Hey guys, this is Eckharts Ladder. Hello and welcome to another episode of science fiction
Versus. Today we're doing one of my most requested matchups: the Scarab from the Halo series
versus the tripods from War of the Worlds. I know I haven't done as many traditional vs.
videos lately,
but it seems like you guys really prefer the factions compared and the lore videos, so, if you like this, make sure to give it
a like and suggest some fun future episodes down in the comments. Anyway, as I mentioned,
we're taking the walkers from War of the Worlds and putting it against the Type
47B Scarab, which is the version you see in Halo 2,
Reach, and 3. We'll start off by taking a fairly detailed look at both of the combatants, and then, at the end,
we'll talk through the actual matchup,
and I'll make a decision on who I think should win. Let's start first with the Scarab, and, if you've played the halo series, or if
you've watched one of the other videos on my channel featuring this vehicle,
you're likely very familiar with it. The Type
47B Scarab was one of the most common walkers used by the Covenant. Although it appears to be a traditional vehicle, the Scarab is actually
biomechanical, created out of Lekgolo, the same creatures that form Hunters. The organic portion of the Scarab is
hard to detect because most of the platform is
covered by very thick armor. Although, typically, there would be Covenant on the Scarab, the Lekgolo controlled most functions of the machine including
walking and firing the weapons. Although it really is a living thing, for simplicity's sake, I probably will call it a vehicle throughout this episode.
Let's take a look at the Scarab's
weaponry. The biggest weapon and the main weapon on the vehicle was its focus cannon which would output an extreme amount of damage. Although the
range of the gun was somewhat limited, the beam could be avoided, and it did require a charge-up time. To understand this weapon, it helps
to know that the scarabs original and continuing purpose is for excavation,
particularly for uncovering Forerunner artifacts. This is why the weapon outputs a lot of damage over a wide area up
close to the Scarab itself. At the top of the Scarab also sits a heavy plasma cannon.
This was usually used in an anti-aircraft role,
but I see no reason why it wouldn't be effective against something like a tripod. It ouputs a good amount of damage
but nothing compared to its main weapon. Most Scarabs would also have three manned anti-personnel
weapons on the surface of the vehicle.
I'll allow those for this matchup and give the Covenant two grunts and one elite to use them.
Let's now talk about
defense and durability. In Halo 2, a Marine tells us that they basically threw everything they had at the Scarab and couldn't do any damage.
Similarly, we see them a crash through buildings without even stopping. Scarabs are bulking, heavy weapons,
and it's very difficult to take them down. Even in later games when manning tanks or air vehicles, you can't destroy a
Scarab through conventional means by using the weapons. You have to hit it in the weak spot. Admittedly,
this is a gameplay choice,
but I also think it reflects the realities of the Scarab's durability. Destroying the vehicle via its weak
spot is fairly difficult, and, in the games,
it's much easier to do so if you can go on foot. However, the hind legs especially are fairly vulnerable, and an attack
dedicated to those areas can be used to at least
temporarily cripple the Scarab. The platform's movement is fairly fast especially for a vehicle of its size. It can move laterally
extremely well. It can also handle tough terrain with ease although its straight-line speed isn't
particularly impressive. Overall, the max speed that you can expect the scarab to reach is about 75 km/h,
Which, again, for the vehicle's size isn't that bad.
Let's now take a look at the Tripod from the War of the Worlds series.
Specifically, we're gonna be looking at the Tripod as it existed in the
2005 movie, not the
miniseries and not the book because I think that that's what most of you guys are probably familiar with. The origins of the Tripod within
this movie are up for debate. Some say that the vehicles were buried underground,
but then you wonder how, in a city like Boston where there are various subway tunnels, nobody ever saw them before.
Others say that the lightning strikes at the beginning of the movies were actually the Tripods coming down from space. Ultimately, it makes no difference
for this matchup. Let's talk first about the weaponry of the walker,
and I think the thing that needs to be addressed right off the bat is the EMP. At the beginning of War of the Worlds,
along with a lightning strike,
there's an EMP which knocks out most electronics within the area. After the EMP goes off, the walkers emerge and start attacking
humanity. However,
I'm not certain that the EMP can actually be associated with one individual Tripod,
so I won't be including it for the purposes of this discussion. The main weapon of the Tripod is an absolutely devastating
beam weapon. When we first see the creatures or the walkers appear, it does take them a few seconds to fire up their guns,
but that could be because they're awakening for the first time in quite a while.
