Halo Trading Cards

"Halo Trading Cards will be a must-have for gamers who have played the Halo series. Awesome Character Cards and Bios of all the major Halo heroes and foes. Stunning artwork showcasing the intricacies of the Halo universe, starting at Halo 3's very first sneak peek. Groundbreaking visuals from the games that will have your pulse pounding with anticipation for the next Halo installment. New Visions subset showcasing brand new art commissioned from Topps, not seen anywhere else. Multiple levels of collectible inserts including Foil Cards and Embossed Foil Cards."

- Toywiz.com

Halo Trading Cards are a series of trading cards, featuring characters, vehicles, events and other imagery from the Halo universe. The cards are manufactured by the company Topps and each card includes an image and a short amount of information on the subject. Below is a list of the various cards from the series, along with their corresponding text.

Card 1 - Master Chief
Master Chief Petty Officer "John" SPARTAN-117 has been trained since childhood to be an expert with any weapon, the master of any vehicle he has been quite literally transformed into a living weapon (while encased in MJOLNIR powered assault armor or not.) He has fought in over 200 ground assaults against the Covenant forces and has been awarded every major service medal (except the prisoner of war medallion). When paired with the A.I. Cortana he has proven to be unstoppable.

Card 2 - Cortana
Cortana's self-determined personality is female, with a dry sense of humor and even elements of a hot temper. She is the most advanced "smart" A.I. in the UNSC's arsenal-a master of system infiltration, intelligence gathering, and counter-intelligence operations. She is probably the best source intelligence on the Covenant in human hands. She is aware that her own capabilities are far beyond the average A.I. and says so often.

Card 3 - Captain Keyes
Captain Jacob Keyes had a Naval career spanning more than twenty-five years at the time of his death. He was chosen to command the Pillar of Autumn during a mission that would hopefully force the Covenant to the bargaining table. Unfortunately, the Covenant attack on Reach derailed the mission and the Autumn was one of very few ships to survive the battle. They subsequently crash landed on the ancient construct now known as Halo. He led the UNSC forces on the ring, but fell to Flood - looking for a weapon that would turn the tide of the war.

Card 4 - UNSC Marine Corps
The Marines are the United Nations Space Command's primary expeditionary ground forces. Each and every one of them is trained in weaponry and vehicles. Using the ubiquitous Pelican dropships they are capable of deploying troops and material as a moment's notice. These are the rough men (and women) who stand ready to do violence on humanity's behalf-born under the shadow of a genocidal war now in it's twenty-seventh year.

Card 6 - 343 Guilty Spark
The Monitor of Installation 04 (or what humanity knows as the first Halo artifact) is an artificial intelligence, a being of inscrutable purpose and one of the only surviving links to the long-vanished Forerunner civilization. Guilty Spark's dedication to the safety and operation of the Halo weapon makes him a dangerously unpredictable entity - a friend one moment and a deadly foe the next. 343 Guilty Spark was recovered from the wreckage of the destroyed Halo by Covenant forces, who regard him as an Oracle of their religion. They were wrong.

Card 9 - Elites
A storied and ancient space-faring race, Elites are a militaristic society, where the ability to fight is treasured above all else. As a result, they also represent one of the deadliest foes mankind has ever faced. It is lucky for humanity that a civil war within the Covenant has placed the Elites in a tense position - as a temporary ally. Standing at eight-and-a-half feet tall Elites are masterful fighters with anything from a Carbine to an elegant Plasma Sword. This warrior class cuts an imposing figure on the battlefield and under the leadership of the Arbiter, a true threat to the might of their former Covenant masters.

Card 10 - Drones
These insect-like Drones give the Covenant their own organic air force. Swooping in and out of combat quickly, groups of Drones rain firepower down upon their enemies with lethal proficiency. Drones can be hard to hit in the air, meaning that a Marine without some cover and some patience might be in for a rough time. On the upside, Drones will frequently tire and need to land, exposing them to easier assault.

Card 12 - Brutes
Rivals of the Elites and the newest members of the Covenant, the Brutes possess deadly weapons, dogged toughness, and impressive physical strength. Having supplanted the Elites as the Honor Guards of the Prophets after Master Chief slew the Prophet of Regret, the Brutes believe themselves superior to the other races of the Covenant. The Chieftain of the Brutes at the time of their ascension is Tartarus, who wields the battle hammer called the Fist of Rukt.

Card 17 - Flood Combat Elite
Like humans, Elites make suitable hosts for Flood infection, and inevitably, the Flood Combat Form. Elites in this form also tend to grow tentacles, which increases their deadly reach. A distinctive look is created as Flood sensory stalks push forward to replace the original receding sensory organs that the Elites possessed. In both the human and Elite Combat Forms, the sensory stalks represent one of the few obvious weak points.

Card 20 - D77H-TCI Pelican
Colloquially referred to as a "drop ship", this vertical-take-off-and-landing capable craft shows up to ferry Master Chief to new engagements or to bring well-timed supplies, reinforcements, or the ever-handy Warthog. A standard crew complement would be a pilot, co-pilot and crew chief: the craft can also transport up to ten troops. The Pelican pilot that has the most interaction with Master Chief would be the extremely reliable Lieutenant Caol Rawley, call-sign "Foehammer".

Card 22 - UNSC Halcyon Cruiser C-709 Pillar of Autumn
A small cruiser, Pillar of Autumn falls under the command of Captain Jacob Keyes. The most significant feature of the ship itself is probably its recent A.I. upgrade, Cortana. Master Chief is aboard the Pillar when the Covenant attacks, and fights through the ship's corridors to secure Cortana. The Pillar crash lands on Halo, where it is later explosively employed in the final gambit to stop the ring construct.

Card 24 - Banshee
Though a primary ground-support craft for the Covenant, Banshees are often frequently found to be employed for scouting missions. Typical Banshee pilot strategy involves dive-bombing or "nap of the Earth" flying, which invariably leads to unsuspecting Marines being fatally injured in collisions. In addition to two plasma cannons, the Banshee also sports a powerful fuel-rod cannon. The Banshee runs about eighteen feet in length, and is crewed be a single pilot.

Foil Cards
Note that none of the Foil cards have names

10 of 10
This card features Spartans fighting on Snowbound.