Crescent Rose

Crescent Rose is Ruby Rose's signature weapon. It's a High-Caliber Sniper-Scythe (HCSS) - a hybrid between a scythe and a sniper rifle. Ruby is first seen wielding it in the "Red" Trailer.

Description
As its name implies, Crescent Rose's frame is colored rose red with black trims, with its large scythe blade forged into a crescent shape. Ruby's crest is engraved onto the circular swivel frame of the weapon.

The most notable property of Crescent Rose is its converting frame: it allows Crescent Rose to transform into different modes of combat, from a full-scale scythe and sniper rifle form to a condensed rifle form. It can also fold up tightly and be holstered for more convenient transportation, stored underneath Ruby's cloak at her waist. Also, though it appears to be a bolt-action weapon, it does not need to be in its gun mode to fire.

In order to use Crescent Rose to its fullest potential, it is implied that a scythe-wielder of equivalent skill to either Ruby or Qrow would be necessary. In particular, the user would have to deal with Crescent Rose's massive recoil: rather than compensate for it, Ruby uses the recoil to amplify her overall combat prowess. Ruby also uses the recoil to enhance her mobility in combat; she fires shots to propel herself short distances, using it to simultaneously attack and evade against opponents.

She also uses her weapon's recoil to launch herself further into the air than when she jumps, such as seen after being launched into the air by Weiss Schnee when facing the Nevermore. In melee combat, Ruby can fire a shot immediately before a swing, using the recoil to increase the force and speed of her attack. She can also embed the scythe's blade into the ground to prevent the weapon's recoil from throwing off her aim with the sniper rifle component, allowing for rapid, accurate shots.

The scythe also has a small, hook-like, double-pronged, jagged blade at the bottom of the shaft. The scythe can unfold, allowing for both the normal blade and the two prongs to slice enemies at the same time for more power.

Construction


According to Professor Ozpin, Crescent Rose is described as "one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed." In "The Shining Beacon," Ruby comments she was the one who designed Crescent Rose, although she also admitted she went overboard with the process.

Crescent Rose appears to be a highly advanced technological piece of equipment.

Its collapsible frame allows it to transform between three different modes:
 * A "storage" mode, its most compacted form, where it can be condensed for travel convenience;
 * A "rifle" mode, where it takes the form of a medium-length bolt-action rifle. In this form, the absence of the scythe makes for more effective use of the rifle component; and
 * A "scythe" mode, its most expanded form, where it fully extends into the form of a scythe, allowing it to be used as a mid-to-close-range bladed melee weapon. This form also doubles as a long-barrel sniper rifle for more precise, long-range, high-energy shots without giving up the melee capabilities of the scythe. If needed, the bottom of the shaft can unfold to add more cutting power in a close-range fight.

In addition, because of the frame's lightweight design, it can freely shift between these three modes quickly and with ease. The drawback: due to its lack of substantial weight and its high-energy output, each shot fired from Crescent Rose carries a very high recoil. Fortunately Ruby has methods to both counteract (recoil is reduced in sniper form, and in scythe form she can plant the blade into the ground) and take advantage of (blasting herself across the battlefield) this weakness. The weapon also requires large specialized ammunition with a limited round-per-magazine capacity.

Trivia

 * Crescent Rose is one of four weapons to possess more than two forms, itself having gun, scythe, and inactive compact (like Neptune's Gun) variations.
 * Crescent Rose is the only weapon thus far to have had its name spoken aloud in the show.
 * Ruby at one point affectionately referred to the weapon as "Sweetheart," showing her fondness for the weapon.
 * Ruby seems to have no difficulties with 'unsheathing' it or extending the scythe's blade, suggesting either Ruby's skill or that Crescent Rose is mechanical and can operate itself.
 * Professor Ozpin notes that Crescent Rose is "one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed." However, as Ruby claims to have designed it herself, Ozpin was likely referring to sniper-scythes in general. Another explanation for his comment is that he examined Crescent Rose himself, since it is not on Ruby during her interrogation.
 * Going by the scene from "Burning the Candle," during Yang Xiao Long's flashback, Uncle Qrow also wields a gun-scythe of some kind. It's possible Ruby based her weapon's design on the one wielded by her uncle.
 * It is likely that Ruby partly named the weapon after herself, since it bears her last name. Crescent comes from the shape of the blade, which is the same as a crescent moon. Alternatively, her dead mother could've been the inspiration, or Roses in general.
 * Ruby's usage of her weapon's recoil is similar to how Nora Valkyrie uses her Magnhild; both characters use their weapon's recoil ability to propel themselves to certain distances or to add force to their strikes.
 * The weapon's original form was a Barrett M82 sniper rifle with minor changes, and with the scythe mounted at the end of the barrel. The final version has very little in common with the M82.
 * Gaia Online an online community created a detailed version of Crescent Rose shortly after RWBY's creator Monty Oum passed away.