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This Arbiter,[1], was a Covenant commander during the Second Battle of Harvest in 2531.
Biography
Before his appointment in 2524[2] (by Human reckoning), the Arbiter was once a regular soldier and an effective one at that. "Evil and angry" however, he was imprisoned for crimes against the Covenant, his penchant for violence too great even for his superiors' tastes. However, he was appointed to his new position, tasked with eradicating humanity.[3] He was tasked with this because the Hierarchs wanted a leader that didn't ask a lot of questions. Although the Second Battle of Harvest having concluded in the UNSC's favor, only "shadowy information" was retrieved on the Sangheili commander.[2] The Arbiter was present in Harvest's northern polar region, his task close to completion.[3] This involved overseeing excavations of a Forerunner relic. Dismissing concerns from his comrade Zealots, that the relic could be defiled by "the infection" (refering to the flood), he ordered that the relic be opened. Gathering useful information, the Arbiter alerted the Prophet of Regret to the situation, that the Humans were closing in on their location. Regret thus ordered that the Arbiter return to the Covenant and destroy the relic, the Arbiter bowing to the Hierarch's orders despite his initial objections. [4]
In-Game Information
Abilities
- Defiant Rage - recieve additional health for damage inflicted.
- Spiteful Rage - ability costs less resources.
- Blinding Rage - increases the Arbiter's and the Covenant's attack power.
- Additionally, the Arbiter can also summon Suicide Grunts.
Upgrades
- Fiendish Return - allows the Arbiter to reflect attacks back at the enemy.
- Vicious Blades - increases damage inflicted by the Arbiter.
- Ghastly Vision - increases Fiendish Return reflection, but also equips the Arbiter with active camouflage.
Trivia
- The Arbiter appears as a Hero Unit in Halo Wars, with a special ability called "Rage mode," which allows him to kill several nearby enemies with dual Energy Swords.[5]
- Out of all the Arbiters that served the Covenant, only four have been mentioned, this Arbiter will be the second one to be seen on-screen.
- As an apparent Easter Egg, hint text in the Halo Wars demo claims, "Few people know that the Arbiter's given name is Shirley." This briefly caused controversy among Halo fans.
Images
- The Arbiter overseeing an operation.png
The Arbiter overseeing an operation.
- Arbiter & Zealot.jpg
The Arbiter and a Zealot.
- HalowarsBoardingAction.jpg
The Arbiter in-game seen dual wielding two energy swords, in "Rage" mode.
- Vlcsnap-126689.png
- Vlcsnap-126257.png
The Arbiter, talking to the Prophet of Regret.
- HW13.png
The Arbiter letting out a battle cry.
- HW3.png
The Arbiter, with Ellen Anders as a hostage, confronts Sergeant Forge.
Sources
- ^ Halo Wars Demo
- ^ a b Halo Wars Collectors Edition Leader Cards.
- ^ a b E3 2008: Five Long Years Cinematic part 2. Halo Wars Movies. Accessed on 2008-16-12
- ^ 2008-04-11, TGS08: Halo Wars Gameplay Presentation. Gamereactor TV. Accessed on 2008-16-12
- ^ 2009-01-12, New Halo Wars screens: The Flood, Arbiter, Spartans revealed. Gamepro. Accessed on 2009-01-14