Halo: Campaign Evolved — the complete 2026 armory guide: all UNSC, Covenant and Forerunner weapons, damage and best situations

Released on July 28, 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, Halo: Campaign Evolved is the high-definition remake of Halo: Combat Evolved from Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries). Beyond the 4K graphical overhaul and the cinematic revamp, the remake above all offers an expanded sandbox: all nine canonical weapons from 2001 are back, joined by eight guest weapons from the sequels (Halo 2, 3, Reach) plus the Energy Sword, finally pickable by the Chief right from the main campaign. The result: seventeen sidearms and rifles, two types of grenades, and a genuine tactical question every time you swap out your loadout.

This guide reviews every weapon, with its faction, type, ammunition, damage figures verified against Halopedia, and the best use case against the remake's bestiary — Grunts, Elites, Jackals, Hunters, Flood, Sentinels. For previous articles (skulls, Legendary guide, free armor code, third-person view), see our dedicated guides; here we focus solely on the weapons.

UNSC Weapons: the human toolbox

The Marine Corps and Navy's arsenal reprises the classic loadout from Combat Evolved, boosted by two guest weapons (BR55 and SMG) that the remake reintroduces into the main sandbox.

MA5B Assault Rifle

Faction: UNSC · Type: 7.62×51mm automatic assault rifle · Magazine: 60 rounds · Reserve: 600 rounds (10 magazines) · Damage: 10 per round · Rate of fire: 15 rounds/second · Range: short to medium. True to the original, the MA5B is the Chief's starting weapon. Its built-in compass and ammo counter haven't changed. It excels against unarmored Grunts and for finishing off an Elite that's already lost its shields, but quickly loses effectiveness beyond 15 meters. The real pitfall: bloom during sustained fire — favor bursts of 6 to 10 rounds to stay effective at mid-range.

M6D Pistol (Magnum)

Faction: UNSC · Type: 12.7×40mm SAPHE (armor-piercing / explosive) semi-automatic pistol · Magazine: 12 rounds · Damage: 25 per round · Optic: KFA-2 2x smart-link scope · Headshot bonus: one-shot kill on unshielded targets. The cult weapon of the CE campaign retains its status as the headshot queen. On a Grunt, a Jackal (the window between shield and helmet), or a shield-depleted Elite, a single well-placed round is enough. Against Hunters, it's used to snipe the orange spot on the back or belly. Keep it in almost every mission.

SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle

Faction: UNSC · Type: 14.5mm APFSDS anti-materiel sniper rifle · Magazine: 4 rounds · Optic: 4x and 10x zoom · Headshot bonus: one-shot on unshielded infantry, two rounds on an Elite. The SRS99 remains the long-range benchmark. Two rounds to take down a major Elite (one for the shield, one for the head). Against a Hunter, aim for the exposed neck between the armor plates. Ammo is scarce: save it for the open-ended missions (The Silent Cartographer, Assault on the Control Room, Halo).

M90 Shotgun

Faction: UNSC · Type: 8 gauge shotgun · Magazine: 12 shells · Range: very short. The M90 is the Flood's weapon. Within three meters, one shot is enough on a combat form; two on a carrier form. It also tears through charging Brutes (Operation: Meteorite bonus missions). Against an Elite with its shield raised, plan for two shots at close range. Break it out from 343 Guilty Spark and The Library onward.

M41 SPNKr Rocket Launcher (Rocket Launcher)

Faction: UNSC · Type: dual 102 mm HEAT rocket launcher · Magazine: 2 rockets · Optics: x2 with vehicle lock-on. One rocket obliterates a Wraith, a Ghost, a Banshee, or a Hunter with a direct hit. Rare and precious, it handles crowds of grouped Elites and blows up Shade turrets. Watch the minimum range: the shockwave will kill you within five meters.

M7 SMG

Faction: UNSC · Type: 5×23 mm submachine gun · Magazine: 60 rounds · Range: short. A newcomer from Halo 2 reintegrated by the remake, the SMG excels in crossfire with a plasma pistol (a technique known as the "Noob Combo"): plasma charge to pop the shield, SMG burst to finish. Ideal against waves of Flood fighting at close range in the corridors of The Library.

