The Shipmaster was once a commander in the Covenant but joined the Arbiter in fighting against the Prophets and Brutes when the Covenant broke apart. Left with only his ship and its crew, the Shipmaster resigned himself to life as a mercenary. Eventually, Atriox engaged the Shipmaster’s forces to bolster the Banished army—an alliance that has forever tarnished the Shipmaster’s name in “proper” Elite culture. The Shipmaster isn’t proud of the compromises he’s made, but they’ve allowed him to keep his crew together.    Unlike the Brutes he now serves, the Shipmaster favors speed and subterfuge on the battlefield. Many of his available Powers focus on cloaking abilities and speed boosts, making him particularly good at launching sneak attacks. He’s also able to produce Ghost scout units—fast-moving vehicles that replace the Choppers Brute leaders are able to build. 

SHIPMASTER BASICS

 The bulk of the Shipmaster’s Leader Powers support stealth and mobility. Although he’s capable of utilizing any basic strategy, he’s particularly good at staging ambushes and performing strategic retreats. Whether you want to cripple your opponent’s production capabilities or thin out a standing army, the Shipmaster is best suited to hit-and-run tactics.    Ghosts are faster and less expensive than other scout units. This gives the Shipmaster an early edge in reconnaissance and resource collection. Of course, Ghosts are also less durable than other scouts. Remember, there’s no shame in retreating from stronger units. The longer you keep your scouts in the field, the fewer resources you need to spend on reconnaissance.    Like Cutter’s UNSC Raid Leader Power, the Shipmaster’s Banished Raid Power is an excellent investment in any Multiplayer mode. Aside from increasing capture speed, the first rank of Banished Raid improves line of sight for all infantry units. Investing a second Leader Point allows Ghosts to capture points and boosts line of sight for all vehicle units. A fully upgraded Banished Raid increases movement speed for Ghosts, Wraiths, and Marauders. Combine this Power with global vehicle upgrades to produce an exceptionally mobile ground force.    If you plan to make use of the Shipmaster’s cloak-related Leader Powers, keep an eye out for detection units. Destroy Watchtowers, Sensor Towers, and any units that can detect cloaked enemies before you attempt to launch a sneak attack. If you deem cloaked attacks to be impractical, focus on other tactics that keep your enemies guessing. The Teleport and Displacement Powers don’t require a line of sight—use them to move your own units directly to, or enemy units to or away from (respectively) strategically advantageous positions. Raid an opponent’s base, and then use Extraction to recall your assault team when enemy forces respond. The Shipmaster is an expert at surprise attacks; don’t let this go to waste.