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Half-Life 2 Hints

Headcrab

  • Health: 10
    Attack Damage: 5 from bite
    First Seen: "A Red Letter Day", Section 1 (first fought in Route Kanal, Section 5)

    These are the same "basic alien monster" things that you'll remember from Half-Life if you played it. They are about the same size and shape as crabs, and love to leap at your head (therefore the name "headcrabs"). They're only really dangerous to you when they swarm you, leaping at you from all directions at once. When they are, quickly retreat while firing the SMG at them. In all other cases, whack them with the crowbar or shoot them from a distance with the pistol.

    NOTE: Headcrabs are famed for latching onto the heads of dead humans and taking control of their central nervous system, turning them into zombies. Be warned that the headcrab is still alive and well after creating a zombie, and can detach from the head of a zombie you kill and attack you. (Therefore, use only head shots on zombies.)

    TIP: As in the first game, headcrabs can leap forward fairly quickly, but are slow to turn and can't leap sideways or backwards. That means you can quickly strafe to avoid a headcrab's leap and then turn and whack it with the crowbar before it gets into position to attack you again.