Gravity hammer (fiction)

The Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer, more commonly known as the Gravity Hammer, is the mightiest and most powerful Covenant close-quarters two-handed melee weapon.

Background
The Gravity Hammer is a large hammer that serves as an excellent and powerful melee weapon in the game. It is a highly symbolic Brute weapon that is analogous to the Elite's Energy Sword. This powerful weapon can also be used to manipulate gravity, allowing it to push opponents away or pull them towards the wielder, as well as deflecting incoming projectiles. The Gravity Hammer first appeared in Halo 2 as the personal weapon of the Brute Chieftain Tartarus. This weapon was a symbolic representation of Tartarus' power and standing. Tartarus used it against the player and could decimate the player with a single hit, but after his death the player is unable to use it. Halo 3 introduced a newer and more utilitarian version of the Hammer that serves as a companion to the Energy Sword in the game as a usable extreme short-range weapon.

Fist Of Rukt
The Fist of Rukt was Tartarus's personal gravity hammer, one with a rich legacy befitting his tribe. It was passed down from Brute Chieftain to Brute Chieftain in the Brute pack, and belonged to his uncle, Maccabeus before Tartarus killed him in combat and claimed the legendary hammer for himself. . This weapon at the time did not seem to be equipped with it's later gravity-affecting components, serving merely as a large stone cudgel used to bludgeon opponents to death.

Appearances
Gravity Hammers, like the Brutes who wield them, were never seen or mentioned in Halo: Combat Evolved. Although the Fist of Rukt makes an appearance in Halo 2, the player does not get to use them for their own purposes until Halo 3.

Halo 2
Tartarus was always seen with his personal Gravity Hammer, the Fist of Rukt, except on the level Cairo Station and The Heretic.

After the conclusion of the Battle of the Gas Mine, when the Arbiter killed the Heretic Leader, Tartarus appeared on the scene, using his Gravity Hammer to freeze 343 Guilty Spark as the Monitor began to explain to the Arbiter the things he had told Sesa 'Refumee. The Arbiter was taken aback by this brash handling of such a "holy" oracle, but the Brute Chieftain was uninhibited by the rough treatment.

After the conclusion of the Battle of the Quarantine Zone on Installation 05, Miranda Keyes and Avery Johnson of the UNSC were able to retrieve the Sacred Icon from Delta Halo's Library. The Arbiter, however, knocked Johnson unconscious, and Tartarus once again appeared on the scene. Tartarus was able to levitate Miranda towards himself with his hammer. After securing her, he used his hammer to push the Arbiter into the deep chasm behind him.

At the Control Room of Installation 05, the Arbiter, Johnson, and numerous Elite Councilors, Zealots, Ultras and Special Operations Elites attempted to kill Tartarus and deactivate Installation 05. The Fist of Rukt was one of Tartarus's few advantages, and despite being heavily outnumbered, the massive area effect damage was able to send most of the Elites flying into oblivion, and any Sangheili that attempted to attack Tartarus at close range with Energy Swords were beaten to death by the massive Fist of Rukt. After the Arbiter and Johnson killed Tartarus, the Fist of Rukt fell from the Brute Chieftain's limp hands, leaving it's final fate unknown.

Starry Night
The first hint of the Gravity Hammer's appearance in Halo 3 was seen in the "Starry Night" TV spot released on December 4, 2006. In the very end of the trailer (00:52), one of the Brute Chieftains that SPARTAN-117 was about to attack was carrying a Gravity Hammer.

Halo 3 ViDoc: Et Tu, Brute?
In the video documentary Et Tu, Brute? released December 20, 2006, there were a few animations of Brutes using Gravity Hammers, and Brutes in game play that were wielding hammers in mostly untextured alpha builds. The hammer in the video showed an almost exact resemblance to the Fist of Rukt of Halo 2. The hammers were unique in the fact that when they swung, a massive electric blue shock wave was projected in a spherical blast from the head of the hammer, mirroring a Plasma Grenade's detonation, except possibly larger and stronger. Crates and other objects in the path of the shock wave were displaced.

Halo 3


The Gravity Hammer is usable only in Halo 3. It is devastating in close quarter combat, capable of smashing vehicles away, and bouncing explosives away from the wielder of the hammer. The gravity hammer's attack is an instant kill on any target at point blank range (unless damage resistance or shields have been modified or if the target deflects the blow with an Energy Sword). The Hammer creates a small blue and white shock-wave that expands from the center of the hammer's head, shaking the perspective of players nearby. This is presumably the main damaging prospect of the gravity hammer. The Hammer also hurls targets backwards if it connects, often times sending them incredibly far. In addition, rockets shot at the wielder can be knocked away if the attack is timed well. However, to make up for the power of the weapon, the battery drains slightly faster than an Energy Sword (in campaign, not multiplayer), and it has a slower swinging rate. On maps with platforms in the air, the weapon can be utilized to fling an opponent off the edge. On very rare occasions, Flood-infected Brutes have been seen wielding Gravity Hammers particularly on the level Halo. Giving a Gravity Hammer to Elite allies in Halo 3 is extremely ineffective, because neither Elite allies nor the Arbiter will swing the weapon, instead charging into battle and then standing uselessly in front of the inteded opponent.


 * In the Campaign, Gravity Hammers can be found on all levels except on Tsavo Highway.


