Ordnance pod

Ordnance pods provide valuable ammunition and weapons to soldiers on the battlefront.

Ordnance pods, formally referred to as Resupply Canisters^[1]^[2] or Matériel Acquisition Pods (MAP),^[3] are rearmament capsules frequently used to rearm UNSC ground units in hazardous combat situations. Launched from the air or suborbital positions, they are deployed to provide weapons and equipment for UNSC forces deep behind enemy lines or outside the range of a forward operating base.^[3]

OverviewEdit

Design detailsEdit

A resupply canister is a long, oblong capsule, typically painted in olive green drab or gray. In the interior is a stiff blue or black/gray foam that encapsulates a firearm, typically infantry weapons such as pistols, submachine guns, shotguns, rifles, and rocket launchers. Most pods are saved for heavy ordnance and munitions, or long-range equipment. Upon impact, a gas-pressured release system pops off a set of panels on the upper surfaces of the capsule, revealing a partial profile of the weapon within.^[3]

D77-TC Pelican dropships may carry six resupply canisters on their tail assemblies and eject them in sequence, allowing the capsules to air-drop to the ground and implant themselves firmly into the ground, similar to the drop pods used by the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. Ordnance pods can also be deployed by GA-TL1 Longswords.^[4]

VariantsEdit

There are several variants of ordnance pods. Some of the most prominent include the Type-B Capsule,^[1] and the Type-C Capsule. ^[2]

Type-B CapsuleEdit

The Type-B Capsule was utilised during the Battle of Installation 05, during which the forces of UNSC In Amber Clad were resupplied on the ground by Pelican dropships carrying Type-B pods.^[5]^[6]

Closeup of the label on the Halo 2 Type-B capsule.
The empty Type-B in Halo 2.
A Type-B capsule stocking a sniper rifle in Halo 2.
Several Type-B Capsules in Halo 2.
Closeup of the label on the Type-B in Halo 2: Anniversary.
An empty Type-B in Halo 2: Anniversary
A pod stocking a sniper rifle in Halo 2: Anniversary.
Several Type-B capsules in Halo 2: Anniversary.

Type-C CapsuleEdit

The Type-C Capsule has a very similar profile to the Type-B, though also has several major differences. Notably, where the Type-B exposed the entire upper half of the interior pod once deployed, the Type-C instead simply pops off a smaller section of the hatch. The Type-C also has a much more rounded profile and a flashing red light on the top. These pods were employed by forces operating on The Ark during the Battle of Installation 00.^[7]^[8]

The label on the Type-C capsule in Halo 3.
A closed Type-C pod in Halo 3.
A pod on Valhalla, showing the popped-off hatch and deployed weapons.

M2859 Matériel Acquisition PodEdit

The M2859 Matériel Acquisition Pod is a type of ordnance pod developed by Misriah Armory and commonly employed in the years following the Human-Covenant War. The M2859 pod is equipped with a short-range thruster on top for acceleration during deployment. The hatches are secured in to the extremely durable casing by a pressurized locking mechanism and magnetic latches on the sides. On its underside, the pod features a weighted anchor and a tapered nose, allowing it to breach most types of terrain and remain upright. The pod is 242.1 centimeters (95.3 in) tall, 82.55 centimeters (32.5 in) wide on one side and 83.57 centimeters (32.9 in) on the other.^[3]

War Games exercises train Spartan-IV personnel to summon these pods in the battlefield to a maximum efficiency.^[3]

The M2859 ordnance pod from Halo 4.
An opened ordnance pod, showcasing an ARC-920 railgun.
An opened ordnance pod without a weapon mount.
An ordnance pod deploying from space. The sideways deployment is the result of an in-game glitch in Halo 4.
Upon deployment, the pod explodes, shedding its protective casing.

Fall of Reach variantEdit

An unidentified variant of Ordnance Pod was employed during the Fall of Reach. Unlike previously-mentioned variants of Ordnance Pod, this variant was deployed by Longsword fighters.^[4]

The Longsword-deployed ordnance pod variant.
A Longsword preparing to deploy its payload of resupply pods.
Two resupply pods in flight, about to impact the ground.
A Fall of Reach supply pod impacting the ground.
This variant of pod once opened, showing its H-165 target locator.

GameplayEdit

In Halo 2, Ordnance Pods first appear on the levels Delta Halo and Regret, wherein they are used to resupply the player with UNSC armaments while on Installation 05. In Halo 3, they are encountered on the level The Covenant, in which they are deployed just before the player enters the first barrier tower. In Halo 3, these pods can also be spawned in the Forge map editor on the levels High Ground and Valhalla, the latter of which having several pods already spawned as the site of weapon drops for multiplayer. Ordnance Pods do not make a reappearance in Halo: Reach outside of Firefight, in which the player is resupplied with power weapons delivered by Longsword-deployed pods. In Halo 4, deployment pods return in Spartan Ops, where they are used once again to deliver heavy weapons and ordnance to the player from orbit. They are also employed in War Games, where they are used to denote the site of power weapon spawns on multiplayer maps.

TriviaEdit

In the Halo 2 level Delta Halo, it is possible to move these weapon capsules after they have been deployed by a Pelican by pushing them with a Scorpion or Wraith.
These pods can kill the player in Halo 2 if one stands right under them when they are dropped.
In Halo 3 via Forge, players can embed them into the ground, creating vehicle barriers.