Editing Cut Halo 2 vehicles

{{Title|Cut ''Halo 2'' vehicles}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{GameFiles}}
{{Series/Cut/H2}}
During the [[Development of Halo 2|development of ''Halo 2'']], a number of '''vehicles were cut''' from the final game release.

==UNSC vehicles==
===Falcon===
While discussing the "strike fighter" (see below), the developers at Bungie also mentioned the need for a "[[Wikipedia:Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk|Black Hawk]]-type vehicle", which was later cut from the game. This seems to correspond with the prototype Falcon aircraft seen in very early [[Halo 2 Beta|beta builds]] of ''Halo 2'', which had been prototyped in 3D shortly after the release of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1145532132011335680|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Yes! I was playing around with 3D concepts of it right after HaloCE|D=17|M=12|Y=2020}} The vehicle in these builds is untextured and un-animated, simply appearing as a low-poly blockout model. The vehicle has a single pilot with a nose-mounted machine gun at the front of the aircraft and two side-mounted seats for passengers.{{Ref/YouTube|Cl5GL6qXPjE|Gamecheat13|Halo 2 Beta - Falcon Prototype}} The Falcon is additionally included in a rough state in map files for the ''Halo 2'' build seen in ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'', and can be spawned in via [[modding]].{{Ref/YouTube|Id=Zedd|KsAV1p_yXYo|Lord Zedd|Halo: MCC - Flying The Falcon in Halo 2 And More!|Time=2:28}}

Notably, a [[Cut Halo Wars units#Falcon|vehicle of the same name]] was concepted for, and cut from, the [[real-time strategy]] game ''[[Halo Wars]]'', though in that game was to appear more akin to a UNSC jet fighter and appears to have little resemblance to the ''Halo 2'' vehicle. The ''Halo 2'' Falcon was intended by Marcus Lehto to be a smaller cousin to the Pelican dropship, for small-unit deployment.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|728969994348822528|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Here's a sketch of the proto-Falcon dating back to Halo2. I always wanted a smaller cousin to the Pelican.|Y=2021|M=1|D=7}}{{Ref/Twitter|Id=LehtoFalcon1|game_fabricator|1132324500165410817|Marcus Lehto|After building the Pelican, I wanted to design a smaller unit deployment craft. The Falcon was something I started during H2, got morphed into the Hornet (never liked it) in H3, and finally became a reality in Reach.|Y=2021|M=1|D=7}} Following the cutting of the ''Halo 2'' Falcon, Marcus Lehto continued to work on the idea, producing sketches between the production of ''Halo 2'' and ''[[Halo 3]]'' that later became ''Halo 3''{{'}}s aerial craft the [[AV-14 Hornet|Hornet]].{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1145531541377802241|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Just found this old sketch idea from one of my books between Halo2 and Halo3. Falcon design brainstorm I believe. Trying to cram the Warhog in there somehow.|D=17|M=12|Y=2020}}{{Ref/Reuse|LehtoFalcon1}} However, Lehto wasn't satisfied with the Hornet and eventually the Falcon would finally be realised in 2010's ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' as the [[UH-144 Falcon]], a tiltrotor helicopter bearing little visual resemblance to the original ''Halo 2'' design but filling the same "Black Hawk" gameplay role.{{Ref/Reuse|LehtoFalcon1}}

<gallery>
File:H2 Falcon Concept.jpg|''Halo 2'' concept art for the Falcon.
File:HTMCC_H2_Falcon_Back.jpg|Back view of the Falcon in ''The Master Chief Collection''.
File:HTMCC_H2_Falcon_Front.jpg|Front view of the Falcon in ''The Master Chief Collection''.
File:HTMCC_H2_Falcon_Side.jpg|Side view of the Falcon in ''The Master Chief Collection''.
File:HTMCC_H2_Falcon_Flying.jpg|Flying the Falcon in ''The Master Chief Collection''.
File:HTMCC H2 Falcon 4Players.jpg|The Falcon with four passengers.
File:HTMCC_H2_Falcon_Shooting.jpg|A passenger firing the cut [[M247 general purpose machine gun]] weapon.
File:HTMCC_H2_Falcon_Driver.jpg|An external view of the driver in the cockpit (note the [[Cut Halo 2 weapons#Silenced SMG|cut suppressed SMG]].
File:Early Falcon Concept.jpg|Marcus Lehto's Falcon concept sketch produced between ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3''.
File:HR GrenadierFalcon FrontQuarter2.png|The Falcon as it appears in ''Halo: Reach''.
</gallery>

