| Grunt |
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| Grunts are very funny, but probably the most cowardly enemies in any game you'll play. |
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| Grunts love manning Shade Guns. This one's shooting a Banshee at the start of AoTcR. |
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| Poor Grunts always get a Plasma Grenade stuck to them. |
Description:Grunts are affectionately known as cannon fodder for the Covenant.They are small in size, only 5' tall, relatively weak, and tend to travel in small packs.Their armor houses some sort of life-support mechanism.
Weapons/Melee Attacks:Carry Needlers,Plasma Pistols,and Plasma Grenades.The Spec Ops hold a Fuel Rod Cannon on their shoulders which self-destruct when you kill them.Grunts never use their melee attack.
Ranks:Orange-Minor
Red-Major
Gray-Spec Ops,Major.(watch out for these.)
Tactics:Grunts are not hard to beat.Because they are commonly found in groups, the best idea is to use an Assault Rifle or Plasma Rifle to wipe them out quickly.If only facing one or two Grunts, remember to use short busts as it does not take long to kill them.Watch out for the Spec Op Grunts, as their weapon is as powerful as a Hunter's and has a pretty big blast radius.However, it self-destructs when you kill the Grunt, so use this to your advantage, but steer clear of the resulting explosion.Grunts are almost always nearby bigger enemies, especially Elites, so if you kill the Elite, the Grunts surrounding it will run away in panic.Use this time to melee them in the back or tackle bigger enemies in the area.Melee attacks are also effective against Grunts,knocking them out in only a few hits.Grunts are also armed with Plasma Grenades, which they will often throw at the player, especially if you are riding in a vehicle or manning a Shade Gun.If they scream "down and front!" or "duck!" you'll know what to expect.
WEAPONS:
M6D Pistol-Effective against small groups of them,and even larger groups on smaller difficulties.You can also scope them out when your Marines attack them or when their running.
MA5B Assault Rifle-Against groups of them,this is obviously effective.Use short bursts against smaller groups or single Grunts.
M90 Shotgun-Very effective, but a little too effective.Use against bigger enemies.
S2 AM Sniper Rifle-Use against bigger enemies before Grunts.Works, but a little too much.
M19 SSM Rocket Launcher-Even against large groups of Grunts, this is overkill.Use other weapons.
Grenades-Both are very effective. If you want some collateral damage,stick a Plasma Grenade on a Grunt and watch it flail madly, often running to its friends for help and exploding, taking out anyone nearby(including you, watch out).It's also very funny.
Plasma Rifle-Very effective against groups of them, like the Assault Rifle.
Plasma Pistol-Also effective, especially the overcharged shot, but to save ammo, use the semiautomatic mode of this weapon.
Needler-Effective, but you don't need to empty a full clip on these guys; only use about a third of it.If you can cause the explosion, it should take out a few other Grunts in the area, maybe an Elite if you're lucky.
Shade Gun-Effective, but you'll probably have to knock them out of it first..
| Jackal |
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| Jackals can be very annoying on harder difficulties. |
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| Look mommy!It's a flying alien! |
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| This is what an unaware Jackal looks like when you snipe it.. |
Description:Jackals serve as scouts and assasin for the Covenant due to their good sense of smell,hearing, and sight.They are equipped with Plasma Pistols and have vulnerable bodies protected by tough energy shields.However, a single Jackal which is smart and ready, can take on several Marines and survive for a while.Jackals are5'8" tall.
Weapons/Melee Attacks:Jackals never use melee attacks, but are armed with Plasma Pistols always and will fire the overcharged shot a lot.You can tell they are about to fire when you see a glowing orb under their shields. They are relatively easy to dodge as for some reason they never home onto you, so you can duck or sidestep to avoid them, but if you get hit, you will have to hide long enough for your shield to recharge.
Tactics:Jackals can be a big pain, especially if their in groups, which is often the case.They shoot their Plasma Pistols through small niches in their energy shields.Aim for this.It's their Achilles heel.You can usually take them out using any weapons with scopes(Pistol,Sniper Rifle,Rocket Launcher[not recommended, see weapons guide]).Their bodies are frail and as vulnerable as ours, if not more vulnerable. Also,melee attacks are very effective,as they remove their shield in one hit and then you can wipe 'em out cold. Grenades are often a very good choice, as Jackals tend to think they're going to be protected by their puny shields.Haha.Throw a single Grenade into a group of them and watch them fly in different directions. If you're playing legendary against these, watch out. They have an extremely fast rate of fire, even with Plasma Pistols.
