Covenant Vehicles in Halo
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All of the Covenant vehicles, which the exception of the Scarab, are equipped with a levitation-style mode of propulsion. They are capable of hovering a set distance above terrain, allowing them to navigate all but the most strenuous of environments.
Typically, Covenant vehicles are painted and colored in a largely purple motif, eschewing Human beliefs and utilization of camouflage. Again, the single exception to this is the Scarab.
In the second game, the vehicles possess a secondary boost function, allowing for a quick, consistent increase in speed. This is commonly used to ram shielded and armored opponents that would require an extended exposure to its armament. While utilizing the boost function, the vehicle's pilot is unable to fire its weapons, forcing the pilot to rely solely on its own kinetic energy to defend itself. This does not apply to vehicles that have a passenger-manned weapon, such as the Spectre. The gunner still has complete control of the weapon while the pilot boosts. The vehicles maneuverability is severely compromised while boosting, as well. The high rate of acceleration in the vehicle allows for only a very minute amount of lateral and vertical course adjustments
While not all of these vehicles are pilotable by the player by default, there are various modifications that allow a modded Xbox to enable such features.
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[edit] Specific to Halo: Combat Evolved
The beginning of the Halo franchise revealed four major vehicles the player encounters while fighting the Covenant forces. It includes one of each basic mechanized and assault vehicles: A reconnaissance vehicle, a multirole combat aircraft, a main battle tank, and an armoured personnel carrier.
[edit] Ghost
The Ghost is a small, single-seat, ground-attack weapon. It is the Covenant's primary assault vehicle, equipped with dual plasma cannons capable of continuous rapid fire while boost is not engaged. It is typically piloted by an Elite, Brute, or Grunt, but it is also common, in an emergency, to see a Grunt taking control of the vehicle in the heat of battle.
Provided the boost is not activated, the Ghost is able to mow down hordes of opponents with its plasma cannons at a high rate of fire. But with the boost activated, and moving at high speeds, it can act as a formidable battering ram, able to take down all but the strongest and most armoured enemies.
The vehicle is lightly armed and armoured, but compensates for these shortcomings with increased speed and maneuverability. In addition to its already light armour, it provides no direct protection to the pilot. While this is certainly no problem for pilots possessing personal shielding, those without shields are very vulnerable to accurate assault and sniper rifle fire.
Additionally, the same accurate small arms fire is capable of reaching the exposed, unshielded fuel tank. The impact of a handful of rounds directly onto the body of the tank is sufficient to detonate the container, throwing the pilot and wrecking the vehicle.
[edit] Banshee
Acting as the Ghost's airborne companion, the Banshee functions as the primary airborne attack platform for the Covenant. It is also a small, single-seat fighter that is equipped with two primary plasma cannons as well as a fuel rod cannon. These multi-purpose weapons are capable of both engaging air and ground targets with precision and heavy firepower.
While similarly armed, this platform is much more maneuverable than the Ghost. Not only can it operate in a third dimension, but it can also execute tactical maneuvers such as barrel rolls and flips allowing it to escape enemy fire, specifically the homing rockets used by UNSC personnel. This increased agility, and ability to take off from a standing position, makes it very similar to the AV-8 Harrier II used by contemporary US Marines.
Its amazing agility is thanks in part to the gravity-manipulation pods mounted on the ends of its rudimentary wings. These gravity pods are what leaves behind the Banshee's signature contrails. Combining the boost with the Banshee's outstanding maneuverability makes it an excellent platform for anti-infantry and anti-armor duty, even in the face of anti-air assets. Unfortunately, just as the Ghost's weapons are disabled while utilizing the boost function, the Banshee is unable to operate any of its weapon system mid-boost.
[edit] Wraith
Compensating where the lightly-armed Ghost lacks is the Wraith. The Wraith functions as the Covenant's main battle tank.
The tank is a complete opposite of the UNSC Scorpion MBT. While its turret is not engineered to move independently of the base, its method of indirect fire allows the tank to lob highly damaging plasma projectiles very accurately. When piloted by an NPC, the tank utilizes twin defensive plasma cannons to protect itself from infantry.
While the vehicles slow gait makes it susceptible to enemy fire, its heavy-duty armour plating allows it to withstand multiple rocket launcher attacks. Its slow mobility is supplemented by a short burst of boost. Unfortunately, like many other Covenant vehicles, the weapons systems are deactivated while the boost system is engaged. This boost, while not adequate to avoid locked-on rockets, is more than sufficient to plow through nearly any defense and crush and soldiers or materiel in its path.
[edit] Spirit
Serving the Covenant's billet as an armoured personnel carrier, the Spirit is an airborne unit capable of dropping off several squads of Covenant ground forces of various types. Armed with a single defensive plasma cannon (a Shade) to provide cover fire, this vehicle deploys Covenant troops quickly and efficiently to hot-spots throughout a theater.
