Slim is a medic from the fourth wave of Hunters, boasting an offensive playstyle. Slim uses a Leech Gun (which weakens the monster and speeds up the recharge of his Healing Burst), Spore Cloud Launcher (which masks hunter scent), a Healing Drone, and the standard Healing Burst that all medics have. Slim is not recommended for beginners, but has high rewards for experienced ones. Click here to view his quotes.

Biography

Of all the crew, he knows most about Bode’s World - the seat of the Rebellion. Slim enlisted in the Third Mutagen War as a Basilisk Soldier. His genes are modified with arthropods (insects) - particularly with dragonflies. They told him that once the war ended, he'd be able to revert back to his human self. In retrospect, this was naïve on Slim's part, and he is now an endangered subspecies - hunted to near extinction by Hub forces as the sole survivor of his class. The rest of his friends were either killed or captured, then executed at the end of the war. Slim and Crow teamed up to take down a Goliath before meeting up with Sunny and Torvald.

Slim, a veteran of the third Mutagen Wars from the rebel side, as opposed to Hyde and Lazarus who fought in Sol Guard. According to commentary from Bucket, Val, Hyde and Lazarus, he is one of numerous rebels who spliced their genes to take on insect-like traits. Whether Slim's own extensive modification was the standard or if he was a special case is unknown. According to him, he has an extra set of lungs for CO2 recycling, and his exoskeleton allows him to survive in the void of space.

Slim may look like an experiment gone wrong, but his insect humanoid DNA is genetic engineering at its finest. Armed with a Leech Gun, Healing Drones, and a Spore Cloud Launcher, Slim is a combat medic designed for the thickest of fights. When you need someone to deal damage and keep your heart pumping, call on Slim.

According to Caira, he probably has such a severe case of PTSD from the war that he can barely remember his real name or life from before, due to it being too upsetting for him. She deduced this from Hank, after asking the crew in the dropship if they knew Slim's real name. Hank comments that he asked Slim for his name, and that Slim claimed he couldn't remember. Hank asserts that he believed him. The dropship conversations detailing this are 'Not a Scientist' and 'It's Alex,' respectively.

Personality

Slim tries to forget his unpleasant past, and has an extremely hard time doing so. He believes he has no future, and so tries to live in the present. On occasion, he will call himself by his real name: Alex - but he never says it out loud infront of his teammates. He will only say it when he is the Sole Survivor (when all Hunters have perished except for him during a match). He attempts to stay positive by keeping away from conversations about his past, and often sounds depressed when reminded of the war.

There are however, some outlier cases, such as when Sunny enthused about Slim's experiences in the war. He recounts a moment from when he was boarding a Hub ship alongside his 'brothers' in space and describes the experience as beautiful. Slim seemingly has no memory of his time before the war, and Caira states that she believes this is PTSD. The conversation is called 'Everything Gets Forgotten.'

For most cases though, Slim will avoid it and prefers to focus on the present rather than the past or the future. This seems to be why he often gets along with characters like Torvald, Crow and Maggie the most, as they are less ambitious for the future and past, and are very grounded in the present. Slim asserts that this way of thinking is 'exactly what he needs,' though this attitude does seem to crack sometimes from more positive characters such as Sunny and Jack, whom have both given Slim better perspectives on his past and on his altered body (see: 'I Guess It Is Sorta Cool,' 'Butt Cheese,' and 'Everything Gets Forgotten.') These characters usually help reveal a more dry, comedic and sometimes even positive side of Slim. He's also been revealed to enjoy company with Markov who both enjoy reading comic books together that Parnell got them 'hooked on.'

Weapons and Equipment

Leech Gun

Slim's primary weapon, which deals damage to the Monster while reducing the cooldown of his Healing Burst ability. The cooldown is reduced based on the number of shots that hit the monster and other wildlife. Three pellets hit will recharge it fully. It functions somewhat like a shotgun, and is referred to as a shotgun during Slim and Markov's conversation. Slim's Leech Gun is biomechanical, having what appears to be biological components such as muscle tissues and ligaments visible inside the weapon, which is visible when reloading. This weapon uses "maggots" as ammo which fires green biosynthetic discharge. These maggots are fed with a nutrient slurry.

There's an inscription on the back of the gun, just behind the sights, that says "Novi Milites, Novum Mundi," which means "New Troops, New World" in latin. According to Matthew, the game's writer, this is the Basilisk Soldier emblem^[1].

