Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Hello. The topic for today is epic, so I'm dedicating three posts to it. For today, I'm talking about:
Halo. If you are a gamer, chances are you know of the series. Ever since the original game launched back in 2001, Halo has become one of the most successful franchises in video game history. In fact, the Halo series is often considered Microsoft's cash cow, because each new Halo game brings them millions of dollars in revenue.
In 2007, the original Halo trilogy ended. Throughout the course of the three games, numerous species have been introduced. Of course, if you are a fan of the series, you already know everything there is to them, but for those who have only played the game several times, the various species can be confusing. The species in the series are called by different names by the two major races, the Humans and the Covenant.
Today I'm doing a guide to the species of the Halo universe. In this guide, I am including a threat level indicator on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least threat to 10 being ZOMG. Also, when I say "Human Name", I mean the name humans give it.
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GRUNT
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Human Name: Grunt
Covenant Name: Unggoy
Height: 1.67m
Weight: 118kg
Threat Level: 2 [single Grunt], 4 [group of Grunts].
Weapons used: Plasma Pistol, Needler, Plasma Rifle, Fuel Rod Gun, Spiker [in rare cases], Portable Plasma Cannon.
Vehicles used: Ghost, Scarab [Gunner].
Description: Grunts are the cannon fodder of the Covenant. Their entire species was captured by the Covenant, and they are used as the first wave in any attack. Grunts are cowardly creatures that pose close to no threat alone, but they are often more aggressive when they have a few friends fighting alongside them.
However, when the Grunt leading the other is killed, all other Grunts will break formation, and some of them might even try using a kamikaze attack, during which it will charge toward you with two live plasma grenades in its hands.
Grunts can only survive by breathing methane, so they always have to strap on a tank of the gas to their backs when they are out of their home planet. This is a serious weakness of the Grunts as the methane is flammable, and the tanks can explode if shot at. The explosion might even kill surrounding allies.
While Grunts were cowardly and disorganized in the first two Halo games, they are much more aggressive in Halo 3. This is because the Brutes were much more cruel than the Elites, so the Grunts feared the wrath of their new masters more than they feared death. It is also rumoured that the Brutes mixed a different gas into the Grunts' methane tanks, and this gas made them go into a frenzy.
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JACKAL
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Human Name: Jackal
Covenant Name: Kig-Yar
Height: 1.9m
Weight: 88kg
Threat Level: 4 [close combat], 6 [Jackal sniper]
Weapons used: Plasma Pistol, Plasma Rifle, Beam Rifle, Carbine, Needler.
Vehicles used: None.
Description: Jackals are feral creatures with excellent senses, so they are given the role of snipers in the Covenant. Jackals are also used as foot soldiers, usually as leaders to Grunts. Jackals are physically weak, so foot soldiers are given an energy shield for extra protection.
Jackals are good snipers, but they will flee if fired at. However, unlike Grunts, which just break formation, Jackals will flee to a more strategic position and resume firing. Jackals are never seen throwing grenades, because they are either holding two handed weapons, or holding a one handed weapon in on hand and a shield in the other.
Due to their weak physical form, Jackals can be killed by a single melee attack. Jackals are ferocious predators and are always hungry for blood. The Covenant usually starve Jackals for several days, then they throw prisoners, human and Covenant alike, to the Jackals.
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DRONE
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Human Name: Drone
Covenant Name: Yanme'e
Height: 1.9m
Weight: 127kg
Threat Level: 3 [single Drone], 5 [Swarm of Drones].
Weapons used: Plasma Pistol, Needler.
Vehicles used: None.
Description: The Drones are another race forced to serve for the Covenant. They are insect like creatures that are not capable of individual thinking. Instead, they have a collective mind, with the Queen Drone being a large part of it.
However, since the Covenant has destroyed all the Queens, the Drones view the Prophets as the Queens, and they do whatever the Prophet asks them to. Drones obey the Covenants commands without hesitation, but they do not take part in social events due to the lack of communication between them and other species.
While a single drone is not much of a problem, a swarm of them can be dangerous. This is how they normally attack, and they do it in small, enclosed areas to further overwhelm enemies. Drones are strong enough to pick up humans, and they usually drop their victims from great heights to get easy kills.
