Elite Minor
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A Minor Domo Elite is a Sangheili (Elite) rank used by the Covenant and the Separatists. It is the lowest rank for Elites. It is the most commonly seen on Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 on Easy, Normal and Heroic difficulties. On Legendary, almost none are present. In Halo 3, the only level Minors appear in is The Covenant.
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[edit] Rank
Minor Elites are, logically, physically, and pragmatically, the least-experienced Elites; however, they are still skilled warriors and can prove a challenge to any standard UNSC Marine or Soldier. They are somewhat weaker than their crimson-armored superiors and any other higher-ranking Elite warrior. Apart from being the lowliest of the Elites standing hierarchy they are also weaker than any SPARTAN-II due to their inadequate shields, lesser strength and frequent tactical mistakes (or errors). But they are still dangerous if not taken care of right away.
Due to their rank, which seems roughly equivilent to a UNSC Marine Corporal, they often lead Lances or small squads of Grunts or Jackals into battle. If one is killed then lower ranked members of the Covenant that accompanied the Elite (especially Grunts) will run off, despite the fact that a minor Elite is the lowest ranked Elite in the Covenant and is not a very experienced warrior.
Minor Elites are distinctive because of their cobalt-blue armor. They carry a variety of weapons, usually Plasma Rifles. Most of the time, minor elites will not carry weaponry as powerful as a higher ranking Elite would.
[edit] Combat
Their armor's energy shields are weak compared to higher ranking Elites. They often make tactical errors such as standing in the way of an ally's fire, or rushing forward into enemy fire. They also fire in shorter bursts, and have somewhat less accuracy and lower rate of fire. Still, one should not underestimate an Elite of any rank, especially on the Heroic and Legendary difficulty settings. The weapons wielded by minors are usually Plasma Rifles, occasionally dual wielded. Another common weapon they use is the Needler, still this weapon is not as common as the Plasma Rifle. They also very rarely have Plasma Pistols (most notably the two dual wielding plasma pistols at the beginning of Cairo Station). They also use Needlers and Carbines sometimes, but this along with the usage of the Plasma Pistol is fairly rare. A Minor Elite wielding an Energy Sword is strictly forbidden in the Covenant [1]. Only a more seasoned warrior, such as an Ultra, Honor Guard or Zealot, is allowed to use this holy weapon. Despite this, you are able to give a minor Elite an Energy Sword on the levels Uprising and The Great Journey on Halo 2 (perhaps they can on superior's orders). It is also possible to find sword wielding minors on Easy. They can be found most often on the level Delta Halo, Also not only in Delta Halo one can be found wielding an energy sword on level Regret sometimes.
The best weapons to use against a Minor Elite in Halo: Combat Evolved are the M6D Pistol, Sniper Rifle, and Shotgun. On Normal difficulty, it takes six headshots to kill a Minor Elite with the M6D. The Sniper Rifle can kill a Minor Elite with a single headshot, and the shotgun can kill one to two with a single point-blank blast. Another easy way to kill a Minor Elite is with sustained fire from automatic weapons, such as the Plasma Rifle or MA5B Assault Rifle, followed by melee attacks. Firing 7 consecutive needles from a Needler is also almost always fatal to the usually stationary Minors.
The easiest way to kill a Minor Elite in Halo 2 is with the Plasma Pistol in conjunction with a BR55 Battle Rifle, Covenant Carbine, or M6C Magnum, SMG, or Sniper Rifle (one headshot kills). The Sniper Rifle is just as effective as in Halo: Combat Evolved, taking a single headshot to kill one; this applies to the Particle Beam Rifle as well. The Energy Sword, Shotgun, SMG/Plasma Rifle combo and dual Magnums are also very effective in close-quarters combat. Also four bursts of the Battle Rifle to the head on Easy difficulty, and five to six on Normal, can easily dispose of a Minor Elite.
Also, if you are in close, it is relatively easy to force any Elite to charge and attempt to melee attack you. Before he melees you, it is easy to sidestep or jump over this attack and melee the Elite's back for an instant kill. This tactic is helpful on Legendary difficulty when facing single Elites.
They are also not very agile and thus easy to stick with Plasma Grenades. In Easy and Normal modes, these Elites are fairly common on most levels, but in Heroic and Legendary, they are harder to come by, as they are often replaced by more experienced Major Elites.
Furthermore, in keeping with their lower rank, they are less experienced and make frequent tactical errors. They will seek less cover, often standing in one spot to fire and strafe less often than their superiors. When they are seriously injured or unshielded, they will also "berserk", yelling a war cry and attempting to melee attack their opponent to death.
