Gravity hammer (fiction)

Gravity hammers are a class of two-handed melee weapons developed by the Covenant and inherited by its splinter factions. To their users, the Jiralhanae, they are formally designated as war hammers. The Office of Naval Intelligence has typically type-classified encountered gravity hammer variants under the designation of the Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer (T-2 EW/H). Nicknames for the gravity hammer includes the Hammer and the Club.

Design details
"One hit from that hammer and you ended up a puddle of bones and blood."

- Private Aaron Landvik

A gravity hammer typically consists of a two-meter long haft, a hammerhead, and a tungsten-alloy blade on the reverse side of the head. A counterweight is attached to the bottom end of the haft. A short-range shock-field-generating gravitational energy drive is integrated inside the head of the hammer, while the head's striking face is lined with repurposed Covenant gravitic impellers, which release a concussive force upon impact. Together, the devices allows the wielder to produce an area-of-effect kinetic pulse (of approximately 4.5 meters), which briefly displaces local gravity at the point of the hammer's impact with impressive knockback. The gravitational energy drive's effects allows the user to displace objects of greater weight or power than what a normal blow might do. The gravity drive can also manipulate localized energy fields, allowing the ability to pull a target towards the wielder or push the target away, However, the Jiralhanae's brutal nature, along with the increased damage from the impellers, means that they often prefer to use the weapon in melee combat. Although humans first encountered the weapon in 2526, the exact mechanism by which the gravity hammer functions was still under investigation by United Nations Space Command in 2552.

History
The gravity hammer evolved from traditional Jiralhanae-bladed war hammers, dating back to the war-totems wielded by war chieftains on Doisac. Within the Jiralhanae's barbaric culture, in addition to being a powerful weapon, the war hammers serve as the ultimate symbol of clan leadership, taking on an almost religious significance among the Jiralhanae. The ceremonial hammer of a pack or a clan is only passed to another Jiralhanae if he can best his chieftain in ceremonial combat; the mantle of leadership passes along with the weapon.

Following the Jiralhanae's absorption into the Covenant hegemony in 2492, the war hammers were modified with Forerunner technology reverse-engineered by the Covenant. The first gravity hammer and the template for the standardized weapons of this type was the Fist of Rukt, an ancestral war hammer of Maccabeus' clan which was upgraded with Covenant gravity technology after Tartarus was appointed the Chieftain of the Jiralhanae in the Covenant. After Tartarus was granted the Fist of Rukt, many minor chieftains commissioned similar weapons, with components of the ancestral hammers incorporated when possible. Over the course of the Human-Covenant War, a variety of hammer variants were produced in workshops and war forges, sporting performance upgrades and individual stylistic tweaks. The gravity hammers inherited the war hammers' totemistic and ceremonial significance, with wielders being expected to treat their gravity hammer with great care. Furthermore, some hammer have been aesthetically-tailored to the use of specific clans, families, or packs, resulting in numerous variants. During his rise to power within the Covenant, Tartarus used his relationship with the San'Shyuum to reward loyal lieutenants with similarly-advanced hammers secretly forged within the Sacred Promissory.

In 2552, only a few months before the Great Schism and the fall of High Charity, the Sacred Promissory began producing gravity hammers en masse. Following the dissolution of the Covenant, the Banished seized the design templates for nearly all Covenant gravity hammer variants. The Banished contracted war-forges to reproduce and modify existing designs or create new variants, with the number of variants being employed reaching upwards of 50.

Usage
"Avery Johnson"

The gravity hammer serves dual purposes as a weapon as well as a defining ceremonial vestige of clan leadership, and is thus typically wielded by a chieftain or other high-ranking members. Within the Covenant, the gravity hammers were commonly seen wielded by Chieftains. Within the Banished, the gravity hammer was a much more common sight, notably being used by Jiralhanae Warlords and Jiralhanae Jumpers. The variants with most widespread use among the Banished includes the Sepulo'ez, Halbashi, and Akelas variants.

