BR85HB battle rifle

Template:Weapon Infobox The BR85 Heavy Barrel Service Rifle, abbreviated as BR85HB SR, is a select-fire battle rifle used by the UNSC Defense Force. Like its predecessors, the BR55 and BR55HB service rifles, the BR85 is manufactured by Misriah Armory. It had entered service by 2557.^[1]^[2]

Specifications

The BR85HB Service Rifle is a gas-operated, magazine-fed battle rifle. A select-fire weapon, the BR85HB is optimized for firing three-round bursts, though it is capable of semi-automatic and fully automatic fire.^[3]^{[note 1]} The BR85HB is effective against the energy shielding of many types of armor. Like its predecessors, the BR85HB features a two-power scope and receives a 36-round box magazine. In the hands of a skilled marksman, the weapon's precision and accuracy make it a versatile weapon at a variety of ranges.^[1]^[2] The BR85 features a telescopic sight with 2x magnification.

Gameplay

The weapon features hitscan and lacks reticule bloom. When fired, the barrel rises vertically, but in a suppressible way. The rifle's three-round burst is particularly effective for mid-range combat, as well as close- and long-range to a lesser extent, as the MA5D Assault Rifle and M395 DMR outperform it at these ranges respectively. The player can carry a maximum of 216 rounds of reserve ammunition for the BR85, from a normal load of 108 rounds. If all the bullets in a 3-round burst (one shot) hit a player in matchmaking, it will take five shots to down a player provided the last shot hits the player as a headshot. Only one round from a burst to the head is required to kill an unshielded enemy.

Advantages

While not as good as the DMR or scoped-in Lightrifle, it still has an acceptable kill time, and is easier to use at close ranges than the former due to the muzzle not rising and better situational awareness, respectively. As well, if an enemy's shields are low enough the BR can kill a shielded enemy with a headshot, via the first or second bullets breaching the shields and the second or third getting the headshot, and headshots in general are easier to get as there are three chances to get one per shot. As such it is recomended to be used in Swat unless the map is particularly large.

Disadvantages

As previously stated, the BR is neither as strong or as accurate as the other primary weapons. If you can control the recoil, it is highly recomened that one use the DMR, or if one really wants to get fast kills, a scoped-in Lightrifle. The reload time is also rather slow (especially without Dexterity), and if the magazine is empty when reloaded it takes even longer. Due to it's 3-round burst, despite having a magazine size of 36, the BR in fact only has enough ammo for 12 shots.

Trivia

The earliest known in-game model of the BR85 was erroneously labeled "BR55HB SR".^[4] This has been fixed in the current build of the game.^[5]
Players who pre-ordered Halo 4 from certain locations received a special Arctic weapon skin for the BR85.^[6]
The BR85 seems to be weaker than previous iterations. For example the BR55 is able to take down an Elite Minor in four bursts, while the BR85 takes six.

Gallery

Concept art of the BR85HB SR.
H4-Concept-BR85HBSR-Final.jpg

Concept art of the BR85HB SR, final build.
HUD icon of the BR85HB SR.
A schematic of the BR85HB SR.
H4-BR85HBSR-LeftSide.png

A left side view of the BR85HB SR.
H4-BR85HBSR-RightSide.png

A right side view of the BR85HB SR.
A BR85HB with the "Dunes" skin.
A camouflaged BR85HB SR for operations in snowy environments.
Allbattlerfiles.png

The BR85 compared to its predecessors, the BR55HB and the BR55.
John-117 holding a BR85.
A SPARTAN-IV firing the BR85.
A first-person view of the BR85 from John-117's HUD.
The rifle seen from a SPARTAN-IV's HUD during Halo 4's development stage.
First-person view of the BR85HB SR in Halo 4's multiplayer, final build.
The view through the BR85's scope in Halo 4's campaign.
A view through the BR85HB SR's scope.
H4-MP-BR85HBSR-ScopeZoom-02.jpg

Another view through the BR85HB SR's scope.
Halo4BattleRifleProfile.png

An older render of the BR85HB SR with the incorrect model number.
Another older render of the BR85HB SR with the placeholder label.
H4-BR85HBSR-RearAngle.png

An angled view of the BR85HB SR from the Making Halo 4: First Look sneak preview.
A render of the BR85HB SR's scope.

Videos

List of appearances

Halo 4 (First appearance)

Note

^ All official sources, (e.g. in-game menus, the official website, and the UNSC Infinity briefing packet), claim that the BR85HB is a semi-automatic weapon optimized for three-round burst firing. This statement is self-contradictory and seems to be a convoluted way of describing the weapon as select-fire.

Sources

^ ^a ^b Halo Waypoint: The Halo Bulletin: 3.15.12
^ ^a ^b Halo 4 Official Site - Ordnance + Armor
^ Spartan Ops, [[S1/Artifact|Artifact introductory cutscene
^ Image of the BR55 label on the BR85 as seen in a development screenshot
^ Halo 4 Official Site: Renders
^ Halo 4 at EBgames.ca

[4] All official sources, (e.g. in-game menus, the official website, and the UNSC Infinity briefing packet), claim that the BR85HB is a semi-automatic weapon optimized for three-round burst firing. This statement is self-contradictory and seems to be a convoluted way of describing the weapon as select-fire.

[Ides_of_March-1] Halo Waypoint: The Halo Bulletin: 3.15.12

[O.2BA-2] Halo 4 Official Site - Ordnance + Armor

[3] Spartan Ops, [[S1/Artifact|Artifact introductory cutscene

[5] Image of the BR55 label on the BR85 as seen in a development screenshot

[6] Halo 4 Official Site: Renders

[7] Halo 4 at EBgames.ca

[1]

[2]

[3]

[note 1]

[4]

[5]

[6]