Jiralhanae

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The Jiralhanae (Latin, Servus ferox[1]) are a race of ape-like creatures in the unified conglomerate races of the Covenant. The Humans have termed such warriors Brutes. They are an extremely savage race in general.

Overview

The Brutes have been around since the time of the destruction of the planet Harvest [2], yet driven into the background of society by the Elites. They seem to have high aspirations, and are extremely over-zealous in their belief of the Covenant's Great Journey. They became the Honor Guards of the Prophets after the High Prophet of Regret was slain by the Master Chief, resulting in the removal of the Elites from this traditional role. They protect the Prophets fiercely. They first appeared in the Sacred Icon level, but the only ones seen here are dead bodies. The first level you encounter them alive is Gravemind.

Brutes are of simian origin. They have thick, gray skin, and are covered with matted, brown or white fur-like hair. They have very sharp teeth and sometimes use them as a weapon. Standing nine feet tall, they are immensely strong (to the point of overpowering a SPARTAN in MJOLNIR armor in hand to hand combat, at least in raw strength) and fight hand-to-hand if they ever lose their weapon [3]. The Brutes, with the exception of Tartarus (who perhaps channeled it from Forerunner technology during activation), did not use energy shielding in Halo 2. In Halo 3, most are equipped with Power Armor.

Brutes are described in the video documentary (ViDoc) as "the barbarians in Rome" due to their brutish behavior. This is reflected both in their names, and that the name of the ViDoc is "Et tu, Brute". This quotation is famous in Roman history, as it's words are believed to be Julius Caesar's last words before he was murdered. Translated roughly from Latin to English, it means "And you, Brutus?", expressing Caesar's surprise at finding his friend Brutus among his killers.

They seem to prefer using the Brute Shot, which fires high-velocity grenades and has a long blade on its underside for melee attacks. Other weapons commonly used are:

Examples of Brute names are Tartarus and Bracktanus. In Contact Harvest, it was revealed that the "us" at the end of their name is an honorific denoting maturity. For example, Tartarus would have been known as Tartar.

The Brutes have a primitive cultural structure, and are split into tribes called "packs", all led by a single "Chieftain". A brute becomes pack Chieftain by challenging the current Chieftain to a mortal duel; the victor claims the title.

In general, Brutes have a pronounced dislike of the Elites. They believe that they can protect the Prophets better than them, and the Prophet of Truth used this to begin the Covenant Civil War during the events of Halo 2.

In many military records, Brutes are referred to as 'Bravo Kilos', since UNSC Marines have nicknamed Brutes 'Baby Kongs', a reference to King Kong of 20th century fame.

Brute Anatomy and Physiology

A Brute stripped of most Power Armor. Note that Brutes in Halo 3 have shaved faces and a carefully groomed beard.
A Brute Chieftain Performing a sermon to other, lesser brutes.

Brutes are a physically imposing enemy to face in combat. Standing at approximately 8-9 feet tall, they tower over their human opponents, and the majority of their Covenant allies. They have thick, grey skin that is resistant to damage.

They are covered in a thick, shaggy fur that may offer further protection. It covers most of the body except for the head and the shoulder blades. Brutes exhibit two colorations: brown and grey. This is perhaps an indication of age, since lower ranking Brutes are brown and Honor Guard Brutes and Tartarus himself are grey. In Halo 3, they are seen with shaved faces, which increases the fearful effect they have on opponents.

Brutes have red blood with oxygen carrying blood cells nearly identical to that of earth mammals. The only difference is that a brutes blood has much higher levels of iron in it causing it to have a crimson hue.

Heavily muscled and possessed of an animalistic brutality and power, Brutes can rely on close combat to defeat their enemies, even more so than their Elite counterparts. Featuring characteristics Simian, Ursine and alien, their appearance matches their human given name.

Brutes have four digits on each hand including an opposable thumb. As such this allows them to make use of a variety of weapons both of Covenant and human design. Their feet have only two digits on each side. When it comes to ranged conflict Brutes show a tendency to use large, rapid firing, often powerful weapons. This may be indicative of their mentality and an extension of their brutal nature. The many spikes and serrated edges that adorn their race's weapons, vehicles and armor further exhibit this.

Brutes are by no means as stupid as they appear, and are often cunning tacticians. As such they can pilot vehicles, ships and command both land based and fleet encounters with strategic competence, if lacking in artistic flair.

Brutes are known to descend into a berserk killing rage when all their packmates have been killed. Their incredible physical strength coupled with a dogged self determination to kill their target makes a berserking Brute a force to be reckoned with, powerful enough to occasionally kill Hunters.

