I always thought that this vehicle would be nice addition to an FPS halo game. I like to call it the Mini Scarab. About the same size as the Tank. Humans benefit from 2 heavy ground vehicles, Tank and Mantis, 3 if you consider the Gauss hog.
The Locust features shielding just like the Mantis. It fires a powerful continuous purple beam, and is really great at long range. It has the ability to transfer it’s own shielding towards more offensive power, and defensive ability to regenerate shields quicker. It can climb over things like Scarab, but believe there is a smaller limit to that.
Only one downfall, it can only be on the offensive when stationary. Not sure if that’s a major nerf or a nice balance to compensate for its 2 abilities and climbing. For that one reason, I think it should have even more movement speed than the Mantis, to the point where you easily splatter.
I say yes. Not sure how the energy-diversion system would work or if it would be balanced, but a good idea.
I’d say give it a faster movement speed than the Mantis, maybe a little more shielding, and then armour/health slightly lower than a Warthog. Make it a bit of a glass cannon. It can zip all over the map, but dies quickly if you try to stand up to sustained fire.
Finally, it has to have an epic activation animation with the legs folding out. That is compulsory. 
Or… if H5 is going back towards the traditional Halo with the smaller teams and whatnot, we could just scrap the Mantis. It was over powered if you had a decent strategy and the only way it was balanced was because people had personal ordinance so they didn’t have to rely on weapon spawns.
Although, if there is a gametype in Halo 5 that is greater than traditional BTB 8v8, say 12v12 or 16v16, then I wouldn’t see any harm in keeping the mantis and doing something like what you have suggested. Mainly because I would never play it because the game then just becomes a fustercluck of chaos and whatnot that I want no part of.
I would love to see the Locust appear in a future Halo game! It a very unique vehicle that complimented the Covenant very well, and stood out from the rest of the usable vehicle sandbox. Perhaps it would have to be modified a bit to work well in a FPS, maybe reduce its abilitiy to climb walls, but it would be quite enjoyable to use.
I don’t want the Locust if its only purpose it to be an ‘equivalent’ to the Mantis.
Halo has been absolutely plagued by redundant clones added in for purely superficial variety. I don’t want the locust included simply because it is a Covenant walker with shields.
I would rather see it used to shake up the existing Covy sandbox. For example I would be fine with Cutting the Wraith(at least from Remnant forces) and bring in both a “Locust V2” and bring back the Gorgon concept(Or Vampire) to fill the Armor and Mobile anti-air roles respectively.
That way something actually changes beyond simply adding a Locust to be a purple Mantis.
For the thousandth time, yes! Absolutely yes
the locust is a building destroyer vehicle not infantry attacking anyone who played halo wars knows that these thing can even loose against marines. so i don’t see the point of bringing it in mp
> I don’t want the Locust if its only purpose it to be an ‘equivalent’ to the Mantis.
>
> Halo has been absolutely plagued by redundant clones added in for purely superficial variety. I don’t want the locust included simply because it is a Covenant walker with shields.
>
> I would rather see it used to shake up the existing Covy sandbox. For example I would be fine with Cutting the Wraith(at least from Remnant forces) and bring in both a “Locust V2” and bring back the Gorgon concept(Or Vampire) to fill the Armor and Mobile anti-air roles respectively.
>
> That way something actually changes beyond simply adding a Locust to be a purple Mantis.
I was just comparing the Locust to the Mantis mainly because it moves with legs, but it will not be identical to the Mantis at all. If you read any of the info in my link or what I said in my post, you’d see it’s not another Mantis reskin. It’s pretty unique and would offer some new tactics to vehicle play.
I personally think the Locust would tear a wraith or Mantis apart from distance. It will be quick on its feet, but only offensive when stationary, yet still has very accurate beam (great for long range). The tank is the only thing that can fire either instantly or with bullet travel that is quicker than Wraith or Mantis missiles.
The Locust would have no chance imo up close against a Tank, where the Mantis is more favorable than a Wraith up close I think.
> Or… if H5 is going back towards the traditional Halo with the smaller teams and whatnot, we could just scrap the Mantis. It was over powered if you had a decent strategy and the only way it was balanced was because people had personal ordinance so they didn’t have to rely on weapon spawns.
>
> Although, if there is a gametype in Halo 5 that is greater than traditional BTB 8v8, say 12v12 or 16v16, then I wouldn’t see any harm in keeping the mantis and doing something like what you have suggested. Mainly because I would never play it because the game then just becomes a fustercluck of chaos and whatnot that I want no part of.
I don’t think Halo should be stepping back, we’ll have the Master Chief Collection for that. I love the Mantis (though there is definitely room for improvement) and would be disappointed if it’s a no-show in 5. And the Locust could be a fantastic and unique new vehicle (the closest thing we should ever get to piloting a Scarab). I’m all about it.
