Changes: Goliath

Revision as of 07:30, 22 January 2013

The Goliath is an enemy in Borderlands 2.

Strategy

The Goliath starts out with a big metal helmet that gives him tunnel vision and helps control his rage. Goliaths will typically use dual-wielded assault rifles, however Badass versions will typically wield a single large minigun. The helmet can be shot off, at which point the Goliath will go into a rage, regenerating to full health, casting his guns aside and charging his foes. During a rage the Goliath will attack anything and everything in his range, friend and foe alike. Bizarrely, Goliaths that lose their helmets lose all of the dopiness in their voice and begin to speak in more complex, complete sentences.

Goliaths' exposed heads are malformed and seem to blend into the top of their torsos. When one flies into rage, his skull bursts up and out of his distended mouth as his spine reforms into a stalk above his body. The high critical hit damage accrued from shooting the skull is offset by the difficulty of hitting the small, waving target.

Upon killing enemies, the Goliath will gain levels, their health is replenished and they also become physically stronger. With each level gained, they become more dangerous. A beneficial aspect of this is that the dropped loot will be better, and the experience points from the enemies he killed are tripled and added to his own. At the GOD-liath level, drops are greatly increased.

Once they go into a rage, a Goliath gains three ways of attacking. The first and weakest is a series of quick punches that will knock back even heavy enemies but deals medium damage. The second type of attack is when a Golaith leaps a considerable distance before landing on a target and dealing medium AoE damage, Goliaths also use this to get to unreachable locations or to engage slow air units, and are even capable of jumping ridiculous distances. The third and final attack is their slowest, but their most dangerous, a Goliath will raise his arms into the air before slamming the ground, dealing tremendous damage in a large radius. It is worth noting that the ground slam is easily read and slow to wind up but can put a Vault Hunter into Fight for Your Life in a single hit, especially once they get to Super Badass and above. A Caustic Goliath will rarely use melee hits, opting to use their short range vomit attack, making them easier to deal with compared to the regular Goliaths.

Goliaths can be used both as a distraction and as a way to save ammunition, so long as the proper weaponry is at hand to take care of a Raging Goliath. It is also vital to pay attention to where the Goliath is at all the times and begin to start attempting to kill him once he reaches Super Badass, it is possible for a Goliath to gain enough levels to gain a skull by their level and become an even greater threat than any other enemy in the area.

Types

Goliath: the basic and weakest type of Goliath, albeit the most common. Goliaths dual wield assault rifles and move at a slow pace, making them easy to deal with unless they're in rage mode.
Caustic Goliath: the caustic goliath dual-wields two buzz-axes and deals corrosive damage. Their slow pace, combined with their limited ranged attacks, can leave them vulnerable to ranged attacks. Though they are resilient, they still do not pose much of threat unless enraged. Upon becoming enraged, caustic goliaths will cast aside their axes and try to vomit a corrosive substance on their enemies. The corrosive vomit deals considerable damage, especially on unshielded enemies, but leaves the goliath open to attack at the same time.
Loot Goon Goliath: the loot goon goliaths dual wield assault rifles like regular goliaths, but inflict a lot more damage than normal. Furthermore, loot goon goliaths are far more aggressive than other types, charging their enemies restlessly and only stopping to reload. When enraged, loot goon goliaths become even more deadly, as their melee attacks inflict damage that is higher than that of badass goliaths, and upon leveling up, can kill a target in seconds. Loot goon goliaths all have a weapon chest strapped to their back, which can be looted after their demise. The chest spawns more powerful weapons each time the Loot Goon levels up.
Midget Goliath: Midget goliaths are basically smaller versions of regular goliaths, and aside from wielding SMGs instead of assault rifles, are not much different. Their melee attacks are rather weak when enraged, and their speed is significantly lower than regular enraged goliaths.
Loot Midget Goliath: Loot midget goliaths are a type of loot midget that hide in chests. They can be fairly tough opponents on lower levels, but like a regular loot goon goliath, they have a weapons chest on their backs that can be looted upon death.
Badass Goliath: a badass goliath is a large, muscle bound goliath that wields a huge minigun instead of rifles. They are quite deadly when fought on lower levels, especially when enraged. Their minigun, however, is quite weak at long range, which can be useful to players who prefer sniping. When enraged, badass goliaths can dish out heavy hitting melee attacks, but they move at a somewhat slower speed than normal goliaths. Badass goliaths are not as dangerous as loot goon goliaths, but they can level up quickly due to the damage of their melee attacks.
Badass Midget: Badass midgets act exactly like midget goliaths, but wield significantly deadlier weapons.
One Armed Bandit: One armed bandits are a unique type of goliath. They do not wear helmets and therefore cannot be enraged, making them rather simple to fight. As their name implies, they do not have left arms, and wear metal seals around their arm joint to compensate. Furthermore, one armed bandits wear a slot machine on their back which, for a fee, can give money, Eridium, weapons, ammo, and occasionally, a live grenade.
Heavy Goliath: Heavy goliaths are another version of badass goliath that appear exclusively in the Circle of Slaughter.
Goliath Digger: another version of a basic goliath that appears exclusively in the Eridium mine in the Tundra Express.
Juggernaut: Juggernauts are dangerous, well armed goliaths that appear in True Vault Hunter Mode. They stand around the same height as loot goon goliaths and have small heads, making critical hits difficult. The dual-wield two shotguns, which can cause heavy damage at close range. Even more deadly is the fact that some juggernauts dual-wield explosive shotguns that can kill targets instantly at close range, and can deal moderate damage at long range as well. Juggarnauts cannot be enraged, so critical hits can slowly put them down despite their small heads. Juggernauts also wear armor on parts of their body that repel bullets, and the armor cannot be damaged by corrosive attacks.
Blaster: Blasters are a version of normal goliaths that dual-wield rocket launchers, making them deadly with ranged attacks. Their launchers can deal substantial damage, but can also cause additional splash damage to nearby targets. Some blasters dual-wield elemental launchers, increasing their threat level. In spite of this, blasters act like normal goliaths when enraged, making them easier to deal with unless allowed to level up. Blasters only appear in True Vault Hunter Mode.

