Babbler

This article is currently under construction.

Babbler
Normal Shadow
"Lil' Gorge-riding bugs!"
Kharaa
Personal Resources 1
Health 10 (Babbler), 300 (Egg)	Armor 0
Spawns From:	Babbler Egg
Air Speed:	6 (min), 15 (max)
Abilities and Upgrades
Abilities: Babbler Bite, Cling, Hardened Carapace
Evolutions: Camouflage (cloaks with host)
Miscellaneous
Tech Requirements: Biomass level 1, Upgrade Gorge (Hive)
Build Time:	27.2 (auto-build), 8 (Grow) seconds
Buy From:	Build Menu
Purchase By:	Gorge
Hotkey:	3
Limit:	1 Eggs, 6 Babblers per player
Duration:	300 seconds

When regurgitated by a Gorge, a Babbler Egg will quickly grow and hatch into three Babblers. Each Babbler is symbiotically bound to the Gorge, which leaves a genetic imprint that dictates the babbler's life expectancy; the Gorge itself can only produce nine Babbler at most, and should it attempt to surpass this limit, the oldest existing babbler will burst and die. Also, due to their unstable body metabolism, Babblers have a limited life span of five minutes.

Behavior

Once hatched, babblerss will crawl and jump around, look at glowing things such as Cysts, and follow the parent Gorge wherever it goes. However, their curious demeanor hides the predator instincts prevalent in all Kharaa lifeforms.

Babblers are social but territorial and aggressive creatures that will attack any non-Kharaa lifeform in sight. Using their snapping jaws lined with sharp teeth, babblers will lunge at their prey viciously. Because babblers are simple-minded, the Gorge has evolved a special pheromone called Babbler Bait to attract and direct babblers. With the bait in the Gorge's mouth, all babblers will stop moving, turn towards the parent Gorge, and obediently wag their pointy shells in anticipation.

Once thrown, the bait will produce an irresistible pheromone that causes babblers to leap at the bait. Any Marines that stray near will find themselves as potential meals for a feeding frenzy. In absence of organic sustenance, babblers will instead attack Frontiersmen structures carrying human scent.

Babblers also exhibit a bizarre behavior when higher Kharaa lifeforms are covered in bait pheromone; they will ecstatically climb onto a lifeform and cling tightly until the pheromone appears elsewhere. Kharaa lifeforms under babblers' protection are recently seen entering combat, significantly increasing lifeform durability as well as unleashing swarms of babblers if the host lifeform is killed.

Tactics

Babblers cannot die in a single hit, but welders, flames and cluster grenades will melt them
Babblers can be healed with healspray
Babblers are behaving as a pack, if you trigger one, the others will join and focus the same target
Standing still against babblers is a death wish, keep moving or you will die in seconds
As a gorge you can use the babbler bait ball to direct babblers, so they scout an area for you
Babblers are trying to predict where you will be at the end of there jump, strafe randomly if you have to stay in the area
If babblers are attacking a building, they will focus it until told otherwise by the gorge. Watch out for nasty babblers finishing off low phase gates and power nodes.

Abilities

Babbler Bite

Babblers biting a Command Station

Babbler Bite

With its snapping jaws, the Babbler bites a target rapidly. Babbler will always try to jump at its target before biting.
Damage	8
Type	normal
Range	Melee
Fire Rate	0.40 seconds
Targets	Marines, Robots, Structures

Cling

Babblers clinging to a fellow Gorge

Cling

Babblers will cling onto a friendly Kharaa lifeform hit by the owner Gorge's Babbler Bait. Each lifeform has different attach points for Babblers. The number of Babblers attached is displayed as icons beside the Health/Armor circle for the host player. Babblers will detach when the Gorge throws another Babbler Bait.
Duration	∞ seconds
Max Amount	6 Babblers per player
Targets	Lifeforms, Owner

Hardened Carapace

Babblers are surprisingly resilient to burst damage

Hardened Carapace

Reduces damage taken to a set amount, if damage exceeds the threshold in one instance.
Damage	Damage > 5
Targets	Bullets, Explosives, Flames, Railgun

Trivia

Babblers were originally a Gorge ability in NS1, using a smaller Skulk model and Half-Life 1's Snark code.
In early development for NS2, Babblers were planned to be unleashed from Mature Crags by the Alien Commander.
Babblers will stop babbling when their parent Gorge has evolved the Phantom evolution, but only when hatched after Phantom is evolved.
Babbers will cloak if their host lifeform is invisible, but will not cloak when unattached.