A vast military organization, the United Nations Space Command boasts more military muscle than any other faction. Most UNSC weapons are of the conventional variety—that is to say, weapons that fire some form of bullet or explosive. As a Spartan, you’ll be getting a lot of use out of UNSC weapons, so familiarize yourself with each one.
UNSC Ammo Crate
Keep your eyes peeled for UNSC ammo crates. Moving close to one of these little crates tops off your ammo, making them extremely valuable. Stick close to UNSC ammo crates and you’ll never run out of ammo for these weapons:
» Assault Rifle
» Battle Rifle
» DMR
» Magnum
» Shotgun
» SMG
Assault Rifle
Range: Close-medium
Headshots: No
Magazine: 36
Spare Ammo: 216
Firing Speed: Full-auto
Secondary Fire: None
The standard-issue Assault Rifle is a powerful fully automatic weapon. Designed for inflicting rapid damage to light armor and flesh at close or medium range, the Assault Rifle’s effectiveness drops off when wielded against heavily armored or shielded foes, or when leveled at more distant threats. Its low magazine capacity also compels a high reload frequency.
» Inflicts great damage on close-range threats.
» Accuracy can be preserved by firing in short, controlled bursts.
» Suffers from a low magazine capacity.
Battle Rifle
Range: Medium-long
Headshots: Yes
Magazine: 36
Spare Ammo: 108
Firing Speed: Triple-shot semi-auto
Secondary Fire: None
Designed for optimum effectiveness at most any range, the Battle Rifle is an excellent weapon to employ in both medium- and long-range firefights. Its three-shot burst fire mechanic pumps plenty of lead into threats with each pull of the trigger, but this also means that the Battle Rifle’s magazine can quickly run dry if you’re not careful.
» Fires three rounds per trigger pull.
» Capable of breaking enemy shields and defeating the enemy in the same firing burst.
» Powerful and accurate, and its triple-shot firing mechanism makes it ideal for scoring headshots.
Chaingun Turret
Range: Close-medium
Headshots: No
Magazine: 250 (detached)
Spare Ammo: None (detached)
Firing Speed: Full-auto
Secondary Fire: None
When human troops need to defend vital terrain, they often deploy Chaingun Turrets. The powerful Chainguns affixed to these turrets rapidly pump out high-caliber rounds, making them ideal for shredding through ground troops. Like other turrets, Chainguns never run out of ammo as long as they’re affixed to their mount. Detaching the Chaingun from its mount allows you to wield the weapon while on the move; however, the Chaingun’s ammo supply becomes limited once it has been detached.
» Fast-firing, high-caliber firearm designed to dish out damage.
» Low accuracy but high volume.
» Unlimited ammo while affixed to mount. Can be detached for portability.
DMR
Range: Medium-long
Headshots: Yes
Magazine: 15
Spare Ammo: 45
Firing Speed: Semi-auto
Secondary Fire: None
The DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) is a powerful semi-automatic rifle. It’s designed to excel in mid- to long-range firefights, and few weapons can match the DMR’s pinpoint accuracy and lethal firepower. The weapon’s scope allows for improved accuracy over longer distances, but it’s not quite as powerful as the Sniper Rifle’s scope. In fact, that’s a good way to think of the DMR: a less-powerful Sniper Rifle with a much larger magazine that can be fired more rapidly.
» Incredibly accurate and powerful rifle.
» Scope allows for precision headshots over long distances.
» Dominant at range but vulnerable to close-combat rushers.
Frag Grenade
Range: Medium-long
Headshots: No
Magazine: N/A
Spare Ammo: 2 (3 for Locke)
Firing Speed: Single thrown grenade
Secondary Fire: None
These powerful explosives can be thrown quite far and detonate shortly after striking the ground (or anything else), obliterating anything nearby. Frag Grenades will bounce off of walls and other objects, allowing them to be thrown creatively at foes hiding behind cover. Their fuse is short and their blast radius is large, making them ideal for wiping out groups of foes.
» Powerful thrown explosive.
» Bounces and skitters around before exploding.
» Can be creatively bounced around corners and behind cover to blast hiding enemies.
