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The Type-51 Carbine, also known as the Covenant Carbine, is a Covenant infantry weapon. It is widely used by Brutes, Jackals and Elites, and also sometimes used by Marines and Combat Forms.
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Summary
The Type-51 Carbine, is the Covenant equivalent of the United Nations Space Command BR55HB SR Battle Rifle and the BR55 Battle Rifle. It is a semi-automatic weapon, that combines high accuracy with decent damage power, used primarily for mid-range combat. Unlike most standard-issue Covenant weapons, such as the Plasma Rifle, the Carbine doesn't run on a battery. Instead, it fires solid, radioactive projectiles, similar to that of a Fuel Rod Gun, from an 18-round cylindrical magazine, sometimes suggested as being analogous to a "charger clip" style magazine, (such as in an M1 Garand or M91 Carcano used in WWII). It has a similar feature to the Assault Rifle and the Battle Rifle in that it tells how much ammunition is in the magazine. It is sometimes carried by Brutes and Elites, though this is not usually their preferred weapon, as they prefer more common weapons, like the Spiker for the Brutes, and the Plasma Rifle and Energy Sword for the Elites. In the hands of a Covenant Brute, or Elite they can be extremely deadly, allowing them to engage their enemies at mid range with deadly accuracy. This is the weapon of choice for a Jackal Sniper in Halo 3, along with the Beam Rifle. In fact, it almost replaces the Beam Rifle on Sniper Jackals unless on a higher difficulty.
Advantages
With a 2x zoom ability its possible to make deadly head shots from large distances. It is also effective at killing an unshielded opponent in multiplayer, and has equal effectiveness to an unshielded enemy as that of a Battle Rifle and the M6C, M6D and M6G pistols. Like those weapons, it will kill an unshielded opponent with one shot to the head instantly.
Because the Carbine fires shielded radioactive isotope rounds (not plasma bolts), it is more useful against the Flood than the other Covenant weapons, excluding explosives, as it can destroy the embedded Infection Form. One of the best uses for this weapon is to shoot the armored headpiece off of Brutes, after which another head shot from the weapon will dispatch them. The Carbine is also more effective at taking down Brute Chieftains than the Battle Rifle.
The Carbine, when used correctly, can take down an enemy slightly faster than a Battle Rifle can, though it requires more aim, taking at least seven shots to the head in Multiplayer. Damage done by the Carbine is slightly lower than that of the Battle Rifle (if all three bullets hit), but it fires about twice as fast making it comparably deadly.
The Covenant Carbine has one other advantage over the Battle Rifle. It is able to do damage to Jackal Point Defense Gauntlets, Enforcer shields, Stationary Shield Generators, Brute Power Armor, and other shields of such nature, though not as much as other Covenant weapons.
It's also very useful in the Halo 2 campaign against Brutes. The weapon can land head shots, and can be used at almost all ranges. Because Brutes have very little head protection, a skilled player can take out three or four Brutes with one magazine or with one shot to the head when playing on easier difficulties. Also since its a fast shooting weapon it is useful to shoot off a Brute's helmet and then shoot a Brute's head making a quick kill.
The magazine, though holding less ammo than the BR, will last longer because the BR fires in three shot bursts.
Disadvantages
The Carbine's only disadvantage is that your position is clearly shown by a yellowish-green trail with each shot, just like the Sniper Rifle's vapor trail or the Battle Rifle's tracer trail. Its sound may also attract the attention of nearby players. Also in Halo 3, a green mist is ejected from the ammo slot, giving away the player's position if reloaded. It also has weaker firepower, so it usually only gives an advantage to more skilled players, though less skilled players with some degree of luck may be able to use it effectively as well. Also, it is not as effective if you use rapid fire, but a sniper with good aim and that can take cover well can be deadly with a carbine.
Changes From Halo 2
- In Halo 2, the Carbine's green semicircle will change into a red circle when the magazine is empty. It will not do this in Halo 3.
- In Halo 2, when you zoom in, the view is a group of seven hexagons melded into a honeycomb shape. In Halo 3, four lines will separate from the center in addition to the hexagons, almost on the same plane as the reticule lines.
- In Halo 3, the Carbine has a green patterned circle on top of the magazine indicator.
- Carbine ammo is much more abundant, double the amount usually given in Halo 2.
Halo 3
During the Halo 3 Beta, there were concerns that the Carbine was overpowered compared to its counterpart the Battle Rifle. This disparity was attributed to an excessively high rate of fire, which allowed it to inflict more damage over time than the Battle Rifle did. In the final game, the Carbine's rate of fire has been reduced to about that of the Halo 2 version. Furthermore, its power has been reduced slightly from its Halo 2 counterpart. It now takes eight head shots to kill a fully-shielded opponent in multiplayer, as opposed to the shorter seven in Halo 2 and the Halo 3 Beta. In addition to the reduction in per-shot damage, the Carbine, also starts with two spare magazines when found in multiplayer, whereas it only started with a single spare magazine in Halo 2 multiplayer.
