Editing Jiralhanae Stalker

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Center|''This article is about the [[Jiralhanae]] rank. For other uses see [[Stalker]].''}}  
{{Unit infobox
|variant=Cov
|name=Stalker
|image=[[File:BruteStalker.png|300px]]
|species=[[Jiralhanae]]
|mission=Covert infiltration, reconnaissance, assassinations, enforcement 
|equipment=
*[[Jiralhanae armor]]
**[[Jiralhanae power armor]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}
***[[Stalker power armor]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}
****[[Active camouflage]]{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}
***[[Energy shielding]]
*[[Radar jammer]]
|role=
Bodyguards, special operations 
|notable=[[Atriox]]<br>
[[Castor]]<br>
[[Orsun]]
|affiliation=[[Covenant]]<br>
[[Banished]]{{Ref/Reuse|EN}}
}}

'''Jiralhanae Stalker''' is a specialist [[:Category:Ranks|rank]] for [[Jiralhanae]] that are serving in the [[Covenant]]. They serve in covert roles in the Covenant, acting as spies or assassins.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/Stats/GameStatsCampaignHalo3.aspx?gameid=20779 '''Bungie.net''' ''Halo 3 campaign stats'']</ref> 

==Overview==
Stalkers are commonly seen acting as spies and bodyguards for [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]]s, however they have a far more covert role in the [[Covenant]]. On the battlefield, they can function as spies and assassins. Jiralhanae Stalkers often use their [[active camouflage]] to flank and ambush unsuspecting hostile forces. They also use [[radar jammer]]s to confuse enemies, before charging in with [[Type-52 Mauler]]s to finish them off.{{Ref/Book|Id=HE145|Enc09|Page=145}} 

===History===
====Pre-Covenant====
Stalkers trace their origins to before their induction into the Covenant. In this time before the Covenant, they would use [[Flaktura Workshop Skewer|Skewers]] in their arsenals, supposedly hunting mythological creatures across different [[Natural satellite|moons]].{{Ref/Site|Id=CF150|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-give-em-lore|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - If They Want Lore, We'll Give 'Em Lore|D=21|M=2|Y=2024|LocalArchive=Armory Infinitum#Volatile Skewer}}

====Human-Covenant war====
During the [[Human-Covenant War]] in [[2526]] a select group of Stalkers called the [[Bloodstars]] were led by [[Sangheili]] [[First Blade]] [[Tel 'Szatulai]] from the [[Silent Shadow]] to hunt down the [[Spartan|Demons]].<ref name="R">'''[[Halo: Retribution]]''', ''page 265''</ref>{{Ref/Novel|Id=HSS18|SiSto|Chapter=18}}

Towards the end of the war several Stalkers participated during the [[Battle of Earth]] and [[Battle of Installation 00]].{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}{{Ref/Reuse|ODST}} 

====Postwar====
The most elite Stalkers that served within the old guard of the Covenant would eventually join the [[Banished]], and would work closely with the [[Merchants of Qikost]] to perfect the {{Pattern|Elutuzem|stalker rifle}}'s integrated sighting systems.{{Ref/Book|Id=EN|Enc22|Page=479}} The armor of the Stalkers has also seen use in the design of several [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]] (and related system) variants, including the appropriately-named [[STALKER-class Mjolnir]] for the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN2)|GEN2]] platform, which was built by the [[Naphtali Contractor Corporation]] based on UNSC intel on the Stalker corps.{{Ref/Book|H4EVG|Page=176}} The [[Venezia]]n engineers of [[New Tyne Armory]] have also reverse-engineered Stalker armor to create the [[INFRACTOR-class armor]] for use by [[Janissary|non-UNSC supersoldiers]].{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/snowbound-operation-launch|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Snowbound Operation Launch|D=11|M=01|Y=2025|Quote=Covert infiltrators, deft assassins, and expert reconnaissance units, the Infractor armor is based on the Jiralhanae Stalkers encountered in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST.}}

==Equipment==
Stalkers are easily identified by their [[Stalker power armor|gray-colored armor]], which possess integrated circuitry for [[cloaking]], and as well as [[Energy shielding|personal energy shields]],{{Ref/Game|Id=ODST|ODST}} in their [[Jiralhanae power armor|power armor]] as well as their cyclops-like helmet with a bright red "eye" light. The Bloodstars' armor featured a dark red coloration to match the color of the Silent Shadow.{{Ref/Reuse|HSS18}} They often use radar jammers to confuse their enemies, and make heavy use of [[Orgudam Workshop Orgudam Workshop firebomb|Orgudam Workshop Firebomb Grenade]]s. Their main weapon seems to be the {{Pattern|Okarda'phaa|plasma rifle}}, though they are occasionally armed with [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker]]s or [[Type-52 Mauler|Ukala Workshop Mauler]]s.{{Ref/Game|Id=H3|H3}}

They use their active camouflage to protect their Chieftains. Occasionally, Jiralhanae Stalkers are equipped with radar jammers to disrupt enemy intel systems.{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}{{Ref/Reuse|ODST}}

==Gameplay==
Stalkers often employ plasma rifles, spikers, maulers and incendiary grenades in battle. The added advantage of their [[cloaking]] devices is balanced out by their below-average armor and health for a Jiralhanae (a feature they share with Sangheili Stealth operatives); a Jiralhanae Stalker is about on par with a [[Jiralhanae Minor]] in terms of shielding strength and health. On [[Heroic]] difficulty it takes 24 [[MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System|assault rifle]] bullets to kill a Stalker; 8 shots to bring down their shield, and an additional 16 shots to kill them.

