Type-33 needler: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:21, November 17, 2006

Stats

 Rate of fire: Average to high (3-10 per second, increases 
 with continued fire)
 Damage per hit: Low to very high (Explosion will occur per 7 
 needles in target)
 Range: Short to medium (most effective at short range)
 Accuracy: High (Needles are homing)
 Magazine size: 20 needles (30 in Halo 2)
 Maximum ammo: 90 needles (including fully loaded magazine)

File:Needler(2).jpg

A Needler from Halo 2.

File:Needler 2.jpg

An empty Needler from Halo 2

Advantages

This weapon fires enemy-tracking needles that embed themselves in the flesh of a target before exploding to cause damage. Rate of fire increases with continuous fire. If 7 or more needles accumulate in the target the needles' combined strenght will create a large explosion, killing the target and causing splash damage to other nearby enemies. Needles can penetrate the energy shields of Elites, Sentinels, and Spartans. They are especially usefull against Brutes (who have no shields) in Halo 2's Campaign mode.

When dual wielded, the effectiveness 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 consistant stream of fire (since each needle is in it's own slot in the sequence, the failure of one needle to connect no longer means that two will fail) and also adds to the weapon's psychological impact in multiplayer.

Insightful players will find the needler can be the key to victory in certain situations. For instance, on the level "Keyes" in Halo 1, players will encounter three or four Flood combat forms situated on ledges above the player. Rushing through means dying in a gauntlet of fire from an elevated position. Grabbing a needler and firing at each Flood from behind a conveniently located stationary shield will allow the player to safely destroy each enemy. Furthermore, each Flood is positioned in shadow making it extremely difficult to effectively engage them with other direct-fire weapons; the needler solves this problem by homing in on these otherwise nearly invisible enemies. They can also be effective against Elites by either killing them outright or forcing them to dodge or retreat, giving players a chance to reposition themselves for an advantage.

Disadvantages

The needles are slow, and are not effective against vehicles. The needles also take time to hit/explode on the target, leaving the target time to move in and cause some of the explosion to damage the shooter. It is nearly impossible to hit invisible Elites with the Needler, as they do not home to camouflaged targets. While shooting Flood with it may be effective, they can often come close enough to damage the player with the splash damage from the explosion, due to Flood forms' speed.

File:Needler.jpg

Double fisting with the Needler

Influence

The needler was inspired by the Flechette gun from the Marathon series.

Multiplayer Role

The needler is one of the worst weapons in multiplayer. The homing qualities of the needle have almost no effect on targets at medium range and the only way a player could get kills with it was if an opponent was running in a straight direction towards or away from the needler-wielder, or if the target was standing still. While it does prove useful in close up fights. It is useless against competent players, and is not often found commonly in most multiplayer maps.

Appearences

The Needler first appeared in the original Halo: Combat Evolved. It made a return in Halo 2, and was made slightly more powerful with the advent of dual wielding. However, after Halo 2's 1.1 multiplayer patch, the weapon was toned down. The weapon is set to return in Halo 3. This time it will not be dual wieldable, but Bungie has stated that the weapon will be significantly rebalanced to allow it to stand on it's own.

Effective Against

Elites, Grunts, Brutes, Sentinels, small groups of tightly packed Flood.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ==Advantages==
-This weapon fires tracking needles that embed themselves in the flesh of a target. Rate of fire increases with continuous fire, up to 20 rounds in 2 seconds (one complete clip). If 7 or more needles accumulate in the target, an explosion will occur, killing the target and causing splash damage.  Needles can penetrate the [[energy shield]]s of [[Elites]]/[[Sentinels]]/[[Spartans]] (and the [[Master Chief]]), but they bounce off the hand-held shields of [[Jackals]] and [[Hunters]].
+This weapon fires enemy-tracking needles that embed themselves in the flesh of a target before exploding to cause damage. Rate of fire increases with continuous fire. If 7 or more needles accumulate in the target the needles' combined strenght will create a large explosion, killing the target and causing splash damage to other nearby enemies.  Needles can penetrate the [[energy shield]]s of [[Elites]], [[Sentinels]], and [[Spartans]]. They are especially usefull against [[Brutes]] (who have no shields) in Halo 2's Campaign mode.
-Insightful players will find the needler can often be the key to victory in certain situations.  For instance, on the level "Keyes" in Halo:PC, players will encounter three or four Flood combat forms situated on ledges above the player.  Rushing through means dying in a gauntlet of fire from an elevated position.  Grabbing a needler and firing at each Flood from behind a conveniently located stationary shield will allow the player to safely destroy each enemy.  Furthermore, each Flood is positioned in shadow making it extremely difficult to effectively engage them with other direct-fire weapons; the needler solves this problem by homing in on these otherwise nearly invisible enemies.  They can also be effective against Elites by either killing them outright or forcing them to dodge or retreat, giving players a chance to reposition themselves for an advantage.
+When dual wielded, the effectiveness 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 consistant stream of fire (since each needle is in it's own slot in the sequence, the failure of one needle to connect no longer means that two will fail) and also adds to the weapon's psychological impact in multiplayer.
-In Halo 2, paired needlers mean certain death for Brutes, Jackal snipers, and the jetpack-borne Ranger Elites; deadly volleys of needles home in on and destroy targets, allowing players to retreat back to cover, sometimes before enemies even know they're under attack.  This tactic can also work when faced with overwhelming firepower from enemy squads tactically positioned at an advantage.  For instance, during the level "Regret", players will exit the temples before boarding the final gondola.  The door is heavily covered by Elites and Drones.  Well-timed needler bursts and retreats back to cover will clear away the Drones and possibly at least one Elite.  Further up the trail, sharp-eyed players can find a spot from which to "snipe" the squad of Elites, Jackals, and Grunts among the ruins below.  If you still have any squadmates left alive, you can provide effective cover fire for them, especially if you've armed them with powerful weapons (another overlooked and undervalued tactic).
+Insightful players will find the needler can be the key to victory in certain situations. For instance, on the level "Keyes" in Halo 1, players will encounter three or four Flood combat forms situated on ledges above the player.  Rushing through means dying in a gauntlet of fire from an elevated position.  Grabbing a needler and firing at each Flood from behind a conveniently located stationary shield will allow the player to safely destroy each enemy.  Furthermore, each Flood is positioned in shadow making it extremely difficult to effectively engage them with other direct-fire weapons; the needler solves this problem by homing in on these otherwise nearly invisible enemies.  They can also be effective against Elites by either killing them outright or forcing them to dodge or retreat, giving players a chance to reposition themselves for an advantage.
-This also works in Halo:PC, especially on the level "Halo".  During "Flawless Cowboy" as you're rescuing your crewmates, you may find yourself severely outnumbered and under heavy Covenant fire.  Taking cover and occasionally popping out with a needler burst is a great way to prolong your survival and chip away at the enemy's numeric advantage.
 ==Disadvantages==