WEAPONS FREE

Halo 5: Guardians not only brings new tools of destruction into the proverbial fold, it expands on the tried and true favorites. Not to mention that thanks to the sweet new Warzone multiplayer mode, there are some particularly awesome new variants for weapons at your disposal through the REQ system. While these variants are exclusive to Warzone while playing multiplayer, if you look hard enough throughout the campaign, you’re likely to come across a few of these upgraded armaments in the field, adding a slick new twist to certain campaign encounters. Below, we offer a selection of the weapons you’ll find throughout the game as a whole, from trusty baseline models to a few of the more vicious variants. And don’t think this is even the whole story. There’s still more to come…

ASSAULT RIFLE

MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System

Reliable and easy to use, the MA5 Individual Combat Weapon System represents the oldest rifle platform currently employed by the UNSC, with more than a dozen variations still in use. Shown here is an upgraded Assault Rifle with Recon Sight and Long Barrel. UNSC Army configuration with quick-acquisition sights for mid-range engagements. Long Barrel increases effective range.

BATTLE RIFLE

BR-85N Service Rifle

Initially fielded late in the Covenant War, manufacturing concerns and logistical issues involved with its ammunition meant the BR85 service rifle was not widely adopted until after the conflict ended. Shown here is an advanced Battle Rifle with Longshot Sight and Kinetic Bolts. This particular marksman configuration is preferred by many Requiem veterans. Kinetic Bolts augment knockback and damage against vehicles.

DMR

M395B Designated Marksman Rifle

Semi-automatic marksman rifle firing a powerful projectile. Particularly deadly at long range when using precision aiming, Designated Marksman Rifles are intended for use by personnel who can take advantage of smart-linked telescopic sights.

MAGNUM

M6H2 Personal Defense Weapon

The Magnum is a semi-automatic, recoil-operated, magazine-fed handgun issued to all branches of the UNSC. This large-caliber sidearm is most effective with precision aiming.

SMG

M20 Submachine Gun

The M20 personal defense weapon is issued to vehicle crews, security personnel, and Spartans who expect close-quarters combat. Shown is an upgraded SMG with Projection Sight and Silencer in a SWAT configuration used by UNSC military police and UEG security forces. Silencer reduces visibility on enemy Motion Trackers when firing.

BEAM RIFLE

T-27 Special Application Sniper Rifle

The standard T-27 Special Application Sniper Rifle is a long-range sniper rifle which fires powerful energy blasts. Shown here is the legendary variant known as Krith’s Left Hand. Reclaimed from the notorious Kig-Yar Pirate King’s personal vaults by the previous Arbiter, Ripa ‘Moramee, the ‘Hand is an advanced Beam Rifle that fires a burst of energy with each pull of the trigger.

BINARY RIFLE
Z-750 Binary Rifle

The standard Z-750 is a semi-automatic sniper rifle that can kill in one well-aimed shot; more recently-encountered models actually fire a concentrated beam of destructive energy that when held on a target will eliminate them almost instantly. Most effective at long range. Shown here is a powerful and mysterious legacy variant called the Retina of the Mind’s Eye. The core of this ancient weapon holds a shackled mind. Improved Binary Rifle upgraded with additional magazine capacity.

BOLTSHOT

Z-110 Boltshot

Burst-fire energy pistol. Bolts home-in on close range targets. This new functionality appears to be related to other adaptations the Prometheans have displayed since the disappearance of the Didact.

ROCKET LAUNCHER

M57 Pilum Rocket Launcher

The M57 Pilum Rocket Launcher is a shoulder-fired heavy weapon widely issued to UNSC Army, Marine Corps, and Spartan infantry to counter enemy vehicles and Promethean Knights. Can fire two missiles per magazine and lock-on to air targets using Smart-Link before firing.

