Armor Ability

Armor Abilities are customized attachments developed by the UNSC, the Covenant Empire, and the Ecumene to enhance the performance of armor worn by Spartans, Sangheili, Jiralhanae, Skirmishers and Forerunners. These armor modules can upgrade a specific function of the armor, synchronize with separate hardware to create new functionality, or add entirely new functionality by themselves. Armor Abilities are different from Halo 3's equipment in that they can be used an infinite number of times and have a cooldown time between uses.

Halo: Reach
In the Campaign, the player begins with a specific Armor Ability at the start of each mission and is able to swap for other Armor Abilities located in the level. In multiplayer, Armor Abilities are chosen as a part of a loadout before a match is started or during respawn. All seven Armor Abilities are usable by both Spartan and Elite players.

Armor Abilities appear on the player as small, rectangular devices attached to the lower back. Armor Abilities are differentiated by color, allowing players to tell which Armor Ability the player has equipped. When not in use, Armor Abilities project a hologram that displays an icon of the ability in the same color, allowing for quick recognition when switching abilities.

In multiplayer, Armor Ability use is disabled while performing objective-related tasks. If player attempts to use an Armor Ability while holding an Oddball or Flag, the object drops out of their hands.

Active Camouflage
Active Camouflage provides the user with Active Camouflage, similar to Thel 'Vadam's active camo from Halo 2. While still, the Active Camouflage's energy depletes slowly and the user is almost completely invisible. If the user moves, the energy depletes faster and the user becomes more opaque. While Active Camouflage is active, all sound is heavily muffled to the user, making it difficult to notice a grenade or an opponent shooting.

Active Camouflage also serves as a Radar Jammer. While active, Active Camouflage displays many moving red dots within 25 meters of the player on the user's and enemies' motion trackers. Allies are not affected.

Its pickup color is cyan.

Armor Lock
Armor Lock locks the user in place and makes the user invincible for the time it is active. When deactivated, it sends out an EMP blast to nearby enemies and pushes them away. The longer the ability is active, the larger the final blast radius will be. Armor Lock can repel incoming Rockets and, if activated while on top of a Falcon, can push the Falcon out of the sky.

In a Title Update, Armor Lock was updated so that taking damage causes the Armor Lock's energy to be consumed more quickly.

Its pickup color is orange.

Drop Shield
The Drop Shield is a spherical energy shield that protects the player from projectiles but still allows characters through, similar to the Bubble Shield from Halo 3. While inside, a player's health (not shields) will regenerate. The strength of the shield is approximately three times that of a Spartan's energy shielding. As it takes damage, it will change color and eventually deactivate if enough damage is taken.

Its pickup color is light blue.

Evade
Evade allows the player to roll quickly in any direction, breaking enemy lock-ons and tracking in the process. It is the only ability not available in Campaign.

Its pickup color is purple.

Hologram
Hologram produces an identical holographic copy of the user that heads to a location designated by the player and stops if it reaches it. The hologram will flicker away after 10 seconds or if it is damaged.

Its pickup color is yellow.

Jet Pack
The Jet Pack uses Jet Pack propulsion equipment (UNSC) or an Antigravity Pack (Covenant) to propel the user upwards and allow him to maneuver in mid-air. Fall damage still applies to Jet Pack users.

Its pickup color is white.

Sprint
Sprint allows the user to move at an increased speed at the cost of the ability to fire. Sprinting causes the user to pant heavily, which can be heard by nearby players.

Its pickup color is green.

Promethean Vision
Promethean Vision allows the user to see through walls. Other players are alerted to its use by a noise it emits, a red light on the user's helmet, and a red wave originating from the user produced on the motion tracker.

Autosentry
The Autosentry is an automated turret that fires slow-moving projectiles at nearby opponents. It is similar to the auto-turret from Halo 3. This ability is also used by Promethean Knights.

Regeneration Field
The Regeneration Field creates a large green bubble that recharges the shields of players who are inside of it. If a player takes damage while inside of the field, his shield regeneration will be stopped for a moment. It is almost identical in function to the Regenerator equipment piece from Halo 3. This is the only armor ability not available in the campaign of Halo 4.

Hardlight Shield
The Hardlight Shield is a shield that appears in front of the player and absorbs incoming damage. While activated, the user's movement and turning speed will be slowed, the user's shields will not recharge, and no weapons can be used. The Hardlight Shield cannot be destroyed and will remain active until its energy is depleted or the player deactivates it. This ability is also used by Promethean Watchers.

Thruster Pack
The Thruster Pack provides the user with a quick burst of speed in one direction. It is similar to the Evade Armor Ability from Halo: Reach except that it launches the player a noticeably shorter distance.

Jet Pack
The Jet Pack functions identically to the Jet Pack in Halo: Reach, propelling the user upwards and allowing him to maneuver in mid-air.

