Covenant Communication Node

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A Communication Node as seen in Halo 3.

Covenant Communication Node is a global term encompassing any of the Covenant's mobile communication antennas used on the battlefield.

Halo: Combat Evolved

The controls on a Comm Node as seen in Halo PC

An early version of the Comm Node was a specialized variant of the standard Covenant supply case. The Covenant used these large portable crates to connect to the Battlenet for communication. Although extremely similar in appearance to the supply case, their sides appear to have folded outwards, producing a small screen and keyboard for Battlenet interface. Their range is unknown and they may be able to function in many types of environment, as they have been seen in use in a wide variety of locations. It is speculated that their primary use is for relaying information from planet surfaces to Covenant ships in orbit, although it is equally possible that they are simply used for ground communications. One time during the game, the player will encounter an unfortunate Elite, who is distracted using one of these, just ripe for being assassinated from behind.

Appearance and Function

A Comm Node in Halo PC

The Comm Node appears to be either a modified storage crate or a similar device based on the same framework. It stands approximately eight feet tall and the three antennae on top add about five feet of height. It has several fold out controls on it, but they are in the Covenant language and are completely useless to the player. It is notable however, that the screens on uplink crates usually contain readouts on a planetary surface, likely the nearby planet Thresold, and links to orbiting spacecraft. The uplink crate emits a loud, random chirping noise and static when active. Its dark purple color affords it no camouflage whatsoever, tending to make it stand out. The only exception to this rule is when they are located in the interiors of Covenant vessels for transport. In this event, they provide extremely good cover, often blending into the background.

In Halo: Combat Evolved, the Comm Node is impervious to all forms of firepower or impact. They can be neither damaged nor moved, for which reason they make excellent cover. They are never seen knocked over or even tipped in any of the levels, suggesting the Flood are either capable of utilizing them, or cannot move their bulk. However, the first possibility seems more likely, as Flood are able to effortlessly move heavy machinery, up to and including armored vehicles. Nonetheless, John-117, who can flip over an M12 LRV, is unable to budge the nodes an inch, suggesting that they are either fixed to the ground in some way or far heavier than they look. Even a direct impact from the 90mm shell of a Scorpion Tank can not scratch the heavily engraved metal alloy that protects the machine. In fact, a Warthog may even flip over on impact with a crate, thus making them rather dangerous obstacles. It is also possible that this could just be game mechanics because the nodes could be modified Supply cases, which are also immobile. The objects are also considered scenery objects by the game, just as rocks and the like are, and are therefore made immobile by the game itself.

Appearances

• Silent Cartographer - A pair of comm crates may be found in both the security sub system and in the Silent Cartographer itself. Additionally, several of them are found at the Pelicans' landing zone, mixed in with the normal supply crates.
• 343 Guilty Spark - In the swamp, they broadcast the same message as Victor 933's crash message, suggesting that V933's pilot was desperate enough to broadcast on all channels, even those occupied by the Covenant Battlenet.
• The multiplayer map Death Island, based on Silent Cartographer, contains several. Also, several may be found in the multi-player map Damnation; this makes sense, as Damnation takes place in a Covenant hydro-processing facility.

Dimensions

Height: 13.8 feet

Halo 2

In Halo 2, they are similar to Covenant visual recording devices, but have large metal antennae protruding from the top of the casing. If the Crate is functioning, the antenna will be encased in a purple energy field. However, if the player shoots the crate, the charge over the antenna will flicker and disappear.

Appearance and function

In Halo 2, the Comm Node received a complete overhaul. It is now a small device at the bottom, that looks like Covenant Visual Recording devices, with tall, large antennae protruding from the top. They can now be moved, and appear to be destructible.

Appearances

• Delta Halo - There are several of these scattered throughout the level.
• Gravemind
• Uprising - Some are seen across the battlefield and especially at the Brute encampment.
• Sacred Icon - Right at the beginning of the level.
• High Charity
• The Great Journey - One can be seen on the bridge where you fight Jackals.

Halo 3

In Halo 3, the Communication Nodes were redesigned to have a more elegant shape. Again, they can be destroyed, in which case the bluish energy field will disappear.

Appearance and Function

They now have a more rounded and updated look. It still has the same basic shape as the Halo 2 model, with a device at the bottom and antennae at the top. It is now seen more frequently.

Appearances

Campaign:

• Tsavo Highway
• The Ark - Several can be seen scattered across the battlefield.
• The Covenant - They are especially noticeable on this level, and many can be seen across the battlefield.

Multiplayer:

• Snowbound - Located near the Shotgun spawn next to two Plasma Batteries.

Note: They are also one of the available items in Forge on Snowbound and Heretic.

Halo: Reach

Two different communication nodes are featured in Halo: Reach. The default version is near-identical to the Halo 3 iteration, while the larger one has three vertical antennas covered in energy fields.

A larger Communication Node in Halo: Reach.

History

The Comm Node has been a part of the Covenant for a relatively long time. Wherever Covenant are encamped, a comm node can be seen nearby. Often, they tend to serve as obstacles for the player, should they be driving a Warthog. However this is balanced by the excellent cover they provide (however, bullets from the Warthogs' mounted gun can be seen to pierce through Comm Nodes, hitting objects and characters behind them). They are seen in the proximity of The Silent Cartographer and even the Flood Containment Facility. This denotes their importance to the continuity and smooth operation of ground and naval forces within the Covenant.

It appears that the Comm Nodes have undergone a series of refits, seeing as how the shape, color, and height of the units vary between games. They most likely are similar to human technology, where when one model becomes outdated, another, more updated model takes its place. These differences between games is most probably because in different areas, different variants are utilized with varying distance and functionality belonging to the different models.

Trivia

• It is the only item in Forge that can be damaged and still operate normally.
• If you were to break off one of its legs, the comm will still be active, and you can still pick it up in Forge.
• To deactivate the node, just shoot it once in the tower. It can still be forged, but the tower won't reactivate again.
• To fully destroy it, you must break the tower off the base. That's when you will have to wait for it to respawn in order to Forge it.
• If you break off the leg and place it on the side with the broken leg and destroy it, when it respawns, the leg will be back, but will protrude through the floor, causing the node to shake uncontrollably.
• The nodes also appear to be portable, as there is no fracture mark when the tower breaks off the base, implying there is "some assembly required," and the base of the legs are hinged. If you melee the legs once they will collapse and not break. However, if you melee them twice they will break.
• On the main body of the node, something resembling the marathon symbol can clearly be seen.
• The Halo: Combat Evolved communication nodes not only appear to be modified supply cases, but supply cases that are upside-down.
• The Communication Node, like most Covenant structures in Halo: Reach, has a scale-like pattern on it.