Kig-Yar Major

Major
Function:	Ground assault, infiltration, defense
Species:	Kig-Yar (Ruuhtian)
Affiliation:	Covenant; Covenant remnants;
Other role(s):	Infantry, support

"Pecking order is earned via survival instincts alone."

— A Kig-Yar Major's philosophy

The Kig-Yar Major is a rank attainable by Kig-Yar in the Covenant military. They are characterized by their orange point-defense gauntlets, and have moderately greater stamina than Kig-Yar Minors.^[1]^[2]

Description[edit]

Similar to their less experienced brethren, Majors constitute a large part of the Covenant's mainstream infantry. They are seen in almost every engagement alongside other types of Covenant forces. Although higher in rank than Minors, they are still subject to the command of a lance leader, typically a Sangheili or Jiralhanae. Majors represent the highest rank within the standard infantry of the Kig-Yar contingent, often assuming leadership positions and specialized roles. Sometimes, a Kig-Yar Major leads a lance of low-ranking Kig-Yar and Unggoy.^[3]

Generally, Kig-Yar Majors operate better in small groups or in scouting parties. However, they can play the role of a precision marksman if it is deemed necessary.^[4]

Equipment[edit]

Kig-Yar Majors are better armed than their Minor subordinates. Since they are more experienced in combat, Majors are given better supplement equipment.^[4] They are mostly armed with plasma pistols, but can also be found with Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifles, and Needlers.

Majors wield point-defense gauntlets of greater energy output than those used by the Kig-Yar Minors. The energy emitted by a Major's shield is typically shifted into the red spectrum, glowing orange, violet or red and shifting to blue as it takes fire. Majors occasionally sport additional armor as well, such as forearm gauntlets on both arms.

Gameplay[edit]

Jackal Majors are a direct upgrade over the Minor, being more resilient, accurate and courageous. The same general tactics used for Minors can be applied to Majors, so using a precision weapon to fire at their hand, depleting their shield with energy weapons, hitting them in melee to stagger them, or throwing grenades at their feet are all valid options. However, Jackal Majors may resist stagger from both melee and hand shots, are more likely to dodge grenades, and may decide to stand their ground instead of fleeing when attacked in melee or even when their shields are depleted. As such, greater caution is advised. However, their arsenal is just as limited as that of Minors, using the Plasma Pistol in the vast majority of their appearances, and only rarely using Needlers starting with Halo 3: ODST, so a player can usually expect the same tactics to work on Majors every time they encounter them.

Jackal Majors can be differentiated from their lower-ranked brethren by the color of their shields and body. In Halo: Combat Evolved, Majors have orange skin and shields, while Minors have gray-green skin and green shields. In Halo 2, Kig-Yar Majors have an orange combat suit, rather than the gray ones seen in the other games, as well as orange shields. In Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, their shields are purple colored rather than the orange of previous games. In Halo: Reach Majors wield red shields and don additional armor on their forearms and shoulders.

Trivia[edit]

In the PC version of Halo: Combat Evolved, it looks like the textures, coloring and all-out graphics were never completed, or they didn't transfer from the Xbox to the PC very well. This causes Kig-Yar Minors and Majors to have the same shield color (turquoise). In the Xbox version, the Kig-Yar Majors have orange shields, while Minors have blue shields.
Kig-Yar, mostly Majors, can very rarely be found wielding Plasma Rifles by default. It can be seen in the Halo 2 level 'Delta Halo', as well as a single Major near the end of the Halo: Reach level The Pillar of Autumn'.

Gallery[edit]

A Kig-Yar Major in Halo: Combat Evolved
A Kig-Yar Major wearing a helmet.
Kig-Yar Majors in Halo 2.
Render of a Kig-Yar Major in Halo 3.
A Kig-Yar Major protecting itself with its energy shield in Halo 3.
Kig-Yar Majors in Halo 3.
Kig-Yar Majors in Halo: Reach, alongside Unggoy and Kig-Yar Minors.
A Kig-Yar Major on Beachhead.
A Kig-Yar Major on Corvette.
A Kig-Yar Major and a Mgalekgolo on Installation 04 in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.
A Kig-Yar Major on one of Installation 04's many bridges.
Kig-Yar Majors and Unggoy Imperials under fire from Jiralhanae in Halo: Escalation.
A Kig-Yar Major with its shield deactivated on Installation 05 in Halo 2: Anniversary.
Kig-Yar Majors in Halo 2: Anniversary.
A Kig-Yar Major with a Mosa-pattern carbine in Halo 2: Anniversary.