Carrier Form

The **Carrier Form** is a type of Flood form primarily used to both create and transport Infection Forms thus effectively spreading the Flood infection.

## Overview and Background

Carrier forms are formed from older Combat Forms or from bodies that are unsuitable for combat such as the Unggoy and Kig-Yar.

Combat Forms can be converted when they reach the end of their life span, or become too damaged to fight but after becoming a Combat Carrier Form. Carrier Forms perpetuate the Flood species by acting as incubators for newly created Infection Forms and keeping them safe until they're fully developed. Eventually, when a Combat Carrier Form has lived long enough, it will evolve into a Carrier, regardless of its status.

Once the Infection Forms are ready, the Carrier simply explodes spontaneously, sending the new Infection Forms flying into the air. As soon as the Infection Forms are released, they begin searching for new hosts. It should be noted that Carrier Forms won't wait until full maturation has occurred.

If potential enemy hosts are nearby, it will simply get close to them and explode, sending the Infection Forms flying at the unsuspecting and often injuring or killing enemies. The explosion of a Carrier Form is similar to the explosion of a fragmentation grenade, and deals damage to anything nearby.

The Carrier Form has a simple mindset, which is to release the Infection Forms it carries to a suitable host. Other than organic bodily sounds, they cannot speak or make any other sound. Though they can somehow communicate with other Carriers, possibly through a Proto-Gravemind, to inform them of a potential sentient being.

## Gameplay Information

### General

Grunt Carrier Forms act like normal Carrier Forms in the Halo franchise. They slowly waddle near the target until they drop and explode. Showering the target in Infection Forms. Whilst weak by themselves, their explosive damage and sheer number of Infection Forms could overwhelm a player on higher difficulties.

Jackal/Skirmisher Carrier Forms on the other hand, are far more agile, nimble and faster than the Grunts. This allows them to attack and ambush the player by hiding behind cover or a corner. They explode when killed, but their explosive radius and number of Infection Forms they release is drastically reduced, making them safe in meleeing them to death. The danger however, is the fact that you will never encounter a lone Jackal Carrier as they always come in packs.

### Strategy

Weapons such as the Plasma Grenade prevent the Grunt Carrier Form from releasing Infection Forms upon death, whilst the Flamethrower can eliminate these Infection Forms by the persistent fire.

## Developer Information

### Grunt Form

The classic carrier form, but with more infection forms. Visually we’d see more of the grunts lower half, but very little new happening here.

### Jackal/Skirmisher

The infamous spider form that's been prototyped forever. When infected the jackal gets on all fours and can crawl around on walls and ceilings, and ultimately lunges and tries to melee the player. When destroyed it releases 5 infection forms. It can be killed with one hit to the infection form, which resides in the mouth of the jackal. For skirmishers, the “front arms now legs” will retain their arm shield guards.

## Trivia

* The Carrier Form is the successor of the Simulacrums, from Marathon. The Simulacrums were cybernetic humans made to look like the crew of the U.E.S.C Marathon, the only flaw was that they all wore green jump suits, making it easy to distinguish which humans were actually Simulacrums. As soon as you were three meters close to them they would explode, heavily damaging or killing the player.
* Originally, the Jackal Carrier Form had its own original sound design in SPV3. However, in SPV3.2, the sounds were removed and replaced by generic Flood noises. This may be due to complaints that the Jackal's scream was more annoying than it was threatening.
* The design of the Jackal/Skirmisher Flood Form, with the creature walking on all fours but in a "spider walk" fashion, with the host leaning backwards, may be a reference to the 1973 horror film *The Exorcist*.

## Gallery

Jackal Biomass ConceptsEarly Infected Jackal ModelNear Final Infected Jackal ModelPack of Jackal Carriers.