User:JackVibe/Sandbox

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"A noble and ancient weapon, wielded by the strongest of Sangheili, requires great skill and bravery to use, and inspires fear in those who face its elegant plasma blade."

- Supreme Commander Thel 'Vadamee

Energy swords, sometimes known as plasma swords, are a class of one-handed melee weapons developed by the Covenant and inherited by its splinter factions. To their users, the Sangheili, they are formally designated as fireblades. The Office of Naval Intelligence has typically type-classified encountered gravity hammer variants under the designation of the Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword (T-1 EW/S). Nicknames for the energy sword includes Katana and Kill Beam.

Design details
"One hit from that hammer and you ended up a puddle of bones and blood."

- Private Aaron Landvik

A gravity hammer typically consists of a two-meter long haft, a hammerhead, and a tungsten-alloy blade on the reverse side of the head. A counterweight is attached to the bottom end of the haft. A short-range shock-field-generating gravitational energy drive is integrated inside the head of the hammer, while the head's striking face is lined with repurposed Covenant gravitic impellers, which release a concussive force upon impact. Together, the devices allows the wielder to produce an area-of-effect kinetic pulse (of approximately 4.5 meters), which briefly displaces local gravity at the point of the hammer's impact with impressive knockback. The gravitational energy drive's effects allows the user to displace objects of greater weight or power than what a normal blow might do. The gravity drive can also manipulate localized energy fields, allowing the ability to pull a target towards the wielder or push the target away, However, the Jiralhanae's brutal nature, along with the increased damage from the impellers, means that they often prefer to use the weapon in melee combat. Although humans first encountered the weapon in 2526, the exact mechanism by which the gravity hammer functions was still under investigation by United Nations Space Command in 2552.

History
The gravity hammer evolved from traditional Jiralhanae-bladed war hammers, dating back to the war-totems wielded by war chieftains on Doisac. Within the Jiralhanae's barbaric culture, in addition to being a powerful weapon, the war hammers serve as the ultimate symbol of clan leadership, taking on an almost religious significance among the Jiralhanae. The ceremonial hammer of a pack or a clan is only passed to another Jiralhanae if he can best his chieftain in ceremonial combat; the mantle of leadership passes along with the weapon.

Following the Jiralhanae's absorption into the Covenant hegemony in 2492, the war hammers were modified with Forerunner technology reverse-engineered by the Covenant. The first gravity hammer and the template for the standardized weapons of this type was the Fist of Rukt, an ancestral war hammer of Maccabeus' clan which was upgraded with Covenant gravity technology after Tartarus was appointed the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae in the Covenant. After Tartarus was granted the Fist of Rukt, many minor chieftains commissioned similar weapons, with components of the ancestral hammers incorporated when possible. Over the course of the Human-Covenant War, a variety of hammer variants were produced in workshops and war forges, sporting performance upgrades and individual stylistic tweaks. The gravity hammers inherited the war hammers' totemistic and ceremonial significance, with wielders being expected to treat their gravity hammer with great care. Furthermore, some hammer have been aesthetically-tailored to the use of specific clans, families, or packs, resulting in numerous variants. During his rise to power within the Covenant, Tartarus used his relationship with the San'Shyuum to reward loyal lieutenants with similarly-advanced hammers secretly forged within the Sacred Promissory.

In 2552, only a few months before the Great Schism and the Fall of High Charity, the Sacred Promissory began producing gravity hammers en masse. Following the dissolution of the Covenant, the Banished seized the design templates for nearly all Covenant gravity hammer variants. The Banished contracted war-forges to reproduce and modify existing designs or create new variants, with the number of variants being employed reaching upwards of 50.

Usage
"Avery Johnson"

The gravity hammer serves dual purposes as a weapon as well as a defining ceremonial vestige of clan leadership, and is thus typically wielded by a chieftain or other high-ranking members. Within the Covenant, the gravity hammers were commonly seen wielded by Chieftains. Within the Banished, the gravity hammer was a much more common sight, notably being used by Jiralhanae Warlords and Jiralhanae Jumpers. The variants with most widespread use among the Banished includes the Sepulo'ez, Halbashi, and Akelas variants.

