Type-33 needler

The Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher, more commonly known as the Needler, is a Covenant infantry weapon that fires glowing, pink-blue homing projectiles capable of doing lethal damage when enough needles are in the target's body. Once seven "needles" (which is a reference to Bungie's love of the number seven) embed themselves into an enemy, they explode, killing the enemy in almost all encounters. The energy signature of this weapon is unknown.

Summary
The Needler is one of the less popular and outclassed weapons of the Halo trilogy. It is an extremely unusual Covenant weapon that fires pink, translucent, crystalline projectiles with a tinge of blue. It is most often wielded by Grunts, Elites, Drones, and sometimes even Jackals have been seen utilizing this weapon, but mostly Grunts are seen wielding it. Enforcers also have a larger version of the Needler mounted on themselves, along with one Sentinel which equips this weapon through a glitch. Brutes are also compatible to wield the firearm, but is only ever seen doing so in cutscenes, not in gameplay.

Razor sharp crystalline projectiles are fired from this elaborately designed Covenant weapon; it is widely believed that they use heat or organic signatures to home in on targets and may have some relation to the plasma grenade as they both react to living tissues. Although easily deflected by energy shields, the needles cause a chemical reaction in close proximity resulting in an explosive effect, which can have a devastating effect on the victim. The shards will enter the victim's body violently, and usually kill the victim. While a single needle will shatter and cause minor damage, after seven or more needles have entered a opponent, the energy of the needles will combine and cause a explosion, causing massive internal damage that always results in death, sending shrapnel and a pink mist flying through the air. In Halo: The Fall of Reach, it is stated that the micro shrapnel can embed itself in nearby organisms; thus, friendly fire is often a necessary consideration in close quarters combat.

It is possible that the brighter section of the projectiles is the "heart". When it embeds in something or goes on for too long a distance, the outer casing is penetrated, hitting the heart, setting off a catalyst, or is worn away too much and then it does the same catalyst effect. This may also fit the fact enough needles put in a target "combine" their catalyst effects, creating a violent explosion wrecking from the very inside.



Advantages
This weapon fires homing needles that embed, themselves into the flesh of a target, before exploding to cause massive damage. The rate of fire increases with continuous fire. If seven or more needles strike the target, the needles' combined strength will create a large, chain purple/pink explosion, killing the target and causing splash damage to other nearby enemies. This is another reference to the number Seven in the Bungie games. Needles can penetrate the energy shields of Elites, Sentinels, and Spartans, but bounce off Jackal Personal Arm Shields and a Hunter's large metal shield. In Halo CE, it can be used against Infection forms in a group; if you get enough needles in one then it will explode thereby starting a chain reaction that spreads to the other nearby infection forms. They are especially useful against the Brutes in Halo 2's Campaign and also in Halo 3's Campaign. If many needles hit a Brute, the chain reaction will deal a significant amount of damage to them. The Needler is also useful against Flood Tank Forms as well as Flood Combat Forms in a group.

In Halo: Combat Evolved, the Needler can be useful for taking out several enemies clumped together; the first seven shots will kill the enemy and the rest of a magazine will set off secondary explosions. In Campaign, the explosions will set off nearby grenades, making the Needler very deadly against groups of enemies or powerful foes such as the Elites (though Special Operations Elites and Zealots can survive the better part of a magazine on Legendary and Heroic, and Hunters almost always live on the same difficulties). It is also a good weapon in tight corridors, where it is impossible for enemies to dodge the needles by moving left or right, or any wide places with little to no cover. Also, you may use this weapon to kill the driver while not damaging the vehicle, provided you can get close enough for the Needler to even be effective. Besides this, vehicles are the bane of Needlers, because the needles typically bounce off the metal. On multiplayer, the Needler proves to be less devastating than on campaign, due to the fact that nearly everyone can dodge the shots outdoors, and more advanced players can dodge the missiles on inside maps. The Needler also has an extreme lock-on range in Halo: Combat Evolved, comparable to the effective range of the M6D Pistol, i.e. approximately 120m. This is most obvious in the level The Silent Cartographer after deactivating the security system. When the player emerges from the security system's tunnel atop a high cliff, a group of grunts patrols on a large rock above a crashed pelican. When standing at the edge of the cliff and firing the Needler, the needles will lock on to the grunts although they are almost out of range of the M6D Pistol.

