Armor Ability

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Armor Abilities are exclusive gameplay enhancements featured in Halo: Reach. It is a refined version of Halo 3's Equipment feature where instead of being used once, each ability will be reusable, with a cooldown time between uses. These can be accessed through each Loadout before a match is starting or during your respawn time. it has also been confirmed that in custom games and forge, you can pick them up just like a weapon. All Armor Abilities are rendered useless to players when transporting objects such as Flags and Skulls. If players attempt to use an Ability, the object simply drops out of their hands. In custom games the cooldown time can be altered and the ability to use armor abilities while holding objectives can be added. There are seven Armor Abilities in all.

List of abilities

Active Camo

Go off the grid by engaging Active Camo. Your enemies can’t kill what they cannot see. Stalk, seek, and destroy.

The Active Camo provides players the ability to have Active Camouflage for a period of time, similar to Thel 'Vadam's active camo from Halo 2. The Camo depletes faster if you run, so crouching or slowly walking is ideal for a prolonged period of time. Also, when the player moves faster, the camo will not entirely camouflage the player, but when moving slowly or immobile, the Camo will cover the player completely. It also serves as a Radar Jammer, However this not only jams enemy radars but the player's one as well. Allies are not be affected. When the player uses the Camo, all sound is heavily muffled, so it is not as easy to notice a grenade or an opponent shooting.

Armor Lock

Become invincible, but immobile. While you're locked down, Elites can't touch you.

Armor Lock is an ability that provides the player's shield with a massive boost, preventing the user from taking any damage, acting similar to Halo 3's Invincibility. When deactivated, it sends out an EMP blast to nearby enemies, pushing them away from the player before emerging. Any Plasma Grenade's sticking to the user are removed upon activation. There are two versions of this power, one for Elites (red) and one for Spartans (blue-white). The human version of Armor Lock is enabled through an external shielding attachment.

This ability also varies with how long the button is pressed: the longer the button is held, the farther the final blast radius will be. This ability not only works against other players, but also against incoming vehicles.

Drop Shield

Armor Ability: Drop Shield in use

The Drop Shield is a spherical energy shield that functions similarly to a Bubble Shield, but it also heals the health (but not the shields) of the players inside it in a manner similar to the Regenerator. It will deactivate if it takes too much damage. The damage is represented in color stages similar to the Deployable Cover in Halo 3. The armor ablitiy is known to be used on the Medic loadout in Firefight. When deploying the Drop Shield, the player crouches into a stance similar to a Armor Lock, but they extend their left leg out. The player can then move and walk through the shield. Activating the drop shield fully drains the Armor Ability meter. The Drop Shield expires and deactivates once the Armor Ability meter has fully recharged, unless it is prematurely deactivated from damage.

Evade

Play with your food! As an Elite, you'll be able to bob, weave, and juke to get into the most effective combat position.

The Evade ability allows the player to roll in any direction to avoid danger, breaking enemy lock-ons and tracking in the process. You can evade two times before having to recharge. This was a Sangheili exclusive ability in the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta but it can now be used by both Spartans and Elites.

Hologram

Hologram is an armor ability that produces an identical holographic copy of the user. It functions by pointing your cursor at a destination and deploying it like other armor abilities. When activated, the hologram will head to the destination and stop if it reaches it. If one points the cursor directly beneath themselves, the hologram will stand perfectly still. This can be used to trick opponents into thinking the player is the hologram. The hologram will flicker away if it is either damaged enough or if it reaches its lifespan limit (10 seconds). To allies it is a white dot on the radar.

Jet Pack

Fly like a bird. Target your opponents. Laugh maniacally.

The Jet Pack ability allows players to maneuver in mid-air, with the use of Jet Pack propulsion equipment (UNSC) or an Antigravity Pack (Covenant). The ability varies with how long the button pressed. If the button is held without releasing, it will deplete continuously, but the player can also use it in bursts which deplete it less than a sustained flight. It is useful for evading vehicles, grenades, and navigating maps. Fall damage still applies to Jet Pack users should they fall from the air.

Sprint

Feel the need? Engage this Ability for a burst of speed that's great for quickly covering ground or escaping sticky situations.

Sprint allows the player to lower their weapon and move at an increased speed for a certain length of time. The player can still throw grenades while sprinting. Although Sprint was a Spartan-exclusive ability during the Halo: Reach Beta during the 2010 Comic-con it was revealed in the tour of Forge World that all Armor Abilities are able to be used by both species, including Sprint.

Trivia

• Armor Abilities function similarly to the Arbiter's Active Camouflage from Halo 2, because the HUD indicators are both circles and must be charged before activating the ability.
• When activating Armor Lock and Drop Shield, players enter a pose similar to that of the Master Chief when activating the Bubble Shield in the Starry Night commercial.

Gallery

The Jetpack equipment.

The Jetpack armor ability loadout featured in the Halo: Reach Beta.

A first-person view of a Spartan III using the Sprint armor ability in the Halo: Reach Beta. The Sprint icon can be seen above the motion sensor to the left.

A first-person view of the Active Camo armor ability being used in the Halo: Reach Beta.

The Armor Lock armor ability being used in the Beta.

An Elite uses the Evade armor ability which can launch a player in the air if performed up an incline.

Three SPARTAN-IIIs in a Drop Shield.

The Hologram armor Ability.

The stages of the Hologram armor Ability.

A player about to swap Sprint for the Hologram armor ability in the campaign mission Nightfall.