Equipment

In Halo 3, Spartans, Elites and Brutes can carry one extra item of equipment (deployed using the “X” button on the default setting of the Xbox 360 controller). The type of equipment varies dramatically in its purpose, functionality, and appearance, but all can be used with deadly or strategic force. Click on the links below to find out what each one does, and where each could be found. There may be more to find and their availability is subject in matchmaking rules.

Overview
The philosophy of equipment is simple: to add a variety to the combat in Halo 3 without unbalancing the game. The simple fact is that equipment items, once deployed, can be used by both attackers and defenders. Someone on your team might accidentally activate your Trip Mine, and a Bubble Shield, which is a geometric spherical shield – while they can’t shoot in, you can’t shoot out either. Suffice to say that equipment can turn the tide of battle if used correctly. It can be useful in multiplayer and campaign if you know how to use it.

To make it more balanced, it takes longer to deploy equipment than in the Halo 3 Beta, but you can throw it further. It is not entirely clear which faction, Human or Covenant, manufactures each piece of equipment, as both are seen utilizing it in the single player Campaign.

List of Equipment

 * Bubble Shield
 * Power Drain
 * Radar Jammer (No longer usable in Matchmaking)
 * Gravity Lift
 * Trip Mine
 * Flare (No longer usable in Matchmaking)
 * Regenerator
 * Deployable Cover (Never usable in Matchmaking)
 * Automated Turret (Campaign Only)
 * Cloaking (Campaign Only)
 * Invincibility (Campaign Only)
 * Active Camouflage (Multiplayer Only)
 * Overshield (Multiplayer Only)
 * Custom Powerup (Multiplayer Only)

Equipment Abilities

 * Bubble Shield - The Bubble Shield releases a spherical shield around a center point. No bullets or grenades can pass through the shield either way, but vehicles and players (ally AND enemy) can pass through. However a clever soldier can place a Bubble Shield and position a Sniper Rifle so only the end protrudes, therefore you can snipe people without getting hurt. Another clever method is to drop a bubble shield at an approaching enemy in possession of a missile pod or Spartan laser, and this could result the enemy committing suicide.An extremely good tactic during a Free for All game is to get the Energy Sword and the Bubble Shield and deploy the Shield right in the middle of the map, and those foolish enough to attempt to kill you will soon be respawning. Bullets can't go in or out. Vehicles can still try to splatter you. Another is to throw a grenade of any sort in (Plasma, or firebomb grenades both work well), then run away. Hopefully the person in the shield is killed, because the shield contains explosions as well.
 * Power Drain - When deployed, the Power Drain will generally drain everyone's shields within range and if thrown near a vehicle in motion an EMP effect occurs (same as the EMP effect of a charged Plasma Pistol shot) which causes the vehicle to stop. The vehicles weapons systems are still functional. However, if you stay too close to the power source, the explosion can come close to killing you. If you know how to use you can use it to disable vehicles and you can board them.


 * Radar Jammer - When deployed, ghost contacts will appear on the motion sensors of anyone within the area of it, causing confusion. When moving away from the Radar Jammer, the contacts will begin to slowly disappear and eventually completely disappear.


 * Flare - This creates a blinding light, which results in players losing their sight for a matter of seconds. Turning away from the power source or blocking it out some way lessens the effect. It also messes up radar. You shouldn't use it on Campaign because once you use it Brutes can still see you. It is used in online matchmaking.


 * Deployable Cover - Once deployed, this creates a large shield, which can temporarily protect those hiding behind it. In Custom Games and Forge, it will disable itself after approximately 30 seconds, where as in Campaign, it can last infinitely, although it can be easily destroyed by shooting the base unit. Hitting the shield itself three or so times will work too, and doing this saves ammo. Also, another hint. When you have deployed a Deployable Cover, your allies/teammates and yourself can shoot from the inside of the cover with a Battle Rifle, but cannot be shot back because of the cover.


