Jiralhanae Chieftain

"The hopes of all the Covenant rest on your shoulders, Chieftain."

— Prophet of Truth

The Brute Chieftain, also known as the Alpha Jiralhanae, is a Covenant rank for the Jiralhanae (Brute) race, the highest in the Jiralhanae hierarchy.

Background

In Halo 2, there was only one, named Tartarus, who was killed by the Arbiter and his Sangheili allies on Delta Halo. He used a powerful Gravity Hammer called the Fist of Rukt. The only known Brute Chieftain before Tartarus was his uncle, Maccabeus, who was also the previous wielder of Fist of Rukt.

In Halo 3, they command a "pack" of lesser Brutes, and enforce the pack-like mentality. In the Halo 3 video documentary "Et Tu, Brute?", there were multiple Brute Chieftains seen, although probably not as high as Tartarus or Maccabeus, who were believed to be the highest of the Jiralhanae. They wear very elaborate gold or red Power Armor (which is stronger than usual and impervious to sticky grenades and needler needles), breast-plates, and an even more intricate headdress. [1] The Brute Chieftain may hold a rank similar to the the Elite Zealot.

Brute Chieftain Ranks

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A Brute Chieftain-Weapon as seen in the vid-doc Et, Tu, Brute.

Brute Chieftain - Weapon

These Brute Chieftains are clad in ornate red and black armor. Whilst it cannot take as much damage as the bronze armor worn by Armor Chieftains, it allows greater speed and mobility. Their Power Armor cannot be stuck by Plasma Grenades or Needler projectiles. Their primary armament is the Gravity Hammer, and are the only non-Flood enemy who uses the weapon. On Normal, Heroic, and Legendary they carry and almost always use the Invincibility power-up. However, sometimes they carry a Flare or Spike Grenade. On their left arm, the armor is thicker to deliver bone-crushing melee attacks. Weapon Chieftains will be closely guarded by two or more Brutes, only leaving the security of the pack when they feel it is tactically sound or simply when they thirst for blood. Then they will run at the Master Chief (or Arbiter if co-op). If they run for you, turn and run as fast as you can. More often than not, unless you've managed to kill them within the first few seconds, they will activate their Invincibility if they are carrying one and you will not be able to kill them until it wears off. Chieftains can close distances quickly, and will not hesitate to smack anything out of it's path.

Brute Chieftain - Armor

An Armor class Chieftain with a Fuel Rod Cannon on The Covenant

The Armor Chieftain relies on heavy firepower weapons like the Fuel Rod Cannon, and Portable Plasma Cannon and sometimes a spike rifle to crush their foes (It is interesting to note that Armor Chieftains are capable of using melee attacks while holding a portable turret. They are the only characters in the game that can do this.) Their ornate, bronze-and-gold armor is the most powerful and durable of the Brutes' Power Armor. Their armor cannot be stuck by Plasma Grenades or Needler projectiles unless you manage to get it on a section of their foot without armor or on their weapon. They will carry and occasionally use the Flare and Power Drain. Armor Chieftains seldom commit to front-line combat, and are almost always seen commanding their packs from a higher up position, laying down relentless covering fire for packmates. On Legendary, their single Fuel Rod shot can be fatal if not dealt with.

Counter-Chieftain Tactics

• Brute Chieftains, as fitting their "commander role", have incredible physical strength and agility, more so than their lesser brethren. Avoid going into melee combat with a Weapon Chieftain and even when facing off against an Armor Chieftain, take care not to get hit.

• It is advised to NEVER charge a hammer wielding Chieftain, as it is almost always a one hit kill.

• A hammer-wielding Chieftain will often utilize the invincibility power-up while charging at you if you're firing and backpedaling at the same time.

• Another good tactic to deal with Chieftains is to shoot its helmet/headdress off and shoot it multiple times in its head.