WEAPONS:
M6D Pistol-Cannot penetrate their energy shields.However, if you aim for the hole, you can hit them and take them out.
MA5B Assault Rifle-Aim for the hole.Still, you'll most likely waste half of a clip trying to take out its shield.It works, but I recommend a different weapon.
M90 Shotgun-The closer they all, the closer they fall. You'll be hearing this for a lot of enemies.
S2 AM Sniper Rifle-Aim for the niche,unload, and it's over.If you miss, the bullet with richochete off the shield, so don't be too close.And don't let it shoot you when you're in sniper mode, or you'll zoom out of the scope automatically.
M19 SSM Rocket Launcher-Overkill.Find a lesser weapon to use.
Grenades-Excellent against Jackals.They always ignore them, so throw them.Occasionally they will dive to the side, but they don't dive far enough to evade the blast radius of the Grenade.Throwing these into a group of Jackals often results in the aliens flying in different directions simultaneously.
Plasma Rifle-Works pretty well against them and their shields.Remember,use short bursts or melee attacks for their vulnerable bodies once you have destroyed their shields in order to save ammo.
Plasma Pistol-Fire the overcharged shot and follow up with a melee attack.One of the more effective weapons against Jackals.
Needler-Occasionally can get around their shields, but most of the time it richochetes off.Not a very good weapon against them.
Shade Gun-Effective as always, but if they fire an overcharged shot, get out a dodge it, then get back in.
| Elite(Minor and Major) |
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| A minor Elite about to thump Master Chief on the head with a melee attack. |
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| You can see part of the Plasma Rifle of this stealth elite on the right hand side. |
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| I don't know what in the world this Elite is doing, but it's gonna get a surprise from those rocks. |
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| Sniper Rifles work exceptionally well against Elites even if you don't use the scopes. |
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| Two Elites taking on a Combat Form. |
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| A melee attack in the back. Good night Mr. Elite. |
Description:Elites stand 6'8'' tall and are incredibly powerful, using brute force if needed, but often use their intelligence in the battlefield, using excellent tactics.They often command squads of Grunts and Jackals.They have full-body energy shielding, which will recharge if given time, like Master Chief's.If given time to recharge, they can come back good as new.Elites are not to be messed with; they are smart and aggressive.
Weapons/Melee Attacks:Mainly carry Plasma Rifles,but will also carry Needlers and Grenades(The Spec Ops carry and throw Grenades often). They have brutal melee attacks coming from whichever weapon they use.
Ranks:Blue-Minor
Light Blue-Stealth,Minor
Red-Major
Tactics:Elites are extremely smart and can be very tough to beat.Their energy shields are just like yours, recharging if you give them time to.Use a Plasma Pistol and follow up with quick melee attacks or semiautomatic fire to take them out quickly.Or try to sidestep and melee them in the back.Melee attacks stun Elites, so use them a lot.You can keep on melee attacking an Elite until it falls.If something shoots at you from out of no where, you've run across a Stealth Elite.These are a little weaker than normal Elites but can sneak up on you and smack you over the head.Shoot in suspicious looking places in order to get a lead on your target.If you hit them with Assault Rifle or Plasma Pistol fire, they will be uncloaked.From there on, it's best to use a melee attack or shoot them with whatever weapon uncloaked them.Rapid fire weapons and good against them.
WEAPONS:
M6D Pistol-Not very effective.Aim for the head or back.If you can't hit either, don't use it.
MA5B Assault Rifle-You'll waste a full clip.Not the best idea, but firing this then melee attacking an Elite will work..
M90 Shotgun-The closer they all, the closer they fall.
S2 AM Sniper Rifle-Effective, even if you aren't sniping them.One to two shots will take them out promptly.A headshot will kill them immediately.
M19 SSM Rocket Launcher-Still overkill..save it for Commander Elites, Hunters, or vehicles.
Grenades-They tend to dodge Grenades, but they are effective. If you stick an Elite with a Plasma Grenade, most of the time it will wipe out a huge amount of enemies, as nearly everyone hangs out by the Elites. This is especially effective in close quarters.
