The Plasma Pistol: A Lethal Death Instrument?

Hello everyone!

When answering the poll, it may be advised to think about whether the game designers wanted it to be a “main” weapon in matchmaking.

Apologies for the poll not turning out the way it should have been asked!


The Plasma Pistol. Everyone knows it’s a brilliant team player: great for temporarily disabling vehicles and disrupting shields.

… but what if it was used to neutralise any targets and become your Tool Of Destruction? I’m not talking just Grunts: I mean Elites, Brute Chieftains, Hunters… and Spartan players!

The main points of this topic are to:

  • help you achieve the “Plasma Pistol Master commendation” in Halo 4 (remember: to get a kill with this weapon, it MUST be a direct kill by the Plasma Pistol’s ordinary shot or E.M.P. shot, so no melée attacks!)

  • develop a concept of, “ALL weapons are capable of kills, * their level of effectiveness is dependent on the scenarios imposed and the skill of the player.”

  • make the Plasma Pistol even more popular and act as a fan page for this weapon!

  • This may eliminate the term “power weapon.”

I believe it all comes down to circumstances and strategy, no matter what weapon you’re wielding!

Here’s a simplified guide to making kills with this greatly underestimated weapon:

  • Identify what weapon(s) your enemy is using…

  • … then adapt a tactic that deals with the scenario an enemy’s weapon(s) imposes. Go up close against snipers and keep well away from shotguns (though this is rule-of-thumb…)!

  • Use lots of cover, weave in, out and around the target (reccommended against automatic weapons)!

  • Get accustomed to the speed of the shots so you can lead and predict movements of targets.

  • Try a few surprise attacks, such as from high up or around corners, as getting the first strike is crucial!

  • Normal shots take 12 shots to kill a fully shielded player. The E.M.P. shot counts as three shots [in Halo 4]. Use it to finish off a target when you’re on the brink of overheating!

  • The Plasma Pistol is good at finishing off targets after an assault with your preffered [automatic] weapon. It means you can go full pelt on the trigger without worrying about overheating!

  • Try picking one-on-one fights, you will have a greater survivability rate!

  • In Halo 4, damage boost makes it into a furious weapon of destruction!

  • Always stay near cover. If you accidently overheat (because you paced the shots too fast), get behind it!

  • It’s a great team player: great for assists, helping other players finish targets with a headshot (if they have weapons capable of said kills), or pick off weakened targets.


Some ideas from the rest of the Waypoint community!

« BWO Arbiter:
Back in H3, I think Halo Charts or one of those websites had a challenge for scoring plasma pistol kills. A common tactic was to ambush with a frag grenade then finish them off with the PP. »

« jackboyboy:
A good way to get PP kills is to shoot a player (with shields) twice, melee them then finish them off with a single PP shot (well assuming the other player doesn’t kill you first)! »

Feel free to share new ideas: it may be pinned up in this section (with credits to you)!


More reasons for using the Plasma Pistol:

  • I would like more people to use this weapon as a death instrument as well as a handy tool, because it’s different. It adds some new sounds, colours and ways to play, seeing as matches tend to be swamped with DMRs and BRs (which I agree are also good weapons, but then every weapon is)!

  • It can also become very fun to use… there’s nothing more satisfying than achieving a kill with NOTHING BUT the Plasma Pistol, while hearing shouts of “HACKS!” over the headset!

  • It can fill in many roles such as assisting, disabling and (if you’re hard enough) killing!

Rest assured the Plasma Pistol is capable of kills: otherwise Halo 4 would not have a commendation with a required total of 940 kills! This will task you with a lot of patience, so persist!

It is displayed as my favourite weapon on the Service Record [Gamertag = SleekshotPlasma]. I do have a positive K/D spread, it is possible!

If you would like some more background to this weapon, visit this link:

I’d like to say a big thank you for reading through such a long topic dedicated to my favourite weapon, and hope you will consider it in your unique combat strategies!

And remember… A Good Workman Never Blames His Tools!

It Is Time To Be One With The Grunt!

> - get you into a state of mind where, " * all weapons are equally capable of acquiring kills".

