With Halo 3 comes an array of new weapons to try out, but with new one came upgraded versions of beloved weapons found in previous Halo installments – the Energy Sword is one of them. The Energy Sword is back and is a lot better. Using it made Halo 2 quite an experience. In Halo 3 people say that the gravity hammer will undoubtedly steal the show. Regardless if it has or hasn’t for you; it is still logical that we pay the energy sword the respect it deserves. The energy sword is a covenant weapon . For the noobs, don’t expect to see something like the Excalibur, the energy sword looks totally different and a whole lot better.

As mentioned the Energy Sword is a Covenant weapon and like a lot of the weapons in the covenant arsenal – the Energy Sword is battery powered. The battery contains a100 charge and each successful hit uses up 10 of the 100. It is important that you keep an eye on the battery so that you don’t run out in the worst possible occasion. The Energy Sword has medals specific to it, they are: Sword Spree – get 5 kills in a row using the energy sword; Slice N’ Dice – 10 kills in a row without getting killed and Bulltrue – killing someone in mid lunge with the use of the sword.

You will find that the Energy Sword is more effective as a close range weapon and it works better with a sword lunge. The Energy Sword is also effective in taking down enemies that are charging towards you in open vehicle – to get the better of such a situation – immediately jump, aim down and lunge so to destroy your opponent. When playing as a team, quickly and stealthily inform your team mates if you have acquired the sword or if you have seen it being wielded. This will minimize needless searching for the weapon. Also it will help avoid being trapped in close quarters with a sword wielding opponent.

There is no better target for a sniper than if you carry your sword for everyone to see. It is best to put this weapon away when you are in an open space. Use it in ambush attacks or when dueling with another sword wielding opponent. It is also more effective if the Energy Sword is used in an enclosed area where an ambush is easily achieved.

The same way that a sniper can take you down when using the Energy Sword, so can you. Like the Gravity Hammer it much easier to take an Energy Sword wielding opponent from afar. If in Halo 2, the shotgun was apparently no match to the Energy Sword – in Halo 3 we see an improvement on the make of the Shotgun; it now has a narrower field of fire and undeniably packs more punch. When going against this weapon, use the sword with a thought of caution in mind.

One, it takes a short while to charge before it actually fires and, Two, the firing rate is limited to 5 shots only then it needs charging. Nonetheless, it is a very powerful weapon that is extremely helpful to anyone who wants to use it.

The Spartan Laser charges for around three seconds before it fires. When you pull the trigger a red dot appears on your target and when the Spartan Laser has charged enough, the red dot is followed by a powerful red beam that destroys the target and may even cause substantial damage to those in close proximity to it.

For aiming purposes the Spartan Laser has Wryd II optics suite that is capable of magnification up to 2x. On the right side of the reticule, you will find a meter indicating the charge of the laser.

The Spartan Laser is very effective in destroying vehicles with just one hit except for Scorpions and Wraiths which may need more than one shot of the Spartan Laser. It is also interesting to note that the only vehicle invulnerable to the Spartan Laser is the Elephant which appears in one of the multi-player maps.
The 5 shot limit of the Spartan Laser can be quite troublesome, but it is possible that during the last level of Halo 3 you can get unlimited firing from the Spartan Laser. Give the weapon to one of the marines. You don’t get unlimited firing yourself but the marine will and he will be able to help you.

A special treat with the Spartan Laser is that you get a medal indicating “Laser Kill” each time you kill an enemy with the use of this weapon. Did you know that you can kill more than one enemy with the use of the Spartan Laser? Find enemies that are standing in close proximity to one another aim the laser in between them. That way, you are able to kill them both. Just remember that this works both ways so don’t stand too close to a team mate.
To combat the Spartan Laser, you can use a sniper rifle to take out the enemy wielding the weapon before the Laser has time to charge.