 * The Gravity Hammer is an excellent anti-Flood weapon. It is capable of killing multiple Flood enemies in one swing due to its massive shock wave.


 * It should be noted that taking out a Hammer in the midst of a Grunt pack will cause them to immediately panic.


 * In Multiplayer matches, a smart player can use the Shotgun to kill a close up opponent wielding the hammer before they finish their swing, negating the damage it would normally cause.

Halo: Uprising
In Halo: Uprising, on the cover of Issue 3, John-117 is seen holding a Gravity Hammer. It is virtually identical to the one seen in Halo 3.

Halo Wars
The Brute Chieftain leader does not appear in the Campaign, but in Skirmish matches he uses a Gravity Hammer that is capable of both pummeling opponents and creating a small vortex of gravity that sucks in anything unwise enough to get in the way.

Multiplayer Recommendations

 * The Gravity Hammer is best used as a secondary weapon to pull out if faced with nearby foes on an ledge, an incoming vehicle, or a grenade coming towards the player. The Hammer is apt at dealing with all three of these threats.
 * The Gravity Hammer's blast can go through walls and floors, and this can be used to hit players in an adjacent room.
 * The Gravity Hammer can be used to propel the player higher than normal, if the player times the attack as they jump, it will elevate them farther and higher.
 * The Gravity Hammer is also one of the only two weapons available in the Grifball gametype along with the Energy Sword. It is the cause of many betrayals, however you can also "ride the wave" and use your enemy's gravity hammer to launch yourself to their goal.
 * If you time the shock wave from the hammer at the right time you can send a Rocket Launcher missile and Missile Pod missile in a another direction.
 * The Hammer may be known as a great CQB weapon, but it is far too slow to compete against the Energy Sword or the Shotgun. If you find your self up against one of these weapons, create space between you and your opponent, and either change to a dual wield configuration, such as plasma rifle and SMG (great combo with the plasmas shield drain and SMG's flesh cutting rounds) or use grenades and head shots to take down the enemy. Although it is important to remember that the Mauler is considered an easy target for the Gravity Hammer.
 * When playing in a large map with a low gravity and high speed game type, it is possible to "fly" across the map by running at top speed and jumping while attacking with the gravity hammer.
 * Try combining a gravity hammer jump and grenade jump to get to spots that aren't normally reachable for an advantage. Some may consider this unfair, so use at your own discretion
 * It is possible to stick a plasma or spike grenade on the end of the Hammer. Doing so will result in an instant kill.

Disadvantages in Multiplayer

 * The Gravity Hammer is huge and visible, so when wielding it as a primary or secondary weapon you risk making yourself a prime target for snipers or marksmen.
 * If you swing the hammer too slowly or out of range, it will push your opponent back, making it harder for you to finish them off and easier for them to counter your attack.
 * The glowing blue vents at the top of the weapon are visible when a player has Active Camouflage.
 * The large area of effect of the weapon means that using it in tight quarters with friendly players is highly inadvisable.
 * An enemy wielding a Shotgun can easily take down a player with the Gravity Hammer before he has time to swing.

Glitches

 * The Gravity Hammer has been seen to have no alternate third person animation for melee, in third person, you would simply look like you're swinging the hammer with just no explosive effect or splash effect. This only works with Spartans, however. Elites have the same animation they have if they melee someone with a flag.
 * When you combine RT with clicking LT, the shock wave will have no sound effect, the attack will be negated, and it will count as a normal melee attack.

Trivia

 * A popular alternative gametype known as "Baseball" utilizes the rocket-deflecting properties of the Hammer. Players shoot rockets at the Hammer-wielding player at a fixed distance and they must time it correctly to corkscrew the Rocket "out of the park".
 * If you use the Armless Glitch, the range of the Gravity Hammer will be greatly increased and will cause players to float and lose their shields.
 * The Gravity Hammer is used in the popular Double XP weekend playlist Grifball, in which the players have no shields and must somehow take their bomb and get it to the other team's base. The Hammer is often used to create enough force to propel the bomb-carrying player over the heads of their opponents and into the goal.
 * In the Halo 3 ViDoc: Et Tu, Brute?, the Gravity Hammer had a much more barbaric and rough appearance than the Gravity Hammer in Halo 3.
 * It seems likely that the Fist of Rukt is a more ancient version of the Hammer modified with Gravity distortion technology, while the newer models featured in Halo 3 are a modern, manufactured version.
 * The Gravity Hammer included with the Brute Chieftain action figure has four lines that make an 'X' shape. The same shape is on the Beam Rifle that comes with other Halo 3 figures.
 * In the map Sandbox, there is a remodeled version of the Gravity Hammer called "7 wood." The Hammer acts the same, but is modeled to look like a Golf Club with a new reticule.
 * The Gravity Hammer can send dead bodies flying across the map when swung.
 * Despite the Gravity Hammer having a large blade at the end, when a player melees with it will make them hit with the butt of the hammer rather than the blade.
 * In theater mode, if you see Master Chief holding the hammer, the blade end is usually going through his hand, as a glitch.
 * It is possible that it was the Fist of Rukt that created Tartarus' energy shields, however this is highly unlikely (unless Tartarus modified it).
 * The Gravity Hammer can be used by marines in Halo 3 but, it can only be held via modding or glitching
 * ODSTs can use the Gravity Hammer in Halo 3:ODST, despite them being normal humans, and not being able to duel wield.