Template:Covenant Rank Infobox
The Stalker is a Brute (Jiralhanae) specialist rank.[1]
Description
Stalkers are easily identified by their gray colored armor that possess integrated circuitry for Cloaking in their Power Armor as well as their cyclops-like helmet with a bright red light emitting from their "eye". They often use Radar Jammers to confuse their enemies and are the main users of Incendiary Grenades. Their main weapon seems to be the Plasma Rifle, though occasionally they are armed with Spikers or Maulers.
It is unknown how Brutes are promoted to this rank (possibly the number of casualties they inflict like most others), but they are commonly seen acting as spies and bodyguards for Brute Chieftains. The Stalkers replaced the Stealth Elites (Spec Ops.) of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 after the Elites became Separatists from the Covenant.
Appearance
The Brute Stalker does not appear in Halo 2 but is featured in two Halo 3 levels: The Ark and The Covenant, as well as being prominently featured in Halo 3: ODST, where they roam the streets of New Mombasa in small groups. They use their Active Camouflage to protect their Chieftains. The armor is a dark gray and covers their legs. A large helmet hides their eyes and a red/orange light, possibly a laser sight, sits on the helmet front, but you can still see some of the matted fur. They are especially dangerous in ODST because of the generally dark conditions they are encountered in; though it becomes very easy to see them once VISR mode is toggled on.
Combat
Stalkers often employ Plasma Rifles, Spikers and Incendiary Grenades in battle. One Stalker Brute was seen using a Brute Shot on the Ark. The added advantage of their cloaking devices is balanced out by their below-average armor and health for a Brute; a Brute Stalker is about on par with a Brute Minor in terms of shielding strength and health. On Heroic difficulty it takes 24 assault rifle bullets to kill a Stalker; 8 shots to bring down their shield, and an addition 16 shots to kill them.
Once you spot the distinctive visual disruption caused by their Active Camouflage, use your weapon and melee them. They will be stunned and temporarily visible. Follow up with more melees until they're dead. Charging a Plasma Pistol and firing at the movement shimmers and it will usually strip their power armor, making them visible.
If the Brute goes berserk, dodge the physical attacks and finish off with a melee. On higher difficulties, it is advisable to use grenades, as they will blow their cover, and they can be quickly finished off by an automatic weapon. Watch for enemy fire and destroy any Radar Jammers you see deployed on the ground. Using the Power Drain will also strip their armor off, resulting in them being visible and having almost no shields. If the Stalker is standing on a glass floor, its feet should be visible. It is also effective to use a Spiker or Needler as the spikes are visible when stuck in the Brute. Defeating them is the easiest way to get incendiary grenades.
In ODST, fighting Stalkers is much more straightforward. You are able to see them as yellow outlines in VISR mode, however, the outline color matches that of the terrain outlines, so they can theoretically still blend in if you don't watch yourself. Like all Brutes in ODST, they also sport full energy shielding that can withstand twice as much damage from projectile weaponry compared to in Halo 3. Besides these differences, it's mostly the same. One last thing is that they don't seem to know that you can see them, they may stand out in the open thinking that their camouflage prevents you from seeing them. In reality, it just makes them a big target.
Trivia
- Todd McFarlane released an action figure of a Brute Stalker for its second series of action figures. It features two Spikers and a removable helmet.
- When combating Brute Stalkers, it is easier to spot them if you have your flashlight on.
- It is easier to spot a Brute Stalker by looking for its feet, as their cloaking reveals their feet more than any part of their body.
- Occasionally a Brute Stalker will drop a piece of equipment known as "Cloaking" which can be manually activated by the player, unlike Active Camouflage which activates upon acquiring.
- Stalkers are some of the only Brutes in Halo 3 that use plasma weapons, the others being the War Chieftains who occasionally wield Plasma Cannons, as well as Jump Pack Brutes. This also includes the Brutes who operate the plasma turret on the Brute Prowler. However, normal-ranking Brutes can be seen using Plasma Rifles, especially on the level Crow's Nest.
- On higher difficulties, a single Brute Stalker wielding a Brute Shot can be found at the second highest level of the Cartographer entrance on The Ark, just after defeating the Scarab.
- On the level The Covenant, the Brute Stalkers at the second tower guarding the Jiralhanae War Chieftain can be easily spotted by a glitch in which the player stands behind the glass wall right after arriving in the elevator which "cuts" their Active Camouflage in half where their bottom half is revealed and the rest of their body is camouflaged.
- If you look through a Brute Stalker with Active Camouflage at an Overshielded subject, any overshields will not appear. This may mean that the Active Camouflage technology is unable to mimic the energy waves of Overshields, or it could be a graphical error.
- In the official Halo 3 guide it states that there is a 'Brute Tracker'. No such Brute has been found, so it may be that they were cut from the game or are higher ranking Stalkers.