The Halo series has introduced dozens of different vehicles that the player will get to see or interact with in each game. Some vehicles are effective tools of war capable of decimating squads and other powerful vehicles.
But there are some that are little more than a means of transportation or a major liability to use in combat. The vehicles have changed over the years for better or worse, and here are some of the best and worst Halo has to offer.
Updated on February 20th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: When this article was first written, Halo was a veritable franchise but was still missing some installments. A few years later, it's important to look back at all the vehicles that the franchise has come up with and recalibrate exactly how each one fits (or doesn't fit) in the world the series has created. Some fans will be revisiting earlier games from the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and reminiscing with fondness over how their favorite vehicle disappeared or got nerfed. Others might be glad that a slow and vulnerable transportation unit got dropped from the franchise. And then there's Halo Infinite and all of its vehicles. This list has been updated to factor in more vehicles, old and new, that didn't make the first cut.
14 Best: Banished Ghost
The Ghost has been a staple of the Halo series from the start. The purple glider was always pretty good at taking out enemies on foot. But what stopped gamers from going on a massive killing spree with it was its exposure to gunfire.
The Banished are big on protection, which ordinarily wouldn't fare well for the Ghost's speed, but they managed to find a way of protecting the user while simultaneously keeping it quick enough to smack down the poor souls who try and get away on foot. This modification is so beloved that toys and Lego sets feature it prominently.
13 Worst: Type-26 Wraith
It takes worst to die to the original Wraith model. It was slow, easy to destroy with a few explosives, and lacked any ability whatsoever to deal with infantry. Its only specialization was against enemy vehicles and, even then, it was the worst possible option.
Sending out a slow and very visible mortar, locating and dodging the shots from the Wraith are not at all challenging tasks. Master Chief will be commandeering many vehicles in his new comic series, but fans probably don't have to worry about him unless he tries to pilot one of these.
12 Best: M808 Scorpion
The original M808 Scorpion is so cherished that the "upgrades" after the first game have been stripped back down. There remain some modifications in the latest version, but the original tank that had both a cannon and a machinegun on it remains the one that players will remember best.
Although it's easy to say that players on the side were exposed to gunfire, it could hold four snipers at one, allowing this single vehicle to kill any unit at any range and everybody could help cover each other. Just like the skins, where not all advancements were welcome, sometimes the originals just did it the best.
11 Worst: HC1500
Halo Reach introduced many civilian units and it would ordinarily be unfair to put most of them on this list for "worst" since they aren't intended to be combat-ready. But one of these is notoriously bad that it would be a disservice to Halo historians if it weren't included on this list.
The HC1500 was able to hold multiple Spartans, but the slightest tap on the front would make the entire thing explode. It had no defensive capabilities. And it was slow. The sour cherry on top was that if it did explode, a default screen popped up offering to kick the driver since it treated the accident as a friendly kill. Halo doesn't have the numbers that it used to, but putting the HC1500 back in the game would be a great way to make sure they never come back.
10 Best: M12 Chaingun Warthog
The first drivable vehicle introduced in the series has become a staple for every game since. It’s seen a number of changes and variations, but the standard M12 Chaingun Warthog remains one of the best vehicles in the series.
Granted the earlier models were squirrely with some questionable physics, but over the course of the series, this vehicle has all but been perfected. The simplicity of a two-man vehicle with high mobility and a capable turret is a devastating combo.
9 Worst: M313 Elephant
While the intent of the vehicle is promising the Elephant itself is underwhelming. Meant to serve as a mobile command center in battle it’s incredibly slow and underpowered. Battles are often over before it changes positions and there aren’t many defensive capabilities if it comes under attack.
Aside from the practical issues is that the vehicle is simply ugly. It looks like a Scorpion tank lost its turret, sprouted a crane, and generated odd lumps here and there. It's easy to imagine that sniper ricochet was removed because it would otherwise be too easy to snipe down the units on this barely moving target.