Human Weapons found on Halo are pretty much just an improvement on the weapons that exist today, save for a few exceptions. This may be Bungie’s way of seeming more reality oriented – at least when it comes to Human Weapons. Some critics say that the Human Weapons in Halo lack creativity, because it seems hard to believe that after half a millennia, humans are still carrying around projectile riffles and bombs. No matter what your stand on Bungie’s weaponry design, the important thing is to familiarize yourself with them and make the most of what is afforded to you. Human Weapons work better on unshielded opponents. They are less effective when used to take down shields. Below is a list of the Human Weapons found in Halo 3:

Assault Rifle
Battle Rifle
Flamethrower
Frag Grenade
Missile Pod
Rocket Launcher
Shotgun
SMG
Sniper Rifle
Spartan Laser
Turret

Covenant Weapons are a bit more advanced than Human Weapons. They tend to be more energy based. Unlike Human Weapons that generally rely on Ballistics; Covenant Weapons rely on batteries. There’s a downfall when it comes to using Covenant weapons. Once the battery is used up the weapon becomes useless and needs to be either recharged or discarded all in all. An exception to this is the Needler that uses splinter projectiles. The Needler is among the many weapons found in the Covenant arsenal. Covenant Weapons are more effective than Human ones when it comes to taking down enemy shields. More are found below.

Beam Rifle
Covenant Carbine
Energy Sword
Fuel Rod Gun
Needler
Plasma Grenade
Plasma Pistol
Plasma Rifle
Plasma Cannon

Brute Weapons should technically still be categorized under Covenant Weapons, but in Halo 3 they had developed their own form of technology, it is only logical that they be categorized separately. Brute weapons tend to be more like Human Weapons than Covenant one’s, since they have weapons that are Projectile in origin like the Spiker and Brute Shot. The Gravity Hammer has been getting a lot of attention lately. It is a very powerful weapon that can disrupt the path of vehicles. Here they are:

Brute Shot
Firebomb
Gravity Hammer
Mauler
Spike Grenade
Spiker

Other Special Weapons are not necessarily categorized. Most of them are not designed as weapons but have functions that help kill off opponents. Example – The flag can be used as a melee weapon, as well as an explosion that can kill you and not just your opponent. Here’s the list of Special weaponry:

Ball
Bomb
Explosion
Flag
Guardians
Melee
Sentinel Beam

These weapons are all useful when playing Halo 3. Make the best use of them. A feature afforded by Halo 3 to its players is the ability to double wield. Do that so you can have an edge over opponents and make as many frags as you can.

The Gravity Hammer in Halo 3 is similar to the Tartarus in Halo 2. This weapon will undoubtedly be Halo 3’s favorite weapon to use for pounding the enemies. The Gravity Hammer not only delivers a devastating blow when it hits the target. But even if you miss, the shockwave created would still be sufficient enough to cause damage to any enemy around.

Given that the Gravity Hammer is a melee weapon its range is pretty narrow. But despite this the shockwave created by the Gravity Hammer’s Blow is sufficiently powerful and can cause major damage to nearby opponents. The shockwave of the Gravity Hammer affects enemies that are within your reticule range, but those to the right and left, beside you and behind you only endure minor damage. Because of the weapon’s size, it is very easy to spot an enemy wielding the Gravity Hammer, in turn it makes it easy for the enemy to know what your weapon is. Also, it makes a distinct sound when swung that compromises stealth and the element of surprise. Given that it is heavy, the fire rate for the Gravity Hammer is very slow. It takes at least 2 seconds to wield this weapon.

The good thing about the Gravity Hammer is its ability to deliver an enormous blow to your opponent. If you are ambushing an enemy with the use of this weapon, you will invariably succeed in it. Added to its capability is that it can throw a moving vehicle of course just by the force of the shockwaves it generates.

When you are faced with an enemy who is using a rocket launcher, the Gravity Hammer becomes the best weapon in your arsenal since it can deflect the Rocket to the side. Don’t go around hitting things aimlessly with the Gravity Hammer. Keep in mind that there is a point of delay where you are unable to move and your opponents can fire at you and do major damage.

The Hammer is a great weapon, practice and use it well, be an expert at handling it. If you see enemies with it take them down as soon as you can before you come face to face with power of the gravity hammer.