Gameplay

Headshot: Difference between revisions

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
(Typo corrected: assult -> assault)
 
(95 intermediate revisions by 65 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{ratings}}
{{Status|Gameplay}}
{{Era|H1|H2|H3}}
{{Cleanup}}
[[Image:Sniping Headshot.jpg|thumb|A headshot made with a sniper rifle.]]
{{Disambig header|the gameplay mechanic|the medal|Headshot (medal)}}
[[Image:Halo_3_Picture_2.jpg|thumb|A close-up of a headshot in Halo 3. The weapon used was a Sniper Rifle. The remains of the crippled shielding and blood from the exit wound are clearly visible.]]
[[File:Halo 3 Picture 2.jpg|thumb|A close-up of a headshot in Halo 3. The weapon used was a Sniper Rifle. The remains of the crippled shielding and blood from the exit wound are clearly visible.]]
A '''headshot''' is a shot fired at an enemy's head. Headshots, when fired from a precision weapon, will instantly kill an unshielded target. Due to the size of a target's head relative to the size of their body, however, headshots are relatively difficult to perform. They are typically performed with scoped weapons. It should be noted that while any shot to the head could be (informally) called a "headshot", headshot-related awards (like [[medals]]) are only given if the headshot was a fatal shot. That is to say, a kill will only count as a headshot kill if the headshot was the killing shot.


==Headshot==
== Damage System ==
Headshots will instantly kill an unshielded opponent, but does not do any extra damage to shields. That is to say, a shielded opponent will take the same amount of damage no matter where they are shot.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p54yFedYHb4 '''YouTube:''' ''Halo 3: Shot Location Damage Experiment'']</ref> Shooting a shielded opponent in the head does exactly the same amount of damage as shooting them in the foot. However, in ''Halo Infinite'', headshots with the [[shock rifle]] do extra damage to shields.


A '''headshot''' is a tactic used in both [[Campaign]] and [[Multiplayer]] to score instant kills. This occurs when a bullet or projectile is fired at an enemy's head causing higher damage, which is logical. This is more effective than the bullet hitting the enemy's body. Since the head of a character only consists of a small percentage of their body area, it is very difficult to pull off many headshots unless the player has a good stationary and shielded position. Headshots are most commonly performed with semi-automatic weapons that have good accuracy, and a precision sight, such as a sniper/beam rifle.
In ''Halo 5: Guardians'' and ''Halo Infinite'', headshots with weapons such as the [[MA5D assault rifle|assault]] [[MA40 assault rifle|rifle]], the [[M739 SAW]], and the [[M20 PDW]] do extra damage to health, though they don't kill instantly.


===Damage===
=== Damage Bleeding Through Shielding ===
The reason that Sniper Rifle and Beam Rifle headshots can instantly kill a shielded opponent is because Sniper and Beam Rifles do more than enough damage to drain an opponent's shields and cause slight damage to Health as well. If the shot hits the head, the "leftover" damage is inflicted on the newly-unshielded opponent's head. Any headshot-capable damage inflicted upon an unshielded head will then kill the victim immediately.


*Headshots do no more damage to shields than body shots.
For example, in ''Halo 3'', 12 shots from a Battle Rifle does a total of 72 damage. A player has 70 shield points, so 11 and <sup>2</sup>/<sub>3</sub> bullets are used for the shield and the remaining <sup>1</sup>/<sub>3</sub> bullet does the fatal headshot.<ref>{{Cite BWU|13233|02/08/08}}</ref> A sniper round does roughly 80 damage, 70 of which is used for the shield and 10 of which go for the body, which means a kill in the case of a headshot.  


*Sniper weapons,such as the [[Beam Rifle]] and [[Sniper Rifle]], are very effective headshot weapons. One headshot will normally kill a fully shielded target, but overshielded and high-ranked enemies will survive.  Sniper headshots also do some more damage against shields.
In ''Halo: Reach'', the damage system has been altered where damage applied to a shielded enemy wouldn't do any damage to health.<ref name="Interview">[http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/03/31/exclusive-interview-on-the-halo-reach-sandbox.aspx '''GameInformer''': ''Exclusive Interview On The Halo: Reach Sandbox'']</ref> In order to successfully produce a headshot, the player has to eliminate the enemy's shield first, though the only exception to this would be the sniper rifle.{{Ref/Reuse|Interview}} The [[Halo: Reach Title Updates|Title Update]] brought back the ability for players to inflict damage through a small amount of shielding.


*Some weapons, typically explosive, fully automatic, or spread-shot weapons such as the [[MA5 Assault Rifles]], [[M7 SMG]], [[Sentinel Beam]], [[Brute Spiker]], [[Brute Shot]], [[M90 Shotgun]], etc. will not kill a player with a headshot
In ''Halo Infinite'', damage from weapons such as the [[BR75 battle rifle]], the [[Bandit]], and an overcharged {{Pattern|Rohakadu|plasma pistol}} won't do any damage to health on a shielded opponent. Therefore, even though 11 shots from the battle rifle would do 140.03 damage, exceeding a full shield of 140 points, it would still require a twelfth shot to land the headshot.


