Halo : Ground Command/Transcriptions

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ANTI-AIR WRAITH - TYPE 52 ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY

Encountered late in the Covenant War, the Anti-Air Wraith is fitted with six rapid-fire plasma flak cannons that proved highly effective in countering UNSC light attack aircraft. Though ONI analysts presumed the vehicle was a dedicated air defence vehicle, the Covenant often deployed AA Wraiths as a direct assault vehicle against UNSC forces in urban areas.

The AA Wraith is effective against both ground and air targets, though it is particularly deadly against the latter.

ELITE MINOR - OVERSEER BASE

Young Sangheili warriors are ever-hungry for glory and accumulation of battle honours that will enable them to advance in the bloody meritocracy of the Covenant. It[sic] as Minors that the warrior's battle lust is tempered by the realities of war and they learn the merits of teamwork, though these lessons are hard-earned by impetuous and overconfident recruits' eager to show their worth. Those Minors who show an affinity for leadership are placed in command of lower-caste Covenant forces, while those with more bravery than skill are kept under the watchful eye of experienced Sangheili officers.

A lifetime of training and preparation has prepared the Elite Minors for the coming storm of blood and plasma. They are found in a variety of roles on the battlefield, from leading Grunts to operating combat vehicles. Their Minor ranks are indicated by blue armour.

ELITE OFFICER - WARHOST OBEDIENTIARY

Sangheili who advance in rank among the ground troops are seasoned and battle-hardened soldiers first, officers (by human reckoning) second. They lead by personal example, exhorting their comrades to press the attack from the front lines while displaying the martial qualities that the Sangheili perceive as invaluable for their commanders. Combat losses among these veterans are high, but there is also much honor to be won for family and clan while carrying out the Prophets' orders to exterminate humanity. The promise of honour and glory ensures that there is no shortage of Sangheili looking to prove their worth on the Great Journey's path. Sangheili that survive and temper their enthusiasm for violence are promoted to the host of Obedientaries, taking on missions that require both cunning and courage in equal measure. The Sangheili term for these acolytes roughly translates as "lesser chosen" or "charged with glory," but among humans they are known as simply "Officer" or "Majors."

Though they organise and direct lesser Elites and thralls, an Obedientiary is just as hungry for battle honour as an unblooded warrior. Were it not for their ornamental combat harnesses in veteran colours and skill with plasma rifle and energy sword it would be almost impossible for a human to differentiate between warrior and leader among the Elites by superficial observation. Unlike the UNSC, who expect officers to take on a more dispassionate role on the battlefield, Covenant field commanders close with and engage the enemy alongside the troops; an approach to warfare that is reflected in Majors possessing high firepower and deadly close combat capabilities in comparison to human command units. The Covenant leadership style is stark in its simplicity, but undeniably effective on the battlefield.

ELITE ULTRA UNIT - EVOCATI

The Evocati, or "Ultras" as human forces know them, are veteran warriors who have demonstrated the highest standards of military proficiency, teamwork, honor, and devotion to the Covenant. These Sangheili display exemplary martial aptitude but lack the inclination or desire to follow the path of leadership and mentoring. Instead, they find the apex of their warrior career as an Ultra, crowned with glory and guaranteed a position of honor and respect in their family archives and record vaults of High Charity. Few remain at this pinnacle for long, and Sangheili promoted to Ultra are expected to take up honorable posts as seneschals, tread the path of political warfare as a Councillor, or return to their Ministry to train the next generation of warriors.

Ultras are among the deadliest Sangheili infantry available to the Covenant warhost commander, their alabaster combat harnesses marking them as combat specialists able to execute missions for which failure is not an option and defeat unthinkable. Their high cost is justified by their firepower and ability to deploy from low orbit to the battlefield using insertion pods before charging into enemy lines.