Plasma Rifle-Works pretty well.Shoot, then follow up with a melee attack to put them to rest.
Plasma Pistol-Charge it up, fire, then melee.Good weapon for taking out their shields.
Needler-Very effective.As long as you're not close, it'll take them out, and the explosion may also wipe out a few Grunts walking around them.
Shade Gun-On harder difficulties, it isn't a very good choice, as the damage caused by their weapons can be very dangerous, but otherwise it works.
| Elites with Plasma Swords |
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| Watch out for any Elites with Plasma Swords; they're lethal. |
Description:There are several Elites which sometimes hold plasma swords, namely Gold Elites, Commander Elites, and Invisible Elites. These are some of the mose dangerous creatures in the game. They can run and strafe like normal Elites, but can also jump and "float" for a short time in the air, allowing them to cover pretty big distances.
Weapons/Melee Attacks:Plasma Swords, which they use for brutal melee attacks, which can kill you in one hit, anywhere on your body.
Ranks:Gold-Gold Elites and Commander Elites, Major
Light Blue-Invisible Elites, Minor
Tactics:Keep your distance from these creatures. Backpedal and shoot, backpedal and shoot. If you get too close for comfort, try to melee them to stun them and keep on backpedaling. Circle strafing is not recommended, as their swords are pretty long and can inflict huge amounts of damage. They are like normal Elites in strength, but are easier to see. If you see a plasma sword swinging on its own, you've run into an Invisible Elite with a plasma sword. Shoot the sword and backpedal. If you stick them with a Plasma Grenade, they will often chase you, most of the time bringing you down with them. Needlers also work, but again, keep your distance. The weapons section has been taken out because the weapons still have the same effectiveness against these Elites, but again, keep your distance.
| Hunter |
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| Hunter charging its Fuel Rod Cannon. |
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| Hunter hiding behind its massive shield. |
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| One of the Hunters you face in the tunnel in AotCR. |
Description:Hunters stand 12' tall, but often slouch in a combat stance which is approxminately 8'. They are slow moving but dangerous. They carry a nearly impervious and heavy metal shield made of an unknown alloy. Hunters often travel in pairs.
Weapons/Melee Attacks:Hunters have Fuel Rod Cannons integrated directly into the armor on their arms, which can take you out in two shots; the first lowers your shields, and the second kills you. They use their shields as melee attacks if you get too close.
Ranks:N/A
Tactics:Hunters are not hard to take out if you have the right weaponry. If you have a Sniper Rifle, aim for the exposed red/orange parts on their back, neck, and stomach. They go down easily if you can accomplish this. Make sure to keep your distance from them. If you have a Pistol, you have several options; first, you could snipe them with the scope, aiming for the exposed parts of flesh on their bodies. Second, and more recommended, you could move close enough to them that they charge you, and sidestep immediately when that shield comes down. After Hunters use their melee attacks, they pause for a moment to rest. Use this opportunity to shoot them in the back with the Pistol(takes them out in one shot), melee them in the back(also takes them out in one hit), or shoot them with the Assault Rifle(takes longer, and you'll have to sidestep a few more times, but works).
WEAPONS:
M6D Pistol-Highly effective. Use the charge-and-dodge tactic and they'll be down quicker than you can say "Hunter."
MA5B Assault Rifle-Not very effective, but works. Use the charge-and-dodge tactic.
M90 Shotgun-Very effective also. Shoot them in the back once and they're gone.
S2 AM Sniper Rifle-Aim for the exposed flesh.
M19 SSM Rocket Launcher-The Hunter Killer. If they survive a hit from a Rocket Launcher(which rarely happens, but you might miss a little or something), hit them with a melee attack or use an Assault Rifle to pit them down; if they do survive a hit, they're almost dead.
Grenades-For once, Grenades aren't effective. They'll bounce off their shields and even if they land near them, they won't do much. You can get several Plasma Grenades stuck to a Hunter's leg and it will still lumber on. Don't use Grenades.
Plasma Rifle-Aim for the exposed flesh, but it isn't very effective.
Plasma Pistol-Forget it.
Needler-If you are stuck with this weapon, use it, as it can still detonate on their bodies, but it won't do very much damage, and most of the time it will simply bounce off.
