Yanme'e Major

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The Major is the second highest Yanme'e military rank.

Description

The Majors appear to have brownish exoskeletons and yellow spots shaped like eyes on their shells. A Major Drone has longer wings and can fly faster than Drone Minors. In Halo 3 Major Yanme'e are rarely seen on lower difficulties, but this is not true in Halo 3: ODST. The Drone Majors usually have Needlers as their weapons in the games.

Due to the difference in mentality of Drones compared to other species, it is possible that Drones become a Major once they have reached a certain age by which point they will have a certain amount of experience, meaning less experienced Drones can follow them, rather than due to distinguished service or bravery as seen in other major creatures such as Unggoy and Kig-Yar. This is similar to how older insects in sociable colonies take on different roles, such as from scout to guard.

Green, blue and silver Minors have blue/cyan spots shaped like eyes on their shells, while Red and gold majors have yellow spots.

Rank

Drone Majors are one step higher than the Minors. They still appear low in rank, about the same as a Jackal Minor. They are most often seen commanded by Jackal Majors, Brutes, and even Special Operations Grunts. They are fairly common on higher difficulty levels. They will come armed with Needlers.

Combat

Drone Majors are more skilled in combat than Drone Minors, and will often use Needlers. They can drain your shields in seconds when playing in legendary difficulty, and are extremely lethal after you're vulnerable. They still are a fairly easy kill.

If you encounter a lone Major, concentrate on taking it down and then focusing on the Minors. If there is a Major swarm, try to stick one with a Plasma Grenade, bombard them with Needler fire, or dual-wielded Plasma Rifles. One can also use ballistic fire, as this seems to cause Major Drones to scatter so they can be taken down individually. On the other hand, it's easier to kill a Major swarm when they're clustered together, so using UNSC weaponry isn't usually the best idea. No matter which weapon, don't forget to attack ground-based foes as well. It is not advisable to fire only on the Drones while a Brute or Jackal nearby fires freely on you. As with all enemies who move in groups, firing seven Needler rounds will produce an explosion that will most likely kill an entire group of Drones.

Yanme'e in Halo 3: ODST

• In Halo 3: ODST, Yanme'e can be quite worthy adversaries--especially when in large scattered groups. Drones are very lethal when in swarms, especially when a Drone Major is in attendance with the standard pack.
• Armed with Brute Plasma Rifles and equipped with Energy Shields, they can easily defeat an opponent who is caught be surprise.
• Yanme'e Majors (as well as most Yanme'e) seem to have an uncanny ability to fly towards and attack the player when their Stamina is low, thereby heightening the chance for a kill and most likely stripping away some precious, much-needed Health.
• On Legendary difficulty in Firefight, the Drone Majors can easily strip a player's shields with a few Brute Plasma Rifle shots, and have high accuracy when flying and moving.
• In a swarm these "buggers" can be overwhelming, and it is advised to use a M7S Submachine Gun against these enemies, as it not only has a scope but it provides the essential spray-fire needed to extinguish groups; also one could use a Type-25 Carbine (Brute Spiker) as it has rapid-fire, holds a multitudinous magazine of spikes, and has a linear firing rate.
• Making use of one of the mounted turrets littered about is another way to deal with these foes; however it can be a double-edge sword as the turret is very slow and offers sluggish maneuverability.
• Another helpful tactic is to consult your map in the VISR Database, as all the enemies are represented in a complete view of the entire area--those red dots that are moving fastest are most likely Yanme'e or perhaps a Phantom dropship is inbound.