Dual Wielding is a military technique where a gunner wields two weapons at once, one in each hand. This feature was first introduced into the Halo video game series in Halo 2 and will be continued in Halo 3.
Advantages/Disadvantages
Advantages
- Enhanced Firepower: When a player is dual-wielding, the two weapons in conjunction are more powerful than a single weapon of the same type. This allows for enhanced firepower, with double the damage or fire rate.
- Greater Versatility: Two weapons wielded in conjunction can perform multiple roles at the same time. For example, a player could wield an M6G Magnum in one hand, allowing him/her to shoot accurately over longer range, and a Mauler in the other for close range firepower.
- More Effective Combos: Likewise, dual-wielding a plasma weapon and a ballistic weapon can confer a unique advantage: Plasma weapons are stronger against shields, and ballistic weapons are stronger against armor. For example, a player may choose to dual-wield a Plasma Rifle and an SMG at the same time. The Plasma Rifle can take down the shields of an opponent and the SMG can shred through the opponent's armor, allowing for a very fast and efficient kill.
- Doubled Ammo Reserve: When you dual-wield certain weapons of the same type like two SMGs or two Needlers, the player character can carry double the amount of reserve ammunition for the weapons. This is a trick also exploited when Triple wielding.
Disadvantages
- Inability to Melee or Use Grenades: When a player is dual-wielding, the player must drop the left weapon in order to free a hand to melee or use grenades. This action of dropping a weapon takes time, and is disadvantageous.
- Reload/Overheat Window: When a player must reload their weapons, or if the weapons overheat, the player is vulnerable, and the reload time is also much higher than wielding a single weapon and reload it.
- Accuracy Decrease: Most weaponry are slightly more accurate when single-wielded than when dual-wielded, such as the Brute Plasma Rifle, Plasma Rifle, and the SMG.
- Eats Double the Amount of Ammo: While the player can carry double the amount of ammunition, the weapons also reload from the same pool, thus using double the amount of ammunition.
Changes in Halo 3
The major difference between Halo 2 and Halo 3's dual wield is that the player now can control the reloading far more accurately. In Halo 2, you had to reload the two weapons simultaneously. In Halo 3, you could reload the left, right or both, independent of each other. A minor difference is that Bungie is making it a lot less desirable by making you start out with a non-dual wieldable weapon. By doing this, multiplayer gameplay is balanced.
List of Dual Wieldable Weapons
Dual Wieldable weapons must be able to be used single-handed, and therefore are mostly those of closer range and less accuracy, as most accurate weapons, such as the BR55 Battle Rifle, are two-handed.