Often appearing in small groups leading Grunts or being led by a higher-ranking Elite (Major Domo Elite) in the lower difficulties, they are far superior to both Grunts and Jackals in combat and will never run from an opponent, unless their shields are down. Sometimes Minors are seen driving Ghosts. Showing off considerable intelligence despite their inexperience, Minor Elites will hide when their shields are lowered and will attempt to attack anyone foolish enough to enter into close combat with them with their weapon. However, as they are not a very high Elite rank, they carry standard weaponry such as Plasma Rifles, Needlers and often have Plasma Grenades, but these are rarely used. When stuck by a Plasma grenade on the lower difficulties, they will tend to panic, drop their weapon, and simply stand in one spot. However, on higher difficulty modes such as Heroic and Legendary, they will attempt to charge at the person who threw the grenade in order to take their enemy out with them. This tendency to panic can be used to the players advantage, allowing the Plasma Grenade to not only take out the Elite, but also any other Covenant units accompanying the Elite. Also on higher difficulties, Elites can dodge and roll out of the way of grenades if they can see them.
On higher difficulties, when they have their shields down and are seeking cover, they sometimes let the player rush their hiding spot and land a killing blow if the player follows them to behind their cover. This can also be used to draw an attacker out into the open for Jackal Snipers or other nearby Covenant allies. Minors can be dangerous on the difficulties of Normal or above, because you may attack a higher ranking Elite when there are a couple Minors around and they can just land a fatal blow on you.
Minor Elites are lightly shielded, but take a lot before going down. Two Beam Rifle shots on Heroic still kills them, although it takes one on Legendary difficulty.
[edit] Physical Appearance
Minor Elites wear distinctive cobalt-colored body armor in Halo: Combat Evolved and a somewhat slightly darker blue in Halo 2. However, on PC Safe Mode, this armor will appear purple. At several points in Halo literature, Elites in purple armor have been described, presumably referring to Minor Elites. They wear aqua blue colored armor in the level Gravemind. Minors later in the level take on a purple armor shade. Like all Elites, they stand 8'6" tall. In Halo 3 they either wear a light or dark blue colored armor. The dark blue Elites may be Navy enlisted Minors or more experienced Minors.
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Halo: Combat Evolved
- The Pillar of Autumn
- Halo
- The Truth and Reconciliation
- The Silent Cartographer
- Assault on the Control Room
- 343 Guilty Spark (deceased, cutscene only)
- Two Betrayals
- Keyes
[edit] Halo 2
- Cairo Station
- Outskirts
- Metropolis
- Delta Halo
- Regret
- Gravemind
- High Charity
- Uprising
- The Great Journey
[edit] Halo 3
- Floodgate
- The Covenant
- Cortana (Dead ones)
[edit] Known Minor Elites
[edit] Trivia
- For Halo PC, with 'Safe Mode' on, the Minor Elites appear to be of a purplish-plum hue instead of blue.
- On the Halo 2 level Delta Halo, the second Phantom to attack the temple at the start of the level will often drop off a Minor with a sword drawn. This, perhaps an oversight, is the one of the few times a Minor will use a sword. The other exception is when if playing as the Arbiter, you will able to give Minors a sword. Also, in the bonus video Another Day at the Beach, a Minor is seen with a sword, perhaps showing that they're aristocrats.
- On the lower difficulties these are the most common enemies excluding Grunts.
- Since Elite Minors are the lowest rank of the Elites, they are the most likely to shoot you by accident when playing as the Arbiter, especially if firing a Wraith's mortar.
- Many people die by Minors because they don't view them as much as a threat.
- In Halo 2, on Legendary, Minor Elites are almost never seen, but two or three may appear with some Majors in Heroic.
- Minors can be seen driving Mongooses in Halo 3.
- In Halo: Combat Evolved, there were two differently shaped variations of helmets. One like the basic more notable elite helmet and one without back fins and more compact with a resemblance to the Ascetic helmet with an addition of mandibles that are visible.
- The secondary Elite Minor helmet from Combat Evolved has a striking resemblance to the helmets of the Elites seen in the Halo Wars teaser.
- On the Halo 2 level Uprising, a dead Minor Elite is shown beside an energy sword and it appears that they are meant to be the murdered Councilors.
[edit] Related Links
[edit] Sources
| Elite Ranks | ||||
| High Council | Councilor | |||
| Temporary/Prominent | Ossoona • Arbiter | |||
| Fleet Commander | Fleet Master • Supreme Commander • Imperial Admiral | |||
| Zealot Offices | Field Master • Ship Master • Fleet Master • Supreme Commander | |||
| Special Operations | Spec-Ops • Spec-Ops Officer • Spec-Ops Commander of the Covenant | |||
| Honor Guard | Honor Guard • Honor Guard Ultra | |||
| Specialists | Stealth • Ranger | |||
| Regular | Minor • Major • Ultra | |||