Shade Gun-Don't try it. They'll blast you out of it the instant you get in, and even if you pull off a few shots, you'll be hitting the front of them, and that's where most of their armor is.
THE FLOOD
This is Halo's sinister, hidden secret. The Flood, parasitic life forms which overwhelm their hosts and turn them into one of themselves. The Forerunners built Halo as a defense against the Flood after realizing they were the most dangerous life forms in the galaxy.
Hence their name, the Flood attack in huge, what seems like non-stop waves. They have three different forms which attack you in specific or mixed waves. Read on for information on how to deal with them.
| Flood Infection Form |
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| They may be small, but there are A LOT of them. |
Description:Part of the Flood, these parasitic creatures latch onto their host's bodies and overcome them by numbers. They have no weapons but use their sheer numbers to accomplish this goal. They attack in huge waves which often overcome careless Marines.
Weapons/Melee Attacks:They have no weapons, but when they latch onto you, it's kind of like a very light melee attack.
Ranks:N/A
Tactics:Use an automatic weapon or one with a high rate of fire against these little guys. Since they are weak, they will pop in one shot. This often causes a chain reaction which can tear through the whole group. Use the Assault Rifle or Plasma Rifle to mow down their numbers quickly. It is acceptable to let a few of these latch onto you, but if you let a swarm of them latch onto you, your shields will go down quickly and you will be vulnerable to taking other damage.
WEAPONS:
M6D Pistol-Not effective enough to take on the large amounts of infection form creatures that attack you.
MA5B Assault Rifle-High rate of fire makes it among the top choices for dealing with infection forms.
M90 Shotgun-Pretty good, but it's better against the other Flood forms.
S2 AM Sniper Rifle-Don't use. Even if it goes through a whole bunch of them, there will be many more attacking you.
M19 SSM Rocket Launcher-Nope.Overkill.
Grenades-Since they move relatively slow, Grenades are acceptable, but throw it in front of you.Still, I'd recommend the Plasma or Assault Rifle.
Plasma Rifle-Effective, but watch the overheat.
Plasma Pistol-Not a smart choice. It's hard and annoying to fire for a while on semiautomatic(as the overcharged shot wastes ammo and doesn't do very much to a swarm of these), plus it will overheat quickly.
Needler-BAD. I really pity you if you're stuck with this.
Shade Gun-Works okay.
| Flood Combat Form |
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| They like to steal weapons. |
Description:The Combat Forms are aggressive and vicious creatures, infected hosts of the infection forms whose entire bodies have been converted into new form.
Weapons/Melee Attacks:Combat Forms are capable of a long jump which can cover a lot of ground. They use tentacle-like arms to slash viciously at their enemies. This melee attack can seriously damage you if hit by several all at once. They use whichever weapons their hosts used before they got taken over, so they'll have Assault Rifles to Grenades, Rocket Launchers to Plasma Rifles, and Pistols to Plasma Pistols.
Rankings:N/A
Tactics:Use your Assault Rifle and Shotgun as your main weapons; AR for long range and Shotgun for close.If they get too close for comfort, whip out your M90 Shotgun and BAM they're dead. Easy as that. Now if you don't have either of these weapons, you're in trouble, so use Grenades and try to kill them before they can get close to you and melee you. The Plasma Rifle is a good substitute against the Flood as well, but DON'T OVERHEAT.
Combat Forms have been known to get back up again after being supposedly killed, so watch out. After you've killed one, melee it several times or pump a few bullets in it to make sure it's dead. Melee Attacks don't work against living Flood targets well, but against dead ones, as long as you hit them hard, it'll work.
WEAPONS:
M6D Pistol-Okay against a few, but for the Flood, that's generally not the case.
MA5B Assault Rifle-Effective at longer ranges. Combo with Shotgun for devastating results.
M90 Shotgun-The mega Flood killer. Will knock 'em dead in one hit close range, and at longer ranges, can knock multiple creatures down. VERY EFFECTIVE, use it.
S2 AM Sniper Rifle-Don't ever use it. The bullets pass right through them.
M19 SSM Rocket Launcher-Effective, but only use if there are a lot of them, and try to aim at the ground, because if you aim at the stomach area, it will usually hit one and not hit the others.
