Vanquisher

Vanquishers are a sub-unit of regular Hive Knights that are armed with a Cleaver and a Hive Shield. They can be seen in several areas of the Hellas Basin, and rarely in Gambit. In the Shadowkeep expansion, Vanquishers are found serving as shock troops for the Hidden Swarm, defending the Scarlet Keep.

Gameplay
Vanquishers function like the Cabal Phalanx unit, except they are restricted to melee combat with their Cleavers and their shields cannot expand. However, their shields grant them significant damage resistance and immunity to staggering, allowing them to keep pressing the attack and rush down all Guardians in their path. Their Cleavers are capable of killing Guardians in only a handful of swipes, forcing their opponents to keep their distance, and they typically fight alongside other Vanquishers to maximize their assault. The quickest way to dispose of a charging Vanquisher is to destroy their shield, fully opening them to incoming damage.

Known variants

 * Severing Knight
 * Choking Blade
 * Brood Host
 * Cherished Darkblade
 * Might of the Broken Blade

Trivia

 * When their shields are receiving damage, green cracks can be seen, signifying how close it is to shattering.
 * Without their shields, Vanquishers function just like a Knight.
 * Curiously, the Vanquishers seen on the Moon as of Shadowkeep are named as Knights rather than Vanquishers.

List of appearances

 * Destiny 2
 * Warmind
 * Forsaken
 * Shadowkeep