Variants
During the Jiralhanae's alliance within the Covenant, numerous designs of gravity hammers were developed.
 * Akelas Workshop gravity hammer: A variant used by the Covenant and the Banished, with a notable wielder being Chieftain Avitus.
 * Akelus Workshop gravity hammer: A variant used by Jiralhanae Chieftains in the Covenant during the Battle for Earth and the Battle of Installation 00.
 * Eektah-fel siphon hammer: A variant used by some Banished Jiralhanae Warlords.
 * Voridus' gravity hammer: A variant only wielded by Voridus who added Infusion gel to leave puddles or pools of Infusion on impact.
 * Halbashi Workshop gravity hammer: A variant of the gravity hammer used by the Banished during the Battle for Zeta Halo.
 * Rushdown Hammer: A variant that has been painted white and gives the user increased speed. One notable wielder being En'Geddon during the Battle for Zeta Halo.
 * Paegaas Workshop gravity hammer: A variant used by the Jiralhanae in the Covenant during the Fall of Reach, then Banished Jiralhanae Warlords and Jiralhanae Jumpers during the Second Ark Conflict. Models recovered from the field were used by Spartan-IVs in War Games simulations.
 * Sepulo'tez Workshop gravity hammer: A variant used by Spartan-IVs in War Games simulations.
 * Corpsemaker: An improved variant with faster swing time and additional energy capacity, made from the finest materials its creator could coerce or steal from raider lairs on Warial and Teash.
 * Grinder: An improved variant with uncalibrated impellors that generate an unstable gravimetric vortex EMP at the point of impact.
 * Tartarus' Gavel: One of the many advanced variants secretly forged from the Sacred Promissory, with its creation tracing back to Tartarus, who used his relationship with the Prophets during his ascent to power within the Covenant to reward loyal lieutenants with advanced weaponry.

The Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword (T-1 EW/S), commonly known as the energy sword or the plasma sword, is a traditional Sangheili close-quarters weapon. The energy sword is intended to express its owner's personal skill, clerical honor, and combat viability.

Background
The energy sword is the signature weapon of the Sangheili and has been their chief weapon of nobility since its creation during one of the Ages of Discovery. The Sangheili pride themselves on their skills with the weapon, which they regard as holy, and believe that it is better for a Sangheili to fall on his sword to redeem his honor than to die dishonorably. The Sangheili are very strict on who can be trained in the art of swordsmanship; in civilian life only aristocrats are permitted to wield energy swords. Sword wielders are not eligible for marriage, though they may breed with any female they choose, married or otherwise, to ensure successful transmission of "swordsman" genes.

Within the Covenant military, use of the energy sword is not restricted to aristocrats. Sangheili Minors are generally not permitted to wield the sword because of the high regard in which it is held, though exceptions have been witnessed. It is unknown whether this extends to Majors, as at least one has been witnessed using an energy sword. Storm troops, Ultras, Zealots, Generals, special operations, stealth troops, and honor guardsmen commonly use energy swords.

Design details
The energy sword's design is seen as the logical evolution of an ancient lineage of traditional Sangheili weapons, most notably the twin-scythe and the curveblade; superficially, the twin-scythe's influence on the energy sword's design is unmistakable. Technologically, the energy sword succeeded an older type of Sangheili sword known as the burnblade, which was used in the early years of the Covenant. Modern energy swords are manufactured by the Merchants of Qikost, a prominent group of arms makers from one of Sanghelios' moons. The energy sword consists of a curved hilt, which houses an energy storage and generation device, as well as the blade projector; that forms a blade of superheated plasma, stabilized by two small magnetic field generators built into the handle of the weapon—this forms and contains the oval shaped, ionized blades for which the weapon is recognized. The weapon is powered by a small battery that supplies power to the plasma generation device and magnetic field generators which generate and contain the plasma needed to form the blade. The battery's energy is reduced for each successful strike. Each strike from the sword will drain the battery by 10% of its maximum energy output. Once the battery power is fully depleted, the sword will deactivate unless recharged. The horizontal hilt forces the wielder to use a punching motion to stab rather than the thrusting motion of most knives and swords.

Mass-produced energy swords feature a roughly W-shaped hilt and have little variation in blade design. Specifically, some models have more rounded blades in lieu of the more common angular style. However, more drastic variations exist. For example, Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee's matching pair of custom-designed swords had basket-style hilt guards and radiated a high degree of ionized plasma, whereas most energy swords contain the blades' plasma with greater efficiency. Some Sangheili special forces units wield blood red-colored energy swords which (ironically, despite their color) burn hotter than more common models. Arbiter Thel 'Vadam's personal sword, the Prophets' Bane, was pale salmon-colored and had a wider blade compared to mass-produced swords.

Some energy swords contain a fail-safe mechanism that can permanently disable the weapon if the Sangheili wielding it drops it. When dropped, the failsafe engages by deactivating the magnetic field before dispersing the plasma. The plasma then consumes the handle and thus destroys the weapon. The fail-safe is included to prevent enemy infantry from acquiring the weapon and using it, and gives insight to Sangheili tactics.

