Goliath
The goliaths already had it bad before the first Vault opened. They’re big behemoths, like bruisers but worse, so inflated in form and hotwired on adrenaline that their minds are permanently addled. Then the Eridium got everywhere, even traces in the air, and now a goliath can’t spend a moment of the day without a special restraining helmet on. The presence of Eridium enhances the adrenal effect of a goliath’s extraordinarily athletic system to the literal breaking point, causing the goliath’s skull to rip off of the body—it will remain attached only by the particularly sturdy tongue and some gristly tissue. If this happens, the goliath irretrievably loses all self-control while Eridian and adrenaline run rampant in a positive feedback loop, and it will consider everything unfriendly and run anything down, head lolling. Right, that’s awful. Hence, the helmets.
With helmets on, Goliaths are essentially extra-large bandits—they use weapons, even launchers (very dangerous), but nothing astonishing. But that Goliath is probably firing from among the cover of lots of his friends. Take aim and intentionally shoot off the restraining helmet and watch the hideous transformation of Goliath into Raging Goliath…
then watch him kick the everlasting garbage out of all his former friends!
When a Goliath kills another of your enemies, that XP isn’t lost—the XP for that kill will be folded into the Goliath’s own. In fact, Goliaths have their own leveling system, and you’ll see it in action soon after you set your first Goliath to Raging—a Raging Goliath given baddies to kill soon becomes a Badass Goliath, then a Super Badass Goliath, and can level up further. (Killing a GOD-liath, the final level, unlocks an Achievement or a
Trophy, depending on your system.) Each stage is attended by a level-up flash, and a full restoration of the goliath’s health.
If a Goliath has leveled up but is about to die, with other enemies still around fighting it, try to take it out yourself to reap the XP. If a Goliath rips through all his friends and is still ready for more (he will be; it’s not like monsters get tired), then he’ll come after you—and you won’t have any say! Take out the leveled-up Goliath to gain huge XP, earning dividends for all the baddies the Goliath smashed along the way! The Goliath's EXP value is its own plus triple that of every opponent he brutalized in his uncontrollable rage.
[edit] List of Goliaths
| Name | Health Multiplier | Shield Level | Damage Multiplier | XP Value | Crit Areas | Weak/Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goliath | 6 | -- | 3 | Normal+ | Head (if helmet removed) |  /--
|
| Caustic Goliath | 7 | -- | 3 | Tough | Head (if helmet removed) | /--
|
| Midget Goliath | 4 | -- | 2 | Tough | Head (if helmet removed) | /--
|
| Goliath Digger | 8 | -- | 3 | Tough | Head (if helmet removed) | /--
|
| Heavy Goliath | 12 | -- | 4 | Tough | Head (if helmet removed) | /--
|
| Juggernaut | 10 | -- | 3 | Tough+ | Head | /--
|
| Goliath Blaster | 9 | -- | 3 | Normal+ | Head (if helmet removed) | /--
|
| Loot Goon Goliath | 14 | -- | 4 | Super Badass | Head (if helmet removed) | /--
|
| One-Armed Bandit | 10 | -- | 4 | Super Badass | Head | /--
|
| Badass Goliath | 12 | -- | 4 | Badass | Head (if helmet removed) | /--
|
| Badass Midget | 8 | -- | 2 | Badass | Head (if helmet removed) | /--
|
| Loot Midget Goliath | 12 | -- | 4 | Tough+ | Head (if helmet removed) | /--
|
| Smash Head | 24 | -- | 6 | Super Badass | Head | /--
|
| Antagonists | |
|---|---|
| Hyperion forces | Constructors • Engineers • Loaders • Surveyors |
| Bandit clans | Goliaths • Marauders • Nomads • Psychos • Rats |
| Creatures | Bullymongs • Crystalisks • Rakks • Skags • Spiderants • Stalkers • Threshers • Varkids |
