M6 Spartan Laser

"It's not overpowered, it's an elegant weapon from a more civilized age."

The Weapon/Anti-Vehicle Model 6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle^[1] (abbreviated W/AV M6 G/GNR), also known as the Spartan Laser, is a United Nations Space Command ground-based, man-portable, directed energy weapon. It is the only battery operated weapon of the UNSC.

It is alternatively known as the Galilean^[2].

Introduction

The M6 Spartan Laser is a shoulder-mounted direct energy weapon used by the UNSC. It fires a potential-to-kinetic powerful red chemical laser capable of destroying vehicles and infantry with one accurate strike. When the trigger is pulled, a harmless red sighting laser is projected on-target along with a charging sound, known as a painter. The Spartan Laser will then charge for about three seconds before firing its powerful and destructive burst. As the Spartan Laser charges, the charging tone gets noticeably louder up until the laser is fired. The charging sequence can be canceled without a battery penalty if the target moves out of sight or the wielder needs to change position. The laser is also capable of firing through several players or vehicles, and has a small blast radius, injuring targets within 2 meters of the impact point and toppling light vehicles. It has a downtime between shots while it cools down (approx. 2-4 seconds), and is highly effective at destroying enemy vehicles.^[3]

In Halo 3 Multiplayer, if you kill another player with the Spartan Laser, you will achieve a unique medal, the Laser Kill Medal, it is awarded due to the difficulty of having to charge and aim the weapon. The weapon is not available in the campaign until the level the Covenant, which Master Chief begins the level armed with the M6 G/GNR. The Spartan Laser is the only weapon powerful enough to harm 343 Guilty Spark in the final level of the campaign.

Operation

Targeting

When the weapon is un-holstered, a shroud over the emitting lens of the laser lifts up to expose it, presumably to protect it from scratches and battle damage when holstered, although the weapon is shown with the shroud up when it is on a person's back. The shroud can be seen doing this when the weapon is un-holstered in first person view if the user looks carefully. The shroud is actuated by a small hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder on the left side of the shroud where it is anchored to the chassis of the weapon. When the trigger is pulled, a harmless red dot is projected on the target and a unique targeting tone is emitted. The Spartan Laser will then charge for three seconds^[4] before firing a massive blood-red laser beam that completely destroys the target. In the beta, if the reticle was moved while firing, a scattering of beams would be released, spreading over the targeted area. For the few seconds the laser is fired, the right targeting stick is disabled. However, the beam can be strafed over a larger area if the player is moving while the laser is firing.

The Spartan Laser is equipped with a smart-linked Wyrd III optics suite for increased accuracy and is capable of 2x magnification. Its reticle, whether on 1x or 2x magnifications, features a meter on the right side showing the charge of the laser.

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An Elite firing a Spartan Laser. Notice that the Spartan Laser fires a bright laser shot.

Laser Beam

Also See: Too Close to the Sun

If the player manages to keep their reticle on their target when the beam fires, the enemy will be killed in one hit. The Galilean "Spartan Laser" can even destroy a vehicle in one hit, even the Wraiths and Scorpions. To do so, the operator of the laser must hit the cockpit of the vehicle in question, except for the tanks. The Wraith must be fired upon from the rear right below the mortar. The Scorpion must be hit from the side on the area upon which the firing of the 90 mm shells takes place. It is powerful enough to make its way through nine Warthogs but, oddly, only 4 Mongooses parked bumper to bumper. It is also highly effective at destroying Scarab leg joints, although The Covenant is the only mission where this can be done, and it is unlikely the player will keep the Spartan Laser that long into the level without completely draining its battery. ^[5]. The beam is also known to have high splash damage at its impact point, and around its shot, and also has the capability to over penetrate, and eliminate multiple targets aligned in a linear trajectory. After firing, the weapon stops functioning for a brief period of time as it dumps its waste heat. The weapon has 5 shots before a "recharge" is needed.^[4]

It is powered by a BA-53635/PLMD non-replaceable battery, which is recharged with a PP-16979/AM-Sh charger. However, UNSC logistics are not sufficiently adequate for the charger to accompany many W/AV M6 G/GNR units in the field.

