Energy sword (fiction)

The Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword, known more commonly as the Energy Sword, is a close quarters melee weapon. Favored by Sangheili, this energy weapon is more dangerous than its ceremonial nature implies.

Technical Specifications
The Energy Sword's plasma is held into a blade-like form by small magnetic-field generators built into the handle mechanism. This technology is found in all of the Covenant plasma weapons. In Halo: Combat Evolved, if the wielder drops the weapon, a fail-safe activates, deactivating the magnetic field without first dispensing the plasma, consuming the handle and destroying the weapon. In Halo 2, a similar fail-safe is active when not wielding the weapon directly. The handle must be under pressure from the handler to be activated, so the weapon can be stored. Note, that the weapon when used properly is one of the deadliest in the game, it goes straight through armour so be carefull when you encounter an Elite that is carrying it

It has a charge of 100 battery units in single player. Varying amounts of energy are used up when killing various foes (e.g. Flood Combat Form: three units). However normal swipes that merely harm the foe do not consume power; you have to kill the foe to consume power. Therefore it may be prudent to hurt a foe until he nears death and finish off with a weapon that has more readily-available ammunition. Around 10 energy is used by killing a normal opponent, but only 2.5 energy is used when killing Flood with it. Killing Infection Forms does not use any battery power. In multiplayer on Halo 2, there is no limit on the amount of energy the Energy Sword can use before running out. However, like all other "power" weapons, there is always only one Energy Sword on the map in all standard game types. In Halo 3 there is a limit on the amount of energy.

Cultural Significance
The Energy Sword holds a high significance in Sangheili culture. Only high ranking Elites (Ultras and up) are permitted to wield an Energy Sword (however, in the Halo 3 level Floodgate, the first Elite Major that you come across also has one with him). Sangheili culture even allows an Elite with great sword skills to mate with any female he chooses, but they may not marry. This is to ensure that the 'Swordsman' genes are passed to as many offspring as possible.

Only the best warriors use this honorable weapon, on face to face, hand to hand combat, where the warrior battles against the opponent, becoming very vulnerable...and emerging victorious, just like the Samurai culture

Variations
In Halo: Combat Evolved the Energy Sword has a cyan glow, has a far less defined edge and makes a dull clunk when striking something or someone. It is only used by Stealth Elites and Zealots. The player cannot use the energy sword in Halo: Combat Evolved, because once a Zealot is defeated the energy sword will activate a fail-safe and disintegrate. In Halo 2 the energy sword is blue and somewhat purple. It is only used by higher-ranking Elites. In Halo 3 the sword has more of a light cyan tinge similar to its appearance in Halo: Combat Evolved but still has a tint of purple near the handle. It also has an angle near the handle, whereas in the two previous games it was curved. The Sword has a limited battery supply in multiplayer, and more time is needed to draw it.

Advantages
The Energy Sword is one of the most powerful weapons in Halo 2 and Halo 3. A single lunge will kill even a fully Shielded Spartan or Covenant Elite. An over-shielded enemy can take two lunges to kill. In Halo 2 it is also one of the very few weapons that can dismember the bodies of dead Combat Forms, preventing their revival by Infection Forms. Doing this, however, will still take up energy. In Halo 3, a melee will dismember unshielded Flood Combat Forms. In Multiplayer for 3, the lunge is shorter. Normally (but not if your opponent makes an evasive move), the lunge will connect and will eviscerate your opponent. A normal swing of the sword can deplete 1 and 2/5's of the shielding. This is enough to eliminate a normal shield, and your health. The amount of damage can be increased if you jump, run, do a lunge, do a jumping lunge, do a melee, lunging melee, etc; but can be blocked by parrying with a melee when the opponent makes a lunge, causing the loss of your shields, but not actually killing you. The sword can also parry melees with appropriate timing. This is most common with other swords, but there is video evidence of a sword parrying a hammer strike. The primary fire button initiates a lunge when the cross hair goes red or a swipe if it is not, and the melee button initiates a fast melee.

Disadvantages
The Energy Sword is only a close quarters weapon, meaning that it is completely useless past close range. A skilled player can defeat a sword wielder with low-power weapons like the SMG or M6C Magnum by staying out of range. Another disadvantage is that the Energy Sword, like other Covenant Weapons, has a battery, requiring the player to drop the weapon once the battery is used up. Although the handle can be used as a club, the energy sword's combat effectiveness is minimal when its energy runs out. Energy Swords also show through Active Camouflage, making it harder to be stealthy. However, in Campaign, the sword seemingly cannot be seen by enemies through Active Camouflage. Perhaps if they do see it they think the player is a camouflaged elite(this is unlikely, as in Uprising you can camouflage yourself and still be sneaky around Brutes with the energy sword, despite the fact that Brutes on that level will attack Elites on sight). But, in Halo 3, the sword is completely invisible if you too are invisible.

