User:BaconShelf/Sandbox6/Storm

The below represents a layout proposal to overhaul pages which discuss Covenant combat roles, rather than ranks. These pages would include roles such as Ranger and Stealth, which are merely combat roles for a given infantryman and exist independent of their rank. A Ranger, Storm or Stealth Elite would still be rated as a Minor, Major etc.

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Storm

Covenant-era Storm Sangheili during the Human-Covenant War.

Storm was an infrequent specialist combat role for Sangheili, Kig-Yar and Unggoy serving in the Covenant, acting as shock-troopers for the empire prior to its dissolution. The role of Storm infantry was considered a prestigious posting in the Covenant, though in the years since its collapse the role has become the standard military backbone of some Covenant remnant factions. They are most prominently used by the Swords of Sanghelios and Sali 'Nyon's Covenant (which itself splintered from Jul 'Mdama's Covenant), alongside soldiers-for-hire such as the Shields of Requiem and Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group.

Overview

Storm units serve as shock troops, intended to lead an attack from the front in an overwhelming assault with high mobility. Storm units were widely employed by the Covenant for decades throughout the Human-Covenant War, and the role has proliferated among the empire's remnant groups in the years since the empire's collapse.

Due to their multi-role assault nature, Storm units do not specialise in any one particular battlefield role. Storm Sangheili, for example, are known to serve as marksmen and scouts as much as they may serve in frontline assault roles.

Ranks and organisation

Storm are subject to the same universal rankings as regular infantry, with status denoted by the colour of a given individual's battle harness. These ranks were especially true in the Covenant era, with storm Sangheili having their own Obedientaries and Evocati. With the empire's splintering, these ranks are not enforced to the same standard, and a given individual may as much wear the armour they were issued in prior Covenant service rather than due to holding a particular rank.

Storm Unggoy and Kig-Yar are similarly found with a varying degree of harness colourations - which can likely be presumed to hold similar status to that of their Sangheili counterparts.

By species

Sangheili

Storm Sangheili are the most visible example of storm units found throughout the Covenant. While employed as early as 2525, their numbers swelled with the formation of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant in 2553 - and made up the majority of the group's infantry numbers before the remnant group fell to infighting in 2558. This was due to a long martial tradition on the colony and founding world of Hesduros which emphasised the storm role, moreso than in the Covenant.

Storm Sangheili predominantly make use of the Te'tsockn-pattern storm harness, alongside general light weaponry. They follow the standard ranking systems of the Covenant military, with authority signified by colour;

• Minor - signified by blue harnesses
• Obedientiary/ Major - Signified by red harnesses
• Evocati - Signified by white and red harnesses
• Generals and other high-ranking officers - Signified by golden-yellow harnesses

Some additional colourations, such as green harnesses, may be employed for other reasons such as ex-separatist forces who joined Jul 'Mdama once the Jiralhanae threat had been dealt with in the final months of 2552. Storm Sangheili serving in the Swords of Sanghelios do not use colour to denote rank, with all troops using a red-brown colouration on their armour.

Kig-Yar

Storm Kig-Yar were similarly employed by the Covenant and its various successor states, with many such examples particularly of the Ibie'shan phenotype. Kig-Yar serving in the storm role formed the majority of Kig-Yar in Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, and are typically deployed in groups of two or three, though are allowed some autonomy when needed. While typically deployed in their titular shock trooper role, storm Kig-Yar may be splintered off to serve in more specialised roles as needed.

Unggoy

Storm Unggoy represented the primary class of Unggoy among Jul 'Mdama's Covenant, and continue to serve in various other remnant groups. In an effort to increase field of view, the Unggoy Storm helmet includes a nose-placed rebreather somewhat resembling the diving apparatuses used on the Unggoy homeworld of Balaho. The harness has a pressurized methane tank, with a filter actuator to help keep the tank working.