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Energy shielding: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:Halo3 Snowbound-3rdperson-01.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The shields on a [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|Mark VI MJOLNIR armor suit]] flare after taking damage.]]
[[Image:Halo3 Snowbound-3rdperson-01.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The [[MJOLNIR Mark VI]] armor's shields glow after taking damage.]]
Several [[United Nations Space Command]], [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] and [[Forerunner]] vehicles, devices, and armor systems make use of '''energy shielding''' to protect users from harm. Energy shields consist of a field of energized particles that wraps around a surface, which deflects objects that attempt to impact the surface.
Several [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]], [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] and [[Forerunner]] vehicles, devices and armor systems make use of '''Energy shielding''' to protect users from harm. Energy shields consist of a field of energized particles that wraps around a surface, which deflects objects that attempt to impact the surface.


==Human energy shielding==
==Human energy shielding==
[[Image:screen007.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Testing the shields on [[MJOLNIR Mark V]] Armor adorned by the [[John-117|Master Chief]].]]
[[Image:screen007.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Testing the shields on [[John-117]]'s [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|Mark V MJOLNIR armor]].]]
[[Human]]s started using energy shield technology with the production of the MJOLNIR Mark V powered assault armor, and has since been incorporated into all later models. This breakthrough was achieved through reverse-engineering the technology used in [[Kig-yar point defense gauntlet]]s. Unlike the Covenant [[Sangheili personal energy shield]], when the human shield takes damage, it glows gold instead of blue.  
[[Human]]s have used energy shield technology for a relatively brief amount of time. The earliest known example is the "[[Bubble Shield|bubble shield]]", a protective device developed and deployed by the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]'s [[Beta-5 Division]],<ref name="Manual">'''Halo: Reach''' manual</ref> which has been in service since at least [[2544]].<ref name="Package">'''Halo: Legends:''' ''The Package''</ref> The Beta-5 Division also utilizes the "[[Drop Shield|drop shield]]", a similar device which, despite being less resilient than the bubble shield, is capable of regenerating organic tissue through unknown means.<ref name="Manual"/>


Although the shields of MJOLNIR armor are very resilient, they can be stripped in seconds if the wearer isn't careful. Plasma weapons are especially effective against MJOLNIR and Elite personal energy shield shields. [[Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle|Plasma Rifles]], Plasma Pistols, and [[Type-52 Directed Energy Support Weapon|Plasma Cannons]] are all very good at depleting the MJOLNIR's shields.
Near the end of the [[Human-Covenant War]], ONI scientists successfully reverse-engineered the technology used in [[Kig-yar point defense gauntlet]]s, leading to the technology's incorporation into the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|Mark V MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] and all later iterations of the series. Energy shielding technology had previously been tested with the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV(G)|Grenadier variant]] of the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV]],<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', ''The Armory''</ref> though these tests were not successful.<ref> [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]]</ref>


One of the [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]]'s most recent breakthroughs in energy shield development came with the creation of the [[YSS-1000 Sabre]] starfighter, which is the first human spacecraft known to use energy shields.
The UNSC also uses "shield doors", which were installed on the refit platform ''[[Anchor 9]]'' and in atrium of the Office of Naval Intelligence's [[ONI Alpha Site|Alpha Site]]. One of the UNSC's most recent breakthroughs in energy shield development came with the creation of the [[YSS-1000 Sabre]] starfighter, which is the first human spacecraft known to use energy shields.
 
During the [[Fall of Reach]], ONI utilized a prototype [[Drop Shield|"drop shield"]] which had the protective abilities of the bubble shield and the healing abilities of a [[regenerator]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAjCpqxA7vI '''Halo Waypoint''' Lars Bakken Interview]</ref> Collapsing under continuous fire, the drop shield proved to be not as indestructible as the bubble shield, and not as fast a healer as the regenerator. The shield itself greatly resembles the bubble shield, even sporting its counterpart's comprising geometric shapes, but is instead blue in color.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAxsrpRERi8 '''Halo: Reach''' Firefight gameplay]</ref>


==Covenant energy shielding==
==Covenant energy shielding==
[[Image:Shielding.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A Sangheili's energy shield flaring.]]
[[Image:Shielding.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A Sangheili's energy shield flaring.]]
The Covenant make extensive use of energy shielding technology. Nearly all Covenant starships larger than a [[Covenant corvette|corvette]] use energy shields, and several ground-based structures, such as [[Covenant citadel|pre-fabricated bases]] and [[Covenant spire|spires]], use shields as well. Many Covenant warriors are equipped with energy shields.
The Covenant make extensive use of energy shielding technology. Nearly all Covenant starships larger than a [[Covenant corvette|corvette]] use energy shields and several ground-based structures use shields as well. Many Covenant warriors are equipped with energy shields.


