Vehicles

For the full list of vehicles see Category:Vehicles

File:H2 unsc gndforces.jpg

UNSC Ground forces, Warthogs with Pelicans flying above

The Vehicles from the Halo universe, available in campaign and multiplayer gameplay, are a very important part of the Halo Universe. Many different types of vehicles exist and are shown and sometimes playable in the Halo games, each with a different set of abilities and strengths.

Vehicles have distinct tactical advantages:

• can be used to bombard enemy forces or placements
• can destroy enemy forces and overwhelm enemy infantry
• provide essential support in skirmishes

Even though vehicles are powerful, they also have some disadvantages:

• cannot fit in as tight areas that infantry can
• can be clearly seen and destroyed by enemy artillery or explosive small-arms fire
• can be hijacked

In gameplay, only a small number of very unique vehicles are drivable and controllable, most operating in a similar fashion, allowing driving (navigation) and control of mounted weaponry (attack). Such weapons usually have unlimited ammunition available, whether Human (bullet-based) or Alien (plasma-based).

Availability

The majority of spacecraft and ground units can be seen in cutscenes, though the player cannot control them. Some large enemy vehicles can be damaged by heavy firepower though.

UNSC Vehicles are made available in campaign levels, when infiltrating or cutting through enemy-held territory. Either kept unused or waiting for a driver, Master Chief may enter it without meeting any resistance and take control of it.

Yet, UNSC Vehicles are rarely available within campaign levels, it is a common practice to kill the driver of Covenant Vehicles in order to hijack them. Vehicles that have been stopped by sheer firepower, destroying or disabling them, cannot be taken control of.

Factions

The player is allowed to use vehicles from either of the two primary races, Human or Alien, often turning the Covenant's sometimes superior firepower against itself. UNSC Vehicles are usually named and modeled after animals, while Covenant Vehicles are mostly named after supernatural beings.

Playable human vehicles are typically grounded and unable to fly. Almost every playable alien vehicle has the capability to defeat gravity, and hover or fly around.

Types

All vehicles fit into two broad categories, ground and air-based.

In the Halo universe five different types of vehicles exist. Each has different strengths, weaknesses and purposes, which help to ultimately decide which vehicle to use in which situation. Some vehicles are unusable in the Halo games, but can be available for use with the use of modified game content.

Light Vehicles

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A Covenant Ghost

File:H3 Warthog.jpg

A UNSC Warthog

Light vehicles are usually used to travel for short distances along with fighting infantry units. They are agile and are usually equipped with small weaponry types. They usually carry up to four passengers. Some have light weaponry and armor which means they can be vulnerable to heavy weaponry, or leave the passengers and driver badly exposed to small arms fire.

Covenant

• Ghost - Reconaisses/Rapid Assault Vehicle - Usable in Halo 1, 2, 3 and Halo Wars.
• Brute Prowler - Light Recon Vehicle - Usable in Halo 3.
• Brute Chopper - Rapid Assault Vehicle - Usable in Halo 3 and Halo Wars.
• Spectre - Light Reconaisses Vehicle - Usable in Halo 2.

UNSC

• M274 Mongoose ULATV - Ultra Light Recon Vehicle - Usable in Halo 3
• M12 Warthog LRV - Light Recon Vehicle - Usable in Halo 1, 2, 3, and Halo Wars
• M12A1 Warthog LAAV - Light Anti Armor Vehicle - Usable in Halo 1 (PC)
• M12G1 Warthog LAAV - Light Anti Armor Vehicle - Usable in Halo 2, 3, and Halo Wars
• M831 TT - Light Troop Transport Vehicle - Usable in Halo 3

Medium Vehicles

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A UNSC Cougar

Medium vehicles are a midway point between the recon prowess and agility of the light vehicles and the hard hitting power of heavy vehicles, without matching tanks in fire power. Medium vehicles will usually take more damage before destruction, and will provide better defense for the driver and passengers. They are usually larger than light vehicles, and will often carry heavy support weaponry.

Covenant

• Shadow - Armored Personnel Carrier - Unusable, Turret Usable (Halo 2)

UNSC

• Cougar - Armored Fighting Vehicle - Cut in final version of Halo Wars.
• Wolverine - Self Propelled Anti Aircraft Artillery - Usable in Halo Wars.
• Cobra - Anti-Vehicle/Fortification Artillery - Usable in Halo Wars.

Heavy Vehicles

A Covenant Wraith

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A UNSC Scorpion tank

Heavy vehicles are designed to smash foes to pieces and crush the enemy beneath their treads. They usually feature powerful weapons and heavy armor for destroying enemy vehicles and protecting themselves from retribution. They are often slow and are often restricted by terrain.

Covenant

• Wraith - Self Propelled Artillery - Usable in Halo 2,3 and Halo Wars
• AA Wraith - Anti-Air version of the Wraith - Usable through a glitch in Halo 3
• Locust - Laser Miner - Usable in Halo Wars.

