Plasma Rifle

Design Details

Plasma Rifles, like all energy-based weapons used by the Covenant, are directed energy weapons that use superheated ionized gas called Plasma instead of projectile ammunition. The weapon has a power output of 100-150 Kv @ 2~3 dA, and can fire 420 to 600 rounds per minute. Unlike the Plasma Pistol, the Plasma Rifle is capable of semi-automatic, and full automatic fire, this is thanks in part to its dual plasma projector design. Placed atop one another, these projectors fire in a "stagger" taking the slow automatic fire of each individual projector and combining it, this design allows a faster rate of fire and more rounds per second, which adds to the lethality of the weapon. The Type 25 DER is the primary weapon of the Covenant’s officer corps, used by Elites and Brutes, although Jackals have been seen using this weapon. Against UNSC infantry, the Type 25 DER's lethality is considerably greater then its counterpart due to the fast rate of fire, injuries inflicted to the victim are severe third-degree burns, with the wound being cauterized instantly upon impact. Generally two hits from either a Plasma Pistol or Plasma Rifle will kill lightly, or non armored targets. Like its counterpart, over extended periods of firing, it can overheat, causing it to become unusable for a short period of time. In the context of the Halo games, all of the plasma weapon's strength and lethality, are compensated for both the sake of ESRB rating, and gameplay.

Advantages

The Plasma Rifle is a close to medium range weapon. It has a very high rate of fire and inflicts very high shield damage. This weapon can also be used at long range if the user fires slowly and aims carefully by leading the target, but this is usually not as effective compared to using this weapon at short range. Like most other plasma weapons, the Plasma Rifle is very effective at depleting shields, but not as effectively as the Plasma Pistol's charged shot. The Plasma Rifle is also a dual wieldable weapon. The Plasma Rifle is quite easy to aim at short range, so there is a big advantage against Flood Combat Forms because you can aim the Plasma Rifle at the center of the Flood where the Infection Form's sensory appendages are sticking out for an instant kill (like almost all other weapons), but be aware of other Infection Forms, as they can quickly revive the Combat Form if you do this, unless you quickly destroy the body using a weapon such as an energy sword. The Plasma Rifle also has an extremely fast melee attack, making it a good weapon to take out someone's shields, and then quickly finish the job. An easy way to get a kill with a Plasma Rifle is to aim for the head. It will take about 2 shots to take out the shields, then another 2 shots to kill the person if you're aiming at the head, but only two shots at close range. A commonly used strategy is to dual wield Plasma Rifles, then use melee on your opponent. Also,an effective strategy is to wield a Plasma Rifle and have an Assault Rifle or SMG as your secondary weapon, destroy an enemy's shield using the Plasma Rifle then either quickly melee them or shoot them with a solid projectile weapons such as the Assault Rifle for a quick and easy kill. This also works with the Plasma Pistol's charged shot. It is one of the only three weapons that appears in almost every level, in every game, in the Halo Trilogy. Also, the Plasma Rifle, like most plasma-based weapons, does not need to be reloaded, but once it's battery is depleted you will need to find another plasme rifle. If you blast it on “full-auto” without any pauses, you can fire 18 shots. This is more than enough to then switch weapons and finish them off with any other weapon.

In both the Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 campaign, the Plasma Rifle's high rate of fire and moderate damage can be used to quickly neutralize low level enemies such as Grunts, Drones, and Infection Forms. Against enemies with energy shielding, the Plasma Rifle can quickly deplete that shielding and leave them vulnerable to a lethal head shot from an M6 pistol, Covenant Carbine or Battle Rifle, or sprays from an SMG. In addition, the valuable stun effect of the Plasma Rifle often stops or slows down the enemy long enough to prevent their melee. However, the plasma rifle can be ineffective against some enemies, notably the Hunters. Unlike in the previous two games, dual-wielding Plasma Rifles in Halo 3 is a very effective way of combating the Flood in campaign on all difficulties, most especially the shielded Elite, which often proves to be one of the most difficult campaign enemies due to their shields which can easily be depleted using the Plasma Rifle. Arguably, it is more effective than any other dual-wielded weapon. Due to the shield-taking nature of the Plasma Rifle and the armor-destroying capability of the SMG, it is best wielded with the SMG for close-medium range. It is also quite effective when dual-wielded against Hunters in Halo 3. However, you must hit its weak spot, and better weapons are usually available for getting rid of Hunters. It is also good for Ranged Forms in Halo 3. Dual Wielding two Plasma Rifles in the Halo 3 level Cortana is very effective taking out Infection Forms and tearing apart Combat Forms; this tactic is very effective on higher difficulties. Many people have been known to complete Halo 3 using only this combination.

Disadvantages

The Plasma Rifle overheats very quickly when fired in full-auto. The Brute Plasma Rifle overheats much faster than the Elite Plasma Rifle, but does slightly more damage per hit and has a faster rate of fire. Also, the player cannot recharge the Plasma Rifle, so it must be replaced when depleted. When the battery gets below 10%, the Plasma Rifle will begin to misfire, further hampering the operator's use of the weapon.

