Sangheili Major

Major Elite, occasionally referred to as the Major Domo Elite, Veteran, or Half-Commander, is a Covenant Sangheili (Elite) rank.

Rank
Elites bearing this rank are seasoned warriors whose rank is relatively low in the Covenant Sangheili rank structure: they are higher than a Minor Domo Elite, yet lower than a Ranger Elite. Also, only a Major Elite can become an Ossoona, mainly due to the fact that a more seasoned warrior prefers combat, not stealth, and a Minor Elite is too inexperienced to become the Ossoona. The Ossoona is a temporary rank that is given to Elites. The job of an Ossoona is to spy on enemies but not attack them unless they are discovered.

They command groups of Minor Elites as well as other Covenant races in ground combat situations. On lower difficulties of both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, Major Domo Elites are rarely seen without a Minor Elite present. However, on the higher difficulty levels (Heroic and Legendary), these Elites are more numerous than Minors, in order to increase the difficulty of the game.

They are the physical equivalent of a SPARTAN-II supersoldier, and are far more intuitive and quick-thinking than their subordinates. A single Major Elite can often hold its own against a squad of Marines. They are also the only known rank of Elite that have been shown to become Ossoonas. To humans, they would be and are considered Sergeants in the Covenant. The rank of a Major Domo Elite can be compared to that of Grunt Majors among Unggoy, Jackal Majors among Kig-Yar, Sentinel Majors among Sentinels, and Heretic Elite Majors among Heretic Elites.

The Major Domo Elite can be graduated to several ranks: Ossoona (temporary), Stealth Elite, Special Operations Elite, Ultra Elite, Zealot, Honor Guard, and Special Operations Commander

Equipment
Enemy Major Elites (encountered throughout Halo: Combat Evolved and in Halo 2 only when playing as the Master Chief) are only found wielding Plasma Rifles, Needlers, and sometimes Carbines. They also carry and use Plasma Grenades. However, when the player encounters them as the Arbiter they, like all Elite allies, can be given any held weapon. An uncommon glitch concerning these Elites, found only in Delta Halo on the Heroic difficulty, exists. When the last Phantom arrives, an enemy Major Elite will be dropped off wielding an Energy Sword.(This is considered a glitch due to the fact that only higher ranking members of the covenant are allowed to wield the energy sword because of it's religious purpose.)

These Elites have slightly more powerful shields than their subordinate blue-clad Minor Domo subordinates, as fitting with their rank. In Halo 2, these shields are somewhat weaker than those of Honor Guard Elites, Zealots, and Heretic Elite Majors. On lower difficulties they can take a maximum of three hits on the body from the Sniper Rifle or Beam Rifle, and in higher difficulties at least five hits are needed.

Combating a Major Elite
The same tactics used to kill Minor Elites can be used against Major Elites as well. However, their stronger energy shields make them more resilient. For example, in Halo: CE on Normal difficulty, it takes eight headshots from the M6D pistol to kill a Major, compared to six for a Minor. Furthermore, the sniper rifle takes two headshots on Heroic and Legendary difficulty. The M6D pistol is very effective against elites.

In halo 2, the best way to kill an elite would be to use either Dual Magnums which kill in less than 2 seconds in a flash, or to use the "noob combo" (Battle rifle/Magnum + Plasma Pistol).

Tactics
Elite Majors fire in sustained bursts and evasively strafe while shooting. They are also far less prone to tactical mistakes, such as charging directly into a fight or forgetting to take cover. On higher difficulty settings, it is very dangerous to face a major Elite wielding a Needler, as the quick bursts fired by major Elites can strip shields down in a matter of seconds, not to mention the explosion of the projectiles the Needler fires.

Much like Minor Elites on higher difficulty, they will attempt to lure the player into the open. They do this far more often when they have support from significant threats such as Hunters, groups of Drones, or Jackal Snipers, but almost never attempt it while alone.

Physical Appearance
Major Elites wear distinct red (specifically crimson) armor, comparable to the red armor of Grunt Majors.

Halo: Combat Evolved
Major Domo Elites were seen in almost every level in Halo: Combat Evolved, their first appearance being in The Pillar of Autumn. They appear on every level at least once and sometimes are even scripted to appear to make the fight more difficult regardless.

Halo 2
In Halo 2, Major Elites appeared in every level where the player controlled the Master Chief except for High Charity. In Metropolis, two Elite Majors controlled the Scarab in the city-center. These Elites were unusual in that they could not be killed while still at their stations, even from a direct Rocket Launcher hit. Once they abandoned their posts, however, they were just as strong as normal Major Domo Elites.

While playing as the Arbiter, a Major Elite was gained as an ally halfway through Quarantine Zone, only if all of the player's allies had already been killed. In The Great Journey, one of these Elites would present the player with a Banshee to accompany Sergeant Johnson's Scarab. Later, during the final boss battle, Majors were randomly generated to aid the player against Tartarus.

Trivia

 * Major Domo Elites seem to perform functions somewhere between UNSC senior company grade officers (Captain (Marine Corps)/Lieutenants) and junior field officers (Majors/Lieutenant Commanders). They seem to be at least as important, if not more so, and have as much responsibility as a Captain/Lieutenant would, but probably not more important than a Major/Lieutenant Commander would be.
 * The rank of Major Domo is the only Elite rank besides Zealot that is confirmed holding the position of Ship Master.