===Mongoose===
{{Main|Mongoose}}
The Mongoose was originally intended to be a vehicle useable in ''Halo 2''. The vehicle was fully built and animated, with gameplay of the ATV shown by Bungie in the [[Halo 2 Limited Collector's Edition|''Halo 2'' Limited Collector's Edition]] documentary. In the build shown, the Mongoose uses the same driving sounds as the [[Warthog]] and has the aiming reticule of the [[Magnum#Halo_2_and_Halo_2:_Anniversary|Magnum]]. During development, the Mongoose was difficult to integrate into gameplay, with the designers trying out front-mounted guns and no weapons. Ultimately, the vehicle was cut as it interfered too much with the Warthog and [[Ghost]].{{Ref/YouTube|Id=H2CE|DWI7AhQFpTE|Bungie|Cutting Room Floor Weapons Vehicles and Characters|Y=2020|M=12|D=17|Detail=Official Bungie upload of the BTS video from the ''Halo 2'' Collector's Edition}}

Notably, the Mongoose was brought back almost wholly unchanged in ''[[Halo 3]]'' and has since remained a series staple; in ''Halo 3'' and subsequent titles, the Mongoose is a two-person vehicle with no armaments. A second player can mount the back of the vehicle and fire their handheld weapons in third-person or carry objectives (such as a [[flag]]). The idea of the Mongoose with weapons was later revisited in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]'', with the game's multiplayer introducing the [[Gungoose]] - exactly the same as the regular Mongoose but with two front-mounted and driver-fired [[M67 light anti-infantry weapon|M67 LMGs]]. 

As part of a Digsite tie-in with [[Canon Fodder]], the cut ''Halo 2'' Mongoose was also given grounding in the [[Halo universe|''Halo'' universe]], and canonized as the [[M270 Mongoose]], a precursor to the M274 Mongoose.{{Ref/Site|Id=CRL|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-cutting-room-lore|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder, Cutting Room Lore|D=26|M=07|Y=22}}

<gallery>
File:Mongoose Large.jpg|A Mongoose on [[Coagulation]].
File:H2 Mongoose Front Render.jpg|Front render of the ''Halo 2'' Mongoose.
File:H2 Mongoose Rear Render.jpg|Rear render of the ''Halo 2'' Mongoose.
File:H2 BurialMounds Perspective Concept.jpg|Concept art for the map [[Burial Mounds]] depicting the Mongoose.
</gallery>

===Scorpion variants===
An anti-air equipped variant of the [[Scorpion]] tank was included in the early ''Halo 2'' design documentation. This variant was later canonised as the [[M808B2 Sun Devil]] vehicle included in the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)|Halo Encyclopedia]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|H2:AVehicles}}{{Ref/Site|Id=Discoveries|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-discoveries|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Digsite Discoveries|D=17|M=07|Y=2023}}

The Sun Devil was modelled to some extent by the ''Halo 2'' development team using the ''Combat Evolved'' iteration of the Scorpion tank as a base, though no known in-game implementation was ever done. The vehicle has been restored to functionality by the [[Digsite]] project, though with totally original [[tag]]s and statistics. Due to its use of the ''Combat Evolved'' Scorpion model as a base, the vehicle has been restored into that game rather than ''Halo 2'' for consistency reasons.{{Ref/Reuse|Discoveries}}

