Editing Flood ranged form

{{Ratings}}
{{Era|Forerunner|HCW}}
{{Flood Species Infobox
|name = Ranged form
|image = [[File:TLJ Flood Ranged Form.png|250px]]
|height = Approximately 8 feet
|distinctions = *Can shoot "natural" projectiles
*Able to curl into a defensive ball
*Is able to stick to walls
|species = [[The Flood|Flood]]
|attacks = Fires spiked projectiles from long range
|notable = Can form into [[Flood tank form|Tank]] and [[Flood stalker form|Stalker Form]]
}}
The '''Flood ranged form''' is a variety of [[The Flood|Flood]] [[Flood pure form|pure form]]. Ranged Forms serve to provide suppressing fire, assaulting potential hosts from a distance with a hail of deadly spikes whilst the other Flood go in for the kill at Close-Quarters. 
==Description==
The Ranged Form is formed when a [[Flood stalker form]] chooses to mount itself in a stationary position either on the walls, ceiling, or ground. The Stalker's body reconfigures itself into a tripodal configuration, and the abdomen morphs into a living missile platform of regenerating spikes. These spikes, constructed from scavenged bone and biomatter, can be shot out of the abdomen with extreme force and accuracy, relentlessly pelting targets from afar. 

When harassed, Ranged Forms will curl up to shield their heads, their weak point. In this state, they are far more resistant to damage. When a Pure Form is killed on a wall or ceiling, they will fall off. 

==Tips and Tactics==
Ranged Forms are very powerful on the battlefield and thus are extremely difficult to dispatch, without first exposing yourself to fire. Your first goal should be to close the distance as normally you can, only tell which direction they are firing from- they blend in quite well in the dark places they inhabit and are hard to see. When you are within sighting range, any weapon with any sort of range will do, the [[Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle|Plasma Rifle]] and the [[Type-25 Carbine|Brute Spiker]] used in short bursts (long bursts with the Plasma Rifle causes it to overheat, not good on the level [[Cortana (level)|Cortana]]) seem to do just as well as more accurate weapons like the [[Carbine]] and the [[BR55HB SR Battle Rifle|Battle Rifle]], and are more common on a [[The Flood|Flood]] infested battlefield so they may be your only choice. Note that Plasma Rifles and Brute Spikers&nbsp;are found easily therefore, one should be kept as a precaution. The Ranged Form is an anomaly in the mostly [[melee]]-based Flood combat and are normally hard to kill due to the simple fact that you do not normally have the ranged weapons required to take one out. In this case, well-placed [[Type-1 Antipersonnel Grenade|Plasma Grenades]] and/or [[Type-2 Antipersonnel Fragmentation Grenade|Spike Grenades]] work well, and so does a [[Type-3 Antipersonnel/Antimatériel Incendiary Grenade|Firebomb]], which requires much less accuracy as it explodes on impact next to the enemy. Ultimately, if you get within melee distance of a Ranged Form they are just as easily destroyed as any other combat form with close ranged weapons like the [[Type-52 Pistol|Brute Mauler]], [[Shotgun]], [[Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer|Gravity Hammer]], [[Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword|Energy Sword]] or a melee attack with any weapon. As true with all Pure forms the [[M7057/Defoliant Projector|Flamethrower]] is an excellent weapon, as do dual-wielding [[Type-25 Carbine|Spikers]] and [[Sentinel Beam]]. One good idea when dealing with Ranged Forms is to continually advance towards them, dodging their projectiles, and melee them. Needless to say, when attacking at medium to medium-long range, it is very effective to use the [[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|Needler]].


The [[Type-25 Grenade Launcher|Brute Shot]] is a good choice for these Pure Forms as one or two [[grenade]]s will, while not killing them out right (on [[Normal]], it is possible to kill a Ranged Form with 2 well placed shots), knock them off the wall they tend to be stuck to allowing you to get close enough to kill them effectively. The Brute Shot's higher melee attack damage should kill them in one hit after knocking them off. A very helpful strategy is dropping [[Deployable Cover]] because the shield cannot be weakened or penetrated by the needles they shoot. There are many deployable covers on the levels [[Cortana (level)|Cortana]] and [[Floodgate]] for just this purpose. 

Like many Flood Forms, Ranged Forms possess a small cluster of sensory appendages emitting from their "mouths". These are located at the base of the abdomen, below the rows of projectile spines. One of the simplest ways to dispatch a Ranged Form is to target this sensory cluster while it is in a dormant state. While Ranged Forms can absorb impressive volumes of damage while dormant, a few well-placed shots to the "mouth" will kill them. It should be noted that on higher difficulties, killing a Ranged Form with the Flamethrower will sometimes result in a Spike Grenade explosion. Meleeing ranged forms is an instant kill on any difficulty because they tip over. One way of noticing if you kill a Ranged Form, they will always drop a spike grenade.

==Trivia==
*The Ranged Form is often considered one of the most annoying enemies in the game due to their extremely high rate of fire, accuracy, and relative resistances to many weapons (such as the [[MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System|Assault Rifle]]).
*When stuck by a [[type-1 Antipersonnel Grenade|plasma grenade]] or [[type-2 Antipersonnel Fragmentation Grenade|spike grenade]], a ranged form may survive by mutating into another form, causing the grenade to disappear without exploding. If this does not happen, the grenade will kill it.
*They are first seen on [[Floodgate]].
*They are almost always killed by a melee attack from any weapon.
*When it fires its spines, the area around it glows as though it was firing a bullet weapon.
*They are unaffected by the [[Halo 3 Skulls#Tough_Luck|Tough Luck]] [[Skull]].
*Ranged Forms create their spikes from battlefield detritus.
*If you are having trouble noticing when a Ranged Form is dead, take note in this fact: They tend to drop to one side when fatally injured<ref>[[Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide]]</ref>.
*Ranged Forms fire spikes that look similar to the [[Type-25 Carbine|Brute Spiker]].
*Another good battle technique is relentlessly firing at them from far range with a Carbine or Battle Rifle until they go down, it is key to make sure you can see them however.
*On the level Cortana, dual-wielding [[Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle|Plasma Rifles]] are very effective due to the combined rate of fire and their weakness to Plasma.
*They are the only Pure Form that cannot walk. Once the Stalker mutates into it, it is stuck in that spot until it dies or mutates again.
*Although it's not very common, you can gain Ranged Forms as allies on the Covenant when you team up with the flood, they are gained as allies sometimes when the jump pack Brutes have not been killed yet.


==Gallery==
<gallery widths="150" orientation="landscape">
File:Flood Ranged Form.jpg|Ranged Forms make close range weapons no longer the only weapons needed to face the Flood in Halo 3.
File:MC RangedFlood.jpg|[[John-117]] attacking a Ranged Form on [[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]].
File:Dormant Flood Ranged.jpg|Dormant Flood ranged form.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo 3]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[Origins]]''

==Sources==
<references/>

{{Flood}}
[[Category:The Flood]]