Phoenix Logs/Leaders/Yapyap THE DESTROYER

Phoenix log artwork

Enough Talk!

Once in a thousand generations comes a Grunt with the combined wisdom of Ang'napnap the Enlightened, the charisma of Awlphhum Who Became Tolerable, and a strategic acumen unmatched since Yayep the Archdeacon of Indolence. That time has not yet come, but Yapyap THE DESTROYER (he likes to shout that last part) does embody the mythic skills of one, maybe two, of these legendary heroes. He leads his brave (if not so bright) warriors from atop his Throne of Woe, having abandoned the Banished to locate the fabled Golden Methane Hydrate Mines of Sabator hidden somewhere on the Ark (and why would that Kig-Yar fortune-teller lie?) and secure a position as the Halo Wars 2 main character.

Yapyap THE DESTROYER is more of an idea Grunt, and has better things to do than come down to the battlefield personally [his managerial expertise would be wasted on the front lines]. With style and panache he leads the Grunts to glorious victory or not—so—total defeat from his secret lair, throwing good Grunts after bad with Grunts from Above troop deployment and Shade Drop, while also playing the long game with defensive abilities such as the Surprise Party and Gruntdome deployable shield tower. And if Yapyap THE DESTROYER runs low on bodies, he can always put on a thrilling display of tactical cowardice with the Please Don't Shoot Me ability, which puts a temporary armistice in place. While the rebellious Grunts don't have much of a long-term strategy, they can avoid a loss simply by denying the enemy a win, with abilities such as Guilt Trip ensuring combat losses don't embolden the enemy and the Get Back Out There advanced ability which returns injured Grunts back to the nearest HQ. When the combat music starts late in the Blitz match he can also send out invitations for the Methane Party, which drops gas—filled explosive barrels that damage the enemy and leave behind a lingering aura that makes Grunt units more effective.