User:JackVibe/Sandbox: Difference between revisions

{{Status|Canon}}

{{Convert|2.36|kg|lb}}<ref>'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]''', ''page 334''</ref>

[[File:H2A-Rtas&Arbiter.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Rtas 'Vadum]]ee wielding his {{Pattern|Pelosus|energy sword}}.]]

{{Quote|A noble and ancient weapon, wielded by the strongest of [[Sangheili]], requires great skill and bravery to use, and inspires fear in those who face its elegant plasma blade.|[[Supreme Commander]] [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee{{Ref/Game|H2|[[Halo 2 Limited Collector's Edition Manual]]}}}}

'''Energy swords''', sometimes known as '''plasma swords''',{{Ref/Book|[[Halo: Combat Evolved: Prima's Official Strategy Guide]]|Page=15}}{{Ref/Book|[[Halo 2: The Official Strategy Guide]]|Page=30}} are a class of one-handed melee weapons developed by the [[Covenant]] and inherited by [[Covenant remnants|its splinter factions]]. To their users, the [[Sangheili]], they are formally designated as '''fireblades'''.{{Ref/Book|Id=enc22p307|Enc22|Page=307}}{{Ref/Book|Id=enc22p484|Enc22|Page=482}} The [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] has typically [[Type classification system|type-classified]] encountered gravity hammer variants under the designation of the '''Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword''' ('''T-1 EW/S''').{{Ref/Site|Id=bnet|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=ordnance&cid=25438|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Halo: Reach Ordnance Page|D=7|M=2|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Site|Id=waypoint11|URL=http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/theuniverse/tech/gallery/energy-sword/87ebf6e2-3874-4e5c-8133-b72c20a46d7f|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Energy sword|D=21|M=9|Y=2011|LocalArchive=Archive:Halo_Waypoint/2009 to 2014/Universe/Weapons#Energy Sword}} Nicknames for the energy sword includes '''Katana''' and '''Kill Beam'''.{{Ref/Book|Id=enc11|Enc11|Page=348}}

==Overview==

[[File:HW2-Gravhammerimpact.png|thumb|350px|A Jiralhanae using his gravity hammer's impact to generate a pulse to repel the [[Flood]] during the [[Outbreak on Installation 00]].]]

{{Quote|One hit from that hammer and you ended up a puddle of bones and blood.|Private Aaron Landvik{{Ref/Game|HSA|[[Halo: Spartan Assault/Quotes|Pre-mission quotes]]}}}}

A gravity hammer typically consists of a two-meter long haft,{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint11}} a hammerhead, and a tungsten-alloy blade on the reverse side of the head.{{Ref/Reuse|bnet}}{{Ref/Book|Id=evg|EVG|Page=82}} A counterweight is attached to the bottom end of the haft.{{Ref/Book|Id=h4evg|H4EVG|Page=93}} A short-range shock-field-generating gravitational energy drive is integrated inside the head of the hammer,{{Ref/Reuse|enc11}}{{Ref/Site|Id=h4guide|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/halo4guide|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Halo 4 Interactive Guide - Covenant Weapons|D=27|M=03|Y=2014|LocalArchive=Halo 4 Interactive Guide#Covenant Weapons}} while the head's striking face is lined with repurposed Covenant gravitic impellers,{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p307}} which release a concussive force upon impact.{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p484}} Together, the devices allows the wielder to produce an area-of-effect kinetic pulse (of approximately 4.5 meters),{{Ref/Reuse|bnet}} which briefly displaces local gravity at the point of the hammer's impact with impressive knockback.{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p307}}{{Ref/Site|Id=stormsurge|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-storm-surge|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Halo 5: Guardians - Hammer Storm - Gravity hammer|D=22|M=9|Y=2021}} The gravitational energy drive's effects allows the user to displace objects of greater weight or power than what a normal blow might do.{{Ref/Reuse|enc11}} The gravity drive can also manipulate localized energy fields,{{Ref/Reuse|h4evg}} allowing the ability to pull a target towards the wielder or push the target away,{{Ref/Level|H2|The Oracle}}{{Ref/Level|H2|Quarantine Zone}}{{Ref/Level|H2|The Great Journey}} However, the Jiralhanae's brutal nature, along with the increased damage from the impellers,{{Ref/Reuse|h4guide}} means that they often prefer to use the weapon in melee combat.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint11}} Although [[human]]s first encountered the weapon in [[2526]],{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint15}} the exact mechanism by which the gravity hammer functions was still under investigation by [[United Nations Space Command]] in [[2552]].{{Ref/Reuse|bnet}}