Another model recovered by the Digsite project depicts the [[M808B3 Tarantula]] Scorpion variant equipped with missile launchers.{{Ref/Site|Id=CFDigsite|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-digsite-dissection|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Digsite Dissection|D=28|M=07|Y=2023}} The Tarantula was first canonised in the 2009 ''Halo Encyclopedia'' alongside the Sun Devil. In-lore, the Tarantula is equipped with twin [[Scimitar rocket pod]]s.
<gallery>
File:HCE Digsite SunDevil.jpg|The original ''Halo 2'' Sun Devil model, restored into ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' by the Digsite project.
File:HCE Digsite Tarantula.jpg|The original ''Halo 2'' Tarantula model, restored into ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' by the Digsite project.
</gallery>

===Shield ship===
{{Main|UNSC Antaeus}}
The "shield ship" was a large, non-drivable vehicle implemented into ''Halo 2'' in the [[Cut Halo 2 levels#M1 - Defensive|Milestone 1 Defensive]] mission - one of several testbed missions in early production to test out new gameplay features. In the mission, the player is tasked with clearing a landing site so the vessel can land, before then defending it against waves of enemy attack.

The ship was eventually canonised and given ground in a [[2024]] issue of [[Canon Fodder]] and given ground in the ''Halo'' universe, as the UNSC ''Antaeus'', a refit heavy-lift dropfreighter with four salvaged Covenant energy shield generators.{{Ref/Site|Id=DeepDive|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-deep-dive|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Digsite Deep-Dive|D=21|M=06|Y=2024}}
<gallery>
File:H2 ShieldShip Concept.jpg|Concept art for the ship by [[Eddie Smith]].
</gallery>

===Strike fighter===
{{Quote|no=five
|1=[[Marcus Lehto]]
|q1=I think it was the Strike Fighter, right? It was like a defensive fighter for the... the... uh...
|2=[[Robert McLees]]
|q2=Earth Space.
|3=Marcus Lehto
|q3=Well, it just didn't fit into our game play, either. We didn't have any kind of purpose for this thing
|4=[[Shi Kai Wang]]
|q4=Unless it's cinematics.
|5=Robert McLees
|q5=Yeah it'd be a cinematic-only thing, and there wasn't enough time to add it in.
|6=Staff at Bungie discussing the strike fighter.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}
}}
The strike fighter was intended as a defensive [[space fighter]] for use by the [[UNSC]] during the [[Battle for Earth]]. The vehicle would have little place in actual gameplay, and instead be a cinematic-only vehicle, similar to the [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] seen in the final game. For gameplay, the designers needed more of a "[[Wikipedia:Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk|Black Hawk]]-type vehicle", likely referring to the cut Falcon UNSC aircraft detailed above.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}} Early [[Halo 2 storyboards|storyboards]] for the levels [[Cairo Station]] and the cut level [[covenantship]] show some more usage of the strike fighter; in the cut sections of ''Halo 2''{{'}}s early story, the strike fighters would have filled the role shown by the Longsword in the final game - performing an attack run on a [[Day of Jubilation|Covenant carrier]].{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}

The strike fighter notably bears a strong resemblance space fighters designed by Bungie in their later titles; specifically the [[FSS-1000 Sabre]] in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' and the jumpships of the later ''Destiny''.
<gallery>
File:H2 StrikeFighter Concept 1.jpg|Concept art for the Strike Fighter.
File:H2 StrikeFighter Concept 2.jpg|Concept art for the Strike Fighter.
File:H2 StrikeFighter Concept 3.jpg|Concept art for the Strike Fighter.
File:H2 CovenantShip V2 Storyboard Intro 5.jpg|Storyboard for covenantship, showcasing a strike fighter in the foreground.
File:H2 CovenantShip V2 Storyboard Intro 6.jpg|Storyboard for covenantship, showcasing a strike fighter bombing run.
File:H2 ChiefEnding Storyboard 5.jpg|Storyboard for the original ending of ''Halo 2'', showcasing strike fighters deploying fireworks around Cairo Station.