Goliaths start out leveled to their area and can level up four times from their starting level. Once their helmet is shot off they become a "Raging Goliath" (or similar variance depending on the initial type). When they kill one target they become a "Badass Goliath"; two more kills, a "Super Badass Goliath"; three more kills, an "Ultimate Badass Goliath". After four more kills it levels to a "Fatal GOD-liath" (if the goliath started as a badass goliath it will be a "hulking mass of destruction" after leveling from an ultimate and will still have to level up one more time to reach its max) and killing this will unlock the Goliath, Meet David achievement. Much like players, Goliaths that level up have their health completely restored.

Level Progression

The names of the Goliaths differ depending on their type. But they all follow a similar sequence:

Lv.1 - Goliath
Lv.2 - Raging Goliath
Lv.3 - Badass Goliath
Lv.4 - Super Badass Goliath
Lv.5 - Ultimate Badass Goliath
Lv.6 - GOD-liath

The actual possible outcomes are:

Lvl 1	Lvl 2	Lvl 3	Lvl 4	Lvl 5	Lvl 6
Goliath	Raging Goliath	Badass Goliath	Super Badass Goliath	Ultimate Badass Goliath	Fatal GOD-liath
Midget Goliath	Raging Midget Goliath	Badass Midget Goliath	Super Badass Midget Goliath	Ultimate Badass Midget Goliath	Giant Midget of Death
Badass Goliath	Raging Badass Goliath	Super Badass Monster Goliath	Ultimate Badass Towering Goliath	Hulking Mass of Destruction	GOD-liath
Goliath Blaster	Raging Blaster	Badass Blaster	Super Badass Blaster	Ultimate Badass Blaster	GOD-liath Blaster
Caustic Goliath	Raging Caustic Goliath	Badass Caustic Goliath	Super Badass Caustic Goliath	Ultimate Badass Caustic Goliath	Caustic GOD-liath
Loot Goon Goliath	Raging Goon Goliath	Badass Goon Goliath	Super Badass Goon Goliath	Ultimate Badass Goon Goliath	GOD-liath Goon
Heavy Goliath	Raging Heavy	Badass Heavy	Super Badass Heavy	Ultimate Badass Heavy
Mega Goliath	Raging Mega Goliath	Badass Mega Goliath	Super Badass Mega Goliath	Ultimate Badass Mega Goliath
Goliath Digger	Raging Digger	Badass Goliath Digger	Super Badass Goliath Digger	Ultimate Badass Goliath Digger	GOD-liath Digger

Source

Notes :

Smash-Head, Juggernauts, and One-Armed Bandits are listed as Goliaths in the code but have no leveling. They cannot be enraged or leveled.
Heavy Goliaths are replaced with Mega Goliaths in True Vault-Hunter Mode. According to the code, it can be assumed that Mega Goliaths are only possible encounters in True Vault-Hunter Mode, and they replace all Heavy Goliaths.
Caustic Goliaths are also noted for True Vault-Hunter Mode in the code but their names are not changed. They are likely simply more powerful versions of normal mode Caustic Goliaths.

Boss

Smash Head

Quotes

Normal

"HOW ARE YOU?"
"You die now!"
"Play time already?"
"Why you here?"
"Let's make face gravy!"
"Time for kill!"
"Time for squishing!"
"I will crush!"
"New present?"
"Welcome to pain!"
"Welcome to die!" (A reference to the infamous line in the X-Men arcade game)
"Satisfy me!"
"Put your skull into your tum-tum!"
"Prepare for die!"
"Hugs time!"
"This the best!"
"This fun!"
"Get ready for hurt!"

Attacked - Normal

"But they said to keep it on...!"
"No, I keep brain there!"
"Stop it! STOP IT! STOP IT!"
"Why are you so mean!?"

At critical health - Normal

"What is this feeling...?"

