BOB

A BOB armed with a Fuel Rod Gun on Tip of the Spear.

The BOB is a special type of enemy encountered in Halo: Reach.

Description

The BOBs usually take the form of yellow/gold-armored Sangheili Rangers. However, they have been known to take several forms, including white-armored Rangers or Banshees with infinite boost. The white-armored BOBs always dual-wield plasma rifles, regardless of rank. The yellow/gold-armored Ranger class BOBs, on the other hand, have been seen with plasma rifles, plasma repeaters, concussion rifles, fuel rod guns, and even energy swords. The BOBs' energy shields have the same strength of an Elite General.

Each BOB has a set time limit before it vanishes. For some BOBs, this time frame begins as soon as it is alerted to the player's presence. For others, the countdown begins once the player enters a certain area, thus it is possible for the player to miss the BOB entirely if it is not spotted. When the limit is reached, the BOB activates active camouflage and disappears completely.

Killing one of the BOBs will reward the player the "Seek and Destroy" medal.^[1] However, the medal can only be viewed on Bungie.net. In the post-game carnage report, the BOB is referred to as a "Elite light vehicle". On Bungie.net and Halo Waypoint, their description is simply "Wipe them out."

The name "BOB" is a reference to Bungie's Marathon video game series. All human characters in the series, besides the player, are known as "BOBs". "BOB" is an acronym for "Born on Board", a reference to the characters having lived their entire lives onboard the titular colony ship.

BOBs are considered Easter eggs, and thus have no canonical explanation in the storyline. The Halo Waypoint Universe article for the Sangheili titles the image of a gold-armored BOB as a "Sangheili Ranger Commander", suggesting that such a rank exists in the fiction even if their role in the game is non-canonical.^[2]

Appearances

Winter Contingency

Weapon: Plasma repeater, Concussion rifle (on Legendary)
Rally Point Alpha:
- While looking for 3 Charlie, the player will find 3 different buildings, the first building is the one where the player cannot find 3 Charlie, it has 3 spawn point for the BOB, one for every small section of the place.
- The second building is located next to the river, it has 2 spawn points, one inside a basement with a broken wall and another next to the dead army troopers inside the building.
- The third building is located near the broken bridge, it has 2 spawn points, one on the dark building, next to the window, the other one is next to the dead civilians.

ONI: Sword Base

Weapon: Dual-wielding Plasma rifle
Rally Point Bravo:
- Just before fighting the Hunters inside the base's garage, a random armored white Elite can be seen in the courtyard.
- Inside the base, on the fourth floor, a random armored White Elite can be found.

Nightfall

Weapon: Plasma rifle
Mission start:
- A golden Elite ranger can be seen on the broken bridge where the dead militia is.
Rally Point Alpha:
- One can be found on top of the smallest building on the settlement.
Rally Point Bravo:
- One spawns next to dead militia soldiers on the bridge. After it spawns it will go to a rooftop and will stay there.

Tip of the Spear

Weapon: Concussion rifle (first two), Fuel Rod Gun (Last three)
Mission start:
- When heading to the first AA Cannon, one can be found on the hill at the far left of the gun.
Rally Point Alpha:
- After dropping down to the second AA gun location, a BOB can be found at the opposite side, near the Wraith. Although, the coding for this particular BOB doesn't trigger properly, and can only be spawned trough complex glitching.
Rally Point Bravo:
- One in front the crash site in the rocks.
- One on a cave at the far left of the crash site.
- One at the place where Bravo Generator is located on Invasion.

Long Night of Solace

Weapon: Plasma rifle^[3]
Mission start:
- A pod with a BOB inside can land on 3 random places. The first one is in front of the facility, over the small hill; the second one in almost the same place, but it will land near the human barricades; and the third one will land next to the platform where the Wraith can be found.^[3]
Rally Point Bravo:
- One can be found on the main controls of the corvette on the bridge.
- One can be found when the player returns to the Hangar to defend the Pelican, on the top floor.

Exodus

Weapon: Banshee
Rally Point Alpha
- When heading to the extraction point, a BOB piloting a Banshee will spawn near the docks and fly over the highest bridge.
Rally Point Bravo:
- Just when the chapter starts, a BOB piloting a Banshee will spawn at the far right of the tower and will fly over the extraction point.
- Another one can be found while clearing the beach at the end of the mission if the player is near the bridge.

New Alexandria

Weapon: Banshee
Mission Start:
- If the first objective is not Club Errera, at exactly 5 minutes into the game a BOB-piloting Banshee can spawn on 5 random locations:

Nomolos tower, heading to the sea.
Nomolos tower heading to the glassed area.
Near the Hospital heading to the sea.
Near the Hospital heading to the glassed area.

The Package

Weapon: Concussion rifle
Rally Point Alpha:
- One can be found on the courtyard.
- One can be found inside the base atrium, next to the Datapad.
Rally Point Bravo:
- On the final wave, a Phantom will drop one near the cliff.

The Pillar of Autumn

Weapon: Concussion rifle
Rally Point Alpha:
- One will spawn at the far right of the area where a large battle is being fought under the UNSC Commonwealth, and is almost impossible to sprint where it is without getting it to despawn. The Spartan Laser found as you enter the area should be used.
- One will spawn in the garage on the next zone, exactly where the Scorpion spawns in Invasion.

Lone Wolf

Weapon: Energy Sword
Mission Start:
- If the player manages to survive until the generals start spawning, a BOB will spawn on the open area at the left of the mission start.

Trivia

There are 7 spawn points for BOBs on the level Winter Contingency, referencing Bungie's favourite number.
On page 384 of the Halo: Reach Official Strategy Guide, there is a list of enemy point values. In this list, there is an enemy called a "Daily Challenge Elite", which has the same point value of a BOB (200 on Normal difficulty).
There are Daily Challenges awarded for killing a Golden Ranger-class Elite, including "What's Up Bob?", "If It Bleeds...", and "Golden Opportunity."
Banshee BOBs have no pilot, and do not award a Seek and Destroy medal, but they are considered BOBs for the daily challenge "Golden Tree City". To know where the BOB Banshee is, look for a very fast Banshee which avoids battle. In addition, its engines are always lit.
The page about Sangheili Rangers in the Halo: The Essential Visual Guide has a BOB as its profile image beside the main summary.
Sometimes if you manage to assasinate a BOB, the timer will run out, but your player will continue the assassination animations, resulting in an interesting show.
On the Sangheili species page gallery on Halo Waypoint, a BOB is identified as a "Ranger Commander".^[4]