#lore-and-universe

1 messages · Page 23 of 1

abstract wren
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Nope (+she)

tribal trench
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Huh

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Halopedia’s article on Bornstellar

IMG_9234.png
abstract wren
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Yes, no overseiing

orchid kettle
bronze delta
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Nah nah, the Logic Plague is what led to his biological experiments, changing himself to "resist" the Flood and becoming monstrous. The Promethean Knights and all that. Basically all his measures to "defeat" the Flood.

He's the villain because he blamed and hated humanity, and then with the loss of connection to the domain stewed on that for 100,000 years

orchid kettle
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I get that if you really wanted to make something out of it, you could say that Humanity's "original sin" was destroying Forerunner worlds, so the Didact in Halo 4 is just coming to pass judgment, yada yada

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but I dunno, I never cared much for the guy

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Its not an especially interesting "original sin"

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at least forerunners got to kill God as their thing

bronze delta
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I think the biblical allegories have (thankfully, for myself) been largely abandoned for just military acts, keeping the whole "flood" thing as that's found in a lot of cultures

gilded mason
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God, that line. That was such a creepy as hell thing to say.

orchid kettle
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Librarian is a yandere for the human race

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Reject her teachings

gilded mason
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Indeed

orchid kettle
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maybe she was just really jealous that we have a nose and she doesn't

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"Their genes... they're so... superior."

gilded mason
orchid kettle
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Weird that he recently called Chief "the Librarian's Champion", like it was a cool thing to be

gilded mason
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Yeah

orchid kettle
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im sure you knew this was coming-- but this is kinda why I liked H=F

gilded mason
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H=F?

orchid kettle
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with the idea that the Forerunners in either universe were still heavily flawed and shouldn't be emulated

orchid kettle
gilded mason
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Ah

orchid kettle
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Like, some people see that interpretation as like, wanting humans to be gods

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But the part that appeals to me is that we were the jagoffs who's arrogance almost ended all life in the galaxy

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and we need to be better

gilded mason
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I liked that the Librarian in the Halo 3 terminals was like, "The Mantle is an awful thing, man. Don't believe in it anymore."

orchid kettle
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because we've been awful before

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Like, I don't think I ever want the point of the story to be for humanity to clamor and strive to return to an idealized past

gilded mason
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Same

orchid kettle
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Because uh, that philosophy is tied to certain ideologies I don't really like

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Its why Im glad that the idea of the Halo 2 uncut ending, where the Ark on Earth was feeding information to human subconsciously and guided them to more or less recreating Forerunner society

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was scrapped

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I don't think that's a good idea story-wise, but I guess you could figure in that ending, the Ark blows up so humanity is now free to choose their own path

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But it's kinda reared its ugly head again with the Librarian's geas

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and I assume thats why humanity is now all about genetic augmentations and making super suits

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Not just to make Chief specifically, but to recreate Forerunner society

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which also loved genetic alterations, super suits that made them immortal, and AIs in said suits

tribal trench
versed helm
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Do people sometimes get lost with halo lore? Cuz I do and even the game couldn't help me understand the whole things thats happening rn

tribal trench
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After 50 books it can be pretty easy to get lost

versed helm
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Like wth happened between halo 5 and infinite CSGOMister

tribal trench
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There’s 3(?) books detailing that

versed helm
tribal trench
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Bad Blood, Shadows of Reach, and Rubikon Protocol (I think, haven’t read that last one yet)

empty bloom
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Specifically, a very narrow slice of them.

tribal trench
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Ah

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So Infinity —> Chief getting picked up?

abstract wren
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Only Shadows of Reach explains some of it

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Bad Blood leads to nothing because Halo 5 's arc was written off

orchid kettle
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Still a good read though

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Wild how I could go from hating New Blood to actually liking its sequel a good amount

indigo arch
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Are the sangheili speaking English or do the Spartans you play as just have translators, because the split lips don’t have tongues, lips, and their mouths aren’t designed for speaking human languages

tribal trench
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Some sangheili (namely those who had great respect for the humans as combatants, or human-aligned groups like the Swords of Sanghelios) had learned how to speak english

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Most of the time it's a translator of some sort

gilded mason
tribal trench
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That they do

indigo arch
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They do?

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Hm

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Didn’t know that

steep ether
gilded mason
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🙂

safe hawk
empty bloom
gilded mason
unique rune
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Of course you’d have Sangheili tongue pics at the ready

gilded mason
unique rune
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Uh huh, sure

gilded mason
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Honest and for truly!

verbal pollen
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He just snapped a picture of the poster on his wall

terse sage
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He studies Sangheili anatomy every night

distant socket
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How would the plot of halo ce be if noble six joined master chief in halo 1(assuming he didnt leave himself behind) or captine keyes somehow survived the encounter with the flood

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also how is the flood's carrier form explosion strong enough to make human and covenant grenade explode?

terse lava
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Six would likely join the Chief to rescue Keys, and be sent to lead the team into the flood facility, rather than The Captain doing it himself.

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Frankly having two Spartans present might cause the Covenant to take the humans more seriously and give more incentive to wipe out the Alpha Base

teal sphinx
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Probably doesn’t happen in lore

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But I could be wrong

tribal trench
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Without spoiling Rubikon Protol or anything like that, is Roland dead?

fair hazel
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No

gilded mason
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The covenant cruiser was kinda preventing that

last anchor
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Alongside the mass of other Covenant ships.
Emile was a skrub and didnt check his motion tracker and got sword'd (like most noobs in Quick Play rn it seems)

gilded mason
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Because that was the only moment the Pillar could escape

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Because they had no idea when another cruiser, or worse, would appear. Because the Covenant have more than one ship

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Too risky

unique rune
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...And delay the Autumn even further?

empty bloom
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Actually, let me check, I don't even think he gets mentioned in the Halo Encylopedia.

obsidian thistle
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He got his own profile

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So yea he was in it!

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Page 108

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Tis his only direct mention however.

empty bloom
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Huh. Good for him, I was unaware. Shame he's otherwise seemingly unperson'd.

last anchor
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Hopefully Lasky took him with then he left Infinity

empty bloom
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Roland in Miller's head so that he can mess with Miller all the time.

fair hazel
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We dont know if he was on the infinity even above reach

tribal trench
fair hazel
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We dont know

orchid kettle
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everyone basically got put in story limbo

last anchor
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Last we see Laskys bulldozing a brute with the nose of a Pelican on his way down to Zeta Halo

terse sage
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Last time we hear of Lasky, Fireteam Taurus had escorted him to a lifeboat

empty bloom
abstract yarrow
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I had a question. It was Halseys plan to create the Weapon and she knew about the AI samples on Reach.

Cortana has Halseys memories and thinks like her. So how would she not have been aware she would try to do that? It’s literally what she would do in that situation. Like in Infinite it’s specifically mentioned she didn’t see that move coming.

obtuse crow
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Maybe the way it was executed?

bronze delta
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The vaulted brains would have been secreted away after Cortana's creation. If Cortana has 1:1 memory to Halsey (e.g. "Remember our first date?") she would have no memory of that event, as it's a point after their psyches "split"

terse sage
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So is the average Sangheili warrior as strong as a Spartan?

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Or just special ones?

meager pier
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Since it’ll likely be a long time until we get the next game, you think 343 is gonna actually make a direct sequel to Infinite or try to start a new trilogy/saga yet again?

bronze delta
tribal trench
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Physically as strong as, without mjolnir*

empty bloom
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Spartans in MJOLNIR past Mark IV tend to utterly dumpster Elites.

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Like, it's actually almost embarrassing. Your average Mark V wearer is capable of literally crushing an Elite's skull in by essentially clapping.

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Not quite sure why SPI IIIs were able to snap elite wrists, but that one was likely more due to being more agile than actually being far stronger (Though SPI does improve strength somewhat, apparently) and just pushing them til they snapped.

orchid kettle
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It feels like Elites got nerfed as we moved away from the idea that they only started appearing on the frontlines in 2552

empty bloom
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Yeaaaah.

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The number of Elites that can realistically solo melee fight a Spartan is likely down to a few dozen ever.

orchid kettle
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Though I feel like that isn't super necessary if you just specify that Elites tend to be like how they are in-game

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Leaders of grunts and jackals, and you rarely see more than one or two at once

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Therefore it still makes sense for a full team of Spartans to carve through a Covenant lance without much issue

empty bloom
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I kinda prefer them getting mulched on equal footing.

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Ditto with brutes.

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I mean, it's a Spartan, a posthuman monster of a being.