> the locust is a building destroyer vehicle not infantry attacking anyone who played halo wars knows that these thing can even loose against marines. so i don’t see the point of bringing it in mp
The Scarab was a mining tool at first, and now it’s a badass WMD. The Chopper was an agricultural tool. Technology is often repurposed by the Covenant, and it would make sense if they rearmed Locusts with better weapons and sent it to war.
> > Or… if H5 is going back towards the traditional Halo with the smaller teams and whatnot, we could just scrap the Mantis. It was over powered if you had a decent strategy and the only way it was balanced was because people had personal ordinance so they didn’t have to rely on weapon spawns.
> >
> > Although, if there is a gametype in Halo 5 that is greater than traditional BTB 8v8, say 12v12 or 16v16, then I wouldn’t see any harm in keeping the mantis and doing something like what you have suggested. Mainly because I would never play it because the game then just becomes a fustercluck of chaos and whatnot that I want no part of.
>
> I don’t think Halo should be stepping back, we’ll have the Master Chief Collection for that. I love the Mantis (though there is definitely room for improvement) and would be disappointed if it’s a no-show in 5. And the Locust could be a fantastic and unique new vehicle (the closest thing we should ever get to piloting a Scarab). I’m all about it.
But it’s exactly whats happening because Reach and 4 were abominations compared to the original trilogy. 343 knows it and anyone who denies it is just blind. Halo can’t keep going in the direction H4 or even Reach was headed and expect to survive. It has to go back to where it was great and try a new approach. Going backwards isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Especially when that is just the new starting point. They are basically taking Halo 3 and are hopefully going in a new direction where Halo Reach should have gone in the first place. No AAs, no Loadouts, and fair gameplay. That’s the direction Halo should always be going.
The Mantis doesn’t belong in that type of game. The Mantis was balanced by the fact that people could just call in power weapons to take out the Mantis. With no PO, people will have to set up for weapon spawns and obtain power weapons. The mantis is so powerful, there is no way 4 people can take on 3 people and a Mantis in order to set up for a power weapon spawn. I would rather see more things like a Gungoose, Chopper, or the Hornet come back in H5 than the Mantis. Halo doesn’t need big, bulky, giant explosion causing vehicles. We have the Scorpion for that. We have the Wraith for that. We need vehicles with a purpose other than blowing things up in one shot. Team transport for Flag capping would be a much better type for inclusion than the Mantis.
> > the locust is a building destroyer vehicle not infantry attacking anyone who played halo wars knows that these thing can even loose against marines. so i don’t see the point of bringing it in mp
>
> The Scarab was a mining tool at first, and now it’s a badass WMD. The Chopper was an agricultural tool. Technology is often repurposed by the Covenant, and it would make sense if they rearmed Locusts with better weapons and sent it to war.
nah its too impractical, slow, low damage, weak to small arms fire. and tweaking all those things just to make it playable in mp seems like a waste of time.
and scarab is not in mp.
covenants gone now, only remnants remaining
> <mark>I was just comparing the Locust to the Mantis mainly because it moves with legs</mark>, but it will not be identical to the Mantis at all. If you read any of the info in my link or what I said in my post, you’d see it’s not another Mantis reskin. It’s pretty unique and would offer some new tactics to vehicle play.
>
> I personally think the Locust would tear a wraith or Mantis apart from distance. It will be quick on its feet, but only offensive when stationary, yet still has very accurate beam (great for long range). The tank is the only thing that can fire either instantly or with bullet travel that is quicker than Wraith or Mantis missiles.
>
> The Locust would have no chance imo up close against a Tank, where the Mantis is more favorable than a Wraith up close I think.
I get what you are saying, but it is the highlighted bit that tends to bother me. Its the jumping off point that it moves with legs rather than being an interesting sandbox addition in its own right at least initially.
I just want additions to have more weight beyond just adding in another vehicle. That is why I would prefer a ‘V2’ Locust tilted towards a main armor role since it would allow for new and interesting encounters instead of having the same set of encounters + some occasional new ones. Something that does not fit as neatly into counterparts such as Scorpion/Wraith or Mantis/Locust. It the reason I want to see more of the Lich from the Covenant Remnant over the Scarab.
My suggestion for including the Locust would be for it to replace the Wraith(aka indirect fire scorpion). It maintains it shields and climbing ability so that both players and AI could move perpendicular to a cliff wall and over obstacles for some crazy angles of attack.
Main weapon is an extended beam that can be overcharged using shields. For close range encounters it can switch to a less powerful pulse laser(along the lines of the Falcon pilots cannon).
Regardless of how it could be implemented it needs to be able to fire on the move. ‘Artillery’ vehicles that need to be stationary to attack just do not fit into a typical ‘Halo’ size game. Maybe that sort of mechanic can fit in a BF or planetside scale game, but otherwise it encourages far too passive gameplay.
