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Assault Rifle
Gameplay role
Faction:	Human (UNSC)
Weapon tier (?):	Tier-1 Loadout weapon
Weapon class (?):	Assault rifle
Weapon type (?):	Kinetic weapon
Firing mode:	Automatic
Effective range:	Close to medium
Counterparts:	Covenant Needler Plasma Rifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	10
Damage type (?):	assault rifle\bullet
Projectile speed:	324 wu/s
Hitscan range (?):	10.8 wu
Max range:	40 wu
Rate of fire:	15 rounds per second
Spread (?):	2 to 6.5 degrees
Magazine size:	60 rounds
Reserve ammo capacity:	600 rounds (10 magazines)
Tag name (?):	assault rifle

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

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

Universe and lore

Main article: MA5B assault rifle

In the original Combat Evolved, the Assault Rifle featured is the MA5B assault rifle; a 7.62x51mm rifle in the MA5 series utilised by the UNSC Marine Corps and UNSC Navy.

In Anniversary, the weapon's model was replaced with that of the MA5C assault rifle from Halo 3, though in-game materials still refer to it using all of the original CE designations. Despite this, the original CE design is considered the canonical MA5B in reference texts released since.

The Evolved MA5 weapon skin featured in Halo Infinite was designed to reference the original Combat Evolved MA5B.

Gameplay

Counterparts

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  Plasma Rifle

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  Needler

Campaign

The Assault Rifle's HUD icon.

The Assault Rifle is one of the most common weapons found throughout the campaign of Combat Evolved. It is a starting weapon in almost every single level save the the first, and is wielded by both Marines and Flood-infected Marines. As such, it can be easily found in every level in UNSC weapon caches, on dead Marines, or carried by enemy Flood forms.

Overall, the Assault Rifle is a well-balanced weapon that makes it suitable for most scenarios, save for long range. It has a high rate of fire and large magazine, making it well-suited for clearing crowds of enemies and attacking unshielded targets. It is weakest when faced with the energy shields of Elite, meaning that it pairs well with plasma weapons. The high rate-of-fire, spread, and magazine capacity make it particularly effective for dealing with swarms of Infection Forms.

The Assault Rifle has a flashlight mounted below the barrel, which can be used in the campaign to illuminate dark spaces. The shroud on top of the weapon also features a compass, though this points to the gas giant Threshold seen in most of the game's skyboxes due to the lack of a "North" on Installation 04. This can be useful in some of the more mazelike levels in the game.

Multiplayer

This section is a stub. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Damage Modifiers

Assault Rifle bullet - Halo: Combat Evolved damage modifiers
dirt	sand	stone	snow	wood	metal (hollow)	metal (thin)	metal (thick)	rubber	glass	force field	grunt	hunter armor	hunter skin	elite	jackal	jackal energy shield	engineer	engineer force field	flood combat form	flood carrier form	cyborg	cyborg energy shield	armored human	human	sentinel	monitor	plastic	water	leaves	elite energy shield	ice	hunter shield
0	0	0	0	0	0.25	0.25	0.25	0.25	1	0	1	0.5	0.5	1	1	0	0.6	0	0.65	0.65	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0.7	0	0

Skins

In the Combat Evolved component of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, there are a number of weapon skins for the Assault Rifle.

Assault Rifle v • d • e
Icon	Name	Description	Unlock requirements
	Default	Default skin.	Unlocked by default
	Desert	Looks very stylish with a poncho.	Series 2, Tier 1 ( 1)
	Woodland	Camping is a legitimate strategy.	Series 2, Tier 29 ( 1)
	Squirt	It's good under pressure.	Series 2, Tier 46 ( 1)
	Corrosion	The Oxidation Sensation.	Series 2, Tier 69 ( 1)
	Great Journey	Don't worry... I know what the aliens like.	Series 2, Tier 83 ( 1)
	Lucky Shot	But you had something they didn't...	Series 2, Tier 100 ( 1)
	Golden	Bling on the ring.	Series 2 Challenge: Thanks, Misriah Defeat 300 opponents with the Assault Rifle in any game mode.

Production notes

Early revisions of the Assault Rifle seemingly take influence from a number of sources, including the MA–75B assault rifle from the Marathon series and the M41A Pulse Rifle from Aliens - a film which Halo is heavily based upon. Some of these early RTS and third-person era assault rifles also displayed obvious outward similarities to the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) program which was active in the 1990s (around the time Halo began development) and the Morita assault rifle from 1997's Starship Troopers - the former of which likely inspired the MA5's in-universe designation "Individual Combat Weapon System" (ICWS), while the latter was similarly-influential on the Halo series as Aliens. This early OICW-inspired design can be seen firing an underbarrel grenade launcher.

