Jiralhanae armor

The Jiralhanae employ a wide variety of armor systems both in and out of active combat. Jiralhanae are rarely, if ever, seen out of armor.

Overview

Jiralhanae armor is very diverse, varying by warrior, Pack, and Skein. Common aesthetic features are rivet-like bumps, ornate crests, and jagged protrusions. Brutes of the Rh'tol skein typically don little armor, mainly consisting of a small helm and two shoulder pauldrons.^[1]^[2] More extensive armor systems, used by the later Covenant and Banished, consist of thick metal plates, layered over diamond scales and padded cloth undersuits.^[3]^[4] The Jiralhanae Chieftain's standard armor is a unique, heavy black-and-red power armor, with pipes connecting the back to the neck, and an ornate crest upon their helm. War Chieftains wear similar armor, colored deep bronze, with a thorn-blazoned V and two-pronged horn as its crest. Captains' helmets share a similar V-shaped crest, though smaller in size.

Before the Great Schism, Jiralhane Power Armor (and by extension, Energy shielding) was rare, only seen on Chieftains, and a select few clans. However, by the rise of the Banished, power armor had become more standardized.

Armor variants

Algolis armor

This armor was worn by Atriox and his pack during the Algolis Invasion, under Covenant servitude. This armor is donned in a blue-purple paint and is noticeably rounded and segmented, with a chain undersuit.

Fall of Reach armor

These armor designs were seen employed by the Jiralhanae Minors and Captains involved with the Siege of New Alexandria and Battle of Asźod during the Fall of Reach. Like the armor seen worn during the Great Schism, this armor is not energy shielded and is fairly minimal, leaving large swaths of skin exposed. The Captain's armor bears heavy resemblance to its powered armor counterpart, with identical helmets and bracers.

A Jiralhanae Minor wearing this armor scheme.
A Jiralhanae Captain wearing this armor scheme.

Great Schism Era Armor

Jiralhanae serving under Tartarus leading up to the Great Schism and its first days, among other events, bore little in the way of armor, with even Captains and the Chieftain Tartarus himself bearing almost no equipment beyond two pauldrons and a bandolier. These Jiralhanae wear small cap-like helmets similar to the ones used in the Fall of Reach, with Captains employing a small holographic red flag.

A Jiralhanae Minor employing very little armor protection.
A Jiralhanae Captain employing very little armor protection.
Tartarus employing very little armor protection.

Powered armor

Main article: Jiralhanae power armor

Jiralhanae Power Armor is a broad category encompassing a wide variety of unique armor permutations, used by both the Covenant and its remnants^[5]. It can generally be identified by small glowing emitters, which adorn ridged armor sections known as shock plates.^[6] Jiralhanae power armor offers far more protection than its non-powered counterparts - though contrary to what its name suggests - does not typically augment the wearer's strength or speed like the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor and Combat Harnesses employed by Spartans and Sangheili respectively. Covenant-era power armor is typically seen in an iridescent blue, purple, gold, red or brown coloration depending on rank. Select high-ranking Banished personnel do incorporate strength-boosting mechanisms into their power armor, most notably Atriox's right gauntlet.

Maccabeus' clan employing power armor on Harvest in 2525.
A Jiralhanae Ultra wearing the infantry power armor type.
A Jiralhanae Captain wearing the officer power armor type.
A Chieftain wearing powered armor.
A Chieftain wearing an alternate powered armor.
Castor wearing power armor in the signature blue and gold of the Keepers of the One Freedom, donned as early as the hunt for the Menachite Portal Complex.
A Banished Jiralhanae Captain wielding a Veporokk Workshop Ravager on Installation 07.
A Banished Jiralhanae Chieftain wielding a Grenflekt Workshop Scrap Cannon.
Atriox in his unique power armor.
Pavium in his unique power armor.
Voridus (center) and several other Banished Jiralhanae wearing power armor.
Three Jiralhanae Warriors wearing different degrees of powered armor.
Jiralhanae Berserkers with energy shields active.
Bassus wearing Chieftain power armor.