• 180 rounds per minute
• 1.8 second reload
• 5 damage per pellet
• 6 pellets per shot
• 8 shots per magazine
• Each pellet reduces healing burst cooldown by 2 second (max 6 seconds per shot)
• Leech projectiles move at speed 30 (projectiles must reach Slim before they reduce healing burst cooldown).

Mutated Adrenal Gland 

• 6 seconds active time, 25 seconds cooldown
• While active Slim heals 80 health per second, moves 25% faster, and has 300% increased jump height

Spore Cloud Launcher (replaced)

The Spore Cloud Launcher was replaced by the Mutated Adrenal Gland in patch 2.11.

Slim’s Spore Cloud Launcher launches a spore cloud grenade which disrupts the monsters ability to smell while standing inside of it. This prevents the hunters from being outlined, identified by name, or having their health revealed, giving them a better chance of evasion in combat. Better yet, it makes it hard for the Monster/player to tell which class is which, meaning it might assume an Assault character is a Support, which probably will not end well for said monster.

• 50 rounds per minute
• 2 second reload
• 12 meter explosion radius
• Detonates within 6 meters of the monster
• 7 second duration

Healing Drone

Slim's Healing Drone flies to selected teammates from any distance and provides them with passive health regeneration until they are damaged, healing hunters and reviving them when they are downed while Slim uses his other abilities to take down the monster. Upon taking damage, the drone will die and must be relaunched to continue healing. The drone can be targeted through any kind of terrain obstruction.

• Heals 70 health per second to normal targets
• Heals 160 health per second to incapacitated targets
• .1 second release delay
• 31 damage threshold to destroy
• Flies 7 meters before teleporting to targeted hunter
• .5 second delay from teleport until healing begins

Class Ability: Healing Burst

• Cooldown: 12 seconds (can be heavily reduced by leech gun)
• Range: 30 meters
• Heal (other): 165
• Heal (self): 155
• Heal (incapped): 250

Slim's healing burst functions much like the rest of the medics in the game, although it can be recharged at a faster rate with the leech gun (2 shots can potentially recharge it completely) and has a superior radius (30 meters) compared to the other medics (15 meters) in the game.

Downed: Acthamner Pistol

• 900 rounds per minute
• .4 second shot interval
• 1.8 second reload
• 16 damage per shot
• 27 shots per magazine

Progression

Lvl	Reward	Lvl	Reward	Lvl	Reward	Lvl	Reward
1	Start	11	50 Keys	21	50 Keys	31	50 Keys
2	Badge	12	Badge	22	Acidic Rounds - Superior	32	Badge
3	Bionic Legs - Minor	13	High Energy Fuel - Major	23	50 Keys	33	50 Keys
4	50 Keys	14	125 Keys	24	50 Keys	34	125 Keys
5	125 Keys	15	Badge	25	125 Keys	35	Weapon Skin
6	Gunslinger - Minor	16	125 Keys	26	50 Keys	36	125 Keys
7	Badge	17	Reloader - Major	27	Badge	37	125 Keys
8	125 Keys	18	Badge	28	Rocket King - Superior	38	Badge
9	Extra Force - Minor	19	50 Keys	29	50 Keys	39	125 Keys
10	125 Keys	20	125 Keys	30	125 Keys	40	Hunter Skin

Rewards for perks that are already at level 3 are replaced with a 200 keys reward.

Tactics

Slim can be one of the most effective medics in the game. His ability to rapidly heal teammates as well as deal damage simultaneously makes him a force to be reckoned with, especially if he's played correctly.

• Keep your distance from the Monster at all times, as your healing burst can reach other Hunters even if you are somewhat far away.
• Your Leech Gun will increase the reload speed of your healing burst, so if you need to heal multiple teammates at a time, make sure you target the Monster.
• If you are being targeted, you must rely on your Support to keep you alive and your jetpack to keep your distance. Never turn your back to the Monster during a fight, unless you are the sole survivor.
  • It is wise then to get as far away as possible from the Monster while you wait for your fellow Hunters to return. If you need healing, shoot at the wildlife to replenish your healing burst. Keep your wits about you, steer clear of dangerous wildlife, and run, hide and heal. You are better off than most Hunters due to your healing capabilities.
  • The Monster's enhanced sense of smell means that it will always be able to see you, no matter how camouflaged you think you are in the brush.
    • Escaping the Monster can be difficult, but it is not impossible. Most will struggle to pin down a Hunter that is using high ledges to boost off of and sporadic manoeuvring. Slim also has his spore gun that will block the Monsters outline of you. This can be used if you are struggling to get away.
• Coordinate your dodges, and watch the Monster carefully for it's attacks, choosing which ones to dodge. All Monsters have some attacks that deal more damage than others. For example, it would be wise to dodge a rock throw but tank your way through the fire breath of a Goliath, as the fire breath can be easily healed, as long as you keep facing the monster and keep shooting. Using your healing burst with support from your team can keep you alive much longer in comparison to running away. As long as you conserve your jetpack fuel, and have a reliable Support, you should be able to stand your ground.
• Save your jetpack fuel for dodging.
• Keep a close eye on your teammates health and use your Healing Drone on teammates with low health while chasing the Monster before heading into close combat. Use the Healing Drone on fleeing teammates to heal them quickly. You can use the healing drone on downed teammates as well, which can revive them if not disturbed by the Monster.
• Use the Spore Cloud Launcher when first encountering the Monster, and during combat. Use only when you are a fair distance from the Monster itself. The gas will last for five seconds, and will hide both you and your teammates from the monster. Be wary though, as the Monster will likely target you.

