 SPEAR GUN
"Covy plasma weapons don't mean much underwater. ?Luckily, we got that covered with sharp, pointy things."
-Anonymous ONI SpecOps agent.
?? The M111 Underwater Ranged Combat Engagement Weapon , a.k.a the M111 URCEW or the "Irk you", is the United Nations Space Command weapon of choice for operations involving underwater environments. ?Where firearms and other weapons are audibly or visibly noticeable, the M111, combined with a trusty bladed personal weapon, is much more quiet, putting stealth on the UNSC's side.
Model: UNSC M111 Underwater Ranged Combat Engagement Weapon (M111 URCEW)
Type: Spear gun
Scale: Character
Skill: Bows: Spear gun (or maybe Crossbow?)
Rate of Fire: 1, full-round reload
Ammo: 1
Cost:
-Gun: 345 cR
-Spear: 30 cR
-Wire Spool: 50 cR
Availability: 2, F
Range:
-Ground: 1-5/15/30
-Underwater: 1-5/10/20
Range Difficulty: Easy/Moderate/Difficult
Damage:
-Ranged: 7D
-Melee: Str+3D
GAME NOTES:
-BARBED: After a successful attack has been made with this weapon, any attempt to remove it improperly or move suddenly (such as running or Dodge) will cause another Damage roll to be made against the victim. ?Since it is lodged in place, armor is not added to the resistance roll. ?A First Aid roll of Difficult or Medicine roll of Moderate will safely remove the projectile.
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DELETED MATERIAL: This item was a piece of material conceived during development of the game that eventually became Halo: Combat Evolved. ?Over the course of its creation, many ideas and concepts were thought of, tried and finally discarded from the final version of the game. ?The Spear Gun was one such item. ?As no definite information of its use or function were ever made official, this write-up entry is for the most part unofficial and made by someone unrelated to Bungie, Microsoft, 343 Industries or their affiliates.
DESIGN DETAILS
?? Spear guns, or harpoon guns, date back long before the 20th century in Earth history. ?Spears and harpoons are technically the same type of tool or weapon. ?One was used in combat and military tactics on the ground (spear), with the other being improvised for use on seagoing ships, more often for fishermen and merchants as a means of both defending from pirates and for catching fish and other, larger animals for food. ?More the latter.
?? Being something similar to a crossbow and slingshot, the spear gun was eventually created to replace hand thrown harpoons. ?The spear-like projectile was reduced in size, made lighter, yet more aerodynamic (hydrodynamic?). ?The tip is designed to both aid in accuracy as it travels through water, and for penetration upon contact when propelled by the launcher, or forced by hand. ?It also has a barbed shape to the head, so that when it penetrates soft surfaces or tissues, it will lodge itself in place. ?If it is removed improperly, it will cause further damage as it exits the wound. ?Also, it the victim has to move suddenly, such as trying to escape the attackers, they still run the risk of causing further damage.
???The launcher itself is made of rugged materials, much like a firearm, designed with simplicity in mind. ?The spring bands that launch the spear-projectile are made of durable rust-proof memory alloys that have both flexibility and strength in recoil to fit the purpose of the weapon. ?Overall, the spear gun was designed with stealth in mind, being barely audible when used, with the entirety of the launcher and projectiles covered in matte black for low visibility at night or in deep waters.
?? Simply put, the common spear gun used by marine explorers and fishermen has been adopted by the UNSC military and redesigned to be a more efficient killing weapon.
?? The Spear Gun's main purpose is as a preferable and reliable weapon to use in operations involving underwater terrain, such as infiltration via SCUBA.
?? It's preferable to firearms because firearms aren't very good when submerged. ?Some will work even underwater, but are still too noticeable by the report of their discharges or by muzzle flash. ?Spear guns are much more quiet, both in and out of the water. ?This gives operators of these weapons a degree of stealth that firearms would not, even while using suppressors. ?Also, though they must be reloaded after every shot, their silent use would give operators the time to quietly take out enemies one at a time, as long as they were not noticed missing.
?? Spear guns are more reliable than firearms simply for the fact that their design is much simpler and less likely to jam, so long as they are used appropriately. ?Unlike firearms, they are also designed specifically for underwater use. ?The worst that is likely to happen with the weapon is having one of the bands snap off or tear apart. ?With proper maintenance, this is unlikely to ever happen. ?However, if the weapon is damaged in combat, this could occur and cause a momentary problem. ?If the soldier survives the encounter, this is solved simply by replacing the band with a spare, Which would be standard issue for such missions.
TACTICS
?? The most common tactic with the spear gun is to sneak upon an unsuspecting enemy who is isolated from their allies, and skewer them quietly with the projectile. ?Experienced operators will make called shots to the head or throat to further reduce the chance of the target alerting others to the presence of intruders.
?? Once this has been done, the operator is more likely to switch to a different weapon that is better suited to combat out of the water. ?They will most likely have a water-proof bag or satchel of some kind containing mission-specific equipment. ?SMGs are perfect for such operations as they usually involve close quarters, stealth, and the need to travel light. ?SMGs can be outfitted with equipment to make them perfect for the job, as they are compact, light, and usually can be disassembled to take up even less space. ?The spear gun, once used to gain entry to a designated point on or near water, is less useful when on ground only.
?? Another tricky tactic is to attach a wire spool to the spear projectile and use it for sneaky attacks. ?The operator uses the water to sneak near an enemy target, then once in range, hit them with the projectile. ?Once embedded in the enemy, the barbed tip will help lodge it in place. ?The operator the pulls on the wire to (hopefully) yank the enemy into the water. ?As the target may have their hands wrapped around the projectile, this will help anchor it when they are pulled. ?Once in the water, the enemy can be dispatched quickly with a knife or other means, and left in the water to dispose of the evidence of intrusion. ?This tactic works much better with a called shot to the head/neck because it will silence the target before being pulled into the water, while also securing the projectile more firmly as it may over-penetrate and use the barbs to secure itself on other side. ?While possibly not as quiet, the arms and legs can be used for this anchoring maneuver as well.
?? Further moves involve using the spear gun, or just the spear, as a close combat weapon. ?The spear projectiles themselves make good stabbing weapons, at least if making a single attack. ?With their barbed tips, they could become lodged in a target and skip out of the hand. ?If used for stabbing, it should be a single move with all the strength behind it to drive it as deep as possible, then quickly switch to a different weapon.
?? Another move involves getting up close with the whole gun. ?The operator shoves the gun tip-first into a target, performing a Melee attack and stabbing them with the gun. ?They then immediately pull the trigger to cause further penetration. ?There have been rate recorded incidents of this move being performed and resulting in the spear being launched completely through the target to go flying off, either disappearing out of view (since they're used mostly at night for stealth), lodging into a wall, or in one case hitting another target in the throat just as they were about to call for help. ?The operator of the last case was NOT aware of the presence of the second individual until after he heard them gurgling.
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