~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HALO 3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Guide for Legendary Mode~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Version 1.1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By Zorlock Darksoul~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================================================================= CONTENTS ========================================================================= --Version History.................(S1VH) --Introduction....................(S2IN) --Legal Info......................(S3LI) --About the Guide.................(S4AB) --General Advice..................(S5GA) --Arrival.........................(L000) --Sierra 117......................(L100) --Crow's Nest.....................(L200) --Tsavo Highway...................(L300) --The Storm.......................(L400) --Floodgate.......................(L500) --The Ark.........................(L600) --The Covenant....................(L700) --Cortana.........................(L800) --Halo............................(L900) --Frequently Asked Questions......(S6FQ) --Thanks to.......................(S7TH) --Contact Info....................(S8CI) Note: Use your browser's "Find" function to skip to a particular section. Search for the code in parentheses after each listing above. ========================================================================= VERSION HISTORY (S1VH) ========================================================================= Version 1.0 (Completed Feb. 22, '09) --First version Version 1.1 (Completed June 13, '09) --Added new strategies for some parts --Added Oddities --Minor changes ========================================================================= INTRODUCTION (S2IN) ========================================================================= The purpose of this guide is to assist solo players in surviving Halo 3 on Legendary difficulty. While GameFAQs already has several great walkthroughs for the game, they all seem to be written with a difficulty setting of Heroic or lower. For better or for worse, the strategies that work on lower difficulties may not be enough for Legendary. Whether your goal is to earn the achievement for defeating Legendary mode, to see the extra movie at the end, or simply because you're a completionist (like me), I have created this guide with the hope that you will find it useful in your endeavors. ========================================================================= LEGAL INFO (S3LI) ========================================================================= This guide is intended only for personal use and may not be redistributed for profit. It can be posted on other websites so long as it is posted in its entirety and credit is given to its creator, Zorlock Darksoul. Any other use of this guide, with the exception of that allowed by the Fair Use doctrine, is in violation of copyright law. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. ========================================================================= ABOUT THE GUIDE (S4AB) ========================================================================= ************************************************************************* This guide does not give detailed instructions for finding skulls or terminals. Other guides have done so already, so please look elsewhere if you need assistance finding them. ************************************************************************* This guide provides a battle-by-battle breakdown of each level, detailing strategies to get through every encounter in the game. It is by no means the ONLY way to survive the game, merely the method that worked well for me. It gives suggestions on weapons, mentions advantageous positions, and warns about various dangers. Before you read on, I should mention a few assumptions I am making about you. First, I am assuming you have, at the very least, played through the game once or twice on lower difficulties, preferably Heroic. If this is your first time playing Halo 3, I question your sanity for choosing the highest difficulty right off the bat. That aside, I use terms and describe scenes that first time players will probably not understand, so you'd be well-advised to play the game at least once before reading this and attempting Legendary. This brings me to my next assumption: that you are fairly familiar with the general layout of each level. I will bring up certain aspects of terrain if I feel they are relevant to success, but I'm assuming you know how to trek from one area to the next. I only describe the actual battle scenes, not the path to get from Point A to Point B. Incidentally, this guide may contain spoilers. However, since I'm assuming you've played the game before, nothing should actually be spoiled for you. Each level will be broken down into sections based on the in-game goals (such as "Evac via the landing pad.") and subtitled scenarios (such as "GIFT WITH PURCHASE"). This is mostly for orientation purposes, so you the readers can know roughly what part of the level I'm discussing, or in case you want to skip ahead to a particular section of the level. I will also be making a special note whenever a particularly important enemy or group of enemies is nearby. These "Noteworthy enemies" are usually foes that cause the most trouble in Legendary mode, such as Jackals with Beam Rifles. Some enemies are more dangerous in some situations than others, such as the beginning of a level when you don't have optimal weapons. One example is a Brute with a Brute Shot. While fairly dangerous if your only weapons are a Pistol and an Assault Rifle, they become significantly less bothersome when you have a Sniper Rifle handy. As such, I'll only mention enemies as "noteworthy" if I think they have a significant chance of killing you. The enemies will be mentioned just prior to the section of the guide describing that scene. A new feature I've added is called "Oddities". Placed in similar fashion to how I place the "Noteworthy enemies", the Oddities will highlight unusual situations that have arisen during a level. These will usually be one-time occurrences that resulted in significant shifts in strategy, such as a Phantom failing to unload a squad of Brutes when it ordinarily does so. These Oddities will always be described in a single paragraph, such that the following paragraph will be unrelated and will continue the strategy as normal. Whenever I specify a relative direction like left or right, it should be assumed that the default direction you are facing is toward the enemies. That is, if I say something like "look to the left", that means I'm assuming you're already looking in the direction of the enemies, and you should look left from there. If I want you to look somewhere else in order to orient your point of view, I will describe a particular thing to look at, such as "the bunker across the bridge". I mentioned above that I will not be detailing how to locate terminals. However, it should be noted that the terminals contain new information on Legendary mode. Even if you've found them on lower difficulty settings, it may be worth your while to check them again if you're interested in uncovering some more backstory. Throughout the walkthrough, I will provide reminders when terminals are nearby, as well as briefly describe the contents, but I will not give specific directions to reach them. One final note: The "Grunt Birthday Party" skull was turned on during the playthrough on which I wrote this guide. This was mostly for comedic effect; Legendary mode can be very frustrating, and a spray of confetti accompanied by a chorus of cheering children helps to lighten the mood. However, I have noticed a minor gameplay effect this skull has. The spray of confetti apparently counts as a small explosion. It's not enough to cause significant damage, but it CAN cause other nearby explosives to detonate, including grenades dropped by slain opponents. This means if you headshot a Grunt amidst a pile of other dead Grunts, it will often cause the dropped grenades to explode and eliminate nearby foes. This results in a game that may be significantly easier than one without the skull turned on. ========================================================================= GENERAL ADVICE (S5GA) ========================================================================= Many battles in Halo 3 can be overcome with the same general strategies. This section will provide a few tips and suggestions to improve your overall success on Legendary. 