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Cut Halo 3 vehicles

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This page discusses elements of deleted material and cut content. Some information on the page is sourced from game files and may not be verifiable through external sources. Where possible, such information should be clearly-marked and replaced with a proper external source as soon as one is available.
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During the production of Halo 3, several vehicles were concepted and implemented - though ultimately cut for various reasons.

Human vehicles[edit]

Falcon[edit]

The Falcon was a vehicle envisioned by Marcus Lehto during the production of Halo 2, but ultimately unrealised. Bungie continued their interest in the Falcon in the production of Halo 3 with a handful of concepts being produced by Lehto and Isaac Hannaford. Ultimately, these concepts resulted in the creation of the Hornet gunship, with the Falcon later fully-realised in Halo: Reach as a helicopter.

  • Marcus Lehto's early Halo 2 Falcon sketches.
    Marcus Lehto's early Halo 2 Falcon sketches.
  • An early sketch for Halo 3, by Lehto. Note the introduction of the Hornet's silhouette.[1]
    An early sketch for Halo 3, by Lehto. Note the introduction of the Hornet's silhouette.[1]
  • Concept art by Isaac Hannaford, featured in the Halo Encyclopedia and The Art of Halo 3.[2][3]
    Concept art by Isaac Hannaford, featured in the Halo Encyclopedia and The Art of Halo 3.[2][3]

Frigates[edit]

In the original first-draft script produced for Halo 3, a number of frigates were to be featured in the game's campaign. Due to the early phase of development, the script calls them out as Stalwart-class light frigates (the same a UNSC In Amber Clad from Halo 2), but they were ultimately redesigned for the final game as the Charon-class light frigate.[4]

In the early script, a frigate named UNSC Providence replaces UNSC Forward Unto Dawn as the main ship featured in the game's plot. In addition, a number of other frigates are namedropped; UNSC Madrid, UNSC Ningbo, and UNSC Ophir. Unlike the final game, seven frigates in total are featured in the campaign, with three kept in hiding by Lord Hood over the Arctic circle on Earth, and another four in the Atacama Desert. These seven frigates are used in the attack on the Keyship at the end of The Storm, and accompany the Elites' Fleet of Retribution to the Ark later on. In that battle, most of the frigates are destroyed with the exception of Providence and Ningbo.[4]

Several pieces of concept art were produced for Halo 3 depicting these frigates in combat, with the Providence prominently featured. The artwork featuring Providence is featured in the 2009 and 2011 Halo encyclopedias.[5][6][7][8]

While Halo 2's Stalwart-class frigates were redesigned for Halo 3, a concept revision produced by Isaac Hannaford ultimately went unused - and was later used again in Halo: Reach as the Paris-class heavy frigate. The ship depicted in this concept art, UNSC Andraste, is featured in The Art of Halo 3 and the aforementioned Halo encyclopedias.[9][5][6]

In the final Halo 3 release, three Charon-class frigates can be seen at the end of The Storm, with two going unnamed and the Providence renamed Forward Unto Dawn. A fourth frigate is featured on Sandtrap, UNSC Aegis Fate.

  • Concept art for Providence in combat.
    Concept art for Providence in combat.
  • Concept art for Providence struck by weapons fire, used in the Halo Encyclopedia.
    Concept art for Providence struck by weapons fire, used in the Halo Encyclopedia.
  • Concept art for Andraste - ultimately unused in Halo 3 but later reused in Reach.
    Concept art for Andraste - ultimately unused in Halo 3 but later reused in Reach.

Medical Troop Warthog[edit]

A Medical Troop Warthog was a variant of the M831 Troop Transport Warthog that was to appear in Halo 3.[10] It was cut from the game during development; however, its files remained in the game's code and can be accessed through modding. It was first discovered in the files of the Halo 3 Beta and is present in the final game as well, although it was never used. Interestingly, Marines will sit on the stretchers like they would do on a normal M831 Troop Transport Warthog, suggesting that it was never fully completed.[11]

Presumably, this vehicle's role would have been to transport wounded troops off of the battlefield to an aid station. It was therefore likely intended to be used during cinematics rather than during gameplay.

Covenant vehicles[edit]

Early anti-air Wraith[edit]

In an early beta build of Halo 3 dated March 8th, 2007 (A.K.A the Delta build), a very early version of the Anti-Air Wraith can be found. Unlike the version found in the final game, this early AA Wraith is covered in a purple sheen like the regular