Trivia

Harry Grindell Matthews was an early twentieth century inventor who claimed to have created "a death ray", which the Spartan Laser certainly is. ^[6]
The term "Galilean" in the name does not refer to Galileo, but to Galilee, a town in what is now Israel where Jesus lived for thirty years of his life.
When a Flood Combat Form wields the Spartan Laser, it cannot shoot you. It is unknown as to why Flood have no intelligence of using the Spartan Laser.
On the level Halo, if you pick up Johnson's Spartan Laser, it can have 55, 70, or 85 battery, which is usually impossible to obtain, because each shot takes 20 battery.
The Spartan Laser is the most expensive weapon to produce currently known. It costs 218,000.00 cR, more than the cost of four fully armed Warthogs, 134 MA5B Assault Rifles, or over 7,266 M9 Fragmentation Grenades. That means approximately every shot is the cost of one Warthog.
The only vehicle the Spartan Laser can't destroy is the Elephant which only appears in the multi-player map Sandtrap. The laser beam, however, will penetrate the armored walls of the vehicle and will damage anything in its way (except for walls or terrain.)
On the side of the gun there is a sign which reads "DANGER: Bare live wires". This is also featured on the Missile Pod.
The reticle of the Spartan Laser has been changed from the one in the Halo 3 Beta. Instead of four markings pointing inward the circle, the reticle now has a circle with a smaller circle inside of it.
In the level Halo of Halo 3, it is possible to use the unlimited Spartan Laser Johnson gives you for the rest of the level. To do this, you must be playing co-op. After 343 Guilty Spark opens the door to the control room, kill Johnson with a rocket/grenade, the flamethrower also works very well if you kept it from earlier. When he dies, quickly keep swapping weapons (Johnson's Laser with your weapon). When you get it far enough, use the Laser and it will have unlimited ammo (do this for both players). Then, just before you fight 343 Guilty Spark, kill each other, leaving your Lasers there. Then fight 343 Guilty Spark, and after you do, the Laser will still be there for you to use in the Warthog or Mongoose with unlimited ammo.
The Spartan Laser is the only known infantry weapon that can crack the casing of a Monitor. It is the most powerful weapon available.
The ability of the Spartan Laser to destroy most vehicles may hint that it fires a directed energy chemical laser, an extremely powerful laser that uses chemical reactions to produce a controlled beam. This could be based on Cortana's calculations on board the captured Covenant flagship in First Strike.
Hitting the Scorpion's turret tip will not destroy it but will damage it very heavily. Hitting the Warthog's turret tip still destroys it.
If you manage to kill a player at the exact time they discharge the spartan laser, the laser will still shoot but it will spin around as if it has lost control.
The Spartan Laser penetrates more or less vehicles depending on the type. Up to ten Warthogs can be destroyed by the laser. It will also only kill ten Spartan or Elite soldiers for each given discharge of the laser. No other weapon comes close.
If you play the Campaign Mission 'The Covenant' on any difficulty, a second Spartan Laser can be found near the wreckage of the downed Pelican.
It is unclear how the W/AV M6 G/GNR was given the battlefield moniker Spartan Laser; it is possible that the first wielder of the weapon was a SPARTAN-II super-soldier.
The side of the laser has the Norse symbol for "Gungnir" etched into it, which was the mythical spear wielded by the god Odin in Norse Mythology.
The laser seems to trail off forever when fired into the sky, much like the Sentinel Beam. However, the beam of both weapons does end, usually at the invisible walls of the playing area. The laser beam on Sandtrap covers over 75% of the width of area (fired at a 45 degree angle).
When fired at the ground, there will be more than one impact spot, which indicates that there are four separate beams.
When firing at an extremely close range to a wall, the Spartan Laser projectile will kill you much like a Rocket Launcher.
The writing near the back of the Spartan laser on the right hand side of it reads 06 Galilean, but on the other side this is backwards. This is probably because Bungie designed only one half of the Spartan Laser's skin and mirrored it for the other half.
If a Marine is given a Spartan Laser, when you retrieve it from them it's power supply will have recharged itself. The amount of added charge varies depending on the amount of time they were holding it.
