Cloaking

Cloaking is a form of equipment in Halo 3. It can be found on many levels in campaign, and offers a full Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 style blending ability. Once activated, it has the same basic function as Active Camouflage from the first two games.

One notable difference between Cloaking and active camouflage is that Cloaking is an equipment. So, once it is picked up by the player, it can be activated whenever the player chooses to, whereas the active camouflage in Halo:CE, Halo 2, and Halo 3 would automatically be activated as the player walks over it. Another obvious difference is that the camouflage's cloaking ability increases through Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 3, where in Halo CE you could see the entire body clearly, where in Halo 3 only a faint shimmer. Also, cloaking has much shorter invisibility span than the active camouflage, only capable of cloaking the user in 12 seconds.

The symbol for the cloaking on the HUD resembles the active camouflage power-up from the first two games - a triangle with an eye in the middle. Enemies will not notice you while you are camouflaged as long as you do not do anything to disrupt it such as firing a weapon, receiving damage or bumping into them. If you activate it in the heat of battle; enemies will still know where you are. One tip is that Chieftains can usually, sense your location, and turn slowly as you move and only attack if you get within a few feet.

Trivia

 * In Campaign Mode, it is first encountered on the second level, Crow's Nest.
 * The Cloaking is absent from multiplayer, and even in Forge. The active camouflage power-up appears, like the previous games, as its replacement.
 * In appearance, it resembles a large deactivated energy sword handle (albeit one that glows and has a slightly bluish smoking effect) when not being used. It also resembles the Invincibility piece of equipment.
 * The cloaking is used by brute stalkers particularly on the Halo 3 level, The Ark, where this makes the level extremely dangerous for the unwary, particularly on the Legendary difficulty as they often come up behind you and kill you before you know they are there.
 * Cloaking has a slight problem with its programming, it still shows your shadow.
 * Due to a bug or a glitch, it (in some cases) can cloak the energy sword like a regular weapon.