Yanme'e Hiveward

Hivewards are highest rated Yanme'e Protector caste and have one of the highest Yanme'e ranks in the Covenant military. Among the typical Covenant rank scheme they hold the rank of Captain Major and are distinguished by their golden exoskeletons and use of energy shields.

Overview
The Yanme’e society is divided into three social castes: domestics, workers, and protectors—all of which exist to service the queen of their respective hives. The protector caste served as the Yanme'e equivalent of a military force, where the highest “rank” hitherto observed among them is the Hiveward.

Characterised by their golden carapace and energy shields, Yanme'e Hivewards possess the authority to command all Yanme'e ranks below them. In the battlefield, they oversee 2-3 Yanme'e Captains. The Hivewards are also distinguished by their larger carapace plating. They rarely appear in the battlefield, being deployed only when a Yanme'e hive is breached and coordinated defenses are required to ensure the hive's security and retain their entrenched positions.

During the Battle of Mombasa a Hiveward led the defense of the hive within the city from the invading Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. However, it was eventually killed by Jonathan Doherty and Veronica Dare.

Equipment
The Yanme'e Hivewards are the best equipped of the known Yanme'e ranks in service with the Covenant military. They are equipped with relatively strong energy shielding and have hard, golden exoskeletons that can protect them from moderate damage. However, their exoskeleton is not immune to damage caused by firearms. They are typically armed with Type-25 Brute plasma rifles.

Halo 3: ODST
Yanme'e Hivewards are only encountered in the Halo 3: ODST campaign once, towards the end of the level Data Hive. The Hiveward spawns in the section during which the player and Dare must traverse the hive while fending off dozens of Yanme'e Pupa; the Hiveward spawns near the end of the section.

However, Yanme'e Hivewards are occasionally encountered in ODST's Firefight. In this, Hivewards spawn in a ratio of roughly 1:3 with regular Yanme'e Captains, with more spawning after Set 3.

Hivewards are the most powerful Drone rank in the game. A plasma pistol is effective at draining the shields of the Hiveward. Once its shields are down, weapons like the SMG or the magnum allow the player to easily eliminate the Drone. Unlike lower-ranking Drones, the Hivewards are more likely to land and walk around, rather than fly and shoot. It is not recommended for players to use grenades against the Yanme'e Hivewards, since they often avoid them with ease.

Production notes
In Halo 3: ODSTs game files, the Hivewards are referred as Captain Majors'.

List of appearances

 * Halo 3: ODST