===Personal shielding===
===Personal shielding===
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While projectile weaponry is generally ineffective against Covenant starship shielding, [[directed energy weapon]]ry can disable shields with relative ease, in much the same manner as Sangheili energy shields. Another way to disable the shipboard energy shields is through the use of a large-scale electromagnetic pulse.{{Citation needed}}
While projectile weaponry is generally ineffective against Covenant starship shielding, [[directed energy weapon]]ry can disable shields with relative ease, in much the same manner as Sangheili energy shields. Another way to disable the shipboard energy shields is through the use of a large-scale electromagnetic pulse.{{Citation needed}}


The Covenant's [[Type-31 Exoatmospheric Multi-role Fighter|Type-31 "Seraph" fighters]] are typically equipped with energy shields, though this does not seem to always be the case.<ref>'''Halo Legends:''' ''The Package''</ref> [[Phantom gunboat]]s are equipped with powerful shields that can deflect missile attacks.<ref>'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]]''</ref>
The Covenant's [[Type-31 Exoatmospheric Multi-role Fighter|Type-31 "Seraph" fighters]] are typically equipped with energy shields, though this does not seem to always be the case.<ref name="Package"/> [[Phantom gunboat]]s are equipped with powerful shields that can deflect cannon fire but are vulnerable to missiles due to their lower velocity.<ref name="LNoS">'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]]''</ref>
 
The Covenant also use energy shields as [[hangar bay]] doors. These devices prevent the evacuation of atmosphere from the hangar bay and deny unwanted entry. They can be phased in such a manner that atmosphere remains in the hangar bay while single ships can enter the vessel.<ref name="LNoS"/>


===Vehicle shielding===
===Vehicle shielding===
Few Covenant ground vehicles are equipped with energy shields. The most notable exception is the [[Locust]], a repurposed mining platform that is used as a "building killer". The Locust emits a spherical shield that can resist most high-impact projectiles. However, this shield is rather weak and will dissipate under concentrated fire, exposing the Locust's vulnerable hull. [[Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle|Type-32 "Ghost" assault vehicles]] and [[Type-26 Assault Gun Carriage|Type-26 "Wraith" tanks]], while almost universally unshielded, can be retrofitted with energy shields that deflect most projectiles.
Few Covenant ground vehicles are equipped with energy shields. The most notable exception is the [[Locust]], a repurposed mining platform that is used as a "building killer". The Locust emits a spherical shield that can resist most high-impact projectiles. However, this shield is rather weak and will dissipate under concentrated fire, exposing the Locust's vulnerable hull. [[Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle|Type-32 "Ghost" assault vehicles]] and [[Type-26 Assault Gun Carriage|Type-26 "Wraith" tanks]], while almost universally unshielded, can be retrofitted with energy shields that deflect most projectiles.
===Stationary shielding===
The Covenant make extensive use of stationary energy shield devices. One of the most common is the energy barrier, which is used to cordon off restricted areas and to deny enemy movement within invaded cities.<ref>'''Halo 3: ODST''', campaign levels ''[[Mombasa Streets]]'', ''[[Tayari Plaza (level)|Tayari Plaza]]'', and''[[Kizingo Boulevard (level)|Kizingo Boulevard]]''</ref>. This technology can also be used to form [[anti-vehicle barrier]]s; though vehicles and projectiles are repelled by these barriers, human and Covenant soldiers can pass through them on foot.<ref>'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[Tsavo Highway (level)|Tsavo Highway]]''</ref><ref>'''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Relic Approach]]''</ref> [[Stationary shield generator|Smaller-scale barriers]], including [[Deployable Cover|man-portable ones]], are often used to provide cover during firefights.
[[Covenant citadel|Pre-fabricated Covenant bases]] are often outfitted with [[Covenant shield generator|shield generators]]; multiple shield generators can be installed at a base to provide incrementally greater protection.<ref>'''Halo Wars'''</ref> The Covenant sometimes use enormous energy shield domes to cover large areas, such as bases. These domes sometimes have no apparent power source,<ref name="Dome"> '''Halo Wars''', campaign level ''[[Dome of Light]]''</ref> though they are also used on [[Covenant spire|teleportation spires]], which are commonly used during invasions.<ref name="ToTS">'''Halo: Reach''', campaign level ''[[Tip of the Spear]]''</ref> These shield domes are susceptible to high-intensity plasma.<ref name="Dome"/> While Covenant aircraft can pass through these shields unharmed,<ref name="Dome"/> UNSC aircraft that pass through the field receive a powerful [[electromagnetic pulse]] and suffer catastrophic systems failures.<ref name="ToTS"/>