In Halo 2, the only game in the trilogy where you can dual-wield the weapon (which suggests that a lighter model is used in that game), the effectiveness and rate of fire of the Needlers can be increased by firing them "out of phase". This is accomplished when the user begins firing one of his Needlers a fraction of a second before the other, and continues to fire them in full-auto so that the shots from each weapon are fired in a "one-two punch" pattern. You can tell when the pattern is just right because the guns will sound as if they are firing much more rapidly. This allows for a more constant and consistent stream of fire. Since each needle is in its own slot in the firing sequence, the failure of one needle to impact the target no longer means that two will fail.

In Halo 3, the Needler is much more powerful than ever before. The main reason for this is that the needles now do a significant amount of damage immediately when they impact the target, rather than only when they explode. With a faster rate of fire, greater accuracy, quicker projectiles, better homing capabilities and higher damage, the Needler has been improved in virtually every area. As the Needler now behaves more like a rifle than a pistol, it can no longer be dual-wielded. However, it's no longer necessary to do so. Frankie has been quoted as saying that the Needler is now nearly a power weapon on its own.

When playing the Halo 3 Campaign, it's one of the better weapons to kill Brutes and many other opponents such as the Flood. It only takes those seven needles, even on higher difficulties, and the homing makes it practically unaffected by the difficulty setting. Most skulls do not alter the Needler's effectiveness. The only skull that makes it less effective is Tough Luck, which makes enemies dodge incoming needles much more effectively.

Disadvantages
While the Needler is incredibly effective againt most infantry, it is much less effective against vehicles. The fired needles are slow and ineffective to the point of just bouncing off them. Unshielded enemies are killed much faster with a precision weapon such as the M6D Magnum, as the needles take time to hit/explode on the target, leaving the target time to move in and inflict some of the explosive splash damage on the shooter. This is best illustrated when dealing with the Flood or a Zealot wielding an Energy Sword. It is nearly impossible to hit Camoflaged enemies with the Needler because it does not home in on invisible targets, although in Halo 3 the Needler is able to home in on camouflaged Brutes. The learning curve of the "lead" needed to hit strafing targets is also high, and when faced with experienced opponents in multi-player (who often randomize their strafing patterns) the weapon is almost always overshadowed by better, more reliable options. An enemy who goes in a circular path will always dodge the Needler rounds; you can empty magazines into the air and not hit him or her. Against larger and more heavily armored opponents, such as Hunters and Brute Cheiftains, the Needler is next to useless, as the needles will harmlessly ricochet off of the armor both units possess. The Needler also proves ineffective against Jackals because the needles will harmlessly repel off the shields the Jackals carry, and the aforementioned precision weapons are much more effective. The needles themselves do not inflict much damage, and only the general explosion inside the enemy will kill them. Because of this, in Halo 2, the Needler should be dual wielded only with another Needler or a plasma weapon for draining Jackal shields. Additionally, the Needler is among the worst of weapons to finish off a player who's shields are drained. This is due to the fact that each needle only inflicts a small amount of damage and that it will still most likely take the seven needles to kill the player despite the fact that only one or a few shots from any other weapon could kill him or her.

The Needler's ammunition is limited. Even at maximum magazines, the Needler will run out in a short time, after killing only four or five shielded enemies. Other weapons, like the MA5C Assault Rifle are more effective, carrying up to five times more ammo, and requiring only half-3/4 of a magazine to kill an enemy.

Description and Appearance
While the Needler appeared in the original Halo: Combat Evolved, the individual crystalline needles were used as a hand to hand weapon in the novel, Halo: Contact Harvest. It made a return in Halo 2, and was made a bit less powerful with the advent of dual wielding. However, after Halo 2's 1.1 multi-player patch, the weapon was toned down even more. The weapon returns in Halo 3. This time it is not dual-wieldable, but the weapon has been significantly rebalanced to allow it to stand on its own; it is one of the most effective medium-ranged weapons in the game, especially when used against Brutes or Flood. However, some people prefer not to use it. It is noticed that in Halo 3, in front of the barrel of the Needler there is an electricity-like pink plasma channel, similar to the channel on the plasma rifle and pistol. This is probably where the needles become energized.

