Grunts are the most common Covenant enemy in the game. They are short, stocky, almost monkey-like aliens with a large rebreather apparatus on their backs. It moves rather clumsily, and will run away if you shoot it or it’s friends. However, they can be rather tenacious, especially on Heroic or Legendary, if they are in larger numbers.
Attacks: Plasma Pistol (single shot)
Needler
Fuel Rod Gun
Plasma Grenades
Can use Shades
Varieties: Minor (orange armor)- The easiest and most common.
Major (red armor)- Takes a few more hits or two melee attacks.
Spec Ops (black armor)- Seen on the later levels. Sometimes armed with Fuel Rod Gun, which explode after they die.
Weapons to use: Pistol- Aim for the head if you can.
Assault Rifle- Good at close range for individuals and groups.
Fragmentation Grenade- Use on small clusters.
Melee- Takes one out quickly, ore silently when they are asleep.
Plasma Grenades- Not that effective, but funny J.
Elites are the warriors of the Covenant, and therefore like to go toe-to-toe when in combat. They are very agile and accurate. They have shields like you, which deflect bullets. If they are severely wounded, or have a plasma grenade on them, they will roar and run at you in a last kamikaze attempt to kill. In close quarters this can be a problem. Their melee attack can do a lot of damage on Heroic and Legendary. When their shields come down, they are temporarily stunned. They the most difficult enemy in my opinion, but there are lots of good ways to kill them.
Attacks: Plasma Rifle/Needler/Plasma Sword (Stealth and Commander Only), Plasma Grenades (Spec Ops only), can use Shades (Spec Ops only), Ghosts, Banshees, and Wraiths (All three Major only), melee attack
Varieties: Minor (blue armor)- Once its shield is down, it will be stunned for a brief second when hit.
Major (reddish-purple armor)- Moves faster, takes more hits, and is not stunned when it is hit with its shield down. Usually the ones who drive vehicles.
Stealth (bluish-gray armor)- Equipped with Active Camouflage, but not a shield, so they’ll die faster once you find them. If they have a Plasma sword this will be easy.
Commander (gold armor)- These take the most hits to kill and can be armed with a Plasma Sword.
Spec Ops (black armor)- Seen on the later levels, they take about as many hits as a Commander. They can throw Plasma Grenades with great accuracy and speed; if they do you probably won’t be able to dodge it. They can also use Shades.
Weapons to use: Plasma Pistol- Charge it up and take down their shields, then follow up with Assault Rifle or Pistol (Heroic and Legendary). For Easy or Normal, you can get by with single shots too.
Assault Rifle- On Heroic or Legendary; use it when their shields are down. On Easy or Normal you can use only it, but it will take a clip or more.
Sniper Rifle- Tears through their shields. Two or three shots do it. Head shots are even better.
Pistol- When their shields are down, go for the head if you can.
Shotgun- The closer, the better. At point-blank, one shot will do it.
Plasma Rifle- Works instead of Plasma Pistol with the Assault Rifle or Pistol combo. On Easy or Normal, you can use only it if you want.
Needler- If you can get enough needles in them to cause an explosion, they’re probably dead.
Plasma Grenade- If you can stick one to them, they’re dead.
Rocket Launcher- Kind of overkill. Aim low in case you miss.
Melee- If they don’t see you, one to the back will do the job. Otherwise, good to finish them off (like when they roar and charge).
Jackals are aliens that hold tactical shields in one hand, and provide support fire from a distance. Their shields deflect bullets and can only be destroyed with Plasma. They are rather annoying because they can fire very rapidly, and you will die fast if you are in the open. They have two little notches in their shield to aim their gun through, but you can use this to get a shot at their body. Then they flinch, allowing you to get another or go for a head shot. They sometimes roll, which exposes their back so you can get a shot in there.
Attacks: Plasma Pistol (single shots and charged-up shots)
Varieties: Minor (blue shield)- The easiest kind.
Major (orange shield)- Usually takes at least two melee attacks. And they have a mohawk!
Weapons to use: Pistol- Aim for the notch.
Assault Rifle- Only good at close range. Aim for the notch.
Sniper Rifle- Aim for the notch.
Plasma Pistol- A charged-up shot will destroy their shield.
Plasma Rifle- Can destroy their shield, but they will have flinched by that time allowing you to hit their body.
Melee- If you can get close fast, do it. Otherwise you will take a lot of damage running to them.
Fragmentation Grenade- They don’t seem to notice grenades that much.
Plasma Grenades- Pretty much the same as Fragmentation Grenades.
Hunters are large monster-like aliens with a large shield and armor. Their midsection is unarmored (more at the back), and so is their neck. They will run and try to bash you with their shields at close range. You can dodge them, then turn around and shoot them in the back. Their Fuel Rod Gun takes a second to charge up
Varieties: None
Attacks: Fuel Rod Gun, melee
Weapons to use: Pistol- Ironically, one shot to the weak points will do it.
Sniper Rifle- Same as Pistol.
Shotgun- Same as Pistol, but you have to be really close.
Rocket Launcher- One or two rockets, anywhere. Although if you hit them directly in the center of their back, lots of blood splatters everywhere. I like blood, although it’s probably not mentally healthy. ; )