==Forerunner energy shielding==
==Forerunner energy shielding==
[[Image:Sentinel Shielding.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A [[Sentinel]]'s energy shield.]]
[[Image:Sentinel Shielding.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A Sentinel's energy shield.]]
Many Forerunner constructs make use of energy shielding. Standard Forerunner [[Sentinel]]s are encased within an ovoid energy shield that can withstand moderate damage, while the [[Onyx Sentinel|much more powerful Sentinels]] from the [[Onyx]] [[Shield World]] possess spherical golden shields that activate whenever a fast-moving projectile approaches. The larger [[Enforcer]]s possess three-part energy shields that protect their photoreceptors and chassis from frontal assault, but do not protect against attack from any other angle.


Many Forerunner constructs make use of some form of energy shield. Standard Forerunner [[Sentinel]]s are encased within an ovoid energy shield that can withstand moderate damage, while Onyx Sentinels possess spherical golden shields that activate whenever a fast-moving projectile approaches. The larger [[Enforcer]]s posess a three-part energy shield that protects their photoreceptor and chassis from frontal assault, but does not protect against attack from any other angle.
The majority of Forerunner energy shields seem to consist of a translucent bubble composed of hexagonal patterns, as opposed to the wraparound shields typically used by the Covenant and UNSC.


The majority of Forerunner energy shields seem to consist of a translucent bubble composed of hexagonal patterns, as opposed to the wraparound shields typically used by the Covenant and UNSC. The Bubble shield also projects a similar shield, perhaps implying that it is an example of Forerunner technology.
The Forerunners made ubiquitous use of "[[hard light]]" technology, which could be shaped into any desired form, such as [[light bridge]]s. It is possible that Forerunner energy shielding was derived from hard light technology.


==Gameplay==
==Gameplay==
[[File:Shield wave 1.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Spartan]]'s and Elite's shield recharging in [[multiplayer]].]]
[[File:Shield wave 1.jpg|thumb|right|A [[SPARTAN Program|Spartan's]] and Elite's shield recharging in multiplayer.]]
*In ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', the status of the energy shield is shown at the top-right corner of the screen above the health bar, in ''[[Halo 2]]'', it is in the bottom-left above the motion tracker, in ''[[Halo 3]]'', it is in the top-center of the screen, and in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', it is shown in the top-center of the screen above the health bar. They have been modified since ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' to charge faster and be more resistant.
*In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', the status of the energy shield is shown at the top-right corner of the screen above the health bar. In ''Halo 2'', it is in the bottom-left above the motion tracker. In ''Halo 3'', it is in the top-center of the screen. In ''Halo: Reach'', it is shown in the top-center of the screen above the health bar.
*Both in [[Campaign]] and [[Multiplayer]] shields protect you for a brief amount of time from small arms and weapons. However, in [[Multiplayer]], you can have 50%, 100%, 200%, 300%, 400% ([[Halo: Combat Evolved]]), 500%, 1000%, 2000% shield, or none at all. Both [[Sangheili|Elites]] and [[SPARTAN Program|Spartans]] have the same amount of shielding. A player's shields can be further augmented if they pick up an [[Overshield]].
*In [[multiplayer]], players can have 50%, 100%, 200%, 300%, 400%, 500%, 1000%, or 2000% shield strength, or none at all. Both Elites and Spartans have the same amount of shielding. A player's shields can be further augmented if they pick up an overshield.
*In [[Halo CE]] under standard game settings, energy shields begin regenerating 5 seconds after last being hit, and take 4 seconds to fully recharge from a total drain.
*In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' under standard game settings, energy shields begin regenerating five seconds after last being hit and take four seconds to fully recharge from a total drain.
*In [[Halo 2]] and [[Halo 3]] under standard game settings, energy shields begin regenerating 4.25 seconds after last being hit, and take 1.75 seconds to fully recharge from a total drain.
*In ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3'' under standard game settings, energy shields begin regenerating 4.25 seconds after last being hit, and take 1.75 seconds to fully recharge from a total drain.
*According to the E3 demo of the [[Halo: Reach]] campaign, energy shields begin regenerating 6 seconds after last being hit, and take 2.75 seconds to fully recharge from a total drain. Multiplayer regeneration may follow different numbers.
*A [[Regenerator]] can be used to make your shields recharge very quickly after taking damage.
*If a player deploys a [[Bubble Shield]] they will be protected from weapons fire by a spherical energy shield.
*Activating the [[Deployable Cover]] will generate a stationary energy shield that regenerates after disabled by continuous damage.
*[[Shield door]]s can be found on several maps and can be placed in all [[Map pack|DLC maps]] in [[Forge]] In Halo 3, and in most of the maps in Forge in Halo: Reach.
 
