Protos-pattern Scarab
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
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68.2 meters (223.7 ft)[1] |
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52.0 meters (170.6 ft)[1] |
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54 meters (176 ft)[1] |
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198.7 tons (180.3 tonnes)[1] |
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- "We've all run the simulations. They're tough, but they ain't invincible!"
- — Sergeant Major Avery Johnson[3]
The Protos-pattern Fortress Breaker,[1] known to humanity as the (UNSC Type classification: Type-47A Ultra-Heavy Assault Platform, T-47A UHAP), is a type of Covenant Scarab quadrupedal mining platform and combat walker.[2][1]
Overview[edit]
Design details[edit]
Like other patterns of Scarab, the Protos-pattern Scarab does not employ anti-gravity propulsion to move, instead using a quadrupedal leg assembly for locomotion.[2] While slow and lumbering in its movement,[1] these jointed legs are very powerful, capable of crushing vehicles ranging from civilian cargo trucks to M808B Scorpion tanks. Atop these four legs rests an ovoid main body with a flattened top that grants passengers an elevated firing position. An arching gangway hangs over this flat platform, providing passengers some additional cover and allowing access to the Scarab's forward plasma repeater. Toward the rear of the upper gangway is a ramp lowers into the body of the Protos, leading into an interior cabin that can accommodate up to twenty passengers. At the front of this cabin is a command center filled with control screens.[3] An energy shield can be produced in front of the corridor leading to the passenger cabin in order to hamper boarding actions.[4]
Like the other patterns of Scarab, the Protos utilizes hundreds of Rhulolekgolo as a gestalt intelligence, controlling its exoskeleton.[1] The Protos-pattern Scarab is also known to utilize specialized sensor arrays designed for artifact-retrieval purposes.[2]
Armament[edit]
Protos-pattern Scarabs are armed with a fine-tunable ultra-heavy focus cannon and two separate suspensor-mounted heavy plasma repeaters that are optimized for anti-air use.[1][2] Its focus cannon is known to be capable of leveling entire cities and is among the most powerful to ever be mounted on a Covenant combat walker.[1]
Development history[edit]
The Protos-pattern Scarab is seemingly an old design or its development history was purposefully kept top secret by the Covenant hierarchy as its origins were unknown even to the Covenant that were assigned to serve on these hulking machines.[2] Even though it was already lauded as an extremely powerful combat walker, the Covenant experimented with significantly augmented versions of the Protos-pattern Scarab that never entered full production.[1]
Operational History[edit]
- "You may find this hard to believe, but most people find Scarabs to be rather unsettling."
- — Cortana to John-117, during the Battle of Mombasa[5]
The Covenant rarely used the Protos-pattern Scarab in direct combat, using it more as a specialized artifact-retrieval vehicle during the Human-Covenant War. The features of this Scarab were rarely observed by human forces, as Protos-pattern Scarabs quickly burned their way through UNSC defenses.[2]
During the Battle of Meridian, the Covenant used a Protos-pattern Scarab to excavate a Forerunner artifact beneath the town of Brume-sur-Mer. It wad destroyed when Owen-B096, Victor Gallardo, Dorian Nguyen, Evelyn Rousseau and Saskia Nazari destroyed the energy shield surrounding the dig site with skinners, with the chain reaction also taking out the Scarab.[6] However, when Salome showed Evie and Dorian footage of the dig site, they discovered that Covenant's Huragok were attempting to repair the Scarab.[7]
Unprecedented numbers of the Protos-pattern Scarab were deployed during the Fall of Reach and later the Battle for Earth.[2] When the High Prophet of Regret invaded Earth, he deployed at least five Scarabs to Mombasa, Africa, with at least two of them be the Protos-patterns.[8] Two Scarabs were placed in New Mombasa, while another three were deployed in Old Mombasa. One of the Scarabs in New Mombasa was apparently charged with destroying the Mombasa Tether,[5] though John-117 managed to board and destroy the walker mere minutes before Solemn Penance jumped into slipstream space.[3] Shortly after, the UNSC Brasidas managed to disable another Protos in the city with its MAC. A nearby detachment of UNSC Marines promptly engaged the surviving Covenant forces in an attempt to recover the Scarab for themselves.[9][10] On November 3rd of the same year, another Scarab was destroyed in Cuba when Blue Team lured the Scarab into stepping on a tanker truck, detonating the fuel and burning the Scarab.[11]
During the Battle of Installation 05, a Protos was parked at a Jiralhanae encampment close to Installation 05's Control Room. During an attack by Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, several UNSC prisoners escaped and Sergeant Avery Johnson took control of the Scarab. Communicating from its control center, Johnson negotiated a truce with the Arbiter to stop their mutual enemy Tartarus from activating the Halo Array. Johnson proceeded to drive the Scarab to the Control Room, escorted by the Arbiter in a Banshee along with other Covenant separatist forces. Upon reaching the Control Room, Johnson used the Scarab's focus cannon to blow open the sealed doors before parking the machine and disembarking to directly aid in stopping Tartarus within the Control Room.[4]
Gameplay[edit]
Halo 2[edit]
The Halo 2 Scarab was almost indestructible and immune to damage in the game. Its movement was entirely scripted, and no damageable parts appear to have been coded for it. It was only destroyed in a cutscene. When the Protos-pattern Scarab fires, some molten, green liquid (possibly coolant or excess plasma) will leak out below the main cannon. The forward plasma turret could be destroyed with just a few melee attacks, as could the rear plasma turret. The flaps on the main gun could be destroyed only by using a Scorpion tank. Also, the underside grate could be destroyed.
