Energy sword (fiction)

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

Technical Specifications
The Plasma 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. The blade goes straight through armor, so be careful when you encounter an Elite that is carrying one.

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 Plasma Sword can use before running out. However, like all other "power" weapons, there is always only one Plasma 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. If you get a kill with a blunt plasma sword, it will still count as a sword kill.

Cultural Significance
The Plasma Sword holds a high significance in Sangheili culture. Only high ranking Elites (Ultras and up) are permitted to wield an Plasma 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 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 swordfighting. Nonetheless, despite the cultural taboo against it, any Elite can wield an plasma sword with competent skill, even becoming quite dangerous.

Variations
In Halo: Combat Evolved the Plasma 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 plasma sword in Halo: Combat Evolved, because once a Zealot is defeated the plasma sword will activate a fail-safe and disintegrate.

In Halo 2 the plasma 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.

Advantages
The Plasma 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.

Disadvantages
The Plasma 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 Plasma 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 plasma sword's combat effectiveness is minimal when its energy runs out. (enemies, especially Flood Combat Forms, are less susceptible to a depleted plasma sword and require numerous attacks before dying.) In Halo 2 Plasma 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 plasma 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 Plasma 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 plasma 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 plasma 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 grounds. If an opponent sees you approaching with an Plasma 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 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 Plasma 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 plasma 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 does not 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.

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 2, the Plasma Sword can be found as early as on the Cairo Station level when you encounter multiple Ultra Elites and a Zealot is also present. If you come close to them the Ultras will pull out their swords. However you only encounter these Elites if you are playing on Legendary difficulty.
 * As The Arbiter, when you have a drained Plasma 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 Plasma Sword.
 * While the sword was unaffected by the active camouflage in 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 Plasma 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, Plasma 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 plasma 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, Plasma Swords placed underwater are invisible unless viewed from underwater as well.
 * Sword lunging a Jackal will not kill it the first time.
 * In Halo 3 it is possible to find an Plasma 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 Plasma 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 duel 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 Plasma 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 Plasma 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 plasma sword activating can be heard when the fireflies turn on the camera.
 * In Halo 3 the plasma sword can destroy any vehicle (bar the Elephant) in a variable number of hits.
 * A common occurence in multiplayer is for many players to attempt to rush for this weapon. This has sparked jokes and many humourous implications.