Homeworld

Doisac is the name of the Brute homeworld. It possesses three satellites: Warial, Solrapt and Teash, and is the fourth planet of the Oth Sonin system. The gravity on the planet was approximately 2.0G while the atmosphere was 1.3 atm. Surface temprature was between -15C to 52C. The estimated population of the planet was approximately 12.5 billion. Its habitat is described as being dominated by magma and magnetism. [4]

Brute Battlefield Tactics

Unlike Elites, who are masterfully skilled tacticians, the Brute combat mentality relies on overwhelming force and firepower to kill its opposition. Most Brute packs encountered in Halo 3 will often consist of 4-6 individuals; the number of each type of individual varies with the difficulty being played. Often these packs will consist of 1 Brute Captain, 1-2 Brute Majors and 2-3 Brute Minors. It can be twice that many if there is a chieftain in command near by.

An Orbital Drop Shock Trooper faces a Brute.

Whilst patrolling, Brutes exhibit a sense of calm and confidence, some have been found testing captured human weaponry whilst in this relaxed state. Once engaged in combat the Brutes hunch into a more apelike stance and begin firing upon their target(s). Often the target is subjected to a barrage of fire and explosives in excess of what Elites and Grunts can muster.

Brutes rely primarily on their own technology. They are initially found wielding Brute Plasma Rifles to deadly effect. These faster firing variants on the standard Plasma Rifle suit the Brute mentality well. Higher ranking members of the pack (often Captains) are fond of using the Brute Shot allowing a Brute pack to lay down a withering hail of explosive fire on an enemy position. In the later months of the Covenant Civil War, they become much better equipped, with many weapons of their own make such as Spikers and Incendiary Grenades.

Like the Elites, the Brutes can pilot most vehicles including Ghosts, Spectres, Banshees, and Wraiths. Brutes also have the ability to Board vehicles. In Halo 3 Brutes use two new vehicles, the Chopper and the Prowler.

With the advent of the Covenant Civil War, Brute weaponry is more commonplace. The Type-2 Antipersonnel Fragmentation Grenade, more commonly known as the Spike Grenade, is a creation of the Brutes themselves. It is suspected that with their newly found dominance amongst the Covenant Loyalists, the Brute Plasma Rifle has been replaced with the Type-25 Carbine or Spiker. The blades that adorn this weapon are testament to their barbaric nature and affinity for close quarters combat.

Brutes are also fond of explosives and will often use all types of Grenades in combat (particularly Spike and Incendiary grenades). They have also been known to use Fuel Rod Cannons, Rocket Launchers, and even Frag Grenades. For some reason, Brutes seem particularly fascinated with human Shotguns, perhaps attributable to the advent of the Mauler into the Covenant ranks. Their skill with the Covenant Carbine, makes them dangerous at mid to long ranges. On higher difficulties in High Charity, Brutes will use Battle Rifles, but this is quite rare.

The last surviving Brute of a pack will go berserk, charging at its enemies in a blind rage. This may be due to the strong bonds with the members of their pack. A Brute, after calming down from its rage, will sulk and mourn the loss of its comrades, even caress the bodies of the fallen. However, upon seeing its enemy, the Brute will abandon its sulking mood and once again become enraged. This mourning is a rare occurrence, almost never seen in combat, and only when there is a brief lull in the fighting.

Brutes are extremely resilient, and can take enormous amounts of damage. Before Halo 3, they lacked any form of equivalent to the Elite Personal Energy Shield but worryingly they don't seem to need to. As of Halo 3, regular adoption of Power Armor has been cycled into Brute ranks.

Combating Brutes

A large group of Brute Minors in combat against the Chief

When engaging Brutes one should note their incredible endurance. On Legendary mode, even the weakest of them can take massive amounts of damage, similar to a fully shielded Elite or Spartan.

Two Brute Captains guarding Installation 05's control room.
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A closer look at a Brute Minor from Halo 3
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Invincible Brute Chieftain w/ Gravity Hammer and a Regenerator

The Needler is one of the most effective weapons against the Brutes. Filling a Brute with needles until it explodes is a certain way to kill them quickly.

The brute shot in Halo 3 is effective against most brutes especially if they are mostly alone. Fire grenades while walking forwards to stun it and once close enough you can kill it with a mêlée attack. Even if you cannnot get close enough to mêlée it you can destroy most of its armour this way allowing for a head shot from a battle rifle or Covenant carbine. Blanketing groups of brutes with Brute Shot grenades is an effective way to de-armour them before picking them off with a rifle.

