This part I edited and copied from my last guide.
Part 1: the Basics
The Conduit has a total of 12 weapons, and they fall into three separate group with a general theme, Human (conventional), Trust, and Drudge.
Human weapons:
Human weapons are based off weapons from the real world, and use ammo. There are 5 human weapons, making it the largest group. They are also the least "advanced", with only the simple function of firing straight and hurting the guy at the receiving end. Human Weapons can also be stocked up easily, as Human weapons Caches are easy to find and are always at your base (in Teams). Their grenade type is the Frag grenade.
Trust weapons:
Because the Trust have access to advanced weapons ordinary government sections don't have access to (for "reasons" that contain plot spoilers for even a simple adjective), their weapons are more "advanced" than human ones, but are less so than the Alien Drudge. Trust weapons use energy cells to power their sci-fi weapons. They also have stun grenades.
Drudge weapons:
Being Alien, their weapons also aesthetically show this with an organic feel. They are also the most "advanced" with Charge weapons for half of them and special stuff you can do with the Wii-mote with the other half. They have developed radiation Grenades which also uses Bio-mass.
Weapon Tier/level/whatyamacallit/(place good term here):
Along with 3 groups, Weapons also come in 3 levels of sort, 1 (which I call standard), 2 (advanced), and 3 (Power).
Level 1: Standard:
These weapons you almost always start out with, so finding them is not of an issue. They are typically the weakest weapons you have access to, and are generally ditched once better weapons are available. It isn't that they are bad, it's that they don't shine compared to other weapons in their group, and if that's not the case, it's that everyone else has one.
Level 2: Advanced:
Essentially a step up from the Standard weapons, they are relatively easy to find (if you remember where High voltage placed them) and are a step up from the weapons you start with in most game types. Occasionally, you do start with them (in game types like Near/Far), but in general, you need to find them. They do respawn fast, so if a person took one, you can just wait around a bit to get your own.
Level 3: Power:
There are only 3 weapons in this game that are power weapons, and for good reason. These are extremely powerful, able to kill with little effort, and can even kill multiple foes. They do not respawn quickly (if at all), and are found in the middle of the map, either in the middle of everything (like the streets), or under everything (Like the Pentagon). There is only ONE game type where you start with a power weapon, and that is the explosives one.
Level 1.5: Strike rifle:
The Drudge not only are trying to take over Earth, but they make it hard for us to classify their own weapons. On one hand, a good portion of the time, the Strike rifle is the weapon you start with, making it a standard weapon, but it is just too powerful to be classified as so. Sure, the Deatomizer can claim the same, but it doesn't shine against Trust weapons like The Strike Rifle does against Drudge weapons. As such, The Strike rifle is in it's own category Between Standard and advanced weapons.
Human weapons:
USP45:
Standard
The USP45 is the Conduit's Pistol, and shares pretty much every trait with every other pistol in every other FPS in existence (sans clip size and ammo count of course). This translates to a couple of good positives, and a couple of glaring weaknesses. As the standard secondary weapon for several weapon sets, the Pistol has an 18 round clip (the most of any FPS I have seen). It also is pretty accurate and can even headshot. The problem is that as good as it is, pretty much every weapon is better, and the decision of which weapon to keep almost always leaves the pistol at the short end of the stick (except with the shotgun in the Human weapon set). It just doesn't shine. Sure you can hit someone across the street, but the SCAR can do so better. Sure it takes a couple of headshots to kill someone, but the SCAR only needs 2, less than the pistol. It just doesn't shine.
MP5KA4:
Standard:
The MP5KA4 is a sub machine gun with a 32 round clip. Unlike pistols, SMGs aren't standardized, and outside rapidly firing weak rounds and loses accuracy when held, they are all over the board. Left 4 Dead's SMG is incredibly accurate, while Halo's is not. Halo's SMG can be dual wielded, while the TF2 Sniper's can't. The SMG in the conduit Holds 32 rounds, each individually weak, but do more damage when put together. Because it needs a lot of bullets to kill someone, you need to rapidly fire at someone to kill them. But this loses accuracy, so you should burst fire to hit them from afar. But this weakens it, so it is recommended to find some other weapon to use for far ranges. The SMG is sparred from the pistol only because the pistol is there. In close combat, or when Finding the shotgun, I actually trade this for another weapon. In the Human weapon set, this spares my pistol from being ditched at first sight.