Also, in the Beta, when reloaded, it did not seem to emit a small cloud of gas as it does in the final version of the game.
As far as the Covenant Carbine's role in the campaign, it is still occasionally found to be used by Brutes, but it can most frequently be found in the hands of Jackals, who utilize it in a marksman role.
Combat Tactics
Grunts
As with the Battle Rifle, the Covenant Carbine will easily take down Grunts from close to far range. Simply aim for the head, and the Unggoy will be dead. However, if you aim for the body, it will take 4-6 shots, decreasing its effectiveness. However, the Battle Rifle is suited for that job.
Jackals
Once again, it is advised to alternate to the Battle Rifle due to the faster firing. If the Jackals are on patrol or have their back turned to you, simply aim for the head and pull the trigger, resulting in a one-hit kill. However, if in a hot-zone, you should run up towards the Jackal, melee it, and kill it with a headshot. Alternatively, if you have ducked behind some cover, then aim for the hole in the shielding on the left, and fire. After the Jackal exposes itself, simply headshot it.
Jackal Snipers
Relatively easier than normal Jackals due to the lack of shielding, you should still employ caution, as a single shot will kill you in Legendary. To avoid it firing on you, simply shoot it at the head. The Battle Rifle is, however, inferior in this case, because of the spread. Usually, Jackal Snipers will be at a distance, causing the BR's fire to split. The Carbine works best at close-medium ranges. The best way is to have a Sniper or Beam Rifle as a secondary weapon. Taking cover so the Jackal doesn't spot you, zoom in to 10x, and aim at their head. Without moving your aim, switch to Carbine, zoom in, and shoot. Note the Carbine is less accurate and may miss, especially at extreme range, so fire several shots to kill it.
Elites
Relatively strong against Elites due to the shield-depleting nature. In Heroic, it should take around three to four shots. Then, shoot it in the head.
Brutes
The Carbine reaches its peak in terms of efficiency against Brutes. All it takes is two or three headshots. However, should you hit the body, you will need to expend much more ammo (around ten to fifteen shots). In addition, in hard combat zones (such as berserking Brutes), it is arduous to aim for the head, as the head no longer presents itself at the top of the target. Instead, try to use the Energy Sword (two slashes, one lunge for a kill), the Brute Shot (melee and shoot), or the Needler.
Flood
As with all Covenant weapons, save for the Energy Sword and Fuel Rod Gun, this weapon is somewhat underpowered against the Flood in Halo 2, unless you land a "chest shot". That is, if stuck with the Carbine, aim for the tentacle protruding from the chest (this is the infection form and one shot should put it down). Of course, the weapon has some use as a semi-sniping weapon. If playing as the Arbiter and not in a hot-conflict zone, engage Active Camouflage, go up to the Flood Form, and melee them (thus depleting their shield, if they have one). Then, aim for the chest and the Form will go down. Note that the Infection forms can still re-infect the Form, in contrast to the Energy Sword (which will disintegrate them). In Halo 3, a few shots in the upper body should kill a Combat Form and instantly dispatches them if you hit them in the chest. However, the Carbine is weak against Pure Forms.
All In All
With a 2x zoom ability, it's possible to make deadly head shots from afar, comparable to it's UNSC counterpart the Battle Rifle. When you get your hands on one, be sure to take advantage of it. It is also quite effective at killing an unshielded opponent in Multiplayer, and has equal effectiveness to an unshielded enemy as that of a Battle Rifle and the M6C, M6D and M6G pistols. Like those weapons, it will kill an unshielded opponent with one shot to the head. The Carbine, when used correctly, can take down an enemy slightly faster than a Battle Rifle can, though it requires more aim, taking at least seven shots to the head in Multiplayer. Damage done by the Carbine is slightly lower than that of the Battle Rifle (if all three bullets hit), but it fires about twice as fast making it equally deadly. The Covenant Carbine has one other advantage over the Battle rifle. It is able to do damage to Jackal Point Defense Gauntlets, Enforcers shields, Stationary Shield Generators, Brute Power Armor, and other shields of such nature, though not as much as other Covenant weapons.
Another advantage that the Carbine has over the Battle Rifle is while used in vehicles. Since the Battle Rifle fires a three round burst, perhaps only one or two of the rounds would hit, resulting in less damage then the Carbine. The tracer wouldn't matter, as you're in a vehicle, so for someone trying to take out infantry in a said vehicle, this is a good weapon.
The Carbine's main strength over the Battle rifle is that it is much easier to wield on the run, which allows you to move around more, whereas the Battle rifle's shots may go everywhere while running depleting the effectiveness.
UNSC Remarks
- “So—it’s just their projectile weapons that we’ve figured out how to reload? I guess I’m cool with that.”
- “It’s almost a direct analog of the BR55. I just wish it had a more — um — conventional scope.”
- “In my youth I used to board Olympus a couple o’ times a year—you see where I’m going with this? Yeah. That foxtrot gun is the size of my old board.”
