Zurdo-pattern Wraith/Gameplay

General tips

Campaign

• The Wraith's mortar is extremely powerful and will severely damage anything it hits. However, it is slow to reload, so you do have time between shots to score some big hits of your own. Because of the Wraith’s thick armor, a rocket launcher is an ideal weapon against the tank. Fuel Rod Guns and Spartan Lasers will also do adequately. If you don't have an anti-vehicle weapon of any form, jump in a Covenant Banshee or Ghost and spam plasma fire at the Wraith until it falls. A player can also destroy a Wraith with a few well-thrown Plasma Grenades. Keep some distance as well; the mortar shots are easier to avoid when they're lobbed at far-away targets.
• In Halo 2, two small automatic plasma cannons on the Wraith’s hood offer additional protection against nearby infantry. If, however, you manage to evade these and jump on the vehicle, you can assault the driver with melee attacks.
• On higher difficulties in Halo 2, throwing grenades into the back will not destroy the Wraith, but will kill the enemy driving it after a few explosions. This is more effective compared with punching the driver at the front, as it requires less time.
• A good way to take out the Wraith, although risky, is to utilize a Warthog. With a gunner, drive in a circle around the Wraith, and try to get behind it to the vulnerable rear armor. This is especially effective if the Hog you are driving is either the Gauss or Rocket variation.
• In Halo: Reach and Halo 4 the player can commandeer the Wraith by killing its gunner and operating the plasma turret, rather than boarding the vehicle. The driver will then exit the vehicle and can be killed by the player. This allows the player to commandeer the Wraith intact, without damaging it.
• When squaring off against a Wraith in Halo Reach, it is good to use the evade, sprint, or armor lock armor abilities. Jetpack can also be useful, since the Wraith's mortar is less effective against flying targets.

Multiplayer

• If you manage to get close to it you can board the Wraith and throw a grenade in the cockpit or engine structure, which will completely destroy the tank. An alternative is to beat the driver out without destroying the tank, which instead renders it operational, though this comes at a risk; another player can shoot you off the Wraith.
• The Wraith has different armor strengths at different points on their body. Aim the rocket launcher high up at the face of the tank near the mortar cannon. The bottom-front section of the tank is the strongest point. The tank's rear is also the weakest point on the entire vehicle. If you aim at the right spot you'll save a rocket or two.
• When using the Wraith, it fires better on a vantage point rather then upwards. It does best at closer range eliminating smaller vehicles.

Halo: Combat Evolved

Introduced in Halo: Combat Evolved, the Wraith tank first appears as a stationary scenery object on the level The Truth and Reconciliation inside a CCS-class battlecruiser, and then on Assault on the Control Room as an active vehicle, although the player is not able to drive the tank at all in the game. This version of the Wraith has no anti-personnel weapons, and the visual design encompasses a more purple color scheme than later versions, the mortar design is also different from other games looking more like a tube, rather than the plasma emitter itself. On Normal difficulty, the Wraith can survive about two to three direct rocket hits before being destroyed. While formidable, it is not without weaknesses. Wraiths can be flipped, knocking the Sangheili driver out of the vehicle and rendering it useless. Just like the Ghost in Halo: Combat Evolved, the Wraith floats noticeably higher above the ground than it does in subsequent games.

Halo 2

In Halo 2, the Wraith received a graphical overhaul and its color scheme is more of a blueish color and is now drivable by the player. In addition, the Wraith now has two weapons: the standard plasma mortar and two automated plasma cannons. However, the player cannot utilize these turrets themselves, meaning that the Wraith is somewhat less effective in the player's hands. The turrets auto-target any enemy within range, making boarding a Wraith more difficult. Additionally, when a player boards a Wraith, they must wait a few second delay before being able to fire the Wraith's plasma mortar. The Wraith also includes a boost drive, capable of tripling the tank's speed for about one second and requires five seconds to recharge. Though this can be used to travel faster, it is commonly used to run over enemies who are getting too close and is extremely effective due to the Wraiths reverse speed being identical to a Spartan's or an Elite's running speed.

Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST

Features include visible lights, increased speed and a more accurate line of fire. However, the exposed exhaust port represents an extremely vulnerable spot in the armor, making it possible for the first time to destroy a Wraith with melee attacks from behind the tank with no direct melee attacks to the driver. A strong hit to the core after removing its cover causes a violent chain reaction of explosions. The tank has a subtle greenish shine to it and an embedded latticework that glimmers in the light. The most dramatic design change added an exposed topside gunnery position with a 270° view, allowing for better defense against enemy infantry and boarders. Boarding is made more difficult in that now boarders have both a pilot, and gunner to kill before gaining control of the vehicle. The boost feature is no longer as effective taking longer for the vehicle to achieve its optimum boost speed, although having the same top speed as its Halo 2 counterpart, the tank has difficulty traversing high angles and its reversing capability is often inadequate. If boarded from behind or on the front of the cockpit the driver cannot exit the vehicle, another difference from the Halo 2 version.

