-M6D Pistol
Magazine size: 12
Capacity: 120
Range: close-long
Damage: med
Rate of Fire: med-high
Ammo Frequency: med

This pistol is a recoil-operated, magazine-fed handgun. It is issued with a smart-link scope capable of 2x magnification (press in the Right thumbstick). It fires 12.7mm semi-armor-piercing, high explosive rounds. It can shoot either semi-automatic or automatic fire.
Shot placement is very important. The only shot that guarantees immediate and total incapacitation is one roughly centered in the head, above a horizontal line passing through the ear opening and below the crown of the alien skull.

Notes: A fantastic weapon in multiplayer, though not quite as effective in campaign. The Pistol is a one of the best all-round weapons in the game, capable of killing many enemies with single shots from long range, provided the aim is right. :) Its scope makes it perfectly suited to ranged combat; though don't expect to win against an enemy skilled with a Sniper Rifle. The Pistol is particularly effective against Grunts and Jackals, as well as your opponents in multiplay. It is also the best weapon in the game against Hunters. While the Pistol is weak against Elite's shields in campaign, it can be deadly if used in conjunction with a Plasma Pistol. In multiplayer, aim for the head to take down your opponent's shields. When sniping with it, try to hammer the trigger instead of holding it, as this is more accurate.

-MA5B Assault Rifle
Magazine size: 60
Capacity: 600
Range: close-med
Damage: low
Rate of Fire: v/high
Ammo Frequency: high

This rifle is gas-operated and magazine-fed. It fires 7.62mm armor-piercing rounds. Rate of fire is limited by a soldier's ability to aim, fire and change magazines. Short, controlled bursts are more accurate than fully automatic fire.
The MA5B's integrated computer displays rounds left in the magazine and the relative direction of the gas giant, Threshold, for point of reference. This feature is particularly useful for orienting you in areas where it's easy to get turned around and lose your sense of direction.

Notes: Overrated by n00bs and underrated by veterans, the AR is a decent gun, pretty good against tight groups of Grunts. It has a good melee attack, which helps against Jackals. Though it has a high rate of fire, the AR deals pathetic damage, and it takes forever to take an Elite or Hunter down with it. Use it in conjunction with a Plasma Pistol or Plasma Rifle to take down their shields, then spam them while they're stunned. While the 'compass' is useful at times, when you get to know the levels you don't need it anyway. A nice feature is the ammo display on the LCD, a useful feature in combat, as a quick glance will keep you informed on the amount of pain available for dishing. It's innacuracy makes it all but useless for long distance combat, though if you must use it in such engagements, try to fire in rapid bursts to increase accuracy. It's a good weapon in campaign, just don't touch it in multiplayer. Don't despair if you're stuck with one; just drop it for something better when you next have the chance (unless it's essential for your weapons combo).

-M90 Shotgun
Magazine size: 8
Capacity: 60
Range: v/close-med
Damage: med-high
Rate of Fire: slow
Ammo Frequency: med-low

The shotgun is a pump-action magazine-fed (dual tubular non-detachable type) weapon. It fires 8 gauge magnum (3.5") rounds. This weapon is very effective against targets at close range and may be used to engage several targets simultaneously at medium and long range.

Notes: How I love the Shotgun. It does enough damage at close range to take down an Elite with one or two hits, and can cause havoc in multiplayer. If you can, it's best to wait for your target to come up close (read: within melee range) before firing this, though you can take down groups of Grunts or Jackals at medium range with a couple of shots if you have to. In multiplayer, it's extremely satisfying to sneak up behind someone and blast him to death in the back before he can turn around. It is also good at close range against vehicles such as Ghosts and Banshees, and quite good against Scorpions in multiplayer if you can sneak into their dead zone. A Shotgun and a Pistol make a devastating combo. Just remember to keep the chamber full - it takes a while to fully reload.

-S2 AM Sniper Rifle
Magazine size: 4
Capacity: 24
Range: med-very long
Damage: high
Rate of Fire: med
Ammo Frequency: low

This rifle is a gas-operated magazine-fed weapon. It is issued with a smart-linked scope with two levels of magnification (press in the Right thumbstick one for 2x, press again for 10x, and once more to deactivate). Also, while still in zoom mode you can press the White button to activate light amplification. It fires 14.5mm armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot rounds.
WARNING: The 14.5x 114mm APFSDS round is an anti-materiel munition. It can easily over-penetrate several armored soldiers. Be sure of what is on the other side of your target before firing.