1) Make good use of your allies. Most battles are much easier if you have some assistance, even if all they do is draw fire away from you. Don't limit their usefulness to mere decoys, though. Trading weapons with marines is a great way to improve your team's firepower. Remember, allies essentially have unlimited ammo, so if you have a Rocket Launcher or Beam Rifle to spare, hand it to a comrade. This especially applies to passengers in vehicles, since those allies are more likely to remain in combat longer. The marine sitting in the passenger seat of your Warthog will be much more effective wielding a Fuel Rod Cannon than he will with an Assault Rifle. 2) Although allies are useful, don't go out of your way to protect them if it means putting yourself at risk. Marines frequently leave cover for very stupid reasons, and there isn't much you can do to stop them. If someone decides to step out from behind a rock to fire an Assault Rifle at an entire squad of Brutes, so be it. Don't rush out and try to kill them all before the marine dies. Chances are high that you will simply follow him to the grave. 3) The Arbiter deserves his own note, as he has qualities that other allies lack. Namely, he will never die. If he falls in battle (which is fairly common on Legendary), he will rise again after a while. I'm not sure if there's simply a countdown to his revival or if he returns on some other cue. Also, if he takes enough damage (perhaps when his shield falls, I'm not certain), he will go berserk and drop his weapon to pull out an Energy Sword, then proceed to rush the enemy lines and tear them apart. He will probably fall shortly thereafter, if enough foes continue firing on him, but he will often take several enemies with him. As a bonus, if he falls you can take his sword. 4) Use headshots whenever possible. Grunts, Brutes, and Jackals will all die from a shot to the head, though some Brutes require that you knock off their helmets or destroy their armor first. To my knowledge no other enemy is susceptible to headshots (with the possible exception of Drones, but really, why bother?). Flood Combat Forms supposedly have a weak spot somewhere that causes death, but it isn't the head. Weapons capable of headshots include the Pistol, Battle Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Carbine, and Beam Rifle. 5) Pay attention to checkpoints. They pop up at set places and also sometimes randomly. If you enter a battle right after crossing a checkpoint and the battle doesn't go as planned, it's a simple matter to revert to the checkpoint and try again. Do this if you waste too many shots with a valuable weapon like the Sniper Rifle, or if an ally you just handed a Rocket Launcher to suddenly dies. You can also use checkpoints to determine how a battle will flow. Everything usually plays out the same if you perform the same actions. If you notice that taking a step to the left results in some adverse occurrence, revert and take a step to the right instead. You might be surprised at the difference such a simple action can make. 6) Patience, patience, patience. Take things slow and don't rush in hastily. There are no battles with infinite enemies, so take your time and kill everything before moving forward. You'll save yourself from being surrounded, and you'll always have an escape route behind you if things get messy. Following is some advice for dealing with specific enemies. GRUNTS ------ On Legendary, even a single Grunt can kill you if you aren't careful. They like to throw plasma grenades when you aren't looking, and they have very good aim with them, meaning you'll get "stuck" a lot. Their aim and rate of fire with weapons is also improved. Combined with the fact that Master Chief gets damaged more easily, a squad of Grunts all firing at you in unison will cause death in a matter of seconds. As far as killing them, Grunts can be handled the same way you've always handled them. Most weapons can take them down easily; however, weapons capable of headshots are preferred, most notably the Battle Rifle and the Carbine. The Pistol can work in a pinch, if you have nothing better, and frag grenades are great for dealing with groups of them. I don't recommend using heavy artillery like the Rocket Launcher or the Fuel Rod Cannon unless you're firing into a group mixed with something more dangerous, like a Brute. Likewise, don't waste Sniper or Beam Rifle shots on them unless you know you'll be ditching the weapon soon anyway and want to finish off the ammo. JACKALS ------- The shield-bearing Jackals aren't too dangerous, but they can be hard to kill. Their shields are nearly impervious to some weapons, though a Plasma Pistol/Rifle can cause them to disappear momentarily, giving you free access to their fleshy bits. Alternatively, you can aim for their feet or the little hole on the side where they fire their weapons. This will cause them to recoil briefly, letting you quickly aim at their heads and finish them off. Grenades are also useful against them, as are melee strikes if you can get close. The sniper Jackals are another story. With Carbines, they present only a moderate threat. It takes several hits to drain your shield, and they usually pause after two or three shots, letting you counter-snipe them or find cover as the situation warrants. With a Beam Rifle, though, a single shot will end you. Finding and killing these guys is always the priority in any battle situation. Since they usually set up shop far away from you and in hard-to-reach places, the only way to deal with them is to snipe them before they snipe you. This requires quick aiming and quick shooting, so if you aren't very good at sniping, you will have a tough time dealing with them. BRUTES ------ Standard rank-and-file Brutes aren't a serious threat unless they're carrying Brute Shots. A direct hit will drain your shield completely, and they fire pretty rapidly; the second shot will often kill you, even if it's not a direct hit. The Captains almost always carry Brute Shots, so handle them with caution. The jump-pack Brutes usually have Carbines, and their increased mobility makes them very annoying, since they can reach high places and surround you easily. Stalkers aren't really any tougher this time around. They often prefer to remain hidden rather than fire on you. If you can spot them, you can take them out easily. Chieftains are the worst, of course. They always have deadly weapons; either a Gravity Hammer, a detached Plasma Turret, or a Fuel Rod Cannon. A lot of people say it's suicide to engage a Brute in melee, but I disagree. While they do have a mighty powerful punch, they aren't very fast with it. In most cases, you can run up, land a good blow, then back off a step or two to dodge the counterattack before stepping right up to bash him again. A solid melee hit will usually destroy their armor and cause them to recoil, although with a Captain it may take two hits, and with Chieftains...well, don't melee the Chieftains. It's not worth the risk. They don't always recoil from a melee strike, meaning they can counter immediately. With a hammer, they will kill you in one hit, whereas they may require three or four to take down. If they have a turret or a cannon, they'll probably kill you before you even reach them. Always deal with Chieftains from a safe distance, unless you are absolutely certain you can get behind him for a one-hit-kill, which usually requires you to be invisible. Sometimes it isn't feasible to get within melee range of a Brute. In these cases, there is one rule to follow: if you plan to fire on a Brute, be prepared to do enough damage to destroy his armor. If you