The Assault Rifle design gradually evolved throughout the rest of 1999 into a design more familiar to fans of the final game. PC Gamer's October 1999 issue would run a piece showcasing an updated screenshot with an Assault Rifle bearing much heavier resemblance to the final iteration. This version of the assault rifle has a black steel frame and green furniture, similar to the Aliens M41 rifle, and has the addition of a secondary magazine located in front of the trigger - presumably used to reload the grenade launcher. A version of the Assault Rifle later seen in the third-person builds of Halo boasted the name MA-5 ICW/30mm CGL (possibly standing for something akin to Model A-5 Individual Combat Weapon/30mm Caseless Grenade Launcher).

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  Early 1998-era concept art by Robert McLees.

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  The original 1998 RTS-era revision.

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  The 1999 E3-era revision.

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  The 1999 MacWorld-era revision.

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  The 2000-era assault rifle revision.

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  The MA5B seen in the final game.

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  A May 1999-era screenshot of the map room showcased in that year's E3 event, showcasing an assault rifle more overtly inspired by the OICW program.

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  The OICW-inspired rifle firing its grenade launcher.

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  1999 concept art by Shi Kai Wang - the Marines here showcase more recognisable designs for the assault rifle.

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  Master Chief using the 1999-era assault rifle.

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  Master Chief using the assault rifle in the 1999-era builds of Halo.

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  The MA5B on the cover of Gamestar magazine in May 2000. By this time, the assault rifle resembled the final iteration in all but colour scheme - though still retains its secondary magazine.

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  A later iteration of the assault rifle can be seen wielded closer to mid-late 2000. In this iteration, the grenade launcher magazine has been removed, and the foregrip enlarged.

Gallery

Halo: Combat Evolved

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  The MA5B in Halo: Combat Evolved.

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  In-game side view of the MA5B in Halo: Combat Evolved.

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  The MA5B viewed in different angles.

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  The MJOLNIR HUD, showing the targeting reticule for the MA5B and ammo readout.

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  Down the barrel of an MA5B.

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  Marines using MA5Bs.

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  Marines on Installation 04 with MA5Bs.

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  John-117 and a Marine with an MA5B.

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  Master Chief firing an Assault Rifle.

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  A Halo: Combat Evolved MA5B with the Lucky Shot skin in Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

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  First person view of the MA5B with the Woodland skin.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

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  The Assault Rifle as viewed in the Library feature of Combat Evolved Anniversary. Despite using the MA5C model, the weapon is still referred to by its original MA5B designation.

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  A player using the Assault Rifle in the remastered 343 Guilty Spark swamps.

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  A player using the Assault Rifle on The Pillar of Autumn.

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  A player using the Assault Rifle on The Pillar of Autumn.

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  Bisenti using an Assault Rifle.

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  Several Marines using Assault Rifles on The Truth and Reconciliation.

Sources

Assault Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Human (UNSC) (Silenced) SMG Covenant Needler (Brute) Plasma Rifle Spiker Forerunner Sentinel Beam
Weapon stats
Damage:	7.5
Damage type (?):	bullet_slow
Projectile speed:	80 wu/s
Hitscan range (?):	~2.67 wu
Max range:	40 wu
Rate of fire:	10 rounds per second
Spread (?):	0.1 to 3 degrees (0.1 degrees min error)
Magazine size:	32
Reserve ammo capacity:	352 rounds (11 magazines)
Melee damage (?):	strike_melee
Tag name (?):	assault_rifle

The Assault Rifle is a weapon featured in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. Both games were produced on the same iteration of the Blam engine, and as such, the weapon's model and stats are shared across both games.

Universe and lore

Main article: MA5C assault rifle

In both Halo 3 and ODST, the Assault Rifle featured is the MA5C assault rifle; a 7.62x51mm rifle in the MA5 series utilised by the UNSC Marine Corps and UNSC Navy. It is the successor to the MA5B model that was first featured in Halo: Combat Evolved.

Gameplay

Counterparts

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  SMG

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  Silenced SMG

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  Plasma Rifle

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  Brute Plasma Rifle

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  Needler

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  Spiker

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  Sentinel Beam

Campaign and Firefight

This section is a stub. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

The assault rifle is one of the most common weapons found throughout both Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. It is the first weapon used by the player in the first level of Halo 3 and it is available in all subsequent levels as either a loadout weapon, one found on the map, or in the hands of an NPC - be it Marines or Infected Marines. The Assault Rifle is a default starting weapon on Sierra 117, Tsavo Highway, The Storm, Cortana, alongside the Rally Point mid-mission starts for the levels not listed.

