Type-52 Guided Munitions Launcher/Explosive

The Type-52 Guided Munitions Launcher/Explosive (T52 GML/E), more commonly known as the Plasma Launcher, is a plasma-based explosive launcher used by the Covenant Empire during the Human-Covenant war.

Design Details
The weapon is capable of launching up to four large explosive plasma grenade-like bolts at a single target; these can be fired individually or all at once if charged for a short time. A plasma launcher with full battery is, in total, capable of firing up to twelve bolts, regardless of whether fired individually or in bursts. The bolts track vehicles and infantry in a similar way to the Needler, although slightly differently- a red circle will appear around a target to indicate the Launcher is "locked on". Note also that the Plasma Launcher has a 2.5x Zoom capability, better than the Human Rocket Launcher in fact, and when zoomed in, enables the user to lock onto targets from farther away than unzoomed. These bolts will continue to track even if the operator is killed or if the bolt is redirected by a gravity hammer. They will also stick to the target on impact, like plasma grenades. They also have a slight delay on them which makes the weapon very capable of "from the grave kills". The bolts have an arcing trajectory when fired over long distances. It has an appearance slightly similar to the Fuel Rod Gun, as they are both Covenant heavy weapons, though the Launcher is blue and the Fuel Rod Gun is brown/gold. The Plasma Launcher is carried in combat by high-ranking Grunts, Elites, and Brutes.

Trivia

 * The sound file for the Plasma Launcher was first released in the Bungie Weekly Update 1/29/10, with the title "Mystery Weapon", though it sounds subtly different in the final build of the game.
 * The Plasma launcher can be considered the Covenant equivalent of the Spartan Laser, as it requires a charge-up before firing, and is highly effective on vehicles. However, according to Chris Carney on "Game Trailers T.V. with Geoff Keighley," it is "the Covenant equivalent to the Human M319 Individual Grenade Launcher, firing four plasma-like bolts which stick like Plasma Grenades."
 * The Plasma Launcher can actually lock onto targets from incredible distances when using the 2.5X zoom capability; done right, it is fully capable of locking onto and hitting a slow moving vehicle from halfway across maps like Hemorrhage, for example.
 * With the recent addition of the Covenant Concussion Rifle as a counterpart to the Grenade Launcher, it appears that the Plasma Launcher can be considered more of a cross between the Spartan Laser and the Grenade Launcher than a direct counterpart to either weapon.
 * The weapon leans closer to the Spartan Laser due its sheer destructive power, its realative rarity, and its limited number of shots.
 * Unggoy Heavies can be seen wielding these on occasion in Campaign and Firefight depending on what difficulty has been picked. However in Firefight's Versus mode they can't be traded for a Plasma Pistol or a Needler, and most interestingly they're much smaller than the version wielded by the Sangheili. Unggoy SpecOps can also be seen wielding them on Legendary from time to time too, but not as commonly.
 * If the operator begins the "Charge Up" sequence, then wishes to cancel the firing sequence for whatever reason, swapping to their secondary weapon (should they have one) will cancel any grenades that have already been loaded/charged, and unlike the Plasma Pistol, no loss in battery level occurs.
 * The plasma launcher is capable of actually following a player if they go through a teleporter, redirecting itself to continue to track the target.
 * The Plasma launcher will continue to track an enemy even when the operator has died. This makes it the perfect weapon for getting a kill from the grave.
 * The plasma bolts fired by the Plasma Launcher are very similar to Plasma Torpedos, albeit much smaller.
 * When a player using the Sgt. Stacker firefight voice equips the Plasma Launcher, he will sometimes call it the "Tee Four Zero" rather than it's actual designation T-52.
 * The projectiles move incredibly slowly, and enemy soldiers can make an attempt to dodge these.

List of Appearances

 * Halo: Reach