Flood stalker form



The Flood Stalker Form is a crustecean-like Flood Pure Form that specializes in stealth and agility. It is apparently made from the re-casted bones of dead enemies. It will frequently mutate into either a Ranged Form or a Tank Form when the need arises. This form sits low beneath your field of view and their attacks can go widely unnoticed until you look down. They are able to crawl on walls and ceilings with ease, and are capable of enormous jumps much like combat forms. A possible flaw in its AI is that it has been observed to rarely attack players, and normally prefers to mutate itself into one of the two other Pure Forms. It appears to attack more often on Cortana and Halo. Even if they do attack, they are not as strong as the Ranged or Tank forms, making it the easiest of the three to dispatch.

Tactics
Stalker forms are very weak, with a single blast from a Shotgun, slash from an Energy Sword, or a few bursts from an Assault Rifle capable of bring one down. To make up for their fragility they are incredibly fast and agile, so great accuracy is needed. If you can get up close, a single melee attack from any weapon, can usually bring one down. Any weapon will do, but grenades do a much better job, because their spindly physique makes them harder to hit. When playing on higher difficulties, they have a habit of mutating when they're stuck. The grenade appears to be absorbed but does not detonate, making it useless. If you hit them with an Incendiary Grenade or a Flamethrower, they will instantly jump away and scream, then they will die after a few seconds of burning. The name "Stalker" is represented quite well on both Cortana and Floodgate, as they blend in quite well with the surrounding, Flood-ridden walls.

Trivia

 * These Stalker forms can be killed while mutating.
 * Due to its weak nature, it may be a kind of "Flood spy", due to its agility and cowardly nature.
 * Stalker forms are very much like spiders, as they have three main body parts, what looks like pincers but are actually its "mouth" and they have a large backside.
 * While annoying, agile, and creepy, the Stalker Form rarely attacks you in the levels it appears. When it does, it does not cause as much damage as it does not possess the skill set (strength, weapon compatibility, shooting needles) that the other Flood forms have. Stalker Forms are more likely to mutate into one of the other Pure Forms than to attack in open combat against a player.
 * The Stalker Form is notable for being extremely cowardly when approached, as it will attack a player if they are unaware of the Stalker's proximity.
 * The rear part of the Stalker Form seems to be parts of a Human torso.
 * They are first seen on Floodgate.
 * They can not use any weapons apart from their pincers.
 * Stalkers sometimes tend to lunge at their foes on higher difficulties, although this does not increase the damage received.
 * Stalker Forms can transform into a Tank Form and a Ranged Form.