Changes from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 2

 * Needler is smaller compared to the player.
 * In Halo: Combat Evolved, the gun, as well as the needles before and after firing, had a slight blue tinge to them, this has all been eliminated.
 * It is wielded far less often by enemy Elites and Grunts.
 * The magazine size is increased to thirty needles. Maximum ammunition increases from 100 needles to 120. Maximum amount of magazines decreases by one.
 * Explosion has significantly less splash damage to harm those nearby.
 * Only one explosion is needed to kill any Covenant enemy; in Halo: CE, up to three were needed to kill high ranking Elites on difficulties as low as Normal.
 * Needles fly faster.
 * Only one explosion will go off within an enemy, in Halo: Combat Evolved multiple explosions could go off in one body, even after death.
 * The melee attacks are faster than in Halo: Combat Evolved.
 * Slower rate of fire in Halo 2.
 * Melee animation is different, and seems to do less damage.
 * Dual-wieldable.

Changes from Halo 2 to Halo 3

 * Reticule must be red in order for the needles to seek.
 * Magazine size has been decreased to 19 rounds.
 * Rate of fire has been dramatically increased.
 * Reload time decreased.
 * Needles appear to travel faster.
 * Weapon can no longer be dual wielded because it was deemed, "Over powered".
 * Will never be wielded by Elites unless you give them one.
 * Power increased.
 * Unexploded needles remain impaled to the victim after impact.
 * The needles do explode, however, after a given period of time, but the explosions are small and do little to no damage.
 * Needler ammunition is not seen outside the weapon.
 * Reticule made smaller.

UNSC Remarks

 * "I don’t know how it works, but it seems the needles can only follow you if they can "see" you."
 * "Anything stuck with enough needles will blow sky high—and if a Foxtrot is unlucky enough to be carrying grenades, those are gonna cook off too."
 * “I caught three in the leg as I was diving behind a broken wall—they lodged right in there where the greave meets the boot. When they went off it damn near broke my ankle and flung like little splinters of glass or crystal or whatever all up my left side—the corpsman was pulling the shards outta me for the better part of two hours.”
 * “Luckily—listen to me “luckily”—the needles only detonate when they’re embedded in living tissue. Now that’s lucky because it’s not gonna blow a hole in the wall you’re hiding behind or tear the tires off of the vehicle you’re trying to escape in.”
 * “It’s about as close to a fire-and-forget small arm that we're likely to ever see—and it ain’t ours. This is why we’re losing.”
 * “First order of business when dealing with a hostile armed with a Needler is finding cover; second order of business is killing the Mike Foxtrot with the Needler.”

Character Compatibility

 * Master Chief
 * Sgt. Johnson
 * Captain Keyes
 * Elites
 * Spartans
 * Drones
 * Jackals
 * Grunts
 * Marines
 * Flood Combat Form (Human)
 * Flood Combat Form (Elite)
 * Needler Sentinel Easter Egg (Bungie Error)
 * Thel 'Vadam