8 Best: UH-144 Falcon
Considered the Warthog of the skies, the Falcon is a utility helicopter with powerful guns and lightning speed. The helicopter is capable of being piloted by a single individual, two-door gunners, and can carry up to five people.
It’s a versatile vehicle that can carry a Spartan squad into battle, dogfight with enemy aircraft, and rain hellfire on ground troops. Thanks to its twin-turbine system it can also take off and descend vertically getting into hard-to-reach areas. This makes it dangerous in air-to-air combat, can harass air-to-ground, and was pivotal in destroying the monolithic Kraken in Halo 5: Guardians.
7 Worst: Shadow
The Shadow is a troop transport of the Covenant that can carry a Ghost into battle or eight soldiers. The problem with this vehicle is that it’s incredibly exposed in the back and sides making combat drops dangerous affairs.
It does have a single plasma turret in the front, but the gunner is also exposed making them an easy target. The Shadow is essentially a tow truck/carrier that seems more suited for civilian use. It’s as if the turret was slapped on to justify military use.
6 Best: Z-1800 Phaeton
The Phaeton is the most prominent Forerunner weapon ship to appear in the series. It’s a technologically advanced fighter jet with long-range autocannons that can take a Spartan down in six hits. It also possesses pulse missiles that can clear a squad very quickly.
Its most impressive feature is the ability to teleport short distances allowing. This allows the ship to avoid enemy fire and makes dogfighting against a Phaeton very difficult. It’s a vehicle that gives the individual piloting it a huge advantage in combat.
5 Worst: Pelican
The Pelican is a UNSC aerial transport vehicle capable of dropping Scorpion tanks into battle or deploying a squad of soldiers. While it does possess useful logistical capabilities, it lacks combat effectiveness. It was great at dropping units into the popular Blood Gultch map, but if there was a whisper of fighting, it would go down in flames.
It’s essentially a flying semi-truck lacking stealth capabilities, weapons, or any technology that can make it a stand-alone vehicle. The nature of this ship requires ground and aerial support to keep it alive. It can transport things, but only if where it's going is relatively safe or it has backup.
4 Best: M510 Mammoth
The Mammoth does what the Elephant couldn’t; provide a viable mobile weapons platform that can hold its own in a fight. It’s larger than the Elephant, heavily armored, and wields powerful weapons on the top and sides. This vehicle requires a ton of firepower to take down and will claim many lives in the process.
It also has the ability to bring smaller vehicles like the Warthog or Mongoose into battle. On top of all the practical advantages, it looks incredible. Sort of a hybrid of Jiralhanae, UNSC, and Mad Max design philosophies.
3 Worst: M831 Troop Transport Warthog
The Troop Transport Warthog is a standard Warthog that has had the turret taken out to fit more passengers. It’s capable of transporting up to ten people, including the driver in and out of battle. It also has the same speed and maneuverability as the standard Warthog.
Admittedly having a heavily armed Spartan squad firing out of the back can be effective, but it leaves everyone onboard incredibly vulnerable. It also relies upon those soldiers having effective weapons to be an advantage. On its own, it’s little more than a more maneuverable passenger van.
2 Best: Type-55 Kraken
By far the largest ground vehicle in the game and a monster to behold is the Covenant Kraken. It’s a mobile siege tower that was once an excavation walker repurposed for combat. The tower boasts Type-26 Shade stationary guns giving it awesome defensive and offensive capabilities.
It’s large enough and so heavily armored that simply walking around is capable of decimating buildings, swarms of enemies, and vehicles in its way. It also carries a full complement of Type-54 Banshees and is able to have Type-57 Phantoms dock inside. This is by far the best vehicle in the game and a behemoth of a mobile weapons platform.
1 Worst: M274 Mongoose ULATV
The Mongoose is an Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle which means it’s essentially a four-wheeler. Logistically, it is a reconnaissance vehicle meant for scouting and patrol. It serves no practical use in combat as it has no weapons.
In fact, its only defensive capability is its small size, high speed, and ability to carry a single armed passenger. This vehicle is not designed for combat and serves very little utility to the player other than avoiding the need to walk.