Close-Quarters Combatant

Close-Quarters Combatants are Order soldiers commonly found patrolling or stationed at fixed positions. When they spot a target, they advance at a walking pace and engage from range with a shotgun, attacking entities, robots, and the player alike. Despite their name, they are not meant for grappling or melee pressure; their threat comes from their close-range firearm and their tendency to keep pushing forward while firing.

They are less durable than their Breacher counterparts, but they remain dangerous in confined spaces because their shotgun can quickly punish reckless approaches. They can fire while moving, and their firing cycle is shorter than that of their overworld counterpart, so timing and positioning matter more than simply outrunning them.

• Avoid melee combat whenever possible, as they are deadly up close.
• Ranged weapons are the safest way to deal with them.
• Their constant forward movement makes them predictable and easy to maneuver around.
• It is often possible to keep a safe distance or lure them into traps.
• Shields can block their shotgun blasts; since there is a delay between shots, you can block, then counterattack during the opening.
• A well-placed shot from a single shotgun round, or even a Scrapshot, is enough to take them out.

They drop a solid set of military and weapon materials. Their guaranteed and notable drops include a Romag Shotgun, 12g Buckshot, and Magnetic Alloy, along with a chance at Military Electronics, a Cracked Shoulder Light, a CQC Helmet, Military M.R.E., and Cloth Scrap. Their harvestable remains can yield a Human Skull, a Human Arm (Military), and pieces of Mountaineer armor such as Armguards, a Chestplate, and Leggings.

Unlike other Order enemies, Close-Quarters Combatants do not have a Compendium entry. Their overall role and equipment place them somewhere between standard Order infantry and the more specialized Exulum-like enemy types, making them an unusual omission among the faction’s documented soldiers.