No. Any weapon can score a kill, but it would be nonsensical to call every weapon “Equally capable”. Some weapons are significantly more capable than others.

I can dig it. Thanks for the tips!

Thank you for pointing this out, I had something else in mind when writing! It has not been worded correctly. My appreciation amigo! =)

> Rest assured the Plasma Pistol is capable of kills: otherwise Halo 4 would not have a commendation with a required total of 940 kills!

I thought 343 was trolling with that. I sure don’t see a plasma pistol defeating a magnum or an assault rifle.

There are seven levels to the commendation. I think I’m on level six. =)
I have beaten people who had SAWs, Rocket Launchers… they might not have been too skilled though, lucky me! =P
Good luck to whoever’s taking it on!

Now we need a guide for the pulse grenade commendation…

> Now we need a guide for the pulse grenade commendation…

I’m thinking of doing little guides like this for each and every weapon. Expect to see that one (although, this is going to be tough, seeing as it is also new)!

Honestly, even shieldless, I will beat the plasma pistol with any weapon, under any circumstances. Sure, its possible to get kills with it, but it is extremely ineffective, and never advisable. If its all you have, run and find something else.

I suppose some people may even view using it as a way to challenge themselves… but it is fun to use!

Hey one thing I just remembered. Back in H3, I think Halo Charts or one of those websites had a challenge for scoring plasma pistol kills. A common tactic was to ambush with a frag grenade then finish them off with the PP.

If you try to open up with a charged EMP shot it becomes too slow, and of course a melee could backfire. I tried it myself a few times and found it to be one of the better methods.

Also if you found a friend I suppose it would be easier to do with two people teamshotting with the PP. Your opponent would die before the PP overheats, and one of you will definitely be awarded with a PP kill.

Let’s hope 343 introduces Team Paintball as a rotational playlist
CTF
PP starts
No shields
300% damage

Let’s also hope that SO season 2 has grunts riding on a Mongoose to boost that -Yoink!- commedation.

I feel it is significantly harder to get a kill with a plasma pistol than a pulse grenade. If the opponents are shieldless, the initial “pop” from a pulse grenade activating will kill them. However, with the plasma pistol, even if the opponent is shieldless it still takes quite a few shots to kill them. From MY experience, the only way I can get a kill with a plasma pistol is if my opponent was already shieldless and I had full shields before the encounter.

Ah. I wish I knew about that challenge! I loved how there was practically no limit to the rate of fire in Halo 3!

That grenade tactic sounds really good too… might merge in with the Pulse Grenade guide somewhere (save Pulse Grenades for when the enemy is weak).

> Ah. I wish I knew about that challenge! I loved how there was practically no limit to the rate of fire in Halo 3!
>
> That grenade tactic sounds really good too… might merge in with the Pulse Grenade guide somewhere (save Pulse Grenades for when the enemy is weak).

Perhaps you could combine the two: overcharged plasma pistol shot, followed by a pulse grenade?

Its only good for disabling vehicles. I never seem to get any kills with it although people kill me with it sometimes somehow.

Grunts: don’t use it on Ultras (Imperials)
Jackals: yeah it can come in handy
Elites: same as Reach
Hunters: use your grenades too and also use it for beatdowns (faster melees)

Knights: situational
Crawlers: yeah it helps
Watchers: it makes them retreat faster than Suppressor IIRC

I still think it was at it’s prime in CE. You could use it’s overcharged bolt to stun everything unshielded!

I finished the plasma pistol commendation last week but it really is a better support weapon for assists. In almost every situation against people the magnum would get the job done faster.

> > - get you into a state of mind where, " * all weapons are equally capable of acquiring kills".
>
> No. Any weapon can score a kill, but it would be nonsensical to call every weapon “Equally capable”. Some weapons are significantly more capable than others.

A good way to get PP kills is to shoot a player (with shields) twice, melee them then finish them off with a single PP shot (well assuming the other player doesn’t kill you first)!

I’m waiting for Action Sack to come out with Plasma Punchout. Till then, I’m not even going to think about killing people with the plasma pistol.