In addition to carrying and deploying troops in the battlefield, the dropship also functions as a vehicle transport, more than capable of carrying Ghosts for heavy-weapons support of troops on the ground.
In a default configuration, this vehicle is not pilotable by the player. Accessing the flight controls, as well as the weapons systems, requires various modifications to the game.
Additionally, while in-game the Spirit is completely invulnerable to any and all weaponry; This is directly contrasting the descriptions of the vehicle in Eric Nylund's novelization. In his novels, the dropships are easily defeated through the coordinated use of anti-air weaponry.
[edit] Specific to Halo 2
When the second chapter of the Halo saga was released, several new concepts for vehicles were released along side of it. Covenant vehicles were designed and deployed to be in direct competition to existing UNSC technology.
[edit] Spectre
Manned by a driver and separate gunner the Spectre is a high-speed fast-attack vehicle capable of delivering a rapid-fire plasma turret and two additional soldiers to the battlefield. It is the immediate competitor to the UNSC Warthog.
Much like its Covenant counterparts, it relies primarily on agility and speed for protection in combat using their levitation system. None of the crew spaces are protected from directed enemy fire, leaving them vulnerable to a few lucky or well-placed shots.
In order to increase its effectiveness on the battlefield, the Spectre is capable of prolonged weapons discharge even with its boost function enabled. This allows the pilot and gunner to quickly fill an area with fire as they speed by. Unfortunately, there is still a sacrifice in maneuverability: The vehicle is only capable of forward and minor lateral motion while boosting.
[edit] Phantom
Also a direct counterpart to UNSC technologies, the Phantom is the Covenant's equivalent to the UNSC Pelican. It is capable of delivering more troops than its little sister, the Spirit, and also allows for more heavier support vehicles to be carried, specifically the Wraith.
For self-defense, the Phantom is equipped with three free-floating plama turrets on the underside that can deliver devastating firepower to any air or ground targets.
In game, it is invulnerable to enemy fire just like the Spirit. Fortunately, its three main cannons are susceptible to well-placed rocket, Gauss, or other heavy-weapon fire. This allows ground forces to move from cover and engage the ground forces as they debark.
[edit] Scarab
One of the only Covenant ground-attack platforms not to utilize levitating technologies for propulsion, the Scarab is seated on four hydraulically-operated pointed legs (named as such for its similarity to the Earth-borne scarab.
They are nigh indestructible - A female Marine remarked during their first encounter with this weapon that it could withstand .50 caliber machine gun fire, as well as impacts from their rockets.
The Scarab is equipped with a massive plasma cannon at its front, capable of obliterating all but the hardest of targets. Nearly all of the UNSC vehicles are susceptible to this weapon. While neither the body of the vehicle, or its main attack platform, are vulernable to enemy fire, the secondary defensive cannon can be destroyed by consistent and accurate weapons fire.
A crew of two or more Elites pilots the vehicle and carries a mixed contingent of defensive troops of more Elites and Grunts to hold off boarders. Boarding is the only way to disabled the vehicle, and once the crew cabin has been emptied of enemies, the Scarab can be disabled completely.
[edit] Shadow
The Covenant's primary high-capacity APC, the Shadow can transport light vehicles such as Ghosts and Spectres. It has not yet been seen deploying infantry in-game. A rapid-fire plasma cannon is mounted high on its front section, but its operator is not protected from opposing fire.
The transport itself is highly armoured against ground forces, but the vehicles it carries are not protected from such ground fire, and it is possible to destroy the vehicles before they are dropped.
The vehicle is not pilotable and the weapon is not accessible to a human player without the use of modded hardware. Additionally, the use of such modded hardware reveals that the vehicle is capable of carrying infantry, specifically Grunts and Elites (who have unique animations for sitting and piloting the vehicle); It also allows the player to man the vehicle and fire the weapons.
[edit] Seraph
Taking the mantle as the Covenant's interceptor aircraft, the Seraph functions as the primary rapid-response atmospheric and space fighter. Its teardrop shape is very typical of Covenant designs, who's vehicles tend to be ornately rounded and beveled (as opposed to humanity's stark, sharp lines).
It is armed in a similar fashion to the Banshee (with two plasma cannons and a secondary plasma torpedo), but with scaled-up weapons systems capable of taking down larger weapons and vehicles.
The vehicle is first discussed in-game during the Covenant's assault on the Heretic fortress. It is first viewed during the Cairo Station action, flying past the airlock as two UNSC Longsword fighters pursue it. During the final action of the assault, Elite Spectial Operations commander Rtas 'Vadumee mentions the fighter as a means of escape for the Heretic Leader. It is finally seen clearly in a boss battle between the Arbiter (played by the player) and the Heretic Leader.
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