===History===

The gravity hammer evolved from traditional Jiralhanae-bladed war hammers,{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p307}} dating back to the war-totems wielded by war chieftains on [[Doisac]].{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p484}}{{Ref/Site|Id=waypoint15|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/weapons/gravity-hammer|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Universe - Weapons - Gravity Hammer|D=16|M=04|Y=2021}} Within the Jiralhanae's barbaric culture, in addition to being a powerful weapon, the war hammers serve as the ultimate symbol of [[clan]] leadership,{{Ref/Reuse|evg}}{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint11}} taking on an almost religious significance among the Jiralhanae.{{Ref/Reuse|enc11}} The ceremonial hammer of a pack or a clan is only passed to another Jiralhanae if he can best his [[Jiralhanae Chieftain|chieftain]] in ceremonial combat; the mantle of leadership passes along with the weapon.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint11}}

[[File:H2A - Tartarus with Rukt.jpg|thumb|250px|Tartarus holding the Fist of Rukt, with its modifications by the Covenant.]]

Following the Jiralhanae's absorption into the Covenant hegemony in [[2492]],{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint11}} the war hammers were modified with [[Forerunner]] technology reverse-engineered by the Covenant.{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p307}}{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p484}}{{Ref/Reuse|stormsurge}} 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.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/weapons/fist-of-rukt|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Universe - Weapons - Fist of Rukt|D=18|M=09|Y=2021}} After Tartarus was  granted the Fist of Rukt, many minor chieftains commissioned similar weapons, with components of the ancestral hammers incorporated when possible.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint15}} 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.{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p307}} The gravity hammers inherited the war hammers' totemistic and ceremonial significance,{{Ref/Reuse|evg}} with wielders being expected to treat their gravity hammer with great care.{{Ref/Novel|CH|Page=258}} Furthermore, some hammer have been aesthetically-tailored to the use of specific clans, families, or packs,{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint11}} 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]].{{Ref/Site|Id=closequarters|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-close-quarters|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Close Quarters|D=17|M=10|Y=2021}}

In [[2552]], only a few months before the [[Great Schism]] and the [[Fall of High Charity|Fall]] of ''[[High Charity]]'', the Sacred Promissory began producing gravity hammers en masse.{{Ref/Reuse|evg}} 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.{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p484}}

{{Quote|no=three

|1=Avery Johnson

|q1=[[Paegaas Workshop Spiker|Heavy pistols]], and a hammer.

|q3=A giant hammer, sir. On [[Maccabeus|their leader]].

|4=[[Avery Johnson]] describing [[Maccabeus]] with the Fist of Rukt, to [[Ponder]]{{Ref/Novel|CH|Page=245}}}}

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.{{Ref/Reuse|waypoint11}} Within the Covenant, the gravity hammers were commonly seen wielded by Chieftains.{{Ref/Game|H3|Gameplay}}{{Ref/Game|H3ODST|Gameplay}}{{Ref/Game|HR|Gameplay}} Within the Banished, the gravity hammer was a much more common sight,{{Ref/Level|HW2|The Signal}}{{Ref/Level|HW2|What Could Go Wrong?}} notably being used by [[Jiralhanae Warlord]]s and [[Jiralhanae Jumper]]s.{{Ref/Game|HW2|Gameplay}} The variants with most widespread use among the Banished includes the Sepulo'ez, Halbashi, and Akelas variants.{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p484}}

*'''Akelas Workshop gravity hammer''': A variant used by the Covenant and the Banished, with a notable wielder being [[Chieftain]] [[Avitus]].{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p484}}

*'''[[Akelus Workshop gravity hammer]]''': A variant used by [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]]s in the Covenant during the [[Battle for Earth]] and the [[Battle of Installation 00]].{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p307}}

*'''Eektah-fel siphon hammer''': A variant used by some Banished Jiralhanae Warlords.{{Ref/Game|Id=PLH|HW2|[[Phoenix Logs#Banished Units|Phoenix Logs - Warlord]]}}{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/the-art-of-war-s|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - The Art of War(s)|D=23|M=1|Y=2021}}

**'''[[Voridus]]' gravity hammer''': A variant only wielded by [[Voridus]] who added [[Infusion gel]] to leave puddles or pools of Infusion on impact.{{Ref/Game|HW2|Voridus in-game unit}}

*'''Halbashi Workshop gravity hammer''': A variant of the gravity hammer used by the [[Banished]] during the [[Battle for Zeta Halo]].{{Ref/Game|Id=HINF|HI|Gameplay}}{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p307}}

**'''[[Rushdown Hammer]]''': A variant that has been painted white and gives the user increased speed. One notable wielder being [[En'Geddon]] during the [[Battle for Zeta Halo]].{{Ref/Reuse|HINF}}