Notes: The Sniper Rifle is extremely good at what it's designed for. The scope provides excellent magnification, has a good rate of fire, and it deals heavy damage to unprotected targets. Be careful in combat, as it has a small clip and will need constant reloading. In the lower difficulties, a headshot will kill anything but a hunter (the head's pretty much where you should always aim), though a hit above the waist will kill a Grunt, as well as pretty much anywhere with a Jackal (if they are going defensive, you can aim into the gap in their shields where they stick their Plasma Pistols out and hit there). In Legendary, it becomes somewhat more complicated, as you *always* have to aim for headshots (excluding Elites, which take two hits, and Hunters, of course). In multiplayer, a good marksman can liquefy the opposition, as a single headshot will kill (unless the target has an Overshield). Just avoid being hit, as it will disable your scope. Be sure to kill your targets, as the small clip size and slow reload will leave you vulnerable. Don't forget about the over-penetration factor - hitting a line of Grunts can take the whole row out.

-M19 SSM Rocket Launcher
Magazine size: 2
Capacity: 8
Range: med-long
Damage: ü/high
Rate of Fire: v/slow
Ammo Frequency: v/low

The M19 SSM is a man-portable and shoulder-fired rocket launcher. It has two major components, the launcher and the magazine. The magazine (the expendable part of the system) contains two 102mm shaped-charge, high-explosive rockets. It is designed for fast, easy detachment from the launcher. The launcher contains the sighting and fire control systems.

Notes: The RL is the favorite weapon of tank hunters. It deals high damage with a good splash radius, making it proficient against tight groups of enemies or close vehicles (direct hits will kill most of the crew, splash will flip most vehicles). Use it on larger enemies like Elites in Campaign as opposed to smaller enemies such as lone Jackals, unless you really have no other option (or it's the end of the level), as ammo can be very scarce. With rockets, height is advantage, so it's best to try and get atop hills, ramps and cliffs before firing. That way, the rocket can't hit anything on the way to its target. Try to keep your engagements at medium range, as a rocket up close will hurt, and there is a considerable cooldown time in which the second rocket cannot be fired. Try to use the second rocket only when you have to, as the reload takes forever. In combat against enemies on foot, aim for the ground in front of the target rather than the target itself, and get used to the rocket's somewhat low speed. Also, make sure no allies get caught in the blast. ;)

-M9 HE-DP Grenade
Capacity: 4
Damage: high
Rate of Fire: med
Frequency: med

The M9 high-explosive, dual-purpose grenade is a thrown fragmentation device. Use it to suppress or disable vehicles, except tanks. It can be thrown, rolled, bounced or ricocheted into places direct fire weapons can't reach. Increase the angle of the throw to toss it farther, or to get it over obstacles. Be careful not to throw it too close to your own location.

Notes: My preferred grenade due to its shorter fuse, the Frag Grenade is somewhat harder to see than its Covenant equivalent. In campaign, Frag Grenades are also somewhat more scarce - conserve them. When using them, try not to throw them too close to you, as you lower your chance of escaping with a shield (or in many cases, limbs). However, if you're about to be gunned down, aim at your feet and chuck a grenade (this will kill your assailant if you're lucky. Try not to do this unless you know you're effectively dead - that suicide penalty can really put you behind). Frag Grenades are useful for reaching far-away enemies by increasing the throwing arc, and bounce around and spark a lot when they hit things. Good against clustered enemies, a couple can wreak havoc against vehicles.

-Plasma Rifle
Shots per full battery: 200
Range: close-med
Damage: med
Rate of Fire: high
Weapon Frequency: high-med

This is a directed energy weapon. It s capable of either semiautomatic or automatic fire (pull and hold the Right trigger for automatic fire). Continuous rapid fire overheats the weapon - this in turn depletes the weapon's power core. We currently do not understand how to replace or recharge a power core.

Notes: The Plasma Rifle is a good all-round weapon, sporting high damage coupled with a fast rate of fire. It can bring down shields quickly, and is pretty much a good complement to any arsenal, excelling in close-mid range combat. Fire in bursts so as not to overheat the gun, but if you do, try and find some cover or switch to another weapon. Of course, another tactic is simply to charge at your opponent while firing and melee him when the Plasma Rifle overheats (which lasts for quite a while). If you like getting into the thick of it and feel confident about coping with overheats, this is your weapon of choice.

-Plasma Pistol
Shots per full battery: 250
Range: close-long
Damage: med
Rate of Fire: med-high
Weapon Frequency: v/high-med

This weapon is a semi-automatic directed energy weapon. If you pull and hold the Right trigger, the weapon may become overcharged; when the Right trigger is released the bolt is launched. After the over-charged bolt is launched the weapon temporarily stops functioning as it dumps waste heat. Use of the over-charge capability rapidly depletes the weapon's power core. We currently do not understand how to replace or recharge a power core.

