Gameplay

Armor effects

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki

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[edit]

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
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Kill Effect Description Unlock (Halo: Reach) Unlock (Halo: Reach MCC) Unlock (Halo 4 MCC)
HR Legendary Armor Effect.pngHR Legendary Effect Icon.pngH4 Legendary Effect Icon.png
Legendary
Flames ensconce the skulls of the loyal. 0 cR - Included with the Legendary Edition of Halo: Reach. Series 1 Tier 83, Season point 1 Series 7 Tier 84, Season point 1
HR Eternal Armor Effect.pngHR Eternal Effect Icon.pngH4 Eternal Effect Icon.png
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, Season point 1 Series 7 Tier 100, Season point 1
HR BirthdayParty Effect Icon.png
Birthday Party
Your death is softened by a joyful noise. And confetti. 200,000 cR Series 1 Tier 25, Season point 1 Series 7 Tier 71, Season point 1
HR HeartAttack Effect Icon.png
Heart Attack
Upon expiry, flying hearts mark your demise. 300,000 cR Series 1 Tier 65, Season point 1 Series 7 Tier 62, Season point 1
HR Pestilence Armor Effect.pngHR Pestilence Effect Icon.pngH4 Pestilence Effect Icon.png
Pestilence
Foul brown clouds stink and swirl around steel. 1,000,000 cR Series 1 Tier 52, Season point 1 Series 7 Tier 25, Season point 1
HR Inclement Weather Armor Effect.pngHR InclementWeather Effect Icon.pngH4 InclementWeather Effect Icon.png
Inclement Weather
High voltage, indeed. 2,000,000 cR Series 1 Tier 79, Season point 1 Series 7 Tier 43, Season point 1

Halo Infinite[edit]

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
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Armor Effects Manufacturer Lore Rarity Unlock Requirements
Season Pass Icon
Judgment Mantle
Korolev Heavy Industries Burning with conviction. Legendary Season 01: Heroes of Reach Battle Pass level 85 (Premium)
Season Pass Icon
Judgment Helm
Korolev Heavy Industries Tempered by flame. Legendary Season 01: Heroes of Reach Battle Pass level 97 (Premium)
Halo Infinite - Menu Icon - Armor Effect - Neon Hawk
Neon Hawk
343 Industries Water runs deep and never fade away. Pals Epic Cyber Showdown Event Pass level 10
Halo Infinite - Menu Icon - Armor Effect - Neon Screen
Neon Screen
343 Industries The world is synthetic. The emotions are real. Epic Cyber Showdown Event Pass level 5
Icon of the Perfect Circle Armor effect.
Perfect Circle
Lethbridge Industrial Don't let the power go to your head. Epic Purchase from the Shop for 300 cR
Mythic Effect Set
Mythic Effect Sets
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Mythic Effect Set Manufacturer Lore Rarity Unlock Requirements
Icon of the Enlightened Path Mythic Effect Set
Enlightened Path
Korolev Heavy Industries There is no destination in this journey. Legendary Purchase "Enlightened Path" Bundle from the Shop for 2,000 cR
Season Pass Icon
Judgement Flame
FOTUS Leave only ashes in your wake. Legendary Season 01: Heroes of Reach Battle Pass level 100 (Premium)
Halo Infinite - Menu Icon - Mythic Effect Set - Neon Beat
Neon Beat
Lethbridge Industrial Life is just a lesson. Death is a misperception. Epic Purchase "Neon Beat" Bundle from the Shop for 1,000 cR
Icon of the Perfect Sector Effect Set
Perfect Sector
343 Industries There's a glitch in the simulation. Epic Purchase "Perfect Ascension" Bundle from the Shop for 800 cR
Kill Effect
Kill Effects
vde
Kill Effect Manufacturer Lore Rarity Unlock Requirements
Season Pass Icon
Judgement Phoenix
FOTUS Ready to be reborn. Legendary Season 01: Heroes of Reach Battle Pass level 50 (Premium)
Icon of the Neon End Credits Death Effect.
Neon End Credits
343 Industries You can't outrun inevitability. At least, not forever. Epic Purchase from the Shop for 600 cR
Icon of the Enlightened Blossoms Death Effect.
Enlightened Blossoms
Fractures Samurai Beauty blooms in adversity. Legendary Purchase the "Doom & Bloom" Bundle from the Shop for 700 cR

Trivia[edit]

General trivia[edit]

  • The clip of sound for "Grunt Birthday Party" is an audio sample from Viva Piñata for Xbox 360.[citation needed]
  • "Heart Attack" has the potential to kill enemies in both firefight and matchmaking according to the Bungie.net heatmaps.[1]
  • 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.[2]
  • 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[edit]

  • 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."

Sources[edit]