Existential question

Community Halo Universe
1

I was wondering, how in the hell a needler work? With the inclination of the weapon it does not simply chamber a needle and we need to shake the gun in order to -Yoink- it. And im not even talking about how we recharge it (with all the animations its a bit confusing, does they open the needler and put some kind of crystal like the ones that appear in Halo CE or they take the needles from different needlers??). Do they emit radiation like the rest of the covenant weapons?

3

> Unlike most Covenant weaponry, the needler does not incorporate reverse-engineered Forerunner technology. The needler was one of the most unusual weapons in the Covenant arsenal and the least understood; how the weapon functions remains a mystery to human military experts and scientists. Like most Covenant weapons, the T-33 GML lacks any kind of electronic, physical or radiative connections between its “trigger” and firing mechanism. However, post-war analysis and study have shown that the shards track their targets by homing in on the specific heat signatures of sighted targets. The physics behind the weapon were apparently not well known as joint human and Sangheili teams were known to be studying the weapon some time after the war.

That page contains some interesting trivia at the bottom too about how there is no explanation for what goes on when one reloads the Needler. It’s a weird weapon for sure and I think Bungie intentionally made it so when they designed it.

4

I recall watching an interesting video on the matter a few years back on YouTube by Lockstin & Gnoggin. You should watch it and might shed some light on your confusion.

5

Another interesting thing is that most of the game models have the needles all retract into the gun at about the same rate. It’s not like one needle on the outside is pulled in and shot, It’s more like the gun takes some of all the needles, combines them and then launches them as a single shot. I’ve wondered if they are melted and then reformed when fired which activates them into their explosive state.

6

It’s a future weapon. The needles come in a pack, which then gets reloaded. Then gun gets a good shake and the needles are pointing out. There’s probably a mechanism that retracts, angles the needles, and fires. That’s just my theory.

7

Halo CE’s classic Needler design is both my favourite and the most confusing. Firstly, look at the needles. They’re not yet pink. They’re transparent like crystal or glass with some blue and purple hues to suggest they’re alien. The pink light is actually coming from the centre of the weapon itself, and then when the needles are fired, they glow a very bright pink, as if supercharged by the technology in the weapon itself. So you have that aspect, but then when you encounter the Needler ammo later in the game, it’s clearly one solid oblong shape that looks as if it fits perfectly into the casing of the Needler. This suggests the mineral or substance (called blamite in canon) is incredibly versatile and more so than anything we have on Earth. The design of the weapon’s casing and whatever technology that lies within it manipulates the blamite to form the shapes we see both protruding form the top of the weapon and shooting out from the front as it is fired.
What’s more is that Halo: Contact Harvest, through its description of an Energy Cutlass, heavily implies that Halo CE’s Needler is canon - Meaning everything I just said is likely true. The Halo 2 and 3 (and other Needlers) may also be canon too. Perhaps their blamite is supercharged before firing, which would explain the faster rate of fire. I don’t know, but it seems clear to me that blamite, whatever it is, is what holds the whole thing together: You couldn’t create a Needler that fires metal. (inb4brutespiker :P)

8

The needler is the most unique weapon in the Halo universe. Give it a good shake and your ready to raise some blamite. How it gets loaded into the needler is anyone’s guess.