M12 Chaingun Warthog

M12 Warthog LRV

"Hey, Jason, explain to me why human beings would make a jeep that is this big? I mean look how big it is compared to Sergeant Johnson. He looks like a three year old trying to drive it!"

- Marty O'Donnell

"Because it looks awesome."

- Jason Jones

The Warthog is a generic term used to describe the M12 line of United Nations Space Command ground vehicles. The Warthog is mostly used by UNSC Marines as a sort of cavalry unit which included light mechanized forces advancing ahead of the main armored Scorpion tanks and foot soldiers to clear the way. It is often considered by fans to be Halo's signature vehicle.

Manufacturing
In the Halo: Landfall shorts, warthogs are seen going down an automated production line and are being assembled from metal plates confirmed by Bungie.net to be titanium. It is also said to contain ballistic polycarbonate and carbon nanotube.

Features
""Looks like a puma""

- Grif from Red Vs Blue

The Warthog is the future HMMWV. All of its variants are equipped with a seemingly full-time 4x4 transmission and four-wheel steering to allow for sharper turning; however, higher speeds will result in the under steer that All Wheel Drive (AWD) cars suffer, unless you drive while using the emergency brake. Most Warthog variants support a three man crew consisting of: 1 driver, 1 gunner, and 1 armed passenger (with the exclusion of the Warthog APC and the M831 TT). Interestingly, the Warthog LRV is water-resistant; it can easily ford water, although water retards its velocity. The Warthog is extremely quick and maneuverable, but is prone to rollover as a result of tight cornering or being struck by explosives or heavy weapons fire.

There are a few differences between the Warthogs of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. While the Warthog in Halo: Combat Evolved was notoriously difficult to control and was indestructible, the revamped Warthog of Halo 2 was a dream come true. The skill required for the vehicle handling was vastly reduced, and allies as well as enemies can now drive, and the difficulty level varies the ability of the driver. There was also the addition of the horn, which can be useful for getting the attention of allies. Additionally, the Warthog now had a handbrake (power slide or drift), which allows the driver to lock up the rear wheels and slide the back end out, making it easier to squash enemies that move out of the way. The 'Hog's strongest point is the vehicle's anterior. The front end can take heavy blows from small or medium firearm attacks before exploding, being able to take a plasma grenade stick, although, two grenades on, or under the vehicle will do it in, and the glass protects the occupants from weapons fire (except for rockets and other explosive projectiles).

Within Halo Wars the Warthog (a model used in 2531) has a variety of "flooring" ability that has not been witnessed in other Halo games. This allows the player to ramp the Warthog over canyons and other such jumps, achieving speeds and distances not seen in the other games of the series. However, this feature is reminiscent of when in Halo: CE, in the level 'Halo', you jump over a small chasm inside a Forerunner tunnel or when you make the large jump on the Halo:CE level "The Maw". This makes the Warthog a more versatile and useful attack vehicle.

Crew
1 Driver, 1 Passenger (shoots with what ever weapon they're carrying, except support weapons such as the missile pod), 1 Gunner (either a machine gun or Gauss cannon on an x-y-z axis, providing the ability to shoot at all angles except directly above or below).

Driver
The driver has no forms of attack except ramming enemies with the Warthog itself, which in most occasions instantly kills an enemy on foot in Halo: Combat Evolved. In Halo 2 and Halo 3, factors such as speed and direction do not allow every ram to be a guaranteed kill. Covenant enemies are also able to dodge a ram much easier in Halo 2 and Halo 3. However, when driving in open spaces, before you attempt to ram or run over an enemy, try to slide the Warthog and hit the enemy with the side, that way you have a better chance of killing them. A person carrying an objective item in multiplayer is not allowed to get into the driver seat under default settings (Only in Halo 2 and 3), and would have to get in the passenger seat. In certain mods, the driver is able to hold a weapon in his/her left hand while driving with their right, as well as firing the turret.

