King Vulture



King Vultures are a variant of. They are far more aggressive and dangerous compared to their cousins, dominating both the land and skies. As one of the hard-mode enemies, they are only found natively as, and may be lineaged as.

Appearance
Compared to their relatives, King Vultures have significantly larger bodies and wings, and uniquely possess two large, striped, curved harpoons mounted on the sides of their heads. The harpoons are connected to the base of their necks with ropes that reel them back in after being shot. Additionally, they have laser-sights emitting from their eyes, which can vary from pink to orange in color, and an upside-down triangle on the forehead of their masks. Unlike their standard counterpart, blue coloration does not occur (instead being replaced by purple coloration) and some King Vultures may exhibit multiple colors, such as peach with pink accents. Otherwise, their physical appearance is the same as Vultures.



Combat
King Vultures, compared to Vultures, are significantly less cowardly, and only attempt to retreat after taking a large amount of damage. It typically takes 13+ to kill them. The key thing to be aware of in combat is their harpoons - they kill instantly upon making contact, and taking the proper precautions to avoid them is crucial. In particular, King Vultures can choose to shoot harpoons at point blank range, which are near impossible to dodge, making it essential to bait out both harpoons before getting up close to deal damage. Beyond ensuring their harpoons are out of the action, King Vultures are susceptible to the exact same tactics recommended for Vultures.

Stealth
Like with Vultures, King Vultures are near impossible to utilise stealth against due to how they function mechanically. However, their laser-sights make it very easy to tell when they're entering rooms and what they're targeting, so it is possible to use the advance notice to retreat to a safer place well before they arrive.

Evasion
All evasive tactics for Vultures can be used against King Vultures as well. In particular, utilising the terrain against King Vultures is especially important given how vital it is to ensure their harpoons miss their marks. Keep in mind, however, that they are capable of cancelling their wind-up if they lose line of sight. Always attempt to run in the opposite direction of harpoon being fired (left for the right harpoon, and vice versa).

Abilities & Behavior
King Vultures function in the exact same ways as normal Vultures, beyond their harpoons and ability to target and scare.

scare all except  and  for 30 seconds.

Harpoons
Their defining characteristic, King Vultures are capable of shooting their head-mounted harpoons at prey. Harpoons are shot individually of each other, and require a short amount of time to wind up, during which the laser-sight corresponding to the harpoon being shot blinks white and makes a pinging noise three times before it's sent out. They stop winding up the shot if they lose direct line of sight of their target. Harpoons can kill most smaller creatures, and often incapacitates those that don't die to the initial shot. If it hits the terrain, it may get stuck for a while, restricting the King Vulture's movement. Once shot, harpoons have to be reeled back in before they can be used again. King Vultures often move into closer range and attempt to bite at prey whilst they're on cooldown.

Trivia

 * King Vultures were added in the 1.5 update.
 * King Vultures may accidentally shoot other masked (King) Vultures if they happen to be in the way of their target. This does not appear to cause aggression between Vultures.
 * Other than Green Lizards, King Vultures similarly ignore all of the creatures that Vultures do.
 * are capable of summoning King Vultures.
 * King Vultures shoot Vulture Grubs with their harpoons.