- “Wish it was smaller; wish it had a proper stock — or at least a butt pad.”
- "Hey — don’t inhale immediately after the charger ejects. I heard that shit gives you Boren’s Syndrome.”
Character Compatibility
Trivia
- The Type-51 Carbine is the counterpart to the UNSC Battle Rifle in terms of usage, not ammunition capabilities.
- The Carbine smoke is of the same of that of plasma grenades that causes Boren's Syndrome.
- The Carbine serves as the signature weapon of Thel 'Vadam, running parallel with John 117's Assault Rifle.
- The Carbine is notorious for its large and unwieldy size, as many Marines have commented. But this is probably because the Carbine was designed with the Covenant races in mind, (the unusually shaped grip could have been designed for the Elite's three main fingers) and not humans.
- The ammo of the Type-51 Carbine is loaded similarly and correspondingly to most modern Human weapons, a rare generality unlike many other Covenant weapons.
- When the entire magazine of the Carbine is spent, it will automatically eject itself from the weapon, which can be startling for someone who has never fired it before.
- If you reload the Carbine, the magazine will fly off. If you quickly press melee, it will reappear, but will also interrupt the reloading of the weapon.
- In Halo 2, if you give a Marine a Carbine with a partially used magazine, he or she will discharge the magazine, a rare instance of a Marine actually reloading a weapon.
- By default, in Halo 3 the Carbine is the primary weapon for Arbiter or other Elites. As the Arbiter, this is the first weapon you get.
- In the Halo 2 and Halo 3 instruction booklets, the Carbine is incorrectly labeled as having 36 rounds, instead of the actual 18 rounds. Ironically this is the number of rounds the Carbine's human equivalent, the Battle Rifle, has.
- The green ring on the end of the magazine is an ammo indicator and is effective when you need to keep your focus on the actual battle.
- Despite having a 2x zoom scope capability, the Carbine doesn't appear to have a scope mounted on it. A theory speculates that the magazines are in fact the scope, explaining the symbols in the center of the the ammo count as well as to why there is no other scope on the Carbine or like the Plasma Rifle it relies on the user's HUD.
- The Carbine is first encountered in Halo 2 on the level The Arbiter.
- The Covenant Carbine is one of the few projectile Covenant weapons that are not Brute weapons.
- In Halo 2, Jiralhanae are seen holding this weapon with only one hand, though they hold it with both hands in Halo 3.
- The Carbine is one of the only Covenant weapons that has a visible magazine popping out of the gun.
- In Halo 3, Elites do not wield the Carbine as much as they did in Halo 2.
- If you give a Jackal a Carbine in Halo 2 and then melee it, it will drop the Carbine and pull out a Plasma Pistol. This is done for the Unlimited Plasma Pistol Glitch.
- Many believe the Carbine is the most underrated gun in Halo 2 and 3.
- If you give a Jackal a Carbine in Halo 2, it will hold both the Carbine and its shield, and the Carbine will protrude from the shield projected by the Jackal Point Defense Gauntlet.
- The Covenant Carbine is the closest Covenant weapon to function like a Human weapon in terms of type of ammunition, design, and usage.
- In Halo 2, if you shoot a Brute three times in the head, it will kill him. Two times to knock off the helmet, once to kill, though this requires good aiming.
- The Carbine's scope has 7 hexagons around the cross hairs, yet another 7 reference.
- The Carbine is the only weapon in Halo 2 and 3 where you can see the magazine ejecting in 3rd person.
- In Halo 3, you never see an Elite holding (while living) a Carbine unless you give them one, except the Arbiter.
- The Covenant Carbine's ammunition type is suspected to be similar to the fuel rods fired from a Fuel Rod Gun, except on a much smaller scale.
- In Halo 2, when you reload, the magazine will pop out but disappear afterward. In Halo 3 they will fall on the floor and take a long time to disappear.
- The ammunition for the Carbine is powered along its entire flight path, consuming up to 50% of its mass by the time it reaches its maximum effective range.
- Some consider the crosshair of the Carbine to be slightly off, which is notable when attempting long range headshots.
- In the level Gravemind, several Carbines have 120 rounds in reserve, much more than the usual max, 72. This also occurs on other levels, especially if the Carbine is taken from an ally scripted to pick the weapon up, such as the Marines in the detention block in Gravemind.
- It is possible to make "candy" or "Popcorn" with the carbine. It can be seen here[1]
- In Halo 3, it has a different animation than that of the one in Halo 2.
- The Battle Rifle does more damage per shot, but the Carbine fires faster. While both serve the same function, it is more a matter of preference as to which one is actually "better."
- In the Halo Wars official strategy guide, the Covenant Carbine is called a "slug beam rifle".
Gallery
- Carbine render.jpg
The early render of the Covenant Carbine for Halo 2.
New design for Halo 3 Beta
- 1179249534.jpg
A player attacks a Spartan with a Carbine on Halo 3 Beta
- 1179249569.jpg
A player enters the fray with the Carbine on Halo 3 Beta
