Archive:Halo Waypoint/2009 to 2014/Universe/Weapons: Difference between revisions

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==[[MA series|Assault Rifle]]==

The term “Assault Rifle” is colloquially used throughout the UNSC Armed Forces to describe an array of Individual Combat Weapon Systems with the model prefix “MA.” It is the most commonly associated sidearm of the Army, Navy, and Marines; it is instantly recognizable due to its accentuated and bulky shroud, its practical but heavy design, and its overall efficiency across a wide spectrum of combat scenarios.

==[[M6 series|Magnum]]==

The sidearms which fall into the M6 PDWS series represent, without a doubt, the most prominent handguns among all of the UNSC’s Armed Forces, local law enforcement, and even human criminals. Developed and produced by Misriah Armory, the M6 series is a recoil-operated, magazine-fed selection of sidearms with an incredibly large array of variants and customizations, all of which are officially issued in three different finishes: hard chrome, black polymer, and electroless nickel.

==[[M9 fragmentation grenade|Frag Grenade]]==

Largely unchanged for centuries, the M9 HE-DP Antipersonnel Grenade is the standard fragmentary explosive used by all branches of the UNSC. Its vaguely spherical design, its digital timer fuse and its magnetic latching transportability have all contributed to the prominence of its use in the field.

==[[M392 DMR|DMR]]==

The M392 DMR, or Designated Marksman Rifle, is an air-cooled, gas-operated medium-to-long range rifle which fires 7.62 x 51mm FMJ-AP ammunition. Used predominantly by the UNSC Army, the DMR provides soldiers with a functionally reliable alternative to the dominant assault rifle and battle rifle series, with a clean and sturdy overall design and modular hardware components made to withstand a variety of battlefield conditions.

==[[M319 grenade launcher|Grenade Launcher]]==

The M319 is a single-shot, break-action grenade launcher which fires a 40mm high-explosive, dual-purpose grenade. In standard firing mode, the grenade will detonate on contact with the target, creating a concussive impact which is almost always lethal. In its alternate firing mode, the grenade launches but its detonation contents remain inert until the user releases the trigger. This feature allows the weapon’s operator to fire and detonate the grenade strategically, through indirect fire, or simply remote discharge.

==[[M247H machine gun|Machine Gun Turret]]==

One of a number of machine gun turrets employed by the UNSC, the M247H is an air-cooled, gas-operated, electrically-fired machine gun which is fed linkless 12.7mm HVE (High Velocity, Explosive) rounds. Due to its comparatively light weight and ease of transportability, the M247H is used at most UNSC base locations and high-priority sites.

*'''Source''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/machine-gun-turret/9b6fcc6f-aa65-4123-88ad-6ad06b71d824 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Machine Gun Turret''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20111005193313/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/machine-gun-turret/9b6fcc6f-aa65-4123-88ad-6ad06b71d824 Archive.org])

Remaining mysterious even in post-war times is the Covenant’s Focus Rifle, or T-52 Special Applications Rifle. Developed in the cavernous war factories deep within High Charity, the Focus Rifle appears to be the product of reverse-engineered Forerunner technology and, more specifically, technology which is employed by Sentinel drones. While much of the Covenant’s arsenal originates from the knowledge gleaned from dormant Forerunner artifacts, the Focus Rifle is a repurposing of existing, active Forerunner machines—in this case, beam weapons, which were captured, disabled and reconstituted.

*'''Source''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/focus-rifle/5877d3be-206a-477c-892a-67ff5094e284 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Focus Rifle''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20110928161938/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/focus-rifle/5877d3be-206a-477c-892a-67ff5094e284 Archive.org])

Engineered by the Merchants of Qikost, the Concussion Rifle’s overall design predates the Writ of Union and the formation of the Covenant, one of many examples of technology introduced into the alliance's armament by the Sangheili, by way of their pre-existing military dominance. Though its physical configuration has evolved since its first inception, its core purpose and functionality remains unchanged.

*'''Source''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/concussion-rifle/70cf7b75-751b-44ed-9bd7-ce7596ffa0e5 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Concussion Rifle''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20111001002417/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/concussion-rifle/70cf7b75-751b-44ed-9bd7-ce7596ffa0e5 Archive.org])

The Plasma Grenade is easily the most recognizable of the Covenant’s antipersonnel grenades, fielded by just about every unit and always found in large numbers. Covenant records indicate that it has been in production, largely unchanged, for centuries and its functionality remains impressively effective.