SCAR:
Advanced:
The SCAR is extremely similar to the BR of Halo, both use 3 round burst, both can be used as (makeshift) sniper weapons, both can kill with 4 shots, and both have a 36 round clip (or 12 shots if you count for the fact that you use 3 of them at a time). The SCAR is a bit more powerful for a couple of reasons. 1: It can kill with 2 headshots, in contrast to the BR which needs 3 shots to deplete the shield and a 4th one to kill. 2: It holds DOUBLE the ammo of the BR. and 3: it is kinda cooler (IMO). This is the Human long range weapon, being able to serve as a sniper (and counter sniper) weapon. The real fault with the SCAR is at short range. It is not the best weapon for close combat, and keeping your SMG/switching to your other weapon is preferable to counter this.
SPAS 12:
Advanced:
As a shotgun, it is an FPS weapon everybody and their friends, even the ones who have never wielded any form of shotgun, knows how it works. It uses buckshot (although there are other round types, that can hit people farther), so it is outright lethal at close ranges but loses power with distance. It also reloads shots individually, coining the term "shotgun reloading", which refers to ANYTHING that has to be reloaded round by round instead of by a single clip. Also, it doesn't respawn as fast as the SCAR, but you do get the luxury of having this closer to your base. Being pump action, it is kind of troublesome to use this against someone with an SMG, who can still hurt (and kill you) faster than you can fire and repump. However, you can melee the remaining health out of them in case it doesn't kill them.
SMAW:
Power:
A rocket launcher. The general description in 3 words! you can carry 8 rounds (like Halo's version), and it has splash damage. It travels straight, and kills anyone it hits (or is close to it) and hurts anyone in it's blast radius. However, the rockets take some time to reach an opponent, meaning at far ranges this can only catch unguarded foes or those who think they are safe in an open doorway at far ranges. Since this can also hurt (and kill ) you, that means only mid ranges should be used with this weapon. This weapon can only fire one shot too, before it (relatively slowly) reloads. It is, however, the only power weapon that can kill multiple foes at once, and the only one you start with too (this is your primary weapon during explosive weapon sets), so while it is the most "inferior" of the power weapons, it is still really powerful, and scary to be at the other end.
This part is new.
Trust weapons:
Deatomizer Mk4:
Standard:
The Deatomizer is a powerful weapon. Unlike every other Standard weapon, this is one of actual worth/ use. As the Trust's only ranged weapon, it is one of only a few weapons with a scope. However, this does not have a headshot bonus. With a 30 round clip with a semi-automatic function, this doesn't look too good in comparison to the SCAR. However, Like the strike rifle, the reason this is powerful is that when charged, this can kill instantly. A charged shot will send three bolts of energy in the direction of fire. If the middle bolt connects (50% health), then the remaining bolts will each take 25% of the opponents health, essentially killing them. However, any side bolts that hit a wall will dissipate, and will not connect. There are two problems with the Deatomizer. One, it just doesn't compare with the other trust weapons. I mean, sure, it can kill fast, but it doesn't have splash damage like the Launcher or the extreme power and speed of the carbonator. The second problem with the Deatomizer is that since this is the standard issue weapon, EVERYBODY has one, and the power is lost. This goes for any weapon, not just standard ones.
TPC Launcher:
Advanced:
With 10 rounds per clip and a relatively high power, the TPC launcher is essentially a grenade launcher. The advantages is that all rounds will do slash damage and will still hurt opponents if they dodge the shot. Since this thing arcs, you can also hit foes behind cover. It is also automatic, but it launches grenades faster if you mash the fire button than if you just hold it down. One major con is that it just doesn't feel powerful. It just feels like you could have just used a grenade instead and killed them instantly instead of using a few shots. Also, since it arcs, you can't use this for long distances. Since this is also painful at close ranges, this is a mid range weapon. Remember which power weapon I said was also at mid range?
Side note: This is also the weapon featured on the front cover of the game (unless you have special edition, which I do)
Carbonizer Mk16:
Power:
You don't see this weapon much, and for good reason. This thing will kill, and fast. The Carbonizer fires a beam of energy, and when you hit a foe, it rapidly drains their HP. The longer you have it latched on, the faster it kills them. This also stops once you disconnect the beam (either by you moving the beam away from the opponent or the opponent dies) for you, so you don't waste ammo. This is a good thing, as there isn't a lot of ammo to spare (15 rounds per clip [takes like 6 or so to kill] and 45 rounds total). You also become a major target for snipers, especially since this weapon lacks long range use (it stops at around mid range). As a side note, if you kill an opponent it will cause splash damage to surrounding foes.
