Armor effects

Armor effects are a special customizable option in Halo: Reach, the Halo: The Master Chief Collection edition of Halo 4, and Halo Infinite. Armor effects are visible in all gametypes, though they are not displayed in cutscenes.

On November 16, 2020, when Series 4: Reclaimer was released for Halo: The Master Chief Collection, it made the effects available for use on Sangheili player models in Reach. On June 23, 2021, with the release of Series 7: Elite, these effects were added into Halo 4 as a new customization option.

Halo Infinite would feature player effects in a major capacity, following their absence in Halo 5: Guardians.

Halo: Reach and Halo 4

Armor effects functioned as passive character model effects, visible to other players in-game. They served no purpose past being aesthetic changes. Certain effects such as Heart Attack, and Pestilence featured specific death effects, which activated as the player died, such as a flurry of hearts floating above the player's place of death. Others, such as Legendary and Eternal were only active as the player remained alive, with no specific death effect associated to them.

Originally, Halo: Reach was the first and only Halo title to feature armor effects in any capacity, with the original releases of Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians forgoing the option. However, in 2021, Halo 4 would be updated to feature Reach's suite of armor effects within The Master Chief Collection. They functioned identically to their Reach counterparts.

Armor effects v • d • e
Kill Effect	Description	Unlock (Halo: Reach)	Unlock (Halo: Reach MCC)	Unlock (Halo 4 MCC)
Legendary	Flames ensconce the skulls of the loyal.	0 cR - Included with the Legendary Edition of Halo: Reach.	Series 1 Tier 83, 1	Series 7 Tier 84, 1
Eternal	Burn bright; burn blue.	0 cR- Formerly only available to Bungie employees, required e-mail verification through Bungie.net. Available until 7/7/11.	Series 1 Tier 100, 1	Series 7 Tier 100, 1
Birthday Party	Your death is softened by a joyful noise. And confetti.	200,000 cR	Series 1 Tier 25, 1	Series 7 Tier 71, 1
Heart Attack	Upon expiry, flying hearts mark your demise.	300,000 cR	Series 1 Tier 65, 1	Series 7 Tier 62, 1
Pestilence	Foul brown clouds stink and swirl around steel.	1,000,000 cR	Series 1 Tier 52, 1	Series 7 Tier 25, 1
Inclement Weather	High voltage, indeed.	2,000,000 cR	Series 1 Tier 79, 1	Series 7 Tier 43, 1

Halo Infinite

Following their absence in Halo 5, and their reintegration into Halo 4, Halo Infinite would feature armor effects in a notably more major capacity. Unlike Reach and Halo 4, which featured armor effects that could be passive, activated on death, or both, Infinite would divide effects into three defined categories: Armor Effects, Mythic Effect Sets, and Kill Effects.

Armor effects act much like they did in prior titles, being passive, aesthetic changes to the player's character model. Unlike Reach and 4, these effects didn't feature any death effects, with their presence being solely limited to when the player is alive.

Mythic effect sets are passive effects that affect the player's character model's actions, such as footsteps, and slides. They can also be activated through the use of certain equipment, which varies by the effect. These can be used in tandem with different armor effects, and aren't defined by them, unlike prior titles.

Kill effects take the place of death effects in prior titles, and are a part of weapon customization. Following the theme of armor and mythic effect sets, kill effects are activated when the player kills another, and unlike prior titles, are defined by the killer's choice of effect.

