Bkowe'nei-pattern Vampire
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Bkowe'nei-pattern support fighter | |
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Ground-attack aircraft[3] |
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Anti-air support[4] |
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5.1 meters (16.6 ft)[2] |
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18.7 tons (17 tonnes)[2] |
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The Bkowe'nei-pattern support fighter[2] (UNSC Type classification: Type-29 Close-Support Fighter),[1] more commonly known as the Vampire, is an atmospheric anti-aircraft fighter formerly in service with the Covenant military.[3] Manufactured by Assembly Forges, the Vampire was used during the early years of the Human-Covenant War. However, its role was eventually overtaken by better-armed and more versatile vehicles, leading to the Vampire seldom seeing deployment in the war.[1]
Overview[edit]
Design details[edit]
The Type-29 Close-Support Fighter is a specialized ground-attack aircraft,[3] with impressive anti-air support capabilities in part due to its speed and maneuverability. Sleek and swift,[6] the Vampire has a semi-circular shape and a concave maw, making the aircraft one of the more recognizable vehicles formerly in service with the Covenant.[3] The Vampire is generally crewed by a single pilot,[1] though the aircraft can also be operated with the aid of a second pilot.[4] Like most Covenant military vehicles, the cockpit is located toward the rear of the Vampire in an environmentally sealed pod, with all weapons and heaviest armor directed towards the front of the aircraft.[3]
The Vampire is equipped with a space-capable impulse drive, allowing the aircraft to achieve hypersonic velocities. However, the impulse drive is rarely utilized due to the Vampire typically being used in atmospheric environments.[3] While the Vampire was not as powerful as other aircraft employed by the Covenant military, the Vampire still served as an extremely effective anti-air support vessel.[6]
Armaments[edit]
The Vampire mounts a mix of seemingly disparate weapons on its heavy flying chassis.[3] The Vampire's primary armament is a forward-facing needle cannon,[1][6] an augmented version of the blamite-based weaponry typically employed by Covenant infantry. The cannon fires large shards of self-tracking blamite capable of detonating in a massive combined explosion when multiple shards are impaled in the same area.[3] The heavy needle cannon allows the Vampire to quickly overwhelm enemy air forces with a large barrage of blamite.[4] The Vampire is also armed with two medium plasma cannons, with one mounted on each side of the aircraft. These plasma cannons, serving as the Vampire's secondary armament, automatically track and fire on enemy targets via an actuator plug, over which the pilot has intermittent control.[1]
In addition to the aircraft's already impressive armament, the Vampire is also equipped with a stasis cannon mounted in front of the cockpit,[1] though this cannon is not a standard feature on all Vampires.[3] The cannon renders targeted vehicles immobile and their weapons inert by way of an electromagnetic pulse. The Vampire's stasis cannon is quite adaptable, offering several upgrades at the operator's discretion.[1]
Operational history[edit]
Human-Covenant War[edit]
Though infrequently encountered,[3] the Type-29 Vampire was in service with the Covenant during the early years of the Human-Covenant War, first being formally documented by the United Nations Space Command in 2529.[1] Notably, numerous Vampires were attached with the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction during the final months of the Harvest campaign in 2531. Vampires would later be deployed by the fleet during the following Battle for Arcadia and the engagement at Trove.[7] However, despite serving the Covenant military well in its role, the Vampire was eclipsed by other vehicles with heavier armaments and higher versatility in the following years, as the Covenant War tipped from evenly matched combat to cleanup operations and genocide.[1] They continued to be employed as late as the invasion of Concord in December 2551, wherein they engaged in dogfights with the UNSC's S-14 Baselard strikecraft, many of which sacrificed themselves to lure the Vampires into range of the UNSC M9 Wolverine anti-air artillery.[8]
Post-war era[edit]
The Varric-pattern heavy cruiser, Unwavering Discipline, held a number of Vampires in September 2558 when it was destroyed upon impact with the surface of Carrow.[5]
Gameplay[edit]
Halo Wars[edit]
The Vampire appears in Halo Wars as an aircraft available for use by the Covenant, and can be built at the Summit with the following costs:
- Cost:
250, 
2, 
2
The Vampire can be given the following upgrades:
- Stasis Drain: Allows the Vampire to regenerate itself when using the Stasis Drain against enemy airborne units draining their health. Costs 400 resources and a tech level of 2.
- Stasis Bomb: Drained aircraft no longer crash to the ground but explode causing large area of effect damage. Costs 700 resources and a tech level of 3.
The Vampire serves the Covenant as a mainstay specialised anti-air aircraft - though performs poorly against ground targets. Their most notable feature is the stasis drain ability, which allows them to immobilise an air target and siphon their health to heal the Vampire's own hitpoints - hence the vehicle's namesake. The stasis ability can affect the Prophet of Regret if he is upgraded with flight capability. It prevents him from attacking and calling down cleansing beam strikes.
Production notes[edit]
- Main article: Cut Halo Wars units § Gorgon
The Vampire originated in Halo Wars as a ground mech called the Gorgon; a needler-equipped anti-air walker intended for use by the Covenant. The walker was ultimately cut due to questions of whether it should be classed as infantry or vehicle for gameplay purposes, and due to the Covenant's already-vast fleet of ground vehicles compared to their relatively meagre air offerings. As such, the Gorgon's basic premise was recycled for the Vampire.[9]
The cut Gorgon mech.
Trivia[edit]
Like most Covenant vehicles, the Vampire is named after a supernatural entity. The Vampire's name reflects its ability to drain its enemies' energy, much like a mythical vampire does to a creature's blood.
Gallery[edit]
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Concept art of the Vampire for Halo Wars. On the bottom left: Vampire concepts. On the top left: a Vampire using its stasis beam. On the right: the Vampire itself.
A render of the Vampire.
Close up of the Vampire in-game.
A number of Vampires involved in a battle on the map Pirth Outskirts.
Vampires use their stasis beams to destroy an AC-220 Vulture.
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo Wars (First appearance)
- Halo: Envoy
- Halo: Winter Contention (Mentioned only)
Sources[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 200
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 289
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - What Once Was Lost (Retrieved on Sep 20, 2016) [archive]
- ^ a b c d Official Halo Wars Community Site, Game Info - Covenant Summit (Retrieved on Apr 3, 2010) [local archive] [external archive]
- ^ a b Halo: Envoy, chapter 3
- ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia (2011 edition), page 283
- ^ Halo Wars, Vampire in-game unit
- ^ Halo: Winter Contention
- ^ 1UP, 10 Things You Didn't Know About Halo Wars (Retrieved on Apr 13, 2016) [archive]
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