- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
You need good long range and short range. For long range, aguments can be made for the plasma pistol, human pistol, plasma rifle, and sniper rifle. (I lump the Rocket launcher in with the Scorpion, Banshee, Warthog and Ghost, as a special use weapon.) Given plenty of ammo, my choice for long range weapon, based on accuracy and versatility would be:
1.) (first choice) Sniper rifle (high power, 2X and 10X, scan-to-kill)
2.) M6 pistol (high power, 2X, scan-to-kill)
3.) Plasma pistol (overcharge capability against shields)
4.) Plasma rifle (fast "bullet" speed)
For reasonable game parameters (e.g., availability of ammo) the M6 is, hands down, the most versatile long range weapon. It is quite powerful and has a very decent clip size and max ammo allowance. Good against grunts, Jackals (aim for the shield slot), hunters, and (usually) elites. In the few cases where you might have trouble (facing off against an elite who has cover and you must close across a cover-less clearing) use 'nades to keep him out in the open, or switch out your short range weapon for the ubiquitous plasma pistol to take out his shield with an overcharge before the M6 finishes him off. (Then immediately dump the pp for your short range weapon.)
The only time you need a short range weapon is for confined spaces or when you can otherwise get overwhelmed by powerful or numerous enemies (e.g., you were ambushed, or your long range weapon can not keep up with the overwhelming flood of, er, Flood). In such cases the ONLY answer for short range one-on-one stopping power AND crowd control is: the shotgun. If the shotgun is simply not available, the sniper rifle (if ammo is plentiful), plasma rifle or plasma pistol will have to do. And I would have to rely on grenades much more heavily.
So, my choice is: M6 pistol / shotgun
EDIT: I am talking campaign mode. (For multiplayer, it is definitely sniper / shotgun, if available, followed by M6 / shotgun.)
[Edited on 8/9/2004 10:06:40 AM]