Since it is difficult to aim at every individual drone in the swarm, most people will just use a rapid fire weapon, like an Assault Rifle, or dual SMGs to spray lead into the swarm. Drones will not last long against such an onslaught since they do not have any armour other than their own exoskeletons.
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HUNTER
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Human Name: Hunter
Covenant Name: Lekgolo
Height: 1.4m [Individual], 3.65m [Colony].
Weight: 22.6kg [Individual], 4762kg [Colony].
Threat Level: 1 [Individual], 8 [Colony].
Weapons used: Fuel Rod Gun.
Vehicles used: None.
Description: Hunters are actually orange worm like creatures that resemble large slugs. They are harmless in this form as they all five of their senses are weak, they cannot move around much, and they have low levels of intelligence.
However, Hunters can fuse together to form a colony. This greatly increases their senses, maneuverability, and intelligence. However, as their bodies are still physically weak, they are given large and heavy suits of armour for defense.
Hunters always have a Fuel Rod Gun in one hand and a large metal shield in the other. In Halo: CE, Hunters fired large balls of green energy that would arc before hitting a target. However, in all other Halo games, Hunters fired green beams of energy from their gun. They can also use their shields for a painful melee attack.
The spines on the Hunters' backs are also dangerous weapons and it is mentioned in the Halo novels that it can cut through even the Master Chief's armour. Hunters always travel in packs of two, and these two Hunters are like brothers. If one Hunter is killed, the other will usually go into a rage.
In Halo: CE, the Hunters were infamously weak as they could be killed by a single shot to any orange part of their body, even using a pistol. In Halo 2, they could still be killed with a single shot, but only with a sniper rifle, and in Halo 3, it takes at least two sniper rounds to kill a Hunter.
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ELITE
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Human Name: Elite
Covenant Name: Sangheili
Height: 2.2m
Weight: 144kg
Threat Level: 7 [with any weapon], 9 [with Energy Sword].
Weapons used: *Elites can use any weapon, human or Covenant, but they usually use these in the Campaign mode* Plasma Rifle, Carbine, Needler, Energy Sword.
Vehicles used: Ghost, Banshee, Wraith, Phantom, Spectre, Scarab [Pilot, Crew].
Description: The Elites have long been the ones that have kept the Covenant from falling apart. They are intelligent, strong and proud warriors that abide to a strict code of conduct, even in battle. They believe that a weapon should only be drawn if it is going to kill someone.
They usually lead squads that consist of Grunts and Jackals, but they are also know to operate in groups consisting of 5 special ops Elites. They were also the Honour Guards of the Prophets before the killing of the Prophet of Regret. After the death of the Prophet, the Elites were held responsible and the Brutes took over their positions.
Elites are able to rival Spartans in strength and skill. In the Halo novels, Master Chief fights an Elite in hand to hand combat, and he nearly loses despite the large amount of power his armour grants him. Elites are also responsible for more human casualties than any other Covenant race. However, Elites have honour, so they only kill enemies who have fought bravely. They do not harm innocent civilians.
Elites were the main enemies faced in Halo: CE, and they are still enemies in Halo 2, but towards the end of Halo 2, Elites started to rebel against the Covenant after being replaced by the Brutes, and being lead by the Elite know as the Arbiter, they eventually joined forces with humans to stop the activation of another Halo.
In Halo 3, the Elites have sided with the humans. In previous Halo games, when playing the story mode with a friend, both players appear as the Master Chief. In Halo 3, player 1 is Master Chief, player 2 is the Arbiter, and the other two players are Elites. After finally defeating the Covenant, the humans and Elites part ways, but it is said that both races remain as allies.
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BRUTE
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Human Name: Brute
Covenant Name: Jiralhanae
Height: 2.8m
Weight: 510kg
Threat Level: 8 [with any weapon], 10 [with Gravity Hammer].
Weapons used: Spiker, Brute Shot, Mauler, Fuel Rod Gun, Plasma Cannon, Gravity Hammer.
Vehicles used: Brute Chopper, Spectre, Ghost, Banshee, Wraith, Scarab [Pilot, Crew].