The weapon remains mostly unchanged, stat-wise, in ODST, though is less prevalent throughout the game - instead replaced in prominence by the Silenced SMG. It is primarily wielded by Buck and available as a starting weapon on his mission, Tayari Plaza. In ODST the weapon's position on screen and firing sounds have been altered to help it feel more powerful to use. In the original Xbox 360 release of ODST the weapon was the only one in the game which could not be used in Firefight, though this was enabled in an update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection via loadout settings.

Multiplayer

This section is a stub. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Changes from Halo 3 to ODST

• Bullet damage vs shields decreased to 50%

Skins

In the Halo 3 component of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, there are a number of weapon skins for the Assault Rifle. These cannot be used in the Halo 3: ODST campaign or Firefight modes.

Assault Rifle v • d • e
Icon	Name	Description	Unlock requirements
	Default	Default skin.	Unlocked by default
	Woodland	Camping is a legitimate strategy.	Series 3, Tier 8 ( 1)
	Squirt	It's good under pressure.	Series 3, Tier 24 ( 1)
	Corrosion	The Oxidation Sensation.	Series 3, Tier 33 ( 1)
	Golden	Bling on the ring.	Series 3, Tier 37 ( 1)
	Hazard Pay	Safety first!	Series 5, Tier 43 ( 1)
	Desert	Looks very stylish with a poncho.	Series 5, Tier 86 ( 1)
	Sapphire Raven	On land and stormy seas.	Series 6, Tier 91 ( 1)
	Vexing Tomorrow	Grim beauty.	Series 8, Tier 8 ( 1)
	Black Rhine	The king of the battlefield.	The Exchange ( 3)
	OGX	If it looked any more real, it would be real.	The Exchange ( 3)
	Scorned Fate	Neither tide nor time shifts before a conquering hero.	The Exchange ( 4)

Gallery

Halo 3

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  John-117 looking at his Assault Rifle in Starry Night.

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  Marines using Assault Rifles in Believe.

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  Right-side view of the Assault Rifle in Halo 3.

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  A top-down view of the Assault Rifle .

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  Master Chief wielding an Assault Rifle while walking.

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  Master Chief wielding an Assault Rifle while crouching.

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  The Master Chief firing an Assault Rifle in-game on the level Halo, on Installation 08.

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  The Assault Rifle reticule and ammo counter as seen on the heads up display.

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  Marines on Tsavo Highway using the MA5C rifle.

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  A rack of MA5Cs in the Finish The Fight trailer.

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  A closeup view of an MA5C.

Halo 3: ODST

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  ODST concept with a Marine holding an Assault Rifle.

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  A replica of the Assault Rifle prop created for The Life trailer.

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  Edward Buck firing a using an Assault Rifle in Halo 3: ODST.

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  Buck using an Assault Rifle on the level NMPD HQ.

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  Several Marines using Assault Rifles.

Sources

Assault Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Covenant Needler Plasma Repeater Plasma Rifle Spiker
Weapon stats
Damage:	5.834 to 6.788
Damage type (?):	bullet_slow
Projectile speed:	3000 wu/s
Hitscan range (?):	200 wu
Max range:	100 wu
Rate of fire:	10 rounds per second
Spread (?):	0.3 to 2.5 degrees
Magazine size:	32
Reserve ammo capacity:	288 rounds (9 magazines)
Melee damage (?):	strike_melee
Tag name (?):	assault_rifle

The Assault Rifle is a human infantry weapon featured in Halo: Reach. As with prior iterations of the weapon, it is one of the most common guns in the game.

Universe and lore

Main article: MA37 assault rifle

The assault rifle featured in Reach is the MA37 assault rifle, a 7.62x51mm fully-automatic rifle manufactured by Misriah Armory. Unlike the MA5B and MA5C assault rifles found in prior games, the MA37 is predominantly used by the UNSC Army.

Gameplay

Counterparts

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  Plasma Rifle
  Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer, and Halo: Fireteam Raven

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  Needler
  Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo 4, Halo: Spartan Assault, Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer, Halo: Spartan Strike, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo: Fireteam Raven and Halo Infinite

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  Spiker
  Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo: Reach

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  Plasma Repeater
  Halo: Reach, Halo: Spartan Assault, and Halo: Spartan Strike

Campaign and Firefight

The Assault Rifle is one of the most prominent weapons found throughout Halo: Reach, both as the starting weapon in most campaign levels and as a common weapon in the hands of NOBLE Team and Army Troopers.

