M831 Troop Transport Warthog

The M831 Troop Transport (acronym M831 TT), more commonly known as the Troop Transport, is a United Nations Space Command ground vehicle.

History

Halo 2

File:H2 Warthog Concepts.jpg

A regular Warthog along with several unused variant Warthogs from Halo 2, including the Troop Transport.

This vehicle was originally slated to be in Halo 2 along with two other Warthog variants, the Snow Warthog and the Jungle Warthog. Time constraints prevented Bungie from adding it to the game; the only new variant that made it into Halo 2 was the M12G1 LAAV "Gauss" Warthog. In Halo 2, the Troop Transport Warthog's personnel compartment seems to use a roll cage with roll bars similar to that of modern vehicles. A variant of the "Snow Hog" was later put into Halo 3's Avalanche map, from the Legendary Map Pack, although without the caterpillar tracks and sealed compartment.

Halo 3

The M831 TT Warthog was sighted in the Halo 3 E3 2007 Trailer, and its presence and naming were confirmed in the leaked scans of the August 2007 issue of the EGM Magazine. In the final game, it can be spotted in multiple levels, including Tsavo Highway and The Storm.

It contains neither a M41 LAAG, a 102mm SC-HE Rocket Turret, or a M68 Gauss Cannon. Instead, the M831 TT has room for several personnel in the rear section along with one driver and a passenger in the front seat. The Troop Transport relies on its passengers for defense and offense. Because of this, it is normally considered far less powerful than its counterparts. The usage of a troop compartment instead of a turret is both an advantage and a disadvantage: more allies will die should the vehicle be destroyed, but multiple targets can be counterattacked at the same time (albeit with less overall force). Also, its roll cage appears to be made of several metal beams, unlike normal roll cages.

Tactics

• This vehicle has practically no offensive capability other than the ability to run over enemies, and whatever firepower its passengers have at their disposal. However, in Tsavo Highway, it is possible to arm every Marine riding your 'Hog with a Fuel Rod Gun. The fact that each Marine has infinite ammo and a 360-degree arc of fire makes a Troop Transport Hog very effective when engaging Wraiths.
• On The Storm, the Troop Transport Warthog found in the first lakebed area can be carried through to the next traxus factory, where there is a rack of rocket launchers that you can give to the Marines. This is helpful against the Anti-Air Wraiths and the Scarab.

Trivia

File:Troop Transport Warthog.jpg

Troop Transport Warthog on "The Pit" multiplayer level.

• It is commonly confused with the Warthog Armored Personnel Carrier, an improvised United Rebel Front vehicle with an armored cab attached between the front and rear ends of the standard Warthog, giving many extra seats. This has only appeared in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, and in some maps in Halo Custom Edition.
• In Halo 3, only three NPCs can sit in the carriage seats, though it looks as if it can fit more instead. In addition, players cannot use the back seats, leaving only two seats usable by players.
• On the Halo 3 multiplayer level The Pit, a Troop Transport Warthog rests outside the level boundaries. A player can spawn a Grav Lift in Forge and use it to push the 'Hog into the level; however, only the Connection Host can drive it.
• You can actually get the Marines out of the back seats even though you yourself cannot sit back there. Simply walk to a Marine and aim at them; when the reticule turns green, press RB, and they will jump out.
• There are several reasons why this vehicle was not added to Multiplayer:
  1. As mentioned above, only the front seats are usable by players. The three additional seats in the back are only usable by NPCs.
  2. The ability to have five players in the vehicle at once would allow too many members of a team to be transported quickly across a map. Also, it would provide easy multiple-kills for enemy players, turning the vehicle into "a Killtacular on wheels".
• Despite being the same size as normal marines, players cannot enter the rear seats in Halo 3: ODST. This may have been overlooked by Bungie or simply done for gameplay reasons.