Shank

Shank
Biographical information
Species:	Fallen
House:	Devil Splicers ; House of Devils ; House of Dusk ; House of Exile ; House of Kings ; House of Winter ; House of Wolves ; Kell's Scourge ; House of Salvation ; House of Light
Purpose:	Cannon Fodder
Combat information
Weapon(s):	Shank Turret ; Shock Rifle (very rare)
Abilities:	Midair Levitation ; Rapid Flight ; Absorption Shield (high difficulty)

"Death flies on tarnished wings."

— Grimoire description

Shanks are small flying robotic drones used by the Fallen.^[1]

Overview

Shanks are small floating drones employed by the Fallen as scouts, fire support, or to serve as a distraction. They are propelled by a pair of vertical jet engines which allow them to both fly and hover in the air. Houses paint their chassis in their colors to signify their ownership of them. They also seem to possess some level of sentience, and Eliksni can get attached to them as if they were members of their families.^[2] Shanks are easy to manufacture and expandable, and as such, many variants of the base model exist, like the Repeater Shanks, which act as fire support, Exploder Shanks, which act as a kamikaze unit, and Tracer Shanks, which act as snipers.

Gameplay

Shanks are one of the few enemies to not have a weak spot, which significantly increases the resilience of their high ranking variants. They are also often employed in large swarms, and their ability to float lets them easily flank foes, surpass cover, and appear from unexpected positions. In high difficulty activities, Shanks can be equipped with Solar Absorption Shields, which significantly increase their durability. Still, standard Shanks are only equipped with a weak, rapid-fire, Arc-based weapon, lack melee attacks, and are rather fragile, in that they can be destroyed in only a few shots.^[3].

Known Shanks

House of Devils Shanks

S.A.B.E.R.-2

House of Dusk Shanks

Kell's Scourge Shanks

House of Salvation Shanks

Variants

Upgraded Models

Exploder Shank - Shank that detonates when in close proximity
Heavy Shank - Large, heavily armored Shank equipped with dual machine guns
Repeater Shank - Shank with a larger weapon and a higher rate of fire
Tracer Shank - Shank armed with a Wire Rifle
Splicer Shank - Devil Splicers Shank

Notable Variants

Nightmare Shank - Nightmare in the form of a Shank
Shank, Kell's Scourge - Kell's Scourge Shank and Tracer Shank

Common Variants

Elder Shank - Heroic Difficulty
Noble Shank - Epic Difficulty
Reaver Shank - Major Shank (Destiny)
Resilient Shank - Elite Shank
Resilient Shank, Kell's Scourge - Kell's Scourge Elite Shank and Tracer Shank
Resolute Shank - Major Shank (Destiny 2)

Specific Variants

Assault Shank
Befouler Shank
Brutal Shank, Kell's Scourge
Empyrean Shank
Fallen Rear Guard
Lunar Scavenger
Pit Shank - Shanks deployed by Fallen Walkers
Scavenged Shank
Sensor Shank
Surveillance Shank

Trivia

Sekris, Baron of Shanks given his unique title might be the creator of Shanks.
The word "Shank" is a term used for a homemade knife made out of scrap of metal or glass found anywhere and sharpened like a knife.
An infamous Shank known by the community as "Hank the Shank" is a glitched Shank appearing in the original Destiny. It stands in the ranks of Rahndel the Vandal and Greg the Dreg.