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I kinda want what I pay for in that regard.

orchid kettle
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I guess it depends on what you want the power balance to be in the Covenant war

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are the Covenant so terrifying that you have to be a Spartan to even survive

empty bloom
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I think it's honestly outright irrelevant because there's only so much Spartans can realistically do.

orchid kettle
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or do Spartans just meme on them, and its just an issue of there not being enough superhumans to go around

empty bloom
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I can kill dozens of your mid-range high tier troops, but that hardly matters if you turn all my civilians to gaseous material.

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I generally prefer Spartans being superhuman, but not 'meme on them' levels of meme on them.

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Rubicon Protocol pretty much nailed what I'd consider the 'ideal' power level.

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Everything's a very real threat to a Spartan and they suffer from attrition under fire pretty fast, but even wounded to near-death they're still generally better than high-ranking and skilled brutes, let alone anything as squishy as an ODST or something.

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I was gonna type out a theoretical tier listing but I realized I'd both make people angry and I wouldn't like it because MJOLNIR's canonically pretty variable.

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Knights and Warden Eternal were roughly top of the list though because... I mean, c'mon, they're easy in gameplay, but they're canonically terrifying, especially since the latter is considered a threat that is rough for even a full Fireteam plus the Arbiter.

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Let alone getting stuck fighting three in the same room or two in the same open area.

obtuse crow
last anchor
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"Space Marines are the best humanity can create, they're freaking insanely powerful and brutal! ...but sos everything else they have to fight so they're more or less on equal footing."

Halo: "Spartans are the be all end all of basically everything and the veteran ones are not something you even want to think about fighting because they WILL dumpster you, your entire squad, and the whole ringworld your trying to protect."

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On Rubicon; honestly, asymetrical long-term warfare was what the Spartans were originally created for. Deployments to the outer colonies to root out and stamp out Innie command and control. A precision sledgehammer if you will.

orchid kettle
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with Sentinels at least you could reason that they're just Forerunner roombas and not even proper combat machines

empty bloom
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Power scaling moment.

orchid kettle
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but then we get those combat machines on Requiem

empty bloom
orchid kettle
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and it feels like Chief should just be dead a thousand times over

empty bloom
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Hell, when I was a kid I solo ran Spartan Ops on Legendary.

empty bloom
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Still wonder how gory that actually was. Bet he was still walking, though, Spartans be like that.

orchid kettle
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I think Lasky turns a Knight into corn flakes with a shotgun at one point too

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to save a marine

empty bloom
orchid kettle
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I await the theory that Lasky is secretly a Spartan 1.1 like Forge

empty bloom
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Goofy. Maybe a little silly.

orchid kettle
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or sometimes they're inconsistent in the same book

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like Nylund saying the Spartan-IIs could lift three times their body weight

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which about puts them on par with the bench press world record, if we assume thats what Mendez meant by "lift"

empty bloom
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Hell, I meant confirmed variants.

orchid kettle
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but then they kick an instructor in MJOLNIR mark I

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and he flies like, eight feet back

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I dunno about you, but I don't think I can kick my bench press max that far

empty bloom
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Plot twist, the reason Mendez ballparks that is because it's literally all the weights they have.

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Like, they looked for two hours and couldn't find more

terse sage
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In Halo 3 a spartan can flip the Elephant

orchid kettle
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In that scenario, I tend to trust the defined numbers over the feat

terse sage
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I dunno about y'all but it looks pretty heavy

orchid kettle
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just because I assumed Nylund wasn't thinking that hard about the kick

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and how heavy Mark I mjolnir surely has to be

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which i assume is either as heavy as Mark IV, or heavier

terse sage
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Mark 1 is cleary much heavier

obtuse crow
terse sage
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Spartans can use Mark 4 without really having to lift much at all

empty bloom
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Rekt

obtuse crow
empty bloom
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They really aren't that hard.

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I mean they aren't exactly easy, but they require a good deal of patience and a lot of attention some people lack

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Battlewagons are usually the worst because they kind of just... Show up.

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And Scattershots usually onehit you.

orchid kettle
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I feel like CE and Infinite are the only games I enjoy playing on Legendary

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well, and ODST because its pretty easy

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Otherwise I feel like most Halo games kinda devolve into nothing but peeking with the noob combo

empty bloom
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I like it because sometimes you just can't rely on it.

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I like having to come up with more interesting ways to handle situations, and I feel that 4 on Legendary with its ammo counts can really force a change in behavior.

orchid kettle
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In Infinite's case, it 100% still turns into a peekaboo shooting gallery

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but maybe it helps that there's like, 4 sniper rifles and 2 human precision rifles everywhere

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Still a lot of clicking on heads, but at least there's some choice in that

white hedge
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Were the flood tier 0 in the height of silentium?

fair hazel
obtuse crow
empty bloom
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Like, they are better than a wet T-shirt.

last anchor
empty bloom
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I know Kai's lifting record in the show is actually pretty close to the theoretical maximum of a II's strength out of armor

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The Warthog with the three guys

indigo arch
last anchor
fair hazel
obtuse crow
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Generally, they shouldn’t be that effective. A scatter shot in game one shots if hit in the chest.

empty bloom
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Either way it's kind of splitting hairs-he was visibly hit, wounded, and damaged, shields or no.

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And still walking off a hit known to disintegrate people.

obtuse crow
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Fact.

merry forge
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How long does it take until a Spartan Armor runs out of oxygen. (If in space, underwater etc.)

That is if they can

orchid kettle
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90 minutes, as far as we know

fair hazel
empty bloom
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Roughly 90 minutes of active use for air. Assuming Halsey and her engineers-or anyone working on MJOLNIR after she was out of the picture-were competent, they should also have additional options to accept additional tanks of air for longer term ops.

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Chief's survival was due to an unknown hibernation sort of system, so who knows with him.

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(I'd honestly assume he actually got pushed into the same state of suspended healing that Horvath did due to sheer internal injuries. Atriox must've done one hell of a number on him.)

fair hazel
last anchor
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And medgel has shown up several times in the hands of both civilians and military operators

empty bloom
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Would anyone here happen to have the Halo 4 Essential Visual Guide?

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I'm looking for one, specifically for the MJOLNIR armor glances.

fair hazel
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?

empty bloom
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What?

fair hazel
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What exactly

heady geyser
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?

dusty ferry
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this is like watching two people with alzheimers talk

empty bloom
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Anything involving any MJOLNIR variant at all in that entire book.

crimson grove
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Hey guys does the MJOLNIR have in built-in biohazard system ?

indigo arch
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As far as I’m aware, yes

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But there are more specialized armor configurations

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Hazop, etc

tribal trench
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iirc Mjolnir has built-in air filtration systems and 90 minutes of extra air

last anchor
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I think GEN 3 cranks the air tanks to two hours, but Im not 100% sure.
The helmet has an NBCR filter for sure, with additional "pipe" breathers in variout forms.

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Errr, well I guess in game they're call CRNB I think

empty bloom
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CBRN.

empty bloom
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Like, you have GEN1, 2, and 3 models specifically designed for EVA and Aquatic environments. You'd think that they'd give the user some additional air and maybe rebreathers or recyclers.

tribal trench
empty bloom
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CBRNe is technically the modern accurate format due to IED threats from the early 2000s on, but nobody really calls it "Sea Burn E".

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(The UNSC almost exclusively uses US and NATO terminology.)

last anchor
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Presumably the E bit was folded under EOD

icy yoke
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UNSC uses US , NATO

  • phonetic alphabet, alpha, beta, gamma
  • Mark for technological progress introduction
  • M designations
  • Type , for foreign technological categories
vast edge
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What material are forerunner structures built from? At first I thought it was a compositite material like super futuristic alien concrete, but from Halo Infinite they seem to be made of a type of super futuristic alien metal.

fair hazel
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A lot is hard light

unique rune
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There's not really any specifics, we just have them being made of "smart matter" and hardlight

vast edge
unique rune
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Normally I think it would source the materials from the star system it's anchored to, but with 07 having been slipspaced to who knows where, that is... a good question.

vast edge
empty bloom
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We already knew Halo rings could do that due to Guilty Spark's tinkering on Alpha Halo.

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It's not actually stated IFAIK though.

vast edge
empty bloom
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Yeah, the materials used for the (un)natural formations is 'printed' matter made as a simulacrum of the real natural-formed thing.

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Just double checked. So I imagine they just 'print' the material into superstructure instead, as that's a higher priority.

vast edge
# last anchor Presumably the E bit was folded under EOD

EOD deals with explosives before they explode, CBRNe deals with explosives after they explode. CBRNe nowadays mostly deal with decontamination. CBRNe started dealing with explosives after insurgents started mixing explosives with hazardous materials.

empty bloom
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Also, Forerunners are very known to use programmable matter.

vast edge
empty bloom
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Lmao

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Yeah, they really ramped up the Forerunners earning their claim to the Mantle, as awful of a thing as the Mantle is.