Hologram
The Hologram functions almost identically to the Hologram in Halo: Reach. If shot, it flickers for an instant and then goes back to being solid instead of continuing to flicker. The Hologram will also teabag dead bodies if commanded to stand over one.

Active Camouflage
The Active Camouflage functions identically to the Active Camouflage in Halo: Reach. Instead of mobile red dots appearing on the user's and enemies' radars, there are blue dots.

Halo: Spartan Assault
In Halo: Spartan Assault, Armor Abilities cannot be deactivated by the player. They remain active until all of their energy is consumed.

Sprint


Sprint allows the user to move faster while still retaining the ability to fire, similar to the Speed Boost powerup in Halo 4.

Regen Field
The Regen Field functions almost identically to the Regeneration Field in Halo 4, creating a large green bubble that recharges the shields inside it. Unlike in Halo 4's Regeneration Field but like the Regenerator equipment from Halo 3, taking damage does not interrupt shield regeneration.

Overshield
Overshield makes the user invincible for the time it is active. When it deactivates, the user's shields will be full.

Autosentry
The Autosentry functions identically to the Autosentry armor ability in Halo 4, firing projectiles at nearby opponents.

Hardlight Shield
The Hardlight Shield functions identically to the Hardlight Shield armor ability in Halo 4.

Hologram
The Hologram functions identically to the Hologram in Halo 4.

Stun Blast
The Stun Blast stuns hostile infantry within a radius of the user. While stunned, enemies cannot move or shoot.

Seeker Drone
The Seeker Drone homes into the nearest enemy infantry or vehicle and then explodes, causing damage.

Active Camouflage
The Active Camouflage functions similar to the Active Camo in Halo: Reach and Halo 4 except that the user is fully camouflaged regardless of movement.

Repel
Repel creates a temporary ring of gas around the player that prevents Flood from crossing.

Teleport
Teleport teleports the user directly to his or her Spartan teammate.

Halo: Reach

 * In Firefight, use the Drop Shield to conserve health kits.
 * When an opponent goes into Armor Lock, get close to them and use your own Armor Lock. Because they activated theirs first, they will be the first to run out. You can then deactivate yours to take out your opponent's shield with the EMP and go in for a quick melee to finish him off.
 * Active Camo is very advantageous in gametypes without motion trackers because its radar jamming effect won't give you away.
 * Activate a Jet Pack immediately after jumping to maximize your height.
 * Different abilities are useful for different levels and situations. Levels with open spaces might call for Sprinting to close distances faster or a Drop Shield to make a gap safer, Evade would be good for a level with lots of nooks and crannies to disappear into, Jet Packs make it easier to get to sniper perches in levels with good ones, Hologram is always a good loadout for a level with turns and corners so you can confuse other players.
 * While using Sprint, you can switch weapons.
 * There are many ways to indentify a hologram from a real player:
 * If a hologram takes damage, it will flicker.
 * A hologram will blink in the Sniper Rifle's night vision screen, the Spartan Laser's small viewscreen, the Focus Rifle's vertical viewscreen, the Revenant's driver-side monitor, and the Gauss Warthog's/Rocket Warthog's targeting screens.
 * A hologram has no shadow, no secondary weapon, no Armor Ability on its back, and no Gamertag above its head.

Halo: Reach

 * During the multiplayer beta, Sprint was exclusive to Spartan players and Evade was exclusive to Elite players.
 * In the Campaign and Firefight modes, Brute Chieftains and Elite Generals will sometimes use Armor Lock when under heavy fire.
 * There are a total of seven Armor Abilities, another reference to Bungie's favorite number.
 * Skirmishers have the ability to use the Hologram armor ability.
 * Evade is the only Armor Ability made of purple metal.
 * The symbol on the Evade Armor Ability is the Marathon symbol.
 * Elites can evade farther and faster than Spartans.
 * In the early stages of Halo: Reach's development, Elites using the Armor Lock ability were shown with a red aura instead of blue, while Spartans had a large and bulky attachment to their backs.
 * If a player using a Jet Pack is stuck with a Plasma Grenade on the Jet Pack itself, swapping the Jet Pack with another Armor Ability will drop both the Jet Pack and the Grenade.
 * If a game has 300% speed, 300% jump height, and 50% gravity, using Evade when too close to a wall or solid object will kill the player.
 * If a player using Hologram dies while the Hologram is being activated, the Hologram will have randomly generated armor and gender.
 * Active Camouflage's energy capacity was reduced in a Title Update.
 * According to the manual, Sprint is a hack in the armor that removes the motion restrictors that prevent a Spartan from injuring themselves by moving too quickly. Kat-B320 was largely responsible for creating this Armor Ability.

Halo 4

 * In the files of a DLC map in Halo 4, hackers found two cut armor abilities: Teleportation and Hacker. Using Teleportation at a certain angles causes the player to die. Hacker disables all enemy armor abilities.
 * If a player sends a Hologram to go past a railing, the Hologram will turn around once it reaches the railing and start walking back.

Appearances

 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo: Spartan Assault