Sangheili General

"Victory is secured, not from the throne, but from the front lines."

- Sangheili General's mantra. General is a high Sangheili rank in the Covenant. Generals typically command large groups of infantry and vehicles during ground engagements.

Role
Sangheili Generals typically serve as Field Masters. They are rather similar to Jiralhanae chieftains in terms of command role and combat behavior. Some fight aggressively with energy swords, while others make use of heavy weapons such as fuel rod guns, plasma launchers, and concussion rifles. They are often found overseeing important tactical locations or leading large groups of soldiers into battle. General-class Sangheili also serve as Shipmasters on some vessels. While they are stronger than Sangheili soldiers of most other ranks, they are more aggressive; if their shields are taken down, they tend to ignore this fact and continue their attacks.

Armor
Generals wear ornate golden armor with large curved helmets and somewhat bulky, angular chest and shoulder pieces. Ornamental glowing patterns run along the helmet, shoulder pauldrons, and cuirasses.

Tactics

 * The noob combo, as with all Sangheili, is very effective against Generals.
 * If a General carries a weapon other than an energy sword, his melees will be long enough for the player to get behind him and assassinate him.
 * Even on Normal, it is possible for a General to survive a direct hit from a Spartan Laser. Similarly, a General can survive two energy sword slashes regardless of the selected difficulty. The player's tactics should be adjusted accordingly.

Trivia

 * The Sanghelli General's armor permutation is available if the player reaches the rank of Major in Halo: Reach.
 * The General's exact position in the Sangheili command structure is somewhat ambiguous. The gold coloration leads many fans to assume that the General is a part of the Zealot class of warriors, much like the ones shown in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. However, in Halo: Reach the default Zealot armor has a maroon coloration and can be unlocked one tier earlier than the gold-colored General armor, yet Zealots occur much less frequently in gameplay. Tip of the Spear implies that the General is lower or less valuable than the Zealot. Given this, it could be possible that the General is a lower-tier or less specialized Zealot class, and the Zealots from the other games are all of the General subclass. As Generals serve as Field Masters/Shipmasters, they are part of the Zealot class.
 * Sanghelli Generals can carry plasma cannons, but when thrown in the air by a rocket or other explosives, they will put their arms at their sides and "glide" through the air. This is because they do not have the animation for jumping with the turret, an oversight by Bungie.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Reach