M41 SPNKr

The M41 SSR MAV/AW is a heavy ordnance weapon of the UNSC arsenal used in Halo 3. It is different from the M19 SSM Rocket Launcher used in Halo and Halo 2. (Both previous launchers had the words "M41 SSR MAV/AW" printed on them, but the game manuals, HUD dialogue, and novels refer to them as "M19 SSM Rocket Launchers")

Summary
The M41 SSR, alternatively called a "Spanker" or "Jackhammer", is a heavy ordnance weapon of the UNSC arsenal used in Halo 3. It fires HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) rockets. The launcher sports a 2x scope and can fire rockets over long distances with devastating accuracy.

When reloaded, the barrels are removed. Two preloaded barrels are then inserted back into the launcher. With this mechanism, a Marine can greatly reduce the weight he carries without throwing the weapon away like with modern day disposable rocket launchers. This setup is very similar to that of the Javelin anti-tank rocket launcher used by the U.S. military.

This is not the same rocket launcher as the M19 SSM Rocket Launcher used in Halo: Combat Evolved, nor is it the same as the M19 SSM Rocket Launcher in Halo 2. The M41 is, however, directly derived from the M19 SSM models, and is indeed nearly identical to the first variant of the M19 as seen in Halo.

Changes from M19 SSM Rocket Launcher

 * The M41 rocket in Halo 3 travels faster than its M19 counterpart.
 * The tubing is also a metallic silver color rather then a synthetic black.
 * It does not have heat-seeking feature offered in the Halo 2 M19 model.

Advantages
The rocket launcher spreads a huge amount of damage over a large area. It is capable of taking out entire groups of targets at any range and can kill all the riders of nearly any vehicle (with the exception of the Scorpion Tank or Wraith) with one direct hit. It is very useful for killing Hunters, which are often the most difficult enemies to kill. It also has moderate rate of fire as it is able to fire a second rocket almost 2 seconds after the first.

It has been speculated that if the Scorpion tank keeps the driver unexposed, therefore requiring two shots from a Spartan Laser to dispatch of it, the M41 Rocket Launcher and its fast rate of fire for a heavy weapon and lack of position-compromising laser sight may become a choice anti-tank weapon.

Disadvantages

 * Several things counterbalance the rocket launcher's sheer power:

The rocket can be dodged if the person it was fired at spots it soon enough thus wasting a rare rocket, this does require semi-decent timing only because the rocket travels faster in Halo 3 than in the other halo games. this is also of limited use as indirect hits can still damage you
 * 1) It reloads slowly.
 * 2) Ammunition is often unavailable, and the player can carry only 6 extra rockets at once (8 total).
 * 3) It can damage or kill its operator if fired carelessly near or into surrounding terrain.
 * 4) The explosion from the rocket can accidentally kill friendly units near the target.
 * 5) The lock-on feature from Halo 2 has been disabled in Halo 3 to balance the weapon, though the rockets apparently still track targets automatically in certain cases.
 * 6) In Halo 3, an explosion near a rocket in flight will cause it to deflect. Deflected rockets tumble end over end, and will explode if they strike an object.  However, the damage they do is reduced significantly; a deflected rocket will not kill a player with full shields.
 * 7) The Gravity Hammer can be use to deflect rockets. However, because this requires very good timing, and is much harder to execute when the rocket is aimed at a floor or wall instead of directly at the target, this is of questionable utility.
 * 8) An explosion or a well-placed bullet can and will destroy a fired rocket, wasting a shot.
 * 9) The rockets travel at slow speeds.
 * In Halo 2 Multiplayer, if you fire a rocket, it may not fire for three seconds or more, causing you to miss your target.

Influences
The M41 SSR MAV/AW was inspired by the SPNKr rocket launcher from the Marathon series. The launcher itself is also nicknamed SPNKr (pronounced "spanker") due to the labeling on rockets and rectangular ammunition cases.

Multiplayer Role
Acquiring the rocket launcher in a multiplayer game may prove difficult, since by default (on most maps) it spawns in a central, fought-over area (players who know the level know where the Rocket Launcher is and thus clashes with the enemy for the weapon are quite common, usually when the match first starts). However, once acquired, this weapon can become very effective for all the reasons mentioned above - it can take out a large group of enemies in one shot, and can easily eliminate vehicles. Since head-on collisions with the rocket are difficult to obtain, especially in open areas, it is prudent to aim at the ground in front of the enemy or the wall to their side. Though the shot may miss, the splash damage will often kill the opponent. Bear in mind there is a short delay of around .25-.5 of a second between the player pulling the trigger and the rocket actually leaving the barrel. It may not sound like much, but it is actually a very important consideration for accurate shooting, particularly when deflection shooting.

In Halo 2, the rocket launcher was often considered to be a "noobish" weapon due to its high power and low talent curve. Furthermore, the weapon would not respawn when it had been picked up, even if it was out of ammo; many players would keep an empty rocket launcher just to deny anyone else access. With Halo 3's revamped weapon spawn system, this aspect of the weapon is no longer effective, and the rocket launcher has as a rule taken more skill and economy to use.

Character Compatibility

 * Spartans
 * Marines
 * Elites
 * Flood Combat Form (Human)
 * Flood Combat Form (Elite)

Trivia

 * If a Rocket Launcher is given to a Elite, they will use the same carry animation as the Fuel Rod Gun. You can even see that his arm is not on the foreward grip, however this could be because of an Elite's strength, rather than an error.
 * A rocket launcher has 2 barrels, but only fires one rocket
 * The Storm is the first campaign level in Halo 3 to feature the rocket launcher.

Links

 * M19 SSM Rocket Launcher
 * M19-B SAM Missile Launcher
 * Spartan Laser
 * Missile Pod