Editing Zashk-pattern Draugr

{{Title|''Zashk''-pattern Draugr}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Vehicle infobox
|name=''Zashk''-pattern Mobile Fortress
|image=[[File:HR Draugr SiegeEngine Concept.jpg|300px]]
|manufacturer=[[Assembly Forges]]{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=277}}
|line=
|model=Draugr
|cost=
|length={{Convert|553.1|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|width={{Convert|328.1|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|height={{Convert|192.6|ft|m|sp=us|disp=flip}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|mass={{Convert|71000|MT|sigfig=5|sp=us}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|max speed=
|engine=
|hull=
|armament=5 heavy [[focus cannon]]s{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|crew=12{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|complement=100 passengers{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|consumables=
|othersystems=[[Energy shielding]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|firstuse=
|service=
|role=Mobile fortress{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Reuse|Twitter}}
|affiliation=[[Covenant]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
}}

The '''''Zashk''-pattern Mobile Fortress''', more commonly known simply as the '''Draugr''', is a gargantuan mobile fortress employed by the [[Covenant military]] as the centrepiece in a large [[Planetary warfare|ground campaign]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Twitter|Id=Twitter|Halo|1621569211683291140|Halo|Quote=🚗 VEHICLE DATABASE - DRAUGR One of the most imposing forms of the Covenant’s occupation craft, the arrival of a Draugr typically precluded the presence a much larger force of Scarabs and combat-ready troops. #FictionFriday|D=03|M=02|Y=2023}}

==Overview==
===Design details===
The Draugr is a massive vehicle employed by the [[Covenant]], featuring a [[gravity lift]] and heavy-duty [[energy shielding]]. It is among one of the largest and most powerful land vehicles of the Covenant, with only the [[Harvester]] and [[Kraken]] surpassing it in scale.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} The front of the vessel is fitted with two wings bearing [[Anti-gravity technology|anti-gravity pods]] that provide lift for the vehicle to traverse the environment. The vehicle's aft contains an extended troop bay with a similar wing and pod setup, with a tower above fitted with an anti-air cannon. The troop bays have doorway openings large enough to fit a light vehicle such as a [[Warthog]] through, and a boarding ramp at the fore of the vessel to allow for the deployment of troops and light vehicles manually without the need to use the gravity lift. When opened, the ramp was described as resembling a "giant mouth".{{Ref/Novel|Id=WC|Winter Contention}}

Due to its size and mass, the Draugr is extremely slow - though is noted to make up for it with its sheer firepower. Its mass is such that two [[Pelican]] dropships would be unable to lift it.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}

===Armament===
The Draugr is equipped with five [[focus cannon]]s.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} The aft tower of the vessel contains one such weapon used as an anti-aircraft cannon.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}

===Usage===
The Draugr is employed by the Covenant as the centrepiece of their largest mobile field armies, where they are flanked by [[Scarab]]s for protection. They can house [[legion]]s of combat troops inside their shield dome, and thus make a useful tool when the Covenant wish to completely annihilate a well-entrenched enemy.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}{{Ref/Reuse|Twitter}}

==Operational history==
The Draugr was seldom seen during the [[Human-Covenant War]].{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} One such craft was used by Covenant invasion forces during the [[Defense of Concord|invasion]] of [[Concord]] in [[2551#December|December 2551]]. During the battle, the vehicle was used as the base of operations for Covenant troops stranded on the planet after the elimination of their [[Covenant starship|orbital support]] by [[UNSC Navy]] vessels. With limited reinforcements and supplies, the Covenant elected to use the Draugr to attack the numerous lightly defended smaller towns and villages littering the [[Hinterlands region]] of the planet as opposed to the larger and more fortified cities - hoping to take down as many humans as possible before they were killed themselves. At 1405 hours on December 12, the Draugr was involved in a push on the township of [[Skathi]], and was spotted by [[NOBLE Team]] scout [[Jun-A266]], who sent a live feed of the vehicle's arrival to the rest of the [[SPARTAN-III program|Spartans]]. In response and with minimal resources, [[Catherine-B320]] devised a plan to eliminate the threat before it could be brought to bear on the town proper. A small team consisting of Kat, [[Rosenda-A344]] and [[Thom-A293]] used an [[M862 Arctic Warthog]] to board the Draugr, with Thom distracting the vehicle's focus cannons and armoured escort while Kat and Rosenda drove the Warthog off a rocky outcropping to [[Naval boarding|board]] the vessel and take it over. After eliminating the vessel's crew, Kat took over the vehicle and used it to wipe out the rest of the attack force, before eventually driving it back to Skathi for recovery and analysis by the UNSC.{{Ref/Reuse|WC}}

==Production notes==
The Draugr was initially conceived by [[Isaac Hannaford]] under the working name "[[Cut Halo: Reach vehicles#Siege engine|Siege Engine]]" during the [[Development of Halo: Reach|production]] of ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.{{Ref/Twitter|Isaac_Hannaford|1375859860202430465|Isaac Hannaford|Quote=Covenant siege engine painted over a beautiful piece by Jamie Jones.|D=28|M=3|Y=2021}} At the time, the vehicle was to be the centrepiece of a [[Cut Halo: Reach levels|cut level]] later in the game and can be seen in several pieces of concept art. Hannaford designed the vehicle based on the H-K Tank from ''Terminator''.{{Ref/Twitter|Isaac_Hannaford|1378916325758693377|Isaac Hannaford|Quote=There are no coincidences :)|D=11|M=9|Y=2021}}

The vehicle was later brought back and canonised in the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)]]'', and prominently featured in the ''[[Winter Contention]]'' short story.

==Trivia==
A Draugr is a type of undead creature from Norse mythology, akin to zombies. This is to keep in the Covenant's tradition of naming most of its vehicles after undead mythological entities.

==Gallery==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes}}
<gallery>
File:HR_CovenantArmy_Concept_2.jpg|Concept art for a Covenant army, depicting what appear to be siege engines.
File:HR_WarthogCharge_Concept_1.jpg|Concept art for Tip of the Spear - note the presence of siege engines in the artwork.
File:HR EarlyDraugr Blockout Screenshot 1.jpg|An early blockout of the siege engine model for ''Halo: Reach''.{{Ref/Twitter|Id=DraugrModel1|___Gal4xy___|1590617916432449537|Galaxy|Quote=While going through more BSP's from Halo: Reach, I stumbled upon an early block out version of the mission "Tip Of The Spear", but the thing that took me by surprise was the fact there was a model of the Covenant Siege Engine on the BSP! The Siege Engine has been found!|D=11|M=02|Y=2023}}
File:HR EarlyDraugr Blockout Screenshot 2.jpg|An early blockout of the siege engine model.{{Ref/Reuse|DraugrModel1}}
File:HR EarlyDraugr Blockout Screenshot 3.jpg|An early blockout of the siege engine model, as viewed in first-person.{{Ref/Twitter|Id=DraugrModel2|___Gal4xy___|1610109353755041794|Galaxy|Quote=Damn, the Siege Engine is huge in person!|D=11|M=02|Y=2023}}
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Winter Contention]]'' {{1st}}

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}
{{Covenant Ground Vehicles}}