Type-52 Phantom

Were you looking for the Spirit-class dropship introduced in Halo: Combat Evolved, the Lich-class dropship introduced in Halo 4, or the older model introduced in Halo 4?''

The Type-52 Troop Carrier, otherwise known as the Phantom by UNSC forces, is a Covenant troop carrier and gunship. They are used primarily as troop transports, flying into combat zones and deploying infantry while providing suppressing fire.

Design details
The Phantom is roughly equivalent to the Pelican dropship in terms of function and performance. Phantoms are more heavily armed than the Spirit dropship, sporting three defensive weapons that offer 360-degree turning radius.

Crew and complement
The Phantom crew consists of a pilot, a co-pilot, a navigator, and an operations officer who is in charge of the defensive heavy plasma auto-cannons. The Phantom can carry up to thirty passengers in its troop bay. Troops are deployed from the ventral gravity lift and from the doors located on either side. Like the Spirit dropship, the Phantom is capable of carrying vehicles such as Type-32 Ghosts and Type-26 Wraiths, as well as essential equipment such as Deployable Lookout Towers, and components of Anti-Aircraft Batteries using its gravity lift. They have also been seen to transport teams of Huragok, which are carried in cases and swing from the Phantom's underside.

Armament
The Phantom has several armor and armament configurations. In Halo 2, the Phantom sports three separate, fully rotational heavy plasma auto-cannons. In Halo 3, the Phantom retains the chin-mounted heavy plasma auto-cannon but replaces its internally-controlled side-cannons for two Type-52 Plasma Cannons. The third design, seen in Halo: Reach, replaces the heavy plasma auto-cannon with a different variety of plasma cannon, and includes two Type-52 Plasma Cannons.

Variants
A variant of Phantom outfitted exclusively for space combat, known as the Phantom gunboat, swaps its Type-52 Plasma Cannons for four plasma turrets mounted around the hull, and a chin-mounted heavy plasma cannon.

The Covenant Separatists used customized Phantoms following the Great Schism. These Phantoms were green instead of the usual purple (to match the UNSC's vehicle color schemes) and were equipped with cloaking technology, something rarely seen on ships of their size.

Identified Phantoms

 * Glorious Advance - Used for a boarding action against the Infinite Succor.

Gameplay
The role of the Phantom is to transport squads of Covenant troops and vehicles into a combat zone with speed and efficiency. While the T-25 "Spirit" Troop Carrier serves primarily as a dropship, the Phantom, with its heavier armament, also fills the role of a ground support gunship. As their hull is heavily reinforced, Phantoms are invulnerable to small arms fire. The Phantom has three defensive weapons, making it a more challenging adversary than the Spirit. Like the Spirit, the Phantom is mostly scripted to deploy troops and leave, sometimes without coming to a halt, though in rarer cases it may stick around to lay siege on the player.

In Halo 2, the Phantom is invincible and can not be destroyed, although its weapons can be taken out, forcing it to retreat. The two silver engine plates can also be destroyed, although it will have no effect on the Phantom's speed. In Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach, the Phantom's three guns, the side doors and platforms, the engine plates, and its hind flaps, as well as its entire well being, are destructible. The Phantom's rear is most susceptible to damage, although this weakness was removed in Halo: Reach. When destroyed, the Phantom will float down, emit sparks and a loud whirring noise, then explode into wreckage, although in Halo: Reach the Phantom simply explodes.

Tactics

 * Taking down a Phantom is tempting to do so in Firefight or Campaign; however, it is unwise to do so if there are Phantoms traveling in groups, as they might pin you down with their plasma guns or in the most extreme cases, kill you.
 * It is recommended to destroy the Phantom's armaments before taking it out, otherwise they may pin you down.
 * If possible, stay under the Phantom and shoot at the drop-off zone where Covenant jump off. You can get a few easy kills with that. However, be wary of the plasma guns.
 * Use a heavy weapon to destroy a Phantom. A Spartan Laser, the Warthog's LAAV guns, or a Rocket Launcher or a Fuel Rod Gun will do the trick.
 * With heavy weapons like the Rocket Launcher or a Spartan Laser as well as mounted vehicle weapons like the Scorpion tank's cannon or a M68 Gauss Cannon.
 * Aim for the twin engines (the silver parts on its front), as those are its weak points. However, the weak points are removed as of Halo: Reach.