UNSC

• M808 Scorpion MBT - Main Battle Tank - Usable in Halo 1, 2, 3 and Halo Wars.
• Grizzly - An upgraded version of the Scorpion - Usable in Halo Wars.
• Rhino - Possibly Heavy Tank or Self Propelled Artillery - Usable in Halo Wars.

Giant Vehicles

File:Scarab.jpg

A Covenant Scarab

The heaviest of vehicles that are designed for functions as big as their sizes. They are however rarely suited for proper combat situations. They will carry defenses, such as defensive gun emplacements and turrets, but will usually be vulnerable in heavy combat circumstances.

Covenant

• Scarab - Assault Vehicle - Unusable in Halo 2, 3, usable in Halo Wars.

UNSC

• Elephant - Mobile command post/Search and Recovery/Personnel Transport - Usable in Halo 3 (only on the multiplayer level Sandtrap) and Halo Wars.

Aerial Vehicles

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A Covenant Banshee

A UNSC Pelican

A Covenant Phantom

Aerial vehicles are often designed for ground support purposes, but are equipped to defend themselves from other vehicles. Aerial vehicles usually only have two weapons - an anti-infantry based weapon, and a heavier type of weaponry, usually missile or rocket based. This is due to the vehicle often needing to be light to be air-worthy.

Covenant

• Banshee - Covenant ground assault aircraft - Usable in Halo 1, 2, 3, and Halo Wars.
• Heretic Banshee - The Heretic version of the Banshee - Usable in Halo 2.
• Spirit - Covenant troop transport/gunship - Appears in Halo 1, and Halo Wars.
• Phantom - Covenant troop transport/gunship - Appears in Halo 2 and 3.
• Seraph - Covenant starfighter - Appears in Halo 2, 3
• Vampire - Covenant atmospheric fighter - Exclusive to Halo Wars

UNSC

• Hornet - UNSC ground assault aircraft/troop transport - Usable in Halo 3 and Halo Wars.
• Pelican - UNSC troop transport aircraft - Usable in Halo Wars, but rideable and flipable through glitches in the Halo Trilogy.
• Longsword - UNSC starfighter ship - Appears in the Halo trilogy and usable in the trilogy by hacking.
• Shortsword - UNSC atmospheric bomber - Usable in Halo Wars.
• Skyhawk - UNSC jumpjet - Only referenced in the Halo novels.
• Sparrowhawk - UNSC VTOL ground attack craft - Usable in Halo Wars.
• Vulture - UNSC heavy gunship craft - Usable in Halo Wars.
• Albatross - UNSC heavy transport/mobile command post - Appears crashed in Halo 2 multiplayer map Relic and Halo 3 Map Sandtrap.
• Pod - Halo Wars unit used for building bases.

Multiplayer

Certain vehicles can be played in certain multiplayer levels. Vehicles can be very useful in Slayer and Skirmish gametypes. In Capture the Flag, if you take a flag, you can't enter a vehicle unless you ride in one, which is why you should ride in a fast vehicle like the mongoose. Some vehicles can be added to a certain map if a player doesn't prefer the default vehicles.

In Halo: Combat Evolved

• Blood Gulch = Ghost, Warthog, Scorpion, Banshee (PC/Mac only)
• Danger Canyon = Ghost, Warthog, Scorpion
• Death Island = M808B Scorpion MBT, M12 Warthog LRV, M12A1 Warthog LAAV, Ghost, Banshee, Shade
• Gephyrophobia = Ghost, Warthog, Scorpion, Shade, Banshee (PC/Mac only)
• Ice Fields = Ghost, Warthog, Scorpion
• Infinity = Ghost, Warthog, Scorpion, Shade, Banshee (PC/Mac only)
• Sidewinder = Warthog, Scorpion, Ghost
• Timberland = Ghost, Warthog, Scorpion

In Halo 2

• Ascension = Banshee.
• Backwash = Ghost.
• Burial Mounds = Ghost and Warthog.
• Coagulation = Ghost, Warthog, Banshee and Wraith.
• District = Ghost and Warthog
• Headlong = Ghost, Banshee, Warthog and Gauss Warthog.
• Relic = Ghost and Warthog.
• Terminal = Ghost, Warthog and Wraith.
• Turf = Warthog.
• Uplift = Warthog and Wraith.
• Waterworks = Ghost, Warthog, Banshee, Wraith and Scorpion.
• Zanzibar = Ghost, Warthog and Gauss Warthog

In Halo 3

• High Ground = Mongoose and Ghost.
• Isolation = Mongoose and Ghost.
• Last Resort = Warthog, Mongoose and Ghost.
• Sandtrap = Warthog, Chopper, Mongoose, Banshee and Elephant.
• Snowbound = Ghost, (The Boundless version features a Mongoose instead).
• Valhalla = Mongoose, Wraith, Banshee and Warthog.
• Standoff = Mongoose, and Warthog.
• Ghost Town = Mongoose.
• Avalanche = Mongoose, Warthog, Hornet (Troop Transport type), Scorpion, Ghost, Banshee, Chopper and Wraith.
• Sandbox = Warthog, Chopper and Mongoose.
• Orbital = Mongoose and Ghost.