Hobgoblin

"The air by my cheek twanged twice, stinking of ozone, before I saw it."

- Grimoire description.

The Hobgoblin is a Vex unit specialized for sniping.

Overview
Hobgoblins are hardened Vex units fitted with improved optics and acute sensors in their horns. They have distinctive tails and are often armed with weapons called Line Rifles, terminals which theoretically draw energy from the accretion disks of galactic singularities. Nessus-born Hobgoblins maintain an orange glow that signifies a charged shield. Nessus-based Hobgoblins sport two tails. They are also more armored, sporting a second shoulder plate.

Gameplay
When attacked, Hobgoblins often seal themselves in stasis within an impenetrable shield that renders them completely immune to all forms of damage. Guardians who step into this shield are inflicted with the "Burning" debuff until they withdraw. Occasionally, Hobgoblins make use of Slap Grenades to force players out of cover and push them back. These Slap Grenades do Void damage, and the Hobgoblin's Line Rifles do solar damage.

In Destiny 2, they largely remain the same, save for sporting two tails, and a glow that signifies that their shields are charged. Their shields also restore a significant portion of their health. Unlike some other long-range enemies, such as Adherents and Cabal Headhunter-equipped Psions, Hobgoblins will lead their shots based on the movement of their target when they fire their weapon, making it slightly harder to dodge their shots. Players can abruptly change their movement direction when hearing a Hobgoblin fire to avoid being hit.

Variations

 * Axis Hobgoblin—Major
 * Chord Hobgoblin
 * Conductive Disciple
 * Descendant Hobgoblin
 * Hobgoblin Disciple
 * Iso Hobgoblin
 * Mercury Defender
 * Precursor Hobgoblin
 * Quantum Hobgoblin
 * Integrator Hobgoblin

Known Hobgoblins

 * Agioktis, Martyr Mind
 * Brakion, Genesis Mind
 * Replicant Mind, Proxy
 * Xegonion, Warped Mind

Trivia

 * Two empty Hobgoblin chassis can be found inside the Tower alongside a collection of Cabal and Fallen weaponry.
 * Shooting a Hobgoblin with a sidearm will prevent it from using its stasis ability. This is not the case in Destiny 2.
 * Hobgoblins in Destiny have only one tail while the ones in Destiny 2 have two.

List of appearances

 * Destiny
 * Destiny 2
 * Curse of Osiris
 * Shadowkeep
 * Season of the Undying
 * Season of Dawn