M312 Heavy Recovery Vehicle

Template:Ratings

Elephant

Production information

Model

Behemoth-class Troop Transport

Class

Mobile Assault, Support and Recovery Platform

Technical information

Max speed (space)

N/A

Max speed (atmosphere)

N/A

Slipspace drive

None

Shielding

None

Armament

M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun (1)
AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun (2) (optional)^[1]

Crew

Driver (1)
Personnel (12-16)
Gunner (2)

Passengers

Personnel (12-16)

Cargo capacity

Mongoose (6)
Warthog (2)
Scorpion (1 (Forge Only))
Wraith (1 (Forge Only))
Chopper (2 (Forge Only))
Hornet (1 (Forge Only))

Other systems

Crane

Usage

Role(s)

Mobile command
Search & recovery
Recon & Patrol
Troop Deployment

Era(s)

Halo 3 (Human-Covenant war)

Affiliation

United Nations Space Command Marine Corps

The Behemoth-class Troop Transport^[2], more commonly known as the Elephant, is a heavy UNSC Marine Corps Mobile Assault, Support, and Recovery Platform. ^[3] It is only available in multiplayer games on the map Sandtrap. The Elephant has two turrets, a detachable one on the side and one that is similar to the LRV Warthog's stationary M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun that cannot be detached from its position. The Behemoth-class also houses a Mongoose in its lower bay. The Elephant seems to serve a similar role to the Shadow of Halo 2, albeit much slower.

Specifications

The Elephant is a mobile command base and repair vehicle. As many soldiers as you want can ride in it and a Mongoose spawns in its forward hold. It is armed with a forward M41 LAAG on the top right and a AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun on the mid left.^[4] It is a three storied vehicle ^[5] with the bottom story, the respawn locale that opens out into the rear cargo tray, the second story, a walkway around the cargo ramp and leads onto the driver's cabin then a small, elevated third story where the M41 LAAG is assembled. It features a crane, numerous firing ports and elevated positions for defending it.^[6] It shares the same track set-up as the Scorpion Tank, with a set of four tracked boogies along its chassis. Its chassis is as high as it is long, providing stability. An IGN video shows its top speed, driver's cabin and turrets. In multiplayer, it can spawn troops, and holds both the flag and the capture point for certain multiplayer maps on Capture The Flag mode. Therefore, in CTF you can actually bring the Capture Point to the enemy flag, though this makes it easier to steal yours. The elephant is one of the best weapons on huge battles. These mobile command bases can spawn troops and vehicles into battle quickly. Although it may not seem possible, this Elephant can't be destroyed. In addition to the Elephant's indestructibility, it also grants the pilot a few advantages. Due to the indestructible nature of the elephant, the pilot is immune to damage from frontal fire, though lucky Spartan Laser blasts may over penetrate the driver's window and kill him. However, the pilot is not immune to damage and any shots from behind will hurt him as they would normally. Even with these good qualities this vehicle is basically useless in Free For All custom games.

Halo Wars

The Elephant(prototype) also appears on Halo Wars as a mobile infantry barrack, capapble of creating troops in the field and deploying them while defending itself. The "Elephent" is deployed as a special unit by the UNSC fleet faction. ^[7]

