Preksheda-pattern Shade

For the other versions of the Shade turret, see Shade.

The Preksheda-pattern Gun Pod is a Covenant anti-infantry gun turret and one of several turret models commonly identified as Shades.

Design details
The Preksheda is an extremely common variant of the Shade platform—and the most common seen in use during the Human-Covenant War. The turret consists of a ball mount situated atop a circular baseplate, suspended in the air via anti-gravity technology. The Preksheda is most notable for its extremely optimised modularity, allowing the operator to replace its various systems with optional addon modules for specialised purposes. These include the addition of heavier armour protection and energy shielding, or even the installation of new weapon systems to replace the standard plasma cannons. The Preksheda variant can be transported underneath the.

Variants
The Preksheda's vast modularity and component interchangeability allow it to have a number of weapon systems installed. These include anti-armour fuel rods, anti-air plasma turrets and even mortars. Several additional distinct Shade design patterns draw their origin from the Preksheda thanks to its enduring legacy - these include the descended from the same base template, and the post-war  and Bolroci Workshop designs produced for the Covenant remnants and the Banished, respectively. The latter designs draw heavy aesthetics derived from the Preksheda design.

Usage
The Preksheda-pattern was the most common Shade variant used during the Human-Covenant War, thanks to its configurable design. It was prominently used during the Fall of Reach, and has continued to see widespread adoption among the empire's remnants in the post-war years. Its ongoing legacy has seen it heavily influence a number of designs developed in the years since the war's end.

Production notes

 * In all of its appearances throughout the Halo: Reach campaign, the anti-air variant of the Shade has no operator, much like enemy Banshees that appear in Exodus, New Alexandria, and The Package.
 * On the campaign level Exodus, the two Shades that occupy the executive landing pad at Traxus Tower are programmed to automatically explode (even if they are left undamaged) when their operators are killed.
 * If an Unggoy enters a Shade while holding an overcharged plasma pistol, the Shade replicates the weapon's overcharged state: in addition to the gunfire sound effect playing continuously, the particle effects for the plasma bolts or the fuel rods are held at Shade's muzzle. No projectiles would be fired, even when the Unggoy exits the Shade, at which point, the visual and audio effects both disappear.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Fireteam Raven