Gauss Turret
Range: Medium-long
Headshots: No
Magazine: 9 (detached)
Spare Ammo: None (detached)
Firing Speed: Single shot
Secondary Fire: None
Gauss Turrets are powerful weapons capable of annihilating hardened targets. Their colorful blasts can be delivered across great distances to decimate foes, and the Gauss can be fired quickly enough that a second shot is usually an option if the first one doesn’t get it done. Like other turrets, the Gauss features unlimited ammo for as long as it’s affixed to its mount. Detach the Gauss from its mount to carry it around as a third weapon—one so big and powerful it hampers your mobility.
» Unleashes mighty blasts that devastate threats at any range.
» Good accuracy, great damage.
» Unlimited ammo while affixed to mount. Can be detached for portability.
Hydra Launcher
Range: Medium-long
Headshots: No
Magazine: 6
Spare Ammo: 18
Firing Speed: Full-auto
Secondary Fire: None
The UNSC’s newest toy, the Hydra Launcher is a compact missile launcher capable of unleashing volleys of up to six explosive missiles at medium- or long-range threats. Sight enemies with Smart-Link to establish targeting locks with the Hydra, then pull the trigger to send one or more of its missiles zipping toward their prey (hold the trigger to fire missiles in a full-auto volley). The Hydra’s missiles don’t pack the same huge punch as the Rocket Launcher’s, but a full volley will decimate most targets. Unlike when loading the Rocket Launcher, each missile must be loaded into the Hydra individually, increasing its reload time.
» Launches up to six missiles at enemies, with explosive results.
» Tracking system causes missiles to home in on targets once locks are established.
» Unloading a full volley will annihilate most threats, but reloading each individual missile takes time.
Magnum
Range: Medium
Headshots: Yes
Magazine: 12
Spare Ammo: 48
Firing Speed: Semi-auto
Secondary Fire: None
A trusty UNSC sidearm. Magnums may be small, but they’re incredibly accurate and pack quite a punch. Magnums are great for scoring headshots against unprotected enemies, including Grunts, Jackals, and Crawlers. Zoom in with the Smart-Link button and aim for the kill!
» Fast-firing, easy to handle, low recoil.
» Capable of one-shot kills against Grunts, Jackals, and Crawlers.
» Good to pair with full-auto weapons, such as an Assault Rifle or SMG, until more effective ranged weaponry like Battle Rifles or DMRs can be acquired.
Railgun
Range: Long
Headshots: No
Magazine: 1
Spare Ammo: 13
Firing Speed: Single charged shot
Secondary Fire: None
Few weapons combine exceptional range, accuracy, and lethality quite as seamlessly as the UNSC’s Railgun. The weapon takes a few seconds to charge, and then a high-explosive, armor-piercing shell is delivered to the Railgun’s most unfortunate victim. Railguns are absolutely deadly and can bring down Hunters, Knights, and even armored vehicles in short order. Ensure you have a more adaptable weapon as a backup, however, because the Railgun’s long firing delay and single-shell ammo capacity make it one of the least-versatile weapons around.
» Requires several seconds to charge prior to firing.
» Each blast punishes the target for tremendous amounts of damage.
» Rails penetrate armor and shields, crippling even the most hardened of targets.
Rocket Launcher
Range: Short-medium
Headshots: No
Magazine: 2
Spare Ammo: 4
Firing Speed: Semi-auto
Secondary Fire: None
Rocket Launchers rank among the UNSC’s most powerful portable armaments. The rockets they fire travel somewhat slowly but land with tremendous impact. Two rockets can be launched before reloading, which is more than enough to annihilate most targets, especially when the weapon’s tracking system is employed. Lock onto a target, then simply “fire and forget.” Turn Rocket Launchers loose against vehicles and powerful ground adversaries, such as Knights and Hunters, for explosive results.
» Explosively powerful long-range weapon.
» Can destroy vehicles and bring down powerful enemies such as Knights and Hunters.
» Tracking system lets you lock on to flying vehicles and then “fire and forget.”
Rocket Turret
Range: Medium-long
Headshots: No
Magazine: 24 (detached)
Spare Ammo: None (detached)
Firing Speed: Three-rocket volleys
Secondary Fire: None
Rocket Turrets are formidable stationary weapons designed to annihilate advancing enemies. The weapon features no tracking system, but its volleys of explosive rockets are lethal to ground troops and can obliterate vehicles if multiple hits are scored. Like many turrets, the Rocket Turret features unlimited ammo until the weapon is detached from its mount. Once detached, the Rocket Turret’s lethal ammo becomes limited, but you gain the advantage of mobility while wielding this potent weapon.