 * Regenerator - This creates a large green field which regenerates the shields of anyone within its radius. It is wise to note that both you and your enemy will benefit from it, not just the person who deployed it. It differentiates from the Bubble Shield as it just creates a field of energy, instead of protecting you like the Bubble Shield does. Its effect can be described as the exact opposite of the Power Drain, however, if a Power Drain is placed next to a Regenerator, the Power Drain will overcome it. Please note that the Regenerator does NOT protect against anything that can kill in one or two hits. A sniper headshot or point blank shotgun shot, for instance, will kill you, even if you are in a Regnerator. Two melees performed immediately will also take you out, as your shields will not regenerate fast enough.
 * Gravity Lift - Once deployed, the grav-lift projects a bluish-purple anti-gravity beam which can propel players or light vehicles into the air, much like The Covenant's Ghost, Banshee and Wraith lifts but on a much smaller scale. Useful for getting to higher places you couldn't reach. It dissipates after about 45 seconds.


 * Trip Mine - Once deployed, as said in name, it is an explosive charge which reacts and explodes to movement near itself or if it is shot, effectively taking out your shields, even not doing anything to you if you stand directly on it or run over a vehicle or other object vulnerable to explosion. Luckily, when deployed, it lets out a beeping warning signal and an orange light to let you know if you are near one of these, and the signal gets louder as you get closer. The beta trip mine though is much more powerful and sticks on to vehicles.


 * Active Camouflage - Like the Cloaking the Active Camouflage or Active Camo will enable it's user invisibility for a short time. Like the Cloaking weapons fire or radial damage will the camo and make you more visible.


 * Overshield - The Overshield gives the user a extra layer of shielding but will slowly disintegrate over time or will weaken when exposed to any form of damage.


 * Custom Powerup - a custom powerup gives the user a number of things: faster speed, lower gravity, one-shot kills, invisibility, invincibility, etc. These settings can be activated or deactivated in the custom powerup settings area in the game variant settings area. This also can be used for the long rumored agility powerup.

Tips

 * Try not to activate an Auto Turret while or after activating the replacement Installation 04 in Halo 3. It will fire at you instead of your enemies. This could be because of the absence of the Monitor as without it, the Constructs within the installation would go rampant and when it shoots you twice, or even once on higher difficulties, will kill you instantly.
 * You should deploy a Trip Mine in a close quarters area, or near explosive items/vehicles, for these both increase the chance of killing your foe and/or seriously hurting multiple players. Be sure to warn your team when and where you have deployed a Trip Mine to prevent a possible needless betrayal. Also deploy the Trip Mine in an area that is hard to see as the trip mine has lights on it making it easy to avoid. Trip mines also make a ticking noise the closer you are to them.
 * You can use a Deployable Cover to help you get to higher places by using it as kind of a step stool, like for getting skulls in Campaign.
 * Try using Invincibility in packed areas such as a group of Brutes to keep you from dying and getting through more easily.
 * Try using Cloaking if you want to be stealthy and maybe try to get a few assassinations on some enemy troops.
 * Use the Flare to blind people so you can get from one place to another.
 * If you deploy a gravity lift just before a speeding vehicle is about to hit you, the vehicle will simply fly over you in most cases.
 * If you have been seen by an enemy, run to some cover and throw a Radar Jammer to confuse the enemy and you can either run or fight them while they are not looking at your direction.
 * Use a Bubble Shield if you have been shot or you are getting shot to take cover and recharge your shields, but be warned that they can still enter it and finish the job.
 * If you deploy a Trip Mine at the indent of an enemy man cannon, enemies might step on it as they go through. Thus, depleting their shields. The flying enemy is now vulnerable to a quick Magnum shot or Battle Rifle burst to finish him/her off. Note: If playing a team based game, be sure to alert your allies of the trap set intended for your enemies.
 * Use automated turrets to help defend you off enemies such as the Flood.
 * Use Regenerators if you are very low on health and you quickly need to gain more energy in your energy shield very quickly.
 * If an opponent has a Rocket Launcher, a Spartan Laser or a Fuel Rod Cannon, and they are close range and are about to fire at you, deploy a Bubble Shield, if done correctly the enemy will hit the shield while very close and end up committing suicide.
 * Throw a Power Drain at an enemy who has deployed a Regenerator, and it will overpower the Regenerator and instead drain their energy bar, shoot at them then to kill them with ease.
 * Deploy a Trip mine at a rapidly approaching vehicle to destroy it or flip it over and stop it from killing you.
 * On the level Crows Nest a Cloaking equipment can be found in a blue control room that is seen in the cut-scene before that level.
 * Remember, most and possibly all equipment can be deactivated by destroying the source that emits the power, the shield or light.
 * If you can tell that a grenade is coming your way, then deploy a Bubble Shield. Odds are that the grenade will bounce off of the shield and back to the owner of the grenade, damaging him/her, and leaving them with weak shielding, allowing you to take them out very quickly.
 * A little known fact about the Trip Mine is that it is very similar to a real player using a minimap. If you crouch or move slowly, as long as your dot does not show up, the Trip Mine will not recognize you. Use this tip to pass tight areas where one was deployed, or if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 * The power drain can kill the enemy if it blows up very close to them.