</gallery>

===Orca===
The Orca is a vehicle mentioned in ''Halo 2'' design documentation. It was intended to be a troop-carrying watercraft. The documentation additionally details a variant known as the Mortar Orca, appropriately equipped with mortars as weapons.{{Ref/Generic|Id=H2:AVehicles|[[Halo 2: Artifacts]]|Episode 4 - The Cutting Room Floor|Detail=13:25}}

===Piglet===
Found in the files for ''Halo 2'', the Piglet is seemingly a static prop object intended to populate the level and visually resembles a scaled-down version of the [[Warthog]]. The model has no collision, animations and other info markers required to be useable as a vehicle in-game. The Piglet was notably featured in a breakdown by [[Kenneth Peters]] in an [[Halo: The Master Chief Collection|MCC]] Flighting Update on the ''[[Halo Waypoint]]'' forums, where he made the vehicle driveable in ''Halo 2'' via [[modding]].{{Ref/Site|URL=https://forums.halowaypoint.com/t/mcc-development-flighting-update/5019/7?u=postums|Site=Halo Waypoint Forums|Page=MCC Development & Flighting Update|D=20|M=02|Y=2022}}
<gallery>
File:H2 Piglet Render.png|The Piglet's model, as viewed in 3DS Max.
File:H2_Piglet_Elite.png|Setting up the Piglet to be driveable, via modding.
File:H2_Piglet_Arby.png|The Arbiter driving a modded Piglet.
</gallery>

===Warthog variants===
These '''Warthogs''' were created by artist [[Marcus Lehto]] shortly after the release of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1147290983479906304|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Right after Halo CE, I was inspired to build some variants of the Warthog. Different tires, camo netting, troop carrier, and my fav wa the SnowHog.|D=17|M=12|Y=2020}} An image of them was later released on [[Bungie.net]] as part of their ''[[Halo 2]]'' project page.{{Ref/Site|D=28|M=2|Y=2021|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/projects/halo2/asset_thumb_viewer.aspx?cc=22&at=53&page=1|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Halo 2 project page}} A model was also created for a unique rocket launcher-equipped Warthog turret. This model was later released by the [[Digsite]] project via their github tag releases, and is set up to be fully-playable once spawned in. When used, the rocket launcher fires two rockets in quick succession with every trigger pull, with a lengthy cooldown time inbetween.

In later media such as Bungie.net news, the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)|Halo Encyclopedia]]'' and the [[Halo Waypoint]] universe section, several vehicles have been described with very similar traits to these cut vehicles, namely being the (from left to right, as per the image and not including the standard Warthog) [[M868 Tropic Warthog]], [[M862 Arctic Warthog]] and [[M914 Recovery Vehicle]]. This was later confirmed by [[Jeff Easterling]],{{Ref/Twitter|GrimBrotherOne|1216113343863250944|Jeff Easterling|Quote=Seems about right.|D=17|M=12|Y=2020}} with the note that it can change later if 343 Industries needed.{{Ref/Twitter|GrimBrotherOne|1216117479207948288|Jeff Easterling|Quote=Seems to all fit, and we can always change it if we need.|D=17|M=12|Y=2020}} While the Rocket Warthog was not canonised directly, a similar vehicle was later introduced in ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' as the [[M12R Rocket Warthog]].

''Halo 2'' design documentation also references a number of other Warthog variants including a desert camo Warthog and a "night mission" camo Warthog.{{Ref/Generic|Id=H2:A|[[Halo 2: Artifacts]]|Episode 4 - The Cutting Room Floor|Detail=9:44}}
<gallery>
File:H2 Warthog Variants.jpg|The cut Warthog variants.
File:H2 Digsite RocketHog Screenshot 1.png|A view of the Rocket Warthog modded onto [[Cut Halo 2 levels#Beach Battle (forerunner_sample)|Forerunner Sample]], a cut map.
File:H2 Digsite RocketHog Screenshot 2.png|A Spartan mounting the Rocket Warthog's turret.
</gallery>

