Nakata'vho-pattern plasma repeater

This article is about the infantry weapon. For other weapons named plasma repeater, see Plasma repeater (disambiguation).

Nakata'vho-pattern rifle
Production overview
Manufacturer:	Iruiru Armory
Type:	Plasma weapon
Specifications
Length:	97.4 centimetres (38.3 in)
Ammunition type:	Superheated plasma
Feed system:	100 battery units
Rate of fire:	Moderate-fast to very slow (overheating)
Service history
In service:	Human-Covenant War Post-Covenant War conflicts

The Nakata'vho-pattern rifle, (UNSC Type classification: Type-51 Directed Energy Rifle/Improved, T-51 DER/I) more commonly known as the plasma repeater, is a plasma-based directed-energy weapon used by the Covenant, issued to Sangheili as well as Jiralhanae shock troops.

Overview

Design details

The Nakata'vho-pattern plasma repeater resembles the Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle in shape, though with an elongated mid-section and stock, allowing the repeater to be shouldered more like a traditional rifle as opposed to the plasma rifle's more submachine gun-like hold. While the Sangheili tend to stabilize the weapon by holding its elongated section, the Jiralhanae holds the weapon midsection with both hands. The middle of the weapon features the circuit emitter, a revolving cylinder that slowly ramps up its rate of fire over time, starting with lower rates and accelerating to an extremely high rate of fire in a short period of time.

Unlike its forebears, the plasma repeater features a manual venting trigger that allows its operator to release thermal buildup, dispersing it through shuttered ports on the side of the weapon. This allows the operator more precision and control over the weapon, at the cost of the traditional format which dominated the majority of the Covenant's history.

Development history

The Nakata'vho-pattern plasma repeater was designed and manufactured by Iruiru Armory as an improvement over the venerable plasma rifle, as one of many efforts done by Covenant manufacturers in an attempt to improve performance over the plasma rifle. Results were generally mixed, though the plasma repeater proved the most effective in this endeavor. As of late 2552, the weapon was suspected by UNSC officials to be new to the Covenant arsenal or specific to only one of the Covenant's military arms, having only been sighted in the field relatively recently at the time. In truth, the weapon had been encountered by 2537 at the earliest, during Operation: PROMETHEUS. However, none of the Spartan-IIIs who participated in the mission would survive, and therefore the plasma repeater would remain unrecorded until later in the war.

Usage

Although it had entered Covenant service by 2537, the plasma repeater primarily saw use from 2552 onward, and in limited numbers. Many Sangheili preferred its use over more traditional plasma rifles due to its precision and the control it offered.

Operational history

The Nakata'vho-pattern plasma repeater had been adopted by the Covenant military in some capacity by 2537, being fielded by Sangheili during their failed defence of shipyards on asteroid K7-49. The weapon was notably employed by Sangheili and Jiralhanae shock trooper forces during the Fall of Reach in 2552. It would continue to go on to be used by the Covenant's remnant factions, with Merg Vol's Covenant employing it during the Battle of Draetheus V in 2555 and Jul 'Mdama's Covenant employing it in the battles of Installation 03 and New Phoenix. The plasma repeater continued to see use even into late 2559, with Arbiter Thel 'Vadam's security detail employing the weapon as they escorted him from a gathering of several key kaidons.

Gameplay

Halo: Reach

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In Halo: Reach, the Plasma Repeater appears alongside its smaller cousin, the Plasma Rifle, almost similar to how the MA5C Assault Rifle appeared alongside the M7 SMG in Halo 3. The Plasma Repeater can be used from close to medium range and has a faster rate of fire than the Plasma Rifle, but loses accuracy and rate of fire the longer you fire the weapon. The bloom of the weapon when firing can make this a difficult weapon to use. This is a common default loadout for Elites in certain modes of Multiplayer. Halo: Reach is the only first person shooter Halo game that the Plasma Repeater is featured in, and it would be replaced in role by the Storm Rifle in the next Halo titles.

Halo: Spartan Assault

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In Halo: Spartan Assault, the Plasma Repeater was the only fully automatic plasma weapon available for the Covenant, as the Plasma Rifle was unusable and the Storm Rifle was not present. With the change in gameplay with Spartan Assault being a top-down shooter, the Plasma Repeater became incredibly accurate and did not overheat. It served as a common Covenant weapon on the battlefield and as the counterpart to the MA5D Assault Rifle.