Known Elephants

E-2073 46833-S - UNSC Elephants stationed on Sandtrap

Trivia

If you go to the bottom level of the elephant, there is a screen. If you look at the screen (zoom required) it will say in the top left corner Mobile Assault Support and Recovery Platform Statistics and Environmental Analysts. You can also see a map of Sandtrap. It is interesting to note that it says there are 2 mobile turrets (Ones that you can rip off) while there is actually only one. Perhaps one was removed for balance issues as there is a vacant spot opposite of the other.
The Elephant is one of two indestructible vehicles in Halo 3, the other being a Pelican.
If by some chance you do manage to flip over an Elephant , the usual "Hold RB to flip <vehicle name>" script dialog is replaced with "Hold RB to flip...wait, what? How did you do that?", referencing the fact that it is the biggest vehicle in the game and that it is seemingly impossible for it to be flipped, even by Spartans or Elites. (See Elephant Flipping)
On the left hand side of the red team's Elephant there is a spray-paint graffiti with text that reads "BEHEMOTH" and a red cartoon picture of a woolly mammoth. On the blue team's elephant it says "LEVIATHAN" and has a picture of a blue, whale-like sea creature sporting a mean grimace and wearing a comically tiny golden crown.
The Behemoth and Leviathan are two mythological creatures that are enormous in stature and girth. It is said that when the world ends, it is because these two creatures are fighting. The Elephant's size is probably what gave them these call signs, and that is another reference to mythology that Bungie uses. The Behemoth is more hippopotamus-like, while the Leviathan is more whale-like. Leviathan is aquatic and the Behemoth is terrestrial.
The Elephant by default spawns a Mongoose at the front, but can hold more vehicles.
A forged level of Sandtrap puts a shackled Hornet in the Elephant, along with gravity lifts that propel droppods into the roof, thus making a levitating flyable Elephant.
One way to flip an Elephant is to spawn a closed drop pod in the cockpit and throw down a Grav-lift right near it.
Another way to flip an Elephant is to get one person in each Elephant drive them at each other and then when they both reach the middle of the map if you did it right one should flip over on it's back or side.
It appears to be impossible to drive the Elephant into the minefield, due to an invisible wall. If you make the Elephant fly as it goes round the map it is kept in by an invisible wall around the edge of the minefield. This invisible barrier only works on the Elephant, there is another one further on that keeps everything else inside the map.
The name "Elephant" is a possible reference to Fred Saberhagen's classic science fiction book Empire of the East in which the protagonist defeats an oppressive empire in a post-apocalyptic future using a giant nuclear-powered tank known as the Elephant.
You can lift up and carry the Elephant around. To do this, in Forge, hook a closed Drop Pod under the Elephants 'control room' and pull the pod away from the Elephant, so that it catches on the visors/windows. Pull away slowly enough and you'll be able to drag the Elephant around as you like.
The anti-gravity chamber: This is an amusing glitch found on Sandtrap. Take one of the two elephants on the map, and drive it to the front or rear of the other. Drive the elephant onto the other Elephant until yours begins to lift into the air. Once you reach a good angle, dismount your Elephant and take its Mongoose. Drive it into the back of the other Elephant or the space underneath the elevated Elephant. It will be tossed into the air helplessly. Any vehicle will exhibit this behavior. It is a fun and amusing trick to play when you are being chased by a warthog. Also, this is an easy way to flip an elephant.
The Elephants are capable of fitting a single Scorpion inside when the tank is being carried in forge. This can allow you to wedge the tank inside and pick up the Elephant - unfortunately a little less gracefully than most vehicles.
If you move the Mongoose, you can fit 2 Choppers on the bottom floor. Landing a Banshee on top will make this a deadly assault vehicle, especially if you have people manning the guns.
If you can get a Scorpion Tank on top of it, you can get somebody to shoot its cannon while you drive. The Scorpion Tank on top will also protect you from air attacks.
If the Elephant is flipped, a planted bomb or a flag on its stand will stay in the same spot, essentially flipping with the vehicle, rather than dropping to the ground.
If the Elephant is upside down and there is someone inside of it, if it is flipped, it is possible to send the player inside flying across the map.
A fun glitch to do with friends is to get every fusion coil and plasma battery you can find, stick them in front of the Elephant, blow them up, run under and you will be catapulted out of the map.
The Elephant is the only drivable vehicle where you can place Turrets on it without them moving when you drive off. If you placed a crate or two in the cargo bay of the Elephant and place a turret on top of them and then delete the crates, then you can drive the Elephant with the Turret keeping place over the Elephant without it moving.
If you drive/spawn a ghost onto the control room roof and then drive towards the cargo bay, the ghost will float above the Elephant.
Gears of War 2's Derrick looks a lot like the Elephant.
Though the Elephant is indestructible, you can still bash off the small shield and the handle on the Elephants main turret using gunfire or a melee.
The Elephant also has a horn which can be activated by pressing the Right Trigger.
The Elephant is the slowest drivable vehicle in the Halo series, moving only slightly slower than normal Spartan/Elite running speed.
It bears a slight resemblance to the Jawa Sandcrawler from Star Wars.
In the upcoming Halo Wars game, the Elephant will serve as a mobile barracks however it appears to have a closed roof with indoor lighting, and a larger ramp.
An excellent place to hide and wait for your shields to regenerate in an elephant in a free-for-all match is behind the screen on the lowest level. The only weapon that can pentrate this screen is the Spartan Laser, and if your opponent charges that weapon, it will give you time to escape unharmed.
There is a glitch that if you deploy a bubbleshield on the elephants lower deck a spartan laser can then penetrate it.^{[citation needed]}