Editing Zo'op-pattern Weevil

|armament=1 [[Plasma mortar#Ultra-heavy plasma mortar|ultra-heavy plasma mortar]]{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

While in the field, Weevils are generally surrounded by light fortifications constructed by their support crews such as [[Covenant watchtower]]s, [[Plasma battery|plasma batteries]], and [[Covenant defense barrier|Guardian Triptych]] barriers.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}

The Weevil was the most often-used form of mortar artillery deployed by the Covenant during their [[Human-Covenant War|genocidal campaign]] against [[human]]ity.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}} During the opening stages of the [[Battle for Earth]] on [[2552#October|October 20, 2552]], Covenant forces stationed several Weevil emplacements along the beaches of [[Old Mombasa]], protecting them with ground forces including [[Sangheili]]-piloted [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]], [[Kig-Yar]] [[Kig-Yar Sniper|snipers]] in [[Covenant watchtower|watchtowers]] and groups of infantry. During their push towards the ''[[Solemn Penance]]'s'' [[landing zone]] in [[New Mombasa]], [[Spartan-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] and several [[UNSC]] [[UNSC Marine Corps|marines]] encountered these defences, and after a struggle, managed to eliminate all of the Covenant forces on the beaches, preventing the Weevil emplacements from being used.{{Ref/Level|Id=Outskirts|H2|Outskirts}}

Weevils were later carried aboard [[Truth's fleet]] to [[Installation 00]] during the [[Battle of Installation 00|final battle]] of the war. These units would survive the battle and ultimately be kept among the forces of the [[Dhas Bhasvod's Covenant|loyalist contingent]] led by [[Dhas Bhasvod]] - ultimately seeing service against the [[Banished]] and {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} in the [[Second Ark Conflict]] in [[2559]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW9|HDW|Chapter=9}}

A Weevil cannon was intended to be included in the [[Cut Halo 2 levels|now-cut]] campaign level "[[alphamoon]]". In the level, the cannon would have been featured as a defensive installment deployed by [[Sesa 'Refumee's heretic faction|the heretics]], with the player tasked with destroying the guns so reinforcements could land. In the version of the mission restored by the [[Digsite]] project, the player can destroy the guns by attacking them with a [[Wraith]] tank, or by manually attacking and blowing up a vulnerable weak spot underneath the gun. This second, infantry-based, method of attack was replicated in the level [[The Storm]] in ''[[Halo 3]]'', as the method by which the player destroys the [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|Mantis AA gun]] at the end of the mission. In alphamoon, the guns will track and fire at the player, requiring the player to dodge their plasma mortar shots.

 

===Development images===

File:H2 CovenantShip V2 Storyboard Intro 6.jpg|A Weevil being used as a [[Point-defense gun|point-defence weapon]] in an [[Halo 2 storyboards|early storyboard]] for the level [[covenantship]].

File:H2E3Demo_CovenantArtillery.png|An artillery gun firing in the ''Halo 2'' E3 Demo.

File:H2 alphamoon Menu.png|A Weevil cannon in an early build of the alphamoon level.

=== Screenshots ===

File:H2-CovenantArtilleryTurret.png|The Weevil.

File:H2-CovenantArtillery.png|The Weevil artillery piece as viewed from the side.

File:HTMCC H2 Weevil Screenshot 1.png|The first Weevil on the beach in ''Halo 2''.

File:HTMCC H2 Weevil Screenshot 2.png|The second Weevil on the beach in ''Halo 2''.

File:HTMCC H2 Digsite E3 Weevil 2.png|The Weevil firing its mortar in Digsite's ''Halo 2'' E3 demo.

File:HTMCC H2 Digsite E3 Weevil 3.png|The Weevil's plasma mortar bolt in Digsite's ''Halo 2'' E3 demo.

File:HTMCC H2 Digsite E3 Weevil 4.png|The impact of the Weevil's plasma mortar in Digsite's ''Halo 2'' E3 demo.