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  • Subject: Some questions I have about Spartans...
Subject: Some questions I have about Spartans...

Hey, I haven't read any of the books (I've read a few comments on the forums though) but I've been wondering just how good Spartans really are. So yeah, I have a couple of questions for those who have read the books. Oh yeah, these questions apply to either Spartan IIs or IIIs, it doesn't matter, but try to specify which one you're talking about if you can :)

1. Just how strong are Spartans physically? Can they really flip vehicles like in the games? Does it say anywhere how much they can lift?

2. How much can a Spartan's energy shields actually take? What about when their shields are down? Basically, is shield strength/health in the games close to how they are in the books?

3. Generally, is an average Spartan as good as an average Elite? Better? Worse? This is mostly referring to Spartan IIIs.

4. Do energy shields replenish after taking cover like in the games?

Obviously you don't have to know the answer to ALL the questions, any answers would be appreciated. Also, I know the answers probably vary since Spartans are different and have different armor, but a general idea is fine with me. Thanks :)

  • 03.07.2011 8:56 PM PDT

When we joined the covenant we took an oath, according to our stations all without exceptions,
on the blood of our fathers, on the blood of our sons - we swore to uphold the covenant, even to our dying breath, those who would break this oath are heretics - worthy of neither pity nor mercy, even now they use our lords' creation to broadcast for their lives, we shall grind them into dust, and continue our march to glorious salvation !

1. if its a Spartan II than yes they can

2. I dont really know about their shields, because in the books it rarely says they get hit, except for Sam, or i think it was Sam

3. Spartans are the equivalent of a Spartan II. In the book "The Fall of Reach" Master Chief almost dies to one Elite.

4. Yes they do recover like in the game

  • 03.07.2011 9:01 PM PDT

Friends before pixels.

1: They are very strong. They could easily flip vehicles, but like a normal person(well, knida). The Warthog wouldn't fly through the air, but they could roll it back on their wheels. It doesn't say how much specifically, but we know they can lift at least 400 kilos by the time they are 14, right after augmentations. So, I would guess pretty close to a metric ton.

2. Well, more than an Elite. Their shields are better than Elite's, but Elites are faster. When their shields are down, they are pretty close to screwed. If they take 3 or more hits from a plasma rifle with downed shields, it will melt through them.

3. Any Spartan would be able to murder an Elite. If the Elite is experienced, they could give even the Chief a hard time.

4. Well, after not getting hit, yes.

  • 03.07.2011 9:01 PM PDT

in terms of strength, Master Chief could flip a warthog with effort, and he was not the strongest Spartan.

Shield Strength is weird, it almost seems like in the books shielding is a little between easy and normal difficulty modes.

Spartan 3's are not as good as elites. Generally they don't even have energy shields, Noble was just special. They have been trained to kill elites however, so they can go up against them in battle.

Energy shields do replenish

  • 03.07.2011 9:01 PM PDT
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Posted by: xZcNx MarcWagz
Spartan 3's are not as good as elites. Generally they don't even have energy shields, Noble was just special. They have been trained to kill elites however, so they can go up against them in battle.
Well, despite the lack of Energy Shielding, I'd say a Spartan-III is bang-on with an Elite. A burst of assault rifle will kill an Elite, but a splash of Plasma would melt the S-III.
Physically, the S-III's are probably stronger, whereas the Elites would probably be faster.

  • 03.07.2011 9:32 PM PDT

2. I haven't actually read the books, but in Halo Legends the Spartans tend to die rather easy and seem to have no shields at all. I know of one episode where the Spartan gets shot with a single needle and dies from it.

  • 03.07.2011 10:12 PM PDT

A spartans shields are about as strong as they are on legendary mode, however elites shields are of similar strength so their legendary shield strength is quite excessive.

Spartans are about as strong as an elite, but a spartans has a suit of strength enhancing armor, whereas an elite is naturally that strong.

The reason spartans can best elites consistently is they are better trained, and fight smarter, they use every advantage they can get, whereas elites have a sense of honor and religious zeal where they will charge right an enemy with a sword when guns are pretty popular in that day and age...

Elites: "GOD WILLS IT!"

Spartans: "I have the gun."


[Edited on 03.07.2011 10:23 PM PST]

  • 03.07.2011 10:19 PM PDT

Posted by: Ushan
Because Muslims surgically implant organic bombs in their testicles, which in turn will be injected into women during sex, which will grow into BABY BOMBS!

1. Yes, but only small vehicles like Warthogs.

2. In the books, about 2 or 3 plasma bolts would take out the shields. An overcharged plasma pistol would overheat the suit to critical levels.

3. A Spartan II can own an Elite most of the time but a well trained Elite can give a Spartan a very hard time. A Spartan III in SPI armor would get totally smashed in close quarters.

4. As long as they are safe from fire while in cover, they do recharge.

  • 03.07.2011 10:35 PM PDT

1. They are very strong. Probably more so than portrayed in the games. They don't say specifically, but I bet a fully augmented spartan II could flip vehicles without a suit in combat scenarios.

2.It's pretty much the same as the game. The Mjolnir armor was never meant to go up against plasma, as it was developed before first contact with the covenant was made. But Unshielded Mjolnir armor can take projectile rounds (bullets) like a champ. But in The Fall of Reach, Sam 034 took one overcharged plasma pistol bolt. The plasma burned a hole in Sam's armor, thus rendering him unable to return to the vacuum of space.