Armor Effects

Armor Effects v • d • e
Armor Effects	Manufacturer	Lore	Rarity	Introduced In	Unlock Requirements
Judgment Helm	FOTUS	Tempered by flame.	Legendary	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Season 01: Heroes of Reach Battle Pass level 97 (Premium)
Judgment Mantle	FOTUS	Burning with conviction.	Legendary	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Season 01: Heroes of Reach Battle Pass level 85 (Premium)
Neon Hawk	FOTUS	Water runs deep and never fade away. Pals	Epic	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Cyber Showdown Event Pass level 10
Neon Screen	FOTUS	The world is synthetic. The emotions are real.	Epic	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Cyber Showdown Event Pass level 5
Noble Fire	FOTUS	It's been an honor serving with you.	Legendary	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Exclusive to employees of 343 Industries
Perfect Circle	FOTUS	Don't let the power go to your head.	Epic	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Purchase from the Shop for 300 cR
Perfect Sublimity	FOTUS	High scores are at an all-time low.	Epic	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Purchase from the Shop for 500 cR
Rotten Vitality	The Flood	In sickness, a new kind of health.	Legendary	Season 05: Reckoning	Season 05: Reckoning Battle Pass level 49 (Premium)
Halo WC 2022 Victory Laurels	343 Industries	To the victor go the spoils! Congratulations to all competitors and fans of Halo World Championship 2022!	Legendary	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Purchase the "Halo WC 2022 Victory" bundle from the Shop for 800 cR
Inevitability of War	Fractures: Entrenched	The landslide has already started.	Epic	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Purchase from the Shop for 500 cR
March of War	Fracture: Entrenched	Die on your feet.	Epic	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Purchase from the Shop for 500 cR
Marlin T. Buckets	FOTUS	Hippity hoppity, your Scorpion tank is now my property.	Legendary	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Purchase from the Shop for 800 cR
Opulent Bouquet	FOTUS	Flowers really can bloom on the battlefield!	Epic	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Purchase from the Shop for 1,100 cR
Packmaster's Glare	FOTUS	Looks will kill.	Epic	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Season 02: Lone Wolves Battle Pass level 70 (Premium)
Trapmaster's Map	FOTUS	You can run, but not hide.	Epic	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Season 02: Lone Wolves Alpha Pack Event Pass Level 10
Cold Shoulder	343 Industries	All hail the conquering hero.	Epic	Winter Update	Purchase the "Frostbite Effects Set" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Ski Rack	343 Industries	Perfect for a day on the velvet slopes.	Epic	Winter Update	Purchase the "Frostbite Effects Set" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Retrode Console	FOTUS	A big hit with older Spartans.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Purchase the "Level Up!" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Retrode Lockout	FOTUS	Not backwards compatible.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Purchase the "Level Up!" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Synthetic Dawn	FOTUS	Bootstrap code for peripheral visual effects.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Purchase the "Synthetic Dawn" bundle from the Shop for 1,200 cR
Synthetic Emitters	Fractures: Firewall	Incorporates sensory attacks targeted at unaugmented biologics.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Purchase the "Synthetic Runtime" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Slipstream Factorgrid	FOTUS	Not yet approved for mass production.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Purchase the "Slipstream Factorgrid" bundle from the Shop for 800 cR
Slipstream Vectorstrike	FOTUS	Field tests are the best tests.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Season 03: Echoes Within Battle Pass level 1 (Premium)
Halo WC 2022 Victory Wings	343 Industries	To the victor go the spoils! Congratulations to all competitors and fans of Halo World Championship 2023!	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Halo WC 2023 Championship" bundle from the Shop for 1,000 cR
Leaky Seals	343 Industries	Gonna need to get that fixed.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Season 04: Infection Battle Pass level 75 (Premium)
Lightspike Gauntlets	343 Industries	Spectral analysis confirmed.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Photon Groove" bundle from the Shop for 1,600 cR
Lightspike Pauldrons	343 Industries	Visible light throughout the fight.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Photon Groove" bundle from the Shop for 1,600 cR
Spirited Thoughts	Fracture: Tenrai	Painting a new reality.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Crimson Dawn" or "Dragonborn" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 or 3,400 cR respectively
Swim Moves	Fracture: Tenrai	Fishing for compliments.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Kawari" or "Dragonborn" bundle from the Shop for 1,400 or 3,400 cR respectively
Warning Signs	343 Industries	Watch where you step!	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Warning Signs" or "Hazmat Haven" bundle from the Shop for 1,500 or 3,400 cR respectively
Year 2 Cloud9 Shoulder FX	343 Industries	#C9WIN	Epic	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Cloud9 Y2 Gear Up" bundle from the HCS Shop for 1,000 cR
Year 2 Complexity Shoulder FX	343 Industries	Players First. Players Always. Since 2003.	Epic	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Complexity Y2 Gear Up" bundle from the HCS Shop for 1,000 cR
Year 2 FaZe Shoulder FX	343 Industries	Stare into the void… FaZe Clan’s Armor FX bring out-of-this-world cosmetics to the battlefield. Give your enemies an existential crisis as they can’t even look you in the eyes - all they can see is dark matter.	Epic	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "FaZe Y2 Gear Up" bundle from the HCS Shop for 1,000 cR
Year 2 NAVI Shoulder FX	343 Industries	NAVI legendary tag in Halo Infinite. Let your power armor shine in colors of freedom: blue and yellow. Become obsessed with winning like NAVI is.	Epic	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "NAVI Y2 Gear Up" bundle from the HCS Shop for 1,000 cR
Year 2 OpTic Gaming Shoulder FX	343 Industries	Brick by Brick.	Epic	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "OpTic Y2 Gear Up" bundle from the HCS Shop for 1,000 cR
Year 2 Quadrant Shoulder FX	343 Industries	Join the sQUAD with the 2023 Quadrant core pack. Inspired by the racetrack and the battlefield, supercar-like gloss carbon fibre plates & digital camo suit combine to make you stand out and blend in.	Epic	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Quadrant Y2 Gear Up" bundle from the HCS Shop for 1,000 cR
Year 2 Sentinels Shoulder FX	343 Industries	Hail to the Kings of SEN City.	Epic	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Sentinels Y2 Gear Up" bundle from the HCS Shop for 1,000 cR
Year 2 Spacestation Gaming Shoulder FX	343 Industries	SSG is fantastic, they just need to work on communication, aim, map awareness, power weapon management, grenades, teamwork, positioning, OBJs, retake ability, and slaying.	Epic	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Spacestation Y2 Gear Up" bundle from the HCS Shop for 1,000 cR
Blightlands Marauder	The Flood	It is a mistake to assume the parasite cannot innovate.	Legendary	Season 05: Reckoning	Purchase the "Flood" super bundle from the Shop for 2,800 cR
Candy Corn	343 Industries	Expired candy converted into field-expedient up-armor.	Legendary	Season 05: Reckoning	Purchase the "Pumpkin Spice" bundle from the Shop for 1,600 cR
Lil' Devil	343 Industries	Oh, you rascal …	Legendary	Season 05: Reckoning	Purchase the "Sanguine Gift" bundle from the Shop for 2,200 cR
Rotten Vitality	The Flood	In sickness, a new kind of health.	Legendary	Season 05: Reckoning	Season 05: Reckoning Battle Pass level 49 (Premium)
Winter Lights	343 Industries	Come in from the cold.	Legendary	Season 05: Reckoning	Purchase the "Chill Out" or "Santa's Little Helper" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR or 3,400 cR respectively
Winter Step	343 Industries	These feet are made for walking to gifts.	Legendary	Season 05: Reckoning	Purchase the "Hearth Fire" or "Santa's Little Helper" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR or 3,400 cR respectively
Corinthian Sigil	UNSC	The Spartans have arrived.	Epic	Content Update 29 - Spirit of Fire	Purchase the "Omega Team" superbundle from the Shop for 3,800 cR
Spirit Sigil	UNSC	The crew of the Spirit of Fire are ghosts to the UNSC, but well-known demons to the Banished.	Epic	Content Update 29 - Spirit of Fire	Purchase the "Omega Team" superbundle from the Shop for 3,800 cR
Jolly Roger Sigil	UNSC	No quarter given to the Covenant.	Epic	Content Update 29 - Spirit of Fire	Purchase the "Stanchion" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Lunar Coil	343 Industries	A friend indeed.	Legendary	Content Update 29 - Spirit of Fire	Purchase the "Lunar Coil" bundle from the Shop for 2,200 cR
Phoenix Sigil	UNSC	Reborn and renewed.	Epic	Content Update 29 - Spirit of Fire	Purchase the "Stanchion" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Scales of the Living Dragon	343 Industries	Burn the sky and renew the earth.	Legendary	Content Update 29 - Spirit of Fire	Purchase the "Lunar Coil" bundle from the Shop for 2,200 cR