A hit with the laser is not always a guaranteed kill. If the laser does not strike the player directly, the player will survive probably with no shields. This effect varies as some players have reported surviving up to two shots from the laser.
If you find the unknown skull on Cortana and carry it through the rest of the level, you will start with a Spartan Laser in the next level.
It is one of only 3 infantry weapons capable of killing an opponent with a direct hit who has a fully charged (2x) Overshield. The other two being the Rocket Launcher and Missile Pod, however the laser is still much more powerful. This makes this weapon a popular choice for removing VIPs in the VIP gametype. The Sniper Rifle, Beam Rifle, and Fuel Rod Cannon do not have this lethality or power. With 3x or 4x overshield each of the three mentioned require 2 direct hits.
When wielding the Spartan Laser, if you look towards the barrel, there are two stickers/labels. One is a yellow triangle with unreadable text and the other is an unknown symbol. For reasons unknown, you cannot see these when it is on the ground or in Theater, only when you are holding it.
When the M6 is given to a Marine ally, they sometimes initiate the reload animation for the Rocket Launcher.
With the IWHBYD skull and on Legendary, Grunts will sometimes wield it and they sometimes say "My Arm Go Bye-Bye!"
There is a glitch when you are just about to fire the laser but go into forge mode while still holding the fire button, and when you go back to human it fires.
If you give a Marine in the passenger seat of a Warthog a Spartan Laser, sometimes when the Marine fires the weapon, the angle of the laser is different to that which the Marine is firing. This can be done on the Halo 3 Campaign level The Covenant.
Some have speculated that the Spartan Laser was based on the Sentinel Beam. This is plausible as humans are alleged to have discovered Forerunner structures before meeting the Covenant.
The splash damage of the Spartan Laser does not injure opponents who are 3 or more meters away. As shown on the page Kill Shots, it takes two to one meter distant impact to kill an opponent with no shields, 4 for an opponent with normal shields, and 9 for an opponent with 2x overshield (if the opponent is oblivious enough to stay still for that long and you have infinite ammo).
The Spartan Laser is the most powerful weapon wielded by the player in the Halo trilogy, even surpassing the legendary 'Scarab Gun'.
It is known that if you shoot somebody there is a chance they might survive with their shields down or minimal damage
It actually fires multiple beams.
The Spartan Laser is comparable to the Gears of War Hammer of Dawn, only in power but not in the way it works.
In Halo 3 multiplayer its abbreviated as the Splaser for some.
It is possible for the laser to go through more than 15 people.
It is also possible for the laser to go through more than 6 warthogs.
The Spartan Laser does not act like a true laser. A real laser is invisible to the naked eye, has no recoil, travels at the speed of light, and does not have "splash" damage. These are all attributes the Spartan Laser does not exhibit.
The Spartan Laser holds about 5 shots.
Wasting a Spartan Laser shot is the perfect way to attain the standing "Public Enemy #1" on your team as each of its 5 shots are so precious in active warfare that even the simplest miss can blow your rank, cover, and status.
The best weapon for CTF or Slayer game variants is indisputably the Spartan Laser, as it it can be used to constantly murder the Flag Carrier and opposing forces with a recurring makeup.

Images & Video

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The concept art of the M6 Spartan Laser.
A blue-print of the Galilean.
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The devastating beam can destroy a vehicle by just grazing it.
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Originally the laser beam multifurcated into multiple smaller beams, but still has sufficient force to destroy a Warthog on a glancing hit.
A player fires a Galilean "Spartan Laser" in Valhalla.
The laser beam is devastating to infantry at any range.
Master Chief Destroys a Covenant Shade turret on The Covenant.
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Note how the beam destroys a Mongoose, through the Elephant's armor, and finally destroys the Hornet.
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A blue team player on top of an elephant in Sandtrap fires his spartan laser at a warthog completely destroying it.
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A single beam can destroy a wraith if it hits the cockpit.