fire one or two shots and he retreats to cover, that damage you did will be erased as his shields recharge. Sniper/Beam Rifles and other hard-hitting weapons can usually break the armor after one hit, but if you're using something like a Battle Rifle, it can take a while. For this reason, a Brute leading a squad of Grunts should be dealt with after the Grunts are dead (or at least distracted). Breaking a Brute's armor with an Assault Rifle means you need to leave cover for a few seconds. As mentioned above, a group of Grunts can easily kill you if you stand out in the open for that long. DRONES ------ These things are immeasurably irritating on Legendary. An individual Drone will die quickly, but as you know, Drones always appear in large swarms. With their increased rate of fire and ability to attack from all directions, you'll be retreating to cover after downing just one or two, dragging out the battle to annoying lengths of time. The best weapons for handling them are rapid-fire weapons: Battle Rifle, Assault Rifle, any turret, etc. Theoretically, you could take out a bunch of them with a single explosive, but it's very hard to cause an explosion in their midst. They move too quickly to be stuck by plasma grenades, and firing a rocket or a fuel rod seems like an awful waste of ammo if it misses. I've heard the Needler is great against them, since the needles seek out targets, but whenever I try, the needles always go after different bugs, never gathering enough in one spot to cause an explosion. Maybe you'll have better luck, though. HUNTERS ------- Generally speaking, Hunters on Legendary can be dealt with however you deal with them on other difficulties. Just remember that their attacks are more powerful now. If you're good at dodging their melee strikes, dance with them and pump some lead into their backsides. A single rocket or a trio of fuel rods will take them down no matter what part of the body they strike, as long as it's not the shield. I've also found that the Plasma Turret works well against them. Just unload with it; no need to aim for the soft spots, but again, avoid their shields. A fully-loaded (200 shots) Plasma Turret is usually enough to down both Hunters. FLOOD INFECTION FORMS --------------------- No real strategy with these, though rapid-fire weapons are your best bet. Watch out for large groups of them. Try to thin out their numbers to five or less, then (assuming no other enemies are around) let the remainder kamikaze against your shield. Be especially wary if they show up in the middle of a firefight with other enemies. Your shield will empty frequently, and a single Infection Form is all it takes to finish you then. Keep an eye on your motion tracker and watch for the tiny dots that identify their presence. FLOOD COMBAT FORMS ------------------ No matter which race they infect (human, Elite, or Brute), a single melee attack will often destroy them, although the Elites sometimes take more, what with the energy shields. Obviously, you don't want to charge them if they're firing on you from a good distance, but use melee whenever possible. If they attack in large numbers, as they often do, try to blast them with a grenade or a Brute Shot. Their melee attacks will often drain your shield, so try to strike first if you plan to enter close combat. Don't forget to destroy the body so it can't be revived by an Infection Form later. Despite popular belief, an Energy Sword is not necessary to destroy a Combat Form body. Some weapons may take more time, but any melee hit will eventually reduce the body to pieces. FLOOD CARRIER FORMS ------------------- These walking egg sacs are only a threat if you fail to notice them. If they get close and explode, you will more than likely die. At the very least, your shield will be gone, and then you'll be easy pickings for the newly released Infection Forms. The best way to handle these is to toss an incendiary grenade at them. The lingering fire will immediately destroy the Infection Forms that appear. Incendiaries aren't always available, though, so you may just have to blast them and then deal with the children afterwards. If you see one amidst a group of other enemies, try to shoot it and force it to explode among them. It's basically a free grenade. FLOOD PURE FORMS ---------------- Each of the three shapes should be handled in a different way. Ranged: Try to get some cover and shoot at it periodically. If you can force it to curl up into a defensive position, use the time to move a bit closer, possibly enough for a melee strike, which will kill it in one blow. Of course, if it's on a high wall or ceiling, melee won't work. If you remain behind cover long enough, it may revert to a different form. Plasma Rifles work well against them. Spider: You probably won't be able to hit it while it's running around in this form. It tends to change directions unexpectedly. Just the same, if you can manage to get within melee range, lash out at it. Otherwise, try to catch it when it stops to change form. Tank: Keep your distance unless you have a Brute Shot, Energy Sword, or Gravity Hammer. A solid hit from any of those will usually cause instant death or at least a recoil. Trying to melee it with anything else won't make it budge, except that it'll take a swing at you and probably kill you. Aim for the face if you engage it from a distance, but be prepared to use up a lot of ammo. Plasma and spike grenades are also helpful against them, since they move slowly and are easy to stick. Also note that all three shapes will fall to a single spritz from the Flame Thrower. SENTINELS --------- Sentinels only become enemies in the final level, and they're usually distracted by the Flood, so they should pose little threat. Use whatever weapons you like against them. And now, on with the walkthrough. ========================================================================= ARRIVAL (L000) ========================================================================= The only thing special about the opening cinema on Legendary is some new dialogue. When the Arbiter says, "The Brutes have our scent," Johnson can reply with a number of different lines. Of the times I've played, he has said the following: "Then they must love the smell of bad-ass." "Then they must love the smell of a REAL man." "Then they must love the smell of [something]. Yeah, I'm doin' a little product placement. I gotta get paid, too!" That last one I can't quite make out what he says. The subtitles don't reveal it; they actually display the "bad-ass" reply. It's apparently the name of a real-world product. In any case, it was quite a surprise to hear. Also hilarious. ========================================================================= SIERRA 117 (L100) ========================================================================= ----------- WALK IT OFF ----------- -Goal: Get to the river for evac. As the mission starts, just follow your allies through the area as normal. When you reach the point where Johnson takes some marines and climbs up the rock, ready your Assault Rifle, then head into the first battle. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute (Brute Shot) Before the Grunts arrive, try to damage the Brute enough to destroy his armor. Your allies should help out a bit. If you can kill him, even better, but he'll probably take cover before you can finish him off. When the Grunts arrive, switch to the Pistol and aim for headshots. The marines will draw some of the fire, so you shouldn't need to retreat behind cover unless you're right up front. Just the same, be on the lookout for incoming plasma grenades. If the Brute isn't dead yet, he'll jump off the log and land on the large, flat rock closer to ground level, making him an easier target. Grab the Brute Shot if you're so inclined (replace the Assault Rifle if you do; you'll want the Pistol for headshots) and continue on. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Captain (Brute Shot) When the Phantoms arrive to drop off troops, take cover. The Plasma Turrets will shred you if you give them the chance. You could, if you feel like it, try to destroy the turrets with the Brute Shot you just grabbed, but it's probably a waste of ammo, since the Phantoms leave soon anyway. When they do, begin firing on the enemies below, but keep an eye out for Grunts trying to flank you on the left. They have a nasty habit of sticking you with plasma grenades while your attention is elsewhere. Try to remain on the higher ground during this fight. You can peek over the edge to take a few pot shots at Grunts with the Pistol, then back off to recharge your shields. Use your grenades if you want; they're handy while the enemies are still clustered together in the pool. The Brute Captain will most likely deploy a Bubble Shield after taking some fire. If he does, do not drop down and charge through it. Instead, use the time to take out some of the straggling Grunts while the Brute is hiding and can't fire back at you. When the shield drops, finish the Captain off. Most, if not all, of your marines will probably die here. Even the Arbiter might take enough damage to become enraged and bust out his sword. If he does, you can probably stay back and watch him kill the remaining foes nearby. If you want your share of kills, though, by all means assist him. Before moving on, scavenge for more ammo from your fallen companions. -Noteworthy enemies: 2x Brute (Brute Shot) Drop into the pool you just cleared and look toward the enemies further on. See that Brute standing out in the open on top of a rock? He makes for an inviting target, wouldn't you agree? From the pool, pull out your Assault Rifle and fire at him in short bursts of 3-5 shots. I've noticed that he simply stands there and doesn't fire back if you stay far enough away. You could also use the Pistol, but he tends to sidestep if you try to hit him with the Brute Shot. In any case, break his armor off, and if he's still standing there, continue firing until he dies, then move forward slowly, killing Grunts and using the rocks as cover. If the Arbiter is still enraged from the previous battle, he'll probably rush right in and begin slashing, doing a lot of the work for you. He also draws most of the fire, allowing you to aim for the second Brute further back, guarding the tunnel. If you're really lucky (or brave, or stupid), you can bum-rush the group and melee them while their attention is on the Arbiter. That probably won't be possible, though, so just hang back and fire away with whatever you have on hand. Consider lobbing a grenade or two to thin out their ranks a bit. When it comes down to just a few Grunts, dodge from cover to cover and melee them. The Brute, too, if you can manage it and he's not already dead. If not, use your Assault Rifle or Brute Shot to break his armor, then headshot him with the Pistol. At this point, consider abandoning the Assault Rifle in favor of the Brute Shot if you haven't already. Double back to the river and recover more ammo for it, as well. You should be able to max it out, but if not, don't worry about it. Continue on until you reach the area with the sleeping Grunts. From the cliff edge, drop straight down. A pair of Covenant weapon crates contain Spikers and Carbines. Replace your Pistol with a Carbine, then sneak up the slope and melee the napping Grunt you see. If you have any surviving marines, they will alert you to the presence of Jackal snipers. -Noteworthy enemies: 4x Jackal (Carbine) From your position after meleeing the Grunt, zoom in with the Carbine and scan the treetops. You should see the telltale purple glow of a Jackal sniper toward the right. He might fire on you if he spots you first. Take him out, then scan to the left. See the two shield-bearing Jackals on the cliff? Somewhere below their position are two more Jackal snipers. They move around, so it's tough to pinpoint their exact position, but one is usually in the water, and the other tends to hang out near the explosive energy canisters. When you find them, snipe them. While you're doing this, the Arbiter is probably sowing chaos among the numerous Grunts and Brutes down below. Help him out by sniping at them. If you can isolate a Brute, go trigger-happy on him to break his armor, then go for a headshot. If you're lucky, the Arbiter might even take one out with his sword. He may decide to remain on the cliff and help you snipe, which is still good. He's quite adept at headshots with his Carbine. When enough of them have died, the surviving Covenant will begin falling back. This is your cue to move forward. Replenish your Carbine ammo, either from the Jackals you killed or the other weapon crates in the area, and move up the left side. You may be wondering where the fourth sniper is. He's on a cliff to the right, near the tree where the first sniper was. You may have seen his shots aimed at the Arbiter earlier. He was out of sight while you were up on the cliff sniping, but once you drop down and reach the water, he should be easily visible. As you move up the slope on the left, use the big tree as cover from the shielded Jackals above. As you approach, switch to your Brute Shot, then hop up right next to them and melee them. The enemies who retreated earlier rediscover their courage and move in to attack. Your new perch should allow you to fire on them as they come into view. Don't be afraid to fire the Brute Shot if they group together. The Arbiter will probably remain below and fire up at them, but he may still have his sword out and decide to wade into their ranks. Any Brutes that haven't died will remain behind the other troops, firing Brute Shots or Spikers at you. There's no real cover along this path, so running forward to melee them is probably suicide. Ideally the Arbiter will distract them and let you fire away with your own Brute Shot. They shouldn't pose a serious problem, but they will probably cause you to use up a lot of ammo. You'll know everything is dead when Johnson radios in that he "can't reach Bravo" and orders you to find them. Replenish your ammo and move on. -Noteworthy enemies: 2x Jackal (Carbine), 1x Brute (Brute Shot) When you round the bend and see the Brute threatening the marine, blast away at him with the Carbine, or use the Brute Shot if you have no qualms about injuring the soldier. For that matter, you could probably stick him with a plasma grenade. Whatever you choose to do, try to kill this Brute before he has a chance to fire on you with his Brute Shot. There should have been a checkpoint right before you arrived, so consider reverting back if you fail to eliminate the Brute quickly. If you save the marine, he will jump down, grab an Assault Rifle, and join the ensuing fight. Just to the left of where the Brute and his prisoner were, a Jackal sniper fires down on you. Snipe him, then move forward, killing Grunts as you go. Before you cross the tree-bridge, snipe the Jackal on the other side, as well as any retreating Grunts. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute (Brute Shot) When you cross the bridge, keep to the left and watch for three Grunts in an alcove. You should be able to melee all three of them without a problem, then join the Arbiter in dealing with the two shielded Jackals and more Grunts, as well as the Brute farther back. There's enough cover in this area to press forward and melee the Brute after you've dealt with his lackeys. Before moving on, check the alcove where the three Grunts were. Some dead marines are there, as well as some weapons. One of these is a Battle Rifle, which I highly suggest you take. If you're confident of your sniping skills, replace the Carbine. If not, keep it and replace the Brute Shot. The coming battle will rely heavily on sniping, and you may run out of ammo if you waste too many shots. A second headshot-capable weapon could prove useful in that case. --------------- CHARLIE FOXTROT --------------- After Cortana interrupts you, make a sharp left as you exit the tunnel. Under the funky-lookin' tree is another fallen marine and a Battle Rifle. There's also one on a rock nearby. Take the extra ammo and move on. -Noteworthy enemies: 2x Jackal (Beam Rifle) When you arrive at