ELITE ULTRA OFFICER - EVOCATI DELEGATUS

Ultras rarely answer to the warhost commander to which they are attached, though some degree of cooperation and synchronisation is necessary to achieve their mutual goals. Ultras elect delegates from among their ranks to take on this responsibility before each deployment, and swear binding oaths to obey their commands until all objectives are completed. These Ultra "officers" hold no official leadership position in the Covenant hierarchy and are not Obedientaries, but they are acknowledged as subject matter experts in the art of war and wield real authority on the battlefield. In human terms they are equivalent to a Warrant Officer, selected for talents and knowledge which complement the tactical objectives at-hand.

The Ultras are a brotherhood of warriors born, devoted to skill in arms and little else. Those who lead do so from the front, energy blade clenched in hand and plasma grenades primed.

ELITE ZEALOT - WARHOST LEADER

Zealots are ruthless and cruel enforcers of the Prophet's orthodoxy. Only the most cunning and bloodthirsty warriors are selected for service as a Zealot, and few of those ever openly serve outside the walls of their cloistered chapterhouses and monastery fortresses. Zealots serve the Way and the Path to the exclusion of all else, and their word is law on military campaigns. Zealots do not simply command. They are war priests and dervishes who wield both military and religious authority within the Covenant hierarchy, and their order is held in awe by many within the Covenant. Directing their armies with a mix of fear and inspiration, warhosts under the command of a Zealot must perform their sworn oaths or face the lethal consequences of breaking faith.

The Zealot is a force commander and apostle of the Prophets who leads Covenant forces in times of war. They are valuable for their leadership abilities, but take note that they are extremely formidable combatants in their own right and should always be at the front lines of any battle. Their rank is indicated by maroon armour.

SCOUT GHOST - TYPE 32 RAPID ATTACK VEHICLE

Floating on a cushion of gravitic energy, the Ghost is a one-man all-terrain bike with a ubiquitous presence in all Covenant military actions. When piloted by the Grunts the Ghost is best employed as a scout, sent far behind enemy lines to track and hinder an adversary's movement. Particularly daring Grunts will directly engage enemy infantry and light combat vehicles, and they occasionally even survive to learn the wisdom of waiting for backup.

The Scout Ghost's speed and armament favours rapid strikes, and it excels at 'hit and run' attacks, attacking vulnerable UNSC forces before disengaging at high speed once damage has been done!

JACKAL ASSAULT - SHOCK UNIT

The Jackals are a fractious species who serve the Covenant out of a well-developed sense of self preservation and opportunism rather than any particular religious fervor. Were they to cooperate, the Kig-Yar could be a deadly threat to the Prophets, but blood feuds and other internal rivalries continue to undermine long-term gains. Nevertheless, while their matriarchs plot and scheme, Jackals selected to fill the Prophets' endless tithes as foot soldiers are always on the lookout for information and resources that could be of benefit to kith and kin once the Covenant's attention turns elsewhere.

The Jackal Assault units are tough to dislodge from a location if they can position themselves to make use of Shield Wall. They can also shield Grunts and other infantry by advancing in the front lines, then adjust position to allow clear lanes of advance and fire.

JACKAL MARKSMEN - SCOUT-EXECUTORS UNIT

"Jackal" is the human nickname for the diverse Kig-Yar species, who are often encountered in scouting and sniper roles among the Covenant ground forces. Loyal only to their families and matriarchs, the Kig-Yar serve the Covenant for their own ends, with service to the Great Journey a distant consideration. Those with demonstrably superior dexterity and a controlled bloodlust are elevated from the ranks of shock infantry to serve as scout-executors, ranging throughout the war zone to eliminate impediments to the War Host's advance. These ruthless assassins have no rules of engagement, no laws of war they must adhere to, only targets of opportunity.

Jackal Marksmen are mid-range snipers armed with anti-infantry Needle Rifles. They are best kept in cover, but advancing with the rest of their War Host in order to cover them with shots at long range. These units are also quite efficient at removing heroes and commanders with Aimed Shot, so don't be afraid to be aggressive with their placement if it means getting a bead on high-value targets!

