New Universe Entries this week!<\/strong><\/p>\n SMG<\/strong> Originally issued only to vehicle crews as an emergency weapon, the compact Submachine Gun (SMG) became widely used during the Insurrection. It was particularly favored by paramilitary police units and UNSC special operations units tasked with rooting out rebel units based in orbital habitats and cluttered urban environments.<\/p>\n Although the UNSC is currently trialing a replacement, the M7 remains the current production model of the SMG. Cheap, efficient, compact, and extremely lightweight, the M7\u2019s use will doubtlessly endure long after it leaves front-line service.The M7S, fitted with a telescopic smart-link optic and M49 sound suppressor was standard-issue to ODST units and UNSC commando units.<\/p>\n BATTLE RIFLE<\/strong> Though initially fielded during the Insurrection, manufacturing concerns and logistical issues involved with its new 9.5mm ammunition meant the Battle Rifle was not widely adopted until the last decade of the Covenant War.<\/p>\n When available, the weapon proved to be very popular in UNSC service, displacing the Assault Rifle in most applications.The current production model is the BR85HB Service Rifle, which incorporates design improvements of the earlier Covenant War-era BR55 and BR55HB, along with a new lightweight frame and accessory rail mounts.<\/p>\n DMR<\/strong> The Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) has been widely used by Army scouts and squad marksman since it entered service in 2512. It has since been employed by the Marine Corps and Air Force combat rescue teams during the Insurrection and the Human-Covenant War.<\/p>\n Though its popularity diminished with the adoption of the Battle Rifle, the weapon\u2019s reliability, efficacy, and use of standard M118 ammunition ensured that it remained standard issue for Army sharpshooters and reconnaissance teams.The original M392 model remains in service with the Army and Marine reserve units, though the heavier M395 version \u2013 created specifically for use by Spartan operators \u2013 now sees more widespread combat use.<\/p>\n LIGHTRIFLE<\/strong> As its name implies, the LightRifle fires collimated bolts of exotic matter known as hard light, which inflict substantial kinetic damage at long ranges.<\/p>\n During UNSC operations on Requiem it was discovered that LightRifles formed the standard ranged armament of Promethean Knights, though they appeared unable to take full advantage of the weapon\u2019s long-range capabilities.<\/p>\n SUPPRESSOR<\/strong> The Forerunners first introduced the Z-130 Suppressor during the Kradal conflicts. This impressive fully automatic infantry weapon would go on to grow in standing during the Forerunner-Human War and the Flood conflict that followed thousands of years later.<\/p>\n The Suppressor utilized a standard coil set design that the Covenant then reverse engineered for many of their weapons. Frequently used during boarding engagements with Flood-held vessels, the Suppressor generates and projects bolts of hard light energy that, at close-range, can be devastating.<\/p>\n Source Link<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a reblog from (several entries on) Halo Waypoint: By GrimBrother One Greetings!Welcome back to Canon Fodder, where we\u2019ve got something pretty special lined up for you this week. You might have noticed the gorgeous cover art on your … Continue reading ![\"Cannon](\"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/halo-5-concept-hero-small-1920x350-51cd3cfb806846fd81532fdf6e28e1881.jpg\")
<\/a>The SMG is a fully automatic personal defense weapon issued to vehicle crews and infantry expecting close-quarters urban combat or boarding actions.<\/p>\n<\/a>The Battle Rifle is a gas-operated, magazine-fed infantry rifle proven to be an extraordinarily versatile weapon for a wide variety of ranges.<\/p>\n<\/a>The Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) is intended for use by personnel who can take advantage of smart-linked telescopic sights.<\/p>\n<\/a>The LightRifle is a precision Forerunner energy weapon wielded by Warrior-Servants against the Flood, and by the Promethean Knights against humanity.<\/p>\n<\/a>The Suppressor was an integral part of the Forerunners arsenal against the Flood, but also proved useful against human forces.<\/p>\n
<\/a>By GrimBrother One<\/p>\n\n
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\nGreetings!Welcome back to Canon Fodder, where we\u2019ve got something pretty special lined up for you this week. You might have noticed the gorgeous cover art on your way in courtesy of one Isaac Hannaford. If you thought that was some sort of not-so-subtle hint, you’re absolutely right.<\/section>\nGet ready to drop feet first into the latest addition to the Halo story, as 343 Industries and our awesome friends at Simon & Schuster and Pocket Star Books\u00a0are proud to announce, Halo: New Blood. We are extremely excited to bring Halo fiction fans something they\u2019ve long been waiting for: More. Buck. That\u2019s right, everyone\u2019s favorite Gunny will be taking main stage in a brand new Digital-First Short Novel that will give fans new insight into the history and heroism of one of the UNSC\u2019s finest.<\/section>\nTold from Buck\u2019s perspective, readers will learn where he\u2019s been and what he\u2019s been doing, from finding his place in a changing post-war landscape to his evolving relationships with those closest to him. This new roller coaster ride is penned by Matt Forbeck, who aside from being an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, is just like many of us \u2013 a huge Halo fan! With that in mind we thought it would be cool to have him let us know how he feels about the overall Halo narrative experience, as well as what he\u2019s most excited about bringing to the table for Halo fans.<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\nHFFL:<\/strong> Wait, digital first.. might that also mean an audio version read by Mr. Nathan Fillion himself???<\/span><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Grim: In Halo: New Blood, you tell the story of a much-beloved character in Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck. How did you feel about tackling a character that fans are so obviously passionate about?<\/strong>Matt Forbeck:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Fantastic. I absolutely loved Halo 3: ODST myself, and I always wanted to know more about Buck and his teammates too. When you finish the game, there are so many unanswered questions about who Buck is and what\u2019s going to happen to him. This became my chance to fill in a lot of the blanks in his past and even help chart out his future, and I could not have been more honored.<\/div>\n