SCATTERSHOT

Z-180 Scattershot

The Z-180 Scattershot is an energy shotgun of ancient design that deals heavy damage at close range. Shown is the variant known as the Didact’s Signet. Records indicate that each Signet was crafted by the Didact himself to reward his most elite Promethean Warrior-Servants. The Signet is an advanced Scattershot that fires fast-moving, long-range projectiles with stronger homing behavior after ricochets.

SHOTGUN

M45D Tactical Shotgun

Extremely deadly at close range, the latest iteration of a staple UNSC weapon, the M45D Shotgun is a semi-automatic, pump-action 8-gauge with proven value in both desperate ship-to-ship boarding actions and urban assaults. Advanced technology married to brutal simplicity, the Blaze of Glory shown here is an advanced Shotgun with Forerunner mechanism to fire fast-moving hardlight projectiles with extra range and anti-vehicle effect. Reloads with a single shell.

SNIPER RIFLE

Sniper Rifle System 99

Originally intended to be a special purpose anti-material rifle for use against light armored vehicles, parked aircraft, and comm-dishes, the SRS99 Sniper Rifle also proven highly effective against shielded Covenant infantry. Shown is the legendary customized variant, Nornfang. A master-crafted instrument of death and destruction Nornfang is a highly-tuned Sniper Rifle firing high explosive armor piercing (APHE) rounds that increases overall damage. In addition, modifications incorporated by Spartan-II Linda-058 ensure the Motion Tracker is visible even when using Zoom.

SPARTAN LASER

M6/E Nonlinear Rifle

The E (“Enhanced”) model M6 high-energy laser is just as capable as earlier examples, but is an order of magnitude cheaper to manufacture. Primarily used as an anti-tank laser, the M6/E fires a devastating energy pulse after a short warmup time. Most effective at long range.

STORM RIFLE

T-55 Directed Energy Rifle

Fully-automatic plasma rifle effective at short to medium range. Most effective with precision aiming. Earlier iterations of the weapon were often more specialized and employed by Storm-class units within the Covenant. Eventually, the design would be honed and improved, and has subsequently almost completely replaced the Plasma Rifle as the primary infantry weapon issued to Sangheili of varying factions.

SUPPRESSOR

Z-130 Suppressor

A rapid-fire energy rifle, the Suppressor was originally an integral part of the Forerunners arsenal against the Flood, but has also proved useful against human forces in the hands of reactivated Promethean constructs.

As many of you may now know, the Halo Channel mobile app is now available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone! Not only that, but the talented and tireless engineers behind the scenes have been working on even more cool updates to keep the hand-held Halo experience even more up-to-date and connected with your Halo gaming experience. In addition to the recently added ability to view all your favorite blog content (ahem – like a certain weekly fiction-focused feature) on your mobile device, as well adding direct access to the official online Universe encyclopedia, the newest update to the Channel mobile app will make it the essential companion app for Halo 5: Guardians, giving you access to all the sweet stats your heart desires. Now around these parts, that means that campaign stats are also included with that, so you can now track your progress through the story, or keep a close eye on how many of those 117 aforementioned story collectibles you’ve found scattered about the game. Needless to say, if you’ve got a mobile device, you’re going to want to make a home on it for the Halo Channel.

If accessing your stats and information on the web is more your style, the Halo Waypoint itself has got your back with a sweet array of service record offerings for your favorite Spartan, whether your own or a friend’s. In addition, Halo Waypoint also offers lore-lovers a sweet new way to access the entire REQ collection for Halo 5: Guardians, letting you see what REQ Cards you have and what ones you don’t. The most important part of that statement to regular readers of this particular blog might be the fact that this means you can now check out all the sweet narrative nuggets scattered throughout the REQ system, from peculiar power weapons to intriguing vehicle variants. Trust me, there are some hidden gems in there, and perhaps even more exciting is that we will only be adding more as time goes on. If you’ve found a particular piece of armor that strikes your fiction fancy, you can also try it out on your Spartan directly on Halo Waypoint to see how it looks, and if you’ve got it unlocked already, you can actually equip it on the web and it will show up in-game. Happy hunting!

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