The Flood Ranged Form is a type of Flood Pure Form from Halo 3. It is formed when a Flood Stalker Form is damaged or chooses to mount itself in a stationary position either on the walls, ceiling, or, with less frequency, on the ground. It has a mouth-like protrusion that opens up to reveal a living missile platform of regenerating spikes.
Combat[]
Ranged Forms make close range weapons no longer the only weapons needed to face the Flood in Halo 3.
Ranged Forms are one of the most tedious enemies to deal with in Halo 3. If fired on for a prolonged duration of time, they will curl themselves, shielding their weak point (the head) and gaining heavy resistance against ballistic weaponry, often requiring lots of mags to kill them in this state. Should this happen, it's recommended to use heavy weapons or dual-wielded Plasma rifles, as they will die quickly to them. Ranged Forms attack with deadly accuracy, comparable to a Carbine-wielding Jackal, but much faster. Ranged Forms are usually found with Combat and Tank forms, forcing the player to take cover while their brethren move in and try to flush the player out.
To kill a Ranged Form, sticking a grenade (Plasma or Spike; Incendiary should be saved for Tank forms) will kill them instantly, regardless if they are curled up or not. However, as such grenades are limited, and most Ranged Forms will be firing at extreme distances, this is only recommended if they are in close range. If they are far away, a heavy weapon (e.g Brute Shot) will be needed. The supercombine from the Needler can also be used if grenades or heavy weapons are unavailable or being reserved for later encounters.
For protection, the Deployable Cover is the best equipment of choice against Ranged Forms, as their spikes have trouble penetrating the shield, and using ballistics weaponry doesn't damage the shield. However, as they will curl up if fired upon too much, the cover is best used to scout for where Ranged Forms may be lurking.
If too close to one, Ranged Forms will either convert into a Stalker or Tank Form to deal with the player.
Dormant Ranged Forms.
Trivia[]
- The Ranged Flood Form is universally labeled by most players (along with the Drones) as the "Most Annoying Enemy," due to their extremely high rate of fire, accuracy, and relative resistances to many weapons (such as the Assault rifle).
- When they transform into another Flood Form, their habit of "eating" a grenade tagged to them and making it disappear has earned them a reputation, as an "even cheaper and more annoying" foe, complying entirely with the last statement.
- They are first seen on Floodgate.
- When it fires its spines, the area around it glows as though it was firing a bullet weapon.
- They are unaffected by the Tough Luck Skull.
- Usually, a Stalker Form will crawl onto the wall or ceiling, and then transform into a Ranged form.
- Ranged Forms create its spikes from combat detritus.
- Ranged Forms fire spikes that look similar to the Brute Spiker ammunition.
- They are the only Pure Form that cannot walk. Once the Stalker mutates into it, it is stuck in that spot until it dies or mutates again.
- Although it's not very common, it is possible to gain Ranged Forms as allies on the Covenant when you team up with the Flood, they are gained as allies sometimes when the jump pack Brutes have not been killed yet.
- Ranged Forms are sometimes incorrectly deemed by players as infected Grunts, though this is wrong because they are a pure form.
- Though Ranged Forms are indeed Pure Forms, they bare a resemblance to Huragok.
- Oddly enough, Ranged Forms drop Spike grenades, even though they are not former Jiralhanae.
- Despite not being developed until late in the Human-Covenant war, Ranged forms can be seen in the Halo: Legends episode Origins.
Gallery[]
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