Stealth Sangheili

The Stealth Sangheili is a Sangheili rank of the Covenant, and later, the Covenant Separatists.

Roles

Not to be confused with Special Operations Sangheili, these Sangheili Stealth soldiers are the assassins and spies of the Covenant Army's Special Warfare Group.

The use of their active camouflage makes them experts at ambushing enemies in tight quarters. They are usually equipped with Energy Swords or a plasma rifle, and are seen commanding Unggoy soldiers similarly equipped with active camouflage.

While they possess Active Camouflage, their defensive capabilities are lower than those of other Elites due to the weakness of their personal energy shields. Early on in the Human-Covenant War, Stealth Sangheili had no Energy Shields, relying only on their stealth and weapons to accomplish their complicated missions. This was later rectified, but their newly gained Energy Shields were weak, causing any Sangheili who held the rank to still rely heavily on stealth and quickness.

Combat

A camouflaged Stealth Sangheili armed with an Energy Sword on Installation 04.

Stealth Sangheili are usually armed with plasma rifles, either single-wielded or dual-wielded. Frequently, these soldiers use energy swords. They often lie in wait in order to ambush their enemies. They are also far less prone to make tactical mistakes, such as not charging directly into a fight and taking cover more often. Their agility and active camouflage makes them difficult targets to hit, and they often attack in pairs, much like Mgalekgolo.

The best way to combat a Stealth Sangheili in Halo: Combat Evolved would be to take advantage of their lack of shields. The M6D pistol and the SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle will kill them with a single shot to the head, though it can be difficult to land shots due to the Sangheili's agility and camouflage ability. The sniper rifle's night vision makes this easier because it makes them quite visible. The MA5B is very effective at close range, as its ability to fill the air with a large number of projectiles reduces the need for accurate aiming, and allows the player to find the Sangheili more easily while they are still camouflaged. Explosives are also effective when trying to flush them out of hiding or from behind cover, or to damage them.

Despite having Active Camouflage, when a Stealth Elite is equipped with an energy sword, the sword's glow will give away their location, making for an easy kill. Oddly enough, Marine allies will still be unable to see them.

In Halo 2, use head shot-capable weapons such as the SRS99C-S2 AMB sniper rifle, M6C handgun, BR55 Battle Rifle, or the Type-51 Carbine. Their relatively weak shields can be broken easily by these weapons, and like any other Sangheili soldier, they can be killed by a single headshot while unshielded. Marksman weapons such as the Sniper Rifle can kill them with a single headshot even when fully-shielded depending on difficulty you're playing on. The shotgun is very effective when combating a Stealth Elite in a close quarter’s environment.

Stealth Sangheilis appear frequently in the Halo 2 campaign and mainly the level Outskirts on Legendary, though they also appear in the underwater structure in the level Regret, and on Gravemind.

Armor and Shields

These Sangheili are clad in armor that comes in several different variations. They are a specialty class, like rangers, and are suited for stealth operations.

During and prior to the Battle of Installation 04, their armor was a light cyan and gray color, wore pointed helmets and shoulder pads (signifying rank), and had a Forerunner glyph on their back. However, this armor system did not allow for use of a personal energy shield, allowing for a quick and easy kill if their location is known.

During the Battle of Earth and the Battle of Installation 05, these Stealth soldiers received updated and improved armor. The color was changed from a grayish tone to either a brown and steel or silver and steel color. In addition, the designers added in personal energy shields for increased survivability. The shielding system worn by Stealth Elites is significantly different from any other armor system worn by the Sangheili. Stealth Sangheilis' shields recharge incredibly quickly, much faster than any other shield system seen in use in the Halo universe (including the shielding systems of Elite combat harnesses, SPARTAN power armor, and Brute power armor). Additionally, Stealth Elites appear to have almost twice as much health as a standard Minor Elite. On the downside, these shields are noticeably weaker than those worn and used by Sangheili Minors, with almost 50% the shield strength of a Minor Sangheili's shields.

Trivia

• Stealth Sangheili are not to be confused with Ossoonas, who also employ active camouflage. Ossoonas are meant to spy on the enemy without participating in the fight unless spotted, while Stealth Sangheili are for combat purposes.

List of appearances

• Halo: Combat Evolved (First appearance)
• Halo 2