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Some pretty extreme dominance going on.

last anchor
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Gave em teeth

vast edge
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When the Pillar of Autumn escaped Reach, did Cortana knowingly jump to a halo ring?

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Halsey said the ONI scientist on Reach made a latchkey discovery that will unlock the knowledge of the forerunner structures, which was passed on to Cortana

orchid kettle
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Maybe not super specifically a Halo ring, but she was aware something pretty important was on the other side

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Which is kinda weird in both Reach and Fall of Reach, since it ends up meaning that Cortana is knowingly leading the Covenant to somewhere she knows is important as well

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as they can follow the PoA's trajectory and get there first too

quiet shoal
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Guys question, who was the person who died during the fall of reach when blue team got back from a mission

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If I remember this correctly

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Blue team got back from a mission

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And there was a funeral service for an officer or marine that died

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I’m still puzzled on who that was

last anchor
last anchor
empty bloom
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Red Flag was always such a dumb idea for an op, but then, the UNSC was desperate enough that a dumb idea must've seemed feasible.

tribal trench
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It was either Red Flag or continue to be decimated by the covenant until they go extinct

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Last ditch effort kinda thing

empty bloom
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So, continue to be devastated by the Covenant until they go extinct or continue to be devastated by the Covenant until they go extinct.

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Real winner of a choice there.

tribal trench
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They got lucky - or unlucky depending on how you view it - with finding Halo

empty bloom
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I don't think it's really either.

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Red Flag would've never worked, and it would've likely just killed off every available II-which is a bit funny considering they were using them more and more cautiously so that they wouldn't lose them-and any other poor SOB sent along with them.

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It's not even like the UNSC didn't already know that killing a Prophet or threatening to kill one would do much at that point-they had already successfully ventilated one's head from its shoulders.

tribal trench
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By the point of Red Flag...?

empty bloom
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Yes.

tribal trench
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All 3 of the Hierarchs were still alive before the Fall

empty bloom
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The top 3, sure. Red Flag was mostly just a Prophet in general unless that got changed.

tribal trench
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I vividly remember it being a Hierarch

empty bloom
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Which, the UNSC had already killed one by then.

tribal trench
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Not just any old prophet

empty bloom
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I vividly remember it being just a Prophet in general at one point.

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Not one of the big boys.

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Either way, it's kind of irrelevant-just turns into something the UNSC wouldn't have realized wouldn't work if that's the case now.

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Unless it was Truth, who likely had some form of contingency in mind if he was greased (If he was any sort of competent), that Prophet would've just been taken out in a 'heroic pyre of martyrdom by the degenerate human heretics'.

tribal trench
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“Phase four,” she continued, “will be to infiltrate and capture the Covenant leadership and return with
them to UNSC-controlled space.”

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you're right, it doesnt ever mention a hierarch

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But it does imply it somewhat

abstract wren
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at the time Hierarch = Prophet

empty bloom
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I think it's ultimately iffy then.

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Leaning towards the intent being a Hierarch, retroactively, thanks to The Babysitter.

abstract wren
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But Mythos precise its Hierarch

tribal trench
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I keep forgetting that Legends is canon

empty bloom
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Because funny O'Brien headshot go zoom splat

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Yeaaaaah IIRC there's at least two in-war UNSC Prophet kills on non-Hierarchs

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Likely more, just two I remember

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The Babysitter and Uprising.

tribal trench
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"The Master Chief shifted uneasily. There was no intel or reconnaissance of Covenant-held space. What
did a Covenant leader—a Prophet—even look like?"

empty bloom
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Oof.

tribal trench
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Yeah the extended universe definitely wasnt a thing at the time lol

empty bloom
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Man

tribal trench
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This is the 2001 copy, they might have changed something in later edits

empty bloom
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I'll assume they updated it quite a bit.

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I mean, end of the day, it would've failed and was, to me, kind of a poor choice for a desperate hail mary.

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Amount of amusement on that end varies.

quiet shoal
tribal trench
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If you mean the member of Blue Team that died, that was Samuel-034

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https://www.halopedia.org/Samuel-034

Halopedia
Samuel-034

Petty Officer, Second Class Samuel-034, born Samuel Westergaard and often simply called Sam by his friends, was a Spartan-II supersoldier of the UNSC Navy's Special Weapons Group. Samuel was notably the tallest and strongest of the Spartan-IIs at the time of his death, and often acted as the second-in-command of Blue Team in its formative years....

brisk blaze
#

How many of the books do you guys have

tribal trench
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There was also a funeral held for the washouts of the Spartan-II program that died during augmentations

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I think that one was after the raid on the Rubble

tribal trench
brisk blaze
#

The books r good

tribal trench
orchid kettle
brisk blaze
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Nah

tribal trench
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You are thinking of Serin Osman

brisk blaze
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Yh

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That’s him

orchid kettle
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but thats split up between physical copies, audiobooks, and kindle editions

tribal trench
#

her*

brisk blaze
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I have most in physical

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Her then

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There was also another one tho

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Paralysed

orchid kettle
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oh wait, did that version of Halo Evolutions that came in two parts have its own unique content

brisk blaze
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Jerome or something idk

orchid kettle
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because I don't have that

brisk blaze
#

Halo what now

orchid kettle
#

Halo Evolutions

tribal trench
brisk blaze
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Never heard of it

orchid kettle
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it was a collection of short stories, and then it got another release as little pocket editions

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but the book was split in half

quiet shoal
brisk blaze
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He ded

quiet shoal
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Idk if it was in the FOR but I know someone died when blue team got back from. A mission

brisk blaze
#

Is there a book called shadows of reach

quiet shoal
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Yeah

brisk blaze
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Alr I need it then

quiet shoal
tribal trench
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It wasnt the rubble, I lied, it was just some random asteroid

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I think

empty bloom
fast falcon
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So I’ve been thinking about some ideas for stories in Halo lately and I wanted to drop in and ask around here about what fans think of the potential for there to be Banished aligned Spartans?

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Or just the Insurrection working with the Banished more openly

abstract wren
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Second one is more possible

empty bloom
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Completely unfeasible at least on Zeta Halo.

abstract wren
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Mercenaries are already working for the Banished (but 343 will not use them...)

empty bloom
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And generally something I think would be ludicrously unpalatable. I'm pretty sure if someone tried writing one, Spartan Kodiak would personally crawl out of the cover of Halo: Hunters in the Dark and shoot them.

fast falcon
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Rather just ignore Infinite all together for any ideas I work on lol

empty bloom
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I mean

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There's already a freaking massive barrier to entry, right, for humans. It's rare and they usually have to have some level of interest in the stuff the Banished do.

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There's only one on Zeta Halo that was working with them of his own presumably free will.

fast falcon
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I’d think that there’s a solid chance that, with the right prodding, the insurrection could totally work with or join the Banished if they believe it could lead to a possibly free human state

empty bloom
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As a whole, no. Most are rather insular or even hostile to entities outside the in group.

fast falcon
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The question is what could lead or direct them to that, which is why I’m imagining a Spartan, likely an S-III because of how much more unstable they can be, ultimately trying to use both the Insurrection and Banished to form that free human state under their control

empty bloom
#

A III is honestly the first or second best guess, IMO.

#

Or the only surviving IV Prototype, Zane, because she was already crazy.

fast falcon
#

Ilsa is definitely a topic I’ve thought about in regards to this idea

#

I just don’t like working too heavily with canon characters when I try to establish or work out my own ideas

last anchor
#

Im pretty sure Zanes dead, she was on a planet when a guardian launched

orchid kettle
#

also fans don't really like her

#

as far as I can tell

#

so-- don't like her chances

empty bloom
#

Among other hints in various times.

#

You don't need to be tied to a full Spartan to have a major UNSC Supersoldier be head of a true-blue Banished Org.

last anchor
#

Augmentations become more common since the Spartans rolled out as well.

fast falcon
#

Oh is there no embed here lol, fair enough

#

Rn I think the defector being an S-III has a lot of ground, especially one from Alpha company. They were part of the most unstable group, and they have seen three divisions on fellow Spartans used for suicide missions

#

If they were a headhunter then that means they’d have survived the rest of the company being wiped and would have access to a fair amount of ONI data on either the insurrection or banished

icy yoke
#

Emphasis would be generic modifications could be added to young military cadets. Like muscle and bone strengthening

#

Increase endurance average soldiers

empty bloom
#

That's likely what they do sometimes considering the biggest elements of IV augs include gene therapy.

drowsy mesa
#

BTW, there's a new Intel in Halo Infinite's news section

lucid bone
#

So has the unsc lost to the banished

empty bloom
#

Only a section of it.