While extremely effective at depleting enemies' shields, the Plasma Rifle doesn't deal as much physical damage as solid projectile weapons. It will be difficult to finish off an enemy with the Plasma Rifle, unless the shots are followed up with a melee. The Plasma Rifle can kill someone by itself, but it will take a long time. Only when dual-wielding Plasma Rifles can you kill someone within a quick amount of time. This can be avoided by dual-wielding a solid projectile weapon in your other hand, for example the SMG or the Spiker. The Plasma Rifle also runs low on battery life very quickly when in automatic firing mode.

The cloud of coolant released from the weapon partially blocks the wielder's view, obscuring his view of opponents, and leaving him particularly vulnerable to their fire. In addition, the faster you fire, the less accurate the beams become, diverting from the original target more and more.

Changes

The Plasma Rifle in Halo: Combat Evolved is far more powerful and accurate than its Halo 2 and Halo 3 counterparts. Also in Halo: Combat Evolved, the Plasma Rifle fires slightly slower than in the other games. Furthermore, the weapon held a unique ability to stun opponents that were hit by high velocity heated plasma rounds, this effect greatly reduces the victim's ability to move and dodge the incoming projectiles and allows the user to easily hold the opponent in the weapon's firing arc. However, the drawback was that this effect is only felt with continuous fire. While stunned, the weapon will often overheat before the opponent is completely killed because it only takes about 4 seconds of continuous fire for it to overheat. Despite this drawback, the stun ability is a useful and potent feature in the hands of an experienced user. In campaign mode, the plasma rifle is best used against the Sentinels and Elites. Sentinels always have a soft spot to Covenant Weapons and it can be very useful in taking down Elites' shields when rapid firing. The plasma also kills unshielded Elites very quickly, indeed, much quicker than in Halo 2. It should also be noted that this weapon behaved more like a rifle than its successor, having about twice the firing range, and that the Plasma Rifle decreases its accuracy while heating up, becoming even as inaccurate as its Halo 2 counterpart. However, burst-firing the weapon, releasing 2-3 bolts per firing, can counteract this. This will allow the weapon to be used for a longer period of time before it actually overheats, and more accuracy allowing you to hit long-range targets. Also, the rifle was much more bulkier than in Halo 2, like the Plasma Pistol and the Needler with the sound effect of a Plasma Pistol.

Halo 2

Halo 2's Plasma Rifle is not as powerful or accurate as its predecessor and lacks the ability to stun. These drawbacks are compensated by a higher rate of fire and the ability to dual-wield the weapon, allowing it to be paired with a wide variety of other weapons from Halo 2 and creating powerful combination. The changes done to the weapon are directly related to the inclusion of dual-wielding and higher rate of fire. For purposes of balance, the Plasma Rifle, along with many others from Halo: Combat Evolved, was tweaked to better fit the new game's fighting style. The weapon takes an opponent's shields off with five shots, but it takes many more to kill. This version of the Plasma Rifle behaves more as a SMG rather than a rifle. It has medium to low accuracy, and, when dual wielded, if both rifles are fired simultaneously, the accuracy will quickly decrease greatly.

Plasma Rifles are also the basis for several other weapon systems, including the Twin Plasma Cannons on Ghosts, Halo 2 Wraiths, and Banshees. The weapon is not to be confused with the Brute Plasma Rifle, which is a faster, red version of the Plasma Rifle.

Aesthetically, the Halo 2 Plasma Rifle appears slightly larger the the CE model. It gains small "fins" to the rear of the weapon, or at least they are now visible to the player whilst firing.

Halo 3

In Halo 3, Plasma Rifles are made even more powerful than their Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2's counterparts, like most of the new weapons in Halo 3. They have the same overheating rate as their predecessors, yet they fire as fast as the Brute Plasma Rifles in Halo 2. Their bolts are graphically redesigned to have a more vivid look. The bolts seem to travel faster than those of its previous versions, reducing the need to "lead" or "direct" the shots at mid to long ranges. This may be because the Plasma Rifle is the signature weapon of the Elites, and following the Covenant Civil War they were free to tamper with the workings of their weapons, whereas before it was considered "perfect", due to the Covenant reverse-engineering it from supposedly "flawless" Forerunner technology.

After a few shots, the weapon becomes very inaccurate to fire, so you may want to consider shooting in short controlled spurts and bursts. Also, unlike in previous games, the Plasma Rifle is very effective against the Flood, even more so than its human counterpart. It takes 18 plasma bolts to kill an enemy with normal shields in Halo 3, but one shot to the Infection Forms roosting in the Flood Combat Forms will instantly kill it. This makes it effective against shields and semi-effective for flesh, making it a much more formidable weapon then its previous version. The weapon also gets a slight graphical overhaul, making it slightly more detailed and polished.