Background
The Mark VI MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armour/EOD variant [1], more commonly known as Explosive Ordnance Disposal Armour, and abbreviated as EOD Armour, is a type of United Nations Space Command body armor. It is first seen in Halo 3 multiplayer.
Introduction
The EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) is a variant of the standard Mark VI MJOLNIR powered assault armour. It is an armor permutation in Halo 3 multiplayer. Bungie has confirmed that neither this nor any other armour permutation has an effect on gameplay.
Development and History
The MJOLNIR/EOD variant was created at UNSC Damascus Materials Testing Facility facility on Chi Ceti 4. The helmet was designed to channel the pressure wave of an accidental detonation around the user's head, significantly reducing the likelihood of decapitation in the event of an explosion. The MJOLNIR/EOD variant's pauldrons and chest plate were designed specifically to reduce the number of grabbing edges on the armour, decreasing the likelihood of dismemberment, and protecting Spartans during operations involving the handling of explosive ordnance [e.g., clearing/planting land mines, demolishing enemy structures/material and, or planting/defusing bombs].
Characteristics
Helmet Characteristics
The helmet is mostly squared off with two separate eyepieces, rather than a visor. They are more akin to a pair of goggles unlike the other MJOLNIR armour variants that are visor-adorned. In actual combat, this would highly increase protection to the face but also reduce the field of vision considerably. The helmet also has a single plate over the nose and mouth and a pair of rectangular objects along each cheek, assumed to be jowls protecters or lengthy re-breathers.
Shoulder Characteristics
The shoulders are large and rounded. They have been optimized for EOD missions and are designed to decrease the chances of dismemberment if the wearer is caught in a blast.
Chest Characteristics
The chest plate is a rough angular shape, designed along the same lines as many anti mine vehicles, designed so that shrapnel is directed away from the body and to the sides. The EOD chest plate also bears a very striking resemblance to the armour design of the MJOLNIR Mark V armour’s chest plate (from Halo: Combat Evolved.) Because of this, many players use it in conjunction with the Mark V helmet and Mark VI shoulders to create an accurate replica of the original Mark V armour from Halo: Combat Evolved.
Unlock
- Head: Unlock the Campaign Complete: Legendary achievement.
- Shoulders: Complete The Ark on Legendary difficulty.
- Chest: Complete Tsavo Highway on Legendary difficulty.
Gallery
The original render of the helmet.
Trivia
- The EOD helmet is the only helmet with two visors, one for each eye.
- The EOD helmet shares similarities with several different helmets from other fictional games and/or universes. Aside from being similar to a gas mask, it has a resemblance to the Storm Trooper, Dark Trooper, and Galactic Marine helmets from Star Wars, along with Darth Vader's helmet. It is also similar to Helghast soldiers in the game Killzone and the COG Soldiers in the game Gears of War, and it bears a slight resemblance to the Combine Overwatch soldiers from the game Half-life 2. The Level 6 Suit, from the survival horror game Dead Space, has a helmet that bears a strong resemblance to the EOD helmet. The helmet and shoulders largely resemble the helmet and shoulder pads of the Space Marines from Warhammer 40,000 as well. The helmet is also similar to the Mendel-Gruman soldiers in the video game, Turok.
- The Meta in Red vs. Blue: Reconstruction wears an EOD shoulder pad on his right shoulder.
- Bungie holds their own fan made images of EOD helmet with glowing red eyes instead of yellow.