Commando

This article is about the Halo Infinite weapon. For other uses of the term "Commando", see its disambiguation page.

This article documents its subject as it pertains to the gameplay of the Halo games, rather than the lore.

Commando
Gameplay role
Faction:	Human (UNSC)
Weapon tier (?):	Pickup weapon
Weapon class (?):	Tactical rifle
Weapon type (?):	Precision weapon
Firing mode:	Automatic
Effective range:	Medium to long
Counterparts:	Human (UNSC): Battle Rifle DMR Covenant: Covenant Carbine Needle Rifle Forerunner: LightRifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	Medium to long
Damage type (?):	Kinetic
Projectile speed:	Very high, near-instantaneous
Rate of fire:	Slow
Accuracy:	High
Magazine size:	20 bullets
Variants and attachments
Halo Infinite variant(s):	Impact Commando

"Precision automatic rifle with heavy recoil. Effective at medium to long range."

— In-game description

The Commando is a human tactical rifle introduced in Halo Infinite. It is a fully automatic precision weapon with a slow rate of fire, high recoil and a small magazine, but is compensated with a higher damage per shot than most automatic weapons, and the ability to headshot enemies. The weapon features a 3x scope, making it effective for engaging enemies at medium to long ranges, but is less useful in close quarters.

Universe and lore

Main article: VK78 Commando

Manufactured by Vakara GesmbH, the VK78 Commando is an automatic rifle that has been in service since at least the late 25th century. It fires 6.5mm rounds and is fed by a detachable box magazine that typically holds 20 rounds. Along its top, it features a mounting rail for optics, with one common configuration including a sight akin to a recon sight. The model employed by forces attached to the UNSC Infinity in the aftermath of the emergence of the Created had an olive drab and matte black finish, with a vertical white stripe running across its front end, from the foregrip up to the rail.

The VK78 had entered production as early as the late 25th century, when it was in service with the Colonial Military Authority (CMA). In 2495, it was chosen as a replacement for the older HMG-38 heavy machine gun rifle among CMA frontier forces. It remained in service for at least a further six decades, seeing use within the United Nations Space Command armed forces at the Battle for Installation 07 in December, 2559, and in ensuing conflicts the following year.

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  VK78 Commando
  Halo Infinite

Overview

The Commando is a versatile precision weapon, introduced first in Halo Infinite. Featured in both campaign and multiplayer, it is a relatively common weapon, found frequently in weapon pads on multiplayer maps or scattered around campaign levels. Being both fully automatic and capable of headshots, it is capable of killing enemies quickly by stripping their shields with full auto fire and then finishing them with a headshot. However, it features immense recoil and less aim-assist than other similar weapons like the Battle Rifle, to balance this out.

Impact Commando

The Impact variant of the VK78 Commando has increased damage and expanded magazine capacity from 20 to 40 rounds, though with reduced accuracy. It has additional yellow coloration on certain components, including a yellow stripe across the heatshield and the forearm as well as the magazine.

In campaign, the Impact Commando is a legendary weapon awarded to the player in the Forward Operating Base progression system upon reaching 2,700 Valor. The weapon can be acquired at any Forward Operating Base. It has an increased magazine size from 20 to 40, with each round dealing more damage (killing a fully-shielded Spartan with 10 rounds instead of 15 rounds), though it has reduced accuracy via greater bloom. The optic magnification is also reduced from 2× to 1.4×.

Counterparts

The Halo games have featured many weapons similar in role to the Commando, namely precision weapons effective at medium and long ranges.

On the human side, the most prominent is the Battle Rifle. First introduced in Halo 2, the Battle Rifle has been a staple of the series ever since. It fires a three-round burst, with the capability to headshot unshielded enemies to instantly kill them. Like the Commando, it has a single-level zoom, typically with a magnification of 2x. Its projectiles are usually very fast - near-instantaneous - and its magazine typically holds 36 bullets - or 12 bursts. Another human equivalent to the Commando is the DMR, which is a semi-automatic weapon with a clip that usually holds roughly a dozen shots. Like the BR and Commando, it can headshot enemies and features a single level of zoom.

