| rdfs:comment | - Jackals, or Kig-Yar, are commonly used as specialized infantry units among Covenant ground forces. They are primarily armed with Plasma Pistols or Needlers and personal energy shields, but they may also be deployed as sniper units. Kig-Yar employed as sharpshooters (aka Sniper Jackals) are commonly armed with weapons that deal maximum damage at maximum range, such as Beam Rifles, Focus Rifles, Needle Rifles or Covenant Carbines.
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| abstract | - Jackals, or Kig-Yar, are commonly used as specialized infantry units among Covenant ground forces. They are primarily armed with Plasma Pistols or Needlers and personal energy shields, but they may also be deployed as sniper units. Kig-Yar employed as sharpshooters (aka Sniper Jackals) are commonly armed with weapons that deal maximum damage at maximum range, such as Beam Rifles, Focus Rifles, Needle Rifles or Covenant Carbines. In battle, Jackals share many similarities with Unggoy, but are far more intelligent and, unlike the Grunts, are capable of posing a significant threat even when alone. They are a subordinate race, physically weaker than the Elites or Brutes, and are somewhat cowardly in comparison. Despite their efforts to assure the Covenant of their superiority over the Unggoy, they often cower in battle and retreat in a similar way when deprived of leadership. The Jackal Point Defense Gauntlet is almost completely impervious to all human firearms, and is strong against plasma based weaponry, though extended fire from a plasma weapon will quickly deplete the shield's strength. The Jackal's shield gives them a tactical advantage, especially when they are properly emplaced, but they can be dealt with easily enough by a talented marksman. Their energy shield has a notch on the left- or right-hand side intended to allow them to fire their weapons while receiving the benefit of its protection, but it also allows an opponent the opportunity to hit them with a weapon, stunning the Jackal, knocking him back, and leaving him open for a quick follow-up headshot. When they are emplaced as snipers, Jackals tend to rely on cover and camouflage for protection, rather than a shield. They are easier to deal with once they've been spotted, however, and turning a Spartan's night vision on and off can make them show up against the background. The Jackals were revealed to have a new role in Halo 2 as the Covenant's primary marksmen. The introduction of Jackals as specialised snipers changed the gameplay and tactics drastically, as up until then, all Covenant troops were close-range fighters, none of whom carried scoped weapons. The Covenant had been using Jackals as marksman for much of the Human-Covenant War, however, as seen in Halo Wars and Halo: Reach. Killing Jackals at range becomes much easier in Halo 3: ODST, due to two new available weapons: a more powerful Covenant Carbine, and the new M6C/SOCOM. In both cases, the tactic is the same (the M6C is slightly easier to use, as it is somewhat more accurate) - shoot the Jackal on its exposed right arm, wait for it to flinch and move its shield aside, then follow it up with a quick shot to the head or burst to the chest with an SMG. Sniper and Particle Beam Rifles are one-hit kills in any game if the player hits the exposed arm. At close range, the tactics change somewhat, depending on which weapon the player is using. Always keep in mind that it is usually best to snipe down a few Jackals while they are charging at you, before they get close enough to make the use of sniper weapons unadvisable. A frag grenade under the energy shield can kill a group of Jackals with ease, and Brute Shots are also effective; even on heroic or legendary, one grenade from the Brute Shot can kill a Jackal. Shotguns are also effective at close range, and, like the Sniper Rifle, a single shot in the arm will finish the conversation. If approaching a Jackal from behind, try to assassinate it, or, stick it with a Plasma Grenade, if it has friends standing nearby.
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