[quote]And your comment about how Mark IV could survive direct hits from the aforementioned weaponry is incorrect.[/quote]You have a source for this? Because right now the only one you've been citing, the instance with Sam contradicts this. [quote]"Sam dove forward and knocked John out of the blast's path; the energy burst caught Sam in the side. The reflective coating of his MJOLNIR armor flared. He fell, clutching his side, but managed to fire his weapon. John and Kelly rolled on their backs and sprayed gunfire at the creature. Bullets peppered the alien - each one bounced and ricocheted off the energy shield. John glanced at his ammo counter - half gone. 'Keep firing,' he ordered. The alien kept up a stream of answer fire - energy blasts hammered into Sam, who fell to the deck, his weapon empty." "'I'm okay,' Sam said, holding his side and grimacing. 'Just a little singed.' The reflective coating on his armor was blackened." "He turned and showed them the burn in the side of his suit. There was a hole the size of his fist, and beneath that, the skin was blackened and cracked."[/quote][i]-Pages 145-146, Chapter 14, Halo: The Fall of Reach (The Definitive Edition)[/i] After sustaining a direct hit to his side from the overcharged plasma pistol bolt, he later sustained more direct hits, all of which were absorbed by the reflective coating designed to disperse heat. Where he took those direct hits, the coating was charred, but did it's job. He survived multiple direct hits, none of which breached his suit, excluding the overcharged one.