#

So more of a loss against the Banished.

terse sage
#

UNSC is still active so I'd say no

last anchor
#

It's a big galactic arm. Technically Zeta is a stalemate like on the Ark

flint steeple
#

Alrighty, I'm trying to make a self contained fan series in stop motion form. How would a non-flood en masse zombie apocalypse play out?

#

I say it wouldn't last long with what I know lore wise

#

But like, I'd like another take on that

tribal trench
#

it might infect a block of a single city before the ODSTs and all other forms of military are deployed

#

results will vary from planet to planet and it’s relative military force

#

It depends again on the city but I think ones equipped with smart AIs policing everything have the ability to review medical information in real time

#

So an infection would be caught very quickly

terse sage
#

So after reading Rubicon Protocol, it's very likely that UNSC forces are on their way to Zeta Halo

#

It would be epic to see that followed up on

fair hazel
terse sage
#

I know that Slipspace takes awhile, but it is still possible that reinforcements are on their way

fair hazel
#

Slipspace doesn't take that long

terse sage
#

Depends on the tech they are using

#

Classic UNSC tech it would take awhile, Covenant, much less

fair hazel
#

This is 2560

terse sage
#

So i'd assume Covenant/Forerunner tech

fair hazel
#

You do know modern UNSC drives are fast?

tribal trench
#

It’s been at least 6

terse sage
#

In the book, they only get the signal out maybe a month before the game

tribal trench
#

It is the 26th century and the UEG is kinda a dictatorship

terse sage
#

Most likely a few weeks

tribal trench
#

I wouldn’t put it past them

fair hazel
#

On a created world it's more likely

fair hazel
tribal trench
#

Virgil monitors the rookie’s vitals throughout ODST

fair hazel
#

Depending on which ship, within the same day to a few days

fair hazel
terse sage
#

So the game takes place on May 28th, 2560

#

The signal was sent to UNSC space on the 14th of the same month

#

Which would mean the UNSC has not yet had time to coordinate a response

fair hazel
#

Wrong

#

The signal was sent on the 26th

terse sage
#

Proves my point even more

fair hazel
#

Hang on I might be wrong

terse sage
#

Halopedia says the 14th

fair hazel
#

yeah

terse sage
#

2 weeks isn't enough time for the UNSC to gather a fleet and make the journey through slipspace

fair hazel
#

Firstly there's the question of how long it takes the signal to reach

#

second, where it reaches

terse sage
#

Considering it's Forerunner tech, shouldn't take long

#

The book only says "human occupied space"

fair hazel
#

And all the logistics of the current UNSC forces which arent doing the best

terse sage
#

Which means that reinforcements are still potentially coming, but not for awhile

empty bloom
#

As for Zeta Halo, neither the Banished nor the UNSC has any idea where they are.

#

At all.

terse sage
#

I never understood how the Spirit of Fire fought the entire Banished force on the Ark and fought it to a stalemate

empty bloom
#

The Banished don't know (Confirmed by cutscenes) and neither do the UNSC (Confirmed by audio log)

#

No star charts match, and the area is entirely alien.

terse sage
#

It's also confirmed in the book

empty bloom
#

Yeah.

terse sage
#

Neither side has ANY idea where they are

empty bloom
#

Honestly, it's a great time focus on everyone else's world.

terse sage
#

I want a third Alpha Nine book

#

The first 2 were great and Buck is one of my favorite Halo characters

empty bloom
#

... Too grim

#

Even by my standards.

terse sage
#

I thought it fit

#

Rubicon is pretty dark too

empty bloom
#

it's kind of bad to acknowledge Chief's VA's age as a talking point.

dusty ferry
#

when did that happen?

tulip relic
#

Hey lore nerds, trying to figure out what the new helmet attachment HUL/BNR/ORIGO means.

I know HUL means Hardened Up-Link and ORIGO probably is just the name of the piece, but I can't figure out what BNR means. I've seen it on other HUL helmet attachment names, even some in Halo: Reach, looking it up hasn't given me any answers.

If I had to guess, since it's for an up-link attachment, it could mean Backup and Restore, Block Noise Reduction or Binary News Reader. This are just guesses based off some tech acronyms, and not from any Halo media.

If anyone fines out, please @ me!

fair hazel
#

Hm I wonder if it means battle net relay

tulip relic
#

Mmmm, I didn't even consider that, I like that the most so I'm going with that lol

#

Since it says it's a CMA era battlenet link, and not just an uplink, I'd say that's a good guess, the ORIGO aspect could be it's upgrade to the new network meshes

#

I guess the real question is, what's the difference between an uplink and a non-battlenet link

#

Got it:

The Command Network Module allows users to communicate and synchronize with the UNSC battle network in real-time. The connection to the battlenet can be further enhanced by integrating a Hardened Uplink to the CNM.

#

Everything I see BNR with includes CNM with it, except for one, but it includes a description talking about how it's for section III and spartan team leaders.

#

So BattleNet Relay sounds like the best possible meaning lol

tulip relic
#

Hrmmm, however some HUL attatchements claim to have battlenet connection without the BNR being present, so I assume there is a different between an uplink, and uplink with battlenet connection, and uplink with CNM, and with BNR.

If I had to guess, a battlenet connection is usually standard, but a CNM connection is to connect with command/ONI, usually reserved for squad leaders, and BNR is just saying it is connected to the relay, where as CNM is the module itself.

Considering the description of this ORIGO piece says it was and old uplink that was upgraded in the field to have BNR access, AND this updated is all about "finding out the secret truth behind the ONI door" and "Detection Protocol: Let nothing be hidden from your sight." and pretty much observing... I assume this was basically rigged to try and spy on ONI or something.

#

The only time we see BNR without CNM next to it is on Carter's helmet, and a description saying it's for ONI agents and spartans. So BNR without the CNM tells me it's pretty much an ONI exclusive up-link at that point lol

#

(man, the rabbit holes you get into after an hour of waiting in queue for quickplay lmao)

empty bloom
#

Created are still a huge existential threat to the UNSC-in-Exile (Because frankly, that's what they are right now) in spite of the loss of the Guardians.

dusty ferry
#

Honestly, we just lack an understanding of what’s happening in unsc space post cortana death

#

Like, it’s just unclear beyond the fact they still are relevant

empty bloom
#

I'm mostly think it's something that has a definable logic in terms of how the Created should be operating.

#

For example, if they didn't bring the Earth based MACs up again, that'd be pretty dumb.

#

Aaaand if they didn't already start supplementing what was left of their Created forces with Unggoy and human auxiliaries, that would also be stupid.

#

Ditto with salvaging any ship in space who got Guardian'd, as those crews would be beyond dead for the most part due to getting spaced or just running out of air.

#

Of course, this is Halo, so I may be entirely wrong and they've been eating the idiot villain ball in the back since 2016 and not doing a single thing to properly hold their territory, and mostly just 'rule' by virtue of EMPing everyone and nobody bothering to send scouts back.

tribal trench
#

Or was it made a point that they were susceptible and everyone on Luna died

empty bloom
#

Even then, no comms, no engines, no guns. The Created would be able to do as they pleased.

terse sage
#

Was Jun on Laconia Station when it exploded?

empty bloom
#

There's not a lot the crews of those ships could do if a particularly spiteful Created wanted to, say, teleport on a Promethean detachment.

empty bloom
terse sage
#

Good to know that Jun is still alive

empty bloom
#

It was confirmed a few months ago.

#

But yeah, thinking on it, even minus the Guardians, the Created should still have a defensive monopoly on their sections of home territory.

terse sage
#

What if the UNSC doesn't have enough power to respond to the signal sent by Kovan?

#

Because of the Created and all that

empty bloom
#

They might be a bit hosed, yeah.

terse sage
#

Meaning that decisive reinforcements might not come

empty bloom
#

I'm hoping this doesn't end with the Created siding with the UNSC in Exile.

#

I think that'd be kind of a lame solution to the Created thing.

terse sage
#

The Spirit of Fire is still on the Ark right?

empty bloom
#

Yeah, sans a slipspace drive.

#

They're also still locked in engagement with the Banished there for the same important reason as the Banished fighting on Zeta Halo.

terse sage
#

Which is?

dusty ferry
#

Middle of nowhere

empty bloom
#

Keeping the Banished from owning it.

terse sage
#

I don't understand how the Spirit of Fire could fight the entire Banished force on the Ark and make it a stalemate

empty bloom
#

Uncontested Banished control of anything even remotely related to a Halo ring is generally a suboptimal strategy for long term survival.

#

Plot armor, mostly.