Grenades-Effective, but throw them only a little bit ahead of you. Also, Plasma Grenades will work, but if you stick them to a Combat Form, they'll often come right back to you, like a walking timebomb.
Plasma Rifle-Effective because of high rate of fire and power.
Plasma Pistol-Not very effective.
Needler-Nope.Again, if you're stuck with this weapon, I pity you.
Shade Gun-Pretty good as they can't really strike you with a melee attack but if they have Rocket Launchers, you're going for a trip high in the sky.
| Flood Carrier Form |
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| Carrier Forms hoping to find hosts to infect. |
Descriptions:Carrier Forms are fat, bloated creatures that have converted their internal biomass to infection forms. They waddle around until they find a host and explode, spreading debris everywhere which is made up of infection forms which help overwhelm the host.
Weapons/Melee Attacks: Think of carrier forms as walking bombs. They explode if shot and self-destruct if they get near a potential host. If you are close enough, the explosions hurt you and the infection forms released can drain your shields quickly.
Tactics:They don't take very many shots to explode, so keep your distance and fire short bursts. If they get near you, they will fall flat on the ground and explode. You can get injuried quickly by these as their explosions and infection forms can lower your shields and drain your health. Also, when they explode, they will kill anything nearby, so if you time yourself correct, you can wipe out a huge number of these with just a few shots at a carrier form.
WEAPONS:
M6D Pistol-Shoot it a few times and the carrier will explode. Switch to another weapon to fight the infection forms, however.
MA5B Assault Rifle-Fire short bursts and then wipe out the infection forms quickly.
M90 Shotgun-Save for the combat forms.
S2 AM Sniper Rifle-Completely ineffective. Don't use it.
M19 SSM Rocket Launcher-Not too effective. They can survive a rocket shot and will fly high, usually landing near you and exploding the instant they hit the ground. Save it for other enemies or combat forms.
Grenades-They are like walking Grenades, so don't use them. Also, they can survive Grenades, but will be forced to explode.
Plasma Rifle-Short bursts.
Plasma Pistol-Works, but against the infection forms you better have something else.
Needler-LoL. Don't use this against them.
Shade Gun-They may self-destruct and flip the Shade over, but it works if you're farther away.
THE FORERUNNERS
The Forerunners built Halo as a defense against the Flood. They also built it for research purposes. The Monitor is the only Forerunner form that Master Chief encounters, and has no weapons, but uses its Sentinels against the Flood.
| Sentinel |
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| Ahh the laser beam!!!! |
Description:The Sentinels built Halo as a research facility and as a weapon to find the Flood's weakness and destroy them. They were created to protect Halo's subsystems from the Flood.
Weapons/Melee Attacks:The Sentinel is equipped with a single red/orange/yellow carbon-based laser which continuously sweeps toward its target.
Tactics:Alone, Sentinels are easy to take out, however, they almost always attack in groups, which is where their mildly dangerous lasers can lower your shields and health very quickly, especially on heroic and legendary difficulty settings. Any weapon will do, but keep moving and use plasma weapons the most; they reduce the Sentinels quickly to scrap metal. Try to lure them into hallways of tight spots so they can only attack one at a time.
WEAPONS:
M6D Pistol-If you've got the aim, go for it.
MA5B Assault Rifle-Use it for longer ranges or short ranges. The AR can be effective against groups of them, but still doesn't damage them as quickly as a plasma weapon.
M90 Shotgun-The closer they all, the closer they fall.
S2 AM Sniper Rifle-Go for it, but don't use the scope as the Sentinel's lasers will knock you out of it.
M19 SSM Rocket Launcher-They will go down easily if you can hit them when grouped tightly together. However, they may move out of the way. If your aim is good, use it.
Grenades-Works well, but use Plasma Grenades more as they can stick to the target. Sentinels are usually high off the ground for Fragmentation Grenades to do anything to them. If you can stick it with a PG, it will often cause a chain reaction, with several exploding at once.
Plasma Rifle-Amazing. Only takes a few hits and they're gone.
Plasma Pistol-Also amazing. One overcharged shot destroys them. Backpedal and fire this and you'll be victorious in a matter of seconds.
Needler-Wow, its effective for once! The resulting explosion may take out a few others in the area too.
Shade Gun-There's no situation in the game where you get a Shade Gun against a Sentinel. Probably would work though.
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