PHANTOM - TYPE 52 TROOP CARRIER

The Phantom's sleek silhouette and sinuous design is imprinted in the minds of most UNSC military veterans. Agile and heavily armed, the Phantom is a versatile assault dropship used to ferry troops, armoured vehicles, and pre-fabricated fortifications from staging areas and carriers directly to the battlefield. Each Phantom is armed with a heavy plasma cannon turret installed on an armature located beneath the cockpit and two smaller plasma cannon door-guns on the sides.

The Phantom is able to perform a variety of missions, including supply drop, combat deployment, combat air patrol, reinforcement, and ground attack. The gravity slings on the Phantom's belly allow it to grapple and ferry one large vehicle, such as a Wraith, or two smaller vehicles, such as the Ghost.

SERAPH - TYPE 31 EXOATMOSPHERIC STRIKE FIGHTER

The Seraph is a nimble, lightly shielded, single-operator fighter typically piloted by Sangheili or Jiralhanae. One of the primary air-and-space assault strikecraft in the Covenant arsenal, Seraphs are deployed at the vanguard of Covenant invasions and occupations to provide fighter escort for capital ships and dropships. Seraphs can also carry out strikes against planetside targets, organise reconnaissance and defense pickets, and engage in large-scale orbital combat against both enemy capital ships and enemy fighters. Whilst human pilots are often very skilled, the technological superiority of the Seraph when compared to human fighters is undeniable.

The Seraph is a versatile multi-role fighter which supports Covenant forces during the invasion of Reach. Its Heavy Plasma Cannons allow the fighter to engage and destroy both air and ground targets. With a Build rating of 3, Covenant Commanders may deploy two Seraphs in a Battle Group.

WRAITH - TYPE 26 ASSAULT GUN CARRIAGE

The Wraith is a large, heavily armored Covenant tank armed with a deadly plasma mortar for long-range bombardment. Though it appears bulky and slow at first glance, with its boosted gravity drive the Wraith is capable of charging forward in impressive bursts of speed.

The plasma mortar has a minimum range, so keep the Wraith screened with other units!

HUNTERS - MGALEKGOLO BATTLE CONGREGATION

Hunter is the human name for the combat form of an eel-like alien species known as Lekgolo. In Hunter form — known as Mgalekgolo — hundreds of Lekgolo are tightly bound in an armoured shell to create a gestalt intelligence; larger masses of the aliens are used to control the great Covenant war engines, such as the Scarab. Mgalekgolo are fairly intelligent and have an impressive capacity for tactics, though by nature they disregard the presence of other Covenant when engaging in combat and are unmoved by casualties among their putative allies.

Hunters are deployed as bonded pairs on the battlefield - each forming one half of an independent colony. The death of one Hunter will drive its surviving partner into a berserk rage, so combined fire is recommended. Nevertheless, Hunters are hard to take down - each Hunter carries a slab of battleplate to use as a shield and is armed with a massive fuel rod assault cannon.

LONGSWORD - C709 STRIKE FIGHTER

The Longsword is a multi-purpose military spaceplane used by the UNSC Navy as both an exoatmospheric interceptor and as a terrestrial bomber. Its internal ordnance bay can be configured with multiple weapon loadouts, allowing it to be the final answer to Insurrection threats and Covenant incursions. C709 Longswords deployed to Reach are stationed on every major defense platform in low geosynchronous orbit above the planet, where they engage Covenant warships and strikecraft. On strike missions to the surface they are often deployed alongside smaller C712 Longsword and B-65 Shortsword bombers to annihilate large concentrations of armoured vehicles and heavy dropships.

Longswords deployed to the surface of Reach operate in a ground-attack role, as their atmospheric maneuverability is unexceptional. Rapid-Fire Coilguns do give the Longsword a limited anti-air capability, but its Missile Pod loadout is devoted to tank-busting! With a Build rating of 3, UNSC Commanders may deploy two longswords in a Battle Group.