Weaknesses

Slim, like most medics, is prone to be targeted. His most effective way of healing requires the player to get close and engage with the Monster, which can be tricky and difficult to maintain without strategic improvisation and most importantly, teamwork.

• Slim cannot be alone for much time without being targeted. Be sure to save your jet pack fuel to dodge the Monster's attacks, and stay on higher ground. This will help you escape the Monster at a larger distance, as well as give you more time to coordinate and plan your dodges.
• Be sure to have the support with Slim at all times to keep him alive.

• Slim's healing abilities are his Healing Drone and his Healing Burst that recharges faster as he does damage with his Leech Gun, allowing him to heal every couple of seconds. You will need to maintain fire to the Monster to heal effectively with the Healing Burst, so stay close enough that the Monster is in range, and don't be afraid to get closer if the Monster isn't currently targeting you.
• His Healing Drone can be destroyed by the Monster in a single hit to the targeted Hunter. Make sure you use the Healing Drone on teammates that are safe and/or need to be revived. Otherwise, rely on your Healing Burst to keep your team healthy and alive.

Relationships with Other Hunters

• Crow: Met Crow when they were chasing a wounded Goliath, prior to joining Cabot's team of professional planet tamers. Crow stalked Slim for a couple days, trying to figure out what Slim was. Crow seems very protective of Slim, setting Gobi to attack Abnett's (a smuggler they met while looking for Cabot's crew) face after he pointed a gun at Slim ^[2]. Later on, they joined Cabot's Team, Slim being the only reason why Crow joined at all. Developer’s podcasts reveal that the two of them have lived together before^[3]. Speculation or not, they seem close enough for Slim not to see himself as alone anymore, implying on one of the dropship dialogues that everyone else are assholes but the two of them. The two of them often say the same lines. Turtle Rock seems to do this between characters who are close (such as Ida and Jack for instance).
• Sunny: Slim and Crow bumped into Sunny and Torvald before they joined Cabot’s crew. While Slim tries to push her attempts to befriend him away, she stubbornly insists that if she befriended Torvald that she can befriend him too. During their dialogue they often talk about his past and Slim slowly opens-up to her about it, trusting her and ending up seeing her as a friend.
• Jack: Jack desperately wants to befriend Slim, seeing him as “cool” and a superhero of sorts. Slim loves to taunt Jack but secretly loves the attention and admiration he gets from the little trapper, in an almost “older brother” kind of relationship. Slim is a bit annoyed by Jack's childish superhero persona, not being willing to concede that people call him "The Jackal", and giving him an embarrassing moniker ("Butt Cheese), causing the boy to finally reveal his true name. He then makes up a nickname for himself, the "Dragonfly", with Jack angrily replying he knows he is being made fun of. However, Jack thinks that Slim being a Basilisk Soldier is really cool, making Slim decide that being a mutant is not so bad after all.
• Caira: She's the one informing the team of his mental illnesses, and while there's no dialogue between them due to being in the same class (medic), they seem to be good friends. Caira's proximity to Slim is translated on how much she knows of his condition in dialogue with other teammates.
• Val: While the two of them do not interact in-game and cannot, Slim hates her more than Abe, Lazarus, and Hyde. According to Slim himself, a billion people died in the Mutagen Wars - which, it should be noted, Hyde believes to have been caused by Val and CIG9.
• Maggie: He likes her because she doesn't talk about the past or the future. Given that Slim has a traumatic past, and that he has little future, this is understandable. She believes that Slim has a decent amount of business savvy and wants to start a business with him after the evac. The two of them get along well, due to having terrible pasts that they want to move beyond.
• Hyde and Lazarus: According to Slim, the two of them are cool, though he's still disturbed by Lazarus. He doesn't hate them for fighting against him in the Mutagen Wars, the idea being that they're just soldiers, not much different from him. Hyde also in a dropship conversation shows some respect for Slim due to the fact that he still fights along side Hyde despite his history.
• Griffin: Slim has a sort of a 'celebrity crush' on Griffin.
• Abe: It was implied before numerous dropship dialogue patches that the two of them did not get along. According to Slim, Abe sees Slim as a potential bounty, as Slim's existence as a Basilisk Soldier is illegal. Slim, however, hates Abe for his desire to turn him in as a bounty. The two have a somewhat rocky relationship, as Slim once pulled on Abe for calling him "bugman," with too much emphasis on the "bug" part. That said, the two of them seem able to get along so long as Slim doesn't mock Abe's favorite movie quote. Abe also claims that he and most residents of the Arm were "all rooting for the insect-men" during the mutagen war, so he has no personal grudge.
• Cabot: Slim trusts him very much, not least because Cabot genuinely respects him and thanks him for being on the Crew.
• Torvald: The two of them seem to be good friends. Torvald, having evidently known another Basilisk Soldier, has no prejudices against Slim, still seeing him as human in spite of calling him "Bug man."
• Ida Lennox: Ida loves to tease both Slim and Crow and doesn't seem bothered by Slim's appearance in the slightest.
• Kala: Slim seems to be on friendly terms with Kala, Slim openly jokes with Kala and didn't mind it retorting that she'll joke back. Perhaps this is because they both are genetically modified.