BR55 Battle Rifle (Battle Rifle)

Faction: UNSC · Type: 9.5×40 mm three-round burst rifle · Optics: x2. Exclusive to the Operation: Meteorite bonus missions. The BR55 fills the mid-range gap that was sorely missing from the original sandbox. Three bursts for an Elite's shield, a fourth burst for the head. Prioritize it whenever it's available in the prequel mission with Johnson.

M9 Fragmentation Grenade

Type: short-fuse explosive grenade · Effect: bounce, delayed detonation. The frag is the weapon of angles: it bounces under cover, flushes out Grunts from behind a crate, and cuts short a group of Elites' charge. Against a Hunter, a frag slipped under the abdomen exposes the orange back for a follow-up shot.

Covenant Weapons: Plasma, Crystal, and Energy

Plasma Pistol (Type-25 Plasma Pistol)

Faction: Covenant · Type: semi-automatic plasma pistol · Ammo: 100% battery · Alt-fire: slow charge that drains 60% of the battery but delivers an instant EMP to shields and vehicles. It's the trigger for the signature combo: charge → finishing shot with the pistol or the BR. Against a Ghost or a Wraith, the charge knocks out the engine and enables a hijack.

Plasma Rifle (Type-25 Plasma Rifle)

Faction: Covenant · Type: automatic plasma weapon · Ammo: 100% battery. The plasma rifle breaks energy shields faster than any UNSC weapon. Use it in bursts of ten to fifteen shots to avoid overheating, then switch to ballistic weapons. Effective against major Elites, less so against Hunters (plasma resistance).

Needler (Type-33 Needler)

Faction: Covenant · Type: automatic guided crystal launcher · Magazine: 20 needles. The Needler regains its supercombine: seven needles planted on the same target trigger a fatal pink explosion. Formidable against shieldless Elites, Jackals, and Brutes. Ineffective against the Flood (the needles pass through without properly sticking) and wasted on Hunters.

Energy Sword (Type-1 Energy Sword)

Faction: Covenant · Type: plasma blade · Ammunition: battery · Attack: lock-on lunge at 3-4 meters. Major remake addition: it can now be picked up by the Chief in the main campaign, something that was never possible back in 2001. One-shot against infantry, including Elites with their shields raised. Worth keeping as a secondary in The Library to cut down looping Flood combat forms.

Covenant Sniper Rifle (Type-50 Beam Rifle)

Faction: Covenant · Type: charged beam rifle · Ammunition: battery (10 full-charge shots) · Scope: x5 and x10. A newcomer to the campaign, it functionally replaces the SRS99 when it runs dry. Watch out for overheating if you chain shots — leave two seconds of cooldown between each headshot.

Needle Rifle (Type-51 Needle Rifle)

Faction: Covenant · Type: semi-automatic heavy needle rifle. Not homing, but each needle hits harder and a three-hit supercombine is possible on fragile targets. Best situation: medium range against Grunts and Jackals, saving human ammunition.

Fuel Rod Cannon (Type-33 Fuel Rod Cannon)

Faction: Covenant · Type: propelled shell launcher · Magazine: 5 shots. The remake finally lets the player pick it up from special Grunts and Hunters (in the 2001 version, it was reserved for enemies). Curved trajectory that requires anticipation to correct. Excellent against tight groups of Elites and light vehicles; less energy per shot than an M41 rocket launcher but visually faster to reload.

Plasma Grenade (Type-1)

Type: sticky plasma grenade. It sticks to living targets and vehicles. A single stuck grenade kills an Elite with shield raised, a Hunter (aim for the exposed neck), and a Ghost. It's the ultimate individual anti-armor tool, best kept in reserve for mini-bosses.

Weapons added or expanded by the remake

Nine weapons join the historic arsenal. Three categories set them apart: Covenant/UNSC guests integrated into the main campaign, Brute weapons reserved for Operation: Meteorite, and the sole Forerunner representative.

Sentinel Beam (Z-130 Sentinel Beam) — Forerunner

Faction: Forerunner · Type: continuous energy beam · Ammo: 100% cell · Drawback: overheats if fired for more than three seconds. It first appears when encountering the Sentinels in 343 Guilty Spark and especially in Two Betrayals. Against the Flood, it's the perfect weapon: it vaporizes swarms of infection forms and cuts combat forms in half at mid-range.