==Covenant vehicles==
===Anti-air Wraith===
An anti-air equipped variant of the [[Wraith]] tank was also developed for ''Halo 2'', similarly to the Scorpion variant above. The AA Wraith bears an almost identical design to the {{Pattern|Ogab'd|anti-aircraft Wraith}} later introduced properly in ''[[Halo 3]]'', albeit with minor aesthetic changes resulting from it using the ''Combat Evolved'' Wraith model as a base. As with the Sun Devil Scorpion, this vehicle has been restored into ''Combat Evolved''{{'}}s engine by Digsite.{{Ref/Reuse|Discoveries}}
<gallery>
File:HCE_Digsite_AAWraith.jpg|The ''Halo 2'' model for the AA Wraith restored into ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' by Digsite.
</gallery>

===Brute Chopper===
Referred to in documentation as the "Brute cycle", early ''Halo 2'' intended to feature the vehicle introduced in subsequent games as the [[Chopper]] for the [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]].{{Ref/Reuse|H2:AVehicles}} The vehicle was concepted by [[Eddie Smith]], and ultimately later fairly faithfully realised in ''[[Halo 3]]'' as the [[Barukaza Workshop Chopper]].
<gallery>
File:H2 Chopper Concept.jpg|''Halo 2'' Chopper concept art by Eddie Smith.
</gallery>

===Brute mounts===
Early ''Halo 2'' design documentation references the desire to have Brutes able to ride [[List of animals|animal]] mounts into battle.{{Ref/Reuse|H2:AVehicles}}

===Covenant artillery===
{{Main|Zo'op-pattern Weevil}}
In the [[Halo 2 E3 demo|''Halo 2'' E3 demo]], the city of [[New Mombasa]] is depicted as under siege by a massive Covenant artillery cannon. During the demo, a flight of Longswords is called in to bomb the gun. While this massive artillery piece does not appear in the final game, a smaller version of it known as the Type-48 Weevil does appear in the beach section of the level Outskirts - though inactive. Through modding, the guns are found to have turning and firing animations{{Ref/YouTube|hp5VsRt7HFo|Generalkidd|Halo 2 - The Secret AA Turrets That Were Never Used}}, indicating they may have been intended to be seen firing on the city of New Mombasa in-game.
<gallery>
File:H2E3Demo CovenantArtillery.png|The artillery in the E3 demo.
File:H2-CovenantArtilleryTurret.png|The Type-48 Weevil seen in the final ''Halo 2'' build.
</gallery>

===Covenant fuel truck===
Early ''Halo 2'' design documentation references a vehicle called the "Covenant fuel truck". No further details are known.{{Ref/Reuse|H2:AVehicles}} A [[Combat support vehicle|similar vehicle]] exists in ''Halo'' canon, though is likely unrelated to this concept.

===Command shuttle===
The command shuttle was a vehicle designed and modelled for inclusion in the [[Cut Halo 2 levels#M1 - Assault|Milestone 1 Assault]] test level, with a redesign later concepted for inclusion in the final game. The initial design was based on the visual design for the [[Dextro Xur-pattern Spirit|Spirit]] from ''Combat Evolved'', serving as a larger cousin. The model for this early command shuttle recovered by the [[Digsite]] project is designed to fly with the cockpit facing forward unlike the Spirit, and reuses the ''Combat Evolved'' Spirit texture.{{Ref/Reuse|DeepDive}} The Spirit-derived command shuttle design was later canonised in a [[2022]] [[Canon Fodder]] article as the {{Pattern|R'ea'kuk|command shuttle}}.{{Ref/Site|Id=CFLore|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-cutting-room-lore|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Cutting Room Lore|D=26|M=7|Y=2022}}

