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UNSC/Elites:

UNSC
The United Nations Space Command is the main government of humanity, spanning multiple worlds besides Earth. Formed in the 2160's, during a period where remnants of old cultural ideologies clashed over supremacy in the Solar System, the UNSC primarily served as an overseer of United Nations military operations in space.



MARINE


SPARTAN


Elites
Elites served as the military leaders for the Covenant. While Prophets often had the last say, it was the Elites who organized military campaigns and naval engagements. Ship Masters commanded the mighty space fleets; Field Masters command the vast armies. Elites maintained the military structure of the Covenant, and ensured the Prophet's orders, as well as their own, were carried out. Elites were a major component of the Covenant, and were the only caste able to maintain the military hierarchy and have a voice within the High Council. As the Prophets and Brutes attempted genocide of the Elites, they have left the Covenant and allied with the UNSC. They are called Sangheili in the Covenant language.

Flood:

The Flood is a species of virulent, savage, parasitic organisms that thrive by consuming all sentient lifeforms of sufficient biomass and cognitive capability. Their origins are currently unknown, but it is known that they are an extragalactic species bent on consuming all sentient life throughout the entire universe. In regards to every outbreak of the Flood, there exists three or four stages the parasitic organism undergoes, which are feral, coordinated and interstellar with the possibility of another higher stage present and intergalactic.

Feral: In the feral stage, the Flood make use of the four basic forms: Infection, Combat, Carrier and a proto-Gravemind form (Brain Form). The Feral stage is the lowest form communicating via pheromones, and have the natural instinct to harvest enough calcium to establish a viable Gravemind.

Coordinated: Once a viable Gravemind has developed, the Coordinated stage begins with the numbers of forms growing rapidly. The Coordinated stage is when the Flood become truly dangerous; they now take orders from the Gravemind that was created in the first stage.

Interstellar: The Interstellar stage develops once the Flood have acquired sufficient technology and do not possess any further known evolutionary changes. The Interstellar stage allows the Flood to take control of most technology and spread throughout the galaxy to infect more hosts.

Intergalactic: The Intergalactic stage is the last known stage of the Flood, once it has consumed all sentient life in a galaxy (and by extension, gained complete understanding of any technological and scientific knowledge that was present), it will have reached a complete critical mass, which must depart to other galaxies.

The Flood's potential for destruction is not in doubt. It is an organism-scale parasitic species, and its sole means of reproduction is by assimilating other sentient species into its fold by neurological and physiological mutagenic means, by entering and infesting live bodies or recent corpses. Its all-consuming nature and dependence on sentient life means that it would be impossible for the Flood to be a part of any ecosystem. They adapt quickly to any ecosystem and use its properties to its advantage.

Covenant Ranks

Prophets

-Low Prophet: Often serves as a member of the Covenant Council. Very high in political, military, and religious importance.

-High Prophet: There can only be three High Prophets at one time. This is the highest rank in the Covenant. These three are the ones who rule the Covenant.

Brutes

-Brute Minor: Brute Minors are the youngest and most inexperienced Brutes of the Covenant. They often use Spikers as their primary weapon. These Brutes have not yet earned the right to carry a Brute Shot. They do not have helmets, and Minors either have little or no armor, or have a lustrous blue-green hue Power Armor. They often make tactical errors such as standing in one place while firing, or rushing forward into enemy fire. Most tend to also fire in shorter bursts, and have somewhat less accuracy and a lower rate of fire. Still, it is foolish to underestimate a Brute of any rank.

-Brute Major: Brute Major is an elevated rank for Brutes of the Covenant. These veteran Brutes are stronger and smarter than their younger counterparts. This armor also makes them even harder to kill. These brutes usually carry Brute Plasma Rifles, Spikers, Covenant Carbines, or Brute Shots. They are usually seen commanding less experienced Brutes and wear dark blue Power Armor.

-Brute Ultra: The Ultra Brute is the highest rank of the three regular ranks and as such they are found wearing violet Power Armor. Because of their status they usually be found leading at least two minor brutes and a group of lesser grunts, but they are also frequently lead by a higher rank, such as captain or chieftain.

-Brute Captain: They are the approximate analog of the Elite Major Domo rank, often leading small groups of Brutes in field combat. Brute Captains are seasoned veteran Brutes, and are more heavily armored and heavily armed than the standard Brute warrior. They wear violet/red Power Armor than the Brute Ultras.

-Brute Captain Major: The Brute Captain Major is a Brute rank that wears golden colored Power Armor. They are often leading lower ranking Brutes, as well as squads of Jackals and Grunts. In terms of strength, battlefield, adaptness and rarity, Captain Majors are similar to Sangheili Zealots.

-Brute Captain Ultra: The Captain Ultra is the second highest attainable rank a Brute can achieve, next to chieftain, and wear cyan Power Armor, which signifies higher rank then the gold Brute Captain Majors.

