Editing Jiralhanae War Chieftain

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Disambig header|the rank used in the [[Covenant]]|the rank used in the [[Banished]]|War Chief}}
{{Unit infobox
|variant=Cov
|name=War Chieftain
|image=[[File:WarChieftain.png|300px]] 
|species=[[Jiralhanae]]
|armament=*[[Type-2 spike grenade]]s
*{{Pattern|Pez'tk|fuel rod gun}}
*{{Pattern|Pek|plasma cannon}}
*[[Type-25 spiker]]
*[[Gravity hammer (fiction)|gravity hammer]]
|equipment=
*[[Jiralhanae armor]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}
**[[Jiralhanae power armor]]{{Ref/Game|Id=H3|H3}}
***[[Cheiftain power armor]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}
***[[Energy shielding]]{{Ref/Game|Id=ODST|ODST}}
*[[Power drain]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3}} 
*[[Flare]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}
|mission=[[Pack]] leaders{{Ref/Book|Id=ENC|Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)|Page=136}}
|role=[[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] commanders
|notable=[[Maccabeus]]
|affiliation=[[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], then [[Covenant Loyalists]]
}}
{{Quote|Commanding troops requires both audacity and great strength.|A War Chieftain's mantra{{Ref/Site|Id=bungie|D=14|M=11|Y=2014|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/Stats/GameStatsCampaignHalo3.aspx?gameid=20779|Site=bungie.net|Page=Stats}}}}

The '''Jiralhanae War Chieftain'''{{Ref/Site|Id=spawn|D=20|M=08|Y=2014|URL=http://www.spawn.com/toys/product.aspx?product=3652gameid=20779|Site=mcfarlane.com|Page=WAR CHIEFTAIN}}, also known as '''Alpha Prime''',{{Ref/Game|H3|Bestarium}} is one of the highest [[Jiralhanae]] [[Covenant military|military]] ranks within the defunct [[Covenant]].{{Ref/Reuse|ENC}}

==Overview==
===Roles and responsibilities===
War Chieftains are superior in [[rank]] to regular [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]]s,{{Ref/Novel|HCH|Page=245}} and are responsible for commanding much larger [[pack]]s than Jiralhanae Chieftains.{{Ref/Reuse|ENC}} Despite this, War Chieftains are more often seen guarding smaller outposts. They are commonly commanders of {{Pattern|Deutoros|Scarab}}s, and always perform tasks with a crew featuring Jiralhanae exclusively.{{Ref/Level|Id=cov|H3|The Covenant (level)|The Covenant}}

===History===
Before the [[First Immolation]] and subsequently joining the Covenant, Jiralhanae War Chieftains wielded [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|gravity hammers]] evolved from traditional war hammers as a symbol of their [[clan]] leadership in addition to being a powerful weapon,{{Ref/Site|Id=universe|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/weapons/gravity-hammer|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Gravity Hammer}} which were a major focus of the Jiralhanae's [[Jiralhanae#Culture|barbaric culture]]. A ceremonial hammer of a pack or a clan is only passed to another Jiralhanae if he can best his chieftain in ceremonial combat; the mantle of leadership passes along with the weapon, with long and storied histories stretching back to prior to nuclear wars in [[2492]].{{Ref/Site|Id=Waypoint|D=14|M=3|Y=2011|URL=http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/theuniverse/tech/gallery/gravity-hammer/b07cc7d2-5a48-4d74-bfca-cacc34677754|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Gravity Hammer}} 

During the [[Human-Covenant War]] and the [[Great Schism]], Jiralhanae War Chieftains were commonly deployed during the [[2552|final year]] of the Great War, with War Chieftains playing a significant role in the [[Covenant]]'s [[Battle for Earth|occupation]] of [[Earth]] and [[Battle of Installation 00|defense]] on [[Installation 00]].{{Ref/Game|Id=ODST|ODST}}{{Ref/Game|Id=H3|H3}} 

==Equipment==
===Armor===
Instead of the red-and-black [[Chieftain power armor|armor]] of a regular Chieftain, a War Chieftain wears a golden-bronze suit with slightly more powerful [[Energy shielding|shields]]. Their head crests are also more ornate, with a larger forehead spike featuring a split "V" shape with jagged spikes lining the edges, and a smaller "Y" further forward on the helmet. This makes the War Chieftains more recognizable and intimidating in battle.{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}

===Weaponry===
Most War Chieftains carry powerful ranged weapons, as they prefer to inflict maximum damage upon their enemies while reinforcing their physical superiority to other Jiralhanae.{{Ref/Reuse|ENC}} Weapons commonly wielded by War Chieftains include {{Pattern|Pez'tk|fuel rod gun}}s and {{Pattern|Pek|plasma cannon}}s, usually rather than the [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|gravity hammer]]s carried by the lower ranked regular Chieftains despite sometimes using latter weapons to melee their opponents.{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}{{Ref/Reuse|ODST}}

==Gameplay==
War Chieftains usually carry plasma cannons or fuel rod guns into battle and use spikers as sidearms, striking their enemies from afar while their subordinates close in and engage. This gives them considerable ability to suppress their enemies, allowing their own forces to move freely. If within range, they will often deploy a [[power drain]] to eliminate the player's shields. They may also throw a [[flare]] to blind their opponents, and can use their weapons to devastating effect while their opponents are unable to see. War Chieftains are the only [[NPC]]s in ''Halo 3'' (other than [[Thel 'Vadam|the Arbiter]] in the ''Halo 3'' single-player campaign) that can [[melee]] with a plasma cannon without dropping it. There have been some instances where a War Chieftain goes berserk, enabling it to leap great distances and kill [[John-117]] in a single blow.

