H3ODST:Battle Rifle
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Battle Rifle | |
|---|---|
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| Gameplay role | |
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Faction: |
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Firing mode: |
Semi-automatic Burst |
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Effective range: |
Medium |
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Counterparts: |
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| Gameplay stats | |
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Damage: |
6 * 3 rounds per burst (18 total) |
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| |
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Projectile effects: |
Headshots |
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Projectile speed: |
180 wu/s |
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12 wu | |
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60 wu | |
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Rate of fire: |
15 rounds per second 0.28s fire recovery time[Note 1] |
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0.15 to 0.5 degrees | |
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Magazine size: |
36 rounds (12 bursts) |
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Reserve ammo capacity: |
108 rounds (4 magazines) |
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3 degrees out to 17 wu | |
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6 degrees out to 21 wu | |
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Zoom: |
2x magnification |
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This article is part of a series on Battle Rifles
For more gameplay weapon articles, see here!
The Battle Rifle is a human loadout weapon featured in Halo 3: ODST. It was not a player-useable weapon in the original Xbox 360 release of the game, having been functionally replaced by the Automag pistol, but was made playable for the game's Halo: The Master Chief Collection port for use in Firefight. It is mostly-identical to its Halo 3 counterpart, with the two games sharing assets and engine.
Universe and lore[edit]
- Main article: BR55HB battle rifle
The BR55HB battle rifle is a standard service arm in the United Nations Space Command. It is a heavy barrel alteration of the standard BR55 battle rifle first featured in Halo 2.
Gameplay[edit]
Counterparts[edit]
Firefight[edit]
In the original Xbox 360 release of Halo 3: ODST the Battle Rifle was not useable at all in the game, having been supplanted in the utility weapon role by the Automag. The weapon was made available to use in ODST Firefight in Halo: The Master Chief Collection with Series 3: Recon, alongside a number of other weapons and vehicles from Halo 3 that were previously not available in ODST. While it does not spawn on any Firefight maps by default, it can be set in custom gametype settings as a spawn weapon for the player.[2] The 2022 Floodfight update added the option for friendly Marines to spawn on select maps as part of the newly-implemented "Boon" feature, some of whom may additionally spawn with and use the Battle Rifle. Boons can also add weapon racks to the maps which contain Battle Rifles and Assault Rifles.[3]
The weapon performs identically to its Halo 3 counterpart, reusing the same model, animations, and tags/stats. As with all other ODST weapons in The Master Chief Collection, it does not support the use of the Halo 3 weapon skins.
Production notes[edit]
- "We never took [the Battle Rifle] out of ODST because it was never actually in the game. That's the official party line."
- — Paul Bertone, regarding the lack of a Battle Rifle in Halo 3: ODST.[4]
According to Halo 3: ODST design director Paul Bertone, the Battle Rifle was originally never included in the game as its functionality had been split between the game's two new staple weapons; the Automag and the Silenced SMG. While creating ODST, the team was invested in trying to push fidelity in the game's environments as much as possible, which pushed the Xbox 360's memory to its limits. Weapons are particularly resource-intensive assets for production, and as its role had been supplanted, the decision was made to not include the Battle Rifle.[4][5]
Although not a useable weapon, the Battle Rifle is very briefly featured in the campaign of ODST. In the end cutscene for the level NMPD HQ it can be very briefly seen held by an NMPD officer in the split second before he is killed by the Chieftain Bracktanus.[6] This weapon is not actually a useable or spawnable weapon, with the weapon's tag not present at all in the game files; instead, the weapon's model is a scenery prop spawned in and animated during the cutscene.[7]
Gallery[edit]
Concept art[edit]
Concept art for the drop pod in ODST, showcasing Battle Rifles in the loadout.
Concept art for Veronica Dare, depicting her with a Battle Rifle.
Concept art for an ODST rucksack, using the Battle Rifle.
Screenshots[edit]
A highlighted view of the Battle Rifle in its split-second appearance on NMPD HQ.
A first-person view of the Battle Rifle and its HUD on Crater (Night).
A player with the Veronica Dare armor using the Battle Rifle on Lost Platoon.
A player using the "Bug-Splattered Buck" armor using the Battle Rifle on Last Exit.
Notes[edit]
- ^ Due to how tickrate is rounded down, the fire recovery time is 0.3s rather than 0.28s.
Sources[edit]
- ^ Halo 3: ODST Editing Kit, game file
tags\objects\weapons\rifle\battle_rifle\battle_rifle.weapon - ^ Halo Waypoint, MCC Development Update - August 2020 (Retrieved on Aug 30, 2020) [archive]
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Update on Halo: MCC (Retrieved on Aug 20, 2026) [archive]
- ^ a b YouTube - Bungie, Bungie PAX Panel 2009 - Part 7 (Retrieved on Aug 20, 2026)
- ^ Bungie.net, Bungie Weekly Update: 06/05/09 (Retrieved on Oct 13, 2013) [archive]
- ^ halo.bungie.org, Wow... good eyes. (Retrieved on Aug 20, 2026) [archive]
- ^ YouTube - GeneralKidd, Halo 3: ODST - Mystery Of The Secret Battle Rifle (SOLVED) (Retrieved on Aug 20, 2026)
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