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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 is optimized for speed and maneuverability, sacrificing other attributes to achieve its status. It has low weight and mass and is easily overturned, and its lack of armor makes it vulnerable to small arms fire, especially when directed against the exposed fuel tank mounted on its side. Ghost pilots rely solely on the armor they wear for protection; further, the lack of defense urges pilots to keep moving.
The high sloped nose makes the Ghost a challenging vehicle for short pilots as forward visibility is impeded.[1]
Ghosts can be transported to and from the battlefield by a variety of other craft, such as dropships.
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.
Later Ghosts have modified engines possessing a 'speed boost' feature that triples its speed. In this mode a Ghost can easily run down enemy infantry or evade more durable foes. As a trade-out, a Ghost's energy reserves are drained rapidly in this mode, and its energy weapons are disabled.[2] However, even with this feature, a Ghost still cannot match up to a Warthog's max speed. Judicious use of the speed boost can help prevent a Ghost from flipping over after skipping over a boulder or some other obstacle.
Weapons
Armament on the Ghost consisted of two, forward firing, 100-250 kW plasma cannons. These are the standard Covenant light vehicular weapons[3] The weapons are only accurate at short range but the Ghost's speed and maneuverability allow it to rapidly close the distance with most enemies. Nonetheless, the cannon are only effective against lightly protected targets, such as Warthogs, other Ghosts, and infantry.
In Halo: Combat Evolved the plasma cannon 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, and the other is a small drum or cylinder attached to the left side of the ghost. The cylinder is the fuel tank of the Ghost, and, if shot, will explode.
Trivia
- It is possible to pull a wheelie with a Ghost. 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.
- In Halo 2 when a ghost destroyed and the driving icon has disappeared, the ghost will, after about five seconds, whine and rumble, appropriately, as if it it were possessed. The Ghost will then explode, dealing high damage to anyone nearby, although the noise of the Ghost priming to explode serves to warn players.
Sources
- ^ In Halo: Combat Evolved Marine-piloted Ghosts can be seen frequently crashing into terrain or suffering other mishaps. In Halo 2, Marines pilot noticeably better, while it is the Grunts whose skills leave much to be desired.
- ^ Halo 2
- ^ Cite error: Invalid
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