Heatwave Help

Longtime Halo player here. Been smashing every release on Live since the first days of H2. Before I get to my question, just want to say I’m really enjoying the flight thus far and the game shows tons of promise. I think 343 has a lot in store for us and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The feel, speed, movement, and weapons are all spot on. My only gripe as of yet is the maps (while good) are for me missing the fun factor from prior releases. Looking forward to the classic Halo symmetrical arena maps or just some more quirkyness.

To get to the point, can someone explain to me how the Heatwave is supposed to be properly used? It’s the only gun that I really can’t figure out. The academy calls it a grenade launcher. Is this a close range weapon? Am I supposed to “lead” my target by shooting in front of them into the ground so the light bounces at them? I don’t get it. This gun seems oddly weak and borderline useless compared to the rest of the sandbox.

Happy hunting! Keep up the good work 343.

A loyal fan.

From my experience with bots slayer and the academy, the heatwave feels like a short to mid range weapon and ideal for hallways and small rooms since the round bounce and go through players. The rounds have a grenade feel to them, with how they bounce.

The Heatwave operates similarly to the scattershot. It’s not meant to be an outright damage dealer, but rather used for it’s ability to ricochet shots and create area control by making players not want to engage in close quarters. It’s really a close range gun, but if you switch to vertical fire it can be used at mid range more efficiently.