Type-26 Banshee: Difference between revisions

The Banshee is a fast, personal aerial assault craft used by the Covenant. It is equipped with two wings which terminate in a propulsion jet and an anti-gravity pod leaving behind a signature vaporous exhaust trail while flying. The Banshee is capable of reaching a speed of over 100 km/h<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', page 4</ref>, with a low flight ceiling estimated to be around 100-300 meters,<ref>'''[[The Art of Halo]]''', page 128</ref> and is extremely maneuverable. It is also able to perform highly aerobatic maneuvers, such as lateral rolls and vertical flips. While fast and agile, this aircraft is further enhanced by two weapon pods slung underneath the fuselage: Each pod contains a light [[Plasma Cannon]] that fires in the 100-250 KW Range and a [[Fuel Rod Cannon]]. <ref>'''[[Halo: The Flood]]''', page 51</ref> Due to its low flight ceiling, the Banshee is vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire and well aimed infantry. Though small arms fire may disrupt or disable the pilot, only heavy weapons, such as the [[Rocket Launcher]] and the [[Missile Pod]] are capable of inflicting enough damage to destroy the vehicle. The Banshee is never seen being piloted by one of the "inferior" Covenant races, such as [[Jackals]] and [[Grunts]]: It is solely operated by either [[Brutes]] or [[Elites]] in combat situations.

The Banshee is commonly known for wreaking havoc on Human forces in ground campaigns: UNSC forces are always forced to deal with Banshees or abandon certain areas when Covenant air support comes into play. Banshees will often employ hit and run strafing tactics until an area has been cleared of enemy forces, while weaker targets or high priority targets will be chased after until destroyed. Banshees are rarely seen flying alone; even the lightest patrol will consist of two Banshees, while a common patrol may consist of five or more. The Banshee's Plasma Cannons, deemed "light", are understated. One bolt will instantly kill a light armored flesh based target. Even heavily armored targets like the [[SPARTAN-II]]s would only be able to withstand a few bolts before being killed. A direct hit from the Banshee's secondary Fuel Rod Cannon would instantly blow any flesh based target into bits of charred flesh. In the context of the Halo games, all of the plasma weapon's strength and lethality are compensated for both the sake of ESRB rating, and gameplay.

The Banshee is a versatile aircraft in the Covenant's vehicular arsenal, and, in the control of an experienced pilot, can be extraordinarily difficult to take out. Its twin, rapid fire Plasma Cannons are exceptionally efficient at taking out individual infantry, and a single Fuel Rod from its similarly named cannon can make easy work of an entire group of enemy infantry. The boosting capability of the vehicle allows for quick entry and exit from combat situations, or to catch up to a particular target. Boosting also allows a pilot to outpace a homing projectile, or slip away from opposing vehicles and small arms fire. Utilizing barrel rolls and flips, the Banshee is able to avoid slow moving projectiles at short or long range, while also facilitating quick turns around obstacles or close threats. As a support aircraft the Banshee is able to pin down enemy forces until ground forces can move in, or destroy light structures that may be obstructing ground forces from advancing.