Jiralhanae Captain Major

"Brute military doctrine states that to lead, one must be seen."

- Jiralhanae Captain's Mantra

The Captain Major is a Jiralhanae rank whose members wear golden power armor. They are the second highest ranking Captain though they are seen much more commonly than the other two. They are seen in the Campaign of Halo 3 and often lead lower ranking Brutes, as well as squads of Jackals and Grunts.

Combat
Captain Majors are much tougher than standard Brute Captains; their armor can take more damage than others, and with the Mythic or Tilt skulls activated, they can survive a Plasma Grenade or Spike Grenade stick (on higher difficulties). On higher difficulties, it takes two Sniper Rifle or Beam Rifle shots to destroy their Power Armor and a third shot to the torso or head to kill them. In terms of strength, battlefield adaptability and rarity, Captain Majors are similar to Sangheili Ultras. Apparently they increase the morale of their troops (if one is killed, all nearby Grunts will flee). They usually use Brute Shots, and when under attack will deploy their piece of equipment, usually a Bubble Shield. In Halo 3 they can be seen commanding troops on the Scarab walkers.

They also appear in Halo: Reach. They carry Plasma Repeaters, Concussion Rifles, Brute Spikers, Needle Rifles, and even Gravity Hammers.

Appearance
Jiralhanae Captain Majors are the only Brutes to wear bright gold armor, and in Halo: Reach, have red markings and less armor on their bottom half, which isn't gold, but steel, making them easily recognizable. They most commonly use the Brute Shot, but they often use other weapons such as the Spiker or Carbine as well. They are most commonly found on the Legendary difficulty.

Tactics
Jiralhanae Captain Majors are most commonly seen sending Jackals, Grunts, or lower-ranked Brutes into the heat of battle, while they stay back and fire ceaselessly from long range with whatever they are armed with.

Players facing a Brute Captain Major are advised to grenade the subordinates to death, then either long-range headshot or get up close and melee the Captain Major to death. Using long range weapons gives the player a chance to dodge the ceaseless fire from the Captain Major, and meleeing will cause the Brute to pause long enough for the player to kill him with additional melee attacks.

Brute Captain Majors often employ the use of a Flare, Deployable cover, or Bubble Shield. When the brute deploys a Bubble shield, the player is advised to seek close range weapons such as a shotgun and assault the bubble shield. Do this by running as close to the Brutes as possible so that they do not use their weapons against you. Instead they will try to melee you. If you are quick enough, you can dodge the Brute's melee and shoot/melee them in the back, or side. When the Captain Major deploys a flare, the player is advised to either take cover until the Flare is burnt out, or to use the flare to their advantage, using their motion sensor to seek out enemies who are likewise blinded. When he deploys a Deployable Cover, although rarely, the player is advised to use grenades, or long to short range weaponry to take it out.

Trivia

 * On the Halo 3 level The Ark you can see a Brute Captain Major, (but sometimes other Brute Captain ranks) urinating on a wall.
 * When a Flood Infection Form infects a Captain Major with its armor on, it will still become a Brute Minor Combat Form because of graphic limitations.
 * When the Thunderstorm Skull is on in Sierra 117 only, you'll see Brute Captain Majors instead of Brute Ultra Captains.
 * Even on Easy, the first Brute you come across in Halo 3 is a Brute Captain Major.
 * Originally, the Captain Major in Halo 3 was planned to have a deployable shield that would fan out from his gauntlets to protect him from enemy fire.
 * In Halo: Reach, Captain Majors can hold Gravity Hammers.
 * In Halo: Reach Brute Captain Majors can be assassinated, but it can be extremely difficult. The easiest way to do this is by using active camouflage to sneak up behind the Brute and initiate the assassination.
 * In Halo: Reach, they are the only Brutes to wield Needle Rifles.

List of appearances

 * Halo 3
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Escalation