Halo's Weapons

The game of Halo is great in all aspects. You have awesome graphics, innovative game play, and of course some of the coolest weapons to date. Most of the weapons are an amazing upgrade to the first games weapons. The SMG is a welcomed sight and the same goes for the Covenant Energy Sword, and improvement to the battle rifle. However with the good also comes the bad and you as a player need to know which guns to use and what weapons are effective when duel wielding.

First we cover two handed weapons. These guns are not able to be picked up in multiples so you can only use one of the following. Battle Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Beam Rifle, Rocket Launcher, Carbine, Brute shot, Sentinel Beam and Energy Sword. The following is a rundown of each weapon and it's strengths as well as weaknesses.

The Sentinel Beam is by far the worst weapon in the game. It is a straight shot weapon releasing a beam of energy at an opponent, but the beam is not strong at all. It will take a long time to take out any opponent with this strange and useless weapon.

Brute Shots can be useful at times but only in rare occasions. Usually these weapons lack the fire power needed to take out an opponent unless you hit them directly in the chest twice, which will prove to be difficult. The plus side of this weapon is the ability to launch grenades around corners, but it's also the greatest draw back. Many times you'll end up blowing yourself away with the unpredictable ricochet of the weapon. Besides all of this you can only use four shots at a time, causing delays in battle while reloading often.

Carbine weapons are the Covenant equivalent of the humans Battle rifle. Since they are Covenant is design they will easily take out an opponents shields, but not their health. Some people prefer this alien weapon over human technology because of its rapid firing rate however the weapon lacks many of the essentials to be a good solid choice. You will find a target hard to hit and also the low amount of ammunition per clip is a big takeaway. If you have no other option then chose this weapon but be sure to change it out as soon as possible.

The Rocket Launcher is a weapon both loved and hated. We can see the practical use in destroying vehicles, and the obvious one hit kills are a big plus. The only problems lie in the small amount of overall ammo you can carry and also the high rate of suicide involved. All this taken into account we find the Rocket Launcher to be a solid choice, as long as you know what you're doing.

The Battle Rifle is the best two handed weapon in the game. It has great accuracy at both long and short range combat, large amounts of ammo stocked, and carries a large clip. This weapon is the staple of any good player, and in the hands of a trained gamer it will prove to be deadly. When equipped with this deadly weapon try and aim for the head of an opponent. The head of the player is lightly shielded and of course the Battle Rifle will take its toll on an opponent's health rather then shield. Learn to master this invaluable weapon and you can master the game.

The Sniper Rifle is by far the greatest long range weapon to date. It carries four shots and is accurate at any given distance. One clear shot at an opponent's head will result in an instant kill. That being said this weapon is horrible at close range. If you cannot utilize the scope of the Rifle then your chances of survival and victory in combat are severely impacted. Be sure you have a partner watch your back and or have a good mid range weapon like the Carbine or Battle Rifle on hand in case things get out of hand.

Beam Rifles are the Covenant version of Sniper Rifles and they do their job well. The draw back is the gun will easily overheat; you can only fire off 2-3 shots before having to let the gun rest. This can prove irritating at times, but on the plus side it never needs to be reloaded. That simple fact makes it far more effective in a Snipers worst nightmare, close combat. A shot to the head will result in the same one hit kill as the human version of the weapon, so if you have the opportunity this is never a bad option.

Finally we have the Energy Sword, a weapon that is well ... double edged. Many players fight over the use of this weapon due to its invaluable need for success in many levels. However not every level calls for this high powered close quarters weapon. Places like Lockout, Gemini, and Midship, have the weapon readily available, and usually the team controlling it will take the early advantage. That being said, the weapon is almost useless in larger levels like Zanzabar, Coagulation, and Burial Mounds. So b sure when obtaining this weapon you're surroundings fit its use.

In the next category of the game we have the duel wielding weapons. Most are ok to average on their won, but once you put some combinations together you will see the true power of this advancement. A note of caution, try never to mix the same weapon type, for instance don't use two Plasma Rifles, or two SMGs. The following are the games duel wielding weapons, SMG, Plasma Rifle, Plasma Pistol, Needler, and Magnum. Here are the best and worst combinations you can create.

Magnum/Needler is the worst combination I can even conceive. Both weapons are terrible to begin with, neither one has any power behind its shot, and they run out of ammo really fast. If you use this combination you will be ridiculed and harassed for all time.

Magnum/SMG a decent combo, but there are better. The SMG will work well to deplete an opponent's health, and the Magnum to do the same. Unfortunately you might be better off using two SMG's and that in it self is never a good idea, although preferred to either of the above combos.

Magnum/Plasma Pistol this can be a good combination. Charge up the Plasma Pistol and fire at an opponent. The charged blasé will lower their shields, and you can finish them off with the Magnum. Although a decent combo, overall the Magnum is just a weak weapon so other combination are preferred.

Magnum/Plasma Rifle same as stated above. The Plasma Rifle will deplete shields, but the Magnum is just not a strong enough weapon.

Needler/SMG Here we face the same problem as before, the Needler is just a weapon that is too weak. The only plus with this combo is the fact that the rapid fire rate of the SMG will cause massive damage, and as a suicide attempt the Needler ammo will explode after your demise. Although truth be told your demise should never happen in the first place.

Needler/Plasma Pistol Needler is bad, don't use it, but the best thing to do in this situation is charge blast an opponent with the Plasma Pistol and finish them off with a Needler barrage. Again this will most likely result in your death, but the opponent as well.

Needler/Plasma Rifle same thing with the Plasma Pistol, you will die but take out an opponent with you.

SMG/ Plasma Pistol is sometimes referred to as the "Noob Combo" but there is nothing Noob about this. The charged shot from the Plasma Pistol will deplete an enemies shields and the strong flurry of fire from your SMG will finish the job in a manner of seconds. This combo is possibly one of the best seen during play.

SMG/Plasma Rifle is by far the superior combination. Start off by firing the Plasma Rifle just a bit before the SMG. When done right this combination will cause your opponents shields to run out quick and the combination fire will easily drop a foe faster then anything else in the duel category.

Plasma Rifle/Plasma Pistol a decent combo although I don't really recommend it. The problem is not really the guns power per say, but rather their unique ability to take down shields. As individual weapons they work great, especially when couple with any human weapon, but together they don't seem to make sense and don't work well together. If forced into this combo charge the Pistol and release then go to town with the Rifle.

So there you have it. A rundown of each of Halo's weapons and their unique playing abilities and style. The most important thing however is to find the right weapon and combination that fits you. I always try and stick with the two weapons that compliment each other, like the Battle Rifle and Sniper Rifle, or Rocket Launcher and a duel wielding combo. That's what makes this game fun though; you have the power to choose.