Changes from Halo 2 to Halo 3

 * The Phantom is now destructible, vulnerable to heavy weapons and explosives. Nevertheless, it is very durable and able to take up to four shots from a Scorpion tank.
 * The Phantom's hull is now a medium-dark violet in Halo 3, rather than magenta as it is in Halo 2.
 * The Phantom's flight noise has been reduced from a loud buzzing to a low hum.
 * The Phantom fires shots that are now a blue color, rather than a vivid red.
 * The Phantom can deliver troops by opening side doors, not just by the gravity lift.
 * The Phantom no longer has three separate auto-cannons - they now have one chin-mounted auto-cannon, and two Type-52 Plasma Cannons on either side of the troop bay.
 * The troop bay is open on both sides where the plasma turrets are. It is fully accessible by the player and he/she can leap into it before it takes off. The player is usually killed when the Phantom hits a death barrier.
 * The main cannon's rate of fire is slower.
 * The two upper tail-like parts in the rear of the Phantom appear smaller.
 * A Separatist green-colored variant is introduced. The Separatist variant is used by the Elites and has the ability to camouflage itself.

Changes from Halo 3 to Halo 3: ODST

 * The wreckage from its destruction is smaller.
 * The Phantom can carry Engineers in pod-like cases.
 * The Phantom's main cannon is equipped with a searchlight for night missions.

Changes from Halo 3 to Halo: Reach

 * The auto-cannon is replaced by a cannon that has a slower rate of fire and has a more explosive effect upon impact, similar to a Type-50 Concussion Rifle.
 * The two front engine turbines no longer glow blue.
 * There are no longer any "weak points"; it takes the same amount of weapons fire to destroy regardless of hit location.
 * When hit by weapons fire, it no longer takes visible damage aside from the chin and side guns being knocked off.
 * When destroyed, instead of having an "overload" phase where it drops and then explodes, the targeted Phantom instantly explodes as soon as it takes enough damage.
 * Far less debris is left behind when destroyed; only the debris from the chin gun, the Type-52 Plasma Cannons on the sides, and a portion of the cockpit will be left when it explodes. Furthermore, not all Phantoms encountered are destructible.
 * The Phantom has more health, capable of withstanding up to five M808 Scorpion shots before exploding.
 * A variant outfitted for space combat, called the Phantom gunboat, is introduced.

Trivia

 * The Separatists Phantom resembles Romulan ships from Star Trek in both its lime-green color and its cloaking ability.
 * In the E3 2003 Preview of Halo 2, the Phantom does not possess any form of gravity lift and the troops are instead dropped off from the back, similar to a Pelican. The Phantom is also capable of carrying a Spectre or a Wraith by using hooks located under its "belly". It also seemed to have only one Plasma Cannon.
 * In Campaign Scoring charts, it counts as both a "Heavy" and a "Giant" vehicle.
 * In the trailer for Halo 3: ODST, a Phantom is seen on patrol using two bright searchlights to sweep the streets. Oddly, the lights are located in the exact location as the Phantom's chin mounted gun, possibly meaning that this Phantom was specifically adapted for patrol or that its gun had a headlight mounted alongside it. In the cutscene where the Rookie receives a transmission from Dare, the Phantom that passes by has a searchlight mounted on the front turret. This headlight feature also appears in Halo: Reach.
 * In the Art of Halo, there is a Phantom render for Halo 2 which had its side doors down and sported heavy plasma turrets on them.
 * In the Halo Legends short film, Prototype, a Phantom is seen carrying a Wraith inside its troop bay, as opposed to hovering below it. This may be a means to protect the Wraith from being destroyed before it is deployed or it could simply be an oversight made by the artists.
 * In Halo: Reach, a player can pilot a Phantom through the Flyable Pelican and Phantom easter egg. Unlike the Pelican, it can be destroyed, though unlike other vehicles it shows no outward indication of damage.
 * In Halo: Reach's Firefight mode, the Phantom cannot be destroyed.
 * In Halo: Reach's Firefight mode, a well-aimed Rocket Launcher shot to the Phantom's cockpit can blast out the pilot (a Grunt), killing it and sending it spiraling out of the vehicle. When this happens, the Phantom stops and hovers for a few seconds before falling to the ground. Any personnel that are within the Phantom do not react and are not deployed.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo Graphic Novel
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: Uprising
 * Halo Wars: Genesis
 * Halo Legends
 * Origins
 * Prototype
 * The Babysitter
 * The Duel
 * ''Halo: Helljumper
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo: Reach
 * ''Halo: Fall of Reach
 * Invasion
 * Halo: The Thursday War
 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo: Escalation