Passenger
The passenger seat frequently receives fire and so is perhaps the most difficult seat to use effectively. It's also extremely difficult to aim at nearby enemies while the Warthog is moving, especially in uneven areas and because of the restricting movement. Also, the ability to use scopes is prohibited while in the Warthog. Marines, however, are a different story. Being computer-controlled, their aim is not affected by the jostling of off-road driving, and they are quite proficient at hitting enemies from the "shotgun" position. This can be used to a player's advantage if one gives a Marine in the passenger seat a powerful weapon, such as the Rocket Launcher, Sniper Rifle, or a Spartan Laser. In Halo 3, the Plasma Pistol is a popular choice for the occupant in the passenger seat in vehicular combat due to its overcharge shot's vehicle stopping ability. In Halo 2, targeting is altered by the fact that the camera now pulls out to third-person view. The main benefit the passenger seat occupant serves for player characters is transporting the objective carrier in multiplayer skirmishes. If/when you try to melee while in the passenger seat you will hear the attack and hear it hitting the car if you aim for it, but there is no animation (for the Spartan skin in Multiplayer. It is visible if you are using the Elite skin or playing as the Arbiter).

The passenger is able to carry objectives such as the bomb in Assault, or the enemies' flag in Capture the Flag unless changed in the game settings. It is suggested to fill the Warthog so there can still be a gunner on the ride back to the base. Also, VIPs can enter the passenger seat, but with the Spartan Laser, Gauss Warthog, and heat seeking missiles from the Hornet, this is not recommended unless in emergencies. However, being in a Gauss Hog can tip the scales in your favor.

Riding in the passenger seat is sometimes called "riding shotgun" or "shotgun" by Marines. This term has its origins in the American west in the 1880's. Wells Fargo stagecoaches often carried a strongbox filled with gold, money, and other valuables, thus making them a popular target for outlaws and thieves. To help to deter the robberies, Wells Fargo assigned each of their stagecoaches a "shotgun messenger" who rode in the seat next to the driver brandishing a 10- or 12-gauge shotgun.

In Halo Wars the passenger seat of the Warthog can receive the Grenadier upgrade to enable the passenger to launch grenades from a mounted grenade launcher. While slow firing, it is effective against most forms of light infantry, and a slight assist in attacking Vehicles.

Gunner
The gunner stands in the Warthog's turret and mans the heavy weapon mounted there, whether it be an M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun, M68 Gauss Cannon, or Rocket Turret (Halo PC only). He is responsible for defending the driver and passenger of the Hog from incoming enemy fire. So as to not interrupt his line of fire, his heavy weapon is mounted on a 360-degree hydraulic-powered swivel-mount that is not affected by any erratic movement on the driver's part. The M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun is very effective against aircraft such as Banshees and is also excellent at neutralizing infantry, while the M68 Gauss Cannon and the 102mm SC-HE Rocket Turret excel in the anti-vehicle role, though the Rocket turret fires faster and less accurately than the Gauss cannon. The gunner is also the most exposed person on the Warthog, and therefore usually the one to take the most damage. A person carrying an objective item in multiplayer isn't allowed to use the Warthog's turret by default.

Character Compatibility

 * Elites (Halo 2 and Halo 3)
 * Spartans
 * Marines
 * ODST
 * Flood Combat Forms (Halo 2, but can still board a slow moving one in Halo 3)

UNSC Remarks

 * “It's [the M12] sort of a bear to wheel around, but that’s something you gotta expect – the thing is twice the size of my granddad’s car – but it’s something you get used to pretty damned quick.”
 * “On the battlefield speed is life and the M12 has that in spades – having a great big damn gun don’t hurt, either.”
 * “One word: handbrake.”
 * “I have yet to come up against an obstacle that the warthog couldn’t go right over.”
 * “The Sarge hates it when we ram stuff, says the ‘hog ain’t indestructible. But it sure feels like it when you’re plowing through a crowd of startled Grunts, though.”
 * “The seats are unreal! I was thinking of pulling a set out of a parts vehicle and shipping them home… but the wife shut it down – says everyone would be able to tell where they came from.”
 * “Look at these legs – pretty nice, huh? It’s totally from getting in and out’a the ‘hog's Thirty-six inch damn step height.”
 * "Oh my god...It's bigger than...er, you!"

