Alien Races

Vex

The Vex are a partly robotic, time-traveling alien species. From their stronghold on Venus, they launch endless waves of metal armies at human civilization in an enigmatic quest for domination.

Biography and Morphology

When they appear in our solar system, Vex arrive by way of warp gates set up around the galaxy from an unknown location or time.[1][2] Their bodies are made of something that feels like hammered brass, yet they are not entirely mechanical; some organic materials are present as well.[1][2] Their routines and ceremonies remain mysterious and illogical to humans.[2]

Bungie has described the Vex as having a "fascinating" fiction behind them, "which, in turn, creates one of the coolest deaths in the game".[3]

Geography

Vex are known to inhabit a massive stronghold on Venus called the Citadel.[1][2] Other locations are unknown.

Hierarchy

A number of Vex classes exist:

Goblins are foot soldiers and cannon fodder that defeat their enemies by overwhelming them in huge numbers.[1]

Hobgoblins resemble Goblins, but are larger and can be distinguished by their distinctive tails.[1]

Minotaurs are even larger than Hobgoblins, and have broad shoulders and three glowing eyes.[1]

Hydras resemble "robotic centipedes", and float through the air to attack from turrets attached to each segment of their wriggling bodies.[1]

Harpies are smaller Vex that dart in and out of battle, firing from mouths filled with filaments.[1]

Battle Tactics and Technology

For the Vex, their battles are all about overwhelming numbers and massive armies.[1][2] Little else is known about their battle tactics, but players should remember that the Vex weak spot is not the head (like with most enemies and for players) but rather the center of their torso.[2]

Design and Inspiration

The Vex are designed to resemble a "classic science-fiction machine race" mixed with the "inscrutable motives of a timeworn Lovecraftian nightmare monster".[1] The result is not a typical science-fiction android race, but rather a "mixture of robots and creatures" that fight their enemies with "endless waves of metal armies".[1][2]

Though they are robotic in nature, the Vex are not new off the assembly line; rather, they look and feel like they could be thousands of years old.