Scarab Tank

Overview

The Scarab is a large Covenant assault platform, upheld on four large mechanical legs. The Scarab differs from all other Covenant ground-based vehicles, which are all propelled by gravity boosters.

Using its four large, mechanical legs for mobility, instead of a Boosted Gravity Propulsion Drive, the Scarab can traverse terrain most vehicles cannot. This advantage allows it to climb over obstacles such as walls, trenches, buildings, and mountains to bring its extremely heavy firepower to places most vehicles can't get to, unlike other Covenant vehicles.

It is the largest known Covenant ground vehicle. While it’s heavy armour and extreme size makes it resistant to most attacks, it is vulnerable to boarding actions, as demonstrated in the Battle of New Mombasa, the Battle of Installation 00 and the Second Battle of Earth.

The Scarab can hold squads of Grunts and Jackals, as well as a few Brutes or Elites to prevent it from it being boarded, if anything managed to get close enough. They have been used in many battles against enemies, such the Battle of Reach, both battles of Earth and the Battle of the Ark. If a Scarab did get boarded, and there were no surviving Covenant troops on board, the Scarab could be destroyed by destroying its vulnerable reactor.

Scarabs are movable fortresses on the field and the Covenant uses them to the best of its abilities. The Scarab is meant to assault heavily defended structures and barriers and to give quick unstoppable support for Covenant troops on the ground. It can also deliver Covenant ground troops to their destination through heavily defended areas; this could mean death for the defending troops, such as the UNSC Marines.

Scarabs are quite notable for their intimidating, spider-like appearance, large size, and massive firepower. Each of a Scarab's legs is at least 90 feet tall. These legs are surprisingly swift and accurate for their size, and were even able to find holds in narrow places, such as a canyon on Installation 05 or the streets of Mombasa. These legs can also be used for weapons, as a monstrous pointed leg is able to crush anything that happens to get in its way, such as a truck. A Scarab's legs can be destroyed with enough firepower.

Weaponry

Primary Weapons

•     Front-Mounted Cannon
•     Ammo: Super-Heated Plasma, presumably unguided.
•     Rate of Fire: 4 second stream; 30 to 40 per second
•     Movement of cannon: Through careful examination, one can see that the inside gun part seems to move forward from a cradle as the flaps open up.
•     Approximate Range: The effective range on a Scarab's main cannon is not exceptionally good, about 0.4 miles as seen during the Citadel and Cartographer battles, where its attack can easily be evaded if at a distance.

Secondary Weaponry

•    Mounted Anti-Aircraft Turrets (Two in Halo 2, One in Halo 3)
•    Ammo: Super-Heated Plasma, (similar to Shielded Plasma Cannon)
•    Rate of Fire: 400-600 rounds/minute
• Approximate Range: These weapons have a much greater range than the primary cannon on the Scarab. They are extremely effective against airborne vehicles, but can also be used against ground-based vehicles, such as Warthogs or Scorpions. They are effective up to approximately 1.5 miles, which is a rough but evidence-based conclusion drawn from ships and vehicles with similar weaponry.