How to Kill Each of the Covenant Species in Halo: Reach

Halo: Reach features some new Covenant species that are not present in the other Halo titles. In order to survive, you will need to use the right weapons and tactics. Here is a complete guide to taking each Covenant type down easily.

Grunts

Grunts are the little gremlin looking guys. They mainly travel in small hunting parties. Personally, they are more annoying than dangerous. A good Spartan can easily battle half a dozen of grunts at one time without a problem. However, be cautious of suicide grunts that charge your position with live grenades in each hand. Personally, I feel that grunts are a waste of ammo. There is nothing worse than trying to take on a hunter or elite after you have exhausted all of your bullets on a group of grunts. I recommend taking down grunts with a melee attack.

Brutes

Brutes are the powerhouse of the Covenant army. They carry stronger weapons than grunts and are a more difficult to kill. If you want to take these monsters down easy, hit them with a grenade to stun them and unload an entire clip of ammo. Be extra careful of brutes wielding grenade launchers and war hammers.

Jackals

These werewolf looking creatures are among the easiest to kill. The problem is that they typically carry energy shields. You will need to get them to drop their guard before going for the kill. While they are holding their shield, their hand remains exposed. Shoot them in the hand so that they lower their shield before taking them down with whatever weapon is at your disposal. You can also get a jackal to lower their shield by lobbing a grenade on the ground behind them.

Hunters

In my opinion, hunters are the hardest Covenant species to take down. These large beasts always travel in pairs and carry rocket launchers. Taking on a pair of hunters head on is suicide. Instead, as soon as you spot them, get out of sight and circle around behind them. Hit them with a couple sticky grenades and blast them from behind with the most powerful weapon that you have. You will likely have to try this three or four times before taking them down.

Elites

Elites are an advanced rank Covenant soldier. They are faster, more agile, and better armored than their counterparts. However, it is possible to take down an Elite easily. As you charge an Elite, hit them with a melee to stun them. Once stunned, back away from them quickly and unload an entire clip on them. The needler works the best.

Engineers

This is the only Covenant species that is completely harmlesss. You will likely encounter these during later levels of the game hovering motionless at eye level. If you are in a large firefight, these should be your last concern.

Drones

Drones are the most irritating Covenant species. They are the only winged enemy type in Halo: Reach. When you encounter drones in the game, you will likely see 15-20 at a time. Don't try to take them on all at once. Try to hide behind a wall and pop out to take a few quick shots before taking cover. These creatures are extremely fast, and you will likely run low on ammo quickly.