Sangheili/Gameplay

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Different incarnations of the Élites as they appear in the main Halo games.

Élites serve as enemies in most of the Halo games, and as allies in Halo 3. Depending on the rank and role of the player, Élite warriors can serve as the most consistently challenging opponents encountered in the games, wielding varied weapons and using their resilience and speed to outmaneuver and overwhelm the player. Conversely, they can act as very reliable allies, arguably more so than the Marines, as the additional energy shielding in their armor and increased physical capabilities can grant them additional benefits that a normal human soldier otherwise lacks.

Gameplay

A Zealot directs a Major in combat.

Nearly all Élites across all games are equipped with rechargable energy shields, allowing them to mitigate the damage of kinetic weapons. As their shields become stronger both with rank and with difficulty settings, it is imperative to carry a balanced arsenal whenever one expects Élites in a level, so that plasma weapons can be used on shields, and Kinetic weapons can be used on their bodies. The Noob Combo is particularly effective at this. Explosive weapons can be effective in stripping an Élite's shields, or even outright kill them in some cases, but Élites are very agile, and will likely dodge roll out of the way of explosives. However, this behavior can be exploited by predicting where an Élite will dodge. While using a sticky grenade can be an effective way to slay an Élite, if this is done from too close by, the alien can try to charge the player, seeking to engulf them both in the blast.

On the offensive side, Élites can be encountered wielding nearly all the basic weapons available to their faction, depending on the game they are in. They are deadly warriors that can effectively use their weapons both at long and short ranges, firing in long, precise bursts and throwing Plasma Grenades over long arches. When an Élite is close by, it will try to strike the player in melee. Depending on the games, the rank, and the difficulty settings, these attacks may kill even a fully healthy and shielded player. Whenever a player stays close to an Élite for too long, or when its shields are depleted, it may decide to charge at them. A charging Élite will stop at nothing until it has delivered at least one melee attack, at which point it will return to its normal combat routines. Like with dodges though, an Élite will be exposed if its melee attack is dodged, and sometimes the player can even use their momentum to circle around them and strike their back. Élites are also the main vehicle drivers in the games they appear as enemies. They are just as aggressive and evasive when piloting a vehicle, and their energy shielding is extended to their rides, as is the player's. Élites on foot will also try to board the player's vehicle (starting with Halo 2) so one should be careful of moving slowly while close to them.

Élites are employed as leader units in all the games they appear in. Most of the times a group of enemies is encountered, there will be at least one Élite at their lead. This makes them priority targets, but depending on how an encounter is structured, it may be beneficial to take down an Élite's troops before taking him on. Taking down all the Élites in a group will also cause the morale of their troops to break, especially causing Grunts to break rank and flee temporarily. The death of a high ranking Élite can also prompt its lower ranked fellows to charge at the player. Élite ranks can be distinguished by the coloration and shape of their armor. In general, the ranking goes blue->red->white->gold, with some games having different intermediate colors or specialist ranks with different colors.

Elite Honor Guards fight against Brutes.

Specific strategies

Sword Wielders

In all games, some of the most fearsome Élites are the ones that wield Energy Swords. Zealots, Ultras and equivalent ranks can be encountered with these weapons, and either holding them outright, or pulling them out as they charge at the player. In most games, a single strike from one of these foes is enough to kill the player on any difficulty, and swordsmen continue their melee attack by slashing both at their front and back. While dangerous for the player, these foes spell certain doom for Marines, who are not reactive or agile enough to dodge or run away from them. Still, a gutsy player can apply the same tactics as normal Élite melee attacks, dodging at the last minute or interrupting with their own, quicker melee attacks. Still, detecting and taking down the charging Élite before it reaches melee range is a preferable solution.

Zealots (CE and 2)

In Halo CE, Zealots have a different behavior than other Élites. They will never rage, and instead move very quickly, seamlessly alternating weapon fire and melee attacks with little delay. Conversely, in Halo 2, Zealots are only encountered in an enraged status wielding an Energy Sword, and will relentlessly run at the player, although their shields are only as powerful as a Major.

