Kig-Yar Sniper
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Sniper | |
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Ruuhtian
 Ibie'shan
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Function: |
Long-range combat, support |
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Species: |
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Affiliation: |
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Other role(s): |
Reconnaissance, assassination |
- "The only thing worse than Jackals are Jackals with sniper rifles!"
- — Anonymous Marine during the Battle of Mombasa[6]
The Kig-Yar Sniper is a specialized combat role for Kig-Yar in the Covenant and its remnants. They are highly skilled marksmen, though they are not deployed as often as their infantry comrades. Unlike most Kig-Yar, Snipers rarely make use of personal energy shields.[3][7][8][9]
Overview[edit]
Roles and responsibilities[edit]
Kig-Yar Snipers are generally tasked with roles revolving around long-range combat, sniper support, scouting, and assassinations. Kig-Yar Snipers have served in the Covenant military for centuries. The role of Kig-Yar Snipers has been viewed as critical to achieve success in most groundside engagements. Only battle-hardened veteran Kig-Yar are chosen to become a part of the Sniper class.[10] All Kig-Yar are born gifted with extraordinarily acute senses of sight, hearing, and smell, making them adept as scouts and snipers in the Covenant military.[8] The Kig-Yar's natural ability and skill at stealth makes them efficient hunters.[11] Exceptionally skilled in precision shooting, Kig-Yar snipers wield beam rifles or Covenant carbines to great effect, eliminating long-range targets that are often hidden from sight.[8] Kig-Yar Snipers were often used as lookouts posted on patrol or on sniper perches around Covenant installations and military bases. These lookout positions would be rotated multiple times a day between several Kig-Yar.[12]
History[edit]
Within the Covenant, the Prophet of Regret hand-picked some of the most elite Kig-Yar Snipers to form the Jha'kaar order, serving as enforcers of his personal will.[13]
Following the Human-Covenant War, Kig-Yar Snipers continued to serve in Jul 'Mdama's reformed Covenant, holding largely the same position that they once did in the Covenant military. Some Kig-Yar Snipers also served as mercenaries in Vata 'Gajat's mercenary group[5] and the Banished.[14][4]
Equipment[edit]
Armor[edit]
Kig-Yar Snipers are protected by a moderate amount of armor. They are largely distinguished among their Kig-Yar brethren by their ocular enhancement helmet—targeting headgear that is smart-linked to their weapon of choice, which provides the Kig-Yar Sniper with targeting capabilities including an enhanced zoom that allows the sniper to target hostiles at extreme distances.[8][11] The helmet comes in at least four varieties; a dark grey one with a holographic display on the left used during the Fall of Reach[15], a silver one with a light on the left eyes mostly used by the Covenant during and after the Battle of Mombasa[16][17], a fully enclosed one with a cyclopic light in the middle used by the snipers that serve Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction,[1][18] and finally the one used by the Banished, which can be customized with a variety of different optics.[4] Some Kig-Yar Snipers in 'Mdama's Covenant are equipped with Type-3 active camouflage armor plug-ins for additional stealth.[19] The armor donned by the Kig-Yar Sniper class was slightly more protective and covering than the armor worn by other classes of Kig-Yar—in both the original Covenant and 'Mdama's faction. Some snipers wear colored armor to blend in with their surroundings.[20][21] Unlike most Kig-Yar, snipers did not equip themselves with personal energy shields.[11]
Weaponry[edit]
Kig-Yar Snipers in service with the Covenant military were armed with a variety of weapons. For long range combat positions, snipers were generally armed with Gadulo-pattern needle rifles, Sulok-pattern beam rifles, and M'tara-pattern focus rifle. For medium range encounters, Kig-Yar would be armed with Vostu-pattern carbines or Mosa-pattern carbines. In the event of a close-quarter encounter, snipers equipped Type-25 plasma pistols as a sidearm. Kig-Yar Snipers serving in Jul 'Mdama's reformed Covenant faction during the Battle of Requiem and Requiem Campaign were mostly armed with