Brute Plasma Rifle (Type-25 Brute Plasma Rifle)

A red, overcharged and unstable version of the plasma rifle. Higher rate of fire, higher damage per shot, overheats twice as fast. Exclusive to Operation: Meteorite, the prequel arc where the Chief faces off against Brutes alongside Sergeant Johnson.

Spiker (Type-25)

Faction: Brute · Type: automatic spike launcher · Magazine: 40 spikes · Melee: side-mounted bayonets. Devastating against unshielded targets and already-weakened Elites. The front blade makes melee attacks three times more punishing — useful in the tight corridors of Operation: Meteorite.

Meta combinations: which pair for which mission

The remake keeps the Chief's two-weapon-slot rule. Here are the combos that have proven themselves on Legendary:

• Pillar of Autumn: MA5B + M6D. The corridors limit range, and the pistol drops Elites in one shot after an MA5B rush.
• Halo: M6D + Plasma Pistol. The charge-headshot combo pays off from the very first open fields.
• The Truth and Reconciliation: SRS99 + Plasma Pistol. Sniper Elites incoming, EMP charge as backup for close-range patrols.
• The Silent Cartographer: M6D + Rocket Launcher. The beach Hunters go down with one well-placed rocket, the M6D handles the rest.
• Assault on the Control Room: Battle Rifle (if carried over from Meteorite via progression) or SRS99 + plasma rifle for Elites on Banshees.
• 343 Guilty Spark / The Library: M90 Shotgun + Energy Sword. The ultimate anti-Flood combination, with the Sentinel Beam as a substitute once it appears.
• Two Betrayals: Sentinel Beam + Fuel Rod Cannon. Against Sentinels AND Flood at the same time.
• Keyes: M90 + Plasma Pistol. Infested corridors, Flood Elite shields to break quickly.
• The Maw: MA5B + Rocket Launcher. The Warthog sequence demands punch and volume of fire.

Against Elites, Hunters, Flood: what to equip

Each race in the bestiary has a preferred weapon. The mental cheat sheet to remember:

• Grunts: MA5B, SMG, Needler, Plasma Pistol. Anything gets the job done. M6D headshot to save ammo.
• Jackals: M6D through the shield window or overloaded plasma. Avoid pure plasma rifle fire (the shield deflects it).
• Elites (red/gold): charged Plasma Pistol + M6D headshot combo. Alternative: sticky plasma grenade, lunging Energy Sword, Needler for a supercombine.
• Hunters: M41 rocket launcher (one rocket to the back), sticky plasma grenade on the orange back, SRS99 to the neck, otherwise M6D pistol on the exposed abdominal area.
• Brutes (Operation: Meteorite): M90 Shotgun at point-blank range, their own Spiker turned against them, Energy Sword.
• Sentinels: charged Plasma Pistol for the EMP, then MA5B or Sentinel Beam. Bonus plasma grenade if the swarm is tightly packed.
• Flood (combat forms): M90, Sword, Sentinel Beam. Avoid the M6D (bullets aren't enough for the continuous stream).
• Flood (carrier forms): M90 from a safe distance, frag grenade to avoid the wave of infection forms.
• Flood (infection forms): melee, Sentinel Beam, wide SMG sweeps.
• Covenant vehicles: charged Plasma Pistol + hijack (new to the remake on the Wraith), otherwise rocket or plasma grenade.

Conclusion

With seventeen playable weapons and two grenade types, Halo: Campaign Evolved offers the most fully stocked sandbox ever attached to the Chief's original campaign. The historic MA5B / M6D / Plasma Pistol trio remains the backbone, but the addition of the SMG, the BR55, the pickable Energy Sword, the Sentinel Beam, and the Fuel Rod Cannon on the player's side opens up combinations impossible back in 2001. Our advice for a first Legendary run: master the Plasma Pistol + M6D combo, always keep an anti-Flood weapon in your back pocket from 343 Guilty Spark onward, and never forget that a sticky plasma grenade solves in one second a problem an entire magazine wouldn't fix.