Gravity Lift
Actually part of the Citadel, this flat teleporter in front of the Citadel allows you to Hot Drop (also known as teleporting) any Covenant troop to your leader’s location, anywhere on the battlefield. Simply select the units you wish to Hot Drop, select the Gravity Lift, and press 
. This is a key advantage of the Covenant and lets you use Rushing tactics from the first moments of battle, allowing you to sweep through an unsuspecting enemy immediately!
Covenant Turrets
The Covenant Citadel comes with four Turret slots. These slots have room for light, medium, and heavy Turrets (upgrades the Temple provides) and can be further upgraded with specific antivehicle, antiair, and anti–infantry Turrets. The Plasma Mortar, Fuel Rod, and Needler upgrades can prove devastating against their opposing units. Approaching enemy units would be wise to take out Turrets quickly or risk their forces being decimated. Turrets are expensive, and while they provide a very effective defense, they cannot hold out forever and will need military support in order to ensure victory. Turrets are very effective against leader units and aircraft.
Turret (Basic)
Weapon Type: Plasma Turrets
Building Class: Base Defense
Turrets are good at defending bases against all enemy targets. You can have up to four Turrets for each base (one on each corner), which allows a slightly farther line of sight. It is usually wise to build the two Turrets at the front of the base first, but this depends on where the enemy usually attacks from. Simply build the Turret and leave it to fire at enemy forces; you cannot control the Turret’s aiming.
Turret: Plasma Mortar
Weapon Type: Plasma Mortar
Adds bonus anti-infantry attack to the Turret.
Turret: Fuel Rod
Weapon Type: Fuel Rod
Adds bonus antivehicle attack to the Turret.
Turret: Needler
Weapon Type: Needler
Adds bonus antiair attack to the Turret.
Turrets have three unique augmentations that allow you to swap out different armament types for a battle’s duration. You can add only one add-on at a time, but each can be changed at any time, and every Turret can have one of the three options. These are well worth the minor Supply Points it takes to fit them. Use them once you see what type of troops an enemy is building or sending your way. If you can correctly predict (usually via Ghost reconnaissance) the troops, it is easier to defend your base.
Supply Warehouse
The Covenant Warehouse utilizes gravity lifts to bring down supplies to Covenant bases. From here, workers move the supplies to the proper area for further use by the Covenant commander. The Warehouse can be upgraded to increase the rate of incoming supplies.
Warehouse
Building Class: Produces Resources
The Covenant Warehouse produces the resources needed to train units, build buildings, and buy Technology upgrades. Bases that have great economic production might have six Warehouses.
Blessed Warehouse
Upgrade the production capacity of this Warehouse to produce more supplies.
Refer to the “Advanced Training” chapter for specific tactics on how many Warehouses to make and how the different Warehouses work. In general, try building between five and seven Warehouses (or three Blessed Warehouses and two Basic Warehouses) for the best return on your investment. The number of Warehouses you build is limited only by your Base Pads.
Temple (Reactor)
The Temple is the main cultural and scientific building of the Covenant. This is where Prophets go to meditate on Forerunner artifacts and on how to best eradicate humanity. The upgrades that the Covenant research here are very expensive; however, they are also very effective and powerful.
Temple
Building Class: Special Upgrades
Temples allow the Covenant to access advanced buildings, units, and technology upgrades. Think of the Temple as a single building structure that has the same abilities as a UNSC Reactor and Field Armory, allowing you to increase your Tech level and upgrade your troops and Leader Powers.
Age of Doubt
Improves all Covenant technology.
Age of Reclamation
Improves all Covenant technology.
Temple Units and Upgrades
Although the Temple increases the Tech level of your army when created and upgraded, it is also much more than a simple Reactor. This location, much in the same way as the Hall, Factory, and Summit, has a variety of units and upgrades you can select, which are listed below.
Leader Upgrades
Arbiter (Arbiter Only)
Leader of the Covenant forces, the Arbiter is equipped with dual plasma swords for uber melee death.
