M19 SSM Rocket Launcher

Were you also looking for the M19-B SAM Missile Launcher, mentioned in Ghosts of Onyx, or the M41 SSR MAV/AW Rocket Launcher, used in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach ?

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The M19 SSM Rocket Launcher^[1]^[2]^[3] alternatively called the Jackhammer, or SPNKr is a United Nations Space Command heavy ordnance weapon. It appears in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. It also makes an appearance in Halo Wars as the Marine's secondary ability, the Rebel Infantry's passive ability and used by Marine passengers on a Hornet.

Design Details

M19 Schematic.

The M19 SSM is the UNSC's primary anti-vehicle weapon that is often used in ground engagements. It fires a 102mm Shaped-Charge High-Explosive Surface to Surface Missile.^[4] The launcher has a 2x scope and can fire rockets over long distances with devastating accuracy, although it falls in altitude and moves at a very slow rate if fired from a long distance. The weapon consists of two disposable barrels and the weapon unit, allowing two consecutive shots. When reloading, the spent barrels are discarded and a new pair is inserted. With this mechanism, a Marine can greatly reduce the weight he carries without throwing the weapon away, and reduced production costs, as only the barrels are thrown away.

Advantages

The Rocket Launcher spreads a huge amount of damage over a large area. It is capable of taking out entire groups of infantry at any range and can kill both the passengers and crew of nearly any vehicle with the exception of the Scorpion Tank or Wraith, which takes two to three hits. It can even kill a Hunter in one hit. For an anti-tank weapon it is capable of inflicting massive damage to tanks because of its ability to quickly launch two consecutive shots.

Disadvantages

Several things counterbalance the M19's sheer power. The rocket, though powerful, is implemented in-game as an anti-vehicle weapon and was not designed for engaging infantry. Thus its reload time is quite slow, taking about three to five seconds for the M19 to be fully reloaded. The rockets leave a trail of smoke in their wake, giving away the operator's position and necessitating a fire-and-displace strategy of engagement. Ammunition is often limited or unavailable, and the operator can carry only 6 extra rockets at once, for a total of 8 rounds. The speed of the rocket itself is slow. A skilled user can be effective against a moving target at medium to long range. The biggest disadvantage to the operator is the blast range of a rocket; if fired too close the splash damage can severely injure or kill its operator if fired carelessly into surrounding terrain or at an enemy. An explosion near a rocket in flight will cause it to deflect. Deflected rockets tumble end over end, and will explode if they strike an object.

Influences

On the side of the M19, the labeling on the launcher and the rectangular cases that contain rocket ammunition has the words SPNKr. The M19 SSM is essentially a Halo Universe copy of the SPNKR-X17/18 SSM Launcher (Lazyboy) from Marathon. The word "SPNKr" is a short abbreviation of the word Spanker and the line serves as an inside joke for both fans and Bungie of their former series.

Changes from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 2

Different firing sound effect.
Faster reload.
Faster melee.
Locks on to vehicles.
Ammunition indicated in scope when zoomed in.
HUD ammo indicator illustration changed.
Less firepower and splash damage.
Slightly different reload sound effect

Tactics

Campaign

In the level Assault on the Control Room, it is best to refrain from using the rocket launcher unless going up against light and heavy armor like the Wraith and the Ghost.
In Halo 2, during the level Outskirts, the large outpost at the last section of the beach contains lots of rocket ammo. These can be handy when trying to kill enemies in vehicles or giving to a marine.
The Flood sometimes use rocket launchers on the levels The Library and Two Betrayals. It is best to engage them at long ranges as their accuracy with rocket launchers at close range is good. Be wary around choke points and narrow hallways. One always seems to be stationed at areas such as these.

Multiplayer

When attacking an enemy Warthog or Ghost with the rocket launcher, wait until the vehicle approaches. Get a slight lead on it before pulling the trigger. You don't need that much of a lead: about the size of the targeting reticule will suffice, depending on how far away the target is.
The rockets take a while to reload, make sure you find a safe place before filling the launcher. If you are compromised, pull out your secondary weapon to fend off any opponents.
Rockets are more for counter vehicle purposes, but are still quite valuable for their instant kill against infantry in a large splash damage radius.
Often during the start of the match there is often a rush for rockets. Try to stay back and cover your teammates by picking off single enemies and grenading groups, making the rockets ripe for claiming by one of your team.
In a game of Rockets, players often jump while firing. Timing to fire where the player lands is critical. If done right you can send many to their inevitable deaths.

Trivia

SPARTANs hold the weapons with two hands, but Elites, due to their tremendous strength, only hold it with one hand.
The M19 SSM Rocket Launcher has a "test" button that, when pressed, spins the barrels around. This animation only happens when the player is idle.
In the novel Halo: The Flood, Hunters can actually deflect (that is, redirect) rockets with their shields. This is highly improbable, as the rocket explodes the moment it comes in contact with anything, unless it is hit at its side. John-117 performed a similar feat with the help of Cortana during a test on Reach.
In Halo 2, if a player drives a vehicle to the top of the hill in a given map, and another player stands a certain distance away, locks on, drags the aiming reticule away to a certain point, and releases, the rocket will actually fly around the vehicle in a perfect circle until something gets in the way or the hill player moves. Furthermore, if the player in the vehicle gets out, the rocket will stop homing on to the vehicle and fly off at a random circular trajectory. This is also seen in Halo 3 with the missile pod.
While your shields are upgraded to Overshield status, aim at the ground, jump, and fire a rocket at your jumps peak to be given a moderate jump boost. This is because the explosive shock wave of the rocket launcher causes you to fly a little, but is also only possible because during the short time (around 2.5 seconds) that your overshields charge, you are temporarily invincible.
Strangely, the M19 is written as "M41 SSR MAV/AW" in-game.
The Rocket Launcher in Halo 2 prevents weapons from being carried over in two-part levels.
The Halo PC manual falsely states that the M19 SSM Rocket Launcher has 8x magnification even though in-game only 2x is available.