M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle
The M12 Warthog LRV (Light Reconnaissance Vehicle) is the most common and versatile type of Warthog used by the UNSC, being common in every Halo game to date. While nominally designed for reconnaissance, its speed and firepower make it very effective in a cavalry role. The rear-mounted, three-barreled M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun 12.7 mm, is extremely effective against infantry and light vehicles, and is capable of picking apart armor should the need arise. In Halo Wars, the M41 LAAG seems to have four barrels, this could be a mistake or a new weapon altogether.

This Warthog also has a variant, with the only difference that it is snow camouflaged instead of the standard green. This Warthog can only been seen in the Halo 3 multiplayer map Avalanche. There are also Warthogs in Halo: Custom Edition that have winter camouflage patterns.

Warthogs have a tendency to flip in high-speed turns. If you make a tight fast left turn away from a cliff that you are almost about to drive off of, you will flip off the cliff and plummet to your demise.

M12A1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle
The M12A1 Warthog LAAV (Light Anti-Armor Vehicle) is a rare Warthog identified by black paint with yellow stripes and matching seats. This Warthog sports a rear-mounted 102mm SC-HE Rocket Turret which allows it to take out heavily armored targets, such as enemy tanks, with ease. The downside of this is that this Warthogs turret is slow to reload, and not as effective at taking out infantry. Additionally, players have found that firing the three rockets in rapid, succession greatly decreases accuracy, resulting in them falling short or going over the heads of the intended target. The fact that the rockets move painstakingly slow doesn't help either.

This Warthog variant is only displayed in Halo PC Multiplayer and is replaced in Halo 2 and Halo 3 by the M12G1 Warthog LAAV.

A similar version is mentioned in Fall of Reach; instead of the normal 102mm SC-HE Rocket Turret, Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez's Warthog features a rack of Argent V Missiles.

M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle
The M12G1 Warthog LAAV(which is first seen in Halo 2) is a fairly new Warthog variant designed to replace the M12A1 model, removing the Rocket Turret in favor of a faster-firing M68 Gauss Cannon. It basically serves the same purpose as its predecessor, being primarily an anti-vehicular model but with a faster rate of fire at the cost of decreased anti-vehicular effectiveness. The rounds are fired in the same manner of the MAC gun, however, the rounds fired are much smaller in comparison to those used in ships and Orbital Defense Platforms. The upgrade from standard Warthog to M12G1 LAAV costs 800 resource points and requires 3 energy units in Halo Wars.

M831 Troop Transport
This Warthog scraps the back-mounted turret in favor of four side-facing seats, which give the vehicle 360-degree defense (provided there are Marines). This Warthog is ideal for transporting troops across the field. It first appeared in Halo 3, but was planned to appear in Halo 2. In Campaign, the driver and side seats can be used by players, but not the "Transport Carriage" - this is reserved for Marines in which three can ride, despite the fact that there are 2 double seats in the back and enough room for 2 Marines on the back, over the rear bumper. In multiplayer, this variant is not available at all probably due to the fact that Spartans and Elites can't ride in the back. This immense reduction in effectiveness resulted in its removal. However, there is a glitch on the map The Pit, where you can get the troop warthog into the map and have the party leader drive it although it will result in instant death of those who get in to it. Unless help and cooperation from other players is present though, it is near impossible to obtain.