Fiendish Return (Arbiter Only)
The Arbiter reflects some incoming damage back to his attacker.
Vicious Blades (Arbiter Only)
The Arbiter reflects even more damage and has stronger attacks.
Ghastly Vision (Arbiter Only)
The Arbiter becomes permanently cloaked and increases reflected damage even more.
Defiant Rage (Arbiter Only)
Health is restored every time the Arbiter causes a fatality in Rage mode.
Spiteful Rage (Arbiter Only)
Rage mode costs less to maintain.
Blinding Rage (Arbiter Only)
Rage mode increases Arbiter combo damage and the attack power of nearby allies.
Brute Chieftain (Brute Chieftain Only)
Leader of the Brute forces, the Brute Chieftain carries a Gravity Hammer capable of stunning and destroying heavy vehicles.
Inheritance (Brute Chieftain Only)
Adds a stun to the Gravity Hammer.
Birthright (Brute Chieftain Only)
When the Chieftain’s hammer is charged up, he will pull his enemies to him.
Destiny (Brute Chieftain Only)
Adds an area-of-effect stun to the Gravity Hammer and causes fatalities on stunned enemy infantry.
Tsunami (Brute Chieftain Only)
Additional enemies may be drawn into the vortex and potential damage increased.
Hurricane (Brute Chieftain Only)
Additional enemies may be drawn into the vortex and potential damage increased.
Singularity (Brute Chieftain Only)
Additional enemies may be drawn into the vortex and potential damage increased.
Prophet of Regret (Prophet of Regret Only)
Leader of the Covenant forces, the Prophet of Regret also brings unique combat abilities to the battlefield. In addition to his combat strength, he can call down the Cleansing power to incinerate his enemies.
Blessed Immolation (Prophet of Regret Only)
Upgrades the Prophet’s Plasma Cannons to Fuel Rod Cannons, increasing damage.
Ancestral Perversion (Prophet of Regret Only)
Two protectors hover near the Prophet and protect him.
Divine Absolution (Prophet of Regret Only)
Upgrades to the Prophet’s chair grant him full flight capabilities.
Regret’s Sentence (Prophet of Regret Only)
The Cleansing Beam ability is larger and does more damage.
Regret’s Doom (Prophet of Regret Only)
The Cleansing Beam ability is larger and does more damage.
Regret’s Condemnation (Prophet of Regret Only)
The Cleansing Beam ability burns even brighter, doing area damage.
Other Upgrades
Medium Turret
Upgrades all Turrets to Medium, increasing their Hit Points and damage.
Large Turret
Upgrades all Turrets to Large, increasing their Hit Points and damage.
These two upgrades instantly bulk up every Turret you’ve already built or intend to build, granting one extra weapon and adding around a third more armor (Medium) or two weapons and one-and-a-half as much armor (Large). If you’re being constantly hassled by foes at your base, this makes enemy incursions more difficult. It also sends a visual signal to your foe that your base is now much stronger and well defended. Naturally, the more Turrets you already have, the more useful these two upgrades are.
Forerunner Shield
Augmented with even more repurposed Forerunner technology, all Covenant shields now recharge much faster. This Covenant-only upgrade affects every unit and structure that uses shielding (such as the Shield Generator you use to help protect the Citadel, and the Wraith’s shields), allowing them to withstand enemy gunfire. Effectively doubling the speed of the recharge after combat, this is a great upgrade if you’re using Wraiths in hit-and-run tactics.
Reinforcements
Adds +10 to the population cap of your army. Aside from the 2v2 Beaseley’s Plateau map, which features a Life Support Pod, this is the only way you can increase the total population of your army from 40 to 50. This means, for example, three extra Wraiths and Hunters to protect them, or five more Ghosts. Additional units are always useful, and this is a thoroughly recommended upgrade as long as you’re already nearing your 40 Population limits; if you’re scrabbling around at 10 to 15 Population and under constant enemy attacks, gain a tactically stronger position and more troops first.