Melee attacking Brutes is incredibly risky, even for skilled players, though strikes from behind are instant kills. There is, in fact, an Achievement in the PC edition of Halo 2 for killing a berserking Brute with a melee attack. In Halo 3, melee attacking Brutes is less risky, but should still not be attempted on high ranking Brutes (such as Chieftains). In Halo 3, meléeing a Brute to finish it off is a good way to save ammunition or defend against a sudden surprise attack. If you have taken some of it's armor off then a low ranking Brute should die in one hit.

Another effective tactic against Brutes in Halo 3 is to stay out of range and pummel it with a Battle Rifle or Covenant Carbine. The object here is to first shoot off it's helmet and then make a head shot.

Groups of Brutes will try to outflank you if you try and stay out of range. It is a good idea to keep moving between cover to stop them from overrunning you. Alternatively, deploy a trip mine at a side entrance to blow a sneaky Brute sky high.

Using the Brute Shot melee attack, Energy Sword, or Gravity Hammer when available is the best way to fight a Brute in close quarters.

Shotguns are very effective against Brutes at point blank. It should take two hits or one hit and a melee attack to kill one, though higher ranking Brutes may take up to three or four with Power Armor.

The Sniper Rifle and Beam Rifle are effective with headshots; however, unlike an Elite, sniping Brutes on their body is ineffective except to remove armour as they can take 2 or 3 shots before dying. Don't try it when they are berserking.

The M6C Magnum/M6G Pistol can be effective at close to medium range once you have removed the helmet to get a quick head shot.

An overcharged plasma pistol can remove all of a Brutes armor in one hit, even a Chieftain.

If available, the best way to kill a lot of Brutes is with some sort of turret - especially a rapid firing one such as the Warthog chain gun turret or plasma turret. The hail of damage will rip right through their armor and you can fire indefinitely to keep them in cover while your Marines or co-op players kill the other enemies such as Grunts or Jackals before moving in for the kill on the Brutes. With excessive amounts of Brutes you may need to detach the turret and take it to a more defensible position. Take note that it no longer has unlimited ammunition so suppressing fire is no longer as viable an option.

File:Halo-3-Brute.jpg
A Brute Chieftain weilding a Gravity Hammer

The best way to fight Tartarus: Before fighting Tartarus, try to acquire a shotgun from one of the other Brutes in the Control Room. During the fight with Tartarus, after jumping down to the main arena, let Johnson take out his shields and then use the shotgun at close range, taking care to avoid his hammer. Repeat this and he should fall quickly. There are also weapons crates at the bottom level of the room. They hold carbines, Brute plasma rifles, and other useful things. If you are unable to acquire a shotgun from earlier, use these weapons to kill him. You can also use an energy sword, although it is advised you come at him in a lunge when he is attacking another Elite. It only takes 3 lunges to kill him on Heroic but remember he can kill you in one hit. It is very hard to do this on Legendary, as he is almost invincible. The best tactic would be to lunge him from behind when he is distracted, and he will fall. Needlers go through his shields, but won't damage him unless his shields are actually down. Also, to lower his shield without Sergeant Johnson, you can take a beam rifle from the beginning which can take his shield down, then use a weapon of your choice to attack him.

Brute Ranks

The Brute species is arranged in a pack society based on a hierarchy determined by viciousness and number of war kills. Ranks are differentiated physically by armor, equipment, and weaponry:

Rank Image Description
Brute Heroes
Brute Chieftain - Armor File:H3 Brute Chieftain Armor.gif This Brute Chieftain relies upon powerful weapons like Portable Plasma Cannon to crush their foes. Their armor cannot be stuck by Plasma or Spike grenades and Needler needles.
Brute Chieftain - Weapon File:H3 Brute Chieftain Weapon.gif These Brute Chieftains are clad in crimson/black armor and wield the Gravity Hammer. They use Invincibility and their Power Armor cannot be stuck by Plasma or Spike grenades and Needler needles.
Brute Leaders
Brute Captain Ultra File:H3 Brute Captain Ultra.gif The Brute Captain Ultras are the highest captain rank and use heavier weapons, such as Brute Shots.
Brute Captain Major File:H3 Brute Captain Major.gif The Brute Captain Majors are even more experienced than their younger comrades and lead larger packs into battle.
Brute Captain File:H3 Brute Captain Minor.gif The Brute Captains are experienced Brutes who now lead their comrades and the lesser races into battle.
Brute Specialists
Brute Bodyguard File:H3 Bodyguard.gif Brute Bodyguards are some of the Chieftain's most reliable warriors and not only protect their chieftain but enforce his tribal law.
Brute Jumppack File:H3 Brute Jumppack.gif These veteran Brutes utilize jumppacks to launch aerial attacks from afar, and use their enhanced mobility for guerrilla battle tactics.
Brute Stalker File:H3 Brute Stalker.gif Brute Stalkers are the secret police of the Brutes, and specialize in stealth techniques with their Active Camouflage generators.They seem to be the Brute counterparts of the Stealth Elite unit.
Brute Infantry
Brute Ultra File:H3 Brute Ultra.gif Brute Ultras are now armed with violet armor, they are comprised of the best of the regular infantrymen, showing tact, cunning skill, and strength.
Brute Major File:H3 Brute Major.gif Brute Majors are clad in dark blue armor and are promoted in a similar fashion to the Elites. They are promoted on the casualties they inflict.
Brute Minor File:H3 Brute Minor.gif Brute Minors are the lowest rank of the Brute race, clad in turquoise armor and typically armed with the Type-25 Carbine. Not only do they compete for their posting but also for their equipment.

