Z-4190 bubble shield

The Bubble Shield is an anti-artillery and personal defense device developed by the UNSC's Office of Naval Intelligence branch.^[1].

Overview

The Bubble Shield creates a golfball like protective area for approximately 20 seconds when activated.

The Bubble Shield projects a transparent, slightly yellow tinted defensive sphere. The shield itself is similar to a Geodesic dome, made of tessellating hexagons. The shield protects against bullets, lasers, plasma, flames, and other projectiles used primarily by the Marine forces of the UNSC and The Covenant. A bubble shield is used in the original teaser trailer for Halo 3. It is shown used by the Master Chief to stop an incoming Plasma Mortar. Vehicles and players however, are still able to pass through it. After a significant amount of time has passed or if the shield generator has taken enough damage, it will collapse. Covenant Loyalists, mainly the Brutes have been known to secure human weapons and equipment for their own ends, the Bubble Shield being one of of the most common.

Development

The Bubble Shield was created by the ONI. However it is not known if it was created with human technology or if it was reverse engineered similar to how the MJOLNIR Mark V energy shields were created. The Bubble Shield technology is nearly identical to the Covenant Shield Doors in function.

Deployment

Despite being UNSC technology, UNSC Marines rarely deploy it during the campaign, while Brutes deploy it often. At least one or two Brutes in a Covenant battle squad always have a bubble shield on hand. Brutes generally activate their bubble shields immediately following aerial insertion and when in large numbers.

Multiplayer Strategies

The bubble shield is a very useful piece of equipment in the multiplayer game. These are a few strategies that you should know if you want to use the bubble shield to its full potential. If you have just been in a close range fight with another player and your shields are down, it is often a good idea to use a bubble shield to give your shields time to recharge before you go frag your next victim. Also if you have a shotgun or sword as your secondary weapon and a player with a regular weapon (Assault Rifle or Battle Rifle) is running to you, drop the shield so that they will come through the shield to finish you. Right before the player get to the shield, pull out your sword/shotgun and blast them when they step through. If you do not have a close range weapon, use this same strategy except with a Frag or Spike Grenade.Time the grenade so that it will explode right as they step through while you step out the other side of the shield to avoid damage. Another good strategy is to throw a spike grenade into the bubble; they ricochet all around, with multiple spikes hitting the doomed enemy inside. A good way to kill someone in a bubble shield is with the Sniper Rifle. Make sure you are in a safe position so you don't get assassinated, aim at the player's head which will be easy because people usually don't move when they are in a shield. Keep on the player's head and as soon as the shield disappears shoot them, while it may seem very simple most players do not see this coming and never expect it.

Campaign Strategies

When fighting large numbers of Brutes, the bubble shield is useful as it protects you from all sides. However, certain Berserking Brutes can go inside the sphere and beat you down. It is particularly useful against Drones, partly because they usually surround you, and partly because they will almost never attempt to go inside the sphere. Do be aware, however, that after a fixed amount of time, the Shield will deactivate, leaving you vulnerable to attack. Another situation where the bubble shield comes in handy is when you are incapable of escaping an exploding scarab (boxed in or cornered by ghosts) you can throw it down. It will stop the explosion from harming you completely, unless the explosion starts on the inside of the bubble shield.

Trivia

In an early Halo 3 build the bubble shield was able to roll like the Power Drain.
This shield resembles the description of the Onyx Sentinel shields in the Eric Nylund novel Ghosts of Onyx.
With no Damage modifiers, a melee with most weapons will destroy the shield generator.
It is confused to be a Brute weapon, since Brutes always activate these devices, however it was developed by UNSC.
A disadvantage of the bubble shield is that it also contains explosions inside the shield. This means opponents can walk right through the shield and throw a grenade and walk right out of it while the grenade explodes damaging anyone inside the shield. This is especially effective if a Spike Grenade is used as the ricocheting fragments create a "Bubble of Death".
The original bubble shield was smaller and was in the shape of a V. As seen in the Starry Night video. Also it would stab into the ground, rather then just lay on top of the ground.
In the final version of Halo 3, the Bubble Shield gives off a yellow glow.
The Bubble Shield will not protect you against the turrets guarding the outer perimeter of the multiplayer map Snowbound. This is strange considering that it can withstand several direct hits from virtually any weapon in the game, including a Scarab's main gun. Actually, this is because, in the Halo 3 Beta players used this technique to protect themselves from the turrets. Thus, Bungie corrected this so that the Bubble Shields can't withstand the turrets.
A very fun thing to do using the Bubble Shield is to use it against Covenant, it gets good quotes.
You can actually move a Bubble Shield by throwing a Power Drain at the generator.
The Bubble Shield logo, along with the Trip Mine logo, is a Halo 3 emblem.
In the Starry Night Video the Bubble Shield looked, and was deployed, more like a grenade.

Cons of the Bubble Shield

Enemies can walk in and kill you.
You can't fire back while in the center.
The bubble shield only lasts 20 seconds.
If an enemy throws a grenade inside the Bubble Shield, it stays inside and will kill almost everyone in the shield at the present time.
Flood forms will usually just run inside the bubble shield and attack you unlike other enemies who usually wait for it to disappear.
you can't shoot through the bubble shield at enemys.

Images

The Bubble Shield.
Bubble Shield Logo.jpg

The Bubble Shield logo.
The Bubble Shield activating in the Starry Night trailer.
Bubble Shield Demonstration.jpg

The Bubble shield can block a Particle Beam Rifle shot.
The Bubble shield is capable of blocking practically all forms of attack throughout it's duration, including Spartan Lasers.
A Brute activates a Bubble Shield.