Why The Needler Is Halo’s Most Reliable Weapon

In a run-of-the-mill game series, players can expect a few additions in each sequel, with maybe a refresh of a few things that didn’t quite work the first time around. When making the original Halo trilogy, however, Bungie changed almost everything about the games between sequels. From starting weapons to enemy designs and visuals, everything was seemingly altered on a whim. Not even Master Chief’s beloved Assault Rifle survived the whole series, as Halo2‘s original release chucked it in favor of the dual-wielding mechanic. The only aspect of Halo that’s remained consistent from 2001 to 2021 is the Covenant’s purple homing nail gun, the Needler.

Known in the technical manual as the Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher, the Needler is somewhere between an automatic pistol and an SMG. It fires what humans call Blamite crystals, homing in on targets and then exploding if enough penetrate a small area. It’s one of Halo‘s most unique weapons, and maybe that’s why it has not only appeared in every Halo game to date, but it has also survived countless visual updates basically untouched. No matter which Halo game players boot up, the same, familiar pink death machine is waiting somewhere within.

While the Needler’s design hasn’t changed too much in the last twenty years, its function in the games has for the better, especially in multiplayer. In Halo: Combat Evolved, the weapon earned a joke status because everything else in the arsenal trumped it. Halo 2 made the weapon dual-wieldable, which gave it some use, but not enough to consider it a powerful option. It’s only really in 343’s work that the weapon has become something to be feared against human opponents. With increased projectile speed and a more forceful explosion, the Halo 5 Needler is almost always worth picking up whenever it’s available.

The Needler Will Return In Halo Infinite

On the campaign side of things, the Needler is always there ,even if it’s not a focus. It’s a default choice of many Grunts and Jackals throughout each game, so it’s always available to make a quick save against an aggressive Elite. The gun works wonders against many AI opponents, since they’ll often run at the player in a straight line, making it easy to pull off an explosion and take a dangerous element off the board. Special mention also goes to Halo: Reach‘s Needle Rifle, which has an amazing design of its own and works to combine with a Needler-wielding co-op buddy for some great teamwork opportunities.

Thankfully, the Needler will retain its role as the Halo franchise journeys into Halo Infinite. 343 Industries recently revealed as much in an update about the game, and the developer has gone so far as to remove the small alterations it made to the weapon in Halo 4 and Halo 5. The Infinite design continues the Needler’s proud tradition, presenting an upgraded recreation of the original weapon Master Chief found on Installation 04 all those years ago. As long as there continues to be adventures with Spartans fighting all manner of alien foes, may there also continue to be the Halo Needler lying just off the beaten path. It’s always there, just in case it’s needed, and that’s why it’s the best.

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