Nahle'hax-pattern needler

For other needler patterns with the same Type-33 designation, see Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher.

The Nahle'hax-pattern needle launcher, is a Covenant infantry weapon originally manufactured by Sacred Promissory during the Human-Covenant War. Following the Fall of High Charity, the needler is manufactured by Lodam Armory.

Design details
The Nahle'hax-pattern needler has multiple known chassis. They are all characterized by a longer handguard extending from the lower cowling that curves upwards and a thumbhole in the grip. One variant of the chassis is slightly longer; it has a small blue light on either side of the upper cowling, and a row of three triangle lights between the upper cowling and the grip. A second variant has four metallic braces, rather than four glowing lines, that connect the cowlings to the channel braces on either side of the weapon. A third variant has no small blue lights on either side of the upper cowling, and a row of three trapezoid lights between the upper cowling and the grip. This third variant’s chassis has either navy blue or purple coloration.

Usage
The Nahle'hax-pattern needler was employed by the Covenant and observed by the United Nations Space Command as early as 2533, as indicated by its UNSC designation Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher. During the Battle of Actium in 2545, the 34th Armored Division recovered a Nahle'hax-pattern needler from the Covenant that was later displayed at Outpost Discovery, an exploratory initiative launched by the United Nations Space Command. This pattern of the needler was notably employed during the Fall of Reach by Fleet of Valiant Prudence forces deployed in Eposz, and, after the war, it was employed by Jul 'Mdama's Covenant during the Battle of Requiem and the Requiem campaign

Silver Timeline
"See these holes on the top plate? That's where the needle rounds are primed. You pull the trigger and somehow they just know how to target living tissue."

- Kai-125 explaining her favorite Covenant weapon.

Needlers are used by the Covenant during their war against humanity. Silver Team will occasionally scavenge needlers from dead Covenant and use them against Covenant troops.

Production notes

 * During the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta, the lights on the Nahle'hax-pattern needler are colored green instead of blue.
 * Although its design is derived from the needler from Halo: Reach, the variant of the Nahle'hax-pattern needler with metallic braces appears exclusively in in Halo 2: Anniversary pre-rendered cinematics produced by Blur Studio for Halo 2: Anniversary, as the in-game model of the needler was replaced by the needler from Halo 4. The propmakers for Halo: Outpost Discovery were later given Blur's high poly model to create the prop for display during the event.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
 * Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo: Initiation
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Halo Mythos
 * Halo: Collateral Damage
 * Halo: Fireteam Raven
 * Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual
 * Halo: Battle Born
 * Halo: Outpost Discovery
 * Halo: The Television Series
 * Homecoming
 * Reckoning
 * Transcendence