Kemu-pattern Wraith

This article is about the Wraith model introduced in Halo 5: Guardians. For the other models, see Wraith.

"Gonna' need more Wraiths!"

- A Swords of Sanghelios Unggoy Storm during the Battle of Nuusra.

The Kemu-pattern Mortar Tank, and commonly known as the Wraith, is a light mortar tank used by the Swords of Sanghelios and the various Covenant remnants for ground engagements. Originating from Hesduros, it is manufactured by Lodam Armory.

Design details
The Kemu-pattern Wraith is a lighter and more nimble successor of the originating from Hesduros. Its design is based on ancient Sangheili designs that are cheaper and easier to manufacture than models (such as the Zurdo and s) produced under the Covenant. The vehicle's form closely resembles an animal indigenous to Sanghelios, a tradition common among Sangheili designs.

The Type-58 LAGC features a host of refinements and design elements that are of great interest to the Office of Naval Intelligence - many of these advanced technologies would have never been approved by the Covenant's San'Shyuum clerical authorities.

The Wraith has a heavily armored front end that leads to the tank's high-mounted boosted gravity propulsion drive at the rear of the vehicle. Despite the vehicle's weight, its gravity propulsion drive allows for impressive bursts of speed and surprisingly agile maneuvers over most terrain. It also has a new "glide" mode, which allows it to glide over uneven terrain that previous designs could not.

Armaments
The Type-58 Wraith is armed with a single Type-58 35cm directed-energy mortar, a heavy plasma weapon that can shatter heavily reinforced defenses from long distances while also proving quite effective in closer engagements, at least in the hands of a skilled operator. The plasma mortar is fitted at the rear of the tank. In addition, the vehicle is armed with one Type-58 Directed-Energy Weapon Emplacement, a fully automatic plasma cannon that is used against encroaching hostiles that are too close to the vehicle to be in range of the mortar. The plasma cannon is most commonly located between the pilot's cabin and the mortar.

Variants

 * Sword Wraith: The Swords of Sanghelios field crimson-painted T-58 Wraiths with improved armor over the standard models.
 * Wraith Ultra: Ultra Wraiths are silver-painted dedicated siege vehicles fitted with a new plasma mortar that can blanket large areas in superheated destruction with a single shot. They also boast superior armor compared to the Sword Wraith.
 * Temple Wraith: In the distant past, Zealots alone had the terrible responsibility of destroying parasite-tainted Forerunner gifts that ran amok after activation. Masterwork Wraith with hardened armor, improving handling, and a faster rate-of-fire for the plasma mortar.
 * Warzone Wraith: The Warzone Wraith is a variant of Wraith used by enemy AI in War Games simulations.

Operational history
The Type-58 Wraith was put into service after the end of the Human-Covenant War, with the Covenant remnants utilizing long-dormant manufacturing facilities to manufacture the new model. As of 2558, the Type-58 Wraith is most prominently found on Sanghelios, though estimations indicate that the tank will become more widespread due to combat losses of other Wraith patterns.

The Type-58 has been used by both the Swords of Sanghelios and Jul 'Mdama's Covenant in multiple battles, including the Battle of Kamchatka and Battle of Nuusra. A small number of Ultra Wraiths were used by Jul 'Mdama's Covenant during the Battle of Genesis. Around the same time T-58 Wraiths became popular in War Games aboard.

List of appearances

 * Halo 5: Guardians