Type-33 needler

The Needler is a Covenant infantry weapon.

Introduction
Razor sharp crystalline projectiles are fired from this elaborately designed Covenant weapon, and it is widely believed that they use heat or organic signatures to home in on targets. Although easily deflected by energy shields, the needles cause a chemical reaction in close proximity resulting in an explosive effect.

The Needler is a highly unusual Covenant weapon, in that it fires pink translucent crystalline projectiles. It is most often wielded by Unggoy (Grunts), and Drones (Yanme'e), but Sangheili (Elites) and Kig-Yar (Jackals) have also been seen utilizing this firearm.

In addition, on the level 343 Guilty Spark (level), there is a large store of Needlers. Laying nearby is the only occurance of actual Needler ammo by itself to date.

The only other Covenant projectile weapons are the Type-25 Carbine and the Covenant Carbine.

Advantages
This weapon fires enemy-tracking needles that embed themselves in the flesh of a target before exploding to cause damage. Rate of fire increases with continuous fire. If 7 or more needles accumulate in the target the needles' combined strength will create a large explosion, killing the target and causing splash damage to other nearby enemies. Needles can penetrate the energy shields of Elites, Sentinels, and Spartans. They are especially useful against Brutes (who have no shields) in Halo 2's Campaign mode. Needles also seem to release an electromagnetic pulse, disabling or damaging nearby electronic instruments.

When dual wielded, the effectiveness of the needlers can be increased by firing them "out of phase". This is accomplished when the user begins firing one of his needlers a fraction of a second before the other, and continues to fire them in full-auto so that the shots from each weapon are fired in a "one-two punch" pattern (you can tell when the pattern is just right because the guns will sound as if they are firing much more rapidly). This allows for a more constant and consistent stream of fire (since each needle is in it's own slot in the sequence, the failure of one needle to connect no longer means that two will fail) and also adds to the weapon's psychological impact in multiplayer.

Insightful players will find the needler can be the key to victory in certain situations. For instance, on the level "Keyes" in Halo 1, players will encounter three or four Flood combat forms situated on ledges above the player. Rushing through means dying in a gauntlet of fire from an elevated position. Grabbing a needler and firing at each Flood from behind a conveniently located stationary shield will allow the player to safely destroy each enemy. Furthermore, each Flood is positioned in shadow making it extremely difficult to effectively engage them with other direct-fire weapons; the needler solves this problem by homing in on these otherwise nearly invisible enemies. They can also be effective against Elites by either killing them outright or forcing them to dodge or retreat, giving players a chance to reposition themselves for an advantage.

Disadvantages
The needles are slow, and are not effective against vehicles. The needles also take time to hit/explode on the target, leaving the target time to move in and inflict some of the explosive splash damage on the shooter. It is nearly impossible to hit invisible Elites with the Needler, as they do not home to camouflaged targets. The learning curve of the "lead" needed to hit strafing targets is also high. And when faced with experienced opponents in multiplayer (who often randomize their strafing patterns) the weapon is almost always overshadowed by better, more reliable options.

Halo 3 (beta)
For the Halo 3 Needler the amount of needles in a clip have been reduced, and the rate of fire has become five times quicker. Also, the range of the needler has been increased to about the range of the MA5C assault rifle. The needler no longer has the ability to be dual-wielded, in order to keep this weapon balanced. Oddly, the Needler is about as small as it was in Halo:Combat Evolved. The developers of Halo 3 have stated in the Vidoc "Quisnam Protero Damno!" that they wanted the needler to be something that people would want to use, hinting that the needler will be more powerful as well.

In gameplay, the needler is, as hinted, much more powerful, firing faster and the needles travel faster. It seems to be the Covenant's counterpart to the MA5C. The rounds are less luminescent, and travel faster, so the enemy will have a hard time seeing the needles. Its tracking system has also been upgraded, as it can now handle semi-sharp turns much easier than in Halo 2. It needs less needles in a target to make a large explosion than in Halo 2. In addition, it will now pursue an enemy behind cover, and will seek an enemy even if the crosshair is not red, a dramatic difference than in the first two installments of the series. Overall, it is a highly sought after weapon. But many people would argue its unbalanced. It shoots incredibly fast and 7 or 8 needles will take someone down. You could kill someone before they even have a chance to fight back.

The argument to this is that with any power weapon (strange to say knowing the old Needlers) it gives the user a almost guaranteed advantage. Most Needler wielders are already experienced opponents who don't fear the weapon's new found power, and thus use it to great lengths. But the Needler lacks one major thing, the ability to harm vehicles. Only the Ghost and Mongoose take any true damage from the Needler.

Appearances
The Needler first appeared in the original Halo: Combat Evolved. It made a return in Halo 2, and was made slightly more powerful with the advent of dual wielding. However, after Halo 2's 1.1 multiplayer patch, the weapon was toned down. The weapon is set to return in Halo 3. This time it will not be dual wieldable, but Bungie has stated that the weapon will be significantly rebalanced to allow it to stand on it's own.

Extra Ammo Needler
On the level Sacred Icon in the first Enforcer fight behind the gondola there are 3 over loaded needlers with 135 ammo each.

Character Compatibility

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

Effective Against
See also. Elites, Grunts, Brutes, Sentinels, small groups of tightly packed Flood.