Digger Launcher

Digger Launcher
Product information
Manufacturer	Locust Horde
Type	Exotic Grenade Launcher
Technical specifications
Size	Small
Damage Per Hit	Very High to Lethal
Magazine Size	1 Digger
Maximum Ammunition	7 Diggers
Fire Mode	Single-Shot
Ammunition Type	Digger
Rate of Fire	300/M
Accuracy	High
Range	Medium-Long
Usage
Era(s)	Locust War Lambent Pandemic
Counterpart	Boomshot Grenade Launcher Booshka Grenade Launcher
Affiliation	Locust Horde Savage Locust

"DIG!!!"

—A Savage Boomer, firing his Digger Launcher

The Digger Launcher was a unique, single shot grenade launcher that was used by the Boomers of the Savage Locust remnants. It fired a small creature called a Digger with explosives attached.

History

Locust War

During the Destruction of Halvo Bay, General Karn's mount, the Shibboleth, had a Digger Launcher attached to its prosthetic leg. The creature used it when it battled the members of Kilo Squad, however the Gears were able to destroy the leg, along with the launcher.

Lambent Pandemic

During the Lambent Pandemic, the Digger Launcher originally used by Karn was brought back by the Savage Locust and was used by Savage Boomers for close range and long range combat. The digger creature is housed in a single round magazine, like the Boomshot.

The "Digger" projectile.

Gameplay

The Digger Launcher fires a "small, indigenous creature called a Digger", attached to an explosive device that digs underneath and through the ground, making a loud, munching sound as it approaches its target in addition to kicking up dirt and pathing tiles along its path, making its approach obvious to enemies. The Digger then pops out of the ground and stays in the air for a split second where the trajectory was set and explodes, releasing shrapnel in addition to the explosive blast. The heads of nearby enemies burst open into a flush of blood and brains. The effect when the Digger is fired directly at an opponent is incredibly effective: making munching noises and causing blood to shoot out of the target's chest and back as it goes, before finally exploding and completely destroying the target's whole upper body, as seen in a multiplayer beta. It can kill a Savage Grenadier in a single blast, presumably making its power equal or greater than that of a Bolo Grenade. It has a targeting system more like a grenade than a standard weapon, and uses a curved line that shows the trajectory of the digger to aim including a standard reticule. It is mostly effective due to its ability to render cover useless and take out entrenched foes.

Similar to the Boomshot, if used too close it can kill you and your opponent. It will jump out and detonate if it has reached the end of its path, or if an enemy is in the path's course.

The Digger Launcher can actually be more effective when blind-fired in an enemy's general direction, as the projectile will seek out the nearest opponent, rather than travelling to where the crosshairs were.

The Digger Launcher's execution consists of hitting the downed enemy over with the weapon, then kicking him/her in the head, bursting it.

Beast Mode

The Savage Boomer wields this weapon. You can use this to take out any humans behind cover. It also saves the time of walking through fortifications which slows you down significantly.

The blueprints for the Digger Launcher.

Behind the scenes

• The weapon is relatively small but bulky owing to its short barrel. This may be to be better reinforce the weapon if the Boomer decides to use it as a club.
• The original concept art for the weapon showed that originally the barrel of the gun was much longer and that it fired a different type of ammunition instead of the Digger which was added later.
  • It was also originally labelled as Locust Launcher.
• At Comic-Con 2010, someone asked about where the inspiration for the Digger Launcher came from. Cliff revealed that it took a lot of inspiration, and Rod explained that it started as a grenade that the player slammed into the ground. However, the team decided that they didn't want any more grenades in the game, so it evolved from there. Cliff additionally commented, "If you listen closely, as the Digger is heading for you, you can hear it say "Nom nom nom nom nom."

Appearances

• Gears of War: Judgment
• Gears of War 3 (First appearance)