Canon

BR85HB battle rifle

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BR85HB battle rifle
Halo4-BR85HBSR-RightAngle.png
Production overview

Manufacturer:

Misriah Armory

Model series:

BR series

Type:

Bullpup battle rifle

Cost:

1906 cR[1]

Specifications

Length:

39.1 inches (99 cm)[2]

Width:

2.4 inches (6.1 cm)[2]

Height:

11.8 inches (30 cm)[2]

Weight:

3.3 kilograms (7.3 lb)[3]

Ammunition type:

9.5×40mm M634 X-HP-SAP[1]

Feed system:

36-round box magazine[1]

Operation:

Gas-operated

Rate of fire:

432 RPM[citation needed] (cyclic)

Effective range:

  • Lore: 950 meters (3,117 feet)[Note 1]
  • Gameplay: short, medium, long
Service history

In service:

Human-Covenant War[4] (Limited)
Post-Covenant War conflicts

 

The BR85 Heavy Barrel Service Rifle (BR85HB SR) is a select-fire battle rifle used by the United Nations Space Command. It is a heavy-barreled version of the BR85 Service Rifle. Like its predecessors, the BR55 and BR55HB service rifles, the BR85 is manufactured by Misriah Armory.[5][6]

History[edit]

While the BR85HB Service Rifle had entered service late in the Human-Covenant War manufacturing concerns and logistical issues involved with its ammunition meant the BR85HB was not widely adopted until after the war ended.[7] BR85HBs were used within the Damascus Materials Testing Facility in November 2525.[8] The UNSC Spirit of Fire had some BR85HBs aboard before the Battle of Trove.[9] Some BR85HBs were aboard the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn during the Battle of Installation 00.[10] By February 2556 a small number had been purchased by the Sedran Colonial Guard.[11] The UNSC Infinity carried a large supply of BR85HBs during the Battle of Requiem[12] and the Requiem Campaign.[13]

Design[edit]

A schematic of the BR85.

The BR85HB Service Rifle is a gas-operated, magazine-fed battle rifle. A select-fire weapon, the BR85HB is optimized for firing three-round bursts, though it is capable of semi-automatic and fully automatic fire.[14][Note 2] The BR85HB is effective against most Covenant battle armor and the energy shielding of Sangheili combat harnesses; it also proves effective against the shields and plating of GEN2 MJOLNIR armor during War Games exercises. Like its predecessors, the BR85HB features a 2× magnification scope and receives a 36-round detachable box magazine. In the hands of a skilled marksman the weapon's precision and accuracy make it versatile at a variety of ranges.[5][6] The BR85HB battle rifle features multiple design improvements on the BR55 and BR55HB battle rifles. The BR85HB also features a new lightweight frame and rail mounts for weapon attachments and other accessories.[3] The BR85HB, as well as most other UNSC weapons, requires power to feed ammunition due to its electromagnetic feed system.[11]

Gameplay[edit]

HUD icon of the BR85HB Service Rifle in Halo 4.

The weapon features hitscan and lacks reticule bloom. When fired the barrel rises vertically, but in a suppressible way. The rifle's three-round burst is particularly effective for mid-range combat. It performs adequately in close- and long-range engagements as well, though the MA5D assault rifle and M395 DMR outperform it at these ranges, respectively. The player can carry a maximum of 216 rounds of reserve ammunition for the BR85 from a normal load of 108 rounds. If all the bullets in a three-round burst (one shot) hit a player in matchmaking, it will take four shots to down a player provided the last shot hits the player as a headshot. Only one round from a burst to the head is required to kill an unshielded enemy.

Advantages[edit]

While the effective range and accuracy is less than those of the DMR or a scoped-in Lightrifle, it has a faster kill time than the DMR and unscoped Lightrifle and allows for better situational awareness with its lower zoom magnification. Its effectiveness at closer range is also higher than these weapons, roughly on par with the Covenant Carbine. This makes the BR85 one of the most well-rounded weapon choices as it excels in mid-range combat and is capable of going toe-to-toe with other weapons in close- and long-range combat.

  • The battle rifle can kill a standard-shielded enemy in four bursts, via three bursts breaching the shields and the fourth with a headshot.
  • Headshots with the battle rifle in general are easier to obtain, as there are three chances to get one per shot. As such it is recommended for use in SWAT for players who are not fully comfortable using the DMR, or on maps with smaller sight lines, such as Adrift.
  • Two bursts to the body from a battle rifle followed by a melee will kill an opponent; this common technique is called a two-shot melee or a "bang-bang-whack".
  • 36-round magazine capacity allows 12 bursts, or a maximum of 3 kills (fully-shielded SPARTANs) per magazine in the hands of a skilled user. This is one more potential kill than the DMR, Covenant Carbine, and unscoped Lightrifle.

