Spartans are humans who are like machines (as noted by Bungie, "Like a Spartan, you are half human, half machine"). Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs) are like ordinary Marines, only they are highly trained, but they are not like Spartans. A mistake made by Bungie makes the player slightly like Spartans for the following reasons: during game play you are as tall as a Spartan when you are standing next to an ODST squad mate; you can wield a Gravity Hammer, which actually the only ones known to wield them are Spartans, Elites, and Brutes, not ODSTs; and you can melee Brutes to death, while only Spartans can do that. The melee attacks performed by people with lower ranks than Spartans do not affect Brutes at all.