Warthog APC
The Warthog Armored Personnel Carrier. is a United Rebel Front ground vehicle. It is essentially an M12 Warthog modified by the URF to include a heavily armored passenger section capable of carrying troops and supplies. It has appeared in some Halo: Custom Edition maps like "w4rtorn cove"

Flatbed Warthog
Avery Johnson and the militia forces on Harvest use the Flatbed Warthog. It is similar to the Troop Transport Warthog. It was also featured in Halo Wars as the "Stage #1" Warthog which can later be improved into its armed counterparts by use of upgrades.

Civilian Warthog
Due to the success of the Warthog in battle situations, a civilian variant, called the "Hog" or Yellow Warthog was mass-produced for public use. The adaptation of military vehicles for civilian use has been seen before (e.g. Hummer brand SUV s being based off military Humvees). Obviously, not being intended for combat, the Hog uses standard vehicle walls, rather than armor plating, and is completely unarmed. Sometimes when playing Xbox Live on the Halo 3 map Sandtrap, Warthogs appear without turrets, probably due to lag. On the Halo 3 map The Pit there are 2 Warthogs outside the fence, one of which resembles a civilian warthog due to the lack of armaments. On the Halo 2 multiplayer map Headlong, there is an advertisement for civilian warthogs. Many players of Halo 2 have claimed to have found ways of spawning the Civilian Warthog on Headlong, but none of these methods have been actually proven.

Multi-player Use
The Warthog is an extremely important aspect in multiplayer games. Because it is a multi-person vehicle, it is mostly used in team matches, although there are people that enjoy running other players over by themselves. It is possibly the most used vehicle in Capture the Flag matches, as you can load 3 people in, then have the person in the side seat go in and grab the flag, while the gunner provides cover fire until they can drive back. It is also the fastest land vehicle, even faster than the Mongoose. The horn can signal allies to get in but also alert nearby opponents to take cover when a Warthog is approaching. When the Warthog is at full speed, beware of trip mines.

Halo 3 Multiplayer Strategy

 * Only Two People: Having two people in the Warthog on games like Slayer is a smart move, because a passenger will not contribute much and just add a kill for the other team. If you use the Warthog for transportation reasons make sure you destroy it when you reach your destination so the enemy cannot use it.


 * Slow Down: When approaching an enemy slow down so the gunner doesn't have to turn around, therefore giving him more to time to aim at and kill the enemy.


 * Drive Around the Outside: Drive around the outside of the map, because the middle areas of maps are often tight squeezes that reducing your mobility, and they are often hotspots for players to face off. And since most players will go after vehicles when they see them, you will most likely die very quickly.


 * Running over other players: If you are in a Warthog that has taken a lot of damage or if you want to have a Warthog that is not damaged go find the other team and run them down. Try not to get hit by anything while you try this strategy out.


 * Three Passenger Vehicles: Just like 'Only Two People', when you're playing Capture the Flag or Assault one player can drive, the other can be the gunner and the passenger can get the flag. Then once the flag has been retrieved the driver can get to their base safely and quickly.


 * Slow And Steady: Until you have developed more skill in the Warthog, driving it at top speed can cause difficulties for the gunner, meaning that you get killed quickly, and loss of a vital instrument in team games.


 * Get Away: If you are fighting a Warthog on foot, try to throw a Plasma Grenade onto one of the back wheels. This will send the Warthog flying away from you, keeping you safe on the off-chance that the crew survives.


 * Watch for grenades: Watch for grenades when driving the warthog. A well timed grenade can flip you over or even kill you, so it is best to drive at a steady pace, as mentioned above. However, as a steady or slow pace means you are an easy target for rockets and plasma grenades. Both speed have their upsides.
 * Three Passenger Tactic: If you must use a third passenger make sure he uses a explosive such as Rockets, Brute Shot, or Plasma Cannon. This will easily Clear a group of people in a close space or scatter them up too force them in an area where the gunner can pick them off.


 * Get back on board: When flipped by an explosive or a disorientated landing, turn the camera to the Warthog and flip your Warthog to return to vehicular combat.