the firefight, take out as many enemies as you can without moving forward, paying particular attention to any Brutes and Carbine-wielding Jackals nearby. When the Pelicans fall, look across the river. There are two Jackal snipers over there, but instead of Carbines, they have Beam Rifles, the bane of Legendary mode. Using your Battle Rifle, zoom in and snipe them before they can fire. Don't worry about trying to headshot them; hitting them anywhere will cause them to recoil, giving you another precious second before they attack. Try to keep that tree between you and one of the snipers, allowing you to handle just one at a time. A Phantom will probably fly in and block your sight before you can kill both. Just wait for it to leave, then resume your attack. -Goal: Find Johnson's crashed Pelican. Once the snipers are down, you can relax a bit. Move toward the water and look for a Machine Gun Turret. Don't pick it up yet, just note where it is. Sometimes it's in the water. If you can't find it, don't worry too much. It's not necessary, but it does make things easier later. Anyway, remain near the water and look ahead where all the enemies are milling about, hoping for you to come to them. Don't fulfill that desire. Instead, use your Battle Rifle and pick off wandering Grunts. There's plenty of 'em up there. Also try to pick off the three Carbine-wielding Jackals. One of them is directly below an open pipe in the wall. The other two are on a cliff to the left of him. You might not be able to see them, but if you stand atop the pair of boxes at the edge of the river, you should be able to spot at least one of them. If not, don't worry. You can take them out later when you move up. After you've sniped most of the Grunts (and maybe a Brute or two), move up the left side. A pair of shielded Jackals guards a path around a large rock. They should be close enough together to take them both out with a grenade. You could also use the Brute Shot if you still have it. If you feel daring, rush in and melee them. As you move up, you should see and hear another Phantom approaching. It drops off several loads of Brutes and Grunts at the structure, then flies off upriver. Retreat and take cover as it passes lest you get taken out by its turrets. -Noteworthy enemies: 6x Brute (Brute Shot) Here, you have a couple of options. You could grab that Machine Gun Turret and press forward around the path you cleared toward the structure. It will make short work of the Brutes (of which there are now five or six, assuming you didn't kill any earlier) and Grunts, as well as any Carbine-wielding Jackals you missed. This tactic relies on a certain amount of bravado, though. If you prefer to play it safe, stay back and continue sniping with your Battle Rifle and Carbine, taking out Grunts one by one. Once they're gone, wait for a Brute to step a good distance out of cover, then blast away and try to break his armor before he hides again. Kill him if possible, but destroying his armor should be good for now. Once that's done, you can snipe him at your leisure next time he emerges. Eliminate as many Brutes as you feel you need to this way, then grab the Machine Gun Turret and press forward like in the first option, only this time with fewer enemies to worry about. Either way, I suggest taking the left path around the large rock. As you come around it, you should see the Jackals you couldn't find earlier. Take them out, then use the large boxes and pillars as cover while you deal with the Brutes. As mentioned, the turret will shred them easily, as long as you can deal with one Brute at a time. Multiple Brutes will cause problems. This is why it's better to snipe as many as possible from the river's edge. Once they're dead, gather as much ammo as you can for the Carbine and/or Battle Rifle. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Jackal (Beam Rifle), 1x Brute (Brute Shot) If you haven't emptied the turret, feel free to lug it along with you for this next battle. Before you round the corner entirely, keep an eye on the rocks. A Brute will jump up there, so shred him with the turret (if you still have it) or whatever other weapon you have. Be careful as you step around the corner, though. A Jackal with a Beam Rifle is waiting to end you. You should have just received a checkpoint, so if you want to identify his exact position, go ahead and let him kill you once or twice. If you'd rather not die, inch around the corner and keep a close eye on the rock ledge overlooking the path where the Grunts are huddled. I suggest letting the Grunts come to you or allowing the Arbiter to handle them while you concentrate on the sniper. You could use the turret, but it's not really accurate enough for this kind of work. Better to aim for a headshot using the Carbine or Battle Rifle. In any case, ditch the turret at this point; you won't be needing it for what comes next. Before you move into the jungle, attempt to find the Beam Rifle used by the Jackal you just killed. Chances are it's up on the rock ledge with his body. To my knowledge, there's no easy way to get up there (grenade jumps might work, if you know how to pull those off), but there's another way to get the weapon. Basically, knock it down from there with explosives. Grab a Brute Shot from one of the previous fights and return here. There's a tree stump on the left side of the path, right across from the rock ledge, that you can stand on to see atop the ledge. If you're lucky, the Beam Rifle is close to the edge. Fire a Brute Shot at it to knock it down. It may take a couple tries. It might even be justified to use a frag grenade. Revert to the last checkpoint if you knock it somewhere you can't reach. Anyway, once you have it (drop the Brute Shot; keep either the Carbine or Battle Rifle, whichever you prefer), prepare to deal with several more snipers. -Noteworthy enemies: 8x Jackal (Beam Rifle, Carbine) Before you even pass under the large pipe, start scanning the next area's treetops and cliffsides. You should be able to spot and kill two or three Jackals from here. To be honest, I don't know exactly how many of each weapon there are; I generally kill them before they fire a shot. I do know that at least 4 of them have Beam Rifles, so be careful. Anyway, as you creep forward, stay to the left. A path should lead around the area, where several of the snipers sit. The Arbiter will take the lower route, right through the center. Luckily, that should distract the snipers and allow you to locate them when they fire on your buddy. When you see the sun shining on a leaf-covered cliff up high, look up there, as one of the Beam Rifle snipers is there. I point him out because he's easy to miss while you're concentrating on the trees and lower cliffs. He should be the last one, or at least the last one wielding a Beam Rifle. Speaking of which, feel free to grab a (relatively) fresh Rifle from the fallen snipers before continuing. Follow the Arbiter up the path on the right side. -Goal: Find Johnson before he's captured. -Noteworthy enemies: 4x Jackal (Beam Rifle, Carbine) The four snipers should be distracted for a while by the marines below, so use the time to locate and kill them. They should all be somewhere on the cliff wall across the valley and to the left. I believe only two of them have Beam Rifles, so try to kill them first. While you're dealing with the snipers, the Arbiter will be fighting a squad immediately below you. Chances are that he'll die, but don't worry about it until the snipers are dealt with. When they are, peer over the edge of your cliff and try to take out the Brute first. The Grunts shouldn't be a problem if you stay in your roost. Before you drop down into the valley, use your Carbine/Battle Rifle to take out as many distant Grunts as you can. There are plenty out there, as well as a few Brutes. When you're satisfied that you've killed enough from afar, drop down and move up slowly, picking off the remaining foes. