Z-717 Molten Rifle- A LR 2x Scope Counterpart

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

I, along with many others in the Halo Community, feel that the Light Rifle was far to much of a re-skin for it to have really been worth it’s place in Halo 4. That said, I do like the concept, alternate firing modes depending on your situation, and it has a cult following now. I feel, that as we already have the BR/DMR Counterpart system, we should implement it for all the factions’ utility precision rifles. While I have some Idea’s for a Ex Prophet-Covenant or Storm DMR equivalent, This is dedicated to my Forerunner one, the Z-717 Molten Rifle. It shares a dual-fire mode system with the Light Rifle, but past that it is quite different. For those interested the most unique part, it’s mode two.

Z-717 Molten Rifle:
A new Promethean/Forerunner weapon, this thing is very unique apart from one thing in that it shares a two fire mode system with the LR.

Mode One: Un-Zoomed:

This Weapons un-zoomed mode will have a magazine of 18 shots, it is also “Automatic” in the same style as the needle rifle or Hand Cannon. it fires at a rate of 0.23 seconds between shots but has a fair bit of recoil, it is a 6 shot kill. It has a minimum kill time of 1.38 seconds approx. Whats so special I hear you cry? you are about to find out…Mode Two: Zoomed:

This is where the Molten part comes into it. It fires capsules of Molten Plasma at the enemy, that upon contact, shatter and start dealing DoT damage to the enemy Shields. When it fires a shot, another shot can be fired 0.3 seconds afterwards. If a player is hit by shot from the Molten Rifles scoped shot, they will lose shields at a rate of 70% per second over a 2 second period, so two shots have a 1.45 Kill time approx. when you fire two shots. When you fire a second shot onto player who has all ready been shot with the Molten Rifle, the 70% accelerates to 90%, but this only stacks once. this will break shields in 1.22 seconds approx. so three shots has a minimum Kill Time of 1.22 Seconds, but it is harder time your shots correctly, balancing the quick kill time. Bear in mind missing a shot can easily result in a quick death, it is a risk vs reward weapon.

This makes this weapon, when zoomed, far more efficient when ducking between cover, as opposed to strafing, and while you can be tempted to seek the quicker kill, it’s harder to time, it consumes alot of your ammo, as unlike how the Light Rifle’s system of 1 zoomed shot = 1 un-zoomed burst, 1 zoomed capsule = 3 un-zoomed shots. It adds a skill as to determining what kill time is more beneficial to your situation. The un-zoomed mode is hardly useless and is necessary for CQC defense , so can you risk ALL those tempting 1.2 Kill Times? Probably not. It’s a thinking mans weapon, which adds alot more interesting tactics to an otherwise bloated and somewhat un-diverse utility precision rifle pool. If we had more diversity among the precision rifles, it wouldn’t feel so bloated.

*Edited to Molten Plasma due to the corrections and advice given by Onyx81, thanks good sir!

2

So un-zoomed its a Needle rifle rehash, and zoomed its a heavily nerfed incineration cannon…? Seems legit. Not trying to be rude, but thats kind of what i understood.

3

It similar to the Needle rifle un-zoomed, granted, but it cannot super combine, it cannot be zoomed and attack this way and it has recoil instead of bloom.

Zoomed… where are you getting that from? that is nothing like the Incineration Cannon. It doesn’t explode, it creates a DoT effect on shields and Health on the player it hits and cam 1sk a Unshielded player with a headshot over range. How is this like the incineration cannon?

4

I, for one, think that this is a rather interesting and innovative idea! It still fills the niche of a precision weapon, but it’s different and alien enough to stand out from the other weapons in the game.

This is what every Forerunner weapon should be like. Exotic, unique, yet still fill a recognizable role. Nicely thought out!

5

Thanks, I plan on being part games balancing teams in my future Job earning a PhD in it (They Exist for everything nowadays)

This is how I like to imagine, New stuff and their mechanics

6

> Zoomed… where are you getting that from? that is nothing like the Incineration Cannon. It doesn’t explode, it creates a DoT effect on shields and Health on the player it hits and cam 1sk a Unshielded player with a headshot over range. How is this like the incineration cannon?

This is what i meant:

> the same stuff as the Incineration Cannon at the enemy, that upon contact, shatter and start dealing DoT damage to the enemy Shields.

I didn’t mean it has identical effects to the incineration cannon, but its firing capabilities are more or less the same. Don’t get me wrong, i like the idea, but i just think that it seems too familiar.

7

I was simply stating fires the same MATERIAL as the incineration cannon, Molten Hardlight, that’s all, that’s why it’s called the Molten Rifle.