*'''Source''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/Universe/Detail/plasma-grenade/93848cf9-d90f-4f0d-a27d-c34ec7741b9e '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Plasma Grenade''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120614042341/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/Universe/Detail/plasma-grenade/93848cf9-d90f-4f0d-a27d-c34ec7741b9e Archive.org])

Furthering the same technology incorporated into the Plasma Grenade, the Covenant’s Plasma Launcher is a shoulder-mounted munitions cannon which fires up to four bolts of latent plasma which actively and persistently track a target’s heat signature. Upon making contact, the bolts detonate with violently explosive and typically lethal results.

*'''Source''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/Universe/Detail/plasma-launcher/837af1ac-e46b-459e-aeaa-2ad463e0a21d '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Plasma Launcher''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20120427114333/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/Universe/Detail/plasma-launcher/837af1ac-e46b-459e-aeaa-2ad463e0a21d Archive.org])

The Plasma Cannon is a broad, rather open-ended colloquial designation for the Covenant’s Class-1 directed energy cannons, typically deployed as a stationary emplacement, within the heavy support role. The T-52 Directed Energy Support Weapon is the most updated variant of this weapon-type employed by the Covenant late in the war. Earlier, the leaner T-42 Plasma Cannon was frequently observed, its narrow, elongated shape vaguely resembling that of the T-51 Plasma Repeater.

*'''Source''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/plasma-cannon/7e7f4e70-db67-4477-9ee9-3956d2155fcc '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Plasma Cannon''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20111001002421/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/plasma-cannon/7e7f4e70-db67-4477-9ee9-3956d2155fcc Archive.org])

Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, the Covenant’s Type-33 Light Anti-Armor Weapon, frequently referred to as the “Fuel Rod Gun,” is a recoil-operated, shoulder-mounted, anti-personnel/anti-armor munitions launcher used by infantry and other groundside forces. The Covenant deploy a number of launchers in the field, but the Fuel Rod Gun is, without a doubt, the most commonly used, typically attributed to the fact that many Unggoy have been trained to operate it.

==[[Type-1 energy sword|Energy Sword]]==

The close-combat weapon most frequently fielded by the Covenant is a single-handed, double-bladed energy weapon formally called the Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword. The weapon is physically composed of a grooved hilt which generates, through a magnetic field, twin blades of superheated, shaped plasma. While the blades are not pure energy in the strictest sense, their overall effect is indistinguishable and just as terrifying.

*'''Source''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/theuniverse/tech/gallery/energy-sword/87ebf6e2-3874-4e5c-8133-b72c20a46d7f '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Energy Sword''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20110921054240/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/theuniverse/tech/gallery/energy-sword/87ebf6e2-3874-4e5c-8133-b72c20a46d7f Archive.org])

Unlike most species within the Covenant, the Jiralhanae were allowed to incorporate their own ordnance into the vast armament that the Sangheili had been honing for centuries. While it’s unknown how exactly this came about, it has become customary (though not exclusory)—since their induction—for Jiralhanae troops to primarily use Jiralhanae weapons, with several having even been enhanced through preexisting Covenant technology.

The Spike Rifle, or “Spiker” as it’s referred to in the field, is a Jiralhanae weapon which has seen relatively little iteration since its first design on Doisac. Engineered to fire superheated spikes at a low but effective muzzle velocity, it bears two large bayonets, attached to the barrel. The Spike Rifle is fully automatic and its magazines are typically capable of carrying 40 rounds, though there is evidence to suggest that this number is not standard across all versions of the weapon.

<gallery>

*'''Source''': [http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/spike-rifle/bb559bc8-65c5-4572-8ffd-f7c05680380c '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Spike Rifle''] (defunct, backup on [https://web.archive.org/web/20110929111946/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/related/gallery/spike-rifle/bb559bc8-65c5-4572-8ffd-f7c05680380c Archive.org])

At the center of the Jiralhanae’s armament of brutal and horrific weaponry lies the Gravity Hammer, a two-meter-long device built for extremely close-range melee combat. In the Jiralhanae culture, it served dual purposes as a weapon as well as a defining ceremonial vestige of clan leadership, and is thus typically wielded by a chieftain or other high-ranking member. The hammer would be relinquished only when the leader was overthrown in combat, whereupon the winner would take the new leadership mantle along with the hammer.