> Indeed!
> Also read Escalation, and noticed it. The banshees as well, one of them was the older model, and the other was the remade model.
> Would be nice to have vehicle “skins.” Just a thought.
It would be very interesting for them to be separate models used for different types of airspace. Perhaps the older model would serve as more of a long range fighter, designed for strafing runs against infantry. Having a much faster boost and map-crossing capability. With more emphasis on Plasma Cannon use, giving them a higher rate of fire than the other model, the Fuel Rod would have a smaller blast radius, and act more as extra support for attacking ground vehicles dealing slightly below medium damage to them (when attacking a Warthog with a Banshee, the Fuel Rod would be most useful to flip it so you can bide time while you loop around and finish them off with Plasma Cannons, since it would take 3 Fuel Rods to blow one up). Since this model would be designed best for dealing with Infantry, using your speed you can target groups of enemies from decent range, and start pumping Plasma into them while you fly past, taking down as many as possible, once you reach the “overhead” point you might opt to fire a Fuel Rod into their radius to clean up any you softened but didn’t take out.
The Reach/H4 model would instead act as a close-airspace anti-aircraft fighter/bomber. With far less velocity when boosting, but better handling, and better ‘hovering’ capability (basically it can move much slower while LT is in rest) and faster manoeuvring tricks. The Plasma Cannon wouldn’t be nearly as effective, but the Fuel Rod blast would have a good blast radius, and more power, especially against vehicles, combining the Fuel Rod with your better manoeuvring against a Warthog would allow you to destroy the vehicle fairly easily if you get the jump on it, only requiring 2 blasts to blow it up. Against Infantry the Plasma would be far less effective, when they you spot a group from decent range like the example above, you’ll have more time to work with, but far less Plasma Cannon fire, so you might opt to picking them off as best you can with bombs. You won’t likely kill nearly as many this way though, due to your low rate of fire. And will have to use your flips and rolls often to avoid taking as much damage as possible.
On both Banshees the Fuel Rod should take a while to reload, we don’t need another Reach Banshee on our hands. And both Banshees will take similar damage from all forms of enemy attack. The Anti-Infantry Banshee will use it’s ability to hit and run to avoid damage as much as possible, clearing out infantry quickly to reduce the amount of incoming fire, as well as presenting much smaller windows of opportunity for attack. The Anti-Vehicle Banshee will use it’s tricks to dodge as much fire as possible, but will ultimately prove more vulnerable because it will be stuck within field of fire for longer periods of time, and can’t clear out enemies on foot as quickly.
The old model Banshee is very likely to lost a dogfight against the new model Banshee, as the new model’s handling allows them better opportunities for attack, and better evasion. Likewise the new Banshee will hold it’s own better against Hornets or Falcons because of the same principles. As an added bonus in anti-vehicular combat, the Bomber Model’s Fuel Rod will have lock on, while the Jet Model would rely more on range and Plasma Cannon damage at range, with the Fuel Rod only being effective as an option for close quarters.
The Jet Model should retain it’s ability to replace the Melee Button with the Fuel Rod attack, like it had in Halo 2’s Campaign, and Halo 3. While the Bomber would have to alternate between them like it does in Halo Reach and 4.
