Countdown to Halo 5: Guardians - Top 5 Weapons in Halo History

The release of Halo 5: Guardians is creeping up quickly and will be here before you know it. Over the years, fans of Microsoft's popular first-person shooter franchise have come to know and love the series' diverse and unique arsenal of firearms, melee weapons, and explosive accessories.

In the lead-up to the launch of 343 Industries' next numbered entry in the series, we've decided to take a look back at the slew of weapons the series has seen and narrow it down to our top five of all time. Hardly an easy task.

Without further ado, let get right into it.

Which weapons from the Halo universe hold a special place in your heart? For more on 343 Industries' upcoming shooter, be sure to check out our thoughts on Warzone, a new mode that boasts large-scale battles of epic proportions. Those of you a bit more interested in the competitive scene should also read our impressions on the game's Arena Mode.

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Top 5 Halo Weapons

2. Battle Rifle

Halo 2 introduced the Battle Rifle, a weapon fans immediately fell in love with the first time they fired off one of its three-round bursts. Those with precision aiming can take down the opposing force with 3 or 4 well-placed headshots, and doing so is wonderfully satisfying each and every time. rn rnLet's also not forget about the dangerous combination of the BR and Plasma Pistol. Charging up the Covenant one-handed weapon and firing off a perfectly-timed blast at your foe will lower its defenses. After that, all it takes is a quick headshot from the Battle Rifle and its game over for the other team.
5. Needler

If there's one weapon among Halo's expansive arsenal that deserves a trophy for creativity, it's gotta be the Needler. Fueled by large pink crystals as its ammo source, this alien firearm is deceptively lethal. It sends those bright and colorful shards into its target, detonating a few seconds after embedding itself into the flesh of its foe.
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rnThose who manage to catch an opponent off guard and send a full clip into their unsuspecting prey will wipe them out before they know what hit them. If you see the glowing pink light in the distance, you'd best watch yourself.
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rnFear the pink mist!!!
1. CE Pistol

Perhaps the most unbalanced and ridiculous weapon in all of Halo history is the pistol from Combat Evolved. It was insanely overpowered and even sported a zoom-in option. Those adept at aiming could take down their enemies just a few seconds with just a few quick shots to the dome.
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rnWhile it has yet to reappear in its insanely overpowered form in later installments (which is probably for the best), the series' original incarnation of the pistol will forever be remembered as one of gaming's greatest weapons, even if it did break the shooter's balancing.
3. Plasma Grenade

The third and final Covenant weapon to make our list is the Plasma Grenade. This glowing blue orb is easily one of my favorite ways to take down a group of Grunts, sticking it one of the pack and watching him flail in fear before it explodes, laying waste to everything within a few yards of its detonation.
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rnIt's also a fantastic weapon in multiplayer. Lobbing one of these bad boys at just the right angle to stick an oncoming foe is so wonderfully satisfying. Conversely, the panic that sets in when you know you've been stuck is equally exhilarating, but for a very different reason.
4. Energy Sword

We simply had to include a melee weapon on this list, and failing to give the Energy Sword its proper due would be nothing short of criminal. While this glowing saber popped up in the original Combat Evolved's campaign solely in the hands of bloodthirsty Elites, Halo 2 put the weapon in the hands of the player.
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rnI don't know about you but I'll never forget the hours upon hours I spent on the multiplayer map Lockout, stalking my prey, Energy Sword in hand. Lining up an opponent in your sights and pulling the trigger results in a satisfying one-hit-kill lunge that never gets old.
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rnNever.