Disclaimer: The following poll assumes that the Boltshot/Mauler aren’t available in Personal Loadouts and are map-pickups instead. While it is okay and encouraged to discuss the presence of these weapons in Personal Loadouts, avoid letting that be a factor in your final decision when you vote.
Ever since the days of Halo 3 and Halo 4, a form of arsenal often called “secondary CQC weapons” have been a massive chunk of the debate that centers Halo’s sandbox. These weapons were called the Mauler and the Boltshot. ITT, it is your duty to decide if you’d rather see the Mauler OR the Boltshot return in Halo 5. In order to truly see the our preference of the two, you cannot have both… only one.
Type-52 Mauler
Firing a fragmented blast of semi-molten shards of metal from a five-round magazine, the Mauler was both a shotgun and a handgun that had both the ability to be dual-wielded and a slight increase in melee damage. While the Mauler was an enjoyable weapon to use, it was scarce in appearance and was uncommon in both Campaign and Multiplayer alike.
Z-110 Boltshot
Inflicting damage with either single shots of ionized particles or a burst of five projectiles after a 2-3 second charge, the Boltshot is easily a crossover between the Plasma Pistol and the Shotgun. It’s single-fire mode allows the weapon to be headshot capable and have a decently high rate-of-fire, but cannot kill a Spartan in one clip. On the other hand, it’s burst fire mode allows instant kills at close range and can hold two of these with each magazine.
Make your decision, discuss your decision, and debate your decision.
I find the Boltshot to be more interesting than the Mauler. I think the Boltshot could function as is, as a map pick-up OR it could be altered to fit into loadouts.
If the Boltshot returns and remains in loadouts here are a couple of options to balance it:
The charged shot becomes a burst mode (like a BR, which would allow for bleed-through headshots).
The charged shot remains a shotgun blast but is reduced to roughly 75% of its current power. A charged shot followed up by 3 or 4 single shots would result in a kill.
I agree with CAVEMANcr in that the Boltshot is definitely more interesting, but as a map pickup, the Mauler seems more useful than the Boltshot would be.
I’m leaning towards the Mauler, but I think the Boltshot could be tweaked to make it better. Perhaps slightly more range for the shields-down burst? I also like that the Boltshot has a single-fire mode which is headshot-capable.
I think the Boltshot is the closest thing we’ve had to a skill-dependent close-range weapon in Halo, though that’s not saying much. I might even say it should be put before the shotgun and sword. On the other hand, I’ve always found the Mauler to be kind of useless and clunky, but still more balanced than the sword and shotgun.
The only thing that gets me about the Boltshot is its single-fire mode. It’s utterly useless.
Maybe a perfectly-timed half-charge could rip the shields at a decent distance, before being followed up by a headshot - like an active reload-type mechanism. I only suggest such a drastic change because I really want to see a close-range weapon with a considerable skill gap in Halo. I haven’t really considered whether that would be balanced, though. (GoW nostalgia, maybe.)
Probably boltshot, If the charge-up can just take out your shields and not kill you and have a headshot capability for the single fire then, I’m fine with it.
> Make your decision, discuss your decision, and debate your decision.
Neither.
We already have a plethora if CQC weapons; Shotgun, Sword, Hammer, Scattershot. We don’t need another.
Not to mention that both weapons were introduced to serve a particular purpose that either doesn’t or shouldn’t exist anymore: Mauler was created to facilitate a dual wielding Shotgun, Boltshot was supposed to be the noob tube of Halo. Dual wielding doesn’t exist anymore and it’s doubtful it’s coming back and the Boltshot’s secondary fire has created a literal Yoink!storm.
If I’m forced to vote then I vote for a modified Boltshot that operates similarly to the Boltok of Gears: Basically a current day magnum revolver. It’s something that hasn’t been done in the franchise yet and keeps a Forerunner secondary weapon around.
I like the Boltshot more. It does its job that it is supposed to do. I also see it as a much more balanced shotgun for Doubles, as opposed to the Shotgun and Scattershot that can have much more ammo and can kill alot more efficiently. Its charge up makes a unique noise allowing players to know they should step back should 343 balance it to have a bit of a longer charge time.
The Mauler just doesn’t work as well due to it being designed as a dual-weilding weapon. On its own, its weak and needs to follow up with more bullets or a melee. Without the dual-wielding feature, it’s impracticle on its own.
To me, the Boltshot ends up being the victor. It’s unique, has a fair shotgun functionality, as well as a neat headshot capability, in smaller team gameplay and still has enough power to warrant picking it up whenever you see it.
This is a question that you’ve honestly made me sit down and think about OP. Both are weapons that I thoroughly enjoyed using in campaign. I feel while it was a terrible idea to make the Boltshot an equip-able weapon in Halo Matchmaking, it wouldn’t have ever been so horribly received if it was a map-pickup akin to the Mauler.
