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Electromagnetic pulse

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The EMP Kill Medal given to a player in Halo 3: ODST and in Halo 3 when killing an enemy shortly after their shields are deactivated.

Electromagnetic pulse, or EMP is the electromagnetic radiation from an explosion (especially a nuclear explosion) or an intensely fluctuating magnetic field caused by Compton-recoil electrons and photoelectrons from photons scattered in the materials of the electronic or explosive device or in a surrounding medium. While organic tissue is unaffected, the resulting electric and magnetic fields may couple with electrical/electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges. The effects are usually not noticeable beyond the blast radius unless the device is nuclear or specifically designed to produce an electromagnetic shockwave. An alternate definition is: a broadband, high-intensity, short-duration burst of electromagnetic energy.

The worst of an electromagnetic pulse generally only lasts for a second, but any unprotected electrical equipment will be affected by the pulse.

Notable examples

There have been several noteworthy instances in which an EMP has appeared.

Gameplay

EMP is also an in-game effect in the Halo games, that disables energy shields and vehicles. It is produced by certain weapons and equipment.

  • In Halo 2, the Sentinels sometimes emit an EMP when destroyed. This effect disables shields, but vehicles are unaffected.
  • In Halo 3, the power drain uses EMP to disable shields, vehicles and other power sources.
  • A charged Plasma Pistol blast will temporarily disable vehicles and energy shields much like the power drain.
  • In Halo Wars, Professor Anders' vehicle, the Gremlin, uses EMP as main armament to disable enemy non-infantry units.
  • In Halo Wars, the Vampire's stasis cannon uses EMP as well to drain power from enemy aircraft.
  • In Halo: Reach, Armor Lock can trigger an EMP after use, which can take out a Spartan's shields. Combined with a quick and accurate melee, this can result in an almost instant kill.
  • In Halo: Reach the M319 Individual Grenade Launcher has a secondary function that acts like an EMP. It awards a player an EMP Blast Medal when it kills an enemy, being the only other weapon in the game that awards the medal.

Trivia

  • If you disable a vehicle using an EMP, it will show an animation of some sparks flying around, but if you disable it again before it is drivable then the animation will stop and the vehicle will not work.
  • Some vehicles disabled by an EMP will still have full functionality of its weapons if it has any. For example, if a Warthog is disabled by an EMP, the turret will still be able to turn around and shoot. Likewise, a Banshee, while grounded, will still be able to boost and perform tricks.

Gallery

List of appearances

Sources