MISSILE POD

   The LAU-65D/SGM-151, also known as the Missile Pod, is a portable United Nations Space Command infantry weapon. It is a missile-launching weapon, and holds up to eight small, highly explosive missiles when released from its tripod. The Missile Pod is capable of locking onto vehicle or turret position targets.

Model: UNSC LAU-65D/SGM-151 Missile Pod
Type: Missile launcher
Scale: Speeder
Skill: Missile Weapons: Missile Pod
Rate of Fire: 1
Ammo:
-Launch Tubes: 16
-Storage/Reload: 24
Cost:
-Weapon: 5,560 cR
-Missiles: 150 cR (per missile)
Availability: 3, X
Range (Target Lock): 25-100/200/400m
Missile Speed: 400m per round
Range Difficulty: Easy/Moderate/Difficult
Damage: 5D
-Volleyfire: 6D to 10D+2 (see below)

GAME NOTES:

-TARGET LOCK: If the gunner stays on a single target vehicle for 1 round, the Missile Pod grants a +3D bonus to hit the target.  This bonus remains as long as the target stays within range of the target lock, does not Dodge out of the lock (Very Difficult), or does not put another object between it and the gunner to break line-of-site.  If missiles miss the target, they have a skill of 5D to hit the target again next round.  If the target lock is lost, these missiles do not reengage the target unless the lock is reacquired before they get out of range.  The gunner can fire more missiles to add to a volley (and Damage) while a target lock is active in later rounds, but limited to a max of 16 missiles.

-HUD/CNI: When using a Heads Up Display (HUD) or Command Neural Interface (CNI) to work with this weapon's electronics suite, the user gains a +1 to their skill when using the weapon.  This stacks with any other bonuses, such as modifications to the weapon to increase Fire Control (+1, above), other equipment, etc.  These also display various information on the weapon, such as ammo count, targeting reticule, overheating and other general relevant information.

-RATE OF FIRE: This weapon can fire consecutive missiles quickly in succession.  When using "Multiple Actions" to fire several missiles in one combat round, instead of -1D per extra action, it is instead like reversing the rules for Fire-Linking (see Star Wars RPG Revised Rulebook).  The first extra shot is -1D, and every extra shot past that is -1 pip (with every -3 pips being -1D).  This allows the gunner to potentially make several Damage rolls in 1 round.

-VOLLEYFIRE:  This weapon is capable of firing many missiles in a single attack to do more damage.  If the Volleyfire option is used, the user designates how many missiles are fired together (between 2 to its maximum payload of 16!!!) and it counts as a single attack.  The damage is the base damage (5D) +1D for the first extra missile (6D) and then +1 for every extra missile after that, just as the Fire-Linking rules in Star Wars RPG Revised Rulebook (every 3 pips counts as 1D).

-HEAVY: Operator's Speed is half (or less); Dodge is -4D, or can immediately drop the weapon to make a full dodge.

- - - - - - - - - -

OPERATION

   The mounted version of the Missile Pod can be seen in the Campaign level The Storm in Halo 3, and again in NMPD HQ in Halo 3: ODST. When mounted, it has an infinite amount of ammo. The Missile Pod can carry eight rounds when detached, which are less powerful than the Rocket Launcher, but it can fire continuously without the need for reloading. In its mounted form, the Missile Pod is used by Marines as a rocket-powered mortar by firing its missiles vertically into the sky. This allows the missiles to hit targets from above, inflicting maximum damage and leaving less time for the target to avoid the strike; however, in its mounted form, it can't hit targets on the ground up close easily (it will just fire up into the air and do no damage).

   Once the missile is fired, it will travel about five meters before becoming self-propelled. This, along with the pod's ability to maintain a lock even when there's an obstacle (such as a small hill in Valhalla) between the pod and the target, means the wielder can fire at an upward angle, giving the missile enough vertical clearance to fly over the hill and into the target.

   It is also effective against foot-bound stationary targets (such as an enemy sniper); the missile's high speed means that even if the target hears the missile, he or she may not be able to react in time. This is most effective at short and medium range, mostly because it is harder to see an enemy at long ranges, much less determining if one is moving. One of the best anti-vehicle tactics is to lock on, aim up in the air, and fire; however, its low ammo capacity when unmounted means it should be used sparingly. Also, on Valhalla, a possible tactic is to carry the missile pod into the Man Cannon while firing at an enemy. The enemy will most likely not see you and will die confused, leaving you able to repeat the trick.

WRITE-UP NOTES

   The LAU-65D/SGM-151 Missile Pod has had some of its details modified for this write-up entry.  The main item is its Ammunition.  Where in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST the Missile Pod has only eight missiles to be used, this does not fit its design.

   If one looks closely at the front of the weapon, they can see exit ports for individual rockets around the conical shape of the weapon's front.  Looking at various pictures online of screenshots taken when the weapon fires, it is obvious that the Missile Pod does NOT fire from the center of the front cone like many think, but from these exit ports that circle around it.  There are sets of two ports, one in front near the cone tip and another directly behind it closer to the edge of the cone.  These paired ports circle around the cone for eight (8) pairs, amounting to sixteen (16) exit ports all together.  If you consider that each exit port houses a single missile, then this is the total amount of ammunition, which is fitting with modern technology as missiles loaded behind other missiles in the same launch tube would either be detonated by the blow-back, or melted from the heat and rendered useless.