Halo: Spartan Strike

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The rifle also appears in Halo: Spartan Strike and is nearly identical to its Spartan Assault counterpart. This is the last Halo game to include the plasma repeater as a usable weapon.

Differences from the plasma rifle

• Each shot of the plasma repeater is .5% of the battery, making a total of 200 shots possible. Each shot from the plasma rifle is .25%, for a total of 400 shots possible.
• The plasma repeater takes 18 shots to kill a fully shielded Spartan, while only 16 are needed with the plasma rifle.
• The plasma repeater does the same damage per bolt to both health and shields; the plasma rifle does more damage per bolt against shields, but less against health.
• The bolts fired from the plasma repeater travel faster than those of the plasma rifle (at 50.00 meters, the repeater's shots take .5 seconds to reach the target, while the plasma rifle's take .6 seconds).
• The bolts of the plasma repeater have a purple hue, in contrast to the blue hue of those from the plasma rifle.
• The firing rate of the plasma repeater decreases over time; the plasma rifle's increases.
• The plasma repeater can be manually vented, either all at once or in several intervals, while the plasma rifle is forced to vent excess heat all at once.
• The plasma repeater features aim assist for the Elites, but the plasma rifle lacks this.

Trivia

Language	Equivalent
French	Le répétiteur à plasma in the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta. Le répéteur plasma in Halo: Reach.

• Unlike most plasma weapons in the Halo franchise, the plasma repeater actually does the same damage to a player's health as it does to a player's shields.
• The plasma repeater actually never overheats, building up heat which slows its rate of fire and increases accuracy until it is either vented or runs out of battery. This makes it one of the few battery-operated Covenant weapons to not be burdened with a necessary cool-down.
• There is an odd event that can be performed on the plasma repeater. In a Custom Game, Firefight or Forge, set Infinite Ammo to "Bottomless Clip", so it never loses fire rate due to overheating. Get a plasma repeater and fire it non-stop. The reticle will bloom far beyond the center of the screen. Once the reticle blooms to a certain point, it will reset itself to the middle of the screen again, repeating the process, but faster. After enough time, the reticle will simply be stuck in the center. Ceasing fire will cause the reticle to follow these steps in reverse. Not overheating gives the weapon one of the fastest fire rates in Halo: Reach.
• Page 333 of the Halo: Reach official guide incorrectly calls the plasma repeater the T51 DER/1 rather than the T51 DER/I.
• In Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike, the weapon is only used by Elite Minors. When used by the player, it carries a maximum of 200 shots.

Gallery

Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

Concept art and illustrations

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  Concept art for the plasma repeater.

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  Concept art for the plasma repeater.

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  Concept guidance paintover for an earlier revision of the plasma repeater's model.

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  Halo Wars 2 concept art depicting a Plasma Repeater modified to serve the Jiralhanae aesthetic of the Banished.

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  Members of Merg Vol's Covenant using plasma repeaters during the Battle of Draetheus V in Halo: Spartan Assault.

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  A Spartan-II using a plasma repeater on the cover of Halo: First Strike.

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  A Sangheili Minor using a plasma repeater against a SPARTAN-III in Halo Mythos.

Developmental images

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  First-person view of the plasma repeater during the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta.

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  Another first-person view of the plasma repeater during the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta.

Screenshots

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  Promotional image of the plasma repeater in Halo: Reach.

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  Angled view of the plasma repeater in Halo: Reach.

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  First-person view of the plasma repeater in Halo: Reach campaign.

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  A Sangheili Officer wielding the plasma repeater.

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  A Sangheili Ranger firing the plasma repeater.

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  A Jiralhanae Captain wielding the plasma repeater.

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  A Jiralhanae Minor wielding the plasma repeater.

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  A player venting the plasma repeater in Halo: Reach multiplayer.

List of appearances

• Halo: First Strike (2010 edition cover only)
• Halo: Reach (First appearance)
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Halo: Spartan Strike
• Halo: Ground Command
• Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo
• Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual
• Halo: Divine Wind
• Halo Infinite (Mentioned only)
• Halo: Outcasts