I’m curious, for the purposes of a default secondary weapon which one do you prefer?
First, a generalization of each weapon for comparison (and to identify which M6 Magnum I am referring to).
1. M6 Magnum
Slow rate of fire (~160 RPM) and TTK (~1.85s), but good damage (5 shots to kill) and range (Example: Halo 3’s M6 Magnum but with a 2x scope).
Role: Paired with the MA40 AR, you would have the versatility needed to engage enemies at close or mid range, but you’re still going to want to find a BR.
2. MK50 Sidekick
Fast rate of fire (~380 RPM) and optimal TTK (~1.1s), but lower damage (7 shots to kill) and bloom makes it unreliable at range.
Role: A counterpart to the MA40 AR, it is better but requires more skill.
M6 Magnum
MK50 Sidekick
Other (Please Explain)
0voters
Bonus Question for a discussion, can both weapons co-exist?
Out of a desire for more methodical gameplay? I would prefer the M6 Magnum as a starter. Slower TTK isn’t directly proportional to slower gameplay, but I believe the slow/precise nature of the Magnum was more conducive to skillful gunplay in 1v1 encounters.
(That isn’t to suggest that the MK50 isn’t conducive in any way, but that’s just my take.)
Out of an understanding of what a sidearm’s purpose is? I think the MK50 Sidekick is a competent starter. It sets out to accomplish one thing— being the companion weapon for a stronger assault rifle— and does it well. I do take issue with the button-mash aspect of its gunplay, but otherwise I think it functions well.
I do believe they can co-exist within the game. The M6 Magnum could be introduced as a wall weapon, modified to properly capitalize on its slower-but-higher-impact nature while the MK50 Sidekick remains as the starter.
There could be variant modes where the M6 Magnum is given out as a starter weapon as well.
As a low-tier power weapon though, the M6 Magnum should be powerful enough to compete with the MK50 Sidekick– but not enough to overshadow it in anything besides effective range.
I see this being a good fit for BTB. It addresses the issue of ranged combat, and if it is done right you would still have a reason to go out and find a BR or Commando.
When I think of default starting weapons I think the ideal weapon is one that is versatile. A weapon that doesn’t necessarily excel at anything but they are usable in all situations. The MA40 AR is a perfect fit in that regard, the only thing it lacks is range. Enter the M6 Magnum, a floor precision ranged weapon that does that job well but not too well. That’s a solid combo for default weapons.
But then like you said, the other aspect of secondary weapons is being a good companion, a “Sidekick” to the primary weapon. At the end of the day it’s a tough call, it is subjective to personal preference which is why I am curious to see the results of this poll.
I already told my opinion on the Sidekick vs Magnum debate. I definitely prefer the “UNSC Sidearm” to be a short-range precision gun (headshots, 1.5x zoom or no zoom) with a small magazine. Basically a slightly less versatile (range) and less enduring (ammo) DMR.
The Sidekick is killing way too fast and the spammy nature of it isn’t good for gameplay.
Also bloom is the spawn of the Gravemind.
Absolutely. H5 already proved this. (Gunfighter Magnum & CE Magnum variants).
Exactly. Especially with that headshot multiplier. Its ability to speed up a noob combo with the quick swap + its super quick reload should be enough. If players want something better, pick up a BR.
EDIT: Also I can’t remember if we talked about this, but what do you think of silencers on guns in Halo? And in this case, specifically on the Magnum? H5 had a “Tactical Magnum” with a silencer that comboed well with Active Camo.
No I don’t believe we discussed this, I’m actually not sure what the purpose of a silencer is in Halo, can you fill me in? What did it accomplish in the previous titles (I didn’t play them online as much as I play Halo Infinite).
In Halo 5 you show up on enemy motion trackers if you move at walking speed, or fire a weapon. The Tactical Magnum allows you to stay off the motion trackers while firing.
I actually hate the sidekick. I think its incredibly boring to use, and it honestly feels really unrealistic and out of place. It looks and feels like a 9mm, like using a USP or M9 type from COD. It doesn’t feel like something a spartan would use themselves or that someone would use on a spartan.
I want the Magnum back because it feels like it belongs as a handcannon. Also, I think it was better balanced in the sandbox. I think its crazy that the sidekick can out TTK a BR that you have to pick up off of a wall.
H5 was the only game where the silencer truly served a purpose to my knowledge (it was just there for looks in ODST, the game that more or less introduced it).
In H5, silenced weapons were:
Noticeably Quieter
Didn’t reveal you on the radar. Really good with Camo (I think running too fast and shooting would reveal you visibly though, but I’m not sure about the latter honestly).
Didn’t share ammo with similar guns (ex: a silenced AR can’t pick up ammo from a non-silenced AR).
The second point is the one I wanna focus on. Halo in the past occasionally had items that interfered with the radar (Active camo and Hologram in Reach and 4, Radar Jammer in H3). While the ability to keep you off the radar while shooting isn’t some ground-breaking idea, I do think it’s worth giving a single gun the trait. It’s a unique trait that could make a gun more worthwhile to pick up. And again, it works very well with Camo.
The Sidekick is just the smoothest shooting pistol in Halo for me where even hitting the Range and getting Three Stars for it is fun.
M6 Magnum has always gone through such see-sawing when it comes to its performance/range/damage, being a precision rifle before precision rifles were a thing in CE and being pretty poor in later games save for the ODST C-variant. Out of all the old, iconic weapons, I just never really liked the Magnum - particularly its design with its huge trigger/hand guard that just always seemed so weird to me, all the way back in CE.
I think 343 put it in a very good place in 4 and 5 but I still didn’t find it as fun and satisfying as the Sidekick is.
Granted, I think the Sidekick can maybe use a couple minor tweaks to make it not so spammy and powerful, becoming more like a sidearm that you pull out to get that headshot you couldn’t get with your AR, but overall I just enjoy using it more than the Magnum.
I think for PVE modes they should come back. But for Spartan training (MP) they shouldn’t be.
With that said I believe EVERY GUN has a halo god given right. I’m what you might call a “Fun” halo player that thinks the balance in halos weapons came from the map itself and not the gun. Let me explain.
The sidekick will shred you up in a tight hallway, but compared to the magnum it has 0 stopping power at mid to long range.
Catalyst is a perfect new map example of 343 understanding this. That map features 3 sniper alley’s 4 close hallways, 2 exposed light bridges, 2 medium hallways and 2 baseline CQB arenas. Did I miss something?
This setup makes every weapon in halo viable. From fuel rods to golf clubs.
So to answer your question with my deranged response up at the top;
Both. Give me both. And the variants from h5. Cuz I’m a greedy little gun piggy.
@mr_taco47 this was by design haha, and it seems it doesn’t matter as the Magnum is still spanking the Sidekick in the poll lol.
Personally, I like Halo 3’s Magnum for its TTK… it isn’t going to beat the BR75 and that’s important to me. I think if Halo 3’s Magnum had a x2 zoom for increased range then it would play a little better. The other option would be to increase fire rate a little bit and add a tad bit of bloom, but personally I’d prefer if it didn’t have bloom since the Sidekick already has that trait.
Weird omission. You mean the M6G, the one that basically nobody likes from Halo 3?
I’ll take a Sidekick over that any day of the week.
Honestly, I’ll take a Sidekick over almost every other Magnum variant. The only one that beats it out for me is the Tacmag from Halo 5, but my true baby was the initial release Gunfighter Magnum,
I have wanted a proper rapid fire SIDEARM in Halo for a long time. The Sidekick is almost PERFECTLY it, but the damn BLOOM is SO HORRID. Without bloom the gun would be exactly what I want. Period.