Needle cannon

For the Enforcer's twin needle-type weapons, see shard cannon.

A Pnap-pattern Goblin wielding a needle cannon mounted on its right arm.

Needle cannons are a class of heavy mounted weapon typically used by the Covenant and its remnants. Needle cannons, as their name suggests, employ the use of Subanese crystal (or "Blamite") as their primary munitions.

Overview

Needle cannons operate on the fundamentally same basis as most other needle weaponry; a large Subanese crystal is broken into needle-like shards, which are catalysed by a magnetic auger to fire. These weapons exhibit "predatory" tracking properties against their targets and explode upon impact. Unlike their smaller forebears, needle cannons refer to heavy armaments mounted on vehicles, aircraft, and static turret emplacements. In this context, they are often used as anti-aircraft weapons, serving a similar role to the multiple-launch rocket systems favoured by the United Nations Space Command. Such usage includes as part of a modular upgrade package on the static Kewu Umppi'pa'-pattern citadel turret, and as part of the air-air armament of the Bkowe'nei-pattern Vampire.

The Pnap-pattern Goblin developed by the Unggoy employs a single needle cannon on its right arm in its most common configuration. These weapons are predominantly used for anti-infantry or anti-light vehicle roles. This loadout is copied aboard the specialised variant of the Goblin developed by the Eklon War-Forges for the Banished, though the needle cannon is relocated to the left arm.

Heavy needle cannons

Heavy needle cannons, or heavy needler cannons, are a distinct class of weaponry apparently separate to standard needle cannons, though to date few specifics are known on how these systems are distinct to standard needle cannons. The only such observed example is the single heavy needle cannon mounted as the primary armament of the Bkowe'nei-pattern Vampire air superiority fighter used by the Covenant military. The weapon fires dense shards of self-tracking Subanese crystal fragments, with the large crystals protruding out of the 360-degree rotational turret on the top of the craft.

Usage

Needle cannons

• Pnap-pattern Goblin - 1x needle cannon
  • Eklon'Dal Workshop Goblin - 1x needle cannon
• Kewu Umppi'pa'-pattern citadel turret - 1x needle cannons, as part of an optional modular anti-air upgrade package.

Heavy needle cannons

• Bkowe'nei-pattern Vampire - 1x heavy needle cannon

Production notes

Needle cannons are a fairly staple fixture of several cut Halo Wars units. These include the Gorgon, a bipedal anti-air walker with a heavy needler comprising its main body, and the Hydra - a cut aircraft with several large needles sticking out of the sides of its wings.

Gallery

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  Several cut Hydras (top-right) displaying what appear to be heavy needle cannon armaments.

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  A render of the cut Gorgon walker.

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  The T-29 Vampire with a heavy needle cannon in Halo Wars.

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  The anti-air variants of the Kewu Umppi'pa'-pattern turrets with mounted heavy needle cannons.

List of appearances

• Halo Wars (First appearance)
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Halo: Bad Blood