{{Article|hl2|good}}
{{image}}
{{Enemy Infobox
| image=FileOverwatch Elite.svg|120pxFileOverwatch Elite.jpg|250px
| name=Overwatch Elite
| affiliation=CombineOverwatch
| type=Transhuman elite infantry
| health=70''Half-Life 2 Prima Guide''
| weapons=*Overwatch Standard Issue Pulse Rifle (3 attack damage points)
*Energy Ball|OSIPR secondary fire (15 attack damage points)
*Weapon butt (15 attack damage points)
| equipment=Vocoder
| entity=npc_combine_s
| designer=Ted Backman''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar''
}}
The '''Overwatch Elite''' is a specialized, higher-ranking Overwatch Soldier. Sporting a distinctive white uniform and helmet with a single red ocular lens, the Elite is the deadliest of the Combine Overwatch infantry.
==Overview ==
FileD3 breen 010000.jpg|Overwatch Elite with the Gravity Gun.|left|200px|thumb
Overwatch Elites are equipped with improved body armor, made apparent by the larger neck guard and the increased protection it offers. Their helmets are also drastically different from those of regular soldiers, which possibly improve senses, indicated by the two miniature domes located where the ears of the soldier would be. Given its helmet, the Elite may only have one eye left, making it an artificial cyclops, and it may also have no ears at all. All of this seems to imply that the Elite has suffered massive anatomical alterations, although the extent of these changes is unknown, as an unmasked Elite is never seen in-game.
Elites are tougher, achieve better accuracy with their weapons, and inflict more overall damage than regular soldiers do. They typically carry Overwatch Standard Issue Pulse Rifles, and are able to use the weapon's secondary fire Energy Ball. They use this advantage without hesitation and with deadly accuracy.
Elites typically fight in squads of their own kind, but will occasionally operate with regular Overwatch Soldiers or, in rare cases, Hunters. They are generally reserved for more critical combat missions, where their deadly skills and efficiency are required. They also serve as Wallace Breen's personal guards in the Citadel. One of them takes the Gravity Gun from Freeman when the latter arrives at Breen's office in the Citadel.
Elites are first seen in the ninth chapter of ''Half-Life 2'' at Nova Prospekt (Chapter)|Nova Prospekt on a security monitor. They are encountered for the first time in person in the following chapter, ''Entanglement'', assaulting the teleport chamber only seconds before Gordon and Alyx teleport out.
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==Related Achievements==
{|class=wikitable style="vertical-aligncenter;" width=50%
|-
!colspan="2" style="text-alignleft"|The Orange Box Achievements Half-Life 2 game|Any ''Half-Life 2'' game
|-
|rowspan=2 width=64px|FileHlx kill elitesoldier withhisenergyball.png
!style="text-alignleft"|Think Fast! (10G)
|-
|''Kill an Elite Soldier with his own Energy Ball.''
|-
|}
==Behind the scenes==
*The Overwatch Elite has had several predecessors during the development of ''Half-Life 2'', such as the Combine Synth Elite Soldier and the Combine Super Soldier, both early elite Combine units dropped in favor to a more humanoid model. It also inherited its helmet from the Combine Assassin. When viewing the Overwatch Elite model in the Source SDK model viewer, its preview image is an image of the Combine Super Soldier. The model and its related files are also named "Combine_Super_Soldier".
*The insignia featured on the Elite's left arm, chest (in a grey variant, with a campaign ribbon under it) and neck guard (inside it) is the only Combine imagery that indicates hostility or threat, displaying a cracked human skull within a straightened up standard Combine "claw" symbol, as well as a "City 17|C17", probably different for each Combine-controlled city. While the original symbol does not portray the Combine as horrific, the Elite symbol is a deliberate attempt to show the Elites as brutal and deadly. It was possibly influenced by the WikipediaTotenkopf|Totenkopf symbol used most prominently by the WikipediaSchutzstaffel|Schutzstaffel (or SS), an organization in Nazi Germany which served as both political police and an elite military formation.
*This insignia is also featured on the Overwatch Soldier Soldier|Shotgun Soldier's left arm, suggesting that it may be a branch of the Overwatch Elite or possibly a higher ranked soldier variant, or a squad leader.
==Trivia==
*While all Overwatch units have been transfigured by Combine technology, it is possible that Overwatch Elites have been altered even further than standard soldiers.
*On Hard mode, Overwatch Elites can withstand a direct hit from a Submachine Gun (Half-Life 2)|Submachine Gun grenade.
*At the end of the ''Half-Life 2'' chapter ''"Follow Freeman!"'', an ordinary Overwatch Elite equipped with a Submachine Gun can be seen. It is a developer's oversight, since the soldier will occasionally attempt to use OSIPR's secondary attack.
*Like Stalkers and Overwatch Soldier|other soldiers, Overwatch Elites appear to be resistant or immune to radiation, as they are seemingly unaffected even when entering the room containing the extremely radioactive Citadel Core.
==Gallery==
FileSuper soldier.jpg|Concept art for the Combine Super Soldier.
FileCombine Super Soldier.jpg|The Combine Super Soldier image associated with the Overwatch Elite in the SDK model viewer.
FileOverwatch Elite.svg|Left arm sleeve and neck guard insignia.
FileElite chest insigna.svg|Chest insignia.
FileD3 citadel 030191.JPG|Overwatch Elite being killed by an Energy Ball thrown by Freeman's Gravity Gun.
FileD3 breen 010004.JPG|Overwatch Elite heading for Breen's office with the Gravity Gun.
FileD3 citadel 030128.JPG|Overwatch Soldiers running in the Citadel, an Overwatch Elite among them.
FileD3 citadel 040291.JPG|Combine Soldiers and a Strider attacking Freeman in the Citadel.
FileD3 citadel 030166.JPG|Elite being killed by an Energy Ball.
FileEp1 citadel 030004.JPG|Alyx and Gordon in the Citadel Core, with dead Elites nearby.
FileEp2 elites white forest beta.jpg|Early ''Episode Two'' screenshot of Overwatch Elites during the White Forest battle.
FileOverwatch elite wfi.jpg|Overwatch Elite monitoring the arrival of Gordon and Alyx on the road preceding the White Forest Inn.
==List of appearances==
*''Half-Life 2'' {{1st}}
*''Half-Life 2 Raising the Bar''
*''Half-Life 2 Deathmatch'' {{Nc}}
*''Half-Life 2 Lost Coast'' {{Nc}}
*''Half-Life 2 Episode One''
*''Half-Life 2 Episode Two''
==References==
{{Imagecat|Overwatch Elite images}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Combine}}
plOverwatch EliteCategoryCombine unitsCategoryHalf-Life 2CategoryHalf-Life 2 Lost CoastCategoryHalf-Life 2 Episode OneCategoryHalf-Life 2 Episode TwoCategoryFactionsCategoryTranshumansCategoryOverwatch SoldiersCategoryEnemiesCategoryTed Backman designs