Variants
During the Jiralhanae's alliance within the Covenant, numerous designs of gravity hammers were developed.
 * Akelas Workshop gravity hammer: A variant used by the Covenant and the Banished, with a notable wielder being Chieftain Avitus.
 * Akelus Workshop gravity hammer: A variant used by Jiralhanae Chieftains in the Covenant during the Battle for Earth and the Battle of Installation 00.
 * Eektah-fel siphon hammer: A variant used by some Banished Jiralhanae Warlords.
 * Voridus' infused hammer: A variant which leaves pools of infusion gel on impact. Only wielded by Voridus.
 * Halbashi Workshop gravity hammer: A variant of the gravity hammer used by the Banished during the Battle for Zeta Halo.
 * Rushdown Hammer: A variant that has been painted white. It contains an upgraded gravetic core that increases its effective range; its made of composite materials that allow users to be more mobile. One notable wielder being En'Geddon during the Battle for Zeta Halo.
 * Paegaas Workshop gravity hammer: A variant used by the Jiralhanae in the Covenant during the Fall of Reach, then Banished Jiralhanae Warlords and Jiralhanae Jumpers during the Second Ark Conflict. Models recovered from the field were used by Spartan-IVs in War Games simulations.
 * Sepulo'tez Workshop gravity hammer: A variant used by Spartan-IVs in War Games simulations.
 * Corpsemaker: An improved variant with faster swing time and additional energy capacity, made from the finest materials its creator could coerce or steal from raider lairs on Warial and Teash.
 * Grinder: An improved variant with uncalibrated impellors that generate an unstable gravimetric vortex EMP at the point of impact.
 * Tartarus' Gavel: One of the many advanced variants secretly forged from the Sacred Promissory, with its creation tracing back to Tartarus, who used his relationship with the Prophets during his ascent to power within the Covenant to reward loyal lieutenants with advanced weaponry.

In-game information
The gravity hammers were introduced into the Halo first-person shooter games with the debut of the Fist of Rukt in 2004's Halo 2, albeit unusable by players. Gravity hammers were then made usable by players in Halo 3 and has become a mainstay weapon in series ever since. The gravity hammer is a powerful melee weapon that can kill multiple foes in one swing, and can even be effectively used against vehicles. They are power weapons which appear on some multiplayer maps. <!--

Advantages
The gravity hammer is a very powerful weapon, useful in close quarters combat. With a bit of skill, they can even be effectively used against vehicles, usually offering an instant kill. The hammer has a splash damage effect, and a well-placed hit could kill multiple foes in one swing. In some aspects, it is more powerful than the energy sword - a kill against a Covenant enemy or an opponent in multiplayer uses 10% of the energy sword's battery, whereas the gravity hammer only uses 8.33%. When timed perfectly, the gravity hammer can even be used to deflect certain objects, such as rockets and even grenades. In campaign or firefight, 5% of the hammer's battery is used per swing.

Disadvantages

 * The gravity hammer is huge and visible, so when wielding it as a primary or secondary weapon, you risk making yourself a prime target for snipers.
 * If you swing the hammer too slowly or out of range, it will push your opponent back, making it harder for you to finish him off and easier for him to counter your attack.
 * The glowing blue vents at the top of the weapon are still visible when a player has active camouflage.
 * The large area of effect of the weapon means that using it in tight quarters with friendly players is highly inadvisable.
 * An enemy wielding a shotgun can easily take down a player with the gravity hammer before he has time to swing.
 * While the gravity hammer takes only 5% energy for a swing—compared with the sword's 10% depletion, the sword only expends energy when it hits, the hammer wastes with every swing, regardless of if it hits or not.
 * If the gravity hammer is being used as a player's secondary weapon, you cannot swing momentarily as it is wielded. The character must have rested his right hand on the handle before a swing can be attempted. This is similar to the energy sword having to ignite before a lunge is possible and might have been added due to balancing issues.

Halo Wars
In multiplayer and skirmish mode in Halo Wars, the Brute chieftain is armed with a gravity hammer. It features very powerful vortex ability that can rip objects apart and suck them in. When the vortex grabs units such as Marines, they will be battered by the shrapnel in the vortex and by their fellow squad members, in addition to being hurled violently. When the vortex leader power is put to a halt, either by the player's choosing or by enemy forces, an explosion will send everything in the vortex outward. Upgrades to the hammer include adding a stun, pulling enemies toward him, and increasing range and damage.

Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike
Each smash from a Brute chieftain's gravity hammers can send a medium-range shockwave forward. The shockwaves are powerful enough to disable shields, making the player vulnerable to damage. Unlike the FPS games, the gravity hammer does not give a knockback effect when it hits an opponent.

Halo Wars 2
In Campaign and Skirmish, Jump pack Brutes are armed with Gravity Hammers. Jiralhanae Warlords are armed with Gravity Hammers as their primary weapon. The weapon is quite effective at dealing with Pod Infectors; however, its best use is against structures.

Changes from Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST to Halo: Reach

 * The lights on the head of the hammer are orange instead of blue.
 * The head of the hammer is larger.
 * The overall length of the hammer is somewhat shorter.
 * The weapon now has a red decorative symbol on the head.
 * The shaft's hand guard has been removed.
 * The blast range isn't as wide. This is most noticeable in Grifball.

Changes from Halo: Reach to Halo 4

 * Knock-back from the weapon is dramatically increased. A hit from this can send you flying; however, this can be used to the would-be victim's advantage to escape from the wielder.
 * The sound of the hammer has changed.
 * The blast radius has been increased.
 * Aiming reticle is now vertical instead of diagonal.

Changes from Halo 4 to Halo 5: Guardians

 * Like all other weapons in Halo 5: Guardians, the gravity hammer can now be smart-scoped, increasing lunge range noticeably. This expands the head of the hammer slightly.
 * Base lunge range decreased slightly.
 * Uses a new diagonal reticle based on the one seen in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach.
 * Decreased ragdoll effects applied to objects hit by the hammer.
 * Custom animations for ground pounds, Spartan charges, and assassinations.

Changes from Halo Wars to Halo Wars 2

 * New varieties of Gravity Hammer are introduced.
 * Jump pack Brutes now can wield Gravity Hammer.
 * The Gravity Hammer is very effective against buildings, performs okay against infantry and vehicles, and cannot attack air units.
 * A special animation is featured when a Gravity Hammer wielder defeats a UNSC Marine or Spartan in a melee fight.

Changes from Halo 5: Guardians to Halo Infinite
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 * The Gravity Hammer no longer has the ability to Smart Scope.
 * Swings from the Gravity Hammer depletes 10% of its battery as opposed to 5%.
 * Swings from the Gravity Hammer are slower, but it produces a powerful blast in close proximity.
 * Power ammunition crates and Gravity Hammers in the battlefield refill its battery without the need to pick up a fresh one.

Trivia

 * The gravity hammer is used in the popular playlist Grifball, in which the players have no shields and must somehow take their bomb and get it to the other team's base. The hammer is often used to create enough force to propel the bomb-carrying player over the heads of their opponents and into the goal.
 * In Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, there is a remodeled version of the gravity hammer called "7 wood". The 7 wood performs exactly the same gameplay wise, except it is modeled to look like a giant golf club and features a different reticule.
 * In Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians, if the player is hit with a gravity hammer but does not die, the player will hear an ear ringing sound effect usually heard when they are hit with explosives in the campaign.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Starry Night
 * Believe
 * Diorama
 * Halo: Landfall
 * Halo: Last One Standing
 * Halo Uprising
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: Contact Harvest
 * Halo Wars
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo Legends
 * The Babysitter
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * Dirt
 * Stomping on the Heels of a Fuss
 * The Return
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Fall of Reach
 * Invasion
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo: Initiation
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Halo: Broken Circle


 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Halo: New Blood
 * Halo: Spartan Strike
 * Halo: Last Light
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo: Shadow of Intent
 * Know Your Enemy
 * Halo: Tales from Slipspace
 * On the Brink
 * Halo Wars 2
 * Halo: Envoy
 * Halo: Rise of Atriox
 * Become
 * Carry On
 * Halo: Shadows of Reach
 * Sacrifice
 * Halo: Divine Wind
 * Halo Infinite
 * Halo: The Rubicon Protocol