 * Counter-hijack: If you turn your camera 90 degrees clockwise from the front of your Warthog before being hijacked, you have a one second chance to assassinate them and take back what's yours. Use this to get a nice, easy kill, assuming the hijack damage doesn't kill you.

Tactics

 * If a Warthog is encountered, but only has a driver, they will attempt to roadkill players. If you are the one doing this, then it is wise to do this on a open fielded map where you can catch a person out in the open that has little room to run or hide. (E.g.Valhalla, Standoff.)


 * If a Warthog is encountered, but also has a gunner (passenger optional) they will attempt to gun down players and then try to flatten them under their tires.


 * It is possible to board the turret of a warthog that only has a driver and passenger. You can't kill them, however, because they are out of the line of fire.


 * In campaign. keep an eye on your motion tracker when Marines are driving Warthogs around you. They will often times hit you, usually lowering your shields, sometimes killing you. Be especially careful on Tsavo Highway.

Counters

 * If you are under attack by a one-man Warthog driver, then jumping out of the way at the right time will allow you to leap right over it. Deploying a trip mine will eliminate him/her if they don't have enough time to react to it. Throwing a plasma grenade (if it sticks) will also engulf the driver in a big ball of plasma. A rocket launcher will work extremely well if they are approaching head-on. A Spartan Laser is usually adequate, if you can charge it up in time before you have tire tracks painting your corpse. Dead-eye snipers can eliminate them from a safe distance. Also, if you manage to jump exactly right, you can board (in Halo 2 & 3) the Warthog's driver-seat from mid-air. If you miss and overshoot, you might end up sitting behind the turret, or in the passenger's seat. If you land in the passenger's seat you can face them and then melee them. In the latter you can kill the driver quite easy with his/her only option being jumping out of the vehicle.


 * Utilize your surroundings. In some situations, a well-timed jump to a nearby tree might result in your survival instead of having a face full of LAAG rounds or skid marks down your back.


 * If a Warthog is encountered with a gunner, (passenger optional) then they usually will try to gun you down, rather than running you over. Eliminating them is almost the same as killing a one-man Warthog, but it has to be done faster, or the machine gun will kill you. If you are effective at sniping players in a vehicle, then snipe the guy on the turret first. Here too, you can board the vehicle mid-air, or jump up and simply hit the gunner. One or two shots should kill him/her, leaving the driver fairly defenseless.


 * On maps like Standoff or Rat's Nest, get the Rocket Launcher or Gravity Hammer first and then hide near a roadway where the enemy Warthog will come. Make sure you don't try to hit a Warthog that is going too fast, and don't fire too early, because if you miss you become the gunner's prime target. So wait for them to go on a narrow stretch of road, like the roads in front of the bases on Standoff or the corners where they turn in Rat's Nest, and once they are close enough jump out and fire.

Halo Wars
In Halo Wars, Warthogs are lightly armoured, fast and nimble scout units, when they are first constructed they have no weapon armaments, so for any effectiveness you'll have to upgrade. Along with infantry units, they can be used to collect discovered resource crates. Their starting special ability is the ram which is effective against infantry, on the flip side should their ram abilities be used on building the Warthog can take a small percentage of damage, even on Easy difficulty. Those who pre-ordered Halo Wars received The Flaming Warthog, a special in-game item that can be used in multiplayer matchmaking. The Warthog in this game also has four barrels on its chain gun instead of three as featured in the other games.

Halo Wars Stats

 * Air damage: 5
 * Vehicle Damage: 1
 * Infantry Damage: 9
 * Structure Damage: 1
 * Defense: 7
 * Cost: 1 Population, 150 resources and requires tech level 0.

In-Game Upgrades
As with all Halo Wars units, Warthogs can receive three upgrades to significantly increase their combat effectiveness. The upgrades are in order as follows.


 * Gunner - Adds a machine gun attack to the Warthog.
 * Grenadier - Adds a Marine with grenade launcher.
 * Gauss Cannon - Replaces machine gun for a severe damage increase.