> > <mark>I was just comparing the Locust to the Mantis mainly because it moves with legs</mark>, but it will not be identical to the Mantis at all. If you read any of the info in my link or what I said in my post, you’d see it’s not another Mantis reskin. It’s pretty unique and would offer some new tactics to vehicle play.
> >
> > I personally think the Locust would tear a wraith or Mantis apart from distance. It will be quick on its feet, but only offensive when stationary, yet still has very accurate beam (great for long range). The tank is the only thing that can fire either instantly or with bullet travel that is quicker than Wraith or Mantis missiles.
> >
> > The Locust would have no chance imo up close against a Tank, where the Mantis is more favorable than a Wraith up close I think.
>
> I get what you are saying, but it is the highlighted bit that tends to bother me. Its the jumping off point that it moves with legs rather than being an interesting sandbox addition in its own right at least initially.
>
> I just want additions to have more weight beyond just adding in another vehicle. That is why I would prefer a ‘V2’ Locust tilted towards a main armor role since it would allow for new and interesting encounters instead of having the same set of encounters + some occasional new ones. Something that does not fit as neatly into counterparts such as Scorpion/Wraith or Mantis/Locust. It the reason I want to see more of the Lich from the Covenant Remnant over the Scarab.
>
> My suggestion for including the Locust would be for it to replace the Wraith(aka indirect fire scorpion). It maintains it shields and climbing ability so that both players and AI could move perpendicular to a cliff wall and over obstacles for some crazy angles of attack.
>
> Main weapon is an extended beam that can be overcharged using shields. For close range encounters it can switch to a less powerful pulse laser(along the lines of the Falcon pilots cannon).
>
> Regardless of how it could be implemented it needs to be able to fire on the move. ‘Artillery’ vehicles that need to be stationary to attack just do not fit into a typical ‘Halo’ size game. Maybe that sort of mechanic can fit in a BF or planetside scale game, but otherwise it encourages far too passive gameplay.
Changed the title
I still think having a vehicle that can only fire when being Stationary will add an interesting new dynamic. Imagine using the climbing ability, positioning yourself, andd head glitching with the Locust for some awesome peakaboo shots. I good Locust driver will have no problem taking out a ghost, Revenant, chopper, hog etc with strafe and good accuracy or when planted on the ground/wall. It only has to worry about getting too close to or caught off guard by a very powerful vehicle. It will have no problem overpowering a Falcon, or Banshee or anything should the cards be played right. It’s a good anti air weapon too.
I like having risks to a certain power. I think it will create a skill gap. The switch in between being mobile and stationary should be nearly instantaneous. The Overdrive ability should be the only thing that requires a short charge sequence that will have devastating effects. Like the Mantis, it should be the able to use cover more effectively, especially with climbing function. With defensive ability and everything else it can do, I say lets make it only offensive when Stationary. Other than that, people like having their Halo vehicles to be close to Canon depiction.
> > > Or… if H5 is going back towards the traditional Halo with the smaller teams and whatnot, we could just scrap the Mantis. It was over powered if you had a decent strategy and the only way it was balanced was because people had personal ordinance so they didn’t have to rely on weapon spawns.
> > >
> > > Although, if there is a gametype in Halo 5 that is greater than traditional BTB 8v8, say 12v12 or 16v16, then I wouldn’t see any harm in keeping the mantis and doing something like what you have suggested. Mainly because I would never play it because the game then just becomes a fustercluck of chaos and whatnot that I want no part of.
> >
> > I don’t think Halo should be stepping back, we’ll have the Master Chief Collection for that. I love the Mantis (though there is definitely room for improvement) and would be disappointed if it’s a no-show in 5. And the Locust could be a fantastic and unique new vehicle (the closest thing we should ever get to piloting a Scarab). I’m all about it.
>
> But it’s exactly whats happening because Reach and 4 were abominations compared to the original trilogy. 343 knows it and anyone who denies it is just blind. Halo can’t keep going in the direction H4 or even Reach was headed and expect to survive. It has to go back to where it was great and try a new approach. Going backwards isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Especially when that is just the new starting point. They are basically taking Halo 3 and are hopefully going in a new direction where Halo Reach should have gone in the first place. No AAs, no Loadouts, and fair gameplay. That’s the direction Halo should always be going.
>
> The Mantis doesn’t belong in that type of game. The Mantis was balanced by the fact that people could just call in power weapons to take out the Mantis. With no PO, people will have to set up for weapon spawns and obtain power weapons. The mantis is so powerful, there is no way 4 people can take on 3 people and a Mantis in order to set up for a power weapon spawn. I would rather see more things like a Gungoose, Chopper, or the Hornet come back in H5 than the Mantis. Halo doesn’t need big, bulky, giant explosion causing vehicles. We have the Scorpion for that. We have the Wraith for that. We need vehicles with a purpose other than blowing things up in one shot. Team transport for Flag capping would be a much better type for inclusion than the Mantis.
