Energy sword (fiction): Difference between revisions

The Energy Sword consists of a curved hilt housing an energy storage and generation device, along with the blade projector that when activated, shapes and contains a blade of superheated [[Plasma]], stabilized within two small magnetic-field generators built into the handle of the weapon to help form the oval shaped, ionized blades that the weapon is recognized for.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=ordnance&cid=25438 '''Halo Reach Ordnance Guide: T1 EW/S''']</ref> The Energy Sword runs on battery power; an active sword, however, does not deplete the battery's energy: only when the sword makes contact with an enemy lifeform or vehicle does the battery's energy deplete. Each strike from the sword will drain the battery by 10% of its maximum energy output, but if its user is careful, light strikes will not drain battery power. Once the battery power dies out the sword will deactivate and be rendered useless unless recharged. It is unknown how the battery is recharged. The Energy Sword also contains a fail-safe device that can be activated if the Sangheili wielding it drops it; the fail-safe option is always on, and a Sangheili must deactivate the fail-safe by applying pressure to the hilt before he can safely store the weapon. When the sword is dropped without disengaging the fail-safe, the weapon will deactivate the magnetic field without first dispersing the plasma, consuming the handle and thus destroying the weapon. The failsafe is included to prevent enemy infantry from acquiring the weapon and using it, and is yet another insight to Sangheili tactics.

The Energy Sword is the signature weapon of the Sangheili, and has been part of their culture since the Fourth [[Age of Discovery]], the Sangheili pride themselves on their skills with this weapon, and the Sangheili believe that it is honorable for a Sangheili to fight, and die by the sword. The Sangheili are also very strict on who can be trained in the art of swordsmanship, only [[Aristocrat]]s are permitted to wield swords and that sword-wielders are no longer eligible for marriage; however, they may breed with any female they choose, married or otherwise, to ensure successful transmission of "swordsman" genes. In service to the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]], only the most skilled warriors of the Sangheili like [[Zealot]]s, [[Spec Ops Elite|Spec-Ops]], and [[Stealth Elites]] are permitted to use an Energy Sword, and it is implied that they spend years building and improving their skills in order to become combatants in the lethal art of sword fighting. During the [[Great Schism]], all Elites, including [[Minor Elites|Minors]], could use Energy Swords. The distribution to lower ranks could be a side effect of the Great Schism and the subsequent discarding of religious protocols.

The Type-1 Energy Sword is an extremely powerful and effective melee weapon in close range combat. A single strike can blow out energy shield systems and cut into the armor and flesh of a [[SPARTAN-II]] or enemy Sangheili. Infantry with over-shielding are only slightly more resistant as it can take two strikes before the shield system fails. In the hands of a skillful Sangheili warrior or SPARTAN-II, the sword can be fatal unless the enemy has enough stopping power in their hands. The sheer destructive power of the sword makes it a weapon to be feared on any battlefield. The Energy Sword can cut through any material, burn through most enemy armor and slice infantry in half with ease. Even stab wounds to infantry can be fatal if not treated in time, as the blade passes through the body, the innards of the body are burned by the extreme temperatures produced by the blade and body fluids in the area of the stab wound are flash vaporized. The wound, upon contact, is cauterized by the heat. In the context of the ''[[Halo games]]'', the energy sword's strength and lethality are compensated for both the sake of ESRB rating and gameplay.

The Energy Sword is purely a close-quarters weapon, which makes it useless past close range. A skilled SPARTAN-II can take down infantry with the sword by using a weapon outside of their effective range. The [[MA5 Series|SMG]] and the [[MA5 Series|MA5 Series Assault Rifle]] are staple examples of weapons capable of taking down anyone holding a sword in combat. The Energy Sword, like most other [[Covenant Weapons]], has a battery, requiring the user to either recharge the weapon or discard it. Although the handle can be used as a club, the Energy Sword's combat effectiveness at that point is minimal when its energy becomes depleted.