Production notes[edit]
When the Protos was first introduced in Halo 2, it was originally intended to play an even larger role in the game's narrative. In the original cut of the game's ending on the level "Earth Ark," the Master Chief would have had to face down two Protos-pattern Scarabs outside the "Ark" on Earth. When Earth Ark was cut, two Scarabs were intended to play a large role on The Great Journey instead—with the two shown in storyboards patrolling the exterior of the control room.
Halo 2 Earth Ark concept art depicting two Scarabs.
A very early storyboard for Metropolis, before the walker's design had been established; the "Scarab" featured is an enlarged Spider Tank from Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell.
The aforementioned placeholder tank in a storyboard for The Great Journey.
The Great Journey storyboard depicting two Scarabs.
The Protos was one of many units to be experimented with for inclusion in Halo Wars. The vehicle was found in the Halo Wars E3 2007 demo, where it was destroyed via MAC strike. Ultimately, the vehicle was cut and replaced in the final release with the Deutoros-pattern Scarab from Halo 3 instead.
Concept art depicting the Protos-pattern Scarab.
A Protos-pattern Scarab fighting Hornets.
A Protos-pattern Scarab seen right, firing on the UNSC force.
A Protos-pattern Scarab can be seen on the bottom-left of this image.
Another screenshot of the Scarab.
The Scarab as it appears in the Halo Wars E3 demo.
Trivia[edit]
- In Halo 2, the player can obtain the "Scarab Gun" on the level Outskirts and Metropolis. The weapon uses the Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle chassis, though it fires the same plasma stream as the Scarab's main gun, never overheats, and can fire indefinitely. Obtaining the Scarab Gun in Halo 2 for Windows Vista rewards the player with an achievement. Obtaining the Scarab Gun in Halo: The Master Chief Collection will grant the player the Scarab Lord achievement for 20
. - In the game world, the Scarab encountered in Halo 2's Metropolis is the only one that the player cannot directly destroy and must board and take out its crew. In the other games, the Scarabs fought by the players have vulnerable reactor cores located at the back that can be targeted to destroy the vehicle aside from the Super Scarab in Halo Wars.
Gallery[edit]
Development images[edit]
Halo 2 concept art of the Scarab.
Halo 2 concept art depicting Master Chief boarding the Scarab.
A Protos-pattern Scarab under fire in an early build of Halo Wars.
Halo 2: Anniversary concept art of the Protos-pattern Scarab.
Halo 2: Anniversary concept art of the Protos interior.
Concept of a Scarab in Halo 2: Anniversary.
Model of the Scarab for Halo 2: Anniversary.
Model of the Scarab for Halo 2: Anniversary.
A Protos-pattern Scarab focus turret.
The back of the Protos-pattern Scarab.
Screenshots and official artwork[edit]
A Protos model Scarab in Halo 2.
Alternate Scarab model in Halo 2.
Close up of the Scarab's focus cannon in Halo 2.
A Scarab destroying a Scorpion tank in New Mombasa.
The Protos-pattern Scarab scaled with other vehicles.
The highly stylized Protos-pattern Scarab featured in Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa.
A Protos-pattern Scarab reveals itself on the streets of New Mombasa.
A Protos-pattern Scarab interior.
The Scarab in New Mombasa destroyed.
A console in a Protos-pattern Scarab.
The Protos-pattern Scarab focus turret.
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo 2 (First appearance)
- Halo Graphic Novel
- Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
- Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
- Halo 4 (Mentioned only)
- Halo 2: Anniversary
- Halo: Meridian Divide
- Halo Infinite: Memory Agent (Mentioned only)
Sources[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 279
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Halo Waypoint, Scarab (Retrieved on Oct 30, 2021) [archive]
- ^ a b c Halo 2, campaign level Metropolis
- ^ a b Halo 2, campaign level The Great Journey
- ^ a b Halo: Evolutions - Palace Hotel
- ^ Halo: Meridian Divide, chapter 7
- ^ Halo: Meridian Divide, chapter 9
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Scarab Tactics (Retrieved on Oct 30, 2021) [archive]
- ^ Halo Waypoint, New Mombasa (Retrieved on Oct 30, 2021) [archive]
- ^ Halo 2, multiplayer map Turf
- ^ Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, chapter 23
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