Needler

Needler, also named Needler pistol, is a name applied to a series of automatic Covenant weapons that launch chemically charged Subanese crystal designed to home in on a target.

Design details
The needler is often seen with an upper cowling where the crystal ammunition exposed sticks out of. The stock of the weapon is often at the bottom of the weapon and doubles as the weapons power supply. The channel brace of the weapon is where the crystal ammunition is fired out of. When preparing to fire and launch the crystals, the needler breaks them, and charges their chemical mixture.

The needler is also considered unique among Covenant weapons in that it does not require Forerunner technology to function.

Ammunition
The needler makes use of Subanese crystal designed to home in onto targets as its ammunition. When in the weapon the crystal is exposed above the weapon. Different variants of the weapon using calibrated shard of the crystal.

After the crystal shards have been charged and launched from needler, the shards home towards a target if one is present. If a shard hits a target it becomes chemically reactive and usually detonates, where if more than one shard is in a target it explodes in a "supercombine" chain reaction with the other shards.

Development history
Prior to the Covenant's formation, the Sangheili mined Subanese Crystals, using it in unique ways.

Prior to 2552, the needler was manufactured by the Sacred Promissory on High Charity. After the fall of High Charity during the Great Schism, the manufacturing of the needler fell to Lodam Armory.

Usage
The needler was a weapon favored by poorly trained Covenant soldiers due to its "supercombine" explosion. Used throughout the Human-Covenant War, humanity recorded some needlers in 2533 in their Type classification system as the Type-33 needler.

After the Human-Covenant war the needler saw continued use, where humanity then proceeded to record more needlers in 2556 under Type-56, such as the Type-56D needler.

During the Battle for Zeta Halo, the Banished employed the Posu'gelka-pattern needler. It was primarily used by Unggoy Conscripts and Ultras, Kig-Yar Freebooters, and Skirmishers.

Type-33 needler
The "Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher", also known as the "Type-33 needler", is a human term for a group of needlers that were seen across the Human-Covenant War.

Type-56 needler
The "Type-56 needler" is a human term for a group of needlers that were started to be recorded in 2556.
 * Type-56D needler: This is a version of the needler that features a holographic Smart scope projector on its barrel.
 * Hailstorm
 * Talon of the Lost

Posu'gelka-pattern needler
This variant of needler has an ammo counter on the chassis. This variant was employed by the Banished during the Battle for Installation 07 in 2560.

Weaponry

 * Blood of Suban
 * Heavy needle cannon
 * Shardstorm launcher
 * Shardstorm launcher

Vehicles

 * Sword Warthog

In-game information
The Needler has appeared in several games in the Halo franchise.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: Combat Evolved
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo 2
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Believe
 * Enemy Weapon
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: The Cole Protocol
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo: Helljumper
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo Legends
 * Homecoming
 * Halo: Blood Line
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
 * Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn


 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo: Initiation
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Halo: Broken Circle
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Hunt the Truth
 * Halo: Spartan Strike
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo: Last Light
 * Halo Mythos
 * Halo: Collateral Damage
 * Halo: Fireteam Raven
 * Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual
 * Halo: Battle Born
 * Halo: Renegades
 * Halo: Outpost Discovery
 * Halo: Meridian Divide
 * Halo: Shadows of Reach
 * Halo Infinite
 * Halo: The Television Series
 * Homecoming
 * Reckoning
 * Transcendence
 * Halo: The Rubicon Protocol