Energy sword (fiction)

The Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword, known more commonly as the Plasma Sword or 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 a small magnetic-field generator built into the handle of the weapon. 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. Also this weapon, when used properly and skillfully, is one of the deadliest in the game.

Varying amounts of Energy are used up when killing various foes (e.g. Flood Combat Form: 2.5 battery units). Normal swipes that merely strike a foe do not drain the Sword's battery, as you must kill the foe to consume power. Therefore it may be prudent to strike a foe until it nears death and finish it off with a weapon that has ammunition that can be found more frequently in the level. Around 10 percent of the sword's energy is consumed by killing a normal opponent in Halo 2 campaign, but only 2.5 percent of the sword's energy is consumed when killing Flood (Combat Form). Killing Infection Form does not use any battery energy, yet is not very effective. 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 one Energy Sword on the map in all standard game types. In Halo 3 there is a limit on the amount of energy, usually allowing the wielder to kill 10 players before it runs out of energy. Although, it can still be used as a blunt weapon occasionally.

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). Though it is mainly used for ceremonial purposes, it has been seen in battle. 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 greatest warriors of the Sangheili are permitted to use the weapon, and it is implied that they spend years building their skills in order to become combatants in the lethal art of sword fighting. Nonetheless, despite the cultural taboo against it, any Elite can wield an energy sword with competent skill, even becoming quite dangerous.

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. However In Halo Custom Edition, many people have made their own Energy Swords, but not as good as Halo 2 and 3's.

In Halo 2 the energy sword is blue with purple undertones and electrical energy crackling on it when the blade is activated. As in the previous game, it is only used by higher-ranking Elites, such as Ultras and Zealots. It has infinite battery in Multiplayer.

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.

Tactics
There are two ways a player in Halo 3 can attack and 'duel' with the Energy Sword. The first way is lunging, which occurs when the player pulls the right trigger. With this, the player lunges forward at the other player. However, this only works when the aiming reticule is lit red, indicating that the opposing player is within range.

The second attack is the straight-up melee, performed by hitting the B button (default control scheme). This performs a sort of underhand swipe (when the reticule is not red or facing and invisible opponent) or a lunge move (when the reticule is red). Though one would assume that because the energy sword's lunge and melee were the same, Bungie has indicated (via the short messages at the bottom of the screen while searching for a match in Halo 3 matchmaking), that the melee performed by hitting the B button is actually a fraction of a second quicker than those performed with the right trigger. This information can be exploited during clashes between two sword holders: if both players lunge at the same time, they will clash backwards; should one player use the right trigger and the other use the B button for their next attack, assuming that both are still within range and both attacks are thrown at the same time, the player who used the melee will almost invariably win (depending on host-client latency times).

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 Halo 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 picture evidence of a sword parrying a hammer strike Unlike the Gravity Hammer in Halo 3, it is very hard to tell that a player has the sword when it is not the primary weapon being used, making it much easier to catch an opponent off guard, thus the player wielding it is less likely to be targeted so quickly by snipers, remember to bear in mind the time now taken to unsheathe them, as this can give them the chance to get a shot in.

Disadvantages
The Energy Sword is purely a close-quarters weapon, meaning that it is completely useless past close range. A skilled Spartan or Elite can defeat a sword wielder with low-brow weapons like the SMG or M6C Magnum by staying out of a close-knitted 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. (enemies, especially Flood Combat Forms, are less susceptible to a depleted energy sword and require numerous attacks before dying.) In Halo 2 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. Also in Halo 3, if you initiate a Sword Lunge, an opponent with a shotgun can easily fire off one shot and kill you.

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.

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 the first level of two back-to-back levels (eg. Outskirts-Metropolis). 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, a new feature was added so that players can parry their opponents sword. If you pull the right trigger right before the other person makes contact, a sort of "lightsaber clang" is produced, but you do lose a third of your shield, however when you get down to no shields, a sword clash will not affect 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. A simple "B" melee with the sword in Halo 3 will also parry the lunge of an advancing opponent. If you time it well enough the sword fight can last indefinitely. An effective tactic if you are in the lead and get into a sword fight is to throw a sticky grenade instead of swinging, you will very likely stick them at such close range, if not, the explosive radius will probably kill them.

Jumping
This tactic can make the energy sword more fearsome and effective. 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. By leaping upwards, your enemy cannot see you, and you can swiftly bring your attack down on the head. Beware, Flood combat forms use this tactic to good effect.

Surprising attack
Put it away when you are crossing open ground. 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 a surprising lunge attack, although this tactic is not recommended for use in Halo 3 as it takes a while to fully activate the weapon.

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 plasma 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.

Visibility
In Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, Active Camouflage doesn't cover the Energy Sword, resulting in an invisible user holding a very visible sword. In Halo: Combat Evolved, Stealth Elites with swords do not seem to realize that they are visible. Even with the Blind skull activated, the Sword's activation lighting will still appear, giving the user away. In Halo 3, the sword receives the full effect of the Active Camouflage and does not glow at all while Cloaking or camouflage are active. Compared to other weapons it still takes more time to become fully cloaked.