Trivia

 * Though many of these are available in Multiplayer, the Automated Turret, Cloaking and Invincibility are exclusive to the Campaign for balancing reasons.
 * In splitscreen mode, if you throw a Flare, you and your enemy will be blinded. However, your Motion Tracker is still viewable and if you manage to use it you can still kill your enemy, because the crosshairs still turn red if you have an opponent on target.
 * In the January 2008 issue of EGM, in an interview with Brian Jarrard and Tyson Green, it was revealed that there was a piece of equipment cut from the final game known as The Vortex. It was said to be deployed the same as a Power Drain, but would instead create a mini black hole that would "suck" in any object within range, and diverting its course into the black hole, and away from your face. It was even able to affect nearby objects such as the Fusion Coil and even other players. The design was cut due to the fact that it was too "expensive" from a networking and performance standpoint.
 * When you try to drop a piece of equipment on a vehicle or an object (like a crate on Forge), the equipment will go through the object and end up underneath it. This happens to prevent players from driving around in vehicles with bubble shields and/or other equipment mounted on them.
 * Drivers of vehicles cannot use equipment (with the exception of the Invincibility and Cloaking); however, passengers can, which can be useful to certain and peculiar situations.
 * Although covered by the Active Camouflage, an Auto-Aim Turret can still detect you, possibly locking to the heat signature of the Equipment.
 * While using Active Camouflage and mounted on a Warthog turret, you can shoot and your Camouflage is not disturbed at all, unlike firing normal weapons in Campaign and Multiplayer.
 * In Campaign, the Deployable Cover lasts forever until it is destroyed. In Multiplayer, it lasts for around 30 seconds before self-destructing. A Deployable Cover can be destroyed by putting enough damage to its source, which is located in the center on the ground. This can be done easily with a grenade or a swing of the gravity hammer.
 * There are pieces of equipment that appear before they are said to first appear in the Halo 3 Official Guide, such as the two Cloakings in Crow's Nest.
 * All equipment can be destroyed by destroying the source, including Regenerators, Bubble Shields and Grav lifts. (Regenerators spin, and if stuck with spike grenade, it will spin on it.)
 * A grav lift can be Forge-spawned as deployable or as already activated.
 * You can jump on top of the barrier emitted by the Deployable Cover. It also works to make a single or double box float is spawned inside one.
 * After you have deployed a Trip Mine, it is immediately activated and any motion near its vicinity will set it off, be it from you, your team members, or your foe, and this does not exclude moving vehicles.
 * Shooting anything Plasma-related through a Deployable Cover will drain the cover's energy.
 * Some Human weapons such as the Assault Rifle can be fired through the Deployable Cover.
 * Shooting the center of the Bubble Shield will cause it to loose energy or be destroyed.
 * Radar Jammers and Flares are no longer usable in Matchmaking, due to glitches and cheap kills.
 * Enemies cannot detect you through a Deployable Cover even on higher difficulties, so you can just watch your enemies stand there while you pick them off with a Battle Rifle. This can be especially helpful on the part of Crow's Nest where you have to battle 8 Brutes and a Chieftan, since there are plenty of Deployable Covers around.