Stealth Élites

Élites are the primary employers of Active camouflage. This ability is usually limited to specific ranks, being the Stealth, Spec Ops or Zealot. These enemies are fully concealed from sight, only noticeable due to a shimmering silhouette. They will usually lay in wait or maneuver around their allies in order to catch the player by surprise. While their invisiblity makes them tricky foes, Invisible Élites usually only wield the most basic weapons or the Energy sword, limiting their effective range. The invisibility does not mask their vocalizations nor hide them from Motion trackers. In addition, their shields tend to be low or null, and as such they must rely on their stealth to avoid defeat.

An Ultra leads its troops against Noble Team.

Halo: Reach

Élites in Halo: Reach received as significant boost in the variety of their animations and behaviors. On top of having numerous, fast melee attacks that can even cover their backs, their ranks increase their health and shielding constantly. The gold-clad Sangheili Generals can often be encountered with Fuel Rod Guns, Plasma Launchers and even Plasma cannons, and high-ranking Élites can choose to throw grenades using a quicker animation, mixing the explosives within bursts from their weapons. Élites will also use Armor Lock to save themselves from explosions and splatters. The returned Rangers use their Jetpacks to leap between elevations, and while their shields aren't better than a Major's, they can be more often encountered with specialist weapons like the Needle Rifle and Focus Rifle. Élites in this game can be Assassinated. Most of these considerations can also be applied to Halo 4 and Halo 5.

Halo Infinite

In Halo Infinite, low ranking Élites are near always encountered wielding the Pulse Carbine, but will scavenge the battlefield for better weapons. The higher ranking Élites instead already wield powerful weapons, and when their sizeable shielding is depleted, they will engage Active camouflage in addition to pulling out an Energy sword, which they will alternate with their primary firearm to maintain the pressure at all ranges. Conversely, Energy swords are less lethal against the player, although Élites will attack faster and even leap at the player from a distance. While in patrol or at rest, Élites do not have their shields turned on. They will activate them very quickly as soon as they sense danger.

Allied Élites

Encountered in Halo 2 and Halo 3, Élites can be a significant improvement over Marines, especially in the former, as the latter simplified their AI. Due to sharing all of the player's animations, Élites can be armed with weapons Marines cannot use, like the Energy Sword or Brute Shot. The resilience granted by their shields can be a significant boon, although they shouldn't be relied upon too closely.

Changes

Due to the constant upgrading of the Halo series from the Macintosh to the Xbox to the Xbox 360 below shows a list of changes to the Élite species from each Halo game.

Halo E3 2000 Trailer to Halo: Combat Evolved

• Élite ranks include Minor, Major, Zealot and Spec Ops
• The more conventional jaw in the trailer was separated into two mandibles.
• They have wider waists.
• Their legs are less bulky.
• Their eyes have been moved more to the sides of their heads.
• Their shield gauntlets have been replaced with personal energy shields.

Master Chief fights alongside several Élites

Changes from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 2

• Élite ranks include Minor, Major, Ultra, Zealot, Ranger, Spec Ops, Stealth and Honor Guard and Councilor. The Arbiter also appears.
• Élite are available to play as. The Arbiter in single player, and as a regular Élite in multiplayer.
• Élite are hunched over more to facilitate multiplayer use.
• Élite allies are encountered.
• The Élites speak English instead of their native tongue.
• Zealot Élite ranked enemies are now only encountered on Legendary difficulty, rather than all difficulties.
• Stealth Élite now have gray colored armor, rather than light blue, and also have a Minor (gray) and Major (brown) ranking system. They can also be detected by the motion tracker when invisible. Additionally, they sport energy shields which was absent from Halo: Combat Evolved.
• Their melee attacks do more damage, and can kill in one hit on the Normal difficulty or above in the campaign.
• Élites fire in much longer bursts in Halo 2, firing many plasma rifle rounds per burst, compared to just 3 or 4 shots per burst in Halo: Combat Evolved.
• Rangers and Ultras are introduced.
• Gain an animation to appear startled upon seeing the Master Chief.
• Mandibles and facial features are more defined.
• Gain the ability to hijack vehicles.
• Élites no longer have the occasional "spade" helmet and no longer wear a Forerunner symbol on their backs, in campaign. However, they can be present using the emblem feature for multiplayer.
• Élites can now be seen dual-wielding weapons.
• Élites now have secondary colors in both campaign and multiplayer.
• Regulars now wield Energy Swords as well, instead of just the Zealots.
• Élites gain an animation for when they pull out an Energy Sword that makes them roar, though they don't make the sound in Multiplayer.
• Élites are somewhat more vulnerable without their shielding, and most Élite classes can only survive as much damage as a basic Grunt or Jackal]] after their shields are disabled (this is in contrast to Halo: CE, where Élites had more than twice as much health as a Grunt or Jackal even without their shields). The exceptions are the Stealth (who have about twice as much health as standard Élite classes at the cost of having no shields) and the Ultras (who have about 3 times as much health as a standard Élite).