Once you spot the distinctive visual disruption caused by their active camouflage, use your weapon and [[melee]] them. They will be stunned and temporarily visible. Follow up with more melees until they're dead. It is advisable to only attempt this when there are no enemies nearby. Charging a [[Type-25 plasma pistol|Plasma Pistol]] and firing at the Jiralhanae's movement shimmers is guaranteed to strip their power armor, making them visible. Also, they will be temporarily visible when they throw their firebomb grenades.

If the Stalker goes berserk, dodge the physical attacks and finish them off with a melee or [[headshot]]. On higher difficulties, it is advisable to use [[grenades]], as they will blow their cover, and they can be quickly finished off by an automatic weapon. Watch for enemy fire and destroy any [[radar jammer]]s you see deployed on the ground. Using the [[power drain]] will also strip their armor off, resulting in them being visible and having almost no shields. If the Stalker is standing on a glass floor, its feet should be visible. It is also effective to use a spiker or [[Type-33 Needler|needler]] as the spikes are visible when stuck in the Jiralhanae. Defeating them is the easiest way to get incendiary grenades.

In ''ODST'', fighting Stalkers is much more straightforward. You are able to see them as yellow outlines in VISR mode, however, the outline color matches that of the terrain outlines, so they can theoretically still blend in if you don't watch yourself. Like all Jiralhanae in ''ODST'', they also sport full energy shielding that can withstand twice as much damage from projectile weaponry compared with those in ''Halo 3''. Besides these differences, it's mostly the same. One last thing is that they don't seem to know that you can see them, they may stand out in the open thinking that their camouflage prevents you from seeing them. In reality, it just makes them a big target.

They are especially dangerous in ''ODST'' because of the generally dark conditions they are encountered in, though it becomes very easy to see them once [[VISR]] mode is toggled on.

==Trivia==
*Todd McFarlane released an action figure of a Brute Stalker for its second series of [[action figures]]. It features two Spikers and a removable helmet.
*It is easier to spot a Brute Stalker by looking for its feet, as their cloaking reveals their feet more than any part of their body.
*On the [[John-117 Monument]] created for the [[Believe]] marketing campaign, all of the battling Jiralhanae minus the Chieftains are Brute Stalkers.
*On higher difficulties, a single Brute Stalker wielding a [[Type-25 Brute Shot|Brute Shot]] can be found at the second highest level of the [[Cartographer]] entrance on [[The Ark (level)|The Ark]], just after defeating the [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]].
*On the level [[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]], the Brute Stalkers at the second tower guarding the Jiralhanae [[Jiralhanae War Chieftain|War Chieftain]] can be easily spotted by a glitch in which the player stands behind the glass wall right after arriving in the elevator which "cuts" their active camouflage in half where their bottom half is revealed and the rest of their body remains camouflaged.
*In ''Halo 3: ODST'', cloaked Stalkers are visible in VISR in orange, which means that VISR systems label camouflaged objects as scenery.
*The Jiralhanae Stalker is featured in two ''[[Halo 3]]'' levels: [[The Ark (level)|The Ark]] and [[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]], as well as being prominently featured in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', where they roam the streets of [[New Mombasa]] in small groups.

==Gallery==
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes|gallerypage=Images of Jiralhanae Stalkers}}
===''Halo 3''===
<gallery>
File:H3 Stalker Concept.jpg|Concept art of the Stalker.
File:H3 - PartialInvisStalker.jpg|A Jiralhanae Stalker, partially [[Cloaking|cloaked]].
File:H3 TheArk BruteStalkers.jpg|A trio of Jiralhanae Stalkers.
File:H3 BruteStalkers&WarChieftain.png|Jiralhanae Stalkers defending a [[Jiralhanae War Chieftain|War Chieftain]].
File:H3 BruteStalker Firebomb.png|A cloaked Jiralhanae Stalker throwing a [[Orgudam Workshop firebomb|Firebomb grenade]].
</gallery>

===''Halo 3: ODST''===
<gallery>
File:H3ODST BruteStalker Patrolling.png|A Jiralhanae Stalker on the streets of [[New Mombasa]].
File:H3ODST BruteStalkervsNMPDOfficer.png|A Jiralhanae Stalker battling [[Unidentified NMPD officer|an]] [[New Mombasa Police Department|NMPD officer]] within the [[New Mombasa Data Center|data center]].
File:HTMCC-H3ODST LastExit 04.png|Two Jiralhanae Stalkers during a [[Firefight (Halo 3: ODST)|Firefight]] match on [[Last Exit]].
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Uprising]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Believe]]''
**''[[Diorama]]''
*''[[Halo 3]]''
*''[[Keep It Clean (trailer)|Keep It Clean]]''
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
*''[[Halo 4]]'' {{mo}}
*''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' {{mo}}
*''[[Halo: Retribution]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Silent Storm]]''
*''[[Halo Infinite]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: The Rubicon Protocol]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo: Empty Throne]]''

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

{{Jiralhanae Ranks}}
[[Category:Covenant ranks]]