Halo Wars: The Official Guide / Ready for War / Blog 03/06
Part 03: UNSC Faction Facts, with the Prophet of Regret
Forge and the Arbiter have a slight disagreement. Unlike the UNSC, the three Covenant Leaders take to the battlefield with their troops.
A quintet of Wraiths fire enhanced plasma ordnance into a UNSC Firebase. Power these tanks with shields, and they become devastating.
Even a Spartan-controlled Wraith is no match for the Covenant's biggest and baddest unit; the devastating, base-killing Scarab.
The second major Faction you’re able to control in Halo Wars are the Covenant, and although there are similarities between the two forces (such as how the economy works), there are numerous differences too. The most striking are how the Leaders work on the battlefield. Instead of peering down from the relative comfort of the Spirit of Fire, the Covenant prefer the crackle of plasma and human bloodshed up close and personal, which is why each of the three Covenant Leaders receives their own personal unit, and devastating combat power they employ themselves. The first Leader is the Arbiter, a beast capable of leveling entire bases himself (indeed, this is a popular tactic at the earliest stages of battle). With his Rage power, he can actually regenerate hit points as well as cutting swathes of foes (or parts off buildings). He’s accompanied by Suicide Grunts, who don’t usually return from their combat missions, and are useful when you need a sure-fire way to stop a vehicle, or drop a building.
The Brute Chieftain is the personification of punishment, armed with a massive hammer and a power known as the Vortex; a whirling maelstrom that can tear apart already weakened units with amazing ferocity. The Chieftain has two units that he alone brings into battle; the Brute infantry, and the Brute Chopper. The Infantry can be upgraded with jetpacks, allowing them to swarm remote supply or reactor locations known as Hooks. The Chopper meanwhile, is like a toughened Ghost, but with greater combat prowess, and costs to boot.
Perhaps the most fear-inducing of the three Covenant Leaders is the Prophet of Regret. Armed with a terrifying power called Cleansing, this is like a moving MAC Blast that cuts through every type of enemy in seconds. The Prophet is accompanied by his Elite Honor Guards, who are adept at sneak attacks thanks to their cloaking upgrades. With all the different combat permutations, it is vital you learn how these attacks work, and more importantly, who they work on. This is where the guide comes in.
In much the same way as we did with the UNSC, the Covenant’s base of operations (the Citadel) is explained, along with the key construction choices, and unique buildings. Visual representations are important, as you’ll want to know what strangely-shaped building your opponent is constructing before you’re swamped with units you haven’t defended against. But more importantly, the costs, advantages, and shortfalls of these structures are revealed. Need to Hot-Drop Wraiths to back up your base-savaging Brute Chieftain? We show you how, and why this is an excellent plan.
As for the troops themselves, each of the main buildings that spawn unit types are explained in great detail. The Hall, for example, releases Grunts, Jackals, and Hunters. If there was ever a unit to counter the devastating power of the UNSC Scorpion, the Hunter (with its Fuel Rod Override capacity) fits the bill. If you’re wanting to learn about ground vehicles, there’s copious tactical advice on the Ghost, Wraith, and Locust; a building killer that can crush enemy fortifications from long distance. And the more said about the Scarab, the better; this stomping great behemoth is the Covenant’s most dangerous (and hilariously expensive) unit. Try spawning two on a battle, and your opponent isn’t trying hard enough.
Covenant units are slightly weaker than UNSC ones, but they make up for it with their air Engineers; floating sacs that attach to different units and heal them constantly throughout a battle. There’s also the Banshee and Vampire to round off the Covenant forces, each equipped with devastating (and different) upgrade paths and strength, and all revealed in the strategy guide. Its an extremely satisfying feeling to take out a UNSC Spartan by upgrading a Banshee with “Sacrifice”, allowing it to crash into an enemy instead of simply exploding!
It is also extremely satisfying to complete the entire series of Campaign Missions on Legendary Difficulty: Which is what I’ll reveal snippets of next time.
Head here, for Ready for War video Overviews, guide purchasing options, and the chance to win a Bungie-signed Halo 3 artbook.