Changes from Halo 2 to Halo 3

• Élites are only encountered as allies. Élite ranks include Minor, Major and Spec Ops. The Arbiter returns as an ally and as the second player for Co-op, alongside N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham as the 3rd and 4th characters.
• Darker skin and eyebrow ridges, although no hair on ridges. Has a shiny, "scaly", texture on the neck.
• They have a 'bulkier' appearance.
• Varying eye color between some individuals, mostly orange.
• Wider variety of armors to choose from in multiplayer.
• Instead of firing from cover or flanking, Élites now overwhelmingly charge straight at the enemy while firing, engaging in melee combat once they get close enough. This occurs regardless of the Élite's current weapon, the weaponry of the enemy, or even the type of enemy (An Élite armed with a Brute Shot or Fuel Rod Cannon will charge forward recklessly to engage a Hunter in melee). This also results in a high chance on team killing among them.
• SpecOps Élites, even more so with the Catch skull on, toss Plasma Grenades with reckless abandon, and many players have reported to be "team stuck" by the Élites.
• As with other Covenant races, the Élites have received minor aesthetic changes, mostly in their armor. In Halo: CE and Halo 2, the pauldrons on the armor resembled a more pronounced version of the MJOLNIR pauldrons, where as in Halo 3 the pauldrons are much thicker and appear overlapped. The "Combat" helmet also has shorter side fins, and more spikes added to the back. The "fins" on the gauntlets have also been removed, as well as the orange crystals on the arms and legs, and their leg armor flares out at the bottom instead of being tight, revealing what appears to be the heel of its foot. However, this leads to clipping, as Halo 3 largely uses old Halo 2 animations.
• Minors]] and Majors have varied armor. This meaning that a Minor may be light blue, and another may be dark blue. Same goes for the Majors (with lighter and darker reds).
• All Élite armor has Forerunner glyphs, as well as multiple Marks of Shame adorning the body and shoulders.
• The roaring animation for pulling out the sword is changed so that it only appears when lunging at an opponent while crouched. The similarly neglected berserk animation for NPC Élites only appears when they spot an enemy while jumping over a toppled crate.
• All can be seen, pulling out Energy Swords, including Minors and Majors.
• Spec Ops can be seen wearing Assault Harnesses in Floodgate. All other Élites in Halo 3 wear the familiar standard Combat Harnesses. The corpses of dead Ultra Élites in Floodgate can be found wearing Combat and Assault armor and some of them have Rtas Vadam's face. The corpses of dead Élites seen in Halo 3: ODST can be found wearing a variety of different armor permutations.
• When the Infection Form infects a living Élite, he will disable his energy shield features before submitting to the Flood, making a sound like a Gravity Hammer hits when the infection started and kill all nearby Infection Forms.

Halo Wars

An Élite render from the Halo Wars trailer.

