Covenant Enemies

Master the Covenant forces in Halo: Combat Evolved! Learn the weaknesses of Grunts, Jackals, Elites, and Hunters to survive the fight. Your guide to taking down every alien threat.

Alright, let's talk about the aliens you'll be facing in Halo: Combat Evolved. Knowing who you're up against is half the battle, so let's break down the Covenant forces you'll encounter. We'll cover their strengths, weaknesses, and how to best put them down.

Grunts

These are your bread-and-butter cannon fodder. They're the weakest Covenant troops you'll run into. You'll notice they have different colored uniforms, which actually tells you how brave they are. Orange Grunts are the most skittish and will often run away, especially on easier difficulties. Red Grunts are a bit more willing to stand their ground, and Silver Grunts are pretty much fearless. You'll usually find them in groups, and their main weapons are Plasma Pistols (they rarely charge these up, so no biggie) and Needlers. The Needlers aren't too threatening since they fire in bursts. However, watch out for Silver Grunts; they might occasionally wield a Fuel Rod Gun, which is seriously dangerous. Your best bet for taking down Grunts quickly is with your Pistol or Assault Rifle – they go down in just a few shots.

Jackals

These guys are more annoying than anything, especially since you'll see them a lot in the early levels, but they disappear later on. Jackals are basically scouts for the Covenant, and their main defense is a shield that protects them from the front. Their only weapon is the Plasma Pistol, but they're pretty good with it. They can charge it up to fire a bolt that will completely drain your shields if it hits you. Even with their shields, there are ways to deal with them. Jackals are super vulnerable to melee attacks, which do a surprising amount of damage even through their shield. You can also use Covenant weapons like the Plasma Pistol or Plasma Rifle; a few hits will temporarily disable their shield, leaving them exposed. Just don't bother with the Needler – the needles will just bounce right off their shield. Oh, and if you hit them with a fully charged Plasma Pistol shot yourself, you can knock their shield out in one go!

Elites

Now, Elites mean business. Taking them down can be a real challenge, especially on higher difficulties. Like you, Elites have shields, and you'll usually need to strip those shields before you can actually damage them. The tricky part is that Elites are smart; they'll try to retreat, flank you, and find cover when you start hitting them. They carry either a Plasma Rifle or a Needler, and they fire them incredibly fast – even faster than Grunts with a Needler, making them a serious threat. If you're caught out in the open, your health can disappear in a flash.

Fighting Elites can be tough, especially on Legendary. A quick way to drop their shields is with the Plasma Pistol. A charged shot will instantly remove their shields, leaving them vulnerable. Even rapid fire from a Plasma Pistol can wear down their shields quickly. Once their shields are down, you need to be fast and finish them off before they can hide and recharge. If you've got the Pistol, a headshot on a shield-less Elite is an instant kill. Sometimes, getting up close and personal with melee attacks is the best way to finish them off. When an Elite is really low on health, it'll roar and charge at you, giving you one last chance to take it down.

Other good weapons against Elites include the Shotgun (if you find one later in the game) – a close-range blast can drop their shields or kill them outright. Sniper Rifle shots are also effective, usually taking two to three hits to bring down even the toughest Elite.

Elites come in different colors, indicating their strength: blue (basic), red/purple (stronger), gold (very high shields), and black (Spec-Ops Elites). Gold Elites are particularly tough, and you'll definitely want a Shotgun or a fully charged Plasma Pistol for them. Black Elites, found near the end of the game, are super dangerous, have high shields, and are the only Elites that throw grenades accurately. Your best bet against them is still the Shotgun.

Be aware that Elites can also wield Energy Swords, which will kill you in one hit. Since they need to be close to use it, they'll charge at you. Just backpedal and use your surroundings to avoid them. Some Elites can also turn invisible. They'll uncloak for a few seconds when they attack, and if you look closely, you can sometimes see them shimmering. The good news is invisible Elites don't have shields, making them easier to kill once spotted. An Assault Rifle is great here because its rapid fire gives you a good chance of hitting them, even when they're moving erratically.

Hunters

These are the giants of the Covenant. You'll almost always face them in pairs. They're armed with powerful Fuel Rod Guns that can do massive damage if you're directly hit, and even the splash damage can hurt. If you get too close, they'll try a melee attack. When they raise their weapon to attack, just back away and try to dodge. Unless you're trapped in a tight space, avoiding their attacks shouldn't be too difficult.