Covenant

A faction built on a centuries-old treaty between Sangheili and San'Shyuum, the Covenant is a ruthless group of species strongly dedicated to their religion. What started out as the Writ of Union in 852 BCE continued to add various species found around the galaxy and eventually ended with the final prophet hierarchy's death in 2552.

## Sangheili

The Sangheili (Latin Macto cognatus meaning "I glorify my kin") are a saurian species of strong, proud, and intelligent warriors, as well as skilled combat tacticians. The Sangheili are named after their home planet, Sanghelios. They are known to humans as Elites.
Due to their skill in combat, the Sangheili have formed the military backbone of the Covenant for almost the entirety of its existence. They had a very strong rivalry with the Jiralhanae, also known as Brutes, which finally boiled over into open hatred during the Great Schism, and the conclusion of the Human-Covenant war.

They stand at anywhere between 7'4" to 8'6". And are able to lift a full grown man with one hand with ease.

The Sangheili Rank Structures are the various hierarchies of ranks the Sangheili use in a their various political and military organizations:

### Field Marshal

The Field Marshal rank falls under the Zealot-class, but appears to outrank regular Zealots. Besides leading large-scale ground operations, Field Marshal's are known to lead small strike teams composed of Zealot officers. The only appearances of a Field Marshal were during the Fall of Reach. Identification: Maroon/Purple Shade armor.

### Zealot

Employed by the Ministry of Fervent Intercession, Sangheili Zealots serve as the admirals and generals of the Covenant military; Commanders of Battalions, Ships and Fleets. Field Masters lead armies; Ship Masters command ships; Fleet Masters command armadas. "Zealot" seems to be a general term, applying to all high ranking Sangheili below Imperial Admiral and Sangheili High Councilor. It is also possible that each rank has sub-ranks as well, since the rank of Field Marshal exists, though this is most likely superior to a "standard" Zealot. Identification: Golden or Maroon/Purple armor.

### Special Operations

Wearing pitch black armor, the Special Operations Officers, also known as commandos, lead Standard Special Operations Sangheili and even Special Operations Unggoy. They possess all of the skills and equipment of their underlings. Identification: Black armor.

 Special Operations Sangheili are extremely skilled fighters, sent in by the Covenant to accomplish the most dangerous and difficult of missions. They have superior accuracy, fire in longer bursts and have slightly stronger shielding than regular Sangheili. Most notably, SpecOps Sangheili operate in squads, are extremely skilled and are accurate grenade throwers. They are equipped with an Active camouflage system, but rarely use it, except to get into position without being noticed though they have also been known to sometimes operate similarly to Stealth Sanghelli using camo during battle. They can be seen leading Special Operations Unggoy (Grunts) into battle. Identification: Purple-like armor, Dark Red armor.

### Rangers

Sangheili Rangers are optimized to engage in combat operations within exotic environments such as space, radioactive sites and other hazardous locations. Within Covenant remnants Sangheili Rangers often operate in standard infantry formations similar to that of the Storm Sangheili, despite the use of extra-vehicular activity equipment, marginally heavier armor and gravity-mitigating thruster packs. This is likely due to a lack of sufficient personnel. The vast majority of military operations that involve deploying Rangers are extravehicular activity engagements, however some Ranger squads are deployed to terrestrial sites where their thruster packs provide a unique advantage against their enemies. They resemble their original Sangheili Rangers and share their armor design with the Unggoy and Kig-Yar Rangers. These Rangers also have a visor face-shield similar to the UNSC's MJOLNIR EVA Armor. Their armor comes in different shades of white, blue, and grey.

### Regular Military Structure

#### General

The highest-ranking military personnel employed by the Covenant among their groundside forces, this rank has only been observed during the Fall of Reach. They have a heavy amount of shields and an incredible amount of health. Identification: Golden/Orange armor.

#### Ultra

These are the Covenant's equivalent of UNSC field officers, they command individual operations, and are identified with predominantly white armor.

#### Major

This veteran Sangheili warrior holds the ranking equivalent of a UNSC Lieutenant. Overall they are more agile, more accurate and more aggressive than Minor Sangheili and rarely make tactical mistakes in combat. A single Major Sangheili can hold its own against an entire squad of UNSC Marines. They can be seen leading Unggoy and Minor Sangheili into battle.

