War Beast

War Beasts are the Cabal's frontline attack animals and military hounds used by the Red Legion.^[1]

Overview

War Beasts are feral, vicious attack animals deployed by the Red Legion as either shock troops, a distraction or as cannon fodder to protect their other forces. These beasts are quick and highly aggressive and will attack any enemy in sight. They are also very tenacious and will not stop until either they or their enemies are dead. They were native to Torobatl.

During the reign of Emperor Calus, War Beasts were seen as a revered and respected part of Cabal culture; each one being bred to serve a specific handler from birth and as such, their bond with their handler was unrivaled. However, according to Calus, after he was ousted and Dominus Ghaul took over the Empire, War Beasts were treated more of a military asset rather than a personal companion. ^[2]

Gameplay

War Beasts have no ranged attack abilities but compensate for this with their incredible agility and unyielding ferocity. While they are weak individually, and can be downed in just a few shots, they make up for this by being deployed in large numbers which can easily overwhelm enemies. Once they get in close to their enemies, they will relentlessly strike at them with their claws, teeth and blades affixed to their backs.^[3]

Variants

Known War Beasts

Royal Beasts

War Beasts

Castus
Milos

Trivia

War Beasts are the first animal enemies to ever appear in the Destiny franchise, and are the first quadruped creatures the player can interact with.
When killed by a headshot, their bodies burst with the same Cabal oil that their suits use.
Cabal troops within the Red Legion and Loyalists (with the exception of psions) wear bodysuits made from War Beast scales. Additionally, all War Beasts (including Loyalists) have a Red Legion brand on their hind leg. This could be a developer mistake for the latter, or it could be that only the Red Legion uses War Beasts and defectors to the Loyalists take the Beasts with them for additional forces, the brand still remaining.
When a Finisher is being performed on a War Beast, it will stand up on its hind legs.

Gallery

Cayde-6 defends himself from a War Beast.
A pack of War Beasts hunt down an enemy.
The Red Legion's symbol branded onto a War Beast's hind leg.

List of appearances

Destiny 2 (First appearance)
- Curse of Osiris
- Warmind
- Forsaken
Cabal Booklet

References

[1] YouTube - Destiny 2 - NEW STRIKE! INVERTED SPIRE!

[2] ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BVuriiWz94

[3] reddit - So I played D2 at E3...

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