Other Buildings
Shield Generator
Building Class: Base Protection
Generates a large bubble shield to protect the base. Multiple Shield Generators can be built in a base to increase the Shield’s strength. This is a unique building that the Covenant can rely on (the UNSC cannot construct shield protection buildings). Usually built toward the front of the structure, as the enemy can attack these without much economic or technology losses, it is wise to invest in at least one of these Generators per base. Essentially adding a layer of shielded protection, this adds valuable time to an enemy’s attack, allowing you to retaliate or add Turrets. Add a second Shield Generator to toughen up the base again. Once a foe has been fought off, the Generators automatically recharge, much like a Spartan’s armor.
Hall
The Covenant Barracks is home to the well-trained and numerous infantry of the Covenant Forces. Grunts led by Elites, Jackals, and Hunters are trained here. The different races are housed separately according to their status in the caste system. Grunts, the lowest of the caste system, perform many of the more demeaning tasks. The lone Jackals tend to socialize only among themselves, while the solitary Hunters communicate with each other via their collective consciousness. The powerful Covenant upgrades are researched here as well, augmenting the Covenant infantry with better energy weapons and armor.
Hall (Building)
Building Class: Trains Infantry
Units Trained: Grunt Squad (and upgrades), Jackal (and upgrades), Hunter (and upgrades)
The Covenant Hall rallies infantry units to the cause. Upgrades for infantry units are also housed here.
Halls are usually built early rather than later into a battle, as infantry are less and less useful as more powerful troops become available. The Hall has several advantages: It can provide quick and cheap units to instantly nullify early Rushes from the enemy. It also doesn’t need a Tech Level to be built, enabling you to set up a Hall as soon as you wish. However, Covenant Factories and Summits don’t need Tech levels, so you are free to build any type of unit as early as possible. The Hall trains three types of units (detailed later in this chapter), and all have their uses and hindrances in the combat zone. Consider recycling this when ground and air vehicles become more prevalent.
Factory
The Factory is the manufacturing facility for Ghost Scouts, Wraith Tanks, and Locust Walkers. This building serves as a sophisticated warehouse for all the land-based vehicles in the Covenant’s arsenal, and the powerful upgrades for all the units are researched here. The Covenant can build the Factory from the get-go without having to upgrade the Citadel, giving them early land-based firepower.
Factory (Building)
Building Class: Trains Vehicles
Units Trained: Ghost (and upgrades), Wraith (and upgrades), Locust (and upgrades)
Most Covenant vehicles are pieced together and upgraded at the Factory.
Usually a player opts for either a land- or air-based contingent during the middle stages of battle, but a Covenant player has more flexibility in the early stages of battle, because this structure doesn’t require a Tech level, unlike the UNSC’s Vehicle Depot, which requires a Tech level of two. Once you build a Factory, you have access to three very impressive vehicles (Ghost, Wraith, and Locust, which are detailed later into this chapter). A Factory is usually placed in a base, but judge your opponent’s actions to deem whether one is necessary. Naturally, many other factors should be considered, too, such as if you’re playing as the Arbiter and want to concentrate on Suicide Grunts trained in the Citadel, or whether your foe is Turtling and you have time to spend upgrading vehicles.
Summit
The Summit is the roost for all the Covenant’s powerful air force. The quick Banshees, the deadly Vampires, and the versatile Engineers are all built here. The upgrades that make the Covenant air force even more fierce are available at this location.
Summit (Building)
Building Class: Trains Aircraft
Units Trained: Engineer (and upgrades), Banshee (and upgrades), Vampire (and upgrades)
Covenant aircraft are constructed at the Summit. Aircraft upgrades are also in this structure. Opting for air superiority depends on the topography of the map and the actions of your foe, such as whether they have weaponry designed to take down aircraft (such as Anders’s Cryo Bombs) and whether you wish to use Banshees or Vampires. Engineers are the only way to heal troops easily in the battlefield if you’re playing as the Covenant, so building a Summit is essential if you want extra longevity for your troops.