactics, and are considered a very dangerous and fearsome foe. Stalkers also show awareness of being damaged, unlike other Necromorphs, preferring to bolt to a hiding spot if it receives any damage. Stalkers also use other Necromorphs(or their own kind who have had one of their limbs removed) to distract the player while another one moves in from another direction.

Effectiveness:

The Stalkers are designed to be a pack hunter-and thus there will be four of them in this matchup. Against the Fellowship expect to see them joining a lot of ambushes where other Necromorphs are already involved, opportunistically trying to pick the Fellowship off one by one. While all of the Fellowship would be competent against Stalkers in a stand up fight, the problem is Stalkers don’t fight Stand up fights, proffering to run away unless they know their opponent is almost dead. Gimli’s axe, if timed, may be able to stop one in its tracks and the sword wielding Fellowship MAY be sweep out its legs while its charging, but none of this is guaranteed. For range I can’t see the bow doing much damage, and what’s going to be most damaging for the Stalkers here is Gimli’s thrown axe or Gandalfs magic.

Stalkers in action: Here

Brute

"Your weapons can't punch through that thing's armor! Shoot it in the back, Isaac!" –Zach Hammond

The Brute is the largest Necromorph that Team Ring will have to face.

Made up of multiple bodies(the exact amount is unknown) the Brute looks more giant gorilla then man. Its entire front side is full of armored plates, which are strong enough to deflect bullets, however it compensates for this by having a back side devoid of protection(also there are two small exposed places on the front by the shoulder blades where a competent archer can shoot). The enhanced version is completely black, as well as stronger.

Attack: Muscular arms, Hardened foreheads, bite, Organic bombs

The Brute’s most prominent weapon is its two giant muscular arms, which are used to pummel its prey into oblivion. When it gets closer it will use its hardened forehead to smash the victim to the ground, where it will likely pummel it or else pick it up and rip the preys head off with its massive teeth. Should one of its limbs be severed it will shoot forth organic bombs from its chest(see exploder and crawler for what they look like).

Tactics/Behavior Charge, roar(dramatic entry), Antisocial

The Brutes main form of attack is long, predictable charges toward the enemy, which if caught he will then smash into the ground. Before attacking he will usually give a roar or some form dramatic entry, ruining ambushes. In addition he doesn’t seem to like being around other Necromorphs, and when he is around them he has been known to charge through them to get to the enemy.

Effectiveness:

Without a doubt one of the two most dangerous Necromrophs for the Fellowship to face, this behemoth is capable of simply charging through the entire Fellowship at once-provided they don’t dodge. He does have a lot of disadvantages though. For example when fighting a brute you are more often than not fighting just a brute. You can see him coming a mile away, and his charges are quite predictable. I can see a more agile member of the Fellowship like Legolas or even the hobbits dodging around his charge and striking him in the back. Legolas’s pin point archery will also enable him to shoot him in the shoulder blades; if this can be done repeatedly the arm will be severed. Lastly Gandalf’s magic may help here as well. Brute shown here and here

Now for the ultimate Necromorph, the appropriately named

Ubermorph

The only human features of this Necromorph are its body shape; it possesses six glowing red eyes, long blade arms,and long slender legs.

Attacks: blades

The Ubermorph uses its giant blade-arms to utterly dismember whoever it attacks. Other than that it has no weapons

Tactics/Behavior: Cannot/ will not run, Regeneration, often attacks in combination with others

The Ubermorph is possibly incapable of running, although it can certainly catch up to the hero of Dead Space (Isaac Clarke) using ventilation systems pretty quickly. It’s unique in that unlike every other Necromorph, it can regenerate lost limbs in a matter of seconds. Due to its slowness, it often attacks in combination with other Necromoprhs.

Effectiveness:

Since the objects of this match for the Fellowship are either A. Kill all Necromorphs or B. escape (giving them another way out to make up for the pure number of their foes) it’s possible The Fellowship could simply avoid him. Should they attack it however, they are in for a tough fight, as the Ubermorph is at least as skilled as they are in Melee, demonstrated by its surgical dismemberment of Isaac in Dead Space 2. Due to its regeneration, the only person I see being able to kill it/render it useless is Gandalf, who would have to use either Fire or environmental means(pushing it off cliffs, ect).

Ubermorph

The only human features of this Necromorph are its body shape; it possesses six glowing red eyes, long blade arms, and long slender legs.

Attacks: blades

The Ubermorph uses its giant blade-arms to utterly dismember whoever it attacks. Other than that it has no weaponTactics/Behavior: Cannot/ will not run, Regeneration, often attacks in combination with others

The Ubermorph is possibly incapable of running, although it can certainly catch up to the hero of Dead Space (Isaac Clarke) using ventilation systems pretty quickly. It’s unique in that unlike every other Necromorph, it can regenerate lost limbs in a matter of seconds. Due to its slowness, it often attacks in combination with other Necromoprhs.

Effectiveness:

Since the objects of this match for the Fellowship are either A. Kill all Necromorphs or B. escape (giving them another way out to make up for the pure number of their foes) it’s possible The Fellowship could simply avoid him. Should they attack it however, they are in for a tough fight, as the Ubermorph is at least as skilled as they are in Melee, demonstrated by its surgical dismemberment of Isaac in Dead Space 2. Due to its regeneration, the only person I see being able to kill it/render it useless is Gandalf, who would have to use either Fire or environmental means(pushing it off cliffs, ect).

In action: Here

So all-in-all The Necromroph army looks like this

Brute ¿ Crawler ¿ Divider ¿ Drag Tentacle ¿ Exploder ¿ Flyer ¿ Grabber ¿ Guardian(pods) ¿ Infector ¿ Leaper ¿ Lurker ¿ ¿ Pack ¿ Pregnant ¿ Puker ¿ Slasher ¿ Spitter ¿ Stalker ¿ Swarmer ¿ Twitcher

Ubermorph

Additional Factors

1: Red Marker:

"The Marker? This "divine relic"? Made by man." _Kendra Daniels

The Red Marker appears as a large twisted obelisk covered in symbols in Dead Space 1 and 2.

It is a man made replica of the original alien black marker, whose location is unknown. While in the first game it is helpful, in the second game it is far more menacing. It is capable a wide variety of psychological problems upon its victims, including depression, insomnia, dementia, hallucinations, delusions, and violent insanity. The hallucinations are notable in that they often take the form of loved ones, like former wives or girlfriends or even mothers. In the most extreme form the hallucinations can cause death for those suffering under the spell or those around him (ex Isaac is nearly killed multiple times by the Hallucination of his dead girlfriend in Dead Space 2, and Nolan Stross slaughters his family when a marker fragment made his see them as Necromorphs (they weren’t, as revealed through another’s flashbacks.))

Effects:

Gandalf’s ring will give him and those around him a great resistance to it(more information in Gandalf’s section later). Also the personalities of the Ring bearers themselves may reveal if they have the mental strength to resist it(talked about in individual sections). In the Dead Space saga, there were a few people who were completely resistant to it. Based on initial observation I believe at least Sam and Gandalf can be included in this list, with more added later. Frodo and Boromir may have some difficulties

2. Necromorph Vision

Suspiciously like the infected vision from Left 4 dead, the Necromrophs can see humans through walls and are amazingly able to tell their position even while being decapitated. While I am not sure what exact sense(s) are involved, this gives the Necromorphs a powerful advantage .

Effects:

The One Ring will have no effect.

Due to the pure length of the Necromorph section, I decided to include it as its own section

Please forgive formating, i really don't know how to fix it though :(

Please leave suggestions, comments, complaints ect.

Part 2: coming soon