Onyx Sentinel

The Onyx Sentinel is a Forerunner-created electromechanical variable configuration and purpose machine. It has only been seen on the Forerunner artificial world known as Onyx, which was actually comprised of trillions of the machines. Whether the same model is on other worlds is currently unknown. It is a variant on the Standard Sentinel design.

Appearance
The Onyx Sentinel could possibly share a similar appearance to the Monitors - with a round sphere in the center, and with a central "eye" that glows golden. The eye is the weaponry and offensive capability of the sentinel as it charges and unleashes what appears to be an devastating array of energy. However, it also has three metal booms extending from equidistant points on the surface of the central sphere.

The Onyx Sentinel also has antigravity technology, not unlike the Covenant. Although the Onyx Sentinel can even reach escape velocity and fly into outer space, in ground operations, it normally engages its targets at a height of three meters. It is also able to attenuate its booms to the signal of UNSC COM channels, and can speak in Latin. The fact that they are knowledgeable of the Latin language suggests Forerunner involvement/influence on Humans in early history.

Combat
It is extremely versatile, and is a powerful combatant on both the ground and in space. One of their primary advantages is a gold-colored Energy Shield that is completely resistant to all projectiles, even the rockets of the SPNKr Launcher and LOTUS Mine detonations. However,the shield is fooled by slow moving objects, such as a rock, which was used to destroy one Sentinel on Onyx.

It is also very adaptive, each Sentinel transmitting its combat footage to an unknown intelligence that continually upgrades Onyx Sentinel combat algorithms. As per a Spartan: "We are teaching it how to fight". The Onyx Sentinels can also merge together for a variety of purposes, such as combining to increase firepower, architectural purposes, and forming clusters to protect Onyx.

It is far superior to the regular Sentinels that guard the Halo ring-installations and The Ark and even the Sentinel Majors of Installation 05 due to its shielding and extreme firepower. Onyx Sentinels fire golden, lethal spears of light from a central eye, which is thought to be similar in strength to the beam weapon fired by 343 Guilty Spark at the end of Halo 3. This attack causes devastating damage: the destruction of a granite plateau, vaporization of a combat bunker, and the instantaneous destruction of any ground vehicle or infantryman, including even a SPARTAN-III. Enough Onyx Sentinels can even vaporize a large starship with apparent ease.