• A good way to kill a Chieftain is to use Cloaking and assassinate them. This way you are unharmed, but you can also pick up their Invincibility, since they did not have time to activate it. However, you should be careful not to alert any of the surrounding Brutes. If they know that you are there, and even if they cannot see you, the Chieftain can sometimes sense where you are even if you are cloaked and will turn around in your direction. This will make it harder to get behind him and if you touch him, he will hit you and you will temporarily lose your cloaking, allowing them to see and shoot you.

• Jump over a charging Hammer Chieftain and quickly turn around mid-air to assassinate it after you land.

• A full magazine from a M6G pistol in it's head will kill a Chieftain on Normal difficulty.

• Although you cannot stick him, you can stick the Chieftain's Weapon, for instance the Gravity Hammer. It's quite difficult but it will be a one hit kill.

• Incendiary Grenades are a good way to kill a Chieftain, although on Legendary this is not a guaranteed one hit kill, as he can easily activate his Invincibility and negate the effects of your grenade. However, if you follow up with a headshot using an accurate weapon, that will usually take them down.

• Throwing a Spike Grenade beneath where they are or are going to be will kill them in one hit. It is best to lure them into a corner, first.

• Carbine is a very good weapon to shoot off a Brute Chieftain`s helmet.

• In the level Crow's Nest, when you first enter the barracks, use the portable Grav Lift to trap the chieftain under the ceilings so they can't move at all.

• If the Chieftain has already used his Invincibility, it is possible to kill him through melee combat (even if he has a Gravity Hammer); you have to melee him from behind. It seems to stun him when you melee him in front, but it extremely dangerous as the Chieftain could easily strike in a second; use this to buy time.

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Concept art of a chieftain wielding a Brute shot.

• The assault rifle is a viable option against Chieftains because of its high rate of fire. Its melee is fast as well, allowing you to use the above option.

• When you fight the first Chieftain on the Halo 3 level Sierra 117, a good tactic is to use the Sniper Rifle or Carbine on the Chieftain's head when he is beating up Johnson. His headdress should fall off. Then, later in the battle, as he charges at you shoot him multiple times in the head or chest with the Sniper Rifle and he will easily fall.

• Another method is to jump when the Chieftain strikes and melee them in the back, like what you may do when fighting a Hunter.

• After they have struck, if you melee them in the stomach they will stagger back. Keep meleeing them and they won't have time to hit. However you must get your timing right as if it is not exactly after they've hit they will hit again. Also make sure all the other Brutes in the pack are dead or distracted.

• When cornered by a weapons Chieftain, there are several methods to escape the almost one-hit kill Gravity Hammer. None of these methods will help you escape the blow entirely, but they might buy you some time to get in a better position or end up taking less damage: Firstly, you can try jumping. Very risky, as it has to be correctly timed in order to avoid damage. Also, it will cause you to fly in the air, therefore resulting in getting pushed off whatever platform you are on.

• Because of their high firepower at long ranges, it is a good idea to engage an Armor Chieftain in melee combat. Those armed with Fuel Rod Guns won't even fire their weapon when you are close enough to avoid splash damage.

• Even though they are impervious to Needler projectiles, a Chieftain will still attempt to dodge them by diving into cover. This may allow you to get close to an Armor Chieftain.

• A Shotgun or a Rocket Launcher are other ways to deal with Chieftains; however, be careful as they might activate their Invincibility and charge.

• Dual-wielded spikers should take it down, but you'll have to empty a full magazine from both weapons.

• An excellent way to kill a hammer-wielding Chieftain on any difficulty level is that when he's charging you, when he's not invincible, charge him as well and when he swings his Gravity hammer he should jump past you if you're close enough. Then you can turn around and assassinate him. Sticking his weapon with a grenade is another way.

• If it has activated it's invincibility, don't even try to confront him, just continue to elude him until it passes.

• if you shoot off a chieftain's helmet grenades will stick to them.

