Grunts are Covenant "cannon fodder" according to the books, and make up the bulk of their ground forces. Despite their all-too-often retreats in Halo 1, the novels describe them as almost heroic in their persistence. In Halo 1, Grunts wielded plasma pistols or needlers, and often carried plasma grenades. SpecOps grunts, wearing black uniforms, also carried Fuel Rod Guns similar to those that Hunters have molded into their arms and the alternate firing mode for the Banshee. (The Halo PC manual reports them using plasma rifles but not needlers, but I believe this is an error, as I have definitely seen them use needlers but never recall seeing one use a plasma rifle.) Normally grunts are orange or red. Red ones seem to be tougher, and may be Grunts Major, similar to the major/minor divisions seen among Elites and in several kinds of enemies in the Marathon series. Grunts are usually only dangerous in groups, and tend to congregate near stronger units such as Jackals and Elites. The Halo 2 manual indicates that when an Elite is nearby, Grunts are less likely to flee, but will panic when faced by "superior forces".