#### Minor

The most common and least experienced Sangheili, Minor Sangheili are still extremely skilled warriors. They possess shields that are weaker than Sangheili Major's. They are the possible Covenant equivalent of a Sergeant in ranking. Along with Major Sangheili, they often lead squads of Unggoy into battle.

## Unggoy

The Unggoy (Latin, Monachus frigus, meaning "cold monk") is a species of squat bipedal vertebrates in the unified races of the Covenant Empire. They are the lowest-ranking species in the hierarchy, and are frequently mistreated by almost every higher-ranking race. Unggoy are primarily used as laborers, slaves, or in combat situations, as cannon fodder. They are one of the later races to be introduced into the Covenant, and were either the second or third Covenant species to be encountered by humans. They are referred to as Grunts by humans, as they are considered weak in comparison to their superiors, because they perform the majority of the physical labor required by the Covenant and they lack the knowledge of combat compared to other Covenant species.

They stand between 4'6.5"-5'6". Against a single foe, they're easy to deal with. However, in larger numbers, they can be an overwhelming force.

### Ultra

These Unggoy serve as field officers to their comrades, and wear distinctive white-lilac or silver armor (reminiscent of the Sangheili Ultras). While they appear to have some authority over lesser-ranked Unggoy, they have no control whatsoever over the other Covenant races (except for Kig-Yar). They are stronger opponents than their subordinates, and are more accurate with firearms, throw plasma grenades more often, and wear heavier armor.

### Special Operations

These Unggoy are experienced and specially-chosen, usually commanded by the special operations Sangheili, and are given distinctive jet-black armor. They are part of the Covenant Special Operations division of the Covenant Special Warfare Group. Just like the special operations Sangheili, they are able to use Active camouflage. They are extremely skilled in warfare compared to their lower-ranked counterparts, and won't panic too often in combat situations, if they do at all. They usually can be seen wielding needlers and sometimes fuel rod guns, and throw plasma grenades with great accuracy. Many of them chose to side with Thel 'Vadam and the other Covenant separatists during the Covenant civil war. However, there were some who didn't side with the Separatists, wearing white armor similar to the Unggoy Ultra.

### Heavy

Being similar to the rank of UNSC Corporal, these specialized Unggoy wear green colored armor and are often deployed for defensive actions. Their primary purposes are to give heavy support for their group, and are commonly seen wielding fuel rod guns. Their armor can be found in green, blue, silver, red, orange, and rarely violet.

### Major

Similar to a UNSC as a Lance Corporal, they are more experienced than Unggoy Minors, and wear crimson/red colored armor. They command several Unggoy Minors and are slightly more skilled in combat and courageous, though this difference is not always substantial.

### Minor

The Covenant equivalent of a UNSC Private or Private First Class. They wear orange colored armor and are often the least dangerous, most cowardly, and inaccurate marksmen of all the Covenant. When their commanding officer is killed, they routinely break formation and flee; however, they will regroup and start firing at their target again. As is fitting for Jiralhanae behavior, Unggoy under the command of the Jiralhanae are substantially more aggressive

## Kig-Yar

The Kig-Yar (Forerunner designation, translated into Latin: Perosus latrunculus, or "Hateful Bandit,"human designation: Covenant secundarium carnivora prœdonis, or "Covenant secondary carnivorous combatant") are an avian/reptilian species which serve the Covenant as mercenaries and privateers. There are two distinct subgroups of Kig-Yar, which Humans have termed Jackals and Skirmishers. In combat, Kig-Yar typically serve as snipers, shock troopers, defensive fighters, and scouts within the Covenant due to their excellent senses of sight, smell, and hearing.
They stand between 6'3"-6'8". Wielding, traditionally, an energy shield and a plasma pistol, but have been known to also wield a wide variety of ranged weapons.
Though it has been rumored that there's a military structure amongst the Jackals, no confirmed sources have been found. Some say it's simply the coloring of their shields, or armoring - this has yet to be proven

## Jiralhanae

The Jiralhanae (Latin, Servus ferox, translated to "Wild Slave"), known by humans as Brutes, are the most recent members of the Covenant. They are a large, bipedal, giant ape-like species from Doisac. The Jiralhanae have been part of the Covenant since before the destruction of the UNSC agricultural colony on Harvest, and were always feared by the Sangheili for their monomaniacal behavior.
Despite their savagery and brutality, the Jiralhanae have proved intelligent enough to achieve spaceflight and space-faring status, though their warlike nature meant they quickly collapsed into civil war and afterwards, fell back to their former pre-space status and learned nothing from the experience. The Jiralhanae had recently concluded a mechanized war of attrition in which the many Master Packs fought and pummeled each other back to a pre-industrial state when the Covenant discovered them in 2492.
They stand between 8'6"-9'2". When they become enraged, they enter into what is justly called "Going Berserk" to which they drop on all fours and wildly charge at their opponent, not stopping their flurry of attacks until their prey, or they themselves, are dead.