Mythic Effect Set

Mythic Effect Sets v • d • e
Mythic Effect	Manufacturer	Lore	Rarity	Introduced In	Unlock Requirements
Enlightened Path	Korolev Heavy Industries	There is no destination in this journey.	Legendary	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Purchase the "Enlightened Path" bundle from the Shop for 2,000 cR
Judgement Flame	FOTUS	Leave only ashes in your wake.	Legendary	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Season 01: Heroes of Reach Battle Pass level 100 (Premium)
Neon Beat	Lethbridge Industrial	Life is just a lesson. Death is a misperception.	Epic	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Purchase the "Neon Beat" bundle from the Shop for 1,000 cR
Perfect Sector	343 Industries	There's a glitch in the simulation.	Epic	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Purchase the "Perfect Ascension" bundle from the Shop for 800 cR
Beyond the Burrow	FOTUS	A hare-raising adventure!	Epic	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Purchase from the Shop for 300 cR
Huntsmaster's Trail	FOTUS	Let loose the dogs of war.	Epic	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Season 02: Lone Wolves Battle Pass level 98 (Premium)
Legacy of War	Fracture: Entrenched	Blood and darkness follows in your wake.	Epic	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Purchase from the Shop for 300 cR
Fiesta Fury	343 Industries	Party Up!	Legendary	Winter Update	Purchase the "Fiesta Fury" bundle from the Shop for 1,000 cR
Verglas Dream	343 Industries	Stay frosty.	Legendary	Winter Update	Purchase the "Frostbite Effects Set" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Retrode Aftermarket	FOTUS	New old stock.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Purchase the "Level Up!" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Slipstream Sectorlink	FOTUS	Perfectly suited for parades and program reviews.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Season 03: Echoes Within Battle Pass level 100 (Premium)
Synthetic Markers	FOTUS	Carefully placed for maximum cognitive impact.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Purchase the "Synthetic Runtime" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Gansai Gear	343 Industries	Brushstroke of genius.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Dragonborn" superbundle from the Shop for 3,400 cR
Hazmat Haven	343 Industries	Caution must be exercised.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Hazmat Haven" superbundle from the Shop for 3,400 cR
Photon Groove	343 Industries	Four on the floor.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Purchase the "Photon Groove" bundle from the Shop for 1,600 cR
Cruel Tread	The Flood	With each step, the Flood rises higher.	Legendary	Season 05: Reckoning	Season 05: Reckoning Battle Pass level 45 (Premium)
Mischief Machine	343 Industries	Always up to no good.	Legendary	Season 05: Reckoning	Purchase the "Sanguine Gift" bundle from the Shop for 2,200 cR

