Destroyer

Destroyers are a type of Reaper that appear in Mass Effect 3. They are approximately 160 meters in height; smaller than a Reaper like Sovereign, which measured over 2 kilometers in height. Destroyers make up the majority of the Reaper fleet and are believed to be created using harvested species that are not used to build capital ships. Commander Shepard fights Destroyers on four occasions during Mass Effect 3.

Due to their smaller size, Destroyers are significantly more agile and maneuverable than the larger Capital Ships. In exo-atmospheric engagements, they are capable of directly landing on larger spacecraft and attacking at point-blank range.

Encounters
The first battle against a Destroyer is on Tuchanka, where it guards the Shroud. It is destroyed by the legendary Thresher Maw Kalros after Shepard summons it using two Maw Hammers.

Commander Shepard discovers a weak spot of the Destroyer design during an encounter on Rannoch: the Reaper's main weapon is vulnerable when charging up for an attack. Shepard then proceeds to destroy the Reaper by directing the quarian Heavy Fleet fire using a handheld laser designator and the Normandy's weapon guidance systems. Before it dies, the Destroyer speaks with Shepard and tells them that the Reapers' Cycle must continue or else all organic life is doomed.

During the Battle of London, Shepard battles two destroyers. The first mounts a Hades Cannon and is destroyed with an M-920 Cain. The second is killed when EDI programs multiple Thanix missile batteries to strike the 'eye' of a Destroyer guarding the Citadel Beam.

Trivia

 * According to BioWare, the design for Destroyers was based on a leaf insect nymph, which was also an early basis for the design of Sovereign.
 * The center of a Destroyer's primary beam weapon is identical to an Oculus.