M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle

The M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle (M12G1 LAAV), commonly known as the Gauss Warthog, is a variant of the UNSC M12 Force Application Vehicle that features a mounted M68 ALIM Gauss Cannon.^[2] It is designed to quickly defeat lightly-armored vehicles such as Type-25 RAV Choppers and Type-32 RAV Ghosts. The M68 Gauss Cannon fires 25mm hypersonic speed projectiles by asynchronous magnetic acceleration in the base of the cannon and takes about a half a second to recharge between cannon shots.

Gameplay[]

Advantages[]

The Gauss cannon is devastating to vehicles.
The Gauss cannon can kill Spartans and Elites in one shot.
The medium rate-of-fire is fast enough to obtain multikills.

Disadvantages[]

The Gauss Warthog's armor is itself vulnerable to anti-vehicle weaponry.

Changes from Halo 2 to Halo 3 and Halo: Reach[]

Rate of fire of the cannon is decreased.
The accuracy and projectile is increased.

Changes from Halo 3 and Halo: Reach to Halo 4[]

Rate of fire of the cannon is decreased even further.

Changes from Halo 4 to Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer[]

The Gauss cannon now has a slight warm-up time of about 0.5 seconds before it is able to fire. While it warms up, a laser pointer projects from the gauss cannon onto the target.
Rate of fire of the Gauss cannon is drastically increased.

Changes from Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer to Halo 5: Guardians[]

Gauss cannon no longer has a warm-up time, and fires on trigger pull.
Rate of fire of the cannon decreased back to how it was in Halo 4.
Multiple variants of the Gauss Hog have been added for use in multiplayer.

Variants[]

Many variants of the Gauss Warthog have been produced over the model's lifetime.

M12 Variants[]

Main article: M12 Force Application Vehicle

Image	Name	Description	Changes
N/A	Spirit of Fire Gauss Warthog	The crew of the UNSC Spirit of Fire were known to a variant of Warthog decorated with a fire decal across the bonnet, dubbed the "Fireball Warthog."^[3]	Performs exactly like the standard Warthog Gains a flame decal

M12B Variants[]

Main article: M12B Force Application Vehicle

Image	Name	Description	Changes
N/A	CORP Gauss Warthog	A Gauss 'Hog variant with additional armour ostensibly used by Liang Dortmund to ward off large animals, although in reality it is often used against unruly crowds.	+20% vehicle health^[4]
N/A	Tundra Gauss Warthog	Sporting arctic camouflage, the Tundra Gauss 'Hog features improved armor and is often used in remote locations as an anti-armor and anti-air vehicle.	+40% vehicle health^[4]
N/A	Woodland Gauss Warthog	The Woodland Gauss Warthog is exceptional at eliminating Covenant Empire boosted gravity vehicles slowed by rugged terrain.	+40% vehicle health^[4]
N/A	Urban Gauss Warthog	The Urban Gauss Warthog is an up-armoured Warthog deployed as an anti-tank unit, sporting urban camouflage.	+40% vehicle health^[4]
N/A	ONI Gauss Warthog	An ONI-employed Gauss Warthog with a sleek black colour scheme, whose rounds cause lingering area-of-effect damage through a classified mechanism.	+75% vehicle health^[4] Shots create a pool of area-of-effect damage upon impact

Trivia[]

The Gauss Warthog first appeared in the E3 2000 Halo: Combat Evolved trailer. It was cut from the final game.
A label on the Halo 4 Gauss Warthog reads, "BIG SCARY LASER. DO NOT LOOK INTO BEAM WITH REMAINING EYE." (The Spartan Laser also has this sticker.)
In Halo 4 Title Update v1.04, the Gauss Warthog's auto aim, magnetism, and damage was reduced.^[5]
In Halo: Reach The Gauss cannon can penetrate a large amount of builables in multiplayer, it is unknown if this is intended or is a glitch.