M57 Pilum/Gameplay
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
- The M57 Rocket Launcher can lock-on to air vehicles, even when hipfired. Unlike in previous games, aircraft like Banshees and Phaetons can never escape a missile from a locked-on M57 Rocket Launcher, regardless of the pilot's skill.
- The missile can only be stopped by scenery objects, such as tall walls or buildings.
- When fighting a Phantom, use the Rocket Launcher in tandem with another explosive weapon, such as a Railgun or Incineration Cannon, to quickly destroy the Phantom.
- As with the previous M41 SPNKr Rocket Launcher, never aim directly at an enemy player on foot with a rocket launcher. The small, fleet tendencies of an enemy soldier makes it next to impossible to score a direct hit, especially with the addition of Spartan abilities, making rockets easier to avoid. Instead, aim for their feet, and perhaps a little bit ahead of where they are. Players near the rocket's splash radius can be killed, and if they aren't killed, keep a secondary weapon (preferably a precision one) to finish them off with a quick headshot.
- It is effective against Hunters and Promethean Knights, capable of killing at least one even before having expended two clips of the weapon.
- Unlike other UNSC weapons in Halo 5: Guardians, the Rocket Launcher can kill a player character in the campaign and make them unrevivable if the rocket directly hits them.
- Warzone features two additional variants:
- Ad Victoriam: an improved M57 that fires three laser-guided missiles in a V-shaped formation and feature a proximity airburst fuse, as well as faster reloading time but with a trade-off of an 18.4% slower missile speed. As the missiles can be guided using Smart Link, the Ad Victoriam is recommended for dealing with campers and/or enemies in hard-to-reach places, as well as dealing with vehicles or bosses.
- High Five: an advanced M57 that fires five Hydra mini-missiles capable of seeking out both land and air targets; at least two of the missiles must hit to kill a Spartan. It also has the longest red reticle range of any weapon, capable of target detection from up to 762 m (2,500 ft) away with its 5× zoom. The High Five is most effective as an anti-infantry weapon, but is otherwise still proficient against vehicles and bosses. It also has the slowest missile speed of the three Rocket Launchers, with 27.7% less speed than the standard model.