Halo: Campaign Evolved - Complete Weapons Guide

Halo: Campaign Evolved is finally here, and it gives everyone who grew up playing the original game the chance to relive that old magic one more time, with considerably crisper visuals and some new content to boot. While this guide will leave any impressions to you as the player, one thing it will report on is the vast number of weapons you'll now have access to as Master Chief.

As well as all the old classics returning, there are myriad new options to explore, with everything from long-range rifles to up-close and personal melee powerhouses. If you are planning on jumping into the game soon, here's everything you need to know about the arsenal you'll be wielding along the way.

Halo: Campaign Evolved Full Weapons List

• Assault Rifle (MA5B)
• M6D Magnum (Pistol)
• Sniper Rifle (S2 AM)
• Shotgun (M90)
• Rocket Launcher (M19 SSM)
• Plasma Pistol (Type-25 DEP)
• Plasma Rifle (Type-25 CEP)
• Needler (Type-33 LLR)
• Battle Rifle (BR55)
• Energy Sword (Type-1)
• Fuel Rod Gun (Type-33 Launcher)
• Sentinel Beam (Type-3rel)
• Needle Rifle (T-31)
• Submachine Gun (SMG)
• Brute Plasma Rifle
• Spiker
• Beam Rifle (Particle Beam Rifle)

UNSC Marine Weapons

Assault Rifle (MA5B)

The classic Master Chief weapon is back once again, and it actually feels more effective than it has in the previous games in the series. I used this throughout a Legendary playthrough, and it only really struggles against the beefiest of enemies.

M6D Magnum (Pistol)

The perfect compliment to the Assault Rifle above, the Magnum does a great job of clearing individual targets from the battlefield. Its headshots are particularly potent, and as we know, switching to your sidearm is faster than reloading (wrong franchise, I know, but allow me this one).

Sniper Rifle (S2 AM)

The long-range king is back for another go around here, and though you won't get your hands on it too much in the main campaign, you should jump at the chance to wield it whenever possible. It's also particularly good against tanky enemies with weak spots.

Shotgun (M90)

If up-close and personal is more your thing, then the Shotgun should probably be your first port of call. It crops up all the time throughout the main game, and it does a great job of dispatching almost every enemy type, with the possible exception of very numerous swarms of Flood coming from different directions.

Rocket Launcher (M19 SSM)

The heaviest weapon available to the UNSC is also one that will be put in your hands quite often throughout the main story. There's usually a reason for its appearance as well, so make sure to think about that before leaving it behind and pushing on.

Battle Rifle (BR55)

The Battle Rifle is conspicuously absent from most of the game, but while you won't be seeing it too much (unless I did something wrong in the process), it is still just as much of a beast as you remember. Excellent for mid-range engagement.

Submachine Gun (SMG)

The SMG from later Halo games is in from the start this time around, but to be totally honest, it feels much more like a weaker, shorter range version of the Assault Rifle than anything else. There's nothing wrong with the gun per se, it's just difficult to see a use case for it for the most part.

Covenant Weapons

Plasma Pistol (Type-25 DEP)

The favored weapon of those pesky little Grunts that we enjoy killing so much, the Plasma Pistol doesn't pack too much in the way of a punch. Useful in a pinch, but stick with the rapid fire mode, as the charged ammo usage just isn't worth it.

Plasma Rifle (Type-25 CEP)

Elites will be carrying these around in spades, and they're a useful weapon to have when facing hordes of Flood. A little weak against the really strong enemies, the Assault Rifle wins out if you were to put the two against each other in a direct comparison.

Needler (Type-33 LLR)

I'm not sure what changes were made to the Needler for this Halo release, or if my mind is overriden by nostalgia, but the Needler really doesn't feel like it does anywhere near enough. The explosions are considerably less dramatic, and it's now one of the weaker options in the Covenant arsenal.

Energy Sword (Type-1)

The coolest weapon in Halo history, and arguably in the world of video games as a whole, the Energy Sword really does feel like the embrace of an old friend. Pick this bad boy up whenever you see it and slice through your foes with ease.

Fuel Rod Gun (Type-33 Launcher)

Watch out for when Covenant are carrying these, because on the higher difficulties you're dead with one hit. They're great options to pick up if you're facing a brute or the Flood equivalent, though the ammo won't last you long in most situations.

Beam Rifle (T-31)

Arguably just as strong as its human equivalent, the Beam Rifle is brilliant for taking out enemies at a distance, and hitting the sweet spot away from shields. It's particularly useful if you're in one of the game's more open spaces, though don't rule it out in a long corridor confrontation either.

Brute Plasma Rifle

The Brute variant of the Plasma Rifle certainly deals more damage than its standard edition, as well as coming in a nice new shade of orange. They are quite similar though, so you should know what to expect from this one.

​​​​Spiker

As the name suggests, this carbine fires massive spikes at enemies, even pinning them to walls if you get your aiming right. They aren't too common though, so don't expect to be running around wielding one of these too often.

Needle Rifle

The Needle Rifle is also a solid long range choice if you're exploring one of the game's more open space, but it isn't as good as the Beam Rifle, for the most part. Both have intuitive zoom scopes and plenty of firepower though, so there is a certain amount of dealers choice for both.

Miscellaneous

Sentinel Beam

The beam claimed from Sentinel robots cuts through enemies like they're made of paper, and it's a surprisingly regular drop from those annoying flying drones. Great for most situations, it does plenty of damage against big and small enemies alike.

That's all there is to know about the weapons available to Master Chief, as he takes on the Covenant and the Flood at the same time. There should be plenty of options there to keep you going, regardless of playstyle, with Halo: Campain Evolved proving to be a very fun FPS so far.