### Chieftain

These Jiralhanae Chieftains rely upon powerful weapons like Portable Plasma Cannons and Fuel Rod Guns, though they will occasionally wield Gravity Hammers, to crush their foes. Their armor cannot be stuck by Plasma grenades/Spike grenades or Needler needles. However, they can be stuck by Incendiary grenades or their weapon can by any sticking grenade for an immediate kill.
Identification: Dark Golden Armor.

### Minor

Jiralhanae Majors are clad in dark blue Armor and are promoted in a similar fashion to the Sangheili. They are promoted on the casualties they inflict. Identification: Blue armor.
It's been estimated there are other factions amongst the Brute ranks, however no further evidence can be confirmed.

## Mgalekgolo

Mgalekgolo (Ophis congregatio, meaning "serpent union"), more commonly known as Hunters, are a unique gestalt of smaller creatures known as Lekgolo, which are orange, worm-like creatures. When grouped together to form a Mgalekgolo, Lekgolo exponentially increase their intelligence, strength, and maneuverability.
Mgalekgolo are the strongest and most resilient species within the Covenant. A Mgalekgolo usually stands between 3.66 metres (12.0 ft) and 3.96 metres (13.0 ft) tall, but crouches to between 2.44 metres (8.0 ft) and 2.59 metres (8.5 ft) when in its combat state to protect its unarmored stomach and neck. A Mgalekgolo can become larger than even a standard Covenant Wraith.
Mgalekgolos fight primarily by using the heavy assault cannons integrated directly into their armor on one arm. On the other arm, they carry an enormous and nearly impervious two-part metal shield that is made from the same material that forms Covenant warship hulls and weighs approximately two tons. This shield protects them from almost every form of plasma-based or ballistic weaponry available to Covenant and human infantry and is a powerful melee tool capable of crushing anything in its path and allowing the Mgalekgolo to sweep away most enemies in close combat. Despite their immense mass, the Mgalekgolo are surprisingly nimble and can gain a surprising burst of speed when they move in for a melee kill.
Something to keep in mind is that they always travel in pairs/packs, should you see an uneven amount, you can expect to be ambushed.

## Yanme'e

Yanme'e (Latin Turpis rex, translated to "Ugly king"), known by Humans as Drones or buggers, and are a race of sentient, flight-capable insectoids who make up part of the alien religious hegemony known as the Covenant. Their mastery of antigravity-assisted flight has given them an almost insurmountable strategic advantage in combat.
The Yanme'e are human sized, insectoid creatures that are covered in a natural chitinous exoskeleton that affords them limited armor protection against modern weaponry. Standing between 5'10"-6'9", the Yanme'e typically mount small antigravity devices on their exoskeleton to assist them in flight. It seems, like the other Covenant species, that Yanme'e share a ranking system from the colored plating of their exoskeletal armor. The Yanme'e do not interact with the other species except to trade and serve in a military capacity. The Yanme'e's exact position in the Covenant Hierarchy is relatively unknown, although it is reasonable to speculate that they are higher in rank than Unggoy and Kig-Yar, but lower in rank than Sangheili and Jiralhanae.

### Ultra

Blue Drones are moderately common on the battlefield but are slightly stronger than their green counterparts. They have a large Stag Beetle-like horn on their head.

### Leader

Gold Drones are adolescent leaders who have been rushed from their pupal stage. As a result, their abdomens glow brightly. They occur in slightly less numbers than their red brethren.

### Major

Red Drones represent the peak of the Yanme'e ranks. They are extremely capable warriors compared to the rest of their brothers and feature weak energy shields. In Halo: Reach they no longer wield Plasma Rifles, they lack shields, and they appear to be lower in rank than the Ultras.

### Minor

Green Drones are the most common type of Yanme'e encountered and are by far the weakest.