Trivia

• Early in the development of Halo 3, the Brute Chieftain was seen wielding an Energy Sword. This was probably taken out due to the fact that Brutes prefer Hammers over Swords.
• Occasionally, Hammer-wielding Chieftains will throw spike grenades at you when you are just out of striking distance but still close.
• Their Power Armor will not fall off when you shoot them or melee them, unlike other Brute ranks.
• The only way to stick them is if you throw a Plasma Grenade or a Spike Grenade on their weapon, which is an instant kill. Although, Firebombs will stick to them no matter where you throw it on them.
• If you kill a chieftain and take their Gravity Hammer and attack his or another pack of Brutes they will say "Who gave him a hammer?!?", "Recover the Hammer!!!", "Retrieve that damned Hammer!!!" or if you fight a grunt with it, they might say "Oh no! He's got a hammer!!!!!" and will try to run away. Also, if the IWHBYD skull on, they sometimes say "What fool gave that man a hammer?!?!?" or "Who do you think you are, Thor?" This is a reference to the god Thor, who used a powerful hammer. Coincidentally, the Master Chief's armor is named MJOLNIR, which is the name of Thor's hammer.
• When a Chieftain gets killed its tribe will then grieve the fallen Chieftain.
• It is possible for some Chieftains to berserk. Possibly from the removal of shields and the headdress, or provoking it to anger by staying alive while avoiding one. This may only be applicable to the Armor Chieftains, as the Weapon already has a Hammer and always charges. You will hear a weapon chieftain go berserk but there is no animation for it.
• In the level The Storm, an Armor Chieftain was seen carrying a Spiker in his pocket. It is possible to make him drop his Plasma Cannon and make him use the Spiker by letting him board your vehicle.
• If a Chieftain is transformed into a Flood combat form its armor will become that of a minor.
• Underneath the Chieftain Power Armor, they wear the same garments as the Brute Stalker
• In Halo 3: The Strategy Guide there is a mistake, in that there is an Armor chieftain wielding a gravity hammer. There are also images of a Weapons Chieftain wielding a Plasma Cannon and a Fuel Rod Gun.
• The berserking method in Halo 2 applies to the weapon chieftain in Halo 3.
• Oddly enough, even if you knock off a Brutes Chieftain's helmet, their heads cannot be stuck.
• The Chieftain is voiced by John DiMaggo, who also voiced Marcus Fenix in Gears of War and Bender in the animated T.V series Futurama.
• In the Halo 3 level Sierra 117, a chieftain is seen hanging onto the side of a phantom, in the clearing with a crashed pelican down the cliff. Oddly, this Chieftain can be stuck with Plasma Grenades, but shows no reaction to it, and is immune to the blast. The same cannot be said for the Grunt Heavy manning the Plasma Cannon next to him.
• For unknown reasons, when a Chieftain is infected by Flood before his death, his Gravity Hammer will disappear.
• It is possible to shoot off their helmets with a battle rifle, aim for the upper parts of the headdress.
• Weapon chieftains are the only AI or others in the game to melee with a Plasma Cannon
• Brute Chieftains can do amazing tricks that regular brutes can't do, such as jumping up into the air really high and then attempts to crush you from above, these attacks can be quite inaccurate, such as if your lucky enough you can make the Chieftain on the level The Storm jump outside the map. Be careful though, because the Chieftain can then jump out of nowhere and rain down on you or your allies.
• On the level The Ark at the end of the level where there are multiple brutes the weapon chieftain will say You and me here and now! while the rest of the pack watches. They wont attack while the chieftan is alive but shoot them or you kill the chieftain then they will come after you.
• Hammer class Chieftans were, intentionally, to wield the Fist of Rukt, but Bungie most likely cut that out and gave them the Gravity Hammer we all know. Probably because the Fist of Rukt was a unique weapon used by Tartarus during the events of Halo 2.

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  A Chieftain prototype from McFarlane Toys.

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  The current Brute Chieftain action figure for Halo 3.

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  A Halo 3 Chieftain equiped with a Gravity Hammer, similar to the Fist of Rukt, as seen in ViDoc: Et Tu, Brute?.

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  Tartarus the only Chieftain of Halo 2. It seems there is a very big difference from Halo 2 to Halo 3. Note the elaborate armor the Halo 3 Brutes carry than the Halo 2 one.

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  Close up

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  A Chieftain in ViDoc: Et Tu, Brute.