Weapons Used

Trivia

Starry Night depicts Halo 3's Brute variants.[5]
  • The word "Jiralhanae" (지랄하네) is a Korean swear word meaning something in the league of a "stupid aggressive lunatic".[6] It can also mean phrases like "that's bullsh*t."[7]
  • Brutes seem to be carnivorous because there is much dialogue about hunting and meat in combat from Brutes. It has also been noted that one of the Brutes dragging the soon to become Arbiter says that "his flesh is seared just the way I like it," which indicates that they may not be above consuming other intelligent species. Additionally, in the level Crow's Nest, the Arbiter tells the Master Chief that Brutes capture Marines as "meat for their bellies." At one point Johnson also says to Master Chief "We both know what they do to prisoners," possibly referring to the Brutes eating captured Marines. Johnson also yells at the Brutes about to capture him in Sierra 117 "Come on, you dumb apes! You want breakfast, you gotta catch it" (referring to the marines).
  • In the ViDoc, Et Tu Brute, a Brute minor can be seen firing a Brute Shot, using the body of a dead comrade as cover.
  • Before the Vidoc: Et Tu Brute, leaked details implied that the Brutes would be playable multiplayer or campaign characters. Bungie stated vefore release that this was simply a rumour.
  • Brutes are also called "Baby Kongs" by UNSC forces, often shortened to "Bravo Kilos".
  • Since the Brutes have taken the Elites' place as the Covenant military leaders, they must now adapt similar traditions, such as color-coded armor, and a more complex ranking system. Gameplay will reflect this change with the more challenging examples displaying the most elaborate armor.
  • The ViDoc, Et Tu Brute, shows Brutes wielding energy swords, however they are never seen doing so in the finished game.
  • Servus is Latin for slave or servant. Ferox means "headstrong, spirited, courageous, warlike/wild, arrogant, unbridled". In a translation, their name means "headstrong (or other word) slave".

On Halo 3 level, the Ark, you can see a Brute captain. marking its territory in a number of humorous ways on a wall before he spots you.

Quotes

"The rest of the Sangheili will live as our slaves!" - Shouted to the Arbiter during Co-op, so far only heard on Sierra 117

"Come on Elite, take back your place!" - Taunting the Arbiter (or other Elites) in Halo 2

"Why do they call you demon?" To the Master Chief on Tsavo Highway gameplay in Halo 3

"The Arbiter!" If they see the Arbiter before the Master Chief.

"Save some for me" Randomly on Sierra 117

"Use a grenade!" Randomly

"Damn you, demon!" When shooting at the Master Chief

"Scum sucking human!" Randomly

"Fall back!" If you kill enough enemies

"Huddle for warmth," Randomly on Tsavo Highway - Brute 'packmaster' talking to pack

"Stay together!" Randomly on Tsavo Highway - Brute 'packmaster' talking to pack

"No inappropriate touching!" usually spoken by a Brute 'packmaster' on Tsavo Highway after "Huddle for warmth!"

"He was my brother!" - after another Brute in the pack is killed.

"You killed my packmate!" sometimes said after killing a Brute in a Brute pack.

"He was my lover!" sometimes said after killing a Brute with the IWHBYD skull enabled.

"The murderer of Tartarus is DEAD!" when killing the Arbiter before they see Master Chief in Crow's Nest during co-op on legendary. (need IWHBYD)

"His head will make a fine trophy!" (when MC dies)

"I will rip your head off and mount it on my wall!"

"We will tear you into bloody ribbons!"

"for YOU this was made!" when throwing a grenade

Sources

  1. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named beast
  2. ^ Halo: Contact Harvest, Page 194
  3. ^ Halo 2 Collector's Edition Game Manual
  4. ^ Halo 3 Essentials Disk 1
  5. ^ http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=765343
  6. ^ http://www.geocities.com/k9inkorea/09d.htm
  7. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Covenant_%28Halo%29&diff=next&oldid=45665662

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