#

Sturdy old ship's coated in the stuff.

terse sage
#

Better than any Energy Shield

empty bloom
#

I'm more impressed that it still has a ground force to fight with. Apparently, as stated in one of the game's notes, it's a good thing they have such good doctors.

#

It was loosely implied that most of the remaining ground combat crew is being kept alive and sent back out after particularly gnarly injuries.

terse sage
#

Interesting

#

But now the Flood are there too

empty bloom
#

Eh

#

Flood are out somehow, but I hate that DLC.

dusty ferry
#

They got out for 7 minutes

#

Then immediately lost

empty bloom
#

The flood problem got caused by... Shooting it. Which really should not have solved a problem that literally has tentacles burrowing everywhere.

dusty ferry
#

The flood had the flu I guess

tribal trench
#

It was High Charity wasn’t it?

#

In the DLC?

empty bloom
#

Still annoyed the Created faction got canned from HW2.

terse sage
#

Yeah

#

They were in High Charity

empty bloom
#

It was honestly a really good idea and would've done wonders to flesh out the Created.

#

Like, I get people didn't like them, but I find the concept of an organized, adaptable, zealous, and coldly logical organization that arguably is more interested in making a utopia than killing everything.

dusty ferry
#

We genuinely skipped them for brute guy we kinda liked

empty bloom
#

I mean, 343 outright said it at one point in a dev blog.

terse sage
#

I liked Atriox

empty bloom
#

I'm still peeved at how bluntly it was stated.

#

Like, I'm barely paraphrasing it when I say that it was basically 'You guys liked the Banished so they're the main bad guys now'.

#

(The other half was needing a Covenant replacement, apparently)

dusty ferry
#

That’s 343s big issue, they capitulate to fans very easily

terse sage
#

Its a strength and a weakness

empty bloom
#

I'm still willing to die on the hill of 5 being a badly misunderstood story with awful PR tbh.

#

But not actually a bad story.

dusty ferry
#

5 in retrospect does actually work

tribal trench
dusty ferry
#

We just had far too little master chief

terse sage
#

It's story, in my opinion, was okay

#

My favorite part was seeing Buck again

#

and the Arbiter

empty bloom
dusty ferry
#

And then we just… didn’t follow up on it

terse sage
#

343 gave up on it too quickly

#

It had good ideas that needed a follow up

dusty ferry
#

Like, right now the fracture is sort of following up

terse sage
#

But 343 saw the bad reception and immediately switched courses

empty bloom
#

Though there was a shaky implication that the Executors are actually something that the Created are planning to do.

abstract wren
#

In a way everything is canon... it's just that this fracture is a simulation

empty bloom
#

Not sure how crazy I am about Sloan being the new 'main leader', but then he's the only AI that we knew in the Created who actually was embroiled in the throes of rampancy before he joined Cortana, and genuinely cared for the idea of his charge (A brighter and better Meridian).

abstract wren
#

but 343 still want to not to be clear on that apparently

empty bloom
#

We'll see next go round. The next part isn't supposed to be a sim.

#

Or at least, it was hinted not to be.

dusty ferry
#

Like the created have no focus and are just doing whatever at this juncture

empty bloom
#

I took it more as he's the main voice and POV, and beseeching to the more disorganized whole of Created.

heady geyser
#

Ik that iratus wnated something that the unsc had

tulip relic
#

Hot take, ONI helped make Iratus and they're hiding it, either directly or indirectly.

abstract wren
#

would'nt be that surprising (even if we know it was created by Lux Voluspa)

unique rune
#

I dunno if that’s really a hot take but it’d be on brand for ONI to be behind the creation of non-human smart AI, sure

tribal trench
#

What is Lux Voluspa?

abstract wren
#

It's a human business that makes neural matrices for AI.

tribal trench
#

How long have they been a part of that business?

#

As long as smart AI have been around?

abstract wren
#

no more infos

unique rune
#

We dunno much on them
Pretty much just that they were working on smart AI with non-human donors and they got raided by the Banished for Iratus

abstract wren
#

maybe they make non volitionnal AI too

heady geyser
#

Was that SPI armor that iratus took over a prototype or just the undersuit

#

I’m leaning towards prototype

terse sage
#

Looked like a Prototype

vivid umbra
unique rune
#

I mean, am I wrong to think that? The Created got halfheartedly shoved off to the side in favor of making the Banished the main big bads so we could return to a Bungie-like status quo of “humanity is on the backfoot in a fight against the Covenant (kinda)”.

#

Not sure what the point of @ing me here is.

fair hazel
orchid kettle
#

Infinity is on the run, Cortana has enslaved the galaxy

#

I always assumed the Covenant races would return under Cortana's command

#

since I couldn't see them ditching them for Halo 6 and going Promethean only

unique rune
orchid kettle
#

Its just-- yeah, they swapped out who was in charge because of fan backlash

heady geyser
unique rune
#

Then Infinite’s campaign also does the extra step of zooping the ring off to who knows where so that practically nothing can impact it

but conversely it kinda feels like everything that happens in the campaign also doesn’t end up meaning much either
At least to me

orchid kettle
#

Though even in Bad Blood, the parts I ended up liking had more to do with the friction of Alpha-Nine's members, and them having to convince some rebels to ally with them

#

I think as an actual opponent, I'm more into the Banished based off of their lore and actions depicted in Rubicon

#

I think my beef with Prometheans is how they're just weapons for the guy in charge to use

#

So its hard to care about them on the same level as the alien races

unique rune
#

Yeah I can get that

orchid kettle
#

though again, Im sure a competent enough writer could make it interesting

#

Have like, Cortana taunting you through the Prometheans as you fight

#

some kind of angle like that

#

Go all in on the idea that they're just extensions of Cortana's will, practically speaking

#

tie in the fact that Prometheans are enslaved human minds to point out how hypocritical the Created are

unique rune
#

I don’t really hate the Banished (though I still think their depictions have been a little wonky and not especially cohesive at times), I just wish the Created stuff had been given a more proper resolution instead of getting suffocated by a pillow

orchid kettle
#

using them as tools just as the UNSC used them

orchid kettle
#

Halo 5 just didn't get people excited for more Halo on average

#

while Infinite, at least on a surface level, did turn heads

#

and execs are gonna go the route that suggests it'd be more profitable

unique rune
#

Yeah

orchid kettle
#

There is a part of me that's interested in seeing what a Halo 6 would have looked like, and we could save Infinite for Halo 7

#

(would have been fitting too, Halo 7 for Installation 07)

#

but at the same time, in the years after Halo 5, I was kinda just done with Halo

#

but Infinite did a lot to renew my interest

unique rune
#

Aftter 5 I was very curious as to how they were going to deal with the hole 5’s campaign kinda dug them into. And there’s a lot that I do like about Infinite’s campaign, like the stuff with the Chief and Esparza, which did pull me in early on.

#

Then we got the game and… well.

orchid kettle
#

I ended up liking the campaign a lot still

#

Still not convinced open world was the way to go though

#

But I like the MC trio, love how cheesy Escharum is

#

I tend to jive more with the Halo games that are focused on a singular setting as well

#

Ive never been a fan of skipping all over the galaxy

#

though Zeta is perhaps too singular in terms of visual variety

unique rune
#

In a vacuum I do like Infinite’s campaign quite a bit, it’s just some of its bigger picture implications that really bug me.

orchid kettle
#

we're on the ring the whole time but I feel like we've only seen the silent auditorium's backyard

#

when we could have had the desert seen in Behemoth

#

or perhaps some artic area

#

maybe even a biome that's full of alien fauna

unique rune
#

Really wish they’d done more on the Banished end of things. As much as I enjoyed Escharum, Tovarus and Hyperius just kinda. Showing up and immediately dying, erm.

orchid kettle
#

Its weird how we got Rubicon Protocol

#

and they're not even in that book

unique rune
#

Bizarre

I wonder if they were some late stage addition to fill out the campaign and they just never got around to actually fleshing them out

empty bloom
#

I remember hearing that Locke's helmet had a payoff at one point, a pretty big one.

terse sage
#

What kind of ship was the Ascendant Justice?

empty bloom
#

Buuuuuuut nah, let's just... Let that one simmer, I guess. Thanks.

empty bloom
unique rune
#

I don’t think Ascendant Justice has ever really been properly described? Don’t think we ever even got a three letter code for it.

terse sage
#

The most First Strike describes it as was "flagship"

orchid kettle
#

They feel like they have a lot more effort put in than Bassus and Chad Lok

#

in terms of model

unique rune
#

Yeah, they had concept art shown off pretty early on in the leadup to Infinite’s release

terse sage
#

I don't understand the point of Bassus

#

He's kinda just there

unique rune
#

But yeah model-wise they had more wrok done since they’ve got unique armor, while Bassus and Chak ‘Lok are just minor palette swaps of normal enemies

orchid kettle
terse sage
#

You can tell they did a lot of work for Jega

unique rune
#

Bassus was fun
I’m almost a little sad we had to kill him

empty bloom
#

So much work on Emile's fursona.