Each energy sword is marked by its creator and first owner, but often their legacy is forgotten. The Pelosus-Pattern Blade was utilized by the original Covenant for the grand majority of their reign, and featured very minute alterations in design and function over the course of its tenure. With the dissolution of the Covenant following their defeat at the hands of the humans, the Pelosus blade would see diminishing use as the now-peaceful Sangheili parted ways with the humans on good terms. Later, with the rise of Jul 'Mdama's chapter of the Covenant, a new Domotos-Pattern Blade was instated as the new Covenant's energy blade. Though its usage was considerably more brief than its predecessor, and its design remained identical throughout it's reign. The Battle for Zeta Halo saw a third iteration, the Meluth'qelos-Pattern Blade developed and brandished by the combined forces of the Banished. Though its still young, it has already seen a fair degree of individual iteration, with two Banished Sangheili developing their own variants for personal use.

Variants

 * Bloodblade - A bloodblade is a red colored energy sword, used by certain Special Operations Sangheili such as the Silent Shadow.
 * Ravening Sliver - A blade with a deep blue hue and a green hilt. In War Games, this model can be swung faster than other energy swords.
 * Vorpal Talon - A blade that produces an orange-to-cyan gradient. In War Games, this variant allows the user to have two thruster charges before recharging, as well as increased jump height, longer stabilizer duration of 4.95 seconds, increased lunge distance, and a built-in motion tracker that stays visible on the user's HUD even while zoomed in, much like with Linda-058's personal Nornfang SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle. This weapon can also be found as the second hidden weapon in the final campaign mission Guardians.
 * Prophets' Bane - Thel 'Vadam's personal energy sword with a unique handle and pale salmon coloring. In War Games, it gives the wielder an increased lunge distance (the same as the Vorpal Talon), increased movement speed, and active camouflage as long as the weapon is active.
 * Mdama keep variant - Energy swords manufactured by Mdama keep in 2558 burned less intensely, thus making it harder to cut armor, but causing more grievous injuries and not cauterizing wounds. These swords took advantage of the Sangheili code of honor to make every wound a death blow, as Sangheili who wanted to retain their honor would often commit suicide.
 * Necroplasma - A necroplasma is a green colored Energy sword. One version of the blade features a dull green blade that transitions to an inky black near the basket hilt and was used in War Games. One version was a solid green with a normal hilt.
 * Evocati's Edge - A white energy sword is associated with the Evocati.
 * Light of Joori - A yellow energy sword, Light of Joori is named after the star Joori.
 * Kaidon's Guard - An orange energy sword associated with the Swords of Sanghelios.
 * Darkstar - A purple energy sword, seemingly associated with old Sangheili mythology.
 * Lance of Suban - A pink energy sword infused with Blamite. The sword and the material originates from Suban.
 * Duelist Energy Sword - A purplish-blue colored Meluth'qelos-pattern energy sword with a white hilt. Has increased movement speed. It was used by Okro 'Vagaduun during Battle for Zeta Halo.
 * Ghostpierce - A highly specialized energy sword mounted on Banished operative Jega 'Rdomnai's prosthetic arm repaired at Cherras Keep. Like many, it was two-pronged but had a red coloration and a forked structure.
 * Zokotus-pattern fireblade - An assymetrical energy sword, manufactured by the Merchants of Qikost.

Advantages
The Type-1 energy sword is an extremely devastating and powerful melee weapon when applied during in close-quarters combat. A single strike can even penetrate the energy shield systems, armor, and flesh of a Spartan or a Sangheili. This is due to the design of the weapon, which utilizes ionized gas rather than traditional shaped, solid matter—because the energy sword lacks any solid material in which to hold, or impale anything, the sword does not cut or carve in the traditional sense, but rather boils anything it comes into contact with. The Type-1 Energy Weapon's edge is therefore extremely volatile, being able to slice through even the toughest metals like a hot knife through butter, including ODST battle armor and the Titanium-A class plating of UNSC destroyers.

Injuries caused by the weapon are often gruesome. Stab wounds by the energy sword are, in most cases, fatal — as the blade passes through the body, the organs and tissues are cauterized by the extreme temperatures produced by the blades. Body fluids in the area of the stab wound are flash-vaporized upon contact; organs within the area of the stab wounds can suffer life-threatening damage dependent upon which organs are struck. The effects of fluids trapped in organs or arteries and the expansion of heat could lead to ruptures or small explosions, causing additional damage to the victim.