I think the Boltshot as it is deserves a second chance as a pickup, and if we see it disappear at least there is room for the Bishop Beam.
I would be all for Maulers over the Boltshot. One alone can be pretty devastating in the right hands, but pair it up and you can destroy everyone on a close quarter map. Plus, any setting where you get to have dual shotguns kinda makes you feel like a badass.
Im not a fan of both weapons, however I have to agree with Ramir3z77 on the Boltshot. It is definitely a unique weapon, while Mauler is a not so much of a handy-dandy weapon these days. So, I would take the Boltshot, ONLY if it were a Map Pickup weapon.
> Why not both? I’d like to see the Brutes get an expanded arsenal as well. Loadouts should be removed from use in multiplayer, though.
Well, the scenario in this thread is which one you’d pick if only one would return.
In my opinion, the Boltshot is a far more interesting weapon that despite it being a large source of complaint in multiplayer, offers much more to gameplay than the Mauler could ever dream of. The Boltshot not only is more unique than the Mauler, but it also requires much more skill to operate and if tweaked, could be worthy of being another “Pro-pipe”.
Currently, the Boltshot has a large amount of aim-assist and is more forgiving than it should be. If the aim-assist with the Boltshot is toned down, if a charged shot drains a full clip rather than half of one, and if it has a static (meaning that a full charge is needed and the weapon can’t be fired prematurely) charge-time of 3.5 seconds, the Boltshot will sit beside the Grenade Launcher in terms of skill.
> > Why not both? I’d like to see the Brutes get an expanded arsenal as well. Loadouts should be removed from use in multiplayer, though.
>
> Well, the scenario in this thread is which one you’d pick if only one would return.
>
> In my opinion, the Boltshot is a far more interesting weapon that despite it being a large source of complaint in multiplayer, offers much more to gameplay than the Mauler could ever dream of. The Boltshot not only is more unique than the Mauler, but it also requires much more skill to operate and if tweaked, could be worthy of being another “Pro-pipe”.
>
> Currently, the Boltshot has a large amount of aim-assist and is more forgiving than it should be. If the aim-assist with the Boltshot is toned down, if a charged shot drains a full clip rather than half of one, and if it has a static (meaning that a full charge is needed and the weapon can’t be fired prematurely) charge-time of 3.5 seconds, the Boltshot will sit beside the Grenade Launcher in terms of skill.
Sorry for the late response, but I agree with you that the Boltshot is the more interesting weapon of the two. Also, it fits the story better since the Brutes phased out in Halo 4.
The Boltshot and the Mauler are both completely different weapons. Of course, in a sense, the Mauler was weaker than the Boltshot, despite being sort of a power weapon.
I don’t think the Mauler needs to make a return, but the Boltshot needs to be completely redone and turned into what essentially can be the Mauler’s replacement.
> 2533274833164531;2:
> I find the Boltshot to be more interesting than the Mauler. I think the Boltshot could function as is, as a map pick-up OR it could be altered to fit into loadouts.
>
> If the Boltshot returns and remains in loadouts here are a couple of options to balance it:
>
> 1. The charged shot becomes a burst mode (like a BR, which would allow for bleed-through headshots).
>
> 2. The charged shot remains a shotgun blast but is reduced to roughly 75% of its current power. A charged shot followed up by 3 or 4 single shots would result in a kill.
> 2533274800620398;16:
> The Boltshot and the Mauler are both completely different weapons. Of course, in a sense, the Mauler was weaker than the Boltshot, despite being sort of a power weapon.
>
> I don’t think the Mauler needs to make a return, but the Boltshot needs to be completely redone and turned into what essentially can be the Mauler’s replacement.
If it’s the boltshot from Halo 5 then probably that. This being said I do think both weapons are not the greatest. The boltshot from Halo 5 I think is a neat idea but anytime you have a gun with bullets that track it’s hard to make it useful and not overpowered.
> 2535409496751960;17:
> > 2533274833164531;2:
> > I find the Boltshot to be more interesting than the Mauler. I think the Boltshot could function as is, as a map pick-up OR it could be altered to fit into loadouts.
> >
> > If the Boltshot returns and remains in loadouts here are a couple of options to balance it:
> >
> > 1. The charged shot becomes a burst mode (like a BR, which would allow for bleed-through headshots).
> >
> > 2. The charged shot remains a shotgun blast but is reduced to roughly 75% of its current power. A charged shot followed up by 3 or 4 single shots would result in a kill.
>
> What he said
Please don’t revive very old threads. 2014 was a good year for me and all, but I don’t feel the need to revisit it.