==Trivia==
*In Halo: Combat Evolved, the shielding that Elites use is slightly stronger than that of a Spartan. Elites' shields only take 70% of the damage that projectile weapons deal out, whereas a Spartan's shielding tends to take full damage. (Case in point, the Spartan shield, with 75 hit points, only takes three shots from the [[M6D Personal Defense Weapon System|M6D Pistol]] to break, whereas a Minor Elite's shield, which has 100 hit points, takes 8 shots from the same weapon.) Apparently this was changed in Halo 2 and 3 - in Halo 2, it takes four bursts from a Battle Rifle to break either a Spartan's shield or a Minor Elite's shield.
*In ''Halo 3'', in Campaign, the energy shields of Shielded Flood Combat forms do not flare when taking damage, like the Brute [[Jiralhanae power armor|Power Armor]]. However, other Elite's shields still flare when taking damage.
*In ''Halo 3: ODST'', certain [[Yanme'e|Drones]] are outfitted with personal shields.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery widths="150" orientation="landscape">
<gallery widths="150" orientation="landscape">
File:A Sangheili's Shields.jpg|A [[Sangheili]]'s Personal Energy Shield overloading from sustained fire in the ''[[Halo: Reach]] Beta''.
File:A Sangheili's Shields.jpg|A Sangheili's personal energy shield overloading from sustained fire in the ''[[Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta]]''.
File:Halo Reach UNSC Shields.jpg|A [[SPARTAN-III Program|Spartan III]]'s Personal Energy Shields flicker while taking damage from a [[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|Needler]] round in the ''[[Halo: Reach]] [[Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta|Beta]]''
File:Halo Reach UNSC Shields.jpg|A [[SPARTAN-III Program|SPARTAN-III]]'s energy shields flicker while taking damage from a [[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|Needler]] projectile.
</gallery>
</gallery>
==List of appearances==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-3}}
*''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''
*''[[Halo 2]]''
*''[[Halo 3]]''
*''[[Halo Wars]]''
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
*''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]''
*''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
*''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
*''[[Halo: The Cole Protocol]]''
{{Col-3}}
*''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
**''[[Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss]]''
**''[[Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian]]''
**''[[Dirt]]''
**''[[Headhunters (short story)|Headhunters]]''
**''[[Blunt Instruments]]''
**''[[Palace Hotel (short story)|Palace Hotel]]''
**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]''
**''[[The Return]]''
*''[[Halo: Cryptum]]''
*''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''
**''[[Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor]]''
**''[[Armor Testing]]''
*''[[Halo: Uprising]]''
*''[[Halo: Helljumper]]''
*''[[Halo Wars: Genesis]]''
{{Col-3}}
*''[[Halo: Blood Line]]''
*''[[Halo: Fall of Reach]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp|Boot Camp]]''
**''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant|Covenant]]''
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
**''[[Origins]]''
**''[[Odd One Out]]''
**''[[Prototype]]''
*''[[Deliver Hope]]''
{{Col-end}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
<references/>
==Related Pages==
*[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR Armor]]
*[[Sangheili personal energy shield|Elite Personal Energy Shield]]
*[[Kig-yar point defense gauntlet|Jackal Point Defense Gauntlet]]
*[[Bubble Shield]]
*[[Overshield]]s
*[[Regenerator]]
*[[Stationary shield generator|Stationary Shield Generator]]
*[[Deployable Cover|Portable Shield Generator]]


{{SPARTAN Armor}}
{{SPARTAN Armor}}

Revision as of 15:28, May 16, 2011

Template:Ratings

Promotional image for an in-development build of Halo 3 featuring a battle on the multiplayer map Snowbound.
The shields on a Mark VI MJOLNIR armor suit flare after taking damage.

