Sangheili Field Marshal

Sangheili Field Marshal
Function:	Field operations command
Ministry:	Ministry of Fervent Intercession
Other role(s):	Command of full-scale ground operations; Command of special forces strike teams (atypical);

"With this sacrament of blood we journey into the Divine Beyond."

— Sangheili Field Marshals' mantra.

Field Marshal is a very high Sangheili rank in the Covenant military.^[1]^[2] Field Marshals are part of the Zealot-class infantry subset,^[3] and as such serve under the authority of the Ministry of Fervent Intercession, unlike most Covenant military forces who report to the Ministry of Resolution.^[1]

Designation

Role

Field Marshals command large-scale ground forces in widespread field operations, such as in full-scale planetary invasions. Field Marshals outrank Generals, who are in command of specific groups of infantry; in some cases, a General may report directly to his Field Marshal.^[1] Field Marshals command ultimate authority on the battlefield, reporting directly to their fleet's Supreme Commander.^[3] Despite their important command position, they are frequently present on the front lines in areas of importance and directing operations from there, rather than from fortified positions or spacecraft.

Some Field Marshals lead small strike teams comprised of Zealots for operations that require both skill and precision. These operations are generally intended to search for and retrieve artifacts of value to their religion, or to eliminate targets to turn the tide of battles.^[4]^[5]

Appearance

The Sangheili Field Marshal's armor design is similar to that of most other Sangheili warriors. For example, the armor appears to be a combination of the Zealot's and the Sangheili General's in terms of aesthetics and overall design. The helmet is nearly identical to the Zealot helmet, save for two spike-like protrusions at the top of the helmet. The core body piece of the armor is identical to the Zealot armor. The shoulder pauldrons are almost identical in structure and shape to the General's, although the ornamentation is blue rather than yellow. The Field Marshal's armor has tones and hues of dark violets and blues. Overall, the Field Marshal's battle attire is less ceremonial and designed for optimum efficiency in battle, while still emulating the traditionally sleek battle armor worn by the Sangheili throughout the Ages.

Trivia

In Halo: Reach's Armory, the name of this rank is misspelled "Field Marshall". "Marshall" is a proper noun, typically used as a surname or as a masculine given name.^[6]^[7]
While only one Field Marshal is fought in-game during Halo: Reach's campaign, several sightings occur. The first Field Marshal is seen during a cutscene in Winter Contingency, though he escapes. Another Field Marshall is seen in the level New Alexandria's final cutscene, killing Catherine-B320 from a Phantom. The last Field Marshal encounter is at the end of the level The Pillar of Autumn, trying to prevent SPARTAN-B312 from manning the Onager. It is likely that these are all the same individual.
On the level ONI: Sword Base, a BOB wearing white-colored Sangheili armor appears when SPARTAN-B312 returns to Sword Base's courtyard. It has randomly generated armor, and it is possible for it to be wearing white-colored Field Marshal armor.
In Halo: Reach, the Field Marshal and Zealots are the only Sangheili classes that cannot be fought in Firefight.
The armor of a Sangheili Field Marshal is available as an armor permutation for Sangheili players who have reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in Halo: Reach. It is the last armor permutation an Elite character can receive.