Energy sword (fiction)

The Covenant Energy Sword, is a Close quarters melee weapon. It was thought at first to be purely ceremonial but is seen in combat carried by high-ranking Elites.

Background
The Energy Sword's plasma is held into a blade-like form with small magnetic field generators built into the handle mechanism. This technology is found in all 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.

It has a charge of 100 battery units in single player. Varying amounts of energy are taken up by the various foes (eg flood combat form 3 battery), 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 taken 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.

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.

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. 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.

Disadvantages
The Energy Sword is only a close quarters weapon meaning that it is completely useless past close range. A Skilled player can even beat 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 club, the energy sword's combat effectiveness is devastated when its energy runs out. Energy Swords also show through Active Camouflage making it harder to be stealthy. However, in Campaign, the sword cannot be seen by enemies through Active Camouflage.

Campaign Recommendations
Avoid anyone with a strong weapon like a Rocket Launcher or a Fuel Rod Cannon. Use the Sword as a secondary weapon. UNSC weapons make good primary weapons. Only use the Sword in CQB when there aren't a lot of Covenant or Flood surrounding you. It's semi-effective on shielded Elites and extremely useful on Flood, but, by itself, completely useless against Hunters. It's not much but you will notice that enemies without shields always recoil after taking a melee hit, with rapid successive blows, the enemy will fall quickly. Enemies with shields won't recoil as much. It's most effective (and satisfying) against Grunts, Jackals, Drones, shieldless Elites and Sentinels. Be warned though, killing Sentinels with melee attacks harm the player slightly, and on Legendary will bring the players shield down entirely. People looking for a challenge might want to take on a charging Brute with this weapon.

Multiplayer Recommendations
In multiplayer, 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.

The energy sword draws its power from its lunge attack and close range dominance. This does not stop a shotgun from stopping a energy sword mid lunge. The sword however only works when close to your opponent, so to effectively stop a sword weilder, back pedal and use whatever weapon you have, preferably an SMG or battle rifle to stop him while he keeps trying to get into lunge range. You should never wield the sword in long, open spaces, as the blue sword not only flags you as need to be killed, but it is also useless. Use the sword like a shotgun, in narrow, closed spaces, and when an enemy gets too close.

Variations
In Halo: Combat Evolved the energy sword has a cyan glow. It is mostly used by the Zealots. Master Chief cannot use the energy sword in Halo 1. 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 can only be used by higher-ranking Elites. In Halo 3 the sword has more of a light cyan tinge similar to its appearance in Halo 1 but still have 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 will have a limited battery supply in multiplayer, and more time will be needed to unsheathe it.

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 his left hand which does not hold the sword. Conversely, to avoid being dodged while lunging, simply jump. Jumping reduces all chances of missing or being dodged by an opponent.

Infinite Energy
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 crossover 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 the level Oracle. Just remember to have an empty sword by the end of the Arbiter level or Delta Halo.

Dual weilding
The energy sword is undual-wieldable in every Halo game, but modding in Halo 2 can allow for two swords.

Due to the energy sword's power and effectiveness and the fact that it only requires one hand to operate, the possibility of the energy sword being made dual wieldable is a recurring topic of discussion among Halo players. In support of this hope, an Elite can be seen dual wielding energy swords in one of the Halo Wars wallpapers and the concept art that comes with the themes (for Xbox 360 dashboard) available in the Xbox marketplace, an animation of an Elite killing a Brute while dual wielding energy swords can be seen during the Halo 3 ViDoc "Et Tu, Brute?" and as seen in the Halo Graphic Novel story The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor. The notable omission of the energy sword from the multiplayer beta has further fueled speculation that Bungie is hiding some change to the sword, such as dual wieldability. Critics of this theory point out that the sword's lunge attack is already a one hit kill, and therefore a second sword would be of little value. This criticism is further fueled by the fact that the energy sword is not listed as dual-wieldable in the leaked Halo 3 instruction manual. Supporters of dual swords counter this by pointing out that the Halo 3 energy sword could differ from the the Halo 2 sword in any number of ways (the loss of the lock-on and/or lunge, a decrease in power, and the ability to parry being among the most common suggestions). Another theory is that dual-wielding the Energy Sword would allow for chain lunges. Any player who has lunged a target knows the slight "cool down" moment, when the player is unable to attack with the sword. Holding two swords would possibly allow for a lunge with one sword, then while the recoil is in effect, lunge with the second. Also, on higher difficulties (i.e. Legendary) one lunge doesn't guarantee a kill. Dual-wielding swords allows for a lunge-slash attack, downing a Legendary Elite.

Character Compatibility

 * Elites
 * Brutes (in Halo 3)
 * Spartans
 * Flood Combat Form (Human)
 * Flood Combat Form (Elite)

Trivia

 * In the Halo 3 ViDoc: Is Quisnam Protero Damno! a red Spartan can be seen with an Energy Sword on his thigh as if it were a secondary weapon. In the ViDoc, the sword is clearly engaged, even though it is in the secondary position. In the Beta, however, it is in its disengaged state when not in use.
 * The Energy Sword can be found in Outskirts on Heroic and Legendary after killing one of the cloaked Elites just after Sergeant Johnson leaves or on legendary when the Phantom arrives in the courtyard a zealot will be dropped off with an energy sword. The sword can also be found in Outskirts on any difficulty after Sergeant Johnson leaves via Pelican in a building with a dead UNSC Sniper on the floor. Above there is an Energy Sword lodged in the floor. Its first official appearance is The Arbiter, however, there is a trick on the Outskirts level in which the Master Chief can wield a sword for the first time on Earth. Occasionally, one can be obtained on Cairo Station when at the end of the level an Ultra Elite is present. If you come close to him, he will pull out his sword and if you kill him, you have the sword.
 * While playing as the Arbiter if 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.
 * If you play Co-op and get the other person to wield a 0% energy sword, get him to swap to another weapon and back. You can see blue gas coming out from the handle.
 * In Halo 2 and Halo 3 there are Covenant glyphs on the handle.
 * Bungie has confirmed an altered functionality to the energy sword. Pressing B or the right trigger will lead to two different attacks. B- quick swipes, R- lunge.
 * Bungie has stated that the H3 sword has "clang", which is described as an active block. Hit a button just as they attack to parry it or something to that effect.  Unknown whether this works on hammers too, but it seems unlikely.
 * While the sword was unaffected by the active camouflage in Halo 2, in Halo 3 it takes full advantage of the active camouflage.