• They are seen dual-wielding Energy Swords in the trailers, but only the Arbiter does so in game.
• The structure of their combat harnesses are somewhat different from their predecessors, especially with the chest and back portions. The armor on the sides beneath the arms are curved upwards and connected to the backpack in way that pushes directly into the back of the user's neck. This part of the armor is also thicker than the rest of the suit, which combined with the upwards curve, gives the illusion of the Élite user being noticably bulkier and more hunched than they actually are.
• The Élite's musculature is noticably more toned and visible than in the other games. This is most prominent in the musculature around the neck, which is thicker and sturdier than it is in the other games. This, combined with the unusually upwards curve of their upper-torso armor, creates an illusion of an unnatural bulk and hunch, presumably to more readily intimidate the enemy.
• In-game the only visible difference in rank is the Arbiter and Honor Guards, as well as the Red Élites wielding Energy Staves, all others are purple and light blue.
• Their teeth are in different positions, such as having teeth on the inside of their mandibles, as well as having teeth behind and to the center.

Changes from Halo 3 to Halo: Reach

• Élite ranks include Minor, Officer, Ultra, General, Ranger, Spec Ops and Zealot. A single Field Marshal also appears.
• Returning the tradition from Halo: Combat Evolved, Élites once again speak in their native language. This is part of an attempt to make the Covenant more alien and imposing.
• Élites appear more animalistic than their Halo 2 and Halo 3 counterparts. They more teeth on both their upper jaw and mandibles which seem to be sharper and longer like the Halo Wars Élites.
• Their eyes have changed in color to a pearly white hue, do not have pupils, and have been moved from the sides of their head to the front.
• Élites are no longer hunched over, making them appear taller and more imposing.
• Many Élites ranks make a comeback as the Élites return as a primary enemy, the way they were in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.
• The alternate Élite helmet from Halo: Combat Evolved and the Élite helmet in Halo Wars have returned.
• The feet are no longer hoof-like as in previous games. Their toes have been animated to splay and squish with every step.
• Every rank now has a different armor configuration. Minors appear similarly to their appearances in previous games, but higher ranking Élites often sport varying decorative crests allowing determination of rank at a glance.
• Élites have different health and shielding strength for every different class, like in Halo Combat Evolved.
• They withstand more damage than in Halo 2 and 3.
• Élite multiplayer permutations can no longer wear pieces from different sets of armor.
• Officers take the place of Majors, though they hold the same positions.
• BOB Élites appear.
• Élites can replenish all their health without medikits in multiplayer.
• Élites are quicker and more agile.
• Élites wield a far greater variety of weaponry than most Covenant races.
• Élite Zealots have changed role, becoming rare high ranking enemies and sporting different colors. Their previous role has been taken up by Sangheili Generals.

A Commander in combat with a Spartan IV.

Changes from Halo: Reach to Halo 4

• Élites are no longer playable in multiplayer.
• Élites lack protective armor on arms.
• Élites will occasionally use Promethean weapons in Spartan Ops.
• Only five Élite ranks: Storm, Ranger, Zealot, Commander, and Warrior.
• The Élite combat harness can be found in multiple colors, including blue, green, red, and white.
• Different anatomic features, including paler skin, molar-like teeth, larger heads.
• Storm Élites, essentially the equivalent to Minors, wield energy swords.
• Ranger and Zealot armor has been changed.
• Zealots have once again changed function, becoming equivalent to Stealth Élites.
• Élites are more aggressive in gameplay, not taking cover as often.
• Their health is lower: most of Élite classes can withstand as much damage as a Grunt or Jackal, like in Halo 2.

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Changes from Halo 5: Guardians to Halo Infinite

A Warlord engaging his Active camouflage.

• Élite ranks include Mercenary, Enforcer, Ultra, Warlord and Spec Ops. Élite armors are akin to the designs from Halo Reach.
• All Élites, like Brutes and Marines, will pick up stronger weapons if they happen to find them, even during fights. As they are now Banished, they have no qualms about using human weapons, and often do.
• Élites fight more tactically compared to Brutes, diving for cover if their shields are down and keeping their distance with ranged weapons.
• Most vehicles are piloted by Élites (other than Brute Choppers). When driving Ghosts, Élites will be more careful than Grunt drivers and keep their distance.

Halo: Spartan Assault

• Élites now wear armor from Halo: Reach.
• Élite ranks include Field Master, Major, Minor, Stealth, and Zealot.
• They usually only take cover if their shields are down.
• Élites look similar to their Reach incarnations, anatomically.