Sangheili Ranger
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Template:Covenant Rank Infobox
The Elite Ranger is a Covenant Elite (Sangheili) rank, a specialty class of Special Operations Elites suited for zero-gravity battlefields.
The Ranger corps is a Special Forces branch that conducts its operations in usually dangerous battlegrounds, particularly the unforgiving vacuum of space. Normally deployed for zero-G environments, it is they who are ordered by their superiors to scout/hunt and destroy a certain target. Experts in low gravity combat, they are capable of posing a certain threat to ships.
Rank
It is not known whether "Ranger" is an actual rank, such as Minor or Major, or whether it is a separate type of infantry with its own ranking system. If is a rank, then it is likely higher than Major.
Equipment
Rangers use the Assault Harness, an oddity considering that its use was banned by treaties between the Prophets and the Elites at the close of the Sangheili-San 'Shyuum War, giving them an advantage in combat. Once banned by the Prophets for its effectiveness, the fact that it was equipped to several Ranger units may indicate a willingness by the Elites to ignore the Prophets decree. Now that the Elites have left the Covenant, the armor that makes Rangers so distinctive on the battlefield is likely to be introduced into wider service. The Assault harness allows activity even in exo-atmospheric environments, allowing Rangers to operate even in space for insertion and demolitions tasks[1], and protecting their wearers in areas where Flood infection is a threat.
Rangers also use an anti-gravity pack that allows temporary flight, giving the user unparalleled mobility through the air, and also allows the used to bypass traditional defences. The flight pack was no longer used by the few Rangers that appeared in Halo 3.[2]
Appearance
In Halo 2, Ranger Elites are used by the Covenant in an attempt to prevent the Master Chief from reaching the anti-matter bomb onboard the Cairo station, usually in groups of three or, on higher difficulties, four. One group is stationed near the docking clamps where the In Amber Clad was docked, and another tried to suppress the Spartan underneath the stations "Super" MAC. Both were eliminated.
Later, more Rangers were used in atmospheric operations against the Spartan and his small unit of Marines as they attempted to assassinate the Prophet of Regret, using gondolas to get near the group before using their thrusters to take to the air, using their manoeuvrability to great effect. Two such groups were eliminated as well, and the Spartan accomplished his mission.[3]
Though Rangers are not seen with their flight thrusters in Halo 3, they nevertheless make an appearance, assisting the Master Chief during the Battle of Voi in taking care of a Flood infestation. Except as dead bodies, this marks the first, and last, time Rangers appear in Halo 3 to aid the Master Chief.[4]
Combat
As a type of special operations commando, though not neccessarily connected to the traditional SpecOps Elites, Ranger Elites are specialists in their own types of combat. Halo 2 Rangers will use their thrusters to great effect in battle, using them to strafe while firing their weapons. They are most often seen in Halo 2 using dual plasma rifles, firing in prolonged bursts rather than short bursts. Rangers also set up portable plasma cannons to provide heavy fire against human space-capable forces[5]. Their energy shields are about the same strength as a Minor Elite's, and although their tactics differ, they require the same anmount of firepower to lower, rendering their wearer vulnerable.
Rangers are succeptible to Plasma Pistols and Needlers, which use their tracking ability to great effect, lowering their shields or, in the Needler's case, killing them outright. However, for long-range combat a battle Rifle, Carbine, Beam Rifle or Sniper Rifle can allow the player to kill them from long ranges, preventing them from become a threat in-close.
Background
Ranger Elites were the first known type of Elite warrior encountered by the Master Chief[6], deployed to secure a human space station and gain access to its navigational databanks for the location of human colonies during the battle of Reach. Their helmets at the time were apparently of a different design, allowing the Master Chief to see the Rangers' faces in the encounter.
There were Ranger Jackals as well, present at the Battle of Reach. It seems that by the time of The First Battle of Earth, the Ranger Jackals have been replaced in combat by the Drone, which are already suited for space and are much more versatile in aiding the Ranger Elites.
Ranger Elites have been observed at The Battle of Reach, Operation: FIRST STRIKE, The First Battle of Earth and on Delta Halo. The Rangers were also seen at the planet Reach when the Master Chief returned to the planet aboard the Ascendant Justice. Thus it is possible that every ship in the Covenant has a detachment of Rangers for external security purposes.
The Rangers are apparently an entirely volunteer unit, with its members joining either for personal glory or because of ancestral duties to the unit. They are used as an expeditionary unit in limited naval engagements, deciding which are to be boarded and which destroyed.[7]
Trivia
- If you look through the eye pieces, you can just see the Elites eyes.
- The Ascetic body is also similar to the Rangers chest piece. A Simple rectangular device running down the middle.
- The Heretic Leader was wearing a modified Ranger suit when he was engaged and killed by the Arbiter.