Disadvantages[edit]

As previously stated, the battle rifle lacks the accuracy, damage, and range of the other, more specialized primary precision weapons. The recoil is detrimental, but it can be controlled into a predictable vertical flow with practice to gain headshots. Mid-magazine reload time is also rather slow (especially without the Dexterity support upgrade); if the magazine is empty the full reload time takes even longer. Additionally, as the magazine empties the report increases in pitch, allowing aware opponents to time their attacks so that the wielder is helpless.

Changes from the BR55HB SR from Halo 3 to Halo 4[edit]

  • Once again features hitscan properties.
  • Larger reticle and higher magnetism at close range, lower magnetism at long range.
  • Scope is now square instead of round.
  • Misriah Armory's symbol is now on both sides of the stock on the weapon.
  • Rate of fire has been increased allowing for more fluid gunplay, at the cost of damage output.
  • Decreased damage; the Battle Rifle now kills in 13 bullets rather than 12 provided the last shot is a headshot, requiring 5 bursts to kill rather than 4

Changes from Halo 4 to Turbo update[edit]

  • Fire rate is slowed.
  • Increased damage; the Battle Rifle now kills in 11 bullets rather than 13 provided the last shot is a headshot, requiring 4 bursts to kill rather than 5

Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike[edit]

In Halo: Spartan Assault the battle rifle is not available in the campaign, appearing only in the Flood missions cooperative mode, and as the primary weapon of Spartan Davis in the cutscenes. The weapon appears throughout the Spartan Strike campaign.

Gameplay[edit]

  • Weapon carries a maximum of 30 3-round bursts.
  • Weapon can destroy Wraith or Scorpion Tank in six to eight bursts while Ghosts can be destroyed in three full bursts.
  • Can kill any unshielded units in the line of fire.
  • Highest Damage for rifle-type weaponry.

Trivia[edit]

  • The earliest known in-game model of the BR85HB was erroneously labeled "BR55HB SR".[15] This is fixed in the final build of the game.[16]
  • Despite the lack of a flash suppressor or muzzle brake, the BR85HB produces a cross-shaped muzzle flash.
  • In Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike, the BR85HB makes the report of Halo 2's BR55 when firing.

Gallery[edit]

Main-Superintendent.png Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

Concept art and artwork[edit]

Renders[edit]

  • The BR85 compared to its predecessors, the BR55HB and the BR55.

  • An older render of the BR85HB SR with the placeholder label.

  • An early, unused render of the BR85HB for Halo 2: Anniversary.

Screenshots[edit]

  • The BR85's scope in the 2012 E3 build of Halo 4.

  • A high res look at the BR85HB arctic skin.

  • BR85HB Infobox for Halo 4.

  • A render of the BR85HB SR's scope.

  • The view of the BR85's scope with a full HUD.

  • John-117 holding a BR85HB.

  • A first-person view of the BR85 from John-117's HUD.

  • A Spartan-IV firing the BR85HB on Haven, in an earlier Halo 4 build.

  • First-person view of the BR85HB on Complex.

  • Paul DeMarco wielding the BR85HB.

  • A magazine used with the BR85HB in Halo 4.

Halo 4 skins[edit]

  • Dunes (DNE) skin.

  • Arctic (ACT) skin.

  • Steam (STM) skin.

  • Salvage (SLV) skin.

  • Blast (BLS) skin.

List of appearances[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The tick marks on the BR85HB's smart-linked scope range between 100 and 950 meters. This presumably reflects the weapon's maximum effective range.
  2. ^ All official sources claim that the BR85HB is a "semi-automatic weapon optimized for three-round burst firing". This is a convoluted way of identifying the weapon as select-fire.

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Halo 4 Limited Edition UNSC Infinity briefing packet
  2. ^ a b c Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 61
  3. ^ a b Halo Waypoint: Battle Rifle
  4. ^ Gamestop: Halo 5: Guardians
  5. ^ a b Halo Waypoint: The Halo Bulletin: 3.15.12
  6. ^ a b Halo 4 Official Site - Ordnance + Armor
  7. ^ Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Locke and Load
  8. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series
  9. ^ Halo: Tales from Slipspace, Something has Happened
  10. ^ Halo 4, campaign level, Dawn
  11. ^ a b Halo: Nightfall
  12. ^ Halo 4, campaign level, Reclaimer
  13. ^ Halo 4, Spartan Ops
  14. ^ Spartan Ops, Artifact introductory cutscene
  15. ^ Image of the BR55 label on the BR85 as seen in a development screenshot
  16. ^ Halo 4 Official Site: Renders

v • d • e
 
List of rifles and carbines in UNSC service
CM 300 • M6J/C • MA5K
BR55 series (XBR55 • BR55 • BR55HB) • BR75 series (BR75) • BR85 series (BR85 • BR85HB • BR85N) • "Maestro"
M295 • M392 • M395 (M395B)
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