*'''[[Paegaas Workshop gravity hammer]]''': A variant used by the Jiralhanae in the Covenant during the [[Fall of Reach]],{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p484}} then Banished [[Jiralhanae Warlord]]s and [[Jiralhanae Jumper]]s during the [[Second Ark Conflict]].{{Ref/Game|HW2|In-game model}} Models recovered from the field were used by [[SPARTAN-IV program|Spartan-IVs]] in [[War Games]] simulations.{{Ref/Reuse|h4guide}}{{Ref/Game|H4|Gameplay}}

*'''[[Sepulo'tez Workshop gravity hammer]]''': A variant used by Spartan-IVs in War Games simulations.{{Ref/Reuse|enc22p307}}

**'''[[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]].{{Ref/Site|Id=nofake|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-no-joke|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - No Joke|D=13|M=11|Y=2020}}

**'''[[Grinder]]''': An improved variant with uncalibrated impellors that generate an unstable gravimetric vortex EMP at the point of impact.{{Ref/Reuse|nofake}}

**'''[[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.{{Ref/Reuse|nofake}}

<gallery class=center>

File:H3-GravityHammer.png|[[Akelus Workshop gravity hammer]].

File:HW2 Siphon Hammer custom render.png|Eektah-fel siphon hammer.

File:HW2 Infused Hammer custom render.png|Voridus' unique gravity [[infusion gel]] hammer.

File:Enc22-HalbashiGravityHammer.png|Halbashi Workshop gravity hammer.

File:HINF En'Geddon.jpg|En'Geddon holding a Halbashi Rushdown Hammer.

File:H4-GravityHammer.png|[[Paegaas Workshop gravity hammer]].

File:H5 Gravity Hammer.png|[[Sepulo'tez Workshop gravity hammer]].

File:H5G-Corpsemaker render.png|[[Corpsemaker]].

File:H5G-Grinder render.png|[[Grinder]].

File:H5G-Tartarus Gavel render.png|[[Tartarus' Gavel]].

</gallery>

 

 

 

The '''Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword''' ('''T-1 EW/S'''), commonly known as the '''energy sword'''<ref name="BungieReach">[http://halo.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=ordnance&cid=25438 '''Bungie.net''' - ''Halo Reach Ordnance Guide: T1 EW/S'']</ref> or the '''plasma sword''',<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved: Prima's Official Strategy Guide]]''', ''page 15''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 2: The Official Strategy Guide]]''', ''page 30''</ref> is a traditional [[Sangheili]] close-quarters weapon.<ref name="Waypoint">[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/gallery/energy-sword/87ebf6e2-3874-4e5c-8133-b72c20a46d7f '''Halo Waypoint''' - ''Energy Sword''] [defunct] [https://web.archive.org/web/20110623004723/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/gallery/energy-sword/87ebf6e2-3874-4e5c-8133-b72c20a46d7f (backup)]</ref> The energy sword is intended to express its owner's personal skill, clerical honor, and combat viability.{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}

 

 

Within the [[Covenant military]], use of the energy sword is not restricted to aristocrats.{{Ref/Reuse|essential}} [[Sangheili Minor]]s are generally not permitted to wield the sword because of the high regard in which it is held,{{Ref/Reuse|enyc127}} though exceptions have been witnessed.<ref>'''Halo Wars''', ''introductory cinematic''</ref><ref name="Package">'''Halo Legends''', ''The Package''</ref> It is unknown whether this extends to [[Sangheili Major|Majors]], as at least one has been witnessed using an energy sword.{{Ref/Reuse|Package}} [[Sangheili Storm|Storm troops]], [[Sangheili Ultra|Ultras]], [[Sangheili Zealot|Zealots]], [[Sangheili General|Generals]], [[Special Operations Sangheili|special operations]], [[Stealth Sangheili|stealth troops]], and [[Sangheili Honor Guardsman|honor guardsmen]] commonly use energy swords.

 

 

 

 

 

*'''[[Vorpal Talon]]''' - A blade that produces an orange-to-cyan gradient. In War Games, this variant allows the user to have [[Spartan abilities|two thruster charges]] before recharging, as well as increased jump height, longer stabilizer duration of 4.95 seconds, increased lunge distance, and a built-in [[motion tracker]] that stays visible on the user's [[Heads-up display|HUD]] even while zoomed in, much like with [[Linda-058]]'s personal [[Nornfang]] [[SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle]]. This weapon can also be found as the second [[special weapons|hidden weapon]] in the final campaign mission [[Guardians]].{{Ref/Reuse|H5G}}

*'''Mdama keep variant''' - Energy swords manufactured by Mdama keep in 2558 burned less intensely, thus making it harder to cut armor, but causing more grievous injuries and not cauterizing wounds. These swords took advantage of the Sangheili code of honor to make every wound a death blow, as Sangheili who wanted to retain their honor would often commit suicide.<ref name="Alliance">'''Halo 5: Guardians''', campaign level ''[[Alliance]]''</ref>