Sangheili/Gameplay

The Sangheili serve as enemies in most of the Halo games, and as allies in Halo 3. The Sangheili are known to possess proficient fighting skills, great strength, and tactical mindsets. Depending on their rank and the player's role, the Sangheili warriors can serve either as very challenging opponents, or as very valuable allies the player will encounter in the games.

Weapon Compatibility

Although Sangheili are most commonly seen with Energy Swords, Covenant Carbines, Plasma Rifles and Needlers, their strength and versatility allow them to utilize any weapon in the field of battle, either UNSC or Covenant. They can wield heavy weapons, such as a Rocket Launcher or a Fuel Rod Gun with one hand due to their superior strength, unlike normal Marines or even SPARTAN IIs. They will also use Human vehicles such as a Mongoose, or a Warthog. Their marksmanship is easily comparable to a skilled Marine and they can quickly kill any opponent from afar with their skill in long-ranged combat, as well as being extremely deadly in close quarters with an energy sword in particular. Thanks to their armor and increased musculature they can survive attacks that would kill a normal human soldier, even with their personal shields down. In Halo 2 it is known that on the level Metropolis if left alone, the Sangheili will kill Sergeant Stacker in the Gauss Warthog, take control of the Gauss cannon, and start firing at you.

Combat

Despite their fearsome capabilities, Sangheili also have certain weaknesses:

