CE:Needler

Needler
The Needlers in Halo: Combat Evolved (top) and Anniversary (bottom).
Gameplay role
Faction:	Covenant
Weapon class (?):	Pistol
Weapon type (?):	Needle
Firing mode:	Automatic
Effective range:	Close to medium
Counterparts:	Human (UNSC) Assault Rifle Covenant Plasma Rifle
Gameplay stats
Damage:	Detonation: 10 (attached only)
Splash damage:	Supercombine: 60 out to 0.5 wu, down to 40 at 1 wu (radius) EMPs shields
Projectile effects:	Tracking, Attaches to units, Detonates 0.75s after coming to rest, Supercombines (7 projectiles), EMP
Projectile speed:	SP: 4 wu/s 90 degrees per second turning speed MP: 5 wu/s 100 degrees per second turning speed
Hitscan range (?):	SP: ~0.133 wu MP: ~0.166 wu
Max range (?):	SP: 20 wu MP: 25 wu
Rate of fire:	3 to 10 rounds per second
Spread (?):	4 degrees (2 degrees min error)
Magazine size:	20 rounds
Reserve ammo capacity:	80 rounds (4 magazines)
Auto aim (?):	6 degrees out to 25 wu
Sticky aim (?):	12 degrees out to 25 wu
Melee damage (?):	Melee
Tag name (?):	needler mp_needler

The Needler is a weapon featured in Halo: Combat Evolved and its remaster, Combat Evolved Anniversary. It is one of the most unique weapons in the game, and has since gone on to appear in all subsequent games in the series.

Information on the Needler found in Halo: Campaign Evolved can be found here.

Universe and lore

Main article: Needler

In the original Combat Evolved, the Needler featured is the Type-33 needler, a weapon used by the infantry of the Covenant.

In Anniversary, the weapon's model was replaced with that of the Nahle'hax-pattern needler from Halo: Reach, though in-game materials (the Library) still refer to it with the original Type-33 designation.

Gameplay

Counterparts

• 

  Plasma Rifle
• 

  Assault Rifle

Campaign

The Needler in Classic and Anniversary graphics in Combat Evolved Anniversary on Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

The Needler is one of three useable Covenant weapons found throughout the campaign of Halo. It may be used by Elites, Grunts, and Jackals. It is one of the most unique weapons in the game for its primary mechanic: the needles that it fires track enemy targets. When seven or more needles impale a given enemy, the enemy will explode in a supercombine, usually killing them. Supercombines function similarly to grenades and can deal damage to the player if they're close to the enemy they're firing at; likewise, the supercombine can result in the detonation of nearby grenades. This effect, along with all other explosives, is amplified by the Boom skull.

Needles can impact soft targets whether they're dead or alive, as well as environmental geometry, the latter will result in no supercombine or harm to the player.