View source for Headshot

{{Status|Gameplay}}
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{{Disambig header|the gameplay mechanic|the medal|Headshot (medal)}}
[[File:Halo 3 Picture 2.jpg|thumb|A close-up of a headshot in Halo 3. The weapon used was a Sniper Rifle. The remains of the crippled shielding and blood from the exit wound are clearly visible.]]
A '''headshot''' is a shot fired at an enemy's head. Headshots, when fired from a precision weapon, will instantly kill an unshielded target. Due to the size of a target's head relative to the size of their body, however, headshots are relatively difficult to perform. They are typically performed with scoped weapons. It should be noted that while any shot to the head could be (informally) called a "headshot", headshot-related awards (like [[medals]]) are only given if the headshot was a fatal shot. That is to say, a kill will only count as a headshot kill if the headshot was the killing shot.

== Damage System ==
Headshots will instantly kill an unshielded opponent, but does not do any extra damage to shields. That is to say, a shielded opponent will take the same amount of damage no matter where they are shot.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p54yFedYHb4 '''YouTube:''' ''Halo 3: Shot Location Damage Experiment'']</ref> Shooting a shielded opponent in the head does exactly the same amount of damage as shooting them in the foot. However, in ''Halo Infinite'', headshots with the [[shock rifle]] do extra damage to shields.

In ''Halo 5: Guardians'' and ''Halo Infinite'', headshots with weapons such as the [[MA5D assault rifle|assault]] [[MA40 assault rifle|rifle]], the [[M739 SAW]], and the [[M20 PDW]] do extra damage to health, though they don't kill instantly.

=== Damage Bleeding Through Shielding ===
The reason that Sniper Rifle and Beam Rifle headshots can instantly kill a shielded opponent is because Sniper and Beam Rifles do more than enough damage to drain an opponent's shields and cause slight damage to Health as well. If the shot hits the head, the "leftover" damage is inflicted on the newly-unshielded opponent's head. Any headshot-capable damage inflicted upon an unshielded head will then kill the victim immediately. 

For example, in ''Halo 3'', 12 shots from a Battle Rifle does a total of 72 damage. A player has 70 shield points, so 11 and <sup>2</sup>/<sub>3</sub> bullets are used for the shield and the remaining <sup>1</sup>/<sub>3</sub> bullet does the fatal headshot.<ref>{{Cite BWU|13233|02/08/08}}</ref> A sniper round does roughly 80 damage, 70 of which is used for the shield and 10 of which go for the body, which means a kill in the case of a headshot. 

In ''Halo: Reach'', the damage system has been altered where damage applied to a shielded enemy wouldn't do any damage to health.<ref name="Interview">[http://gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/03/31/exclusive-interview-on-the-halo-reach-sandbox.aspx '''GameInformer''': ''Exclusive Interview On The Halo: Reach Sandbox'']</ref> In order to successfully produce a headshot, the player has to eliminate the enemy's shield first, though the only exception to this would be the sniper rifle.{{Ref/Reuse|Interview}} The [[Halo: Reach Title Updates|Title Update]] brought back the ability for players to inflict damage through a small amount of shielding.

In ''Halo Infinite'', damage from weapons such as the [[BR75 battle rifle]], the [[Bandit]], and an overcharged {{Pattern|Rohakadu|plasma pistol}} won't do any damage to health on a shielded opponent. Therefore, even though 11 shots from the battle rifle would do 140.03 damage, exceeding a full shield of 140 points, it would still require a twelfth shot to land the headshot.

== Aiming ==
Scoring a headshot on a multiplayer enemy is relatively straightforward, as the head is clearly identifiable and almost always visible. 

[[Face Painting|Face painting]] is an effective technique when going for a headshot, as is the act of leading one's target. Watching the [[reticule]] on the [[heads-up display]] is also useful; in all ''Halo'' first-person shooter games after ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', a small red dot will appear at the center of the reticule when aiming at an enemy's head.

== Headshot-capable weapons ==
Not all weapons in the ''Halo'' series are headshot-capable. It is entirely possible to shoot an opponent in the head with a headshot-''in''capable weapon, but the hit will not count as a headshot. 
*[[Battle rifle|BR-series Battle Rifles]]
*[[M392 DMR]]
*[[M395 DMR]]
*[[M395B DMR]]
*[[VK78 Commando]]
*[[M6 Series|M6 series sidearms]]
*[[Mk50 Sidekick]]
*[[SRS99 series|SRS99 series sniper rifles]]
*[[MA40 Longshot]]
*{{Pattern|Zubo|beam rifle}}
*{{Pattern|Gadulo|needle rifle}}
*{{Pattern|Sulok|beam rifle}}
*{{Pattern|Vostu|carbine}}
*{{Pattern|Mosa|carbine}}
*[[Vestige Carbine]]
*[[Ukala Workshop Mangler]]
*{{Pattern|Rohakadu|plasma pistol}} (overcharged)
*[[Veporokk Workshop Ravager]] (overcharged)
*[[Sicatt Workshop shock rifle]]
*[[Flaktura Workshop Skewer]]
*{{Pattern|Elutuzem|stalker rifle}}
*[[Z-110 Boltshot]]
*[[Z-250 lightrifle]]
*[[Z-750 binary rifle]]

== Trivia ==
* In ''Halo 3''{{'}}s [[campaign]] or [[matchmaking]], players can unlock the "[[Headshot Honcho]]" [[Achievement]] by getting ten headshots with a Sniper Rifle. Additionally, scoring headshots in ''Halo 3''{{'}}s [[Campaign Scoring|meta-game]] will earn more [[Campaign Scoring#Style Multipliers|points]].
* In ''Halo 3: ODST'', the achievement "[[Boom, Headshot]]" is unlocked by killing 10 opponents with headshots with the [[M6C/SOCOM]].
* In ''Halo: Reach''{{'}}s [[Firefight]] mode, AI enemies can headshot players.
* In ''Halo 5: Guardians'' and ''Halo Infinite'', headshots will cause a different hit marker to signify increased damage.
** This critical damage marker will also be shown when a target is hit in their weak spots, like a [[Promethean Knight]]'s cores, a [[Mgalekgolo|Hunter]]'s exposed back, or the core on the [[Warden Eternal]]'s back.

== Sources ==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:Tricks and cheats]]
[[Category:Real-world terms and phrases]]
[[Category:Multiplayer lexicon]]