Jiralhanae War Chieftain

Looking for the rank Jiralhanae Chieftain or Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, the rulers of the Jiralhanae?

War Chieftain is one of the highest Jiralhanae ranks. The rank was first featured in Halo 3, with War Chieftains playing a significant role in the Covenant's occupation of Earth and defense on the Ark. It is observed that most War Chieftains carry powerful ranged weapons, rather than gravity hammers. In Halo 3: ODST, however, War Chieftains sometimes wield gravity hammers, making them some of the most powerful enemies in the game, as they have stronger shielding and are higher ranked than regular Jiralhanae Chieftains.

Role

War Chieftains are superior in rank to regular Jiralhanae Chieftains and are responsible for commanding much larger packs than Jiralhanae Chieftains. Despite this, War Chieftains are more often seen guarding smaller outposts. They are commonly commanders of Scarabs, and always perform tasks with a crew only featuring Jiralhanae,.

War Chieftains should not be confused with the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, though the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae likely also holds the rank of War Chieftain. The Chieftain of the Jiralhanae is the leader of the entire Jiralhanae race, in service of the Covenant.

Appearance

Instead of the red-and-black armor of a regular Chieftain, a War Chieftain wears a golden-bronze suit with slightly more powerful shields. Their head crests are also more ornate, with a larger forehead spike featuring a split "V" shape with jagged spikes lining the edges, and a smaller "V" further forward on the helmet. This makes the War Chieftains more recognizable and intimidating in battle.

Tactics

War Chieftains usually carry Plasma Cannons or Fuel Rod Guns into battle and Spikers as sidearms, striking their enemies from afar while their subordinates close in and engage. This gives them considerable ability to suppress their enemies, allowing their own forces to move freely. If within range, they will often deploy a Power Drain to eliminate the player's shields. They may also throw a Flare to blind their opponents, and can use their weapons to devastating effect while their opponents are unable to see. War Chieftains are the only NPCs in Halo 3 (other than the Arbiter in the Halo 3 single-player campaign) that can melee with a plasma cannon without dropping it. There have been some instances where the Chieftain goes berserk, in which it can leap great distances and kill John-117 in a single blow.

On Heroic difficulty, it takes approximately fifty-five Assault Rifle rounds to kill one: twelve rounds to disable their shield, and an additional forty-three rounds to kill them. A shielded War Chieftain takes six Particle Beam Rifle, Sniper Rifle, or Brute Shot hits to kill. While their shield can be dropped with only eight Plasma Rifle bolts or a single overcharged Plasma Pistol shot, their special Power Armor grants them unusually high resistance to energy weaponry, and even unshielded, they can withstand more than two hundred Plasma Rifle bolts before falling. It takes two Gravity Hammer hits to kill them as well.

It is advised that the player use long-range weapons against a War Chieftain, such as the Battle Rifle or sniper rifle. Use cover effectively and fire accurate shots to knock their helmet off. Meleeing it will cause it to stagger, simply allowing you to bludgeon it to death with melee attacks without having to worry about it counter-attacking you if you are quick enough. It's also possible to kill one quickly by meleeing it, and then circling for an assassination. Incendiary Grenades are a good way to kill a War Chieftain, and if you can stick it on its weapon, a Plasma or Spike Grenade will do. Note that only their weapon can be stuck, and not their armor. On Legendary, sticking is not a guaranteed one-hit kill. You can still follow up with a headshot using a Battle Rifle or Carbine or a quick melee to take them down.

Trivia

• In Halo 3, War Chieftains are known to go berserk when a Power Drain is next to them for some odd reason. Leave the Chieftain alone for long enough and it will turn back to normal.
• It is believed that in Halo: Contact Harvest, Maccabeus, and later Tartarus, wore the armor of a War Chieftain when he was the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae. It signifies a higher rank than the normal Chieftain in Halo 3.
• In the last page of Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide, it shows a War Chieftain holding a Gravity Hammer, though this is never seen in-game.
• War Chieftains will never shoot up close with a Fuel Rod Gun, in order to avoid splash damage, so it is useful to use a Gravity Hammer or an Energy Sword against them. However, try to avoid staying close to them for long, because it might choose to melee you. In Halo 3, if you do get close to a War Chieftain, it is advised to circle strafe right to avoid the melee. If you strafe left, the melee will affect you. If you strafe right, you have a easy assassination. If the War Chieftain goes berserk, do not engage him in close combat; his melees will be harder to avoid. If the War Chieftain doesn't berserk but starts to swing his weapon instead of his fist (that is, if the Chieftain is wielding the Fuel Rod Gun), jump and then quickly turn around and assassinate him.
• In the video Et Tu Brute?, a War Chieftain is seen with a Halo 2 portable Plasma Cannon. This could be because at the time the video was made, the Halo 3 Plasma Cannon had not been developed yet.
• When playing Firefight in Halo 3: ODST, War Chieftains can be seen wielding Gravity Hammers.
• On the level Tsavo Highway and The Storm, it is possible to disarm a War Chieftain by getting him to board your Warthog, Ghost, or Chopper and attack you. After getting off the Warthog, he will be disarmed, and he will charge at you and only use melee attacks.
• The picture of the War Chieftain in the Bestiarum is actually a picture of a Brute that was scrapped and redesigned in Halo 3's early stages of development.
• In Halo 3 on Legendary a War Chieftain is able to survive a Spartan Laser shot but a Brute Chieftain is not (unless the latter activates their invincibility).
• Halo 3: ODST is the only game where War Chieftains wield Gravity Hammers.

Gallery

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  A War Chieftain in the Bestiarum.

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  A War Chieftain overseeing a small encampment.

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  A War Chieftain armed with a Plasma Cannon.

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  A War Chieftain shooting a Plasma Cannon.

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  A War Chieftain bleeding.

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  A War Chieftain (right) standing near a Brute Chieftain.

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  A War Chieftain armed with a Gravity Hammer.

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  A War Chieftain aiming his Fuel Rod Cannon in Halo 3: ODST's Firefight play-mode.

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  A close-up view of the War Chieftain's unique headdress (outlined by an ODST's VISR mode), which designates its rank and intimidates allies and enemies alike.

List of Appearances

Halo 3