Description: Brutes are the last race to join the Covenant before its collapse, and it is the only race to ever reach the status of the Elites. Brutes are much more rugged and feral than the Elites, and their weapons are designed to inflict large amounts of pain before their victim dies.
Brutes operate in a pack, which is much more simple than the way Elites do things. Basically, a Brute will lead a group of Grunts and Jackals. Rather than shouting out orders to the others, the Brute will just do an action, and the others will follow.
Brutes can also operate in a squad of 3 to 8 of themselves, usually lead by a Brute Chieftain, which is a Brute wielding a Gravity Hammer. They are some times lead by War Chieftains too, which wield Plasma Cannons and Fuel Rod Guns.
Brutes have tough rhinoceros like skin, and this allows them to soak up a lot of damage before finally falling. In fact, it is not unusual to use an entire clip of bullets to kill one of them. In Halo 3, Brutes are seen wearing armour, and this further enhances their durability. However, if you shoot a piece of their armour off, they will usually go into a rage and charge towards you.
Brutes are much stronger than both Elites and Spartans, as mentioned in the Halo novels. Master Chief was almost killed by a Brute because he could not break free from the Brute's grip around his neck. However, Brutes are no where near as skilled as Elites and Spartans, and this is perhaps their greatest downfall.
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PROPHET
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Human Name: Prophet
Covenant Name: San' Shyuum
Height: 2.2m
Weight: 91kg
Threat Level: 10 [They want to destroy the universe, so I think a 10 should be sufficient]
Weapons used: Prophet Laser
Vehicles used: Gravity Throne
Description: The Prophets the race that started the Covenant. They are lead by three Prophets, the Prophet of Truth, the Prophet of Revenge and the Prophet of Mercy. They are a religious race that believe that by activating all seven Halo planets, they will be able to trigger an event know as the Great Journey.
Prophets are physically weak, so they move around in a floating chair called the Gravity Throne. Not only can this vehicle move the Prophets around at great speed, it can also allow them to teleport, and it is equipped by a powerful Prophet Laser in the front.
Prophets make use of all their allies to achieve what they want, but they are a cowardly race who would abandon an ally in a split second if their life was on the line. The three leading Prophets are eventually killed and stopped by the Master Chief, the Arbiter, and the Flood.
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MARINE
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Human Name: Marine
Covenant Name: Human
Height: 1.8m
Weight: 90kg
Threat Level: 2 [single Marine], 6 [Marine Squad]
Weapons used: Any weapon other than Portable Turrets, Missile Pod, Flamethrower, Energy Sword and Gravity Hammer.
Vehicles used: Mongoose, Warthog, Scorpion, Hornet, Pelican, Ghost, Spectre, Brute Chopper, Wraith.
Description: Marines make up most of the human forces. Many of them are war hardened veterans who are skilled enough to take Elites down. Marines always help the Master Chief out the the Campaign mode of Halo games. There are also ODST, which are Marines that drop into the battlefield in pods that are fired from ships docked in space.
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SPARTAN
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Human Name: Spartan
Covenant Name: Demon [Master Chief is also refered to as Reclaimer by the Elites]
Height: 2.1m
Weight: 179kg
Threat Level: 10
Weapons used: All weapons
Vehicles used: All vehicles except Pelicans and Phantoms.
Description: Spartans are the super soldiers of the human forces. Trained from the age of 6, Spartans are killing machines. They also have genetic modifications made to their bodies that prevent their bones from breaking and give them enhanced reaction time and speed, and they wear Mjolnir armour to further enhance their capabilities.
Master Chief, the main character of the Halo trilogy, was able to single handly collapse the entire Covenant. He is said to be the last remaining Spartan, but it is hinted that there are several others left in the far reaches of space. Most Spartans are already killed in action, but they are just stated as missing in action to the public. This is so that humanity will not lose hope. As the said in the Halo novels, "Spratans never die".