One Covenant counterpart to the Commando is the Covenant Carbine. As with all previous counterparts, it has a single level of zoom and is a precision weapon, capable of headshotting unshielded enemies. It is a semi-automatic weapon with a very high rate of fire, firing projectiles with minimal travel time but lower damage compared to the DMR. The Covenant also have the Needle Rifle, perhaps closest to the Commando in function, being a fully-automatic precision weapon. It has a relatively slow rate of fire for an automatic weapon but does more damage per shot. As with all previous weapons, it has a single level of zoom.

Finally, there is the Forerunner LightRifle. This weapon is very similar to those previously mentioned, being a precision weapon most effective at medium to long ranges with a single level of zoom, and having the capability of headshotting enemies. It is usually semi-automatic, although in Halo 4 it fires in bursts, like the Battle Rifle, when not zoomed in (but fires single shots when zoomed). What sets the LightRifle apart is the fact that, while zoomed in, the projectiles it fires deal more damage, capable of killing enemies in fewer shots.

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  Battle Rifle
  Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo: Spartan Assault, Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer, Halo: Spartan Strike, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Online and Halo Infinite

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  DMR
  Halo: Reach, Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Online

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  Covenant Carbine
  Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer, Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Online

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  Needle Rifle
  Halo: Reach and Halo: Fireteam Raven

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  LightRifle
  Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians

Gameplay

Stats

This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

The following table summarises the Commando's stats in Halo Infinite:

	Infinite
Weapon type	Standard
Damage type	Kinetic
Firing mode	Automatic
Precision weapon	✓
Zoom levels	3x
Magazine/clip size	20

Advantages

• Effective at longer ranges than most weapons, allowing the user to deal damage to distant enemies while sustaining less themselves
  • Features a 3x zoom, which makes it even more effective at these long ranges
• Fully automatic, meaning users need not pace their shots manually
• Can headshot unshielded enemies for an instant kill

Disadvantages

• Has very high recoil when fired consistently
• Features little aim assist, particularly at close ranges

Tactics and strategies

The Commando is best used at medium to longer ranges, to engage enemies before they can get close enough to retaliate. To account for the recoil, the user should aim towards the lower torso or legs (depending on the distance) for shielded targets; by the time the shields break, the recoil will have forced the reticule up towards the enemy's now-vulnerable head. It is wise to avoid using the Commando in close-quarters combat, where it is weaker due to its lower aim assist. When in close quarters, users should switch to a close-range weapon like the Sidekick, Assault Rifle or Bulldog if one is available.

Skins and cosmetics

Main article: Weapon customization

In Halo Infinite, the Commando can be outfitted with various weapon coatings to customise its appearance.

Weapon customization/Coating/VK78

Medals

Icon	Name	Game	Unlock requirements
	Marksman	Halo Infinite	Kill 5 enemies with tactical rifles

Gallery

Renders and cutouts

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  In-engine render of the Commando in Halo Infinite.

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  A cutout of the Commando in Infinite.

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  The Commando in Infinite, with the Adrenal coating.

HUD icons

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  The Commando HUD Icon in Halo Infinite.

Screenshots

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  A Commando lying on the floor.

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  First-person view of the Commando in combat during the Halo Infinite Campaign Gameplay Premiere.

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  First-person view of a the weapon being reloaded in the Halo Infinite Campaign Gameplay Premiere.

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  First-person view of the Commando's zoom in the Halo Infinite Campaign Gameplay Premiere.

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  A CQB-clad player wielding a Commando in the A New Generation trailer.

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  A Spartan sprinting with the Commando.

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  Another Spartan holding a Commando.

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  The Commando's tooltip in Halo Infinite.

List of appearances

• Halo Infinite (First appearance)