H3ODST:Plasma Rifle

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Plasma Rifle
Gameplay role
Faction:	Covenant
Weapon tier (?):	Loadout weapon
Weapon class (?):	Rifle
Weapon type (?):	Plasma
Firing mode:	Automatic
Effective range:	Close to medium
Counterparts:	Human (UNSC) Assault Rifle Silenced SMG Covenant Needler Brute Plasma Rifle Spiker Forerunner Sentinel Beam(Halo: The Master Chief Collection-only)
Gameplay stats
Melee damage (?):	Strike Melee

The Plasma Rifle is a weapon that is featured in the Halo 3: ODST component of Halo: The Master Chief Collection. It was not included in the original Xbox 360 and Collection releases of ODST due to the game's lack of Elite enemies, and only introduced into the Collection for use in Firefight in the 2022 Floodfight update.

Universe and lore

Main article: Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle

The Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle is the primary service arm of the Covenant, in particular used by the Elites. In the UNSC it is known by the designation Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle.

Gameplay

Counterparts

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  Assault Rifle

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  Silenced SMG

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  Needler

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  Brute Plasma Rifle

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  Spiker

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  Sentinel Beam
  (Halo: The Master Chief Collection-only)

Firefight

At Halo 3: ODST launch, the Plasma Rifle was not included in the game as it was replaced by the Brute Plasma Rifle, reflecting that the enemies in the game are predominantly Brutes. However, the base game's Brute Plasma Rifle is simply a red recolour of the standard Plasma Rifle include in Halo 3, rather than a distinct weapon as included in Halo 2. The regular Plasma Rifle was only added to ODST in the 2022 Floodfight update, which implemented Elites as enemies for the player to fight for the first time. Elites may spawn with Plasma Rifles whether they are enemies or allies (via the Boon system) and, when killed, drop them for the player to use. The weapon is statistically identical to the Halo 3 Plasma Rifle and ODST Brute Plasma Rifle, sharing the tag stats, model, and texture. Despite this, as with all weapons in ODST it can not be equipped with any of Halo 3's weapon skins.

Production notes

The Plasma Rifle was not originally included in Halo 3: ODST, having been replaced by the Brute Plasma Rifle. However, tags for the weapon remain unused in the map files for two levels; Tayari Plaza and NMPD HQ, and can be equipped via modding.

Gallery

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  A first-person view of the Plasma Rifle and its HUD.

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  First-person view of the Plasma Rifle's overheat.

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  Third-person view of a player using the Plasma Rifle.

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  The Plasma Rifle's overheat, in third-person.

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  An Elite Minor (right) wielding a Plasma Rifle.

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  An Elite Minor (right) wielding a Plasma Rifle on Security Zone.