In M1 Alpha, the landed command shuttle is situated at the base of a [[Forerunner]] tower, and is the central objective of the mission. The player would be tasked with assaulting the shuttle and destroying it through a number of means including a [[UNSC Marine Corps|marine]] assault, airstrikes, or using a [[Wraith]]. The level of damage the ship has sustained would help to determine the alert level for Covenant forces in the region.{{Ref/Reuse|DeepDive}}
<gallery>
File:H2_CommandShuttle_Render_1.jpg|The command shuttle model.
File:H2_CommandShuttle_Render_2.jpg|The command shuttle model.
File:H2_CommandShuttle_Render_3.jpg|The command shuttle model.
File:H2_CommandShuttle_Render_4.jpg|The command shuttle model.
File:H2_CommandShuttle_Render_5.jpg|The command shuttle model.
</gallery>

The redesigned command shuttle is more resemblant of the [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantom]] dropshop, and was re-concepted by [[Eddie Smith]].{{Ref/Reuse|DeepDive}} This design is seen only in early [[Halo 2 storyboards|storyboards]] for the level [[The Arbiter]], in which the command shuttle appears to be a large Covenant [[dropship]] similar in scale to the [[Kmiro'sish-pattern Lich|Lich]]. The vehicle would have been used to transport the Elite strike team to the [[Threshold gas mine]], before being replaced by three Phantoms in the final game. The command shuttle reappears in storyboards for the game's epilogue cutscene, having been taken over by the [[Flood]]. The redesigned command shuttle is fitted with [[Covenant drop pod]] launchers on its sides and a few weapons, and was given a very early model blockout for ''Halo 2''.
<gallery>
File:H2_CommandShuttle_Concept.jpg|Eddie Smith's revised concept design for the command shuttle.
File:H2_TheArbiter_V2_Storyboard_Intro_1.jpg|Storyboards of a command shuttle inserting the Arbiter's team into the gas mine.
File:H2_TheArbiter_V2_Storyboard_Intro_3.jpg|Storyboards of a command shuttle inserting the Arbiter's team into the gas mine.
File:H2_TheArbiter_V2_Storyboard_Intro_6.jpg|Storyboards of a command shuttle inserting the Arbiter's team into the gas mine.
File:H2_TheArbiter_V2_Storyboard_Intro_7.jpg|Storyboards of a command shuttle inserting the Arbiter's team into the gas mine.
File:H2_Epilogue_Storyboard_2.jpg|A command shuttle can be seen in storyboards for the game's [[Earth Ark|original ending]].
File:H2_CommandShuttle_Blockout.png|A primitive model blockout for the shuttle.
</gallery>

===Ghost variants===
Early ''Halo 2'' design documentation references a vehicle called an "Excavation Ghost", alongside "VTOL" and "Special Forces" Ghost variants. No further details are known.{{Ref/Reuse|H2:AVehicles}}

It is likely that the "Exacavation" variant would be intended for use by the [[Sesa 'Refumee's heretic faction|heretics]] on the [[Alphamoon]] level, while the "Special Forces" Ghost would be for use by the [[Covenant Special Operations|SpecOps]] troops who deploy alongside the Arbiter in that level.

===Lightbridge ship===
The "lightbridge ship", "bridge ship", or "airbus", is a vehicle concepted by [[Shi Kai Wang]] for use in the [[Cut Halo 2 levels#M1 - Assault|Milestone 1 Assault]] level. Visually resembling the [[Ruwaa-pattern Shadow|Shadow]], the ship is intended for use for allowing Covenant ground forces to cross chasms in the earth. The vehicle is capable of flying and hovering in place, and sits in the middle of a chasm, projecting a [[light bridge]] from both sides. The lightbridge spans the chasm in its entirety, and to cross it requires walking through the lightbridge ship.{{Ref/Reuse|DeepDive}}