terse sage
#

I enjoyed his fight but he didn't serve any story purpose

unique rune
#

I feel like he’s just there to build out the… spirit(?) of the Banished? Kinda?

orchid kettle
#

if you mean Bassus, I think it really just is for the moment where he sneaks up on you mid Weapon-inserting cutscene

#

I think you're just supposed to get the vibe that the Banished are full of wacky leaders

terse sage
orchid kettle
#

Well in the brief time we have with him

empty bloom
#

IIRC Bassus was another casualty of shortening.

orchid kettle
#

He sounds a lot less... cognizant than the other Brutes

#

he's just a meathead

#

while everyone else is waxing poetically

#

he is unga bunga

unique rune
#

He doesn’t necessarily contribute to the narrative, directly, sure, but he helps to give them more personality. Helps emphasize that they’re just really excited to be fighting you, and not just because his boss said so

terse sage
#

I love describing him as "unga bunga"

orchid kettle
#

its also perhaps proof that the Jiralhanae method of selecting their leader based on who kills the best

#

is not quite the best idea

#

Its total head canon, but I like to imagine Atriox struggling with the norms of Jiralhanae society as he leads the Banished into the future

#

Dude's weirdly progressive for a Brute

terse sage
#

I agree

orchid kettle
#

with his whole "no racism, only the grind" mentality

terse sage
#

He accepts Elites as high level leadership, despite the fact that the two races HATE each other

orchid kettle
#

He allows Unggoy into positions of power despite being dumb lil diaper babies everybody else loves to bully in the galaxy

terse sage
#

YapYap?

orchid kettle
#

I meant the two Grunt HVTs

terse sage
#

Ah, forgot about them

orchid kettle
#

though I don't remember if its ever made clear that they're considered "leaders"

gilded mason
#

Now if only he didn't kidnap grunts for use as cannon fodder and let his underlings kill them for fun, put Huragok under constant physical torture, and let Decimus put Sangheili on suicide missions. 😔

orchid kettle
#

I said progressive for a brute

gilded mason
#

lmao

unique rune
orchid kettle
terse sage
gilded mason
#

Ye, in the phoenix logs

orchid kettle
empty bloom
#

The Banished, after clearing out Zeta Halo, has to figure out the fun joys of paperwork.

#

Atriox' greatest challenge yet.

terse sage
tribal trench
terse sage
#

Dang I feel bad for the Engineers now

#

I always really liked them

unique rune
#

If you liked them I’m surprised you didn’t already feel bad for them

#

They’re pretty much always being mistreated in the current era of the Halo universe lol

terse sage
#

Well I did but I didn't know it was that bad

empty bloom
#

Want to know a fun fact?

#

Good odds that there were a few who died on the Infinity.

#

Including the possibility of VRGL being one of them.

terse sage
#

Virgil?

#

The Engineer from ODST?

empty bloom
#

Yep, because he and Sadie were rescued by Buck and co.

#

And they were likely on the Infinity.

terse sage
#

Nooooooooo

#

Im sad now

empty bloom
#

Yep! Likely dead or strapped back into the same torturous bomb harness.

#

Whiiiiich also means Sadie might've ended up brute food.

fair hazel
#

It's like just missing the chest plates

#

The infinity wasn't running at it's full complement

empty bloom
#

It actually is a Prototype IIRC

#

Just

#

Y'know

#

Deconstructed partially

fair hazel
#

?

empty bloom
#

It has prototype markings.

#

So it looks like it's a partially deconstructed Mirage IIC prototype.

quiet shoal
terse sage
#

My favorite was the armrest one

quiet shoal
#

I only watched two of them but found them both funny

terse sage
#

I think there were only 2

quiet shoal
#

The raid shadow legends ads kinda remind me of them

fair hazel
#

what propttype markings?

empty bloom
#

Well, now I need to boot up the game and list them all.

#

Hm.

empty bloom
#

It's also got various additional symbols on the forearms.

heady geyser
fair hazel
#

on shoulder?

empty bloom
#

It's either a prototype or a very early production model.

fair hazel
#

It still just is like a mirage suit without the chest plates

empty bloom
#

... Yeah. Prototypes generally look pretty similar to the final product.

#

Which is why I'm saying I think it's a partially deconstructed prototype.

#

Though, it is really weird that they just have a random Mirage IIC suit sitting empty on a Brokkr.

heady geyser
#

Best bet oni thought that people won’t be able to get past the door

fair hazel
#

Mothballed, abandoned old gear

empty bloom
#

It's more the fact that somebody left it in the Brokkr than the fact it was mothballed at all.

#

Like, you'd think they'd put it in a crate or something.

#

Everything else in the room was either covered or trash, so.

#

Like that little terminal podium in the background.

heady geyser
#

I was surprised too that the armor was still on the Brokkr best bet they cut the power and forgot to put it away

fair hazel
#

I’m not sold on the idea that agrina is working with the banished

orchid kettle
#

no she is working for the famished

empty bloom
fair hazel
#

Some people are theorizing that

empty bloom
#

... Halo fans aren't that smart sometimes, are they.

fair hazel
#

Lore people

empty bloom
#

I'm a person way too into this franchise's lore and that's why I think the people coming to that conclusion aren't exactly the brightest shovels in the bin.

#

One of the goofiest theories I've ever heard, lmao

#

And I've heard the theories about the Didact literally being Halo 5 Cortana

fair hazel
#

You don’t think the person who pinpointed the locations from the rubicon protocol in campaign is smart?

empty bloom
#

Oof. He's the one positing that?

#

I am shocked and appalled.

#

Like, that is one hell of an L.

heady geyser
#

Yeah some people love to make up their own theories about stuff

empty bloom
#

Making theories doesn't mean your theories are good, not any more than having a lore channel. Guy's ability to play cartographer's good though.

heady geyser
#

That’s why I always stick to hard facts

empty bloom
#

I usually theorize with the assumption that I'll likely be proven wrong if I get too 'out there'.

#

And... Assuming someone who has pretty much no indicator of going traitor is a bit silly.

#

And it'd be really freaking annoying considering we've already had two IVs go traitor already, and the trope is painfully stale.

wild linden
#

Whatever happened to the UNSC Armstrong? It was mentioned to be damaged in Halo Wars 1 but after which it is never mentioned again. We know the UNSC won the battle and pushed the Covenant off of Arcadia, which means the Armstrong was likely taken to a shipyard or a repair yard for repairs, but afterwards what happened? Any theories, any facts?

bronze delta
empty bloom
#

God, I hope not.

heady geyser
#

Same here

empty bloom
#

Hey @obsidian thistle, I hate to tag you specifically, but you might know because you're one of the big dogs for this-are all Mark VII shoulder pauldrons (With the exceptions of UA/Valens, HIGHCOM Sentinel, and UA/Ahala) actually produced by Chalybs Defense Solutions?

#

It's a bit odd to me that Mark VII's shoulders and knees are subject to a Chalybs and MatGroup only specialty phenomenon, so I just want some clarification there if you have any insight to glean.

#

Also @fair hazel hate to ping you as well, but I got a Twitter link showing off those decals for Mirage IIC (The one Iratus holograms himself over).

#

Unsure if asset rips that people use for Blender projects are a bit uh...

#

A social faux pas here.

#

So I'll just delete that and wait to see if you want it or not.

#

(It wasn't a link to the Blenderized asset, btw, it was a link to someone who was using it to showcase Iratus' doll.)

terse sage
#

So which armor cores exist in canon in Infinite?

#

Like do Spartan IV's use the Mark 5 B armor?

empty bloom
#

Mark Vb is presumably an armor that sees very limited use nowadays outside of SPECWAR circles. It's 'refined' and popular, though that's hardly the best indicator of usage rates.

terse sage
#

Rakshasa is mainly used by Headhunters if I'm correct

#

Is that true?

empty bloom
#

Rakshasa is designed for any Spartan where long term rest, relaxation, and refit are unavailable, due to being a highly ruggedized platform with a lot of redundancy and self repair systems over standard models.

#

It would appeal pretty heavily to headhunters, who receive a minimum of physical support on their missions.

terse sage
#

What is special about Mirage?

dusty ferry
#

it is designed for less enhanced operatives

#

whatever that means in the IIc's case.

empty bloom
#

Mirage IIC is basically a catchall low-tier budget MJOLNIR for standard operatives and Spartans alike (Presumably the Spartan version is tuned way higher) derived off of SPI and prior Mirage models.

terse sage
#

And Mark VII is the armor I assume most IV's use

empty bloom
#

It's the child of the SPI and GEN1 Mirage programs.

empty bloom
terse sage
#

My fireteam uses Mark VII

#

Gave them all names and everything

empty bloom
#

Realistically, there should be a lot of IVs still running around in GEN2.

