MA5D assault rifle

The MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System (ICWS) is an assault rifle used by the United Nations Space Command. Like the rest of the MA5 series, the MA5D is designed and manufactured by Misriah Armory.

Overview
The MA5D assault rifle is an air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed, fully automatic bullpup rifle that fires standard 7.62x51mm FMJ-AP ammunition from a 32-round detachable box magazine. It possesses a built-in ammunition indicator and magnetic compass for orientation similar to that of all other MA5 series rifles. It bears few design differences from the MA5C apart from an integrated muzzle brake.

The MA5D ICWS was in limited service use as early as 2526 when it was issued to officer cadets, drill instructors, and security personnel at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science, as well as Spartan Blue Team. It saw continued use throughout the war, though the MA5's B and C variants remained more common. By 2557 the MA5D had become standard issue. It is now favored due to its ruggedness and ability to withstand the conditions that are often faced on frontier colonies.

Campaign

 * The player starts with the assault rifle in most levels. It proves fairly effective paired with the magnum and will kill Elites with just 75% of a magazine, depending on the selected difficulty. It also makes an effective back up to any precision weapon (though the DMR and Lightrifle are the most effective, since they cover the long range aspect of combat that the MA5D is weak at)
 * It is effective against lighter enemies, such as Grunts, Jackals, Crawlers and Watchers. Ammunition for it is plentiful (at least when around UNSC sources) and most Marines are armed with it.
 * If fired in short controlled bursts, the MA5D can have a surprisingly effective range. Pull the trigger till the reticle starts to expand, then lay off till it shrinks, and repeat. This tactic is useful for picking off Grunts and Watchers from near-precision weapon ranges.
 * The long reload of the MA5D is not too much longer than its short reload. If it looks like you'll need all the ammunition in the magazine to eliminate and enemy, empty the magazine.

Multiplayer

 * The MA5D's fully automatic fire makes it an effective close-range weapon. Compared with the other automatic weapons in Halo 4, it is much more versatile due to its hitscan properties and flexibility of range, though it is occasionally outperformed by these weapons at more extreme close-range. It takes 13 rounds to kill a fully-shielded player in matchmaking; ten to shields and three to the body, allowing for a bare maximum of two kills from its 32-round magazine. In close-quarters combat, it is often advisable to finish your opponent with a melee after firing at least six rounds into their shields.
 * The MA5D assault rifle is great as a secondary weapon to a precision weapon like the DMR or Lightrifle, allowing the player to effectively occupy nearly all ranges of combat. However, like the other automatic weapons, it is not recommended for use as a primary weapon except when playing on smaller maps. The MA5D assault rifle can also be used effectively at distances approaching medium-range by firing in short, controlled bursts. Though this will not drastically increase kill times, making it inadvisable against players that have already engaged the player with a precision weapon.
 * If you're looking for an automatic weapon to use in multiplayer, look no further. The MA5D has a higher damage per shot than both the Storm Rifle and the Suppressor, and when paired with Dexterity can reload in the blink of an eye. Combine it with Mobility and you can tear across the map, flanking enemies at your leisure and ducking into side passages.

Differences from MA37 ICWS in Halo: Reach

 * Altered firing sound
 * Heavier but more controllable reticle bloom
 * More damage per round: only 13 shots are needed to kill a fully-shielded Spartan instead of 19.
 * Slightly increased rate of fire
 * Maximum reserve ammo has been reduced from 288 rounds to 256 rounds, and a standard reserve of 224 rounds, forcing the player to scavenge for ammo more frequently.

Videos
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List of appearances

 * The Commissioning
 * Scanned
 * Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo: Initiation
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Halo 5: Guardians