Survival is minimal at best and in the case of non-lethal strikes being administered, proper medical treatment must be applied as soon as possible to ensure permanent survival. Because of the weapon's sheer destructive damage, common forms of fatality to victims include total impalement,  loss of limbs, bodies being bisected  and decapitation.

Disadvantages
The Type-1 Energy Weapon's most glaring downside is that it is purely a close-quarters weapon; any combat engagement outside of the effective range puts the wielder at risk. It is for this reason that the Sangheili approach sword combat on the battlefield in two different ways, by funneling the enemy into close-quarters to allow them to strike, and/ or to apply a form of stealth using both technology and technique. Without these, the user is vulnerable to attack by all forms of ranged attack, especially from sniper-based counterattacks. Infantry with Overshields are also more resistant when facing this weapon as it can take two strikes before the shield system fails and then another for the killing blow.

Furthermore, the Type-1 Energy Weapon is vulnerable to other magnetic fields, as they can block, disrupt, or possibly even alter the functionality of the sword. Two energy blades clashing together create a small disruption of energy as a result of the same type of magnetic fields clashing together; this clash has a slight area of effect damage that can affect the combatants.

As with most other Covenant weapons, the Type-1 Energy Weapon is battery powered, requiring the user to either recharge the weapon (which can never be performed in-game) or discard it when the power is depleted. Although the handle can generally be used as a club, the Energy Sword's combat effectiveness at that point is minimal. The strength and lethality of the sword in the games are compensated for the sake of gameplay.

Last but not least, the Type-1 Energy Weapon can sometimes expose the position of a Sangheili warrior employing active camouflage due to the weapon's energy output.

Changes from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 2
In Halo: Combat Evolved, the energy sword has a cyan glow, a far less defined edge and makes a dull clunk when striking an object. It is only used by Stealth Sangheili and Zealots. The player cannot wield the energy sword, due to a fail-safe mechanism that vaporizes the weapon when it is not released properly (e.g. being dropped upon death) by the sword-wielder.

In Halo 2, the energy sword is blue with purple undertones, with electrical energy crackling on it when the blade is activated. The white glow seen in Halo: Combat Evolved is also replaced with a more glass-like transparency. In the campaign, it is only used by higher-ranking Sangheili, such as special operations units, Ultras and Zealots, though players can now wield the sword. The sword in campaign has a battery and can only be used effectively against a limited number of enemy forces before the battery runs out. The sword is usable in multiplayer with an infinite battery power. The energy sword has two modes of attacking; a lunge attack and a swing attack.

Changes from Halo 2 to Halo 3
In Halo 3, the sword has more of a light cyan tinge, similar to its appearance in Halo: Combat Evolved, but still has a tint of purple near the handle. It also has an angle near the handle, whereas in the two previous games it was curved. Players are now able to parry with the Sword. The power exerted by the swords hitting each other will drain both players' shields, but will not kill them unless one makes the fatal blow. The sword's lunge attack has been reduced for balancing purposes. Aside from these changes in design and functionality, the power of the sword remains unchanged. In multiplayer, the sword now has a limited battery supply.

Changes from Halo 3 to Halo: Reach
In Halo: Reach, the sword is now darker in color. When activated, it is capable of lighting up the surrounding area. When unused, the sword rests differently on the SPARTAN and Sangheili character models. The energy sword appears to have been balanced out compared with its earlier incarnations, having a slightly faster swing than its Halo 3 incarnation, its lunge attack now does the same damage as a normal swing, the range has been reduced, and can now be blocked by a well-timed normal melee. Players can no longer lunge immediately after a normal swing. The energy sword also has its own assassination animations when used against Elites or Spartans, replacing the Spartan combat knife and the Sangheili energy dagger; these assassinations do not deplete the sword's charge, nor do they count toward the weapon spree medals Sword Spree, Slice 'N Dice, or Cutting Crew. Elites also hold the sword back more than a Spartan when used as an active weapon. When a player is playing as an Elite and uses the Energy Sword as a primary weapon, the camera will lower a bit; this is due to the Elite hunching down. Finally, parrying does slight damage and can kill a player.

Changes from Halo: Reach to Halo 4
Contrary to Halo: Reach, Halo 4 does not feature the possibility to block a sword lunge with a simple melee. Killing an opponent with an energy sword no longer rewards the player with a Pummel medal, it is instead replaced by the Sword Kill medal. The battery is also drained with every hit, including against walls and floors, so it's far less viable against Hunters and other powerful enemies.

