Jiralhanae War Chieftain

War Chieftain is a specialised Jiralhanae rank higher than a regular Chieftain. The rank is featured in Halo 3, with War Chieftains playing a significant role in the Covenant's occupation of Earth and defence on the Ark.

Role
War Chieftains seem to be higher in rank to regular Chieftains, and are responsible for leading their whole packs as a full military force. War Chieftains are more responsible with leadership of their subordinates, coordinating strikes and overseeing defences, instead of engaging in combat, but are nevertheless formidable adversaries.

Appearance
Rather than the gold armour of a Chieftain, a War Chieftain wears a similar suit in gold with more powerful shields. Their head crests are also more ornate, featuring a split V shape with spikes lining the edges, and smaller V further forward on the helmet.

Tactics
War Chieftains usually carry Plasma Cannons or Fuel Rod Cannons into battle, striking their enemies from afar while their subordinates close and engage. This gives them a considerable ability to supress their enemies, allowing their own forces to move freely. In close, they will often deploy a Power Drain to eliminate the players shields, or drop a Flare to blind their opponents, and can use their weapons to devastating effect. War Chieftains are the only NPC in Halo 3 that can melee whiel still holding a plasma cannon, without dropping it.

It is advised that the player use long-range weapons against a War Chieftain, such as the battle rifle or sniper rifle, using cover effectively and firing highly accurate shots. If you manage to get up close to a chieftain, meleeing it will prevent it from firing long enough for you to kill it with melee attacks. Incendiary Grenades are a good way to kill a Chieftain, although on Legendary this is not a guaranteed one hit kill. However, if you follow up with a headshot using an accurate weapon, that will usually take them down.