Dodging Sword Lunges
It is possible to dodge a blow from the Covenant Energy Sword. To do this, one must move quickly to the right (when facing the lunging opponent), towards the hand which does not hold the sword. Conversely, to prevent your target from dodging your lunge, simply jump; jumping reduces all chances of missing or being dodged by an opponent. Also, in Halo 3, if you find yourself facing an opponent with a sword you can block it with your sword.

Infinite Energy
In Halo 2, it is possible to have an infinite amount of energy in the sword in campaign. All you have to do is empty all of the energy of the sword before completing a level. When you cross over to the next level you'll still have your empty energy sword, but it acts like a normal one. And when you cloak you can see an outline of the sword. Its great for Oracle. Just remember to have an empty sword by the end of The Arbiter, Delta Halo, or Outskirts.

Parrying
In Halo 3, it is possible to "knock" someone's sword lunge away with your own sword. If you pull the right trigger right before the other person makes contact, a sort of "lightsaber clang" is produced, and you don't die, but you do lose a third of your shield, however when you get down to no shields, a sword clash will not effect you. Be careful though; they can lunge back at you and kill you. This is sometimes known as "Fencing" and can be a game, first to die loses. A useful tactic to use in sword-on-sword fight, once you parry, move back out of range and you can trick the opponent into swinging and then move back into lunge distance and kill them.

Jumping
This tactic can make the energy sword more fearsome. Jump and point your reticle down, waiting until it turns red to lunge. This tactic makes it harder for your enemy to track you with their reticle, and thus you are more likely to win in a sword fight.

Surprising attack
Put it away when you are crossing open grounds. If an opponent sees you approaching with an Energy Sword, they will usually shoot you down before you can come into range. Switch to another weapon and use surprising lunge attacks.

Sword lunging vs melee
If you melee with the sword instead of pressing  R  you can kill the player faster. Meleeing, then lunging is very hard to block, unless done at close range where two melees would win easily. Meleeing and then lunging is much faster then lunging twice; keep that in mind when playing Rumble pit. But caution, melee range with the sword is shorter than the lunge distance.

Dual wielding
The energy sword is non-dual wieldable in every Halo game, but physically it is possible to battle with two swords at once in the accepted canon. In the Halo Graphic Novel, Rtas 'Vadum and Kusovai dual wield swords while in a training exercise. Due to a render seen in the early Brute ViDoc released by Bungie, it was conjectured that the Energy Sword would be a dual-wieldable item in Halo 3, but this has since proven to be false. In concept art of Halo Wars, an Elite is seen dual wielding energy swords. A demo shows that this is possible in the final version of the game.

Active Camo
On Halo CE and Halo 2, if you use the active camo, the sword will still be shiny, making the impression that it's a spooky sword.

Even with the Blind skull, that leaves your screen without HUD, but also leaves you without body, the Sword activation "lighting" will still apear

On Halo 3, the sword receives the full effect of the Active Camo, and it doesn't even glow when killing a person with it

Character Compatibility

 * Elites
 * Spartans (Halo 2 and Halo 3)
 * Flood Combat Form Halo 2 and Halo 3

Trivia

 * As The Arbiter, when you have a drained Energy Sword (0% charge) and use active camouflage you will see a camouflaged outline of the blade despite the blade not actually existing.


 * If you swing the sword immediately after switching to it, it will have a misty blue color over it for a few seconds. This is not normally visible, as the animation causes the sword to go off-screen during activation.


 * While the sword was unaffected by the active camouflage in Halo 2, in Halo 3 it takes full advantage of invisibility.


 * In Halo: Combat Evolved, Energy Swords (which were then called 'Plasma Swords') had a different appearance, the two thin blades of the sword were surrounded by a bright, light blue glow. One could only see the two thin blades if they looked very closely. Also, the sword cannot be retrieved from a fallen Elite, as the failsafe feature of the sword kicks in almost immediately after it is dropped.


 * In Halo 3 the Energy Sword's blade does not cast a shadow.


 * If the sword runs out of energy you can still use the hilt to melee.


 * The sword is an honor to wield by elites, and this is why no other Covenant race is seen wielding it in any of the three games.


 * The Energy sword is native to Sanghelios, the Sangheili home world.


 * The Arbiter in Halo 3 always carries a sword on him. Some places, you can see that he doesn't have a sword on his left hip (mainly the areas where he is dual wielding Plasma Rifles or just one) but if his health gets low, he draws one out of nowhere and if he falls, it has 100%.


 * Jasman Toys are making a replica, almost life-size toy Energy Sword due to be released in 2008, to go with their other laser tag weapons; the Plasma Pistol and Plasma Rifle.