Halo: Combat Evolved Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: Ode to the Plasma Pistol
  • Subject: Ode to the Plasma Pistol
Subject: Ode to the Plasma Pistol
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

I have long been posting when it is appropriate as to the sheer utility of the Plasma Pistol in CE, admitting that for the first year of my playing I avoided it like the plague.

This week, I have embarked on a quest to do something I have not done as of yet: complete the entire campaign using nothing more than melee, plasma pistol and grenades. I have finished Guilty Spark doing this over the weekend, not one shotty round fired (kept if for melee's, I like the animation). I have also paused my game today at the grav lift in T & R, finding it no problem to make it that far with only the PP being fired.

On levels where you start with weapons other than the PP you just have to find some grunty fool and take his, a nice grenade or melee will do the trick and you are ready to roll! Once they are dead it is not like they are arguing about who gets to hold their nice shiny green-spitting toy.

The only real concern I have is parts of the campaign where I find myself in the seat of a Banshee. I have a strategy to deal with Banshees from the ground using either plasma grenade tags or PP shots. The only real hassle is going to be during 2 Betrayals, around the tower with the Banshees that engage you while you are in the air around the top of the tower. I figure I will have to get them to chase me to the ground and exit the Banshee, then take them out with the aforementioned 'nades and PP shots. There are not alot of PP's in certain parts of the game, it should be a challenge! But, after all, isn't that what this type of game play is all about?

  • 01.26.2010 10:20 AM PDT

*claps*

  • 01.27.2010 12:21 AM PDT

What difficulty are you planning on playing? I was thinking that I would never be able to clear Belly of the Beast with only nades and the PP if playing Legendary.

  • 01.27.2010 5:05 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

What, there are other levels of difficulty other than Legendary? It is on Leg, and you have to use the side tunnel and bait the sword elites up there to tag them with plasmas. You cannot approach the game with the normal run and gun strategies, you have to play a tad more cautious. The idea behind this approach and others like it is to make you play the same game in different ways, it is like buying 1 game and getting 10! Who wouldn't like that!

  • 01.27.2010 7:29 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Update:

I am not doing levels in order but I have now done T & R, Silent Cart and half of AotCR in this way. It is the flood levels that will take the most work, other than GS, you do not need the shotty as much in that level, and I have already completed that one in this manner. I am ready for alot of backpedaling and firing from concealed positions to make this whole campaign run work!

  • 01.28.2010 8:19 AM PDT

Posted by: KamelToad
What difficulty are you planning on playing? I was thinking that I would never be able to clear Belly of the Beast with only nades and the PP if playing Legendary.
Oh, that's easy. I do that all the time, with no Marines dead. At that close ranges and with 0 PR elites, the PP is pretty much the best weapon for the situation. What else could you do anyways? Snipe? Okay, I need to snipe the hunters.

The PP is your primary tool for all the covenant infantry encounters pre-shotty. Dropping the pistol is a small drawback, but doesn't really hurt that much.

  • 01.30.2010 5:33 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Update time.........Boy was 2 betrayals a BITC!!!! to complete with just PP, grenades and melee! The worst parts were the 2nd pulse generator, getting out after blowing it took me 15 times! The next worst was the end battle trying to get the banshee, there are just not that many plasma pistols other than those you can get during the battle at the ice pond and those you can make fly to yourself by tossing grenades beyond jackals and having them ricochet back to you. Keyes is down right easy so far, back on board and headed to the Captain!

  • 02.03.2010 10:32 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Bungie.net member Since 2001

"A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the world will speak for him"
"You are the last of your kind: bred for combat, built for war. You're the master of any weapon, pilot of any vehicle, and fear no enemy"

Sounds difficult... good luck on getting that done. :)

  • 02.03.2010 1:00 PM PDT

no. nonono

Good luck son.

  • 02.03.2010 3:59 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

It is the flood parts that are tough, when you are in close quarters with not alot of room to back away and tossing a nade just gets you killed. I have finished it though, all the way through, all levels.

  • 02.04.2010 9:07 AM PDT

Glory to Jesus Christ

Posted by: womyfts
It is the flood parts that are tough, when you are in close quarters with not alot of room to back away and tossing a nade just gets you killed. I have finished it though, all the way through, all levels.
That sounds pretty damn tough. I'll have to try that out.

Did you use the pistol itself or grenades more?

  • 02.06.2010 8:42 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

I would say that I used the plasma pistol more overall. There are certain things that are more fun to watch blow up though!

There are certain parts of the game where you do not have access to a PP until you forcibly take one from a Grunt. Those are the hardest parts to do without losing alot of health, most notably the start of AotCR. If you do not take out the Elites that come through the door with your 4 frags, it is almost impossible to get that first PP.

Overall, it was a lot of fun to do. I had done levels in this manner before, but not the whole campaign, certainly not as many Banshees taken out this way. If you attempt it, just remember you have to change alot of your strategies on how you would normally approach certain situations.

  • 02.08.2010 9:46 AM PDT