Grunts, known to the Covenant as "Unggoy", are a species of small, gnomish creatures that are viewed in the game's fiction as cannon fodder. Depicted as squat and cowardly fighters, Grunts are low-ranking front-line soldiers usually encountered in numbers and often in units presided over by an Elite or Brute commander. They are usually lightly armed with relatively low-power weapons, but may throw grenades as well. Grunts tend to break formation, panicking and fleeing in terror, if the player or an NPC kills their commanding officer. However, they are also notable for attempting suicide runs against enemies on higher difficulties, charging at their foe with a plasma grenade in each hand.