#

Mostly by virtue of being stuck out and about in the mix when the Created Conflict occured.

terse sage
#

So Eaglestrike, Yoroi, and Chimera don't exist in canon?

empty bloom
#

Eaglestrike and Yoroi are pointedly whole seperate universes. Chimera is in an awkward spot.

#

As it's hinted as being mainline canon in the slimmest sense of that statement, but it is considered a Fracture.

terse sage
#

What is Chimera's purpose supposed to be?

#

I haven't read up on the armor lore so forgive me on that

empty bloom
#

IE, Cortana's faction.

terse sage
#

What do they do?

empty bloom
#

It's basically their equivalent of MJOLNIR, being utilized by heavily cyborgized and effectively mind controlled humans of whom we do not know the extent of augmentation. Only that Executors are capable of physically going toe to toe with a Spartan IV (A tall order, as IVs can literally punch out Brute's organs) in melee combat.

terse sage
#

I remember that fight with Spartan Stone in Rubicon

#

That was pretty cool

empty bloom
#

Executors are basically the Infolife's equivalent of Spartans. Heavily augmented supersoldiers. But the difference between the two is that a Spartan's life (Yes, even a III despite popular conversation) is extremely valuable, as each is the culmination of many years of effort, training, and a shining star in the human sea.

Executors, on the other hand, are considered practically expendable, if a highly specialized scalpel.

terse sage
#

What is Infolife?

empty bloom
#

Infolife is the Created's name for Smart AI.

terse sage
#

So the Executors were made to fight Spartans?

empty bloom
#

Executors are made for a wide variety of tasks. Spartans are but one of many.

terse sage
#

That's a really cool concept

empty bloom
#

A lot of people are kind of not getting the point

#

Personally, I find Executors as a concept truly fascinating.

terse sage
#

Yeah they sound really cool

empty bloom
#

I'm enamored with the concept of Flenser.

#

As it's described as being a counter-Rogue AI armor, but it has a colorful word choice that belies its true identity as an armor.

#

"Useful cortical structures".

#

A Cortical structure is a brain.

#

It's designed to sever heads and return the brains to infolife hands, for creation of AI or war machines.

terse sage
#

Rogue AI means not aligned with Cortana right

#

Not the other way around

empty bloom
#

Not aligned with Created in general.

#

It could also be construed as "Not aligning with this or that Created faction" as the Created are actually rather fractious.

terse sage
#

Especially after Cortana died

empty bloom
#

Yep.

#

God, this armor is so cool.

terse sage
#

So we have 3 different scattered factions in the Halo universe right now

terse lava
#

The Executioner?

terse sage
#

The Created are fractured after Cortana died, the UNSC is still recovering from the Created and the Banished, and most of the Banished leadership is now dead

empty bloom
#

Well

terse lava
#

Truth be told there are likely far more factions than that, seeing as there are countless covenant remnant groups

empty bloom
#

The Banished are, as of the Halo Encyclopedia's release, confirmed as no longer being splintered. Atriox is back at the controls and the post-credits cutscene is canon.

dusty ferry
#

leadership that we know of

empty bloom
#

The Created are still aligned under a single banner and goal but the leadership itself is currently directionless.

dusty ferry
terse lava
#

Believe that would only count for the Banished at Zeta Halo, not the faction as a whole

terse sage
#

What about the Swords of Sanghelios?

empty bloom
terse lava
#

Was it said most of the Banished faction was there?

empty bloom
empty bloom
terse lava
#

fair

terse sage
#

But the Swords of Sanghelios are probably the strongest post-covenant faction?

empty bloom
#

No.

#

The Banished, even with setbacks, are clearly one of the strongest organizations out there.

terse sage
#

Right

empty bloom
#

I'd wager they'd actually win that fight right before Zeta Halo.

terse sage
#

Swords would put up a good fight

empty bloom
#

Oh, absolutely.

#

But Atriox and his charges are actually extremely skilled and shrewd for an organization so ruthless and brutal.

terse lava
#

I would find it off if the Banished are apparently the strongest faction currently

terse sage
#

I think it would be an interesting concept of a fight between the Swords of Sanghelios and the Banished

empty bloom
#

I don't think they're the strongest overall faction.

#

The strongest overall faction, to me, is likely still the Created, even sans Guardians and sans Cortana.

terse sage
#

Overall weakest in your opinion?

empty bloom
#

Insurgency by a country mile.

terse lava
#

followed by the flood id say

empty bloom
#

The UNSC-in-Exile still has enough force projection to be a threat.

terse sage
#

Even with the Infinity lost?

empty bloom
#

Yes, absolutely. The Infinity was merely the strongest ship-it was not the lynchpin of their forces, merely the sharpest spearpoint.

terse lava
#

In their current state I suppose that's not inaccurate. Seeing as the best they have is a protogravemind

terse sage
#

And the Eternity is still somewhere in construction limbo

empty bloom
#

The Eternity is likely in Created hands.

#

Which, the Created have oodles of Forerunner tech to distribute, again, sans Guardians.

#

And the ageless AI to oversee retrofitting.

#

Entire hulls of UNSC vessels to scavenge from the dead in orbit around UEG worlds.

#

Entire populations to augment their armies with.

#

An alliance with the Unggoy.

#

Earth itself still has its SMACs. The Created would be fools to not use them.

#

And assuming the Created are at all competent, well, they could likely pull a Offensive Bias

terse lava
#

Weren't they forced to abandon the Unggoy, as the little guys began building their own ships to fight off raiders in nearby systems?

dusty ferry
empty bloom
#

Meaning, they could crew their ships with vacuum-emptied hulls and use Created AI alone to push those ships beyond the survival of the crews.

#

I'll admit that I may have glossed over that section. It's a shame if it's outright gone though.

#

Some wasted potential.

dusty ferry
#

current lore implies the unggoy are an area power of their own

#

so, honestly i'm down for that

empty bloom
#

I would imagine they're still marginally friendly.

#

As the Created were actually nice to them for once.

terse lava
#

yep found it, With the Created's control over local systems curtailed, attacks on Balaho and nearby colonies by Covenant splinters and pirates has been vastly reduced by warships built and crewed by the Unggoy, eager to free their kind and other abused minor races from slavers and raiders.

#

like the impliction(as I take it) of them helping out covenant fringe species

empty bloom
#

Doesn't surprise me none.

#

It's honestly not a shock. As I said, though, I doubt the Unggoy are really going to be all "Hate the Created" as that was actually a beneficial relationship for the Unggoy that got homegrown industry running.

dusty ferry
#

honestly, I think the unggoy are probably in the best position overall

empty bloom
#

They're at the very least on the upspin.

terse lava
#

The Kig-Yar are sitting pretty happy too

empty bloom
#

I still think pretty much any major faction that isn't the Insurgency or UNSC-in-Exile could take them on well though.

terse lava
#

the Kig-Yar or Unggoy?

empty bloom
#

Unggoy.

terse lava
#

ah yeah easily

empty bloom
#

They lack the esteemed history of naval conflict that the Jackals have.

terse lava
#

they lack any naval history

empty bloom
#

And by 'esteemed' I mean 'Loads of experienced pirates, maybe not the greatest out there'.

empty bloom
#

I'll admit I'm a bit biased because the Created are still talked about like a threat, and I find them to be an extremely fascinating opponent.

#

Most don't feel the same, but they have such a complex and rich pool of possibilities.

terse lava
#

They do have potional I agree, the problem was they had no proper build up, and almost no lore actually touched on them

empty bloom
#

Eh

#

I mean, the latter's way solvable lmao

warped vine
#

I’m pretty sure it’s the CSO Super Carrier or the one we see on reach which is the carrier “Long Night Of Solace”

dusty ferry
#

Arguably, high charity is the biggest

#

if you consider it a ship

warped vine
#

Isn’t high charity considered a covenant planet in a way of saying? It could technically be both as it’s a city and ship at the same time

obsidian thistle
#

(Main reason we are hesitant to edit armor stuff as anything can change atm once its fixed)

distant socket
#

what happened to colonel holland in reach

#

was he killed as part of the battles and war/glassing? Or did he just escape and survived

quiet shoal
#

Okay I found it, page 117 of fall of reach

quiet shoal
#

On 117 it says that, “John had wondered who had died,”

indigo arch
#

Oh….

unique rune
heady geyser
heady geyser
#

Because we don’t hear from him afterwards

dense falcon
#

I'd imagine we WOULD have heard from him already if he was still alive, even in some piece of Canon Fodder.

obtuse crow
#

True.

heady geyser
#

That’s true maybe he’s hiding

unique rune
#

I assume he’s just not important or memorable enough for anyone to ever ask

heady geyser
#

That can also be true

heady geyser
#

I never understand why oni would leave a prototype armor behind Ik it’s probably old tech but leaving an armor on the Brokkr out in the open not cover would be a recipe for disaster in my opinion.

stone apex
#

would be cool if someone could hop on call w me at some point and explain some lore bits that I am confused on

#

I've played reach, ce and am halfway through 2 so only that content because I don't want spoilers for the other campaigns

terse sage
#

I think it's very cool that in canon, Noble 6's last stand lasted several hours and took an entire division of Covenant including armor to take him out

stone apex
#

I heard it was a whole day

empty bloom
#

I doubt most of that was shooting. It also wasn't just him.