M6D Pistol	The M6D Pistol has high damage per hit and high accuracy, and thus is very effective against Sangheili. Generally, the only thing you should worry about is the pistol's low rate of fire. It is best used in conjunction with an overcharged plasma pistol shot, as it is less effective against shields: it can take 6-8 shots to take out a Major Sangheili's Shields, which is often more than enough time for it to kill you in return.
MA5B Assault Rifle	Not the most effective weapon. Your best strategy at close range with this weapon is to just hold onto the trigger - it'll take a little while, but the sheer weight of bullets will quickly overwhelm the Sangheili's personal energy shield. From medium range, it is better to pulse the trigger, as after the trigger is released, the bullet spread will reset. When you are in close range and have depleted the Sangheili's shielding, however, melee attacks are usually a better option. As one of the fastest melees, the Assault rifle's first melee will stun the Sangheili, whilst the second will kill it.
M6C Magnum	It can be effective if dual wielded. It can fire extraordinarily rapidly in Halo 2. It's best to dual wield with a plasma weapon such as the Plasma Rifle. Take down their shields with the plasma weapon, then aim for the Sangheili's head with the M6C Magnum for a quick kill. Be sure utilize its ability to headshot, as otherwise its damage potential is less than ideal.
BR55 Service Rifle or Covenant Carbine	Both are a high step up from the MA5B Assault Rifle. The BR55 Battle Rifle's 3 round burst or the Covenant Carbine's semiautomatic mode is pretty effective against Sangheili. However, if the Noob Combo is used, any Sangheili can be killed in a matter of seconds. 3-4 bursts will usually bring down a Sangheili's shield entirely, after which only 1 headshot will kill. In addition, the scope allows you to kill Sangheili from a large standoff distance, giving you the ability to avoid fire and generally have more tactical flexibility. However, be careful of the BR's recoil; it can cause subsequent bursts to miss at medium range thanks to its bloom. The Covenant Carbine, while possessing less immediate damage, does not suffer from recoil nearly as much, making it preferable for suppression at long range.
SMG	Good when coupled with the Plasma Pistol or the Plasma Rifle, as it underperforms against shields otherwise. This weapon's technique is generally the same as the MA5B, although the SMG's accuracy at medium range is slightly lower. However, in Legendary, the effect is lessened, as Major Sangheili can absorb enough damage to kill you first.
Shotgun	Instant kill weapon at close range, except against higher Sangheili such as Ultras and Councilors. One shot at point blank range can destroy most Sangheilis' shields and stun them. On Legendary, though, you may wish to find an alternative weapon--it takes at least two shots to kill a Minor, which may be long enough to receive retaliatory fire.
Sniper Rifle or Particle Beam Rifle	One shot will deplete a Sangheili's shields on lower difficulty settings, but one headshot will neutralize one instantly, except for Zealots, Sangheili High Councilors, and SpecOps Sangheili (on Legendary, a Major can also take 2 headshots). It takes approximately 4 body shots to kill a Sangheili Minor on Legendary difficulty. Easily one of the best weapons at all ranges (at long range, they can't even strike back; at point-blank, you don't even have to aim, as two to three body shots should suffice).
Fragmentation Grenade	Sangheili have good reflexes and dodge most grenades thrown at them except for frag grenades. Though it won't kill them instantly, it is more likely to connect and will readily deplete their Shield. These are most useful in narrow areas, close quarters, and for flushing enemies out of cover. One blast will only kill Stealth Sangheili. However, grenade spamming is effective when faced with large groups of enemies.
Plasma Cannon or Shade	Very useful, though few and far between. Highly effective at neutralizing a Sangheili's shield and killing it. However, on higher difficulties, many turrets are found in fairly exposed areas, which means that massed fire from groups of Covenant can kill you before you have a chance to respond. Only attempt to use this at a large standoff distance or with backup.
Rocket launcher or Fuel Rod Gun	Very good against Sangheili in cover and for taking out groups of two or more. For the sake of practicality, carry something else to switch to for one-on-one combat (except against sword-wielding Zealots, as you will need to put them down quickly before they can close the distance). Even if it doesn't kill the Zealot, it will still knock him aside and stun him for a few precious seconds which you can then use to increase your standoff distance. However, on Legendary, the effectiveness is reduced, because even the Majors can survive an entire rocket.
Plasma Pistol	Resist the urge to fire a charged shot; a Sangheili will most likely dodge it, unless you either get lucky or have enough skill to catch it off guard. Firing continuously may bring its shield down more quickly. This weapon's upgraded lock-on in Halo 2 makes it practical for breaking shields with the charge-shot. An excellent tactic for killing a Sangheili very quickly, especially on Legendary, is to charge it up, fire at the target, then quickly fire a shot from a weapon that can headshot for an instant kill. Also, if Sangheili receive a fully-charged plasma bolt, they are stunned for a second, which gives enough time to kill them or escape. By itself, however, the Plasma Pistol's overcharge is useless; though his shields are down, each charged shot will only do a bit of damage. Therefore, when using the Plasma Pistol, try to have a backup headshot weapon (for example, a Covenant Carbine).
Plasma Rifle or Brute Plasma Rifle	Very effective if you have good aim. If not, the overheat can leave you vulnerable to a very, very angry Sangheili. Dual wielding is a good strategy, too. For the Jiralhanae variant, Dual wielding is necessary to avoid overheating both guns. However, as with the MA5B, it is advisable that you charge in and, at the last moment, melee at close range (especially when dual-wielding).
Needler	Highly effective if you use it right, but the rounds can be dodged, like Plasma Grenades or charge-shots from Plasma Pistols. If you catch a Sangheili in the open, fire about half a magazine, then retreat. The needles will home in on it, bypassing its Shield and killing it. The only problem is that Needlers are slow, so have some patience. Also, do not be fooled by the low, pitiful groaning when the Needler rounds explode--these do negligible damage, and should not be relied on for the kill. However, do not forsake this opportunity--fire immediately, or its shields will recharge.
Plasma Grenade	Run up close, or take good aim, and then throw it at a Sangheili. If it is frightened, it can run towards the rest of its squad, blasting them as well. If it has not seen you, it will sometimes just stand there and look at the grenade, contemplating its last moments; alternatively, they sometimes flee in a random direction, which could put you in harm's way. Beware higher-ranking Sangheili or higher difficulty levels, as most Sangheili, when stuck with a Plasma Grenade, will attempt to rush you and kill you with the explosion. In these circumstances, simply back-pedal and fire at the Sangheili to stagger it until the Plasma Grenade detonates. Even if you miss your quarry, you can finish it off with a single shotgun blast or a few headshots.
Brute Shot	The grenades bounce high with anything other than a direct hit and the explosion radius is small compared to other grenades, but it can take out a Sangheili in only one or two hits (though it takes around four on Legendary). 1-2 direct grenades followed by a melee will kill most Sangheili on Heroic.
Energy Sword	This weapon is effective at close quarters, and is fatal in one hit for lower ranking Sangheili. However, two lunges are required to slay a Sangheili Ultra on any difficulty. Be careful when using this weapon, as it is very common for the higher ranks to have an Energy Sword of their own as a secondary, and they can often kill in one hit. Be warned: Sangheili in Halo 2 can kill you with a single melee, so you'll have to kill them quickly.