Halo Wars

Main Covenant battle tank with good speed and excellent range. Armed with plasma mortar and turret. Requires 350 resources and a tech level of 1. Takes up 3 population. Upgrades include:

1. Heavy Shield - Adds energy shield which deflects some incoming damage. 200 resources and a tech level of 1.
2. Scorch - Special attack leaves a bubbling plasma splash on the ground for added damage. 400 resources and a tech level of 2.
3. Plasma Modulator - Large boost to plasma mortar damage. 700 resources and a tech level of 3.

Halo: Reach

The Wraith in Halo: Reach received a visual upgrade and is a much more green-blue in color, with a greater iridescent sheen, and a larger, more electrically charged shot. It appears to be much stronger in terms of firepower and armor, being able to destroy Scorpions in single accurate hits, and the arc of its shot is greatly reduced and is slightly faster, making it a far more deadly vehicle. However, its plasma turret now overheats like all turrets. The Wraith's plasma mortar can also be destroyed, rendering the Wraith useless. Grunts are now the main operators of the plasma turret in Campaign and Firefight, which greatly simplifies matters for players as they are much easier to kill than Halo 3's Brute gunners. Whenever a wraith is hit with a Plasma Pistol's EMP shot, the Wraith's plasma mortar will fold closed and be temporarily disabled. Because of the game's revamped physics engine, a Wraith boosting into other (smaller) vehicles will destroy them.

Halo 4

In Halo 4, the mortar arcs a lot more. They are also a red color, closely resembling the mortar shots fired by the Type-48 Revenant. Once again, Elites are often seen manning turrets. It is also impossible to hijack a Wraith by boarding it and pummeling the driver, as the Wraith itself will be destroyed in the process. Instead, one has to kill the driver through other means, such as with a Sniper Rifle or meleeing the driver after jumping on or getting in the gunner seat like in Halo: Reach.

Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike

In Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike, the Wraith can be boarded from the side. The boarding is easier in the mainline games and will not deal any damage to the Wraith itself as the driver will come out and the player character will kill the driver in just one punch, then be able to drive the Wraith. The Wraith has two attack functions; turret and mortar. The turret function is used by pulling the trigger while the mortar is used similarly to the grenade function, allowing the player to see the target of the projectile. It deals 1/3 damage to enemy vehicles except for Ghosts, which require two direct shots to destroy, and Grizzlies, which need around five to six shots to destroy. It requires only one shot to destroy vehicle wreckage, while Ghost wreckage can be destroyed simply by running it over. When hijacking, both vehicle and player will be invulnerable until the process is completed. When the Wraith sustain heavy damage (Below 33%), the driver will force themself out from Wraith and player can commandeer it. Note that destroying Wraith before the driver is successfully out from vehicle, you will not earn double kill medal. Due to game mechanics, slightest splatter can instantly kill player and enemies.

Halo 2: Anniversary

In Halo 2: Anniversary, the mortar returns to the blue coloring. Like the original Halo 2 version the Wraith lacks a gunner seat, instead having two unusable plasma cannons.

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Halo Wars 2

Wraith

• Info: Core Tank, Heavy damage, Long range
• Tier: 3
• Cost: Population 6, Supplies 550, Power 75
• Wraith upgrade:
  • Scorch Mortar
  • Info: New ability, Shots continue to cause damage after impact.
  • Tier: 3
  • Cost: Supplies 0, Power 850

Wraiths can be built at the Foundry by all Banished leaders. Unlike its Covenant counterpart from Halo Wars, the Banished Wraith in Halo Wars 2 starts off with an energy shield by default. Wraiths do well against infantry and vehicles, and okay against aircraft and structures. In Blitz Wraiths cost 110 energy, Ironclad Wraiths cost 140 energy, and Terror Wraiths cost 150 energy. Ironclad Wraiths agro all nearby damage from enemy units and Terror Wraiths reduce enemy units armor.

Wraith Invader

• Info: Mobile Garrison, Can transport infantry, Infantry can fire from within, Equipped with powerful leeching beam.
• Tier: 1
• Cost: Population 4, Supplies 380, Power 100
• Wraith Invader upgrade:
  • Carrier Overdrive
  • Info: Increased weapon range and damage, Increases shield capacity.
  • Tier: 3
  • Cost: Supplies 0, Power 600

Wraith Invaders are exclusive to Pavium and can be made at the Outpost once the leader power has unlocked them. Like the Banished Phantom the Wraith Invader primarily serves as a troop transport for 3 infantry squads. In Blitz Wraith Invaders cost 100 energy.