Stealth Sangheili

The Stealth Elite is a Covenant Sangheili (Elite) rank.

Rank
Stealth Elites are the assassins of the Covenant military. They are equal in rank with Special Operations Elites. The use of their active camouflage makes them good at ambushing enemies in slim quarters. They are absolutely lethal soldiers when equipped with Energy Swords, and they also can pound you in with their usual Plasma Rifle.

Armor and Shields
These Elites are clad in armor that comes in several different colors. In Halo:Combat Evolved, their armor is a light blue color and has a Forerunner emblem on the back. In Halo 2, their armor is either a bronze or silver/steel color. While they possess active camouflage, their defensive capabilities are lower than those of other Elites. In Halo: Combat Evolved, they are not equipped with Elite Personal Energy Shields. In Halo 2 they have energy shields. However, their shields are still weaker than those of a Minor Elite, though they regenerate much quicker than those of other Elites. The silver-armored Stealth Elites have shields that are slightly weaker than those of the bronze-armored ones.

Combat
Stealth Elites are normally armed with Plasma Rifles, either single-wielded or dual-wielded. Stealth Elites also frequently carry Energy Swords and Carbines. They often lie in wait in order to ambush their enemies. They are also far less prone to tactical mistakes, such as not charging directly into a fight and taking cover more often. Their agility and active camo make them difficult targets to hit.

The best way to combat a Stealth Elite in Halo: Combat Evolved would be to take advantage of their lack of shields. The M6D Pistol and SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle will kill them with a single headshot, though it can be difficult to land shots due to the Elite's agility and camouflage ability. The MA5B Assault Rifle is very effective at close range, as its ability to fill the air with a large number of projectiles reduces the need for accurate aiming and allows you to find the Elite more easily while they are still camoflauged. Explosives are also extremely effective.

In Halo 2, it is advisable to use headshot-capable weapons such as the M6C Magnum Sidearm, BR55 Battle Rifle, Covenant Carbine or Sniper Rifle. Their relatively weak shields can be broken easily by these weapons, and, like any other Elite rank, they can be killed by a single headshot while unshielded. Sniper weapons can kill them with a single headshot even when fully-shielded. The shotgun is also very effective, as are explosives.

Appearances
Stealth Elites appear in both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.

In both games, in Easy and Normal difficulty modes, these Elites are only in places where they always spawn, but in Heroic and Legendary, they spawn far more often. They are as intelligent as a Major Elite, and seldom make mistakes in combat. They work in pairs or in groups of up to four.

Halo: Combat Evolved
Stealth Elites were far more common in Halo: Combat Evolved, compared to its successor. On Installation 04, Stealth Elites were present in many places, especially near the Silent Cartographer.

Halo 2
Stealth Elites were present at the death of the unnamed Master Gunnery Sergeant on Cairo Station, patrolling the area just underneath Armory A-01. On the Heroic and Legendary difficulties on the Campaign level "Outskirts", these cloaked Elites are seen in "Sniper Alley". This area is where they will jump down from a roof and engage the Master Chief and the Marines following him, normally killing the Marines and surprising the player. Several Stealth Elites were on guard duty at Regret's lake temple on Installation 05, in the underwater sections. Some were present on patrol of High Charity.


 * On the level Cairo Station, Stealth Elites were prowling in the underbelly of the Armory A-01
 * On Outskirts (Heroic and Legendary) two to four Stealth Elites will attack the player and your Marines at the end of Sniper Alley.
 * On Metropolis, what appears to be a Stealth Elite is present on the deck of the Scarab.
 * On the level Delta Halo, on Legendary, a third Phantom dropship will arrive to drop off three Stealth Elites.
 * On the Level Gravemind, Several Stealth and SpecOps Elites were fighting against Covenant Loyalists all throughout High Charity.

Disambiguation
They are sometimes mistaken as Special Operations Elites, who have armor equipped with technology to temporarily sustain Active Camouflage like the Arbiter's, but, unlike Stealth Elites, have strong shields.