Sangheili Ranger

Classification
The Elite Ranger is a Covenant Elite (Sangheili) rank, a specialty class of Special Operations Elites that are suited for zero-gravity battlefields.

The Ranger corps is a Special Forces branch that conducts its operations in unusually dangerous battlegrounds, particularly the unforgiving vacuum of space. Usually deployed for Zero-Gravity environments, it is they who are ordered by their superiors to scout/hunt and destroy a certain target. Experts in low gravity combat, they are capable of posing a certain threat to ships, as well as other aircraft.

Rank
It is not known whether "Rangers" is an actual rank, such as Minor or Major, or whether it is a separate type of infantry with its own ranking system. If it is a rank, then it is likely higher than Special Operations Elite but lower than Ultra.

Equipment
Rangers use the Assault Harness, an oddity considering that its use was banned by treaties between the Prophets and the Elites at the close of the Sangheili-San 'Shyuum War, giving them an advantage in combat. Once banned by the Prophets for its effectiveness, the fact that it was equipped to several Ranger units may indicate a willingness by the Elites to ignore the Prophets decree (or it simply could have been allowed by the Prophets as an exception, as a zero-gravity specialty troop would need an airtight helmet). Now that the Elites have left the Covenant, the armor that makes Rangers so distinctive on the battlefield is likely to be introduced into wider service. The Assault harness allows activity even in exo-atmospheric environments, allowing Rangers to operate even in space for insertion, demolitions tasks and protecting their wearers in areas where Flood infection is a threat.

Rangers also use an anti-gravity pack that allows temporary flight, giving the user unparalleled mobility through the air and also allows the user to bypass traditional defenses.

Halo 2

 * Cairo Station- Ranger Elites are used by the Covenant in an attempt to prevent Spartan 117 from reaching the bomb onboard the Station, usually in groups of three to five. One group is stationed near the docking clamps where the In Amber Clad was docked and another tried to suppress the Spartan underneath the stations "Super" MAC gun.
 * Regret- More Rangers were used in atmospheric operations against the Spartan and his small unit of Marines as they attempted to assassinate the Prophet of Regret, using gondolas to get near the group before using their thrusters to take to the air, using their maneuverability to great effect.
 * Gravemind- Ranger Elites throughout High Charity aided any Covenant Separatists allies they can find. Some were even seen in places like the Hanging Garden B.

Combat
As a type of Special Operations Commando, though not necessarily connected to the traditional SpecOps Elites, Ranger Elites are specialists in their own types of combat. Halo 2 Rangers will use their thrusters to a great effect in battle, using them to strafe while firing their weapons. They are most often seen in Halo 2 using Dual Plasma Rifles, firing in prolonged bursts rather than short bursts. Rangers also set up Portable Plasma Cannons to provide heavy fire against human space-capable forces. Their energy shields are about the same strength as a Minor Elite's and although their tactics differ, they require the same amount of firepower to lower, rendering their wearer vulnerable. Rangers are susceptible to Plasma Pistols and Needlers, which use their tracking ability to great effect, lowering their shields or in the Needlers case, killing them outright. However, for long-range combat a Battle Rifle, Covenant Carbine, Beam Rifle or Sniper Rifle can allow the player to kill them from long ranges, preventing them from becoming a threat close-up.

Background
Ranger Elites were the first known type of Elite warrior encountered by the Master Chief,. They had been deployed to secure a human space station and gain access to its navigational data banks and order to determine the location of human colonies during the Battle of Reach. Their helmets at the time were apparently of a different design, allowing the Master Chief to see the Rangers' faces in the encounter.

There were Ranger Jackals as well, present at the Battle of Reach. It seems that by the time of The First Battle of Earth, the Ranger Jackals have been replaced in combat by the Drone, which are already suited for space and are much more versatile in aiding the Ranger Elites.

Ranger Elites have been observed at The Battle of Reach, Operation: FIRST STRIKE, The First Battle of Earth and on Delta Halo. The Rangers were also seen at the planet Reach when the Master Chief returned to the planet aboard the Ascendant Justice. Thus it is possible that every ship in the Covenant has a detachment of Rangers for external security purposes.

The Rangers are apparently an entirely volunteer unit, with its members joining either for personal glory or because of ancestral duties to the unit. They are used as an expeditionary unit in limited naval engagements, deciding which are to be boarded and which destroyed.

With the Elites' departure from the Covenant, the Rangers were replaced by the Jump Brutess and Drones as the aerial ground units.

Trivia

 * These Elites were the first confirmed sighting of an Elite.
 * If you look through the eye pieces, you can just see the Elite's eyes.
 * The Heretic Leader was wearing a modified Ranger suit when he was engaged and killed by the Arbiter.
 * The Flight Harness armor permutation is possibly the Rangers' armor without the jump packs circa Halo 3.
 * Some people thought they were Jackals, but that is incorrect. There were however once Jackal Rangers that assisted Ranger Elites in their operations, they have not made an appearance in the game, most likely being replaced by Drones.
 * If you shoot a Ranger Elite in the Jump Pack while their flying, they'll fall a bit on Heroic and Legendary, and to the ground or their deaths on Normal and Easy

Related Pages

 * Ranger Jackals
 * Special Operations Elite
 * Jump Pack Brute