Karo'etba-pattern Ghost

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A Marine pilots a Ghost as seen in Halo 1.

The Ghost as depicted Halo 2.

The Ghost as depicted Halo 3.

The Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle, otherwise known as the Ghost, is the Covenant's standard reconnaissance and rapid attack vehicle. It is equipped with two of what are now accepted as the standard light vehicle mounted weapons: a directed energy weapon capable of projecting a bolt of super-heated plasma in the 100-250 kW range.

Overview

The design of the Ghost is optimized for speed, agility and maneuverability, sacrificing other attributes to achieve its status as a rapid response and reconnaissance vehicle. The Ghost has seating for a single pilot. It's low weight coupled with it's nature as an anti-gravity vehicle means that it is easily overturned by collisions or shockwaves from near explosions.

In order to achieve the great speeds it is famous for the Ghost has thin armor. This makes it vulnerable to small arms fire. Ghost pilots rely on the armor and shielding they wear for protection; further, the lack of defense urges pilots to stay mobile. It's open topped design, although reducing weight, leaves the pilot open to the elements and incoming enemy fire.

Seemingly designed with Elite and Brute pilots in mind the front cowling does restrict the view of shorter species as forward visibility is impeded.

Ghosts can be transported to and from the battlefield by a variety of craft, such as Spirit and Phantom dropships. Allowing great tactical flexibility for Covenant ground force commanders in getting fast, hard hitting vehicles to harass enemy infantry formations within a short time.

Propulsion

A Ghost's propulsion is provided by a form of anti-gravity engine known as a Boosted Gravity Drive, causing the Ghost to skim about half a meter above the ground while it is activated. This drive is visible as a bright, fluorescent area of purple energy emanating from the underside of the Ghost.

Later Ghosts have modified engines possessing a 'speed boost' feature that triples its speed allowing for periods of greater velocity but compromised maneuverability. This allows Ghost pilots to enter and leave combat zones rapidly. In this mode a Ghost can easily run down enemy infantry or evade more durable foes. As a trade-off, a Ghost's energy reserves are drained rapidly in this mode, and its energy weapons are disabled. Leaving the vehicle and its exposed occupant vulnerable, speed is now the only means of defense. Judicious use of the speed boost can help prevent a Ghost from flipping over after skipping over a boulder or other obstacle.

File:Halo3ghostsnowbound.jpg

A ghost on Snowbound in the Halo 3 beta

Weapons

Armament on the Ghost consisted of two, forward firing, 100-250 kW plasma cannons. These are standard Covenant light vehicular weapons They are only accurate over short to moderate ranges but the Ghost's speed and maneuverability allow it to rapidly close the distance with most enemies. After taking significant punishment these weapons' accuracy is severely impaired, hampering the vehicles effectiveness as an offensive weapon. Nonetheless, the cannon are only effective against lightly protected targets, such as Warthogs, Mongoose other Ghosts, and infantry.

In Halo: Combat Evolved the plasma cannons could Stun enemy players in Multiplayer.

Weakness

The Ghost is a superior transportation machine, however, there are two especially vulnerable areas. One is the pilot of the Ghost, which is left exposed by the craft's open-topped design. The other is a small drum or cylinder attached to the left side of the vehicle. The cylinder is the fuel tank of the Ghost, and, if one shot from a Sniper Rifle hits it, it will detonate taking the vehicle and occupant with it.

Critical Damage Reaction

Once sufficient damage is dealt to a Ghost and it is no longer operational what is left of the vehicle will remain motionless on the ground for several seconds. After this period of time those nearby will hear whining noises coming from the downed Ghost. These will increase in tone, pitch and frequency and the Ghost will begin to rock around of its own accord. After another few seconds movement will stop and the vehicle will detonate in a large, dangerous explosion that can kill unwitting individuals close to it.

This may be the Ghost's power source overloading as a result of extensive damage. The unaided movement could be caused by the Boosted Gravity Drive switching on and off as the vehicle overloads. It could likewise be the result of some form of 'dead man switch' akin to that of the Fuel Rod Gun in Halo: Combat Evolved. A method of ensuring the vehicle is not salvaged from the battlefield by the Covenants enemies.

Countering Techniques

If you see a ghost coming towards you at full speed, crouch, if you're lucky the ghost will go over you without killing you. If the ghost hasn't seen you, use a Pistol or Sniper Rifle and aim for the head. Another option is to simply use a heavy weapon like a Fuel Rod Gun or Rocket Launcher and blast away if they're heading toward you or standing still. If you have a Gravity Hammer, wait until the enemy is within range, then use it. If done correctly, it will destroy the Ghost.

Equivalents

• M274 Mongoose ULATV - UNSC equivalent
• Type-25 Rapid Assault Vehicle - Covenant Loyalist equivalent

Trivia

• It is possible to pull a wheelie with a Ghost which can be done in all three games. Simply press and hold 'A' on the Xbox version or the Space Bar in Halo PC while moving. Employing the air brake lifts up the nose. It is advised to do this while doing a jump, as you are less likely to flip.
• The Ghost's appearance evolved noticeably between the pre-release and final versions of Halo: Combat Evolved.
• The Ghost bears a striking resemblance to the large sea creature the manta ray. Its side wings look just like pectoral fins, while the twin plasma cannons take after the large, distinctive cephalic fins.
• Another trick with the A button is possible only in Halo 2 and possibly in Halo 3. Holding A while using the boost feature allows the driver to turn more easily, making for speedy getaways with tight cornering. It should be noted the Ghost often flips more easily when this trick is used.
• The viewscreen on the Ghost highlights terrain as blue and vehicles as red-orange, much like thermal vision.

Related Links

• Brute Chopper - Brute equivalent of the Ghost
• Mongoose - UNSC equivalent of the Ghost