In M1 Assault, the player would be tasked with assaulting a Covenant-occupied [[Forerunner]] structure with a [[R'ea'kuk-pattern command shuttle|command shuttle]] docked at its base. To access the site, the player would need to cross a chasm, with the bridge ship as the only method of crossing. While exploring the terrain, Covenant troops may spot the player and retreat to the bridge ship to use it as a defensive chokepoint. A section of M1 Assault's design document reads:{{Ref/Reuse|DeepDive}}
{{Article quote|'''Installation: Bridge Ship'''{{Ref/Reuse|DeepDive}}
*White: The Bridge Ship is a small Covenant ship floating above the Chasm with two long energy bridges extending from each side, forming a bridge. This ship has minimal defenses, but is guarded by several Covenant troops. After the Player wipes out the Covenant forces they can either use the bridge, enter the ship and depower the light bridges, or blow the ship up, denying it to Covenant reinforcements. Initially the Covenant guards are not paying much attention, allowing the Player to sneak past on the Natural Bridge. If they do see the Player they will use the communication gear in the Bridge Ship to raise the Covenant to Green Alert.
*Blue: The Covenant guards are much more observant, making it difficult for the Player to approach undetected.
*Green: If the Bridge Ship is attacked it automatically raises the Covenant to Green Alert and calls for reinforcements.
}}

In ''Halo'' canon, a similar [[combat bridging vehicle]] is depicted in the novel ''[[Halo: Oblivion]]''.
<gallery>
File:H2 LightbridgeShip Concept.jpg|Concept art for the lightbridge ship.
File:H2 LightbridgeShip Deployed Concept.jpg|Concept art of the lightbridge ship once deployed. The sides of the vehicle unfold to project the lightbridge laterally.
File:H2 LightbridgeShip Blockout.png|A primitive blockout for the lightbridge ship in the files for M1 Assault.
</gallery>

===Shadow variants===
{{Main|Ruwaa-pattern Shadow}}
The Shadow troop carrier is an infantry-carrying variant of the [[Shadow]]. In-game, the vehicle is only featured in the level [[Outskirts]], driving along the Mombasa highways. These vehicles carry Ghosts in their underbelly compartments; however, a troop carrier variant exists in the files unused, and is shown in the [[Halo 2 Manual|''Halo 2'' Manual]]. This vehicle is found in the shared map content in the ''Halo 2'' component of ''The Master Chief Collection''{{Ref/Reuse|Zedd}}, and despite being unused the troop transport variant was even retextured for the visually updated campaign of ''Halo 2: Anniversary''.{{Ref/YouTube|miyi8dq34DI|Generalkidd|Halo 2 - The Secret Troop Transport Variant Of The Shadow}}

Early ''Halo 2'' design documentation also references another vehicle called an "Excavation Shadow" - presumably a variant of the existing Shadow vehicle. No further details are known.{{Ref/Reuse|H2:AVehicles}} As with the Ghosts mentioned above, it is likely that the "Excavation" Shadow was intended for use by the heretics on Alphamoon.
<gallery>
File:H2 Shadow Concept 2.jpg|Concept art for the troop transport Shadow.
File:H2 Shadow Passengers.jpg|A Grunt and a Jackal in the troop bay.
File:H2-T29ShadowTVT-Side.png|A render of the troop transport Shadow.
File:H2-T29ShadowTVT-SideProfile.png|A render of the standard Shadow featured in ''Halo 2'', for reference.
File:H2A T29Shadow TroopTransport.png|A visually updated troop transport Shadow in ''Halo 2: Anniversary''.
</gallery>

===Phantom door gunner variant===
Finalised storyboards for the level The Arbiter showcase a {{Pattern|Kez'katu|Phantom}} with door-mounted gunners. This Phantom design ultimately was discarded for the final game, instead preferring to use three larger plasma cannons. This design for the Phantom was later employed for ''Halo 3'' and subsequent ''Halo'' games.

The model for this variant of the Phantom can be seen in the [[Halo 2 E3 demo|''Halo 2'' E3 demo]], and was restored into ''Halo 2'' by the Digsite project. It features landing gear and {{Pattern|Shepsu|plasma cannon}} door gunners.{{Ref/Reuse|Discoveries}}
<gallery>
File:H2_TheArbiter_V3_Storyboard_Intro_27.jpg|A storyboard featuring the original Phantom.
File:H2 Digsite E3Phantom.jpg|The "E3 Phantom" restored into ''Halo 2'' by Digsite.
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Deleted Material}}
[[Category:Halo 2]]