Changes from Halo 4 to Halo 2: Anniversary
Like the original Halo 2, players cannot parry with the sword. An alternate version of the sword with a red-colored blade, called the Infected Energy Sword, can be used.
 * Players can melee with the sword as soon as they swap to it.
 * Melee range is drastically increased.
 * Unlike its Halo 2 counterpart, its battery can be depleted.

Changes from Halo 2: Anniversary to Halo 5: Guardians
The Halo 5: Guardians sword retains the ability to parry from Halo 4. Unlike in past titles, players can aim with the sword to increase its effective range, and the weapon provides a noticeable speed boost which is enough to make the player visible on the motion sensor while crouching. Three unique versions of the energy sword are available for use: Ravening Sliver, Vorpal Talon, and the mythic Prophets' Bane.

If the energy sword's battery is depleted, the player cannot lunge with the sword.

Changes from Halo 5: Guardians to Halo Infinite

 * The Energy Sword no longer has the ability to Smart Scope
 * Lunges from the Energy Sword depletes ~15% of its battery as opposed to 10% in past games.
 * Power ammunition crates and Energy Swords in the battlefield refill its battery without the need to pick up a fresh one.
 * The sword is curved again, similar to the Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary incarnations. The blade is also now a much deeper blue, similar to Halo: Reach’s.

Silver Timeline
Energy swords are used by Covenant Sangheili against humanity.

Trivia

 * The shape of the energy sword is very similar to the real-life combat weapon, the katara. It was a South Asian weapon and status symbol, similar to the energy sword's symbolization of status among the Elites.
 * The energy sword was originally going to be usable in Halo: Combat Evolved, but was cut when the game became a first-person shooter.
 * In Halo 2, the Elites will tell one of them to recover the blade if the player dies while wielding one.
 * In the Halo 3 Vidoc Et tu Brute? there is an unfinished animation depicting a Jiralhanae Chieftain wielding an energy sword. This is, however, never seen in the hands of Jiralhanae in the final game.
 * The Fable 2: Limited Edition comes with "Hal's Sword", a crystal blade shaped like an energy sword for in-game use, to coincide with the use of "Hal's Armor", which resembles MJOLNIR armor.
 * A depleted energy sword hilt can still be used offensively. While the damage varies, it has a higher melee rate than any weapon, allowing the player to barrage an enemy with many hits. Once the hilt is swapped for another weapon, however, it cannot be picked up again and often vanishes entirely.
 * In Halo 5: Guardians, the energy sword can turn Spartan charges into one-hit-kills if active. As the Spartan uses the sword to accomplish this, doing so consumes battery.
 * The Vorpal Talon's ability to maintain the player's motion tracker while scoped is mechanically identical to the Awareness support upgrade from Halo 4.
 * The Energy Sword was found in Bungie's 30th anniversary event as an arc sword Half Truths and a void sword The Other Half in Destiny 2.
 * In Konami's Super Bomberman R, the Energy Sword is the weapon used by the Arbiter Bomber.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Combat Evolved
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: First Strike
 * i love bees
 * Halo 2
 * Halo Graphic Novel
 * The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: The Cole Protocol
 * Halo Wars: Genesis
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo: Helljumper
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo Legends
 * The Package
 * The Duel
 * Origins
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * Headhunters
 * The Return
 * Halo: Blood Line
 * Remember Reach
 * Deliver Hope
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Fall of Reach
 * Invasion
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
 * Terminals
 * Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops


 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Halo: Broken Circle
 * Halo: Nightfall
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Terminals
 * Halo: Spartan Strike
 * Halo: Hunters in the Dark
 * Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo: Shadow of Intent
 * Know Your Enemy
 * Halo: Ground Command
 * Halo Mythos
 * Halo: Fractures
 * Breaking Strain
 * Oasis
 * Halo: Tales from Slipspace
 * Fireteam Majestic Poker Night
 * Hunting Party
 * Knight Takes Bishop
 * Halo: Smoke and Shadow
 * Halo Wars 2
 * Halo: Envoy
 * Halo: Recruit
 * Halo: Rise of Atriox
 * Halo: Legacy of Onyx
 * Halo: Bad Blood
 * Halo: Fireteam Raven
 * Halo: Silent Storm
 * Halo: Lone Wolf
 * Halo: Outpost Discovery
 * Halo: Oblivion
 * Halo: Meridian Divide
 * Halo: Shadows of Reach
 * Sacrifice
 * Halo: Divine Wind
 * Halo Infinite
 * Halo: The Television Series
 * Contact
 * Homecoming
 * Transcendence
 * Halo: The Rubicon Protocol