Sidekick

"Semi-automatic firearm effective at close to medium range."

- In-game description

The Sidekick is a human pistol first introduced in Halo Infinite. It is a precision loadout weapon which deals kinetic damage and is most effective in close quarters. The Sidekick deals little damage per shot but can be fired very rapidly, at the cost of accuracy.

Universe and lore
Manufactured by Emerson Tactical Systems, the MK50 Sidekick is a semi-automatic handgun in service with the UNSC Armed Forces. Described as "powerful and compact", it fires 10mm rounds from a detachable box magazine that typically holds 12 rounds. It differs significantly from the M6 series, the UNSC's most prominent sidearm, lacking the M6's signature hand-guard and smart-linked optic, the KFA-2 x2, while also firing a lower caliber round. The weapon usually sports an olive green and matte black finish.

The MK50 Sidekick entered production at some point before 2559. By December 2559, the weapon was in service with UNSC forces aboard the, and saw action at the Battle for Zeta Halo. In the following year, the weapon was again used at the ring.

Overview
The Sidekick is a pistol first introduced in Halo Infinite, which works well as a general-purpose sidearm to supplement the player's primary weapon. Featured in both campaign and multiplayer, it can be found very commonly in both modes, and is frequently part of the player's standard loadout. Shots from the Sidekick do relatively little damage, but can be fired very rapidly at the cost of significant bloom. The Sidekick can function well as a primary weapon in the hands of a skilled player, though as its name suggests, it is most effective when paired with another weapon. This allows the player to strip the opponent's shields with the main weapon, then switch to the Sidekick and finish them with a headshot.

Counterparts
Throughout the Halo franchise, there have been several weapons similar in role to the Sidekick.

Most notable of these is the Magnum, another pistol first introduced in Halo: Combat Evolved. Like the Sidekick, it is a precision weapon capable of headshots, though in most iterations it had a longer range and less bloom, at the cost of not being able to fire as rapidly as the Sidekick. Most similar to the Sidekick is Halo 2's iteration, which lacked a scope and dealt very little damage, but could be fired incredibly rapidly. Two variants of the Magnum are also of note when comparing to the Sidekick: the Automag and Gunfighter Magnum. The Halo 3: ODST iteration of the Automag could fire at a comparable rate to the Halo 2 Magnum, similar to the Sidekick, but unlike the Sidekick, was ineffective against shields and had a very large zoom range. The Gunfighter Magnum is in many ways a direct predecessor to the Sidekick, having appeared in the preceeding game to Infinite, Halo 5: Guardians. It has a short zoom distance, but fires incredibly fast and takes a comparable number of shots to kill.

On the Covenant side, the Plasma Pistol is the only notable comparison. It was first introduced in Halo: Combat Evolved and has changed significantly between games, but generally it has a high rate of fire, though its plasma projectiles are slow and deal little damage. Unlike the Sidekick, the Plasma Pistol is not capable of headshots. It also features a second firing mode, which requires a brief charging time, but fires a powerful projectile that can break most enemy's energy shields in a single hit, and in most games, briefly disables vehicles.

Finally, the Forerunners have the Boltshot, a weapon first introduced in Halo 4. In its initial appearance, it was a precision hitscan weapon, with a high rate of fire but limited magazine and low damage, making it similar in many ways to the Sidekick. However, it also featured a secondary firing mode, which fired a shotgun-like blast capable of killing enemy players in a single hit. The weapon was significantly changed in Halo 5: Guardians, firing a burst of three slow-moving tracking projectiles with each trigger pull, and entirely removing the secondary firing mode.

Stats
The following table summarises the Sidekick's stats in Halo Infinite:

Advantages

 * Has a very fast firing rate, allowing the player to deal a lot of damage quickly
 * Can headshot unshielded enemies for an instant kill
 * Is very common and is often a loadout weapon, meaning that ammo will be plentiful

Disadvantages

 * Has bloom when fired too rapidly
 * Magazine is small, requiring frequent reloading
 * Only one enemy player in multiplayer can be killed per magazine
 * Range is limited by weapon spread and short zoom level

Tactics and strategies
The Sidekick is best used at mid-to-close ranges, where its spread and lack of a long-distance zoom will be less impactful. It is most effective when paired with another weapon to strip the enemy's shields first - particularly plasma weapons, which excel at this - allowing the Sidekick to swiftly finish them with a headshot. However, it can be used as a primary weapon at closer ranges, where it is often an effective tactic to fire as fast as possible, aiming for the opponent's head. When at long distances, users should switch to a longer-range weapon, such as the Battle Rifle or Commando if one is available. Otherwise, the player should zoom in and pace their shots to prevent the bloom from causing their weapon to become too inaccurate.

Skins and coatings
In Halo Infinite, the Sidekick can be outfitted with various weapon coatings to customise its appearance.

Medals
The following medals are exclusive to the Sidekick, or to the pistol weapon type in Halo Infinite. Other, less specific medals, can also be earned with the Sidekick, but the ones listed are only those that are unique to pistols or to the Sidekick itself.

List of appearances

 * Halo Infinite