Later, we see them fire much quicker,
so I'm gonna assume that these weapons are basically ready to go at all times. This weapon
instantly vaporizes organic material that it touches, completely destroying any human beings caught in its path. It's not clear to me
whether this is because it expels so much energy or because there's some other forces at play here,
but it's incredibly effective at taking down individuals. However,
we also see that it does work against non-organic material.
It completely destroys a freeway, several houses, and, although it doesn't
vaporize things like it does with people, it still seems to be quite powerful.
The beam can also be fired very quickly with little recharge time and seems to be extremely accurate.
There's one scene especially that shows just how deadly the weapon is. Humans are trying to run away on a hill and
Tripods just absolutely mowing them down. The walkers also have anti-personnel weapons,
but I don't think that those are very important here. On the topic of durability, Tripods have
extremely powerful force shields. Throughout the movie, until the very end, walkers are completely invulnerable to attacks which come from
outside its shield bubble.
It is, however, vulnerable to attacks from within, and we see Tom Cruise destroy one with a well-placed
grenade. The walker's armor doesn't seem to be anything special, and, later on, when the shield is down,
we see humans manage to destroy one with a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher,
but the shield seems to be quite impressive. Onto movement, the long spindly legs of the Tripod
does help
it move fairly quickly,
and it shows the ability to navigate tough terrain like cities with ease much like the Scarab. Finally,
I need to talk about the sickness which plays a big part in the
2005 film. Humanity are able to defeat the Tripods only after they are weakened by various airborne diseases
within Earth's atmosphere. The sickness seems to not only confuse them
but also removes their shields and leaves them 100%
vulnerable to attack. However, this sickness is not instantaneous. The Tripods only start showing signs
several days after the actual invasion itself,
so I don't think in this battle that it will play any sort of role. With that basic description of both combatants out of the
way, let's now look at the actual match.
But I think it's interesting for you guys to vote right now on who you predict will win. Go ahead and click the annotation in
the upper right hand corner. For me, I think it is fairly obvious.
The Tripod here, I think, as most of the advantages. Its weapons are most likely more powerful,
it has shielding, and it's probably faster
or, at least, just as fast as the Scarab. Let's talk first about weaponry. According to the Halo
encyclopedia, the Scarab's main weapon can melt through 5 feet of concrete. That is incredibly impressive,
but I wouldn't be surprised if the Tripod could match that. We see it completely destroy a
freeway with ease. The weapons also fire much faster than the Scarab's main weapon and are much more accurate.
Another thing is that the Scarab almost has a type disadvantage here.
We see how good the guns of the tripod are at taking down organic material. Well,
although it is covered by a shell, the Scarab is made out of a living being or many living beings.
I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Tripod was able to vaporize the Lekgolo who formed the Scarab. With no sickness
debilitating it,
I think the Tripod's shields should also be capable of stopping anything thrown at it by the Scarab or at least stopping a few
salvos of anything thrown at it. We see the Tripod survived being attacked by helicopters
and tanks and infantry all at once without the shields even coming close to failing.
I don't think the first blast of the Scarab will be enough to break through the Tripod's
defenses, and, by the time a second one is charged up,
I think the tripod will have already decimated its opponent. It also could perhaps avoid it. We know how fast it is,
and it's got those long spindly legs which allows it to move very quickly,
but even if it doesn't, I think it will survive. All in all, even if the weapons of the Tripod aren't as effective as I'm
guessing they may be, I still think they'll be able to cut down the Scarab very easily,
removing the threat and taking it down with ease.
I give the vehicle from War of the Worlds the victory, and I say it wins nine and a half times out of ten. The
only chance that the Scarab has is if the troops on board can get within the energy shield of the Tripod,
perhaps destroy it with some plasma grenades, but I don't think that's the first thing that they'll think to do. That,
however, is just my opinion.
Let me know what you guys think. You already voted, but go down in the comments; argue it out.
Maybe you guys will change my mind. Also, let me know any future Versus Episodes you'd like to see and anything
you'd like to see on the channel
generally. I've been uploading a lot more on my second channel EcksToo. You guys should make sure you go check that out for some different
content. I do some vlogs, some gaming, just basically whatever I want. Also, subscribe on Twitter if you'd like to follow
I should say, and, if you really want to support the channel, you can join my Patreon page,
where you get various bonuses, and you can choose future episode ideas. Anyway,
thank you so much for watching guys. As always, this has been Eckhart's Ladder. May the force be with you.