   However, considering the length and design of the weapon, it has a long, tubular shape where the missiles are housed, and a larger shape that protrudes around the forward section like a pair of triangles, one to either side.  The forward section around the tube could simply be targeting equipment that locks on to targets and guides the missiles.  The long tube itself looks like it could house many more missiles within itself than an ammo capacity of eight (8) or sixteen (16) would indicate.  So, if one takes this into consideration, then here is how I am doing this write-up: The end piece of the tube section looks to be somewhat separate from the main body, as there is a thinner divider between it and the rest of the tube.  This shall be part of a storage and reload mechanism, where all the strips seen around this end-piece will open up to receive fresh missiles to cycle into the ammo storage section.  The end piece can hold two missiles per strip, equaling sixteen (16) total, a full reload for the weapon.  This would make its ammo capacity thirty-two (32!).

   I am tinkering with the idea that the Missile Pod could hold two full reloads to its capacity of sixteen, with one full reload being stored in the very end of the weapon and another within the mid-section, waiting to be "cycled" through a mechanism into the launch tubes after each has fired its payload.  This would give a gunnery crew a steady pace to load fresh ammunition into the weapon from the rear reload/storage section, which begins cycling through from the storage in the rear into the reload cycle in the middle, and finnaly into any of the launch tubes in the front.  The rear storage section could also rotate as it is being reloaded, with ever reload strip hatch sending the missiles it receives to a specific launch tube.

   For game balance, the storage section in the rear could hold eight (8) missiles, with the reload section holding another eight (8), making the total ammunition of the weapon thirty-two (32).  If each section holds sixteen missiles, then the ammunition for the Pod would be forty-eight (48).  My write-up will have sixteen in the launch tubes, sixteen more in the storage section, and another eight in the middle reload section.  So my version will have a total of forty (40!!!) missiles when fully loaded.

   The Missile Pod will need a single action to reload two missiles, and a full-round action to reload eight missiles.  If the full-round reload is interrupted (such as a need to Dodge), then only two missiles are reloaded.  Two full-round actions will be needed to fully reload the weapon.  If a gunnery crew of two are operating the weapon, then one can use their actions every round to be reloading the weapon from the storage section in the rear, giving the weapon a continuous stream of missiles (technically unlimited, as long as the source of ammo holds out).

TRIVIA
-On Heroic difficulty, it takes eight rounds of the LAU-65D/SGM-151 to destroy a Phantom; however, it only takes four missiles to the rear section to destroy it because the engines will go critical, which will end up destroying the rest.
-If you give the Missile Pod to the Arbiter during single player campaign by killing him and dropping the pod at his feet, he'll be able to lock onto infantry with the Missile Pod.
-The LAU-65D/SGM-151's missile is considerably weaker than the M41's ordnance, taking two missiles to destroy a Warthog.
-The maximum magazine size of a Missile Pod can be changed in Forge. However, this has no effect on the weapon's actual ammo capacity, which is always 8. Similarly, you can't spawn missile pods mounted on turrets, probably for game balancing reasons, since a missile pod with infinite ammo is a tremendous defensive advantage.
-The Missile Pod can be used to do the Halo 2 "Ring of Rockets" trick.
-Too Close To The Sun is a Halo 3 multiplayer achievement. It is awarded for destroying a Banshee in either campaign or a ranked multiplayer playlist with a Spartan Laser or Missile Pod. Unlocking this achievement will give you the Scout Body for Spartan Armor Customization. It is represented by a red ten-pointed star with a brown-winged white star.
-In Multiplayer, if a vehicle is locked onto by a Missile Pod, the driver, gunner, or passenger, should hear a droning/buzzing/beeping noise from their HUD as a warning to get out of the vehicle.
-Although it is a weapon, the Missile Pod acts more like a vehicle, and is classed as one in the game code. This is likely because turrets are vehicles, and the portable (detached) Missile Pod could be classified as a vehicle which you "enter", with the strings edited to display "pick up" instead of "drive/operate/ride". The latter, however, is unlikely since you could "exit" it by pressing Y or melee, or any other action that would make you drop a dual-wielded weapon, since support weapons have nearly the same mechanics (not tactics) with dual-wielding weapons, with the exception of the fact that you have two weapons when dual-wielding, and that your maneuverability is not affected when dual-wielding.

OTHER INFO
Production Information:
-Manufacturer: UNSC
-Model: LAU-65D/SGM-151
-Type: Missile Launcher
Technical Specifications:
-Size: Support Weapon
-Damage Per Hit: Medium to High
-Magazine Size: 8 (Unmounted, hand-held); Unlimited (Mounted like a mortar)
-Maximum Ammunition: 8
-Ammunition Type: Guided Armor-Piercing Missile
-Rate of Fire: 2 missiles/second
-Range: Long
Usage:
Eras: Human-Covenant War
Affiliation: United Nations Space Command