War sphinx

War sphinxes were midsize Forerunner fighting suits used by the Prometheans. They were powerful war machines that were generally dropped from high orbit, and were capable of sweeping continents and decimating entire cities.

The Didact's twelve war sphinxes, used by his warriors during the Human-Forerunner War, were left on Erde-Tyrene to guard his Cryptum. By the time Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting visited the planet in approximately 100,000 BCE, these suits were considered antiquated and outdated. More advanced versions of the war sphinx continued to be in use during the Forerunner-Flood war, alongside the more streamlined and less ornate Seekers used by Builder Security.

Description
The war sphinxes were described as being ten meters high and twenty meters long, with an elongated tail that provided lift and power. From the "tail" rose a large rounded torso with a command cabin perched on top. As was common with Promethean combat constructs, the command cabin was designed to resemble a Forerunner face, with features arranged in an angry or stern expression and two viewports serving as "eyes". They also had limbs, with joints of hard light. Much like Onyx Sentinels, two sphinxes could also merge to create a larger unit, which still retained a similar "face" at the forward surface.

War sphinxes were programmed to contain samples of their wearer's mental patterns and personalities before they were killed in battle. These preserved personalities were less complete than Durances, but could still be studied by a commander to gain useful information. The Didact kept the final impressions of his children, who were killed in battle, within their war sphinxes.

Trivia
In one of the Terminals, a recommendation of Forerunner armor by Mendicant Bias is accompanied by a mysterious image. This image depicts a bulky, rounded object with what appears to be a long tail and a humanoid figure inside. This seems to match Halo: Cryptum's description of a war sphinx. It could also be an image of the war sphinx's newer counterpart, a Seeker.

List of appearances

 * The Forerunner Saga
 * Halo: Cryptum
 * Halo: Primordium