Several United Nations Space Command, Covenant and Forerunner vehicles, devices, and armor systems make use of energy shielding to protect users from harm. Energy shields consist of a field of energized particles that wraps around a surface, which deflects objects that attempt to impact the surface.

Human energy shielding

Humans have used energy shield technology for a relatively brief amount of time. The earliest known example is the "bubble shield", a protective device developed and deployed by the Office of Naval Intelligence's Beta-5 Division,[1] which has been in service since at least 2544.[2] The Beta-5 Division also utilizes the "drop shield", a similar device which, despite being less resilient than the bubble shield, is capable of regenerating organic tissue through unknown means.[1]

Near the end of the Human-Covenant War, ONI scientists successfully reverse-engineered the technology used in Kig-yar point defense gauntlets, leading to the technology's incorporation into the Mark V MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor and all later iterations of the series. Energy shielding technology had previously been tested with the Grenadier variant of the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark IV,[3] though these tests were not successful.[4]

The UNSC also uses "shield doors", which were installed on the refit platform Anchor 9 and in atrium of the Office of Naval Intelligence's Alpha Site. One of the UNSC's most recent breakthroughs in energy shield development came with the creation of the YSS-1000 Sabre starfighter, which is the first human spacecraft known to use energy shields.

Covenant energy shielding

File:Shielding.jpg
A Sangheili's energy shield flaring.

The Covenant make extensive use of energy shielding technology. Nearly all Covenant starships larger than a corvette use energy shields and several ground-based structures use shields as well. Many Covenant warriors are equipped with energy shields.

Personal shielding

Most Sangheili, many Jiralhanae, and some high-ranking Yanme'e are equipped with energy shields that are integrated into the wearer's armor, or, in the latter case, carapace. Kig-yar warriors use energy shield gauntlets that protect them from most oncoming fire but leaves them vulnerable to flanking attacks and grenades. The Covenant often use Huragok to provide energy shielding to troops on the battlefield. The Covenant also utilize overshields, which provide additional layers of energy shielding to the wearer, and energy shield regenerators.

Though the Hierarchs are not meant to encounter combat, their gravity thrones emit powerful energy shields. They are able to deflect all forms of projectile, plasma, and explosive weaponry and seemingly never become depleted. However, one can simply walk through the shield. The shield used by Tartarus, the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, was much different and seems to have to be actively turned on. His shield could deflect nearly all attacks save for those of a captured beam rifle.

Starship and single ship shielding

Nearly all Covenant vessels are protected by highly resistant energy shields. These shields can withstand an impressive amount of firepower and can recharge very quickly. Covenant vessels' shields can absorb almost all missile fire, including hundreds of Archer missiles and even a low-yield Shiva-class nuclear missile, although Shiva nukes will usually deplete their shields, making them vulnerable to smaller weapons. The only UNSC weapons capable of penetrating a Covenant starship's shield are the Magnetic Accelerator Cannons. Even then, ship-based MACs take multiple rounds to drop the shields; only a "Super MAC" round from an orbital defense platform can penetrate a Covenant ship's shields in one hit.

Covenant starship shielding does have a notable flaw, however: Whenever a starship launches a plasma torpedo or pulse laser, a small section of the energy shield must drop to allow the weapon to fire. Otherwise, the energy released would detonate on the inside of the shields, damaging the ship.