Screenshots

Image 1: Slim's Elite Skin, from Evolve Stage 2. As with all Elite Skins, it is exclusive to Evolve Stage 2, and is not obtainable in the Legacy version. It includes the standard altered colour palate seen in all Elite Skins, introducing gold and blue accents to his gear and body, most noticeable with the golden eyes, wings, as well as his blue scarf and armor plating on his shoulders.

Image 2: A screenshot from the game displaying a view of Slim's wings.

Videos

Trivia

• Slim is the first mutant hunter to appear in the game.
• Slims is most likely to be latino, often saying a few words and expressions in spanish.
• Slim is said to smell like coconut, he can't sweat and water irritates his skin ^[4].
• It is revealed on the Final Evolve Live-stream official art that in the future, Slim can be seen with Gobi on his arm and a cloak clearly made by Crow, implying that Crow and Slim do end up together, living on Shear.^[5]
• Transfusion Grenades in Gearbox Studios' videogame Borderlands function similarly to the Leech Gun. Coincidentally, both games were published by 2K.
• Slim was originally conceived as a menacing gunslinger and a foil to Abe, elements of which can be felt in the shotgun-like design of his weaponry. This changed with the introduction of Slim's VO, leading Slim to be conceived of more as a broken war veteran.
• Slim doesn't mind being called 'bug man', as he states in a conversation with Torvald. When the latter brings up him pulling a gun on Abe, Slim states it was because when Abe said it there was too much *bug* and not enough *man*.
• Slim states that Generation One Basilisk soldiers had a tendency towards insanity, and were near-indestructible. Torvald considers him lucky for having been Gen Three, but considering that his existence is illegal, Slim doesn't agree.
• When Sunny asks Slim why he would splice his genes, knowing what he'd become, Slim states he and his friends were promised the process would be reversed once the rebel side won. The thought of losing the war never crossed their minds.
• Slim watched most of his friends die in a failed attempt to take the Resolute. The rest were captured and executed when the war was over.
• Slim lived off the grid in the jungles of Shear, before the monsters attacked.
• The Spore Cloud Launcher appears to be homemade, judging by its pieced-together aesthetic (Sights bolted on, leather wrappings instead of a grip). Interestingly, Slim also claims to make the ammunition himself.
• Slim doesn't know why he and other basilisk soldiers are specifically insect men. He claims it was never explained.
• Slim doesn't know how his leech gun operates, but he's stated that he knows to feed it regularly.

References

1. ↑ https://talk.turtlerockstudios.com/t/a-small-piece-of-slims-backstory/62229/11
2. ↑ https://talk.turtlerockstudios.com/t/early-slim-crow-fiction/68584
3. ↑ https://youtu.be/4-j2cjxgPRY
4. ↑ https://talk.turtlerockstudios.com/t/early-slim-crow-fiction/68584
5. ↑ https://talk.turtlerockstudios.com/t/lets-play-a-game/106501/26