Rizsheda-pattern Shade

The Type-26 Anti-Infantry Stationary Gun, abbreviated as Type-26 ASG and more commonly referred to as the Shade, is the Covenant's standard stationary gun turret and anti-infantry weapons platform.

Design details and operation

The Shade is a Covenant stationary gun, commonly operated by Unggoy. The Shade gun fires two bolts (three in Halo: Combat Evolved) of slow moving, high powered plasma encased in magnetic fields. The accuracy of a Shade's weapon is fairly low, as the bolts of plasma fired can hit anywhere within the aiming reticule.

The Shade is effective against most infantry. However, due to their high intelligence, Sangheili will often find cover and escape the Shade's range of fire. On this same note, the bolts fired lack the required punch to damage Mgalekgolo, whose armor and combat shield can withstand most Covenant and UNSC small firearms, causing the plasma bolts to have little to no effect on them.

The Shade offers a wide field of fire and a 360 degree traversal mount. The Covenant use the Shade's field of fire to their advantage and place them at strategic points where they can do the most damage. It has shown good defense against light vehicles such as the Ghost, and in desperate situations, can serve as anti-aircraft defense, requiring only a few direct hits to destroy a Banshee.

Advantages

As with its recognizable human counterpart, the Shade is very effective against both enemy ground forces and light vehicles. Some of its advantages over its human counterpart are that the plasma bolts are accurate and effective at longer distances and it is easier to see where shots are actually going than it is with the M41's rounds.

Disadvantages

As with the human counterpart, the player will be exposed to enemy fire. While it is useful against enemies in light vehicles, this is not a weapon of choice when facing an enemy armored vehicle. Also, as is the case with the M41, players are unprotected from the rear. Additionally, the Halo 3's version of the Shade has an extremely slow turning rate, making it a detriment to the user. And the Shades rate-of-fire is slower than that of the M41.

Models

There are three models encountered so far in the Halo universe.

Shade (Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo Wars)

The Shade was first seen in the E3 demo atop a Spectre and made its first gameplay appearance in Halo: Combat Evolved's level, The Truth and Reconciliation. The Shade also makes an appearance in Halo Wars and is identical to the Halo: Combat Evolved Shade.

The Shade in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo Wars consists of a sturdy base of three legs and a floating, mobile, turret-like seat with control systems for its "nozzle".

Shade (Halo 2)

The Shade returned in Halo 2, and is referred to as the Shielded Plasma Cannon. Similar to the Phantom of Halo 2, this turret fires slow moving red plasma bolts. To protect the gunner, this turret is equipped with an energy shield, similar to the Kig-yar Point Defense Gauntlet. These turrets are featured in the highway tunnel in Outskirts.

The turret on the Shadow is very similar in appearance to the Shade in Halo: Combat Evolved. In addition, these turrets seem to be more powerful than the standard Shade in Halo 2, and offer more protection as they are fixed to the armored personnel carrier and, as such, are mobile. The rate of fire is also considerably faster by as much as three times.

Shade (Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST)

The Shade returned in Halo 3 and had major visual and technical updates from its predecessors; the Shade now is in the shape of a ball-turret, has a higher rate of fire, and provides excellent front and side protection for the gunner. Like all Shades that have appeared in previous games, it is elevated on a small gravity lift that hovers the turret in the air, and so has a full 360 degree field of view.

Interestingly, the Shade's aiming reticule was similar to a Needler's, except with a circle of lines at the center. The Shade was in multiplayer only in Halo 3 Epsilon, as it was removed from the final version, even in Forge. But modders are still able to mod the game to get the Shade on certain maps.

In Halo 3: ODST, the Shade seems to rotate quicker than it did in Halo 3. It is also worth noting that in Halo 3: ODST, the Shade lacks a plate of armor in the top middle, in between its guns, exposing the operator to enemy snipers.

Shade (Halo: Reach)

In Halo: Reach, the Shade appears to have a similar design as the ones in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. The Shade is now usable in multiplayer and can be added into custom maps via Forge. It also has regained the Halo: Combat Evolved fire rate, albeit with the plasma bolts of the Halo 3 Shade. The flaps at the side will no longer cover the user instead giving the user more angular cover.

A variant armed with a Fuel Rod Cannon will appear in the campaign. It has a green coloring, and a slower rate of fire. This variant appears in the level Tip of the Spear. An anti-air variant makes an appearance in the levels Tip of The Spear and New Alexandria. This variant is armed with a weapon similar to the standard Shade, however its plasma bolts explode in air. It also has shielding to protect the gunner. It is one of the only stationary turrets to not overheat with continuous fire

Tactics

Campaign

• Heavy weapons, vehicles or grenades are perfect to destroy Shades.
• In Halo 3: ODST, Automags and snipers can be used to kill the gunner if no heavy weapons can be found.
• Ramming it with any vehicle at speed is an instant kill except in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo Wars.
• In Halo 3 if you shoot a Shade from a distance and in the middle between the two pieces that jut out, the operator might jump out.
• In Halo 3, if you stand right in front of the turret, in between the guns, the operator will not turn the turret to make you slide in front of it, making you a harder target.

Trivia

• Neither the Power Drain nor an overcharged Plasma Pistol shot can disable the Shade's firing mechanisms, though either of these will temporarily disable its ability to rotate.
• The Shade does not appear in any Halo 3 multiplayer map. That is to say, it cannot be used in multiplayer without modding. Tags for the Shade do exist in several maps, however, including Snowbound and Guardian. As with most normally-inaccessible Forge Objects, the Shade has no name, cost, or maximum limit, and it does not respawn. If a player's tool of destruction is a Shade, it will be shown as a Ghost in the postgame stats.

Gallery

• 

  A close up of a Shade's Plasma bolt in mid-flight in Halo 3.

• 

  Shade Plasma bolts in mid-flight in Halo: Combat Evolved.

• HCE Shade.jpg

  Shade in Halo: Combat Evolved.

• 

  Shade in Halo 2.

• ShadowH2.png

  A Shade on top of a Shadow.

• Fuel Rod Shade.png

  Fuel Rod Shade Turret in Halo: Reach.

• Untitled.png

  While Using the Fuel Rod Shade.

• Anti Air Shade.jpg

  An Anti Air Shade in Halo: Reach.

List of appearances

Halo: Combat Evolved