#

If it was, they kinda ruined the look of the other Spartans, because it's more heavily implied by body placement that Six had been fighting alongside Spartans.

#

(There's only two turrets and one body where Six starts)

terse sage
#

It's possible the bodies were there when he first arrived

empty bloom
#

Wouldn't make much sense if that were the case tbh.

terse sage
#

Doesn't make sense that they never mention them either

empty bloom
#

I've honestly just assumed they were Gauntlet, Echo, and III Red.

terse sage
#

I was thinking about that

#

I assume that spartan III fireteams are 5 (noble has Jorge)

#

But if all the teams were there, that leaves 2 not accounted for

#

What if they are Spartan II's?

empty bloom
#

Some, maybe. I doubt all.

#

It seems to be a final local rally point, so...

terse sage
#

They could be the spartan II's assigned to defend the generators

empty bloom
#

Do you see a generator?

terse sage
#

Could be the destroyed remains of one

empty bloom
#

Those were massive ground-based complexes.

terse sage
#

I know it doesn't really make sense

#

But if the Spartans were there when Noble 6 was, why call the mission Lone Wolf?

empty bloom
#

... Because they were all dead.

#

They were dead before the mission one way or the other, he'd still be a lone wolf in the minutes it took place.

terse sage
#

Guess so

#

Most of my theories don't make much sense

empty bloom
#

I can't link photos, right

#

Well

terse sage
#

You can DM me them

empty bloom
#

He's still in the shipbreaking yards of Aszod, and there's a bunch of ship skeletons in the distance.

#

In fact, you can still see the gantry the Autumn launched from.

terse sage
#

So the Spartans probably were IIIs

#

Doesn't really explain why they were there though

#

Maybe they were holding a defensive line to keep Covenant ground forces from getting to the Autumn?

empty bloom
#

I'd actually assume they were there to keep the Covenant off of evac points. Aszod was one of the last evac points.

dusty ferry
terse sage
dusty ferry
#

i mean, obvious military presence requires the covenant to deal with it

empty bloom
#

It's also a planetary evac center, and a lot of people were trying to get to them.

terse sage
#

Then why concentrate them in one area?

empty bloom
#

The IIIs? That was likely the last tactical fallback position.

terse sage
#

I know i sound stupid but i'm just curious

empty bloom
#

As Spartans have been well established as fighting in very, very wide areas if need be.

#

Annnnnd there's also the scattered dead marines, which would likewise tell a story-Very few soldiers or marines or airmen or anyone else would've perished long before the more robust and protected Spartans.

terse sage
#

There are? I never noticed them

empty bloom
#

Yep

terse sage
#

They definitely wouldn't last as long as Spartans

#

So to summarize, the dead spartans are likely the members of Gauntlet, Echo, and Red teams defending Aszod, and died at their last fallback point

#

Is that right?

empty bloom
#

One sec, counting corpses

terse sage
#

There are 13 if I recall correctly

empty bloom
#

Soldiers, not Spartans

terse sage
#

Plus the marines/army/airmen that I never noticed before

#

Halopedia says there are 13 spartans in Lone Wolf

empty bloom
#

There's two next to a dead Spartan next to the concrete pillars where a shotgun and AR spawn; One next to a dead spartan leaning against the starting shed; Two inside the starting shed, 3 in and next to the shed with the explosive barrels, one in the parking lot.

empty bloom
terse sage
#

Of course

#

But that doesn't divide up evenly

empty bloom
#

Well, it is a survivor fallback point. Could just as easily be yet more dead Spartan teams.

terse sage
#

Meaning that either the teams weren't equal in size, some escaped, or died elsewhere

empty bloom
#

Which is pretty normal for Halo.

terse sage
#

Do we know how many Spartan III's weren't sent on those missions that killed most of them?

empty bloom
#

Ballparks, but I have no idea.

coral cove
#

Heeeey i got a question. I'm Reading the fall of reach, and when Jhon, linda and James are trying to board the gamma station, is said that chief had never Seen an Elite. In 27 years of War, no elite was sighted? in 200 battles that chief had, there were no elites?

terse sage
#

I think it's interesting that the dead spartans have different armor each time you play the mission

empty bloom
#

That is likely a very old edition you're reading.

terse sage
#

I feel like Fall of Reach is split down the middle in terms of canonicity

#

Like half of it is canon the other half isn't

#

Or maybe I'm wrong, probably am

empty bloom
terse sage
#

It is a good defensive position

#

But it leaves the spartans pretty open to air attacks

empty bloom
#

The MGs are set up facing the position with more open ground overlooking the perimeter, but it's also very exposed, so you wouldn't put Soldiers there.

#

The rockets are positioned down the hill, and the splaser is positioned in the centermost building.

#

The sniper is on the opposite side, with more unbroken sightlines and not in a very obvious spot.

empty bloom
# terse sage But it leaves the spartans pretty open to air attacks

So I'm guessing that the only reason Six is the only living soul at that point is literally dumb luck; The mission likely takes place moments before the last Covenant engagement, with the building behind Six getting hit by a Wraith twice, killing all occupants of the building (Two Spartans, two Troopers), likely being used as a last second triage or command tent.

Three Spartans on the road parallel to the pipes (One sniper, two others) might've been a Road crew team; Aligned to assist people on the way out of the area, counter the onrushing Covenant from the Autumn gantry.

The Spartan leaning on the ramp likely met the same fate as the road crew.

The sniper on the pipes was likely part of the Road Crew, taking a position to pick off Covenant in the Evac route and help cover the flank (They are positioned on a two way area).

The Spartan furthest down the hill by the AR and Shotgun flanked by two Troops was likely trying to bring survivors back to the final point from a formerly safe egress road, on the road that runs parallel.

The Spartan leaning on the outside of the main building next to the other trooper likely got caught in the wraith blast.

The three troops and the Spartan out by the explosive shed were likely wiped by whatever took out the road crew.

The rocket and AR Spartan near the Armor Lock likely got wiped by a Wraith.

The 2 troops in the parking lot (I missed one) were likely either just reaching the position when the last attack came through, or were the low ground defense for the MG's dead zone and got iced.

The last surviving Spartan and the dead turret Spartan were, obviously, manning the post, before an air strike wiped out one Spartan, meaning that Six was left utterly alone after surviving what was likely one of the last assaults on the position.

terse sage
#

Wow thats a lot

#

So he was helping defend that point with the other spartans and was simply the last one left alive?

empty bloom
#

Yep.

terse sage
#

That's a really good theory

#

Better than any I've made

empty bloom
#

I've never quite gotten the 'He wandered across the position' idea because he literally starts at the top of a two-man post with one body.

#

IIRC the place where he dies is actually implying he was attempting a retreat.

#

Which, I mean, no duh, the position is wiped, time to move.

terse sage
#

So noble 6 might have been manning the turret position with the other spartan but survived the air strike?

empty bloom
#

Yep.

terse sage
#

Now that I watch the cutscene again, it makes sense

empty bloom
#

Yee

#

He's also on the lower road next to the wall if I'm getting my positioning right when he dies.

terse sage
#

So the troopers were assisting the Spartans in defending this checkpoint/fallback position, and held their ground as long as possible until they were taken out. Noble 6, left alone, held his ground until he tried to retreat, and was caught by a group of Elites who then finished him off

empty bloom
#

Yep.

terse sage
#

That... makes a lot of sense actually

#

I gotta replay this mission

empty bloom
#

... WAIT A GORRAM MINUTE

terse sage
#

Your theory adds a whole new layer to it

empty bloom
#

I just realized

#

The Created might've terraformed Reach

#

And that's why it's a lush grassland at the end.

terse sage
#

Then why would Halsey be giving a speech about noble 6?