8

> I was simply stating fires the same MATERIAL as the incineration cannon, Molten Hardlight, that’s all, that’s why it’s called the Molten Rifle.

Calm down. Its not like i’m trying to shoot down your idea, i’m just finding it hard to imagine how this would look in-game, thats all. In all truth, i can’t say whether i would or wouldn’t prefer this on the game, i’m on the fence, if you will.

9

> I, for one, think that this is a rather interesting and innovative idea! It still fills the niche of a precision weapon, but it’s different and alien enough to stand out from the other weapons in the game.
>
> This is what every Forerunner weapon should be like. Exotic, unique, yet still fill a recognizable role. Nicely thought out!

This, I was almost reminded of CE’s Covenant weapons.

Well presented topic! I also like how the poll was worded.

10

Thanks for your feedback, Keep it coming, I am very Interested in anyones opinions

Also, I wasnt ruffled, I was Just explaining it, I guess I Just wasn’t sure how you meant what you where saying. Basically, Jt wojld Be far more red than orange like the Incineration Cannon compared to the Other forerunner weapons. in terms of aesthetics.

11

> It fires capsules of Molten Hardlight, the same stuff as the Incineration Cannon at the enemy,

Might as well call it an Anti-Matter rifle then.

The only weapons in Halo 4 that fire Hardlight is the Lightrifle and Suppressor.

All other weapons (excluding the Pulse Grenade) use anti-matter jacketed with ionized particles. The jacket allows the antimatter to bore inside the target before it reacts with matter ensuring complete destabilization of a target’s atoms.

12

I really enjoy the LightRifle, especially the two modes. A happy combination of DMR+BR mechanics without being too powerful in any one mode.

Honestly, your idea sounds cool. I’d like to try it. Switching firing modes in some rifles feels like a great way to consolidate the sandbox. Imagine, if you will, the DMBR… can switch to 3-burst or single-shot mode depending on your play style or opponents distance.

It would have eliminated so much frustration at the beginning of Halo 4, where BR and DMR fanboys were at each others throats. Granted, the post-weapons update changes have made both weapons much better, but I think this idea has legs for Halo 5. Especially if they can work it with autos like you suggest.

13

I was Oh well. any way, if the Molten Rifle fires Molten hardlight in this manner, Then that makes it more unique. Thank you for telling me this.I was under the Impren Cannon fired Molten Hardlight.

14

The idea of a DOT is interesting. It plays with shields and I like that. I always thought the Carbine could use that niche, where an enemy’s shield won’t regenerate quite as fast because each shot would DOT them for like 2 seconds.

15

That was my thoughts. DoT has not been used yet, and I think that not only making a Forerunner weapon look and work different compared to other precision rifles, but play differently aswell make them seem more Alien and unique. I also feel it plays like the Forerunner/Promethean combat. They use shenanigans to avoid fire while simulaenteously hitting you. this plays to this tactic.

16

You had me worried for a second when I read it fires the same material as the I-cannon, but I kept reading and I like your idea quite a bit! Good job.

17

> I was Oh well. any way, if the Molten Rifle fires Molten hardlight in this manner, Then that makes it more unique. Thank you for telling me this.I was under the Impren Cannon fired Molten Hardlight.

Based on our understanding of Hardlight, it’s not hot, and is incredibly solid.

The Lightrifle is so deadly because the lightmass is fired through a paricle accelerator, propelling it to insane speeds.

In all honesty, it’d make the most sense if it fired plasma. In canon, all plasma weapons burn through objects they hit. They don’t dissipate instantly like the game depicts.

Given that Foreruners had a mastery of Plasma, it’d make sense if it fired plasma enveloped in highly stable magnetic fields, ensuring the projectile doesn’t dissipate quickly upon impact with the target. That way, you can have your DOT.

18

Well it would be Molten Hardlight, Should it be possible, but then 343 can quite easily create the Forerunner science behind it.

19

It’s rather redundant to call it ‘Molten Harlight’.

Call it a Liquidlight Rifle.

Even then, the need for a hot version of Hardlight was never needed for Forerunners. Additionally, given the context of the Forerunner-Flood War, weapons were needed to destroy organic matter entirely. Some kind of burning Hardlight won’t be as effective as antimatter.

The only reason we have the Lightrifle and Suppresor is because they’re extremely abundant from the Kradal Conflict and Human-Forerunner War.

20

Well, they it could be a weapon from the Human-Forerunner war era. My weapon is cited for adding to gameplay variety and different playstyles, not necessarily campaign benefit, but it be very useful on some enemies.

The Weapons like spikers and maulers popped up from nowhere in H3.