Flood Carrier Form

The Carrier Form is a type of normal Flood form primarily used to both create and transport Infection Forms thus effectively spreading the Flood infection.

Overview
Carrier forms are formed either from Combat Forms or from bodies that are unsuitable for combat, such as Grunts or Jackals. Combat Forms may be converted when they reach the end of their life span, or become too damaged to fight. Carrier Forms perpetuate the Flood species by acting as incubators for newly created Infection Forms and keeping them safe until they're fully developed. Eventually when a Combat Form has lived long enough, it will also evolve into a carrier, regardless of its status.

Once the Infection Forms are ready, the carrier simply explodes spontaneously, sending the new Infection Forms flying into the air. As soon as the Infection Forms are released, they begin searching for new hosts. It should be noted that Carrier Forms won't wait until full maturation has occurred.

If potential enemy hosts are nearby, it will simply get close to them and explode, sending the Infection Forms flying at the unsuspecting and often injuring or killing enemies. The explosion of a Carrier Form is like the explosion of a fragmentation grenade, and deals damage to any players nearby.

The Carrier form has a simple mindset, which is to release the Infection Forms it carries to a suitable host. Other than organic bodily sounds, they cannot speak or make any other sound. Though they can somehow communicate with other Carriers, possibly through a Gravemind or Brain Form, to inform them of a potential sentient being.

Combat
Carrier Forms are usually considered slow and of little threat unless they are close to the player. However, one particularly dangerous trait of exploding Carrier Forms is the explosive chain reactions they can cause. A Carrier explosion will cause any other Carrier Forms close enough to explode also. They also cause any nearby explosives or objects to explode. This means a single Carrier can cause a massive explosion through a chain reaction filling much of a small area. This can be used to a soldier's advantage if there are Combat or Infection Forms surrounding the Carrier(s).

Any direct explosion eliminates the threat of the Carrier, as well as any Infection Forms that were incubating inside of it. This means that enough needles from a Needler will kill it, or you can throw a grenade down and shoot it to death.

Carrier Forms are one of the easiest enemies to take down. One shot from any weapon save the Assault Rifle, Plasma Pistol, or SMG will force it to explode. However, there is not a single weapon that can actually blow it up, not even a direct Rocket Launcher. Therefore, this has to be taken into account, strategically. For example, when affronting a large number of Flood, you may wish to destroy the Carrier Form(s), which in turn will kill all nearby Flood. First, allow the Combat Forms and other to get reasonably close. Then, either use a sniper rifle or the BR/Carbine to send the Carrier Form to its knees (figuratively speaking). Warning: Do not do this if your shields are low! If so, the infection forms, especially in Halo 2 and Halo 3, will easily finish you off. Rather, as the Chief, run. As the Arbiter, engage your active camouflage to give your shields time to recharge.

Trivia

 * Strangely, when shot by the flamethrower, the carrier form will explode and release the infection forms, which seem to survive the fire, this is strange considering that a firebomb grenade will kill the carrier and the infection forms.
 * Carrier Forms are sometimes nicknamed "popcorn", due to how they "pop" and release Infection Forms.
 * Carrier Forms have a slight similarity in physical appearence to the Flood Juggernaut.
 * In Halo: Combat Evolved, a Carrier form could produce short bursts of speed once it spotted a target.
 * In Halo 3, Carriers are more or less common but come in groups of 2-4 which are even deadly on Easy difficulty and are most resistant to Human firearms.
 * The outline of the spine of the Carrier Form's former body can clearly be seen in the Halo 3 model.
 * In Halo 3 Carrier Forms are far more resistant to damage, with a full magazine from a Covenant Carbine not even killing them.
 * Carrier Forms have blotches of green on their sides.
 * In Halo 2, the Carrier Forms drip liquid.
 * In Halo 3, even a Spartan Laser beam can only penetrate two Carrier Forms. In turn, this will make the Carrier Forms explode without releasing any Infection Forms at all, similar to sticking a Carrier Form with a grenade.
 * Carrier Forms can also jump.
 * If a Carrier Form falls and you shoot it before it pops, it will get back up, this only occurs in Halo Combat Evolved.
 * The Halo 3 Carrier Form releases the most infection forms in all the Halo games.

Related Articles

 * Flood
 * Shielded Flood Carriers