Halo: Campaign Evolved ships with more than 17 weapons spread across the main campaign and bonus missions, a bigger arsenal than the original 2001 game it remakes. Nine weapons return from the classic experience, four are brand new, and four more only unlock through bonus missions. That variety is great, but it also means you will carry plenty of duds if you don't know which guns are actually worth keeping. After testing every weapon across different enemy types and combat ranges, here's the full picture.
Complete weapons tier list
The table below ranks all 17+ weapons by overall versatility, damage output, ease of use, and how well they hold up across different encounters. Weapons that only shine in one specific situation drop a tier or two even if their ceiling is high.
S-Tier Weapons
Full weapon tier rankings
Spiker
The Spiker is the most surprising weapon in the game. Locked behind a bonus mission, it rewards players who go off the main path with one of the most flexible guns in the campaign. Its core advantage is the ability to pin enemies against nearby surfaces, which removes their mobility and makes follow-up shots trivial. Shield stripping is fast, health drain follows quickly, and the front-mounted blades mean melee exchanges favor you heavily. Few weapons perform this well at both close and medium range without any real tradeoff.
S2 AM sniper rifle
The S2 AM returns from the original game and nothing about it has gotten worse. Single-shot damage is extreme, many enemies go down with one well-placed round, and the engagement range lets you stay far enough back that dangerous targets never get a chance to retaliate. Players who like to control positioning and pick their fights will get more out of this weapon than almost anything else in the game.
Key strengths of the S2 AM:
- One-shot elimination on most standard enemies
- Exceptional accuracy at long range
- Safe engagement distance against high-HP targets
- Reliable throughout the entire campaign, not just early missions
Spiker pins enemies to surfaces
T-31 needle rifle
The T-31 Needle Rifle is new to this game and also unlocks through a bonus mission. It shares DNA with the classic Needler but works differently in practice. The key mechanic: land three projectiles on the same enemy and they explode, dealing area damage to anything nearby. That combo potential at medium range, combined with a solid fire rate and decent close-range performance, puts it firmly in S tier. The Needler requires more shots for a similar result, which is why the T-31 ranks higher.
A-Tier Weapons
The four A tier weapons are not far behind the top three. The MA5B Assault Rifle handles general combat reliably with automatic fire that works on most enemy types. The Type-33 LLR Needler remains excellent for its homing projectiles, which punish enemies who try to dodge. The Type 1 Energy Sword is the go-to for aggressive players who close distance fast, delivering devastating melee damage. The M90 Shotgun clears close-range encounters better than almost anything else in the game.
None of these are wrong choices. They just have slightly narrower ideal scenarios than the S tier picks.
MA5B handles general combat well
B and C-Tier Weapons
Yes, with caveats. B tier weapons perform well in specific situations. The M19 SSM Rocket Launcher deals massive damage to powerful targets but carries limited ammunition, so it's a burst tool rather than a primary. The M6D Magnum is a solid precision option during the early game before better alternatives appear. The Type-25 CEP Plasma Rifle and Brute Plasma Rifle work fine against shielded enemies but fall off against tougher targets.
C tier weapons require more favorable circumstances to compete. The Particle Beam Rifle and Type-3rel Sentinel Beam have uses but neither justifies dropping a higher-tier option to carry them. The BR55 arrives as a bonus mission weapon but lands in C tier because the T-31 outperforms it in nearly every scenario where you'd reach for a precision rifle.
How many weapons are in Halo: Campaign Evolved?
The game includes more than 17 weapons total, broken down as follows:
- 9 weapons return from the original Halo: Combat Evolved
- 4 weapons are brand new additions
- 4 weapons unlock exclusively through bonus missions
That split means a first playthrough sticking only to the main campaign misses some of the strongest guns in the game. The Spiker and T-31 Needle Rifle both require bonus mission completion, which is a strong argument for doing every optional objective you come across. For a full look at what those bonus missions contain, the complete Skulls guide covers every modifier and unlock tied to optional content.
Bonus missions unlock S tier guns
What's the best weapon for each combat style?
The short answer for most players: carry the S2 AM for long-range work and the Spiker or MA5B for everything else. That pairing covers the widest range of encounters without leaving obvious gaps.
For more on the full campaign, the how long to beat guide breaks down main story and completionist run times, which is useful context for planning when to tackle bonus missions. If you're playing on PC and want the game running at its best while you experiment with the full arsenal, the best PC settings guide covers the optimal configuration for max performance. For everything else, the full Halo: Campaign Evolved strategy guide collection has you covered.