===List of headshot weapons===
== Aiming ==
With headshot power/effectiveness rating against shielded enemies, and flesh (1 to 10, 10 being the strongest)
Scoring a headshot on a multiplayer enemy is relatively straightforward, as the head is clearly identifiable and almost always visible.


*[[Sniper Rifle]] headshot power/effectiveness against shielded enemy: 10 (pure power, one hit kill)
[[Face Painting|Face painting]] is an effective technique when going for a headshot, as is the act of leading one's target. Watching the [[reticule]] on the [[heads-up display]] is also useful; in all ''Halo'' first-person shooter games after ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', a small red dot will appear at the center of the reticule when aiming at an enemy's head.
*[[M6D]] headshot power/effectiveness against shielded enemy: 10 (pure power + fast rate of fire)


*[[M6G]] headshot power/effectiveness against shielded enemy: 9 (pure power)
== Headshot-capable weapons ==
Not all weapons in the ''Halo'' series are headshot-capable. It is entirely possible to shoot an opponent in the head with a headshot-''in''capable weapon, but the hit will not count as a headshot.
*[[Battle rifle|BR-series Battle Rifles]]
*[[M392 DMR]]
*[[M395 DMR]]
*[[M395B DMR]]
*[[VK78 Commando]]
*[[M6 Series|M6 series sidearms]]
*[[Mk50 Sidekick]]
*[[SRS99 series|SRS99 series sniper rifles]]
*{{Pattern|Zubo|beam rifle}}
*{{Pattern|Gadulo|needle rifle}}
*{{Pattern|Sulok|beam rifle}}
*{{Pattern|Vostu|carbine}}
*{{Pattern|Mosa|carbine}}
*[[Ukala Workshop Mangler]]
*{{Pattern|Rohakadu|plasma pistol}} (overcharged)
*[[Veporokk Workshop Ravager]] (overcharged)
*[[Sicatt Workshop shock rifle]]
*[[Flaktura Workshop Skewer]]
*{{Pattern|Elutuzem|stalker rifle}}
*[[Z-110 Boltshot]]
*[[Z-250 lightrifle]]
*[[Z-750 binary rifle]]


*[[M6C Magnum]] headshot power/effectiveness against shielded enemy: 8 (extremely fast rate of fire makes up for some of the power)
== Trivia ==
* In ''Halo 3''{{'}}s [[campaign]] or [[matchmaking]], players can unlock the "[[Headshot Honcho]]" [[Achievement]] by getting ten headshots with a Sniper Rifle. Additionally, scoring headshots in ''Halo 3''{{'}}s [[Campaign Scoring|meta-game]] will earn more [[Campaign Scoring#Style Multipliers|points]].
* In ''Halo 3: ODST'', the achievement "[[Boom, Headshot]]" is unlocked by killing 10 opponents with headshots with the [[M6C/SOCOM]].
* In ''Halo: Reach''{{'}}s [[Firefight]] mode, AI enemies can headshot players.
* In ''Halo 5: Guardians'' and ''Halo Infinite'', headshots will cause a different hit marker to signify increased damage.
** This critical damage marker will also be shown when a target is hit in their weak spots, like a [[Promethean Knight]]'s cores, a [[Mgalekgolo|Hunter]]'s exposed orange flesh, or the core on the [[Warden Eternal]]'s back.


*[[Beam Rifle]] headshot power/effectiveness against shielded enemies: 10 (pure power, one hit kill)
== Sources ==
{{Ref/Sources}}


*[[BR55HB SR Battle Rifle]] headshot power/effectiveness against shielded enemies: 8 (power)
[[Category:Tricks and cheats]]
 
[[Category:Real-world terms and phrases]]
*[[Covenant Carbine]] headshot power/effectiveness against shielded enemies: 8 (fast rate of fire makes up for some of the power)
[[Category:Multiplayer lexicon]]
 
*[[BR55 Battle Rifle]] headshot power/effectiveness against shielded enemies: 9 (power)
 
Headshots require a great amount of accuracy, so using weapons that do not aim well (such as the [[Assault Rifle]]) is largely ineffective. A one-hit-kill can be made with the [[Shotgun]] (body or head), although it is difficult and takes practice.
 
Headshots are most commonly executed by more skilled players than the average rookie, due to the high level of skill involved in shooting someone in the head while running as opposed to a killing shot to the chest such as the [[Rocket Launcher]] would provide.
 
Note that the [[Assault Rifle]] and the [[SMG]] don't provide any increased damage for headshots, along with many other fully automatic weapons such as the [[Plasma Rifle]].
 
When the crosshairs of a headshot/capable weapon are over an enemy's head, they turn bright red and a small red dot appears in the middle of the crosshairs meaning you are pointing at the head.
 
It is actually possible to fire between the mandibles of the [[Elite]] and miss. This can happen but is rarely achieved.
 