Halo 4 and Halo Reach weren’t satisfying Halo games, I agree (though saying they’re abominations is an exaggeration). With that said, they weren’t all bad. Some things in Halo 4 were great. Dominion was fantastic. The Prometheans were good enemies (though they lack variety- more types please), the story was great…
Acting as if Reach and 4 just didn’t exist is the wrong move. Instead, 343i should analyze exactly what was wrong about those games and change it. If that means scrapping AAs (and it seems like it does), so be it. But I want Dominion back. And I want more Prometheans. And, for that matter, I want the Mantis back! With some tweaks, it will be a really cool vehicle to put on a small selection of maps for BTB (where blowing -Yoink- up is appropriate). It definitely needs a nerf now that PPs and POs aren’t available at spawn, but it can work. Perhaps remove the rocket function in multiplayer (and allow the normal variant in Forge).
> The Mantis doesn’t belong in that type of game.
Correct. It’s out of place in a game with a max player count of 16. There just isn’t enough room.
The Locust, and just about every other heavy armored weapon “fits” in Halo Wars because the scale is much larger. By the end of a classic 3v3 Halo Wars game there could be 3 Scarabs, 4 Vultures, 10 Scorpions, several Hawks, Wolverines, Banshees, Cobras, Locusts, Wraiths, etc, and battles are taking place all over the map. This is warfare on an epic scale. It’s not 8 players trying to get the most kills. That’s why it’s a Real Time Strategy game and not a First Person Shooter. Therein lies the rub, because even though Halo exists as a strategy game, people insist that Halo is a shooter, and no other type of Halo game can exist. Ever.
People that play Halo Wars understand the difference. They want to be able to pilot and operate the vehicles they have been admiring. It can only happen in a game designed for it. The 4v4 player base will always get what they want. 343i will never stop making those games. They have it in them to make a large scale game as well. I understand they have a lot on their plate right now, but H5 will be finished some day and by then they will either have figured out arena shooters or not. Bungie had two guys develop Big Team Battle. I think 343i has more resources than that.
> > The Mantis doesn’t belong in that type of game.
>
> Correct. It’s out of place in a game with a max player count of 16. There just isn’t enough room.
>
> The Locust, and just about every other heavy armored weapon “fits” in Halo Wars because the scale is much larger. By the end of a classic 3v3 Halo Wars game there could be 3 Scarabs, 4 Vultures, 10 Scorpions, several Hawks, Wolverines, Banshees, Cobras, Locusts, Wraiths, etc, and battles are taking place all over the map. This is warfare on an epic scale. It’s not 8 players trying to get the most kills. That’s why it’s a Real Time Strategy game and not a First Person Shooter. Therein lies the rub, because even though Halo exists as a strategy game, people insist that Halo is a shooter, and no other type of Halo game can exist. Ever.
>
> People that play Halo Wars understand the difference. They want to be able to pilot and operate the vehicles they have been admiring. It can only happen in a game designed for it. The 4v4 player base will always get what they want. 343i will never stop making those games. They have it in them to make a large scale game as well. I understand they have a lot on their plate right now, but H5 will be finished some day and by then they will either have figured out arena shooters or not. Bungie had two guys develop Big Team Battle. I think 343i has more resources than that.
There is easily enough room for Mantises in 8v8. Halo 4 BTB maps were decent at best, but more infantry Based. Reach’s forge world and other BTB maps can effortlessly support the mantis, because they are more open. So can CE through 3. Really didn’t like Halo 4 BTB for plenty of reasons.
It’s not like the Mantis is a Pelican, which so many people see the problem with featuring into 8v8 and your typical sized maps. Mantis is awesome, I only wish Boarding was capable from the front as well as the back. The Locust is roughly Tank Size, so this size prob doesn’t exist…
I would love for a Locust to be in H5. I would choose it over the Mantis any day.
Also as long as it doesn’t have that annoying high pitched sound it makes when firing I am totally fine with this.
I always loved the mantis in Wars, but for an FPS game…
It seems like this vehicle would be too much like the Mantis, which was cool at first but overpowered in the long run. Like many of said before me, the Locust worked well in a real time strategy game where massive vulture on scarab, scorpion on wraith battles were taking place all over on the map.
If Halo 5 had massive Battlefield style maps and a special playlist then I don’t see why not but in terms of normal multiplayer then this is a no-no.
I’m not really sure how to feel about the mantis. A team using long range weapons can easily destroy it outside of its effective range. Which it does have a low effective range.
Isn’t the locus kind of bulky? And wouldn’t it have even more range than the mantis?