» Unloads furious rocket volleys that can obliterate threats at any range.
» Low accuracy, great damage.
» Unlimited ammo while affixed to mount. Can be detached for portability.
SAW
Range: Close-medium
Headshots: No
Magazine: 72
Spare Ammo: 216
Firing Speed: Full-auto
Secondary Fire: None
Utilizing a drum magazine, SAWs (Squad Automatic Weapons) are designed to unleash a massive spread of high-caliber rounds in the blink of an eye. Think of them as a marriage of the SMG’s intense firing speed with the Assault Rifle’s range and power. SAWs unload their rounds so quickly that the weapon can shred through armor, energy shields, and flesh alike, all with blistering haste. The SAW’s recoil and muzzle flare are so intense that even Spartans have difficulty handling these mighty firearms.
» Incredibly powerful full-auto assault rifle.
» Recoil can be compensated for by firing in short, controlled bursts.
» Awesome yet rarely encountered. Grab them whenever they appear.
Shotgun
Range: Close
Headshots: No
Magazine: 5
Spare Ammo: 15
Firing Speed: Semi-auto
Secondary Fire: None
Shotguns are powerful firearms designed to devastate unshielded targets at close range. The weapon is incredibly powerful, but it forces the user to enter close quarters to wield it effectively. Rather than relying on the Shotgun offensively, use it as a defensive backup when faced with enemies that like to swarm in.
» Delivers devastating payloads to close-range threats.
» Shell must be loaded one at a time, making for long reload periods.
» Thrust and dodge around powerful enemies like Hunters and Knights, then blast their vulnerable backs and cores to defeat them quickly.
SMG
Range: Close
Headshots: No
Magazine: 60
Spare Ammo: 360
Firing Speed: Full-auto
Secondary Fire: None
SMGs (Submachine Guns) are compact, full-auto handguns designed to unload bullets at a blistering frequency. Favoring rate of fire over accuracy, SMG magazines don’t last long, but they often don’t need to; SMGs will cut down most foes in short order. Resist the urge to unload the weapon haphazardly, however; fire SMGs in short, controlled bursts to conserve ammo and increase accuracy.
» Surprisingly powerful and effective at close and medium range.
» Tap the Fire Weapon button to improve accuracy against medium-range threats.
» Consumes ammo rapidly; select other weapons when ammo is scarce.
Sniper Rifle
Range: Long
Headshots: Yes
Magazine: 4
Spare Ammo: 16
Firing Speed: Semi-auto
Secondary Fire: None
Sniper Rifles are incredibly powerful long-range firearms designed to deliver devastating rounds to remote threats with precision accuracy. The weapon’s powerful scope lets marksmen sight enemies from clear across a battlefield, picking them off cleanly, efficiently, and without warning. Sniper Rifles are the kings of long-range combat, but they’re clumsy to wield at close and medium range, leaving their users exposed to rush tactics.
» Devastatingly powerful and accurate firearm.
» Advanced scope lets the user zoom in twice to fire on distant threats with incredible accuracy.
» Headshots are lethal, but being hit anywhere by a Sniper Rifle can kill.
Spartan Laser
Range: Long
Headshots: No
Magazine: 1
Spare Ammo: 3
Firing Speed: Single charged shot
Secondary Fire: None
The Spartan Laser is one of the few UNSC directed-energy weapons. While this means extra ammo can’t be collected for the Spartan Laser, the four devastating blasts that can be unleashed from a fully charged Spartan Laser are likely enough to annihilate any target. Like Railguns, Spartan Lasers must charge briefly prior to firing. This gives the enemy a chance to seek cover or dodge the shot, causing you to waste precious energy. Level the Spartan Laser at stationary threats or at larger, slower targets, such as Hunters and Knights, to ensure that its devastating shots find their mark.
» Exceptional power and penetration—devastates most threats with a single shot.
» Several seconds must be spent charging the weapon prior to firing, giving enemies a chance to seek cover.
» Can annihilate vehicles and powerful hostiles, but its pre-fire charge time makes it impractical against elusive foes.