Kill Effect

Kill Effects v • d • e
Kill Effects	Manufacturer	Lore	Rarity	Introduced In	Unlock Requirements
Enlightened Blossoms	Fractures: Tenrai	Beauty blooms in adversity.	Legendary	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Purchase the "Doom & Bloom" Bundle from the Shop for 700 cR
Judgement Phoenix	FOTUS	Ready to be reborn.	Legendary	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Season 01: Heroes of Reach Battle Pass level 50 (Premium)
Neon End Credits	343 Industries	You can't outrun inevitability. At least, not forever.	Epic	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	Purchase the "Neon End Credits" bundle from the Shop for 600 cR
Perfect Decompilation	FOTUS	End of line.	Epic	Season 01: Heroes of Reach	TBD
Eagle Claw	Fractures: Entrenched	A sharp pain, then oblivion.	Legendary	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Purchase the "Eagle Claw" bundle from the Shop for 700 cR
The Entropy of Spring	FOTUS	Chaos reigns!	Legendary	Season 02: Lone Wolves	The Yappening Event Pass level 10
Survival of the Fittest	FOTUS	Dying is not very sigma, bro.	Legendary	Season 02: Lone Wolves	Season 02: Lone Wolves Battle Pass level 1 (Premium)
Frostbite	343 Industries	Put your opponents on ice.	Legendary	Winter Update	Purchase the "Frostbite Effects Set" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Birthday Bash	343 Industries	Your fiesta. Their siesta.	Epic	Winter Update	Purchase the "Birthday Bash" bundle from the Shop for 0 cR
Retrode Emulator	FOTUS	Emulators not supported.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Purchase the "Level Up!" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Slipstream Endpoint	FOTUS	Custom code is needed to sync with older War Games simulator systems.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Season 03: Echoes Within Battle Pass level 50 (Premium)
Synthetic Runtime	FOTUS	Simulations within simulations.	Legendary	Season 03: Echoes Within	Purchase the "Synthetic Runtime" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Biohazardous	343 Industries	You tried to warn them.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Season 04: Infection Battle Pass level 25 (Premium)
Radio Edit	343 Industries	Dropping their beat.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "BRXX Lightfire" bundle from the Shop for 1,800 cR
Whisked Away	Fractures: Tenrai	Simply breathtaking.	Legendary	Season 04: Infection	Purchase the "Crimson Dawn" or "Dragonborn" bundle from the Shop for 1,600 cR or 3,400 cR respectively

Trivia

General trivia

• The clip of sound for "Grunt Birthday Party" is an audio sample from Viva Piñata for Xbox 360.
• "Heart Attack" has the potential to kill enemies in both firefight and matchmaking according to the Bungie.net heatmaps.
• The hearts of "Heart Attack" are actually based on a temporary effect used by Bungie effects artist Steve Scott for debugging. The effect is also seen in the "Dancing Marty" Easter egg in Halo 3: ODST.
• The Eternal armor effect was originally exclusive to Bungie employees, before being given out to players who verified their email on Bungie.net in 2011. The "Noble Fire" armor effect seen in Halo Infinite references this, being a blue flaming helmet effect, that is exclusive to 343 Industries employees.

References

• Inclement Weather's name is possibly a reference to Cortana's comment on Halo's climate as heard on Halo: Combat Evolved campaign level Assault on the Control Room; "Interesting... the weather patterns here seem natural, not artificial. I wonder if the ring's environment systems are malfunctioning... or if the designers wanted the installation to have inclement weather."