Trivia
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 * Out of all multiplayer maps in the Halo trilogy, 25 maps feature Warthog(s).
 * There was a civilian version of the Warthog made called the Sports Warthog, of which there are advertisements on the Halo 2 map, Headlong and in Halo 2's Campaign level, Metropolis.
 * It is possible to slash off the two "lobes" on top of the front wheels in Halo 3, revealing the engine.
 * During Halo 2's development Bungie considered more specialized warthog variants including a 'Snow', 'Jungle' and 'Transport' Warthog. Eventually, the 'Snow' and 'Transport' variants is featured in Halo 3, although with major design changes. The 'Jungle' version was cut and stayed as a concept. These designs have been used in mods for Halo: Custom Edition, mainly in larger maps.
 * In the Halo 2 level Outskirts, it is possible to get an Invincible Warthog. The Hog will show damage but cannot be destroyed.
 * WETA Workshop, in New Zealand, built a full-scale, operating, accurate Warthog. It has several numbers on it, some possibly pertaining to that specific model or maybe even that specific Warthog, including, but not limited to, 5c8611, N/AAV-20, and others. WETA's Warthog is accurate in every function, including a "working" minigun, four-wheel steering, digital displays, air bags, and the ability to "crab crawl" . If you look at the driver's side of the windscreen, there are stamps portraying the number and type of Covenant troops killed. It can be seen in the short films "Halo: Arms Race". Some of the team members of Bungie were given the chance to drive the WETA workshops Warthog. Three members of the Bungie team were driving the warthog around a parking lot when they scraped the side of the warthog on a small wooden structure built onto the side of a wall.
 * In the popular machinima series Red vs. Blue, the Warthog is referred to as "the Jeep" and "the Puma". The name "Puma" arose after Grif said, "It doesn't look like a Warthog to me. It looks more like a Puma". As a joke by Bungie, the word "Puma" can be seen on the tires of the Warthogs in Multiplayer.
 * Many of the features of the Warthog can be blown off its chassis, including the hubcaps, bumper and engine covers.
 * The concept of the Hummer HX SUV by General Motors resembles the Warthog in the Halo games. If it were to be produced, it would be the closest vehicle to a Halo Warthog with the exception of the WETA Workshop Warthog.
 * The passenger seat aiming system was changed from Halo: Combat Evolved to the one in Halo 2. In Halo: Combat Evolved, the passenger views everything in first-person. But in Halo 2, it was changed to third person and remains unchanged in Halo 3.
 * In Halo: PC, there is a glitch which allows you to drive two Warthogs at once.
 * The windshield of any type of Warthog will deflect any plasma grenade that is thrown at it from the front. The grenade will, instead of sticking, bounce off of the windshield. In multiplayer games in Halo PC with infinite grenades, this can actually be used to throw grenades much farther than usual by throwing one plasma grenade onto the hood of the Warthog so it sticks, then throwing another plasma grenade onto the windshield so it bounces and is sent shooting off by the first grenade's explosion.
 * The Warthog was originally going to be a Humvee like vehicle in the early stages of development of Halo.
 * For information on how to obtain a turretless Warthog in Halo 3 see page Turretless Vehicle.
 * In Halo:CE, the physics engine allowed the Warthog to bounce off Tanks and Ghosts to incredible heights, and even drive under a tank at high speeds, flipping it over. In Halo 2 and 3, this is no longer possible thanks to the improved physics engine.
 * In Halo Wars the Warthog doesn't start out with a turret at all instead it can only ram other units as its special ability. You can only receive the turret by upgrading at your base command center.

Internal Links

 * Warthog Jump
 * "Spectre" - Covenant Separatist equivalent.
 * Type-52 Infantry Support Vehicle - Covenant Loyalist equivalent.
 * Halo 2 Warthog (Battle Damaged)