Za'zayara-pattern Harvester

This article is about the Covenant vehicle. For the Banished building, see Banished Harvester.

Za'zayara-pattern Heavy Excavator
Production information
Manufacturer:	Assembly Forges Lodam Armory
Product line:	Excavator tier-5
Technical specifications
Length:	219.3 meters (719.4 ft) - 272.0 meters (892.4 ft)
Width:	147.9 meters (485.2 ft) - 277.8 meters (911.3 ft)
Height:	133.7 meters (438.8 ft) - 166.5 meters (546.2 ft)
Mass:	211,660 tons (192,015 tonnes)
Engine(s):	Hexapod leg assembly
Hull:	Nanolaminate plate
Armament:	1 ultra-heavy focus drill
Crew:	3 crew 1 Sbaolekgolo colony
Complement:	200 passengers
Usage
In service:	Third Age of Discovery-present
Role(s):	Deep excavation Excavation/terrestrial mining platform
Affiliation:	Covenant Covenant remnants Jul 'Mdama's Covenant

The Za'zayara-pattern Heavy Excavator (UNSC Type classification: Type-58 Ultra-Heavy Site Excavator/Embedded, T-58 UHSE/E) or colloquially the Harvester, is a Covenant walker used during large-scale excavations and in the search of artifacts. An exceedingly rare sight in the field, one was used by Jul 'Mdama's Covenant during their occupation of Requiem.

The Za'zayara is one of a number of Harvester design patterns; the majority of which were designed and used by the Covenant.

Overview

Design details

Harvesters are the biggest Covenant land vehicles to date, with only the R'awuw-pattern "Super" Scarab and Shuul'se-pattern Kraken being comparable in size and rivaling naval warships in scale. Generally used in long-term invasions, they are not commonly seen by United Nations Space Command personnel. Much like the Scarab, it is composed of a meta-colony of Lekgolo known as Sbaolekgolo; this is evident from exposed Lekgolo worms seen in its interior. The vehicle is propelled by six legs, each equipped with a track system on the end of unknown use (presumably to aid in mining operations). The interior is composed of multiple massive chambers that resemble dark subterranean caverns, linked together by smaller hallways and illuminated with pale green light.

While all Covenant technology shares a generally organic design aesthetic, the Harvester's features are significantly more ornate and conspicuously insectoid than most Covenant constructs. It is much more beetle-like in appearance than the Scarab due to its overall shape, heavily textured outer "skin" and a hatch at the front of the machine that resembles a mouth and eyes. This Sangheili-derived visual aesthetic is a Hesduros visual heritage and a key indicator of Lodam Armory's manufacture - a distinct departure from the San'Shyuum simple architecture that characterised Covenant Harvesters.

The Harvester is compatible with the power supply of a Kmiro'sish-pattern Lich. As a result, a Lich's power supply can also be used to power a Harvester and fire its focus drill. In combination with the gravitic emitters commonplace on most excavators, the Harvester is capable of boring through even Forerunner structures if given time.

Operational history

Early use

Harvesters were first concieved of by Covenant ministerial weapon-scribes during the Third Age of Discovery, though they were only sporadically deployed due to to their immense size and weight. As such, they were relatively rare sights for even members of the Covenant. This rarity meant that they remained totally unknown to humanity until 2558.

Post-War era

Following the end of the Human-Covenant War in 2552, a number of older Harvester design patterns resurfaced for use in the resurrected Covenant faction led by Jul 'Mdama. These patterns, such as the Za'zayara, were redesigned to forgo the curvilinear aesthetic of San'Shyuum preference and instead adopted a more insectoid and purpose-built style of Sangheili preference.

In 2557, Gek 'Lhar deployed a Harvester in the debris field left by the destruction of Trove shield world. However, the debris field and presumably the Harvester were destroyed by a bombardment of nuclear weapons from a massive UNSC fleet, forcing Gek and his forces to flee the system.

During the Requiem Campaign of 2558, Harvesters were deployed by Jul 'Mdama's Covenant to excavate buried Forerunner facilities on the shield world such as a particular site holding one of the three Requiem slipspace artifacts. During the fighting it was disabled by Fireteam Switchback, who mysteriously vanished in the firefights afterwards, leaving no bodies or signs of struggle, only their IFF tags. Fireteam Crimson was sent in to investigate. Crimson managed to kill the remaining crew of the Harvester and further disabled the walker by destroying several consoles inside.

Sometime later, the Covenant retook the Harvester and captured several scientists to reactivate the walker, but they were not successful because the power supply was destroyed. When Requiem was put on a collision course towards the star it was orbiting, Fireteam Crimson was sent back to the area to reach one of the artifacts that was preventing the UNSC Infinity from leaving the planet. After discovering that the artifact was buried behind a rock wall, it was realized that the Harvester had been brought in to excavate the artifact. Though the Harvester now had a shield blocking the entrance, Crimson took out nearby anti-aircraft defenses and a Pelican took the shield. Crimson eliminated the crew and rescued the scientists who revealed their failed effort to reactivate the Harvester. Needing a replacement power supply, Roland came up with a solution. Crimson was then deployed to "Apex" to steal the power supply from a Lich to replace the destroyed supply on the Harvester. Crimson returned to the Harvester and cleared out the minimal Covenant forces that had reoccupied the walker while they were gone. With the Lich power supply, Crimson was able to reactivate the Harvester and use its focus drill to bore a hole into the caverns containing the structure with the Forerunner artifact as the planet fell apart, causing falling debris to strike the Harvester. The Harvester was destroyed when Requiem was consumed by its star.

During the events on Aktis IV, Jul 'Mdama deployed several Harvesters to destroy all of Sali 'Nyon's rebel hideouts. One of these Harvesters would save Dr. Catherine Halsey from being captured by Spartan Sarah Palmer.

Trivia

• Throughout the Halo 4: Official Game Guide's digital Spartan Ops walkthrough, the Harvester is constantly referred to as being a Forerunner construct.
• Like the Scarab and the Locust, the Harvester is named after an arthropod, more commonly known as harvestman or daddy longleg.

Gallery

Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

Development images

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  An early revision of the Harvester's design, showcasing a more traditional Covenant-styled appearance in line with the Scarab.

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  Early concepts for the Harvester for Halo 4.

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  Sketches for various parts of the vehicle.

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  Sketches depicting how to interact with a console inside the Harvester.

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  Concept art of the control room.

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  Untextured sculpt showing the entire Harvester.

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  Untextured sculpt of the Harvester's torso.

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  Untextured sculpt of the Harvester's cockpit.

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  The legs of the Harvester.

Screenshots

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  Alternate view of the Harvester.

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  Side view of the Harvester.

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  The Harvester firing its focus drill.

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  The result of a Harvester's excavation.

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  Interior of a tunnel shortly after being excavated by a Harvester's focus beam.

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  The interior of a Covenant Harvester.

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  Another view of the carapace-like interior of the Harvester.

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  The organic-shaped walls within a Harvester.

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  A structural feature in the vehicle's interior.

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  The central power console inside a Harvester with Sbaolekgolo visible.

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  Sbaolekgolo inside the Harvester.

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  A Forerunner power core slotted into the console.

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  The control room inside a Harvester with Sbaolekgolo worms visible.

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  Another view of the control room with pronounced organic structures.

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  A Harvester on Aktis IV.

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  A Harvester during the Battle of Aktis IV in Halo: Escalation.

List of appearances

• Halo 4
  • Spartan Ops (First appearance)
• Halo: Escalation
  • Issue #16
• Halo: Renegades