-Brute Chieftan: The Brute Chieftain, also known as the Alpha Jiralhanae, is a Covenant rank for the Jiralhanae (Brute) race, the highest in the Jiralhanae hierarchy. There are may be dozens of Brute Chieftans at the same time, along with a single "Grand Chieftan" (Tartarus, for instance). There are, generally, two types of armor that a Chieftan wears:

*Brute Chieftains that are clad in ornate red and black armor. Whilst it cannot take as much damage as the bronze armor worn by other Chieftains, it allows greater speed and mobility.
*Brute Chieftains that are ornate, bronze-and-gold armor have the most powerful and durable of the Brutes' Power Armor, but their mobility is somewhat limited due to the heavy weight of the armor.

Brute Specialists

-Brute Stalker: Stalkers are covered in grey armor, and possess integrated circuitry for Active Camo in their Power Armor. They often use Radar Jammers to confuse their prey, and are the main users of Incendiary Grenades. They are commonly seen acting as spies and bodyguards for Brute Chieftains. The Stalkers are about equal to the Stealth Elites in ability.

-Brute Ranger: These veteran Brutes utilize jumppacks to launch aerial attacks from afar, and use their enhanced mobility for guerrilla battle tactics. They are the Brute counterparts of the Ranger Elite Unit. They wear blue Power Armor and jetpacks.

-Brute Bodyguard: Brute Bodyguards are some of the Chieftain's most reliable warriors and not only protect their chieftain but enforce his tribal law. They are the Brute counterparts of the Honor Guard Elite Unit. They wear light blue armor and tend to favor Covenant, rather than Brute, weapons.

Grunts

-Grunt Minor: The lowest-ranked Grunts, these wear orange armor. They are often the least dangerous and most cowardly, and are often inaccurate marksmen. They are foot-soldiers, usually; at best they're Ghost pilots. When their commanding Brute is killed, they will often break formation and flee.

-Grunt Major: Veteran Grunts that wear crimson armor. They sometimes command several Grunt Minors and are slightly more skilled in combat and courageous than Grunt Minors, though this difference is not always substantial.

-Heavy Grunt: Specialized Grunts wearing green armor often deployed in defensive actions whose primary purposes are to deploy Plasma Cannons and man them, but occasionally wield Fuel Rod Cannons as well. Additionally, they also have been seen operating Ghost vehicles and Shades.

-SpecOps Grunt: Experienced and specially-chosen Grunts that wear distinctive jet-black armor and are commanded by Special Operations Elites. They also have an Active Camouflage. Special Operations Grunts are extremely skilled in warfare compared to the average soldier in the Grunt species, and don't panic too often in combat situations, if they do at all. They are sometimes seen wielding Fuel Rod Cannons, and they tend to throw Plasma Grenades more often than lesser Grunt ranks, as well as throwing them more accurately. Almost all, if not all, of the Special Operations Grunts sided with the Covenant Separatists during the Covenant Civil War.
Due to the Covenant Civil War, this rank (SpecOps Grunt) only applies to those allied with the UNSC!

-Grunt Ultra: Grunts that are field commanders for other Grunts, and wear distinctive pearlescent white armor reminiscent of the Ultra Elites. While they appear to have some authority over lesser-ranked Grunts, they have no control whatsoever over the other Covenant races. Grunt Ultras are also stronger opponents than their subordinates, and are more accurate with firearms, throw Plasma Grenades often, and have heavier armor, making them able to sustain more damage than most other Grunts. They very rarely run, and, when present, other Grunts do not run either.

Jackals

-Jackal Minor: They are effectively equal to the UNSC Private. Donning a turquoise shield on their right arm, they occasionally lead a few Grunts into battle. However, they will retreat if their shield is depleted. They command Major Grunts, Gunner Grunts, SpecOps Grunts, and Ultra Grunts, so they usually jump out of Spirits or Phantoms first. Like Grunts, they are low- ranking in the covenant hierarchy, and considered inferior to Brutes, Elites and Hunters.

-Jackal Major: Jackal Major is an elevated rank for more experienced Jackals of the Covenant. They are characterized by their orange shields, and usually wear armor that is gold or brown in color, though this is not always the case. They are seen commanding Jackal Minors or Grunts in combat.

-Jackal Sniper: Unlike standard infantry Jackals, Jackal Snipers do not carry Jackal Personal Arm Shields. They wield long range weaponry, serving as the Covenant's answer to UNSC Marine sharpshooters. They are usually hidden and are only noticed when the laser from their beam rifles hits a target, or they are given away by the glint on their mask.
Jackal Snipers do not carry energy shields but instead they use both hands to man the beam rifle or a carbine.



NOTE

Hunters, Engineers, and Drones do not often have individual ranks within the Covenant, as they all operate in much the same fashion, hence why their ranks were not listed above.

UNSC Weaponry

Battle Rifle


Pistol


Shotgun


Assault Rifle


Sniper Rifle


Rocket Launcher


SMG


Spartan Laser


Missile Pod


Machine Gun Turret


Fragmentation Grenade


Flamethrower

Brute Weaponry

Spiker


Brute Plasma Rifle


Brute Shot


Mauler


Gravity Hammer


Spike Grenade


Incendiary Grenade

Covenant Vehicles (Land)

Ghost


Spectre


Wraith


Anti-Air (AA) Wraith


Chopper


Prowler


Shade Turret


Shadow


Drop Pod Troop Carrier


Covenant Vehicles (Space)

Boarding Craft


Banshee