Character Compatibility

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

Trivia

 * In Halo: Combat Evolved, the Energy Sword was mistaken for a Plasma Sword by common fans.
 * In Halo 2, the Energy Sword can be found as early as on the Cairo Station level when you encounter multiple Ultra Elites and a Zealot who is also present. If you come close to them or take down their shielding, the Ultras will give out a war cry and pull out their swords.
 * As The Arbiter, when you have a drained Energy Sword (0% charge) and initiate 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.
 * In Halo 2 and Halo 3 there are Covenant glyphs on the handle of the Energy Sword.
 * While the sword was unaffected by the active camouflage in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, in Halo 3 it takes full advantage of invisibility.
 * In Halo 2, there is a glitch that allows you to cancel out the sword lunge. It's well known as "sword canceling". It can be done by pressing the 'X' button immediately after pressing the right trigger or the 'B' button, while targeting an enemy. It causes you to lunge without causing damage to the enemy, and can be used to get to a location too high to jump to. Using this glitch, people will do use a technique known as "butterflying" where one person stands on top of the other, jumps and the bottom person constantly sword cancels on the jumping person. Done right, this can be used like super jump while glitching. The sword cancel is possible in  Halo 3 by pressing the 'Y' button while lunging.
 * In the popular machinima series Red vs. Blue, the Energy Sword is portrayed as a "key" that will help the gang along in their quest to save the Alien race. As Caboose conjectures, "Maybe it's a key all the time and when you stick it in people, it unlocks their death."
 * 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.
 * There is a glitch on the level The Arbiter if you use up your energy sword's charge and keep it with you it will have an unlimited charge in The Oracle. Though you cannot see the sword's blade it does flash when you take it out. A similar effect can be used in moving from Delta Halo to Regret, as well as from Uprising to The Great Journey.
 * In Halo: CE, the arm of the Elite that wielded the sword will be missing from the elbow down (Xbox only).
 * If the sword runs out of energy, you can still use the hilt to melee.
 * In Halo 3, energy Swords placed underwater are invisible unless viewed from underwater as well.
 * Sword lunging a Jackal will not kill it the first time.
 * Elites who have earned the privilege to "legally" wield and energy sword are allowed to mate with any female they wish, including married ones, to perpetuate the swordsmens' bloodlines.
 * In Halo 3, it is possible to find an Energy Sword on Sierra 117, on any difficulty and on single player. Have the Arbiter charge into a fight. If he is overwhelmed and killed, he will drop a sword. It has a varying amount of power left, depending on the difficulty.
 * Using the sword is an honor reserved for high-ranked Elites, and this is why no other Covenant race is seen wielding it in any of the three games (with the exception of Brutes after the beginning of the Civil War).
 * 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 a variable amount of energy - usually below 10%. But if you knock him out as he is drawing the sword, it will have a 100% charge.
 * 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.
 * In Halo 3, the Energy Sword has no shadow. You can only see the handle.
 * In the CBeebies TV show "Mama Mirabel's Home Movies", the sound effect of the energy sword activating can be heard when the fireflies turn on the camera.
 * In Halo 3 the energy sword can destroy any vehicle (bar the Elephant) in a variable number of hits.
 * A common occurrence in multiplayer is for many players to attempt to rush for this weapon. This has sparked jokes and many humorous implications.
 * You can only get a Steppin Razor achievement by using the main attack of the Sword.
 * In Halo 3, Flood Combat Forms may be seen carrying a sword, and melee with the hand not holding the sword. However, the attack as treated as an ordinary sword attack, and therefore a player may parry with the Flood Combat Form.
 * It is possible in very rare cases on Halo 3 to survive a sword lunge. If the tips of the sword just barely hit the player, their shields will be drained but they will still survive.
 * It was originally going to be usable in Halo: Combat Evolved but was cut when the game became a First-Person Shooter.
 * Zealots often wield energy swords
 * In the downloadable vidoc "Et tu, Brute" you can see a Brute Cheiftain from Halo 3 wielding an Energy Sword.
 * On the video "Another Day On The Beach," a Minor Domo Elite wields an Energy Sword, disobeying the Covenant caste for Sword usage.
 * It wasn't until the fourth Age of Discovery that the elites started using energy swords
 * The Energy Sword could be a discovered Forerunner weapon. It was possibly developed to fight the Flood (notice how well it works against the Combat Forms).
 * Not all Elites can (legally) wield an Energy Sword, meaning that you cannot trade it with an Elite for their weapon.
 * If you lower your weapon (hold LB RB click LS, down and A) and then switch to your sword you can see a translucent part of it only.
 * As said above this is the Arbiter's said tasked weapon, next to Rtas 'Vadum's.
 * The energy sword's hilt in Halo CE is different from the hilt in Halo 2 and 3