The Swarmak is a mutant variant of the Brumak from the Gears of War series. Like the Locust, Brumaks were also affected by Adam Fenix's Imulsion Countermeasure weapon as they had been exposed to Imulsion over a long period. While some Brumaks died when exposed to the Imulsion vaccine, others fell into a state of suspended animation as the Locust had done, the Imulsion in their bodies emerging and hardening into indestructible crystals. These mutations would be awakened with the emergence of the Scions and co-opted into the hivemind of the Swarm.
Appearance[]
Swarmaks are largely the same as standard Brumaks in terms of appearance and behaviour: they are huge, bipedal reptilian beasts with a thick, scaly hide and outfitted with a mechanical harness by the Locust. They carry powerful weaponry, including a heavy chain-gun on each forearm and a large missile cannon on their humps.
Where the Swarmak differs from the Brumak in appearance is the presence of large clusters of Imulsion crystals covering parts of the body, even growing over the armour and weapons. These formations do not impair the functionality of the Swarmak's weapons, nor do they hinder the beast's ability to track prey, despite the crystals completely obscuring the creature's eyes. This lack of sensory hindrance could be due to their connection to the Swarm hivemind; it is possible that Swarmaks are able to see through the eyes of the Scions that ride them and other Swarm creatures supporting them on the battlefield.
As well as the crystalline formations, the Swarmak has also developed a number of glowing blisters on parts of its body. These growths are vulnerable to weapons fire and may be connected to the Swarmak's nervous system as destroying all of them will result in the creature's death.
Combat[]
Like standard Brumaks, Swarmaks act as living artillery platforms. Their size and physical strength allows them to bulldoze through enemy structures and vehicles while their rocket launchers and chain-guns allow them to make short work of infantry and aircraft. Their thick hides and crystalline shells protect them from incoming attacks, their only weak points being the glowing sores on their lower bodies. Enough concentrated fire on these sores will destroy them and the loss of all of them will cause fatal shock to the Swarmak.