Type-31 Needle Rifle

The Type-31 Rifle, also known as the Needle Rifle, is a Covenant infantry weapon that was used during the Battle of Reach.

Design Details
The Type-31 Rifle fires unconventional long and sharp projectiles similar to the Needler. The projectiles detonate several seconds after coming to rest in soft tissue.

The weapon is, even though most players use it as a semi auto, a fully automatic, medium-to-long range, headshot-capable, two-hand rifle. Unlike the Needler, however, the needles do not "home", or track on the enemy, they fire in a straight line, similar to the M392 Designated Marksman Rifle. It seems very similar in appearance and functionality to the Covenant Carbine along with the barrel of a Beam Rifle. The Needle Rifle will disable an enemy's shield in Multiplayer after 6 rounds hit the target instead of the 4 needed to take out a shield using the DMR. These needles will explode, killing the victim, similar to the Needler.

The reload process for the Needle Rifle is very similar to that of the Covenant Carbine. The scope for the weapon acts as a hatch which flips open to expose a small canister that flies out upon opening, and then a new one is put in by the user. The only difference between the reloads for the Carbine and the Needle Rifle is that the clip for the Carbine is not covered up by any sort of hatch or door, which in the case of the Needle Rifle is its scope.