3. Spartan with an energy shield would annihilate an Elite 1 on 1. Unshielded, it would really depend on the circumstances. As far as Sp III's go, 1 on 1 with an elite would really depend. A Sp III in SPI armor (other than noble team, the only armor distributed to sp III's. It was less sophisticated and made to be mass produced.) would have a tough time with an Elite. A Sp III in Mjolnir armor, such as members of Noble team, wouldn't have a problem.

4.Yes they do.

[Edited on 03.07.2011 10:51 PM PST]

  • 03.07.2011 10:45 PM PDT

"I may not be perfect, but always been true."

Regarding the Spartan vs Elite thing.

Spartans are better in training, but biologically Elites are way superior. I remember that an Elite was an even match to John on The Fall of Reach and Spartan III's were trained to fight the Covenant as opposed to the II's who were trained to fight the Insurgents.

  • 03.07.2011 11:03 PM PDT

Posted by: RKOSNAKE
Regarding the Spartan vs Elite thing.

Spartans are better in training, but biologically Elites are way superior. I remember that an Elite was an even match to John on The Fall of Reach and Spartan III's were trained to fight the Covenant as opposed to the II's who were trained to fight the Insurgents.


The s-IIIs were trained to fight the covenant, but they were trained to die doing so.

The two are related.

  • 03.07.2011 11:10 PM PDT
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Spartan Is, Spartan IIs and Spartan IIIs are all very different. Spartan 1s weren't that great (except many of them were already awesome before they became Spartans e.g. Johnson). Spartan IIs were pure awesome. Most Spartan IIIs sucked, buth there were some such as Noble Team who left the sucky Spartan IIIs behind.

  • 03.08.2011 4:39 AM PDT

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Posted by: Sierra 1993DJC
Most Spartan IIIs sucked, buth there were some such as Noble Team who left the sucky Spartan IIIs behind.

*facedesk* no *facemacround*
spartan 3s to do not suck... They just got out into really hard mission when they were young with meh armour compared to spartan 2s... Spartan 3s were almost as good as spartan 2s in terms of str/speed ect...
But even kurt himself said that their traning was even more *hardcore* then anything he had been through...
Also if you really wanne see spartan 3s at their best, look at gamma class, they had an extra drug which could allow them to fight pain and keep on going through something which would have killed a spartan 2 or spartan 3 alpha/beta class...

  • 03.08.2011 10:36 AM PDT

Don't worry, you're still your mom's favorite Bnet member.

1. Spartan-IIs can in fact flip vehicles as in gameplay.

2. Somewhere in the field of 5-6 plasma pistol shots. Heroic difficulty is the best display of book strength.

3. Elites are superior to all Spartans.

4. Yes.

[Edited on 03.08.2011 11:21 AM PST]

  • 03.08.2011 11:20 AM PDT

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Posted by: ROFLmaker122
1. Just how strong are Spartans physically? Can they really flip vehicles like in the games? Does it say anywhere how much they can lift?


Flipping the tank in game was not supposed to be a show of strength, but instead a gameplay mechanic incase your tank got turned over. Any Spartan worth his/her salt could flip a warthog though.

Without armor, they are able to lift about 3 times their body weight. The addition of MJOLINIR increases their weight lifting capability to a factor of five. So quite a lot.

2. How much can a Spartan's energy shields actually take? What about when their shields are down? Basically, is shield strength/health in the games close to how they are in the books?

The shields that MJOLNIR uses are based on captured Jackal shield generators. I would speculate that Mark V armor shields are weaker than Mark VI. This is not reflected in gameplay for two reasons. Difficulty setting, and balance in gameplay.

I believe the energy shielding is supposed to be roughly equivalent to Elites shielding.

3. Generally, is an average Spartan as good as an average Elite? Better? Worse? This is mostly referring to Spartan IIIs.

I would argue better. Spartans receive constant training from a young age. They have participated in and won many battles. The average Elite has probably not. If they had an equivalent in the ranks of the Elites, I would say at the very least Spec Ops Elites.

Spartan III's are a different matter. While their augmentations are the same (if not better due to greater testing and usage) they have had different training and are equipped differently. While they could probably hold their own in a fight against Elites, I think the average Elite is as good as a Spartan III. (With exception to those who appeared in reach).

4. Do energy shields replenish after taking cover like in the games?
In the books, the energy shields behave pretty much like in the games, with few exceptions.



[Edited on 03.08.2011 11:50 AM PST]

  • 03.08.2011 11:47 AM PDT

http://www.halo-forum.com

1. Both Spartan IIs and Spartan IIIs have superhuman strength which is in turn enhanced by MJOLNIR. For example Adriana(Gray Team) picked up a Mongoose and used it as a melee weapon with ease. Tom from Beta Company tore open a drop pod with his hands, without MJOLNIR. Spartans are as strong if not stronger than depicted in game.

2. Shield strength is represented differently throughout the novels but as a rule of thumb I would say that whatever damage a shield can take when set on Heroic that's whats canon.

3. Spartans are an even match and more often than not better than elites, evidenced by K/D ratio for Spartans. This includes Spartan IIIs, as there are basically no differences between them and IIs save for armour.

4. Yes.

[Edited on 03.08.2011 12:05 PM PST]

  • 03.08.2011 11:56 AM PDT

1. spartan IIs definitely can not to sure about IIIs
2. the shields can take alot of damage but they doubt get hit as often as you do in the games. if there hit with plasma and their shields are down it will melt the armor.
3. i would say a III as for as strength goes is generally about the same as an elite.
4. yes

  • 03.08.2011 12:03 PM PDT