Rank
They are effectively equal to the UNSC Private. Donning a turquoise shield on their right arm, they occasionally lead a few Grunts into battle. However, they will retreat if their shield is depleted. They command Major Grunts, Gunner Grunts, SpecOps Grunts, and Ultra Grunts, so they usually jump out of Spirits or Phantoms first. Like Grunts, they are low- ranking in the covenant hierarchy, and considered inferior to Brutes, Elites and Hunters.
Combat
Minor Jackals always carry Plasma Pistols. They tend to overcharge the pistols, and use their shields to block enemy fire. The best way to kill them is to use a Frag Grenade, but you can use a Pistol, Battle Rifle, Sniper Rifle or any precision weapon, so that you can aim for places on their bodies not protected by shields if you're a good marksman. (Specifically the shield flank, where the hand is.) Note an overcharged Plasma Pistol will destroy their shields as well, but it will recharge eventually. Meleeing them is also effective, but risky and not advisable on higher difficulty settings.
Like all Jackals, except for sniper Jackals, Minor Jackals carry energy shields. They are vulnerable to the Plasma Pistol or Plasma Rifle. One Shotgun hit to their frail body kills them.
Appearances
They seem to not like boarding UNSC ships, because they are never seen in levels concerning them. Minors simply love to bombard you on the ground, however. Ironically, they are the Arbiter's allies only on the level Sacred Icon, in which they accompany the Arbiter on a mission to recover a "sacred relic",Installation 05 's Activation Index ; Kig-yar are typically not true followers of the Covenant's religion.
Like Grunts, the Kig-Yar are commonly seen.