Facing a Sangheili

Sangheili warriors are often considered to be the most skilled and capable species in the Halo series, and are only equalled by Mgalekgolo in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. Depending on the weapon you have and the rank of the Sangheili, it can be increasingly difficult to attack a Sangheili efficiently. The best way to do so is to judge by their rank and weapon. For example, if you come across a group of Minors or Majors being led by an Sangheili Ultra, it would be best to take out the Ultra first, as he is the strongest enemy present. Using the more powerful weapons on high ranking Sangheili instead of lower ones will increase the odds of survival drastically, since it is less difficult to take down a Minor than an Ultra. If that Ultra is wielding a Plasma Rifle, then he is effective at long range, as such it is best to zip in and out of cover until you are close enough to maybe throw a grenade or increase the accuracy of your weapon. If he is charging at you or attacking another group with an Energy Sword, engage him at long range with precise head-shots to bring down his shields and kill him without getting too close. Taking out a leader will effectively cause the members of his platoon to become confused, but not near as much as with Unggoy.

Changes

Due to the constant upgrading of the Halo series from the Macintosh to the Xbox to the Xbox 360 below shows a list of changes to the Sangheili species from each Halo game.

Halo E3 2000 Trailer to Halo: Combat Evolved

• The more conventional jaw in the trailer was separated into two mandibles.
• They have wider waists.
• Their eyes have been moved more to the sides of their heads.
• Their shield gauntlets have been replaced with personal energy shields.

Changes from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 2

• Sangheili are hunched over more to facilitate multiplayer use.
• First Sangheili allies encountered.
• Instead of speaking their native tongue, Sangheili appear to speak English. They are still speaking their native tongue, however, but their translation make other species hear them talk in whatever language they are most used to.
• Zealot Sangheili ranked enemies are now only encountered on Legendary difficulty, rather than all difficulties, except in two levels, where they are allies. They no longer possess Overshields (having shielding equal to that of an Sangheili Major), and are armed exclusively with Energy Swords.
• Stealth Sangheili now have gray colored armor, rather than light blue, and also have a Minor (gray) and Major (brown) ranking system. They now sport energy shields which were absent in Halo: Combat Evolved.
• Their melee attacks do more damage, and can kill in one hit on the Normal difficulty or above in the campaign.
• Sangheili fire in much longer bursts in Halo 2, firing many plasma rifle rounds per burst, compared to just 3 or 4 shots per burst in Halo: Combat Evolved.
• Ranger ranks are introduced.
• Gain an animation to appear startled upon seeing John-117.
• Mandibles and facial features are more defined.
• Gain the ability to hijack vehicles.
• Sangheili no longer have the occasional "spade" helmet and no longer wear a Forerunner symbol on their backs, in campaign. However, they can be present using the emblem feature for multiplayer.
• Sangheili can now be seen dual-wielding weapons.
• Sangheili now have secondary colors in both campaign and multiplayer.
• Regulars now wield Energy Swords as well, instead of just the Zealots.
• Sangheili make a roaring animation when equipping an energy sword in Campaign.
• Instead of having different shielding strengths for different Sangheili classes, the majority of Sangheili classes now having the same level of shield strength (Sangheili Majors, SpecOps Sangheili, Honor Guard Sangheili, and Zealots all possess identical levels of shielding). The exceptions are Stealth Sangheili, Sangheili Minors and Sangheili Ranger, Sangheili Ultras and Sangheili High Councilor.
• Sangheili are somewhat more vulnerable without their shielding, and most Sangheili classes can only survive as much damage as a basic Grunt or Kig-Yar after their shields are disabled (this is in contrast to Halo: CE, where Sangheili had more than twice as much health as a Grunt or Kig-Yar even without their shields). The exceptions are the Stealth Sangheili (who have about twice as much health as standard Sangheili classes) and the Sangheili Ultra (who have about 3 times as much health as a standard Sangheili).