Drudge weapons:
Warp Pistol:
Standard:
The warp pistol possibly has the worst fate of all standard weapons. Essentially, it is a semiautomatic weapon that ricochets, and Charging it up causes MORE ricochet (and can hurt you). The problem is that A: it is just plain inferior to the strike rifle, and B: you don't even start with this. As the "common" pick up weapon in drudge and Chargeable game types, you almost always pass this weapon without a second thought. Heck, you might not even replace it with your pistol! Even in story mode does this weapon get a break. The Warp pistol is given to the mites that Heal themselves. Just punch and move on (that's what I do, mites don't even handle a punch. How can one can take down a helicopter yet can't handle a punch to the face?).
Strike Rifle:
Advanced Standard (1.5):
The strike rifle is an interesting weapon. It is a standard issue weapon in drudge and Chargeable game types, making this a standard weapon. However, this is pretty powerful and is essentially a Carbine/Sniper cross with a Drudge twist, making it an advanced weapon. As a result, The strike rifle is in it's own level. As I said before, the Strike rifle is this games sniper. It holds 36 rapid fire shots (carbineish) or 6 Charged ones (Sniper rifle [actually, more like the Imperialist, the Metroid Prime hunter's Sniper rifle]). It's only flaw is when everybody gets one. Outside that, it looks kinda creepy, and I am biased against alien weapons a bit. (although in a game of team slayer, an opponent took one, got on the gray side (this was the pentagon), and started sniping. If it wasn't for the fact that the wrecked doorway had a gap for me to hit him with the SCAR, he'd continue his rampage [He did this again and got me back the second time. We lost, miserably]). This is the weapon the Drones use in Story mode (and the guy who kicked our arse)
Hive cannon:
Advanced:
A machine gun that rapidly fires tiny explosive "bugs", this thing has it's range spread out. By twisting the Wiimote, you can adjust the spray from ridiculously wide (which serves no use) to incredibly small. Unfortunately, it can't hit someone from across the map well, and it doesn't do so well at close ranges. This is a mid range weapon, along with the TPC launcher and SMAW. This is given to Scarabs (the heavy armored Drudge).
Shrieker:
Power:
The SMAW was mid range, the Carbonizer was close range, and The Shrieker is the Long ranged weapon. It is also explosive, but not as Strong as the SMAW. There are two things that make this powerful. 1: it's semi automatic, meaning you can fire multiple rounds. And 2: you can guide them. This is something that takes getting used to, and knowing how to. My first playthrough I didn't know how to work this thing and deemed it as ****, until I found out that you control it by pointing the Wiimote in the direction you want it to go. Enemy behind a wall? curve it to hit right behind him. Did he duck behind cover? bring it down on his head. It also travels fast, so dodging is hard to do, but so is controlling it. This weapon takes time to master, and you don't encounter it often in Multiplayer, and only later on in story mode. This is the weapon of skimmers, the annoying flying buggers (pardon the pun) that start annoying you in Level 5.
Grenades:
Grenades deserve their own category. There aren't a lot of them, and they don't fit into the Weapon levels the other ones do. As such, Each grenade will be labeled by group, along with it's general description.
Frag Grenade:
Human Grenade:
The Frag grenade has several properties that give it some good properties that make it very powerful, and making it my favorite grenade type (since I don't use grenades much and I have problems with the other two). The Frag Grenade Bounces off walls, and detonates after a few seconds (or contact with a biotic surface, aka the enemy). They also explode resulting in splash damage. 1 grenade=death, so be careful with them, or you could end up killing yourself (nearly happened and happened too many times to count).
Flash Grenades:
Trust Grenade:
This is my least favorite grenade. The frag grenade kills quickly, and the radiation can also kill. This is the only nonlethal weapon in the game, and why it is in the game instead of some weapon that stuns non AI enemies is beyond me. Essentially, when you're hit, your screen goes white, you can't hear a thing, and your radar's gone. AI opponents will be dazed. Human ones just look like they're stupid AI (randomly running, firing, and jumping, maybe even running into a wall). They are annoying, to be hit by, and to have to use, simply because it is like they don't work.
Radiation Grenades:
Drudge grenade:
Many FPS has a grenade that sticks to a surface, selective or not, and deals damage to anything within it's radius. Halo has two of these, the Plasma (which bounces of terrain and sticks to Biotic surfaces), and the Brute Spike grenade (which sticks to ANY surface). The Drudge have followed the Brutes and made a grenade that sticks to anything. They also made it radiate instead of explode, so it is more versatile, serving as a sticky and a makeshift barrier. This is good because I suck at stickying.