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FLOOD
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Human Name: Flood
Covenant Name: Flood
Height: Varied
Weight: Varied
Threat Level: 10
Weapons used: All weapons
Vehicles used: All vehicles
Description: The Flood is a parasitic race that survives by infecting others. They have been around for a long time, but an ancient race, the Forerunners, trapped the Flood deep within Halo. However, the Covenant accidenatlly releases them, and the Flood rapidly spreads, destroying the entire Prophet home world.
Flood come in various forms, but the basic form looks like a large squid. It is called the infection form. It attaches itself onto a victim, and it uses its long tentacles to probe into the brain, and then it gains control of it. These Flood usually go for dead bodies are they provide less resistance. Due to this, infected bodies are some times already decaying, and it makes the Flood look like a race of zombies.
Once something gets infected by a Flood, it becomes a combat form. Its bones will be broken and altered to a more suitable structure, and this enables it to leap greater distances, and it also gives the combat form more strength.
Flood cannot die because even if you put one down, a infection form might enter it and it will come back to life. Infection forms are usually carried around by infected Grunts. The infection forms will be stored in the Grunt's body, which will be bloated. Upon being shot at, the Grunt will explode and hundreds of infection form will swarm the area.
The Flood are mindless creatures, but they are controlled by a massive, ancient creature called Gravemind. The Flood are constantly hungry, and it will still be even if the entire galaxy is consumed. That is why Gravemind is constantly in search for new matter to consume. At the end of Halo 2, he finds the existance of Earth, and in Halo 3, the Flood attack.
In Halo 3, several new Flood forms are introduced, including the turrent Flood, which can hang from ceilings and fire spines out of their backs, and tank Flood, which are huge Flood that can take a lot of punishment before going down. It is also shown in Halo 3 that the Flood are weak against fire, as they die almost instantly upon being hit by fire from a flamethrower.
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Here is a chart for the size comparison of all the Covenant species I have mentioned above. Spartansand Flood combat forms are about the same height as Elites, and Marines are about the same height as Jackals:
Remember to check back tomorrow for part 2.
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I went to change my Xbox today again. My mother followed me because this is the fourth time I am changing my Xbox, so she wanted to check some stuff with the people there. I also managed to play a bit of Street Fighter IV at Challenger because there is hardly anyone in Funan during the morning.
It is super cool to play as Ryu. His Hadouken is a cheap move, but it is so fun to pull off. I took a while to figure out how to do it, but once I did, I was spamming it. You got to half circle the thumbstick and hit the quick punch button to do it.
Shoryuken is fun to do as well, and the hit animation is so awesome. You got to move the thumbstick in a 'Z' pattern, then hit the other punch button. I also did the whirlwind kick, but I have no idea how I did that. I even managed to pull off Shinku Hadouken some how, and I KO-ed Chun Li with that!! Damn I need to buy this game.
After that I went to Central to show my mother the clothes that I wanted to buy, and after that we went to Tiong Bahru Plaza to eat lunch. After that I went to talk to Kim for a while, then I went back home.
This time, my Xbox is working properly. I managed to play Oblivion for a few hours, and my brother also asked me to train with him in Halo 3 because he is going to be taking part in the Interschool Gaming tournament this March at Funan.
When my father got home, my mother talked to him and he agreed to give me $400 to buy clothes for poly. He asked me to get five shirts/T-shirts, two pairs of jeans, and five pants. Going shopping soon :D
Some random photos:
I'm playing Street Fighter IV!! I just did a Hadouken in this picture.
Nice view of Clarke Quay.
The Central is a great place I really like it.
It is snowing in Oblivion!! Super beautiful looking game.
I'm playing the Halo Wars demo. See my Spartan at the back?
I pwned.
Since I just changed my Xbox twice, I have 2 more months free Xbox Live Gold. And I still have about a month left for my existing membership. Win.Ok, I just read about something kinda disturbing on the Internet. It seems that there's been a Left 4 Dead themed parody/porn video released today. It is called Left4Head [oh lol], and it features the game's only female survivor, Zoey, getting raped by a bunch of zombies. And if you're thinking of watching it, even out of curiosity, don't. It is so corny that I don't know if I should laugh or cry. Seriously.
Ok, I'm done for today. Thanks for reading. Ending off, see you tomorrow.
posted @ 11:38 PM
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