Going into a rage

"You can't stop me! Nothing can stop me!"
"Gotta kill... GOTTA KILL... GOTTA KILL!"
"Big mistake! BIG GOD DAMN MISTAKE!"
"Gonna... FLOSS WITH YOUR SPINE!"
"Angry! I'M SO GOD DAMN ANGRY!"
"HATE-SPLOSION!"
"Hate... HATE! HATE!!!"
"PLAYTIME... IS... OVER!"
"Not a good idea... NOT A GOOD IDEA!"
"Should not...YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT!"
"Hey... Hey! HEY! HEY! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!

Raging

"Get ready to feel my fingers in your eyeballs!"
"You're going to be screaming!"
"Try breathing through crushed lungs!"
"I'll crack your skull open with my thumbs!"
"Get on your god damn knees!"
"Ever been strangled with your own intestines?!"
"You better GOD DAMN scream for me!"
"I'm gonna gouge your eyes out!"
"Die for me, bitch!"
"Sweet mother of GOD!"
"Murdering you is gonna feel so RIGHT!"
"Mother FUUUUUUAAAAHHHH!"
"I'm going to rip you a THIRD ASSHOLE!"

Raging - upon leveling up

"POWER!"
"More! YES!"
"More! Power! MORE!"
"Bow before your master, bitches!"
"Don't run... I'm just gonna EAT YOU ALIVE!"
"I'M UNSTOPPABLE!"

Hit with a Critical

"That tickled a little!"
"I'll kill you slower for that, bitch!"
"Hahaha - Didn't even feel it!"
"That helmet is NOT going back on!"
"You're not cutting MY playtime short!"

Spotting Players Activating Action Skills

(Gunzerking): "You're gonna need a lot more than two guns!",

(Sentry deployed) "That's just two more things to shove up your ass!"
(Gunzerking) "Ooooh! Can I have one?"
(Phaselocked): "I believe I can fly!" (Reference to the song of the same name)
(Phaselocked) "I... float?!"
(Phaselocked) "Magic lady stop!"
(Phaselocked) "Why I fly?!"
(Sentry deployed): "I'm gonna shove that turret up your...!"
(Fooled by Deception): "First there, now there!"

Player retreating

"Running away? Hah!"
"Why so coward?"

Crippling a Player - Normal

"I am disappoint."

In rage when Zer0's Decepti0n fades

"A decoy!? Pathetic!"
"You're just delaying the inevitable!"
"You BETTER hide from me!"
"Avoid me all you want, bitch!"
"I SEE you, asshole!"

Normal when Zer0's Decepti0n Fades

"Assassin make head hurt!"

Spotting a grenade - Normal

"A present?"
"Boom-boom!"
"Boom!?"
"Gift for me?"
"Thank you!"
"What that rock?"

Ally killed - Normal

"Where... friend?"
"Why shoot friends?"
"He die... okay."

Slagged - Normal

"Please don't switch gun!"
"Make pain worse..."
"Nobody slag Goliath!"
"Uh oh..."

Dying - Normal

"Goodnight... sweet prince..." (A line from Shakespeare's Hamlet)
"Now ladies say I hottie!" (When killed by fire damage)
"If you can't take heat... make... kitchen!" (When killed by fire damage)
"I hot to trot!" (When killed by fire damage)
"I have... An electric... Personality!" (When killed by shock damage)
"I am... slain..."
"Feels... different..."
"Okay..."
"Ouch..."

Dying - Raged

"I'll... kill... you...!"
"I'll... tear you apart...!"
"I was so... close..."
"I... feel... everything..."
"I'm unstop... able..." (reference to Juggernaut's line from X-men)
"That... won't... stop... ME!"
"You lucky...bas...tard..."

Gallery

Notes

Players can earn ridiculous amounts of experience if they're able to keep multiple Goliaths alive long enough for them to reach GOD-liath or Fatal GOD-liath, then letting them kill each other.
A raging Goliath's jump can glitch to comical effect when pursuing a target on a much higher level, as made evident by their ability to ascend Inferno tower in Sawtooth Cauldron sans elevator.
There is a glitch with Loot Goon Goliaths, where if the player is standing where the Goliath falls as it is killed, the player will become stuck inside the chest on the Goliath's back. The chest can still be opened in this position and items can be taken from it, but the player will be unable to move, the only options being to quit and restart, or death/suicide.
Sometimes there is a glitch with one arm bandits that when slots are spun for some players in the game it will always spin 3 Marcus's instead of showing what it actually spun.
One armed bandits and juggernauts do not wear helmets, and so cannot be put into rage mode.
Badass Midgets use the same lines as a non-raged Goliath, sounding like the midget version of one.
Caustic Goliaths are very poor at leveling themselves up due to their long-duration corrosive attack which is resisted by most of the enemies they spawn in the vicinity of.

Trivia

In the ECHO recording for the mission 'Note for Self-Person', Marcus talks to a Goliath named Crank about giving a stash of guns to his brother, Smash-Head. Due to his short memory, Crank repeatedly asks Marcus to tell him again or he will "take his helmet off".

@@ Line 181: / Line 181: @@
 *"Running away? Hah!"
 *"Why so coward?"
-'''Player killed - Normal'''
+'''Crippling a Player - Normal'''
 *"I am disappoint."