Changes from Halo 2 to Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST

• Darker skin and eyebrow ridges, although no hair on ridges. Has a shiny, "scaly," texture on the neck.
• They have a 'bulkier' appearance.
• Varying eye color between some individuals, mostly orange.
• Rangers, Ultras, Zealots, Honor Guards, Sangheili High Councilor, and Stealth are never encountered during gameplay, although several corpses of dead Ultras can be seen in Floodgate and Cortana.
• Wider variety of armors to choose from in multiplayer.
• Instead of firing from cover or flanking, Sangheili now overwhelmingly charge straight at the enemy while firing, engaging in melee combat once they get close enough. This occurs regardless of the Sangheili's current weapon, the weaponry of the enemy, or even the type of enemy (a Sangheili armed with a Brute Shot or Fuel Rod Cannon will charge forward recklessly to engage a Mgalekgolo in melee). This also results in a high chance on team killing among them.
• SpecOps Sangheili, even more so with the Catch skull on, toss Plasma Grenades with reckless abandon, and many players have reported to be "team stuck" by the Sangheili.
• As with other Covenant races, the Sangheili have received minor aesthetic changes, mostly in their armor. In Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, the pauldrons on the armor resembled a more pronounced version of the MJOLNIR pauldrons, where as in Halo 3 the pauldrons are much thicker and appear overlapped. The "Combat" helmet also has shorter side fins, and more spikes added to the back. The "fins" on the gauntlets have also been removed, as well as the orange crystals on the arms and legs, and their leg armor flares out at the bottom instead of being tight, revealing what appears to be the heel of its foot. However, this leads to clipping, as Halo 3 largely uses old Halo 2 animations.
• Minors and Majors have varied armor. This meaning that a Minor may be light blue, and another may be dark blue. Same goes for the Majors (with lighter and darker reds).
• All Sangheili armor has Forerunner glyphs, as well as multiple Marks of Shame adorning the body and shoulders.
• The roaring animation for pulling out the sword is changed so that it only appears when lunging at an opponent while crouched.
• Minors and Majors are seen pulling out an Energy sword as a secondary weapon, which is usually never allowed for the lower ranks.
• SpecOps Sangheili can be seen wearing Assault Harnesses in Floodgate. All other Sangheili in Halo 3 wear the standard Combat Harnesses. The corpses of dead Ultra Sangheili in Floodgate can be found wearing Combat and Assault armor and some of them have Rtas Vadum's face. The corpses of dead Sangheili seen in Halo 3: ODST can be found wearing a variety of different armor permutations.
• The insides of their mouths are no longer orange.

Changes from Halo 3 to Halo Wars

• They are seen dual-wielding Energy Swords in the trailers, but only the Arbiter does so in game.
• In the game's trailer, they seem to be more muscular in the chest, and have thinner waists than in any of the other Halo games. Additionally, they appear to have nail-like claws. However, they have their usual dimensions in the actual game and cinematics.
• In-game the only visible difference in rank is the Arbiter and Honor Guards, all others are the colour of their team.
• In cutscenes, the ranks are more easily discerened. Minors are blue, Honour Guards are red (Without adornments), and Zealots are gold. All wear the standard Combat Harness.
• Their teeth are in different positions, such as having teeth on the inside of their mandibles, as well as having teeth behind and to the center.

Changes from Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST to Halo: Reach

• Returning the tradition from Halo: Combat Evolved, Sangheili once again speak in their native language. This is part of an attempt to make the Covenant more alien and imposing. This may also have something to do with general canon, since Halo: Reach takes place right before the first game.^[1]
• The Sangheili Minor featured in the Halo: Reach Video Games Awards Trailer sported shoulder pads and gauntlets similar to those of the Minors from Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.
• They seem to appear more animalistic than their Halo 2 and Halo 3 counterparts.
• They appear to have more teeth on both their upper jaw and mandibles which seem to be sharper and longer like the Halo Wars Sangheili.
• They seem to have a lower jaw as well.
• Their eyes have changed in color to a pearly white hue, and they do not appear to have pupils. It also looks as though they have been moved closer to the front of their heads.
• Sangheili are no longer hunched over, making them appear taller and more imposing.
• It appears that many Sangheili ranks make a comeback. This makes sense, as the Sangheili return as a primary enemy, the way they were in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.
• The alternate Sangheili helmet from Halo: Combat Evolved as well as the helmet sported by Sangheili in Halo Wars have returned.
• The feet are no longer flat as in previous games. The "toes" have been animated to splay and squish with every step.
• The Sangheili have new, faster melee animations, including kicking attacks and assassinations.
• Sangheili are more agile, intelligent and alert, and generally possess slightly stronger shields, which have also been changed to shimmer blue instead of white.
• Some Sangheili can steal human vehicles, notably occupying gunner seats and killing the player when they come back.

Changes from Halo: Reach to Halo 4

• New armor variants. Armor on most variants has more protection for torso, groin, and lower legs. The body suit of the harness worn on most variants does not cover the arms. Also, each variant can come in a wide variety of colors.
• They have paler skin.
• Sangheili once again have pupils.
• No armor on their arms, except Rangers.
• They appear to have molar-like cheek teeth. However, their front teeth are still conical.
• Sangheili now appear to have scaly arms.
• Sangheili sometimes use Promethean weapons, in Spartan Ops.
• Sangheili have larger heads, and now have a row of bumps along them. In addition, there is a crease extending from behind their mandibles.
• They speak their own language, as in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo: Reach.
• Sangheili fingers now have nail-like claws.
• They are not above using human weapons, as demonstrated when the Covenant Remnant tried to destroy the Infinity with HAVOK nukes.

Sources