Notes: Ah, the Plasma Pistol. One of my favorite weapons, it can fire extremely fast, and packs the same punch as the Plasma Rifle, with the added ability to charge shots. A charged bolt will fully take down the shields of anything hit (including Overshields), allowing you to switch to another weapon to take out the enemy with ease while the overheat period expires (though it takes nowhere near as long as the Plasma Rifle to cool down). Charged bolts can also be used to hit things at long range, as the bolts have the ability to track their targets to a degree. As a bonus, Plasma Pistols are pretty common in campaign, and you respawn with a full one in cooperative (in many multiplayer games you spawn with one also).

-Needler
Magazine size: 30
Capacity: 80
Range: close-med
Damage: low-high
Rate of Fire: v/high
Weapon Frequency: med-low

Very little is known about this weapon other than that it is a magazine fed weapon capable of automatic fire. Its projectiles penetrate soft targets no matter what the angle of impact. They ricochet off of hard surfaces at oblique angles, however, and are always deflected by energy fields, the only exceptions to this being the shields generated by the MJOLNIR battle suit and the Elite's combat armor. The composition and energy signature of its projectile is unknown. The manner in which the projectiles home in on their target is also unknown.

Notes: The Needler. What's to say? It fires slow-traveling needles. If you empty enough of them into an enemy, they explode after a couple of seconds, and the target may die. Get too close to the exploding target, you may die as well. The needles do a fair degree of tracking allowing you to hit slower or unaware targets, though the moment your target gets behind an energy shield the needles ricochet back at you. It's somewhat useless in multiplay, as a smart enemy will no doubt figure out how to strafe them (unless they can't, being trapped in a tight corridor or something), and the needles have no effect on vehicles if they miss the crew. On the plus side, it's good against Elites and groups of Grunts, and the needles can hit enemies as they enter vehicles, making them useful for taking out Ghost pilots and the likes. The Needler is really a spammer's weapon. Point it in the general direction of an enemy and hold down the trigger. Laugh as they scream and explode, maiming and killing their adjacent comrades. Just watch that ammo meter - the Needler chews through ammo like a dog.

-Fuel Rod Gun
Range: med-long
Damage: high
Rate of Fire: ü/slow

The Fuel Rod Gun is a single-shot repeating ballistic weapon employed by the Covenant. Its rounds detonate on impact, creating enough force to invert smaller vehicles. The source of the rounds is not known at this time. We do not know the dangers associated with prolonged exposure to this weapon.

Notes: This weapon is the primary armament of Hunters and secondary weapon of Banshees, so you'll get used to the sound of exploding fuel rods. The Fuel Rod Gun fires in an arc, something you learn to compensate for in a Banshee. It does somewhat less damage than a rocket, but can be fired over obstacles. Be careful, as some Grunts in Two Betrayals and the Special Forces Grunts in Keyes and The Maw carry these heavy weapons, much to the detriment of your shields. If you take out one of these Grunts, stay away from his gun - they explode after detachment. For various reasons, the Master Chief cannot wield the Fuel Rod Gun, though he can use the version mounted on the Banshee.

-Plasma Grenade
Capacity: 4
Damage: high
Rate of Fire: med
Frequency: v/high-med

This weapon is similar to the human hand grenade in that it is a thrown anti-infantry and anti-vehicle weapon. It has some kind of internal mechanism that allows it to distinguish between targets and background. For example, it will stick to a soldier or vehicle, but not a tree or wall. it has a three-second fuse that is activated after it sticks to a target or otherwise comes to a rest.

Notes: Plasma Grenades are extremely fun. If one hits a surface after being thrown it falls directly to the ground (useful against enemies in cover or behind shields). Throw it at an enemy and it will stick to them. Throw it on an enemy's face and watch him run around frantically. Good in levels such as Pillar of Autumn and Truth and Reconciliation, where tagging a Grunt with a Plasma Grenade will often make him run back into his teammates (this makes those Elites in Legendary seem a lot easier). It's also good against vehicles; a single Plasma Grenade will destroy a Banshee (plus a Pistol shot or two) or Ghost (or at least kill its pilot), though getting them on is the hard part. Plasma Grenades are particularly good against Scorpions, as they move slowly and take forever to bail form, and Warthogs, which can potentially kill everyone on board (the grenades will stick to anywhere but the windscreen). Just beware the long fuse - if you need to take out a bunch of enemies quickly, use Frag Grenades instead.