While projectile weaponry is generally ineffective against Covenant starship shielding, directed energy weaponry can disable shields with relative ease, in much the same manner as Sangheili energy shields. Another way to disable the shipboard energy shields is through the use of a large-scale electromagnetic pulse.[citation needed]

The Covenant's Type-31 "Seraph" fighters are typically equipped with energy shields, though this does not seem to always be the case.[2] Phantom gunboats are equipped with powerful shields that can deflect cannon fire but are vulnerable to missiles due to their lower velocity.[5]

The Covenant also use energy shields as hangar bay doors. These devices prevent the evacuation of atmosphere from the hangar bay and deny unwanted entry. They can be phased in such a manner that atmosphere remains in the hangar bay while single ships can enter the vessel.[5]

Vehicle shielding

Few Covenant ground vehicles are equipped with energy shields. The most notable exception is the Locust, a repurposed mining platform that is used as a "building killer". The Locust emits a spherical shield that can resist most high-impact projectiles. However, this shield is rather weak and will dissipate under concentrated fire, exposing the Locust's vulnerable hull. Type-32 "Ghost" assault vehicles and Type-26 "Wraith" tanks, while almost universally unshielded, can be retrofitted with energy shields that deflect most projectiles.

Stationary shielding

The Covenant make extensive use of stationary energy shield devices. One of the most common is the energy barrier, which is used to cordon off restricted areas and to deny enemy movement within invaded cities.[6]. This technology can also be used to form anti-vehicle barriers; though vehicles and projectiles are repelled by these barriers, human and Covenant soldiers can pass through them on foot.[7][8] Smaller-scale barriers, including man-portable ones, are often used to provide cover during firefights.

Pre-fabricated Covenant bases are often outfitted with shield generators; multiple shield generators can be installed at a base to provide incrementally greater protection.[9] The Covenant sometimes use enormous energy shield domes to cover large areas, such as bases. These domes sometimes have no apparent power source,[10] though they are also used on teleportation spires, which are commonly used during invasions.[11] These shield domes are susceptible to high-intensity plasma.[10] While Covenant aircraft can pass through these shields unharmed,[10] UNSC aircraft that pass through the field receive a powerful electromagnetic pulse and suffer catastrophic systems failures.[11]

Forerunner energy shielding

File:Sentinel Shielding.jpg
A Sentinel's energy shield.

Many Forerunner constructs make use of energy shielding. Standard Forerunner Sentinels are encased within an ovoid energy shield that can withstand moderate damage, while the much more powerful Sentinels from the Onyx Shield World possess spherical golden shields that activate whenever a fast-moving projectile approaches. The larger Enforcers possess three-part energy shields that protect their photoreceptors and chassis from frontal assault, but do not protect against attack from any other angle.

The majority of Forerunner energy shields seem to consist of a translucent bubble composed of hexagonal patterns, as opposed to the wraparound shields typically used by the Covenant and UNSC.

The Forerunners made ubiquitous use of "hard light" technology, which could be shaped into any desired form, such as light bridges. It is possible that Forerunner energy shielding was derived from hard light technology.

Gameplay

A Spartan's and Elite's shield recharging in multiplayer.
  • In Halo: Combat Evolved, the status of the energy shield is shown at the top-right corner of the screen above the health bar. In Halo 2, it is in the bottom-left above the motion tracker. In Halo 3, it is in the top-center of the screen. In Halo: Reach, it is shown in the top-center of the screen above the health bar.
  • In multiplayer, players can have 50%, 100%, 200%, 300%, 400%, 500%, 1000%, or 2000% shield strength, or none at all. Both Elites and Spartans have the same amount of shielding. A player's shields can be further augmented if they pick up an overshield.
  • In Halo: Combat Evolved under standard game settings, energy shields begin regenerating five seconds after last being hit and take four seconds to fully recharge from a total drain.
  • In Halo 2 and Halo 3 under standard game settings, energy shields begin regenerating 4.25 seconds after last being hit, and take 1.75 seconds to fully recharge from a total drain.

Gallery

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ a b Halo: Reach manual
  2. ^ a b Halo: Legends: The Package
  3. ^ Halo: Reach, The Armory
  4. ^ Dr. Halsey's personal journal
  5. ^ a b Halo: Reach, campaign level Long Night of Solace
  6. ^ Halo 3: ODST, campaign levels Mombasa Streets, Tayari Plaza, andKizingo Boulevard
  7. ^ Halo 3, campaign level Tsavo Highway
  8. ^ Halo Wars, campaign level Relic Approach
  9. ^ Halo Wars
  10. ^ a b c Halo Wars, campaign level Dome of Light
  11. ^ a b Halo: Reach, campaign level Tip of the Spear

Template:SPARTAN Armor