Combat harness (disambiguation)



Elite Combat Armor is the standard armor worn into battle by Covenant Elites. It is comparable with the MJOLNIR armour worn by the SPARTANS. It is specially made to their physiology. Since their split from the Covenant, Elites have continued to wear this armor. Although the armor comes in many colors, denoting different ranks and specialties (see Elite Ranks) all have two attributes in common: their general design is identical, and all are equipped with varying strengths of Elite Personal Energy Shield.

Features
It uses energy to absorb incoming energy, such as kinetic or heat, ballistic weapons and plasma respectively. This however is the armor's only true form of protection for the user. It in fact has very little in the way of protection should the shield fail. The shields going up the ranks become stronger having the Zealot being the known most strongest, while the Minor Domo Elite armor having the lease protection.

Compared to the MJOLNIR it also lacks many features as well, such as hydrostatic gel, flash lights, bio foam injectors and other features, making it inferior. Little care is given to camouflage as the armor is usually brightly coloured and reflective and often contains something similar to LEDs. As far as it can be told, they do not have any kind of visible HUD, although the Arbiters armor seems too. As of Halo 3 their armor also carriers several small Forerunner glyphs along thier arms and chest plates

Ranks
The following Elite ranks were known to make use of Combat Armor:

Arbiter: The armor used by the arbiters is an ancient suit of Elite armor. It is ornate, covered in patterns, asymmetrical design and covered in overlapping plates on the limbs. It features a shield generator and stealth but the stealth generator is not as advanced as newer Elite armor. In Halo 2 it is silverish-gray in colour but in Halo 3 it has more of a bronze colour and tint to it.

Xytan 'Jar Wattinree: This Elite Supreme Commander had his own version of the elite armor, which was described as "silver armor covered with the gold Forerunner glyphs of sacred mystery." Such silver-and-gold Elite armor has yet to be seen or mentioned elsewhere, and may be superior in quality to the gold armor of a Zealot.

Supreme Commander: This is the armor owned by the 'incompetent one' in the HGN and features a purple headress and purple cloak but little else is known of it.

Zealot/Field Master/Ship Master/Fleet Master: The Generals and Admirals of the Covenant military; commanders of battalions, ships, and fleets. Zealots wear gold armor with dark gray borders, which is extremely resilient, able to protect them beyond any other Elite's capabilities. However, their shields are unremarkable, not much stronger than those of a Spec Ops Elite. The armor of the Zealot is the most powerful of the Elites.

Special Operations Commander: Special Operations Commanders command a troupe of regular Spec Ops troops. Although their shields are similar in strength to those of a Zealot, their armor seems to offer only midrange protection. The armor they wear is pure white.

Ultra Elite: High-ranking field officers, the Ultras wear armor equipped with overshields that offer extreme protection. However, their armor is not particularly effective, especially at repelling ballistic weapons. They wear white armor with gray borders.

Special Operations Elite: Special Operations Elites are extremely skilled fighters, sent in by the Covenant to accomplish the most dangerous and difficult of missions. Very skillful fighters, the SpecOps Elites' armor complements them perfectly. Their dark purple-black armor is equipped with upgraded shields and active camouflage, as well as offering slightly better protection that a normal Elite's. Special Ops Majors are only distinguishable from Spec Ops Minors by slightly darker borders on their armor.

Stealth: The Stealth Elites are the Covenant's assassins, using Active Camo technology, as the Special Operations Elites do. In Halo:Combat Evolved, they do not have energy shields, but are nearly invisible to the naked eye. In Halo 2, they have energy shields, but are still not as strong as normal. You can only see their armor color when they have died. In Halo: Combat Evolved, their armor had a sky blue color, far lighter than Minor armor. In Halo 2, Stealth Minors wear a very dark navy color, while Stealth Majors have tan/brown armor. Oddly enough, their armor offers more protection than any other version of Combat Armor except the golden Zealot armor.

Heretic Elite: The Heretic Elite's armor has no helmet as normal Elites have. Instead, they have breathing apparatuses, to help them breathe on the mine. Heretic Elites also have four ridges on the back of their armor, which presumably contain oxygen. The only exception being the Heretic Leader, whose ridges are replaced with a jetpack. This leads to some curiosity over how the Heretic leader is able to breath for a long time. It may be that the jetpack also contains an oxygen tank. They may be based on old Elite designs or maybe Elite armor with the covenant plating stripped off to reveal the original forerunner equipment, like the Heretic Banshee.

Ranger Elite: The Ranger Elites armor is made for zero gee operations in space or places with no atmosphere. It is completely sealed, especially over the eyes and mouth and features a pair of anti gravity generators on the back.

Major Domo: This veteran Elite warrior is the physical equal of the UNSC's SPARTAN-II. With slightly upgraded shields and armor, their red armor is also equal to MJOLNIR armor, although the Major Elites themselves have so little training that they are hardly a match for even a fireteam of Marines.

Minor Domo: These blue-armored Elites are the least dangerous Elites in the Covenant, and their armor reflects that fact. Offering less armor and shielding than that of a Major, it is no match for a Spartan, or even a well-armed Marine, it is the least powerful of the elites.

Permutations
In halo 3 multiplayer there have been three Elite armor types found in the coding and only images of the default and one other has been found.


 * Default
 * Raptor
 * Predator

Trivia

 * The Combat Armor is the default armor for Elites in multiplayer. In multiplayer games, the color can be chosen by the player, but does no affect their shielding or health. Their shields are always equal to that of a Major-Domo.
 * In Halo 3, Combat Armor is slightly different from before in that it seems darker and smoother.