On [[Heroic]] difficulty, it takes approximately fifty-five [[MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System|assault rifle]] rounds to kill a War Chieftain: twelve rounds to disable their shield, and an additional forty-three rounds to kill them. A shielded War Chieftain takes six [[Sulok-pattern beam rifle|particle beam rifle]], [[SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifle]], or [[Type-25 Brute shot|Brute shot]] hits to kill, while only sustaining taking two direct hits from a [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|gravity hammer]] before they fall. While their shield can be dropped with only eight [[Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle|plasma rifle]] bolts or a single overcharged [[Type-25 plasma pistol|plasma pistol]] shot, their special power armor grants them unusually high resistance to energy weaponry. even while unshielded, they can withstand more than two hundred Plasma Rifle bolts before succumbing to death.

It is advised that the player use long-range weapons against a War Chieftain, such as the [[BR55HB SR Battle Rifle|battle rifle]] or sniper rifle. Use cover effectively and fire accurate shots to knock their helmet off. Meleeing it will cause it to stagger, simply allowing you to bludgeon it to death with melee attacks without having to worry about it counter-attacking you if you are quick enough. It is also possible to kill one quickly by meleeing it, and then circling for an assassination as long as he doesn't backhand the player with the weapon the first chance he gets. [[Orgudam Workshop firebomb|Firebomb]]s are a good way to kill a War Chieftain, and if you can stick it on its weapon, a [[Anskum-pattern plasma grenade|plasma]] or [[Type-2 spike grenade|spike grenade]] will do. Note that only their weapon can be stuck, and not their armor. On [[Legendary]], sticking is not a guaranteed one-hit kill. You can still follow up with a headshot using a battle rifle or [[Vostu-pattern carbine|Covenant carbine]] or a quick melee to take them down.

In ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', however, War Chieftains sometimes wield gravity hammers, making them some of the most powerful enemies in the game, as they have stronger shielding and are higher ranked than regular [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]]s.

==Production notes==
*In the last page of ''[[Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide]]'', it shows a ''War Chieftain'' holding a gravity hammer, though this was never seen in-game until ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''.
*In the video [[Halo 3 ViDoc: Et Tu, Brute?|''Et Tu Brute?'']], a War Chieftain is seen with a portable {{Pattern|Shepsu|plasma cannon}}. This could be because at the time the video was made, the {{Pattern|Pek|plasma cannon}} had not been developed yet.
*The picture of the War Chieftain in the [[Bestiarum]] is actually a picture of a Jiralhanae that was scrapped and redesigned in ''Halo 3'''s early stages of development.

==Trivia==
{{linkbox|gallery=yes|gallerypage=Images of Jiralhanae Chieftains}}
*In ''Halo 3'', War Chieftains are known to go berserk when a power drain is next to them for some odd reason. Leave the Chieftain alone for long enough and it will turn back to normal.

== Gallery ==
<gallery type="portrait" width="400px">
File:H3_EarlyChieftain.jpg|An early version of the Chieftain in ''Halo 3''{{'}}s development. Note his carrying of a {{Pattern|Shepsu|plasma cannon}} from ''[[Halo 2]]'', rather than the Type-52 from ''Halo 3''.
File:Doisac.jpg|A War Chieftain in the Bestiarum.
File:20701459-Full.jpg|A War Chieftain overseeing a small encampment.
File:1216011427 War Chieftain.jpg|A War Chieftain armed with a plasma cannon.
File:1217439082 Brute Chieftain.jpg|A War Chieftain shooting a plasma cannon.
File:H3 War Chieftain with blood.jpg|A War Chieftain bleeding.
File:2 Chieftains.jpg|A War Chieftain (right) standing near a [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]].
File:H3ODST War Chieftain with Gravity Hammer.jpg|A War Chieftain armed with a gravity hammer.
File:War_Chieftain_ODST.jpg|A War Chieftain aiming his fuel rod cannon in [[Halo 3: ODST]]'s [[Firefight (Halo 3: ODST)|Firefight]] play-mode.
File:War_Chieftain_Close-Up.jpg|A close-up view of the War Chieftain's unique headdress (outlined by an ODST's [[VISR]] mode), which designates its rank and intimidates allies and enemies alike.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Uprising]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo 3]]'' 
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
*''[[Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo]]''

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Jiralhanae Ranks}}

[[Category:Covenant ranks]]