Multiplayer

This section is a stub. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Gallery

Development images

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  Concept art of the MA37 and its electronics suite.

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  Concept art development of the weapon.

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  Concept art for the weapon.

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  First-person view of the MA37 in an early build of Halo: Reach.

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  Noble Six with an MA37 in an early build of Halo: Reach.

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  First-person view of the weapon in a later, but still non-final version of Reach.

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  A render of the MA37 assault rifle from the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta.

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  The MA5B assault rifle in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary originally used the MA37's model as a placeholder.

Screenshots

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  A turnaround reference of the MA37.

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  Right-side view of the MA37.

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  HUD icon of the MA37 in Halo: Reach.

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  The MA37 from first-person perspective in the final version.

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  The MA37's reload in Halo: Reach.

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  Closeup view of the text printed on the side of the MA37.

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  An Army trooper firing his MA37.

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  An ODST carrying an MA37 assault rifle.

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  An ODST takes cover with an MA37 assault rifle.

Sources

Assault Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Covenant Storm Rifle Forerunner Suppressor
Weapon stats
Damage:	Default: 7.5 Tuning: 9
Damage type (?):	bullet_slow
Projectile speed:	1500 wu/s
Hitscan range (?):	100 wu
Max range:	100 wu
Rate of fire:	10 rounds per second
Spread (?):	Default:0.15 to 2.4 degrees Tuning:0.15 to 2 degrees
Magazine size:	32
Reserve ammo capacity:	224 rounds (7 magazines)
Melee damage (?):	strike_melee
Tag name (?):	storm_assault_rifle

The Assault Rifle is a weapon featured in Halo 4.

Universe and lore

Main article: MA5B assault rifle

In Halo 4, the Assault Rifle featured is the MA5D assault rifle; a 7.62x51mm rifle in the MA5 series utilised by the United Nations Space Command. It is the successor to the MA5B model and MA5C models featured in prior games.

Gameplay

Counterparts

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  Needler

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  Storm Rifle

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  Suppressor

Campaign and Spartan Ops

This section is a stub. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

The assault rifle is one of the most commonly-encountered weapons in Halo 4. It is a common starting weapon throughout the campaign, serving as a well-rounded utility weapon that is well-suited to most encounters at short-medium range.

Multiplayer

This section is a stub. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Changes from Halo 4 to Weapon Tuning Update

• Damage increased to 120%.
• Max spread decreased from 2.4 to 2 degrees.
• Auto aim angle decreased from 5 to 3 degrees.
• Magnetism angle decreased from 10 to 7 degrees.

Skins

Main article: Weapon skins (Halo 4)

The Assault Rifle in Halo 4 had several skins available for it. These are also available for use in Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Assault Rifle v • d • e
Icon	Name	Description (MCC)	Unlock Requirements (Halo 4)	Unlock Requirements (MCC)
	Default	Default Skin applied.	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default
	Prime (PRM)	Customized with the PRIME skin.	Purchase the Halo 4 Limited Edition or the Halo 4 Game of the Year Edition.	Unlocked by default
	Predator (PRD)	Customized with the PREDATOR skin.	Reach Pathfinder	Unlocked by default
	Turbine (TBN)	Customized with the TURBINE skin.	Purchase the Champions Bundle or Steel Skin Pack.	Series 4, Tier 45 ( 1)
	Teeth (TTH)	Customized with the TEETH skin.	Purchase the Champions Bundle.	Series 4, Tier 11 ( 1)
	Trauma (TRM)	Customized with the TRAUMA skin.	Purchase the Champions Bundle.	Series 4, Tier 48 ( 1)
	Riptide (RPT)	Customized with the RIPTIDE skin.	Purchase the Master Chief figure from the Series 2 line of McFarlane figures for Halo 4.	Series 7, Tier 19 ( 1)
	Pixel (PXL)	Customized with the PIXEL skin.	N/A (MCC-exclusive)	Series 7, Tier 87 ( 1)

Gallery

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  John-117 using an MA5D in Scanned.

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  Concept art of the MA5D in Halo 4.

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  Schematic of the MA5D in Halo 4.

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  Render of the MA5D in Halo 4.

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  Left side view of the MA5D ICWS AR.

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  HUD icon of the MA5D in Halo 4.

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  First-person view of the MA5D by John-117 in the Halo 4 campaign.

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  The MA5D's ammo counter indicating the number of rounds in the magazine on Haven.

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  Two Spartans using the MA5D in Halo 4.

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  A magazine used with the MA5D in Halo 4.

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  Closeup view of the text engraved on the side of the MA5D.

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  MA5D Infobox that was in a Halo 4 update.