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Grim:<\/strong> Buck\u2019s personality and \u201cvoice\u201d has been captured in an incredibly impressive way throughout Halo: New Blood. How did you go about studying the character to make sure you portrayed him as accurately as possible?<\/strong><\/div>\n
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MF:<\/strong> It helps that I\u2019d played through Halo 3: ODST twice before I got the nod to write the book, and I loved the voice work Nathan Fillion did with him. I\u2019ve been a fan of Fillion\u2019s work in games, television, and film, so I got to run around with his voice in my head for months, which was just as entertaining as you\u2019d think.I also watched a lot of cutscene and gameplay videos to make sure I had Buck\u2019s patter down and got all the details right. He\u2019s a complex guy, proud of himself and his team, and determined to get the job done and bring as many of his teammates home as he can. That\u2019s the kind of hero who lends himself to all sorts of great stories.<\/div>\n
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Grim:<\/strong> What has been your personal favorite story told in the Halo universe up to this point?<\/strong><\/div>\n
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MF:<\/strong> That\u2019s a tough call. Again, Halo 3: ODST has always been one of my favorites. I also love Halo: Reach, which has a fantastic ending. On top of that, I got a great kick out of Halo 4 and how it breathed new life into the franchise and opened up a whole new chapter in the Master Chief\u2019s tale.Beyond video games, there are a lot of great stories to choose from. I got a kick out of Tobias Buckell\u2019s The Cole Protocol, but that could be due to the fact I enjoyed his Xenowealth series, which starts with Crystal Rain. Of course, you can\u2019t talk about Halo fiction without giving a huge shout-out to Eric Nylund\u2019s The Fall of Reach. It added so much epic depth to the original game and in many ways set the stage for every bit of Halo story to come after it. When you read New Blood, you\u2019ll see how much it owes to the groundwork Eric laid down in that seminal book.<\/div>\n
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Grim:<\/strong> What are your favorite aspects of the ODSTs in particular?<\/strong><\/div>\n
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MF:<\/strong> I\u2019ve always been attracted to human heroes, the people who don\u2019t have superpowers but still do everything they can to help other people. I love Batman more than Superman for that exact reason.The Spartans are the superpowers in the Halo universe, but if you want to see the best humanity can offer, you need to take a look at the ODSTs. They\u2019re hard-bitten, well-trained soldiers who accomplish their missions through ingenuity, hard-won battlefield wisdom, and sheer determination more than anything else.<\/div>\n
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Grim:<\/strong> What are you most excited to share with Halo fans?<\/strong><\/div>\n
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MF:<\/strong> Halo: New Blood!Seriously. I\u2019ve been a fan of Halo since before its release. Back in the year 2000, I visited Bungie\u2019s headquarters down in Chicago (before they moved out to Seattle) to chat with them about writing for another game they had in development. While I was there, Bob Settles showed me a demo of the game, and it felt like my jaw dropped hard enough to smack the tops of my shoes.I\u2019ve bought and played every game in the series since, and I\u2019ve had the pleasure of replaying them with my kids as they grow older too. I\u2019m honored and thrilled to be able to write something of my own in the Halo universe and to bring that story to my fellow fans.<\/div>\n
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\nIf you enjoyed that, you\u2019ll be happy to know that the \u201cBuck\u201d certainly doesn\u2019t stop here. Not only will Halo: New Blood be available for purchase on March 2, 2015, but Matt will be joining us again shortly after launch to answer a few more questions about the new book. Why didn\u2019t we just include them right here and now? Well, let\u2019s just say they contain more spoilers than a Forza Motorsports title. At any rate, we hope you\u2019ve enjoyed this week\u2019s edition, and we hope to see you back next time. In the meantime, check out what\u2019s new in the Universe section below!<\/section>\n<\/section>\nUntil next week… Live well, play Halo, and if you know the music, then it\u2019s time to dance.-Grim<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\nHFFL:<\/strong> Hmm, my big question is, does Buck finally become a Spartan? He deserves it. Then again, from reading this Q&A, it doesn’t sound like it. You can bet I’ll be getting this book and reading it cover to cover!<\/span><\/section>\nHere’s a quick summary of the book:<\/span><\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\nWhile Spartans get all the glory, no soldier\u2015not even the legendary Master Chief\u2015wins a war on his or her own. Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck and his team of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers played a major role in saving the Earth from all-out invasion at the end of the Covenant War\u2015acts of bravery and ingenuity that did not go unnoticed by the United Nations Space Command.<\/em>Now, after many Spartans have been killed in battle and the Master Chief is listed as MIA, the UNSC decides to create a new generation of Spartans to defend humanity from threats both outside\u2015and within. <\/em><\/section>\n<\/section>\nWhen they come to Buck with an extraordinary proposition, he is forced to make a life-altering decision. With the Covenant War finally over, is it time for him to finally retire to the sidelines for a life he could only dream about\u2026or is he prepared to step up and become part of the military\u2019s new blood?<\/em><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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