==Trivia==
*Some people use the [[Elite]] [[Ascetic]] player model in high and blatant hopes that the lowered head stays all headshots from behind, mainly utilized on a [[Team SWAT]] game but in truth and reality there is still a small part of head exposed from the Elite's posterior and backside. It is simply harder to get a headshot from behind on an Elite. Also, there is a small spot in the back between the 'shoulder blades' of the model that will sometimes produce an actual headshot. It is also far easier to get a head shot on an Elite from the front, as their head is in the "center of their mass".
 
<GALLERY>
Image:1207184767 Boomheadshot 2.gif|Headshot Animation
Image:16642026-Full.jpg
</GALLERY>
 
[[Category:Tricks and Cheats]]
[[Category:Terms and Phrases]]
[[Category:Multiplayer Lexicon]]

Latest revision as of 19:24, July 22, 2024

Help.png
 This article does not meet the wiki's general standards and/or standards on layouts. You can help by cleaning this article.
This article is about the gameplay mechanic. For the medal, see Headshot (medal).
A close-up of a headshot in Halo 3. The weapon used was a Sniper Rifle. The remains of the crippled shielding and blood from the exit wound are clearly visible.

A headshot is a shot fired at an enemy's head. Headshots, when fired from a precision weapon, will instantly kill an unshielded target. Due to the size of a target's head relative to the size of their body, however, headshots are relatively difficult to perform. They are typically performed with scoped weapons. It should be noted that while any shot to the head could be (informally) called a "headshot", headshot-related awards (like medals) are only given if the headshot was a fatal shot. That is to say, a kill will only count as a headshot kill if the headshot was the killing shot.

Damage System[edit]

Headshots will instantly kill an unshielded opponent, but does not do any extra damage to shields. That is to say, a shielded opponent will take the same amount of damage no matter where they are shot.[1] Shooting a shielded opponent in the head does exactly the same amount of damage as shooting them in the foot. However, in Halo Infinite, headshots with the shock rifle do extra damage to shields.

In Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Infinite, headshots with weapons such as the assault rifle, the M739 SAW, and the M20 PDW do extra damage to health, though they don't kill instantly.

Damage Bleeding Through Shielding[edit]

The reason that Sniper Rifle and Beam Rifle headshots can instantly kill a shielded opponent is because Sniper and Beam Rifles do more than enough damage to drain an opponent's shields and cause slight damage to Health as well. If the shot hits the head, the "leftover" damage is inflicted on the newly-unshielded opponent's head. Any headshot-capable damage inflicted upon an unshielded head will then kill the victim immediately.

For example, in Halo 3, 12 shots from a Battle Rifle does a total of 72 damage. A player has 70 shield points, so 11 and 2/3 bullets are used for the shield and the remaining 1/3 bullet does the fatal headshot.[2] A sniper round does roughly 80 damage, 70 of which is used for the shield and 10 of which go for the body, which means a kill in the case of a headshot.

In Halo: Reach, the damage system has been altered where damage applied to a shielded enemy wouldn't do any damage to health.[3] In order to successfully produce a headshot, the player has to eliminate the enemy's shield first, though the only exception to this would be the sniper rifle.[3] The Title Update brought back the ability for players to inflict damage through a small amount of shielding.

In Halo Infinite, damage from weapons such as the BR75 battle rifle, the Bandit, and an overcharged Rohakadu-pattern plasma pistol won't do any damage to health on a shielded opponent. Therefore, even though 11 shots from the battle rifle would do 140.03 damage, exceeding a full shield of 140 points, it would still require a twelfth shot to land the headshot.

Aiming[edit]

Scoring a headshot on a multiplayer enemy is relatively straightforward, as the head is clearly identifiable and almost always visible.

Face painting is an effective technique when going for a headshot, as is the act of leading one's target. Watching the reticule on the heads-up display is also useful; in all Halo first-person shooter games after Halo: Combat Evolved, a small red dot will appear at the center of the reticule when aiming at an enemy's head.

Headshot-capable weapons[edit]

Not all weapons in the Halo series are headshot-capable. It is entirely possible to shoot an opponent in the head with a headshot-incapable weapon, but the hit will not count as a headshot.

Trivia[edit]

  • In Halo 3's campaign or matchmaking, players can unlock the "Headshot Honcho" Achievement by getting ten headshots with a Sniper Rifle. Additionally, scoring headshots in Halo 3's meta-game will earn more points.
  • In Halo 3: ODST, the achievement "Boom, Headshot" is unlocked by killing 10 opponents with headshots with the M6C/SOCOM.
  • In Halo: Reach's Firefight mode, AI enemies can headshot players.
  • In Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Infinite, headshots will cause a different hit marker to signify increased damage.
    • This critical damage marker will also be shown when a target is hit in their weak spots, like a Promethean Knight's cores, a Hunter's exposed orange flesh, or the core on the Warden Eternal's back.

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ YouTube: Halo 3: Shot Location Damage Experiment
  2. ^ Bungie Weekly Update 02/08/08
  3. ^ a b GameInformer: Exclusive Interview On The Halo: Reach Sandbox
Retrieved from "https://www.halopedia.org/index.php?title=Headshot&oldid=1638084"