Okarda'phaa-pattern plasma rifle

The Plasma Rifle is a Covenant ground firearm.

Background
It is a common light weapon in the Covenant army, primarily wielded by Elites. The Plasma Rifle uses plasma technology instead of projectile ammunition, firing directed energy bolts. This means that the weapon draws from a power source to generate its energy projectiles rather then firing individual metal projectiles like modern guns. The core power output of these projectiles is 100-150 Kv @ 2-3 dA, and the rate of fire is 420 to 600 rounds per minute. The Plasma Rifle is particularly effective against shielded bipedal opponents.

Advantages
The Plasma Rifle has a high rate of fire and deals out a good deal of damage. Like other plasma weapons, the Plasma Rifle is effective at depleting Shields, though not as effectively as the Plasma Pistols overcharged shot. The Plasma Rifle is also able to be dual wielded. If dual wielded with an SMG or M6 sidearm, a player can quickly kill any opponent.

Disadvantages
The Plasma Rifle's high rate of fire heats the weapon up, and prolonged use will overheat the rifle rendering it useless for a brief period of time. It is said that the weapon's power source can be replaced or recharged when depleted, but the humans in the Halo universe lack the knowledge to do such things.

Because of this incapability, the Master Chief and other human users of the Plasma Rifle must abandon it when it is depleted of energy. The ability to play as the Covenant Arbiter in Halo 2 does not bring with it the ability to recharge the weapon — users must still abandon the weapon when it's out of power. This weapon appears in both Halo games, although it is changed slightly.

This weapon is also ineffective at fighting the Flood, as it takes multiple hits to knock a Combat Form down. In Halo 2, the Plasma Rifle was slightly underpowered, but it is balanced with faster firing and dual wielding. The Plasma Rifle, like most plasma weapons, is also quite ineffective at finishing off unshielded enemies.

Campaign Recommendations
In Both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, The Plasma Rifle's high rate of fire and moderate damaging can be used to quickly neutralize low level enemies such as Grunts, Drones, and Infection Forms. Against the Elites the Plasma Rifle can quickly deplete their Shields and leave them vulnerable to a lethal headshot from an M6 pistol or Battle Rifle. However the Plasma Rifle can be ineffective against some enemies notably the Brutes, Hunters, and Flood Combat Forms.

Multiplayer Recommendations
The Plasma Rifle has limited uses in Multiplayer but is still a useful weapon especially if Dual wielded. Although its range limits the weapon to close quarter fire fights, if used properly a player can quickly dispose of an enemy. It is also advisable to carry a mid to long range weapon such as a Battle Rifle or Sniper Rifle for backup against targets outside of the Plasma Rifles range.

Halo: Combat Evolved
The Plasma Rifle in the original Halo game is far more powerful and accurate than the its Halo 2 counter-part. Furthermore, the weapon held a unique ability to stun opponents that were hit by the high velocity plasma rounds. This effect greatly reduces the victim's ability to move and dodge the incoming projectiles and allows the user to easily hold the opponent in the weapon's firing arc. However, the drawback was that this effect is only felt when the weapon is fired in its automatic mode. While stunned, the weapon will often overheat before the opponent was completely killed. Despite this drawback, the stun ability is a useful and potent feature in the hands of an experienced user. In Campaign mode, the Plasma Rifle is best used against the Sentinels. It should also be noted that this weapon behaved more like a rifle, having about twice the range of its successor.

Halo 2
Halo 2's Plasma Rifle is not as powerful or accurate as its predecessor and lacks the ability to stun. These drawbacks are compensated by the ability to dual wield the weapon, allowing it to be paired with a wide variety of other weapons from Halo 2 and creating powerful combinations. The changes to the weapon are directly related to the inclusion of dual wielding. For purposes of balance, the Plasma Rifle, along with many others from Halo: Combat Evolved, was tweaked to better fit the new game's fighting style. The weapon takes an opponent's shields off with five shots, but it takes many more to kill. This version of the plasma rifle behaves more as a Sub-Machine Gun rather than a rifle.

Plasma Rifles are also the basis for several other weapon systems, including the Plasma Turrets on Wraiths and Ghosts. The weapon is not to be confused with the Brute Plasma Rifle, which is red instead of blue. The Brute Plasma Rifle does more damage than the Plasma Rifle and fires at a sigificantly higher rate of fire, but overheats more quickly than its counterpart.

Halo 3
In Halo 3, Plasma Rifles are made more powerful. Their bolts are graphically redesigned to be more vivid. The bolts seem to travel faster than those of previous versions, reducing the need to lead the shots at midrange.

Character Compatibility

 * Elites
 * Spartans
 * Brutes
 * Grunts
 * Jackals
 * Marines
 * Drones (have animation but not used)
 * Flood Combat Form (Human)
 * Flood Combat Form (Elite)

Laser Tag
In July it was released that there is going to be a Halo laser tag game released, with a Plasma Rifle designed to actual proportions to look like it does in Halo 3. See Halo 3 Replica Guns.