Sangheili Field Marshal

Sangheili Field Marshal
Function:	Field operations command
Species:	Sangheili
Affiliation:	Covenant
Ministry:	Ministry of Fervent Intercession
Other role(s):	Command of full-scale ground operations; Command of special forces strike teams (atypical);

"With this sacrament of blood, we journey into the Divine Beyond."

— Sangheili Field Marshal's mantra.

Field Marshal is a high Sangheili rank within the Zealot order.^[1]^[2] As Zealots,^[3] Field Marshals formerly served under the authority of the Ministry of Fervent Intercession, unlike most Covenant military forces who reported to the Ministry of Resolution.^[1]

Designation

Role

Field Marshals command large-scale ground forces in widespread field operations, such as in full-scale planetary invasions. Field Marshals outrank Generals, who command particular regiments of ground forces; in some cases, a General may report directly to his Field Marshal.^[1] Field Marshals command ultimate authority on the battlefield, reporting directly to their fleet's Supreme Commander.^[3] Despite their important command position, they are frequently present on the front lines in areas of importance and directing operations from there, rather than from fortified positions or spacecraft.

Some Field Marshals lead small strike teams composed of lower-ranking Zealots for operations that require both skill and precision. These operations are generally intended to search for and retrieve artifacts of value to their religion, or to eliminate targets to turn the tide of battles.^[4]^[5] In general however Field Marshals were considered the direct agents of the fleet Supreme Commander and held oversight over multiple legions. ^[6]

Appearance

The Sangheili Field Marshal's armor design is similar to that of most other Sangheili warriors. For example, the armor resembles a combination of the Zealot's and the Sangheili General's. The helmet is nearly identical to the Zealot helmet, save for two spike-like protrusions at the top of the helmet. The core body piece of the armor is identical to the Zealot armor. The shoulder pauldrons are almost identical in structure and shape to the General's, although the ornamentation is blue rather than yellow. The Field Marshal's armor has tones and hues of dark violets and blues.

In-game information

Halo: Reach

Unlock: Achieve Lt. Colonel.
Description: "With this sacrament of blood we journey into the Divine Beyond."

Trivia

In Halo: Reach's Armory, the name of this rank is misspelled "Field Marshall". "Marshall" is a proper noun, typically used as a surname or as a masculine given name.^[7]^[8]
While only one Field Marshal is fought in-game during Halo: Reach's campaign, several sightings occur. The first encounter is at the end of Winter Contingency where the Marshal confronts Noble Team, though he quickly retreats upon being outnumbered. The second sighting is during New Alexandria's final cutscene, killing Catherine-B320 from a Phantom. The only in-game Field Marshal encounter is at the end of the level The Pillar of Autumn, trying to prevent SPARTAN-B312 from manning the mass driver. Finally, during the finale of Lone Wolf, a Zealot steps in front of the camera and ignites his Energy Sword as Noble Six is finally stricken down; while the Zealot's full body is obscured off-screen, it's implied this is another Field Marshal.
The Field Marshal is one of two enemies in Reach capable of switching weapons, along with the Zealot fought in Tip of the Spear. He is equipped with a fuel rod cannon and when his shields are depleted he will switch to an energy sword.
In Halo: Reach, the Field Marshal and Zealots are the only Sangheili classes that cannot be fought in Firefight.