Trivia

 * The only levels in which Needler ammo appears outside the weapon are 343 Guilty Spark from Halo: Combat Evolved and the Halo 2 Vista map Uplift.
 * Instead of each needle on top of the gun pushing into the gun separately as you fire like you may think, like a visible magazine, they all push in slightly for each shot fired.
 * It is highly speculated that the Needler was inspired by Half-Life's Hive Hand (The one that spits out bee-like insects) due to its similar ability to lock on to enemies in a homing manner.
 * In the Halo: Combat Evolved instruction book, there are Needler blueprints under the Plasma Rifle blueprints.
 * It takes seven or more needles to set off the full explosion and kill targets such as Spartans or Elites. This is another early incarnation of Bungie's fascination with the number 7.
 * In Halo: Combat Evolved on Easy difficulty, it is possible to kill a Hunter using a Needler, but it takes exactly three magazines of ammunition to do so.
 * On the level, Sacred Icon, near the first Enforcer fight, behind the Gondola, there are three overloaded Needlers with 135 ammo each.
 * Captain Jacob Keyes and Sgt. Johnson are the only main UNSC characters that use a Needler in-game.
 * In Halo 3, if you look at your shadow while holding a Needler (regardless of how many needles are protruding from the top) there will not be any needles visible in the top of the Needler in your shadow. This is to compensate with simple reloading and the third person perspective of the person with the Needler.
 * Only in Halo: Combat Evolved are the Needler's ammunition rounds visible. The cartridge is an oval shaped magazine. Ammunition comes directly from other Needlers on the ground in Halo 2 and 3.
 * The Halo 3 Needler is incorrectly labeled as having 30 needles per magazine, instead of the actual 19.
 * Needlers cause two types of damage. Penetration, getting hurt on impact of the crystalline needles, and Explosive, implosion and explosion of needles wedged in the body and splash damage to surrounding units.
 * The Needler is Fleet Master Voro Nar 'Mantakree's next-to trademark weapon, the other being the Energy Sword.
 * The Needler is one of the few Covenant weapons that use re-loadable ammunition. The others are the Fuel Rod Gun, the Carbine, the Spiker, the Mauler and the Brute Shot. This is of course simple speculation, as the UNSC has not found a way to reload the battery of any plasma weapon.
 * There is a glitch in Halo 2 where you can get a Jackal to fire a Needler, but no needles will come out. To read more, go to this page.
 * Some players amid Halo 3's Multiplayer discern the Needler as a cheap way of getting a simple kill as it does not require much talent to aim a homing weapon.
 * There is a lone Sentinel that fires Needler rounds and drops a Needler when it is destroyed. It is found on the level Quarantine Zone in Halo 2.
 * In Halo: Ghosts of Onyx the Needler is referred to as a pistol. This may be because in the large hands of a Sangheili warrior, it appears on a smaller scale, than if it were in Human hands.
 * The Needler is used to acquire the Fear the Pink Mist achievement in Halo 3.
 * Normally if you shoot at a Jackal's shield with a Needler it will bounce off. But if you shoot the center of the shield, it will penetrate and injure or kill the Jackal (Halo 2).
 * Halo 3 is the only game where the needle's smaller explosions after it impacts won't hurt you
 * In Halo 3, Elites will hold the Needler with one hand, although it is not able to be dual-wielded.
 * In the second battle of Harvest, Ustaf 'Nbekee used a Needler to kill a Spartan-II from Red Team.
 * In Halo: Combat Evolved the Needler shoots pink needles yet the ammo protruding from the top is blue.
 * The only level in the series that you start out with a Needler is "Gravemind" in Halo 2.
 * A good tactic if you are chasing an enemy and they turn on a corner, aim to a wall opposite of them and fire. It may hit them if you shot at a good angle. This works great by the energy sword room in The Pit.
 * The Needler upgrade in Halo Wars upgrades the Grunt Plasma Pistol to Needler for more damage.
 * Shooting a dead body with needles will cause it to explode.
 * In Halo: CE the Needler appears much larger and heavier than in other Halo games, but most weapons appeared so in Halo:CE since dual wielding hadn't been implemented.
 * It is the only Covenant gun in Halo:CE to use ammo instead of batteries.
 * Many feel it is inaccurate that the Needler is an AA weapon in Halo Wars, as in the real game they just bounce off any vehicle. The heavy Needlers, however, would make for a great anti-air weapon, as its high homing capabilities and its ability to explode would make it a potent anti-air defense.  However, the grunt Needler upgrade doesn't make much sense in increasing its AA capabilities.
 * The heavy Needlers were customized to be able to explode in aircraft and vehicles, not just living tissue, as proven by their AA capabilities.
 * The Needler seems to be a favorite weapon of the HereticGrunts from Halo 2. This may be due to personal preference, but is probably more because of their lack of resources.

Related Pages

 * Heavy Needler
 * Covenant Weapons
 * Fear the Pink Mist
 * Energy Cutlass
 * Needler at Halowiki