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Jackal (Beam Rifle), 2x Jackal (Carbine) Be wary as you pass under the bridge, as two Jackals with Carbines lurk in a tree up on the right. You can kill one before you even go under the bridge, but the second must be handled later. The Beam Rifle sniper is on a cliff behind a group of Grunts just before you step into the sun. Let the Arbiter lead the way. He can deal with the forces on the ground, but be prepared to defend yourself when he falls. Around the bend is another squad, some of whom like to wander up the hill on the right and hurl grenades. Plenty of rocks provide cover, so take your time and line up headshots. -Oddity: Lingering Phantom Something interesting happened to me once when playing this part. Normally, a Phantom hovers nearby with a Brute Chieftain hanging off the side. Presumably, this is the Phantom which captures Johnson. As you get near, it usually flies away, but one time it decided to stay. Forever. No matter what I did, the Phantom never moved. I dispatched the Grunt manning the Plasma Turret, and I was actually able to climb aboard the Phantom and detach the Plasma Turret for my own use. Not only that, I was able to melee the hanging Chieftain, who never attacked or made any effort to defend himself. Upon his death, he dropped the Invincibility that Chieftains often carry. That and the Plasma Turret made the following battles significantly easier. Grab the Sniper Rifle and its extra ammo from the wreckage of the Pelican. You can probably ditch your near-empty Beam Rifle. Better yet, use up the Beam Rifle on the upcoming squad, then double back for the Sniper Rifle afterward. In any case, you will definitely want the Sniper Rifle for the final battle to free Johnson. Deal with the two Brutes and their Grunts and shielded Jackals in whatever manner you see fit, but don't use your new Sniper Rifle; any strategy you've used up to this point should be fine. Then move on through the tunnel toward the last area. ------------ QUID PRO QUO ------------ -Goal: Rescue Johnson and his squad. -Noteworthy enemies: 2x Jackal (Beam Rifle), 1x Brute Chieftain (Hammer) After the cutscene with Johnson and the Brute, look down at the small collapsed building just below you. A Jackal with a Carbine is there. Deal with him quickly, then back off a few steps before the Beam snipers claim you. Both of them are across the water. The first one you should get is on a ledge running the length of the large building lined with windows. The second is on the roof of the small building housing Johnson and his men. After you take them out, look at the building on your side of the water, where the bridge begins. A Jackal with a Carbine is on the low roof toward the right. With the four snipers down, you can relax a bit. More than likely the Arbiter has started trouble below you. Let him do his thing. Your next target is the Brute Chieftain. You can find him on the opposite end of the bridge, probably near two other Brutes wielding Carbines. Aim for the Chieftain's head and try to knock his helmet off before he starts running, which he'll do after the first shot. With the helmet gone, feel free to finish him off, but he'll more than likely be running across the bridge with his Invincibility activated. Either that, or he'll hide behind the building for cover. Don't worry about him for now; he can't reach you on the cliff, anyway. You can finish him next time he emerges. Focus your attention now on the other Brutes in the area, sniping whenever you find one. If the constant fire from the Grunts below becomes a problem, don't hesitate to switch to the Battle Rifle/Carbine and deal with them. You can also easily snipe the shielded Jackals on the stairs. Once the majority (if not all) of the enemies on your side of the water are dead, drop down to the ground below. When you reach the stairs leading up to the bridge, you'll hear a Phantom approach. It will drop some fresh troops off near Johnson's prison. You can either snipe them as they unload or deal with them as they reach the bridge. A combination of both is the most likely scenario, with you preemptively sniping the Brute and/or the two Jackals with Carbines, then dealing with the Grunts and shielded Jackals at the bridge. You'll also have to contend with the Chieftain and his two Brute subordinates if you haven't already. You should still have enough Sniper Rifle ammo to deal with most of the tougher opponents. Consider climbing the ladder to the second level of the building, then shatter the windows and fire down on the Covenant from relative safety. With the bridge cleared, cross over it, refilling your Carbine or replacing your near-empty Battle Rifle along the way. You can take the Chieftain's Gravity Hammer if you like, but it's not really necessary. I actually advise against it. I do recommend replacing your human Sniper Rifle with a Beam Rifle, though. There should be two, from the snipers you killed earlier: one on the ledge with all the windows, the other on the roof of Johnson's prison. There may be a few straggling Grunts along the way to Johnson, but they shouldn't be a problem. -Goal: Stay alive. Pelican inbound. After you free Johnson, immediately head outside and run behind the building. When the Phantoms drop off their troops, they will all be coming down the stairs near the bridge. You will have a clear shot from behind the prison, and you'll also be shielded from the Phantom's turrets. It's win-win. Hocus will fly in after a while and blast the Phantoms, as well as any Covenant troops you haven't killed. All that's left is to board the Pelican and finish this level. ========================================================================= CROW'S NEST (L200) ========================================================================= -------------- KNOW YOUR ROLE -------------- -Goal: Secure perimeter defenses. -Goal: Neutralize hostiles in the hangar. Grab the Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle on your way downstairs, then head through the cave and subsequent tunnels to reach the first battle, just in time to see a Warthog explode. Use your grenades liberally here. Plenty of clustered Grunts and Jackals to blow away. The two marines might also toss a few, which should help a lot. The Battle Rifle is suggested to clean up the remainder and also the Brute that enters further down. Lots of cover to protect you, so this battle shouldn't be a problem, but beware the Brute Shot. It has the unfortunate side effect of detonating any nearby grenades, of which there are plenty. Refill your grenades and ammo from the poor fellows who were operating the Warthog. Several Jackals with Carbines are at the end of the next tunnel, along with some Grunts. A grenade will clear most of them out, and the Battle Rifle can finish them off. Continue on to the hangar and deal with the first wave of Jackals and Grunts. Use one of the turrets if you want, but don't rip it off the stand. When the next Phantoms come in to unload more troops, those turrets will come in handy with their infinite ammo. If your aim is good enough, you can actually use the turrets to blow the forward gun off the Phantom's nose before it shoots you. Then you'll have an easy time shredding the troops as they approach. You will probably have to disengage if your shields go down, but try to keep the turret stationary as long as possible. Consider using one of the Deployable Covers to block shots at your flank, letting you concentrate fire in just one direction. Once the Pelican launches, grab one of the turrets and lug it back to the Ops Center with you. It'll be immensely useful later. -Goal: Get back to the ops-center. When the Drones attack, drop the turret and engage them with the Battle Rifle or Assault Rifle. Fire right through the wire frame at them; don't bother exiting the room. There's a crate of Battle Rifle ammo to the left, and you can use the crate itself as cover when you need to. After they're all dead, don't forget to retrieve the turret you dropped. ------------------ GIFT WITH PURCHASE ------------------ -Goal: Rescue marines in the barracks. After Keyes explains the wonders of large explosive devices, follow Johnson up the stairs. Before heading through the door, grab a Shotgun from the weapon crate to the left, replacing the Assault Rifle. Haul that turret along, too, because this next battle is where we'll be using it. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Hammer) As you enter the garage with all the Brutes, drop the turret and get ready to throw a sticky, either a plasma or a spike if you picked one up. The kneeling Brute Captain in the center is the target. You'll need to aim pretty high, but you want to stick this guy. It'll make things easier. If you miss, revert to the last checkpoint. You should have hit one right after you entered this area. Now it's time to play some Hide 'n' Seek. The idea is to bring the Brutes after you, one at a time, and blast them point blank with the Shotgun. Use whatever cover you want. I recommend the red wall to the right. Hide behind it, and the Brutes will eventually approach to find you. One will come around the wall while another covers him from nearby. Keep an eye on your motion tracker, and as soon as you see a Brute, blast him. His armor will shatter and he'll recoil, allowing you to finish the job with a melee strike. Immediately duck back behind the wall, because your victim's buddy will be firing heavily and probably spouting curses at you for killing his friend. Do this several times, always waiting for them to come to you. In between these episodes, try to take a few pot shots at the Chieftain with your Battle Rifle. You don't need to break his armor or knock his helmet off, although that helps. What you want to do is make him use his Invincibility. If he uses it now, before you actually engage him, your chances of survival will greatly improve. After you've killed a few Brutes, some more will enter back near the Chieftain, these ones wielding Carbines. Keep up the strategy, but don't be afraid to use that turret you've been lugging around. As soon as you've killed enough Brutes (the number seems to vary), the Chieftain will begin to charge. This is your cue to use the turret and unload on him. If you're lucky and he used his Invincibility earlier, he should die quickly. If not, then you'd better run. Drop the turret and put as much distance and as many obstacles as possible between the two of you. Once his armor ceases to glow white, aim the Battle Rifle at his face and end his life as quickly as you can. Clean up any remaining Brutes and move on, refilling your Shotgun and Battle Rifle along the way. You can take the turret if you want, but don't bother if it's close to empty. Move through the next area, killing or evading Drones as you see fit, and reach the Arbiter. Ready your Shotgun and open the door to the barracks. The first few Brutes won't even notice you until you're right up in their faces. Close with and blast the one threatening the soldier, then melee to finish him. Do the same to the guy near him. If you're quick, you can even kill the third one in the same manner. Take cover after that, and prepare for a hard fight. -Goal: Evac via the landing pad. While the Arbiter and the marine you saved distract the Brutes, run over to the ladder that leads to the upper floor. Take out the two Jackals (with melee strikes, if possible), then duck behind the piles of boxes draped with green sheets. Peer over the edge and fire on the Brutes while they're busy engaging your allies. To reach the Brutes in the bathroom, climb up into the air ducts and drop in behind them. The Shotgun is your best option again. For the next stretch, use the Battle Rifle to fend them off from a distance while you make for the second level again. Another ladder nearby leads into the overhead ducts. Climb up and move forward toward the next hole straight ahead, where you can fire down on the Brutes from relative safety. Eventually, they'll retreat down the hall to the right. Drop down when they do, and approach the captured marines to have them join you. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Plasma Turret) Before you rush into the next battle, take a moment to search along the inner wall just prior to the corner. You'll see a door with a glowing green light, indicating it can be opened. Do so, and you'll notice the small tunnel opens into the hallway where the Brutes are, allowing you to flank them. There's no cover on the other side, though, so you have to be careful if you try this. Your allies should draw some fire, so use that to your advantage to close the distance with a Brute and shotgun him. Also note that two more Jackals lurk on the second level, so take them out when you can. Once again, the air ducts provide a means of dropping in behind the enemy, should a frontal assault prove difficult. After the battle (you'll know it's over when the Arbiter says, "We did all we could."), refill your Shotgun and Battle Rifle, and consider grabbing the Plasma Turret before you leave, to make the next battle easier. You may also want to rearm your marines, if any survived. Battle Rifles make good gifts. Ride the elevator up to the landing pad and prepare to deal with the jump-pack Brutes. The Plasma Turret is best if you brought it. Otherwise, use the Shotgun when they're close and the Battle Rifle if they're distant. The large crates make decent cover if you need it, and any allies you have left will be of great assistance, especially if you upgraded their weapons. After a few waves of jumpers from up high, a door opens up straight behind the elevator you just exited, releasing another squad. The door will display a red light for a time, then turn yellow and green as the Brutes open it. If you're there when it does, you can mow them down as they come through. Oddly enough, they ignore you until they run out the door a ways, even if you kill them right in front of each other. The tunnel behind them leads up to a room housing some Cloaking equipment, which you should definitely grab after this battle. -Goal: Return to the ops-center, arm the bomb. ---------------------------- LAST ONE OUT, GET THE LIGHTS ---------------------------- Cloaking in your pocket, follow the tunnel back toward the ops-center. After Cortana's little message, open the door and rush the Grunt manning the Plasma Turret. Rip it from the ground and blast the Jackals and Grunts up ahead and around the corner. You may consider tossing a grenade into their midst if they bunch together. -Noteworthy enemies: 2x Jackal (Beam Rifle) After you deal with the Plasma Turrets and charging Grunts, jump on top of the truck to shoot your Battle Rifle at the Grunts further in. The two snipers are on a ledge overlooking the area ahead, which is actually the same garage you fought the Brutes in earlier. Use the barricade and the two large boxes as cover while you counter-snipe them. Feel free to grab a fresh Plasma Turret before moving on, as well as one of the Beam Rifles (replace the Shotgun). -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Fuel Rod Cannon(FRC)) In the ops-center, you have a few options. You could use the Cloaking, rush forward, and melee the Chieftain in the back. If you do this, note that an outside explosion will cause the room to shake just before you reach the Chieftain. It causes him to turn around, so hold off on your attack until you get behind him again. This will eliminate the biggest threat in the room and grant you a heavy weapon to take care of the remaining enemies. Alternatively, you could use your Beam Rifle to snipe him right when you enter, though this will probably take three or more shots to accomplish. Then you'll have to deal with his subordinates using only that mesh shelf thing as cover. It's doable, but it's a lot harder. I recommend the first option, and I'll assume you went with that. As soon as the Chieftain falls, grab his cannon and head for the stairs nearby, leading up to the balcony where sits a Brute manning a Plasma Turret. Snipe him from the stairs, where he can't reach you. Then you can either peer over the edge and snipe the two Brutes and four Grunts, or just go crazy with the Fuel Rod Cannon and destroy them. The level is just about over, so it makes little difference. -Goal: Escape - Find the elevator in the hangar. With the bomb armed, head through the cave, killing puny Grunts along the way. Most of them will ignore you, so you could just run by, but there are also two Jackals with Carbines here, so be careful. Continue on to the area with the fleeing Grunts and Drones. The Drones will ignore you, but the Grunts will put up a fight, so deal with them before heading forward. Upon reaching the hangar, if you haven't yet used your Cloaking, do so now and make a beeline for the elevator, ignoring all the enemies. You can also do this without the Cloaking, but you'll be fired upon pretty heavily. If you'd rather fight it out and clear the way, be my guest. Nothing here should pose a major threat. In any case, hit the elevator button and end the level. ========================================================================= TSAVO HIGHWAY (L300) ========================================================================= A note before we begin: In the past, I've occasionally started this level with the weapons I had at the end of the previous one. I'm not certain why this happens some times and not others, but it could be beneficial if you try to carry over weapons you believe will be useful here, such as the Fuel Rod Cannon. If anyone knows or has an idea why this happens, I'd appreciate your input. See Contact Info at the end of the guide. ------------------- FULL CONTACT SAFARI ------------------- -Goal: Lead marines away from the base. Hop into the driver's seat of the gun-endowed Warthog and head through the caves. Don't stop to engage the squad of Grunts and Jackals; just plow through them and head outside. If you're quick enough, you can run over the majority of enemies fleeing up the hill. Aim for the Brute first, then the Jackals, and finally the Grunts. Continue on and slam into the two Jackal snipers. As long as you don't expose your side to them, they shouldn't be able to hit you. The gunner of your Warthog will aim for one, so try to run over the other one to maximize efficiency. Before you move on, grab one of the Beam Rifles and give it to the marine in the passenger seat. You'll have to force him out first. Take the other Beam Rifle for yourself (I recommend keeping the Battle Rifle as your other weapon), then hop back into the driver's seat and keep going. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Captain (FRC) You can probably ignore the sniper in the hovering platform, but if you'd rather eliminate him, just park a ways away and snipe him. Alternatively, get a bit closer and let your two companions take him down. If the passenger doesn't get him, the gunner will. Up ahead is a Brute Captain toting a Fuel Rod Cannon. If you drive straight for him, he will probably destroy you. Instead, veer right and plow into the turrets manned by Grunts. Weave among the wreckage for cover, running over enemies while your buddies pick off the leftovers. If the Captain hasn't been killed yet, go ahead and smash him. Now, as much as I'm sure you'd like to take that Fuel Rod Cannon for yourself, it's actually better if you hand it off to your passenger. The power of that weapon combined with the mounted gun and the Warthog's impressive speed will make you a nigh unstoppable force. Just the same, you should be careful in the upcoming area. -Noteworthy enemies: 4x Jackal (Beam Rifle), 2x Shade Instead of rushing straight into the middle like your buddies in the other Warthog (assuming they're still alive), hang a left before the large rock and make roadkill of the Brute and his Grunts. Don't stray too far from the rock, though, else the snipers and Phantom will take you out. The Phantom will leave soon, but probably not before it and the various other enemies destroy the other Warthog. Let your gunner and passenger take out the stragglers nearby while you park the nose of your Warthog right up on the rock. You might be able to back up a bit and allow your buddies to fire on the hovering platform on the right to clear one of the snipers. Otherwise you can get out and snipe him yourself. Either way, once he's down, inch around the rock on foot and zoom in on the dam. Two more snipers are sitting atop it, so take them out. The fourth sniper is somewhere between the dam and the other hovering platform, though sometimes he's in the platform itself. Climb up the rock and slowly peer over the edge. When you see him, snipe him. To deal with the Shade turrets, you can either wait until they turn sideways, allowing you to snipe the operator, or you can do some fancy driving and let your passenger take them out with his Fuel Rod Cannon. If you opt for the second strategy, I recommend spending a bit more time atop the rock, sniping enemies, particularly the Brutes, so they don't interfere while you're handling the Shades. In fact, the second strategy is probably better. If you snipe the Shade operator, another Grunt can simply take his place. Might be better to just destroy the things and be done with them. In any case, I do recommend sniping the Brute Captain carrying the Brute Shot across the water, near the Shade. His shots can flip your Warthog if you aren't careful. After the turrets are down, feel free to drive right into the remaining foes. Before moving on, replace your Beam Rifle with a fresher one from a slain sniper. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (FRC), 2x Shade This next part can be hectic. The Choppers aren't a major threat with your passenger blasting away, but the turrets can be a pain. There are also two Brutes with Beam Rifles wandering around, but as long as you stay moving, they shouldn't be able to hit you. The Chieftain and his FRC are perched atop the first bunker on the left as you come in, next to the Warthog that gets thrashed by incoming Choppers. Pause briefly while your riders take him out. His attention should be elsewhere when you first arrive, so he shouldn't get any shots off toward you. After that, just drive around, plowing over pedestrians and letting your fellows handle the Choppers. If you can, try to get behind a Chopper and follow him so he can't fire at you. The Shade on the cliff will be raining shots on you the whole time, but try to ignore him until the Choppers are down. Your passenger might blast him, but if not, circle up the right side of the hill to reach him. The other Shade by the forcefield should be an easy target for your passenger. Approach the forcefield to trigger a swarm of Drones. Keep your distance from them and let your buddies take them out. Then hop out and smash the forcefield generator. Before moving on, look around and see if any Choppers are still intact. It's unlikely, since your passenger was constantly unleashing explosive green death, but if you can find one that's drivable, take it. It comes in handy later. Also, grab the Chieftain's FRC, and replace your Beam Rifle with a new one if you need to. Whichever vehicle you end up in, continue through the tunnel, across the bridge, and to the barricade. If you're in the Warthog, you have to abandon it here. If you managed to salvage a Chopper, you'll be able to keep it. Believe it or not, it's possible to fit the Chopper between the sections of the barricade on the left and jump the gap to reach the other side. It's difficult to accomplish, because you have to be going pretty fast to clear the gap, meaning you can't just inch your way through the barricade. Use the left trigger boost once you're through to jump the gap. If you can pull it off, you'll be able to use the Chopper's firepower in the battle ahead, which can make things a LOT easier. --------------- THE BROKEN PATH --------------- -Goal: Get to the town of Voi. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Captain (FRC) When you arrive on the scene, jump over the tipped truck and rush the single Brute and two Grunts you see firing on some marines at the right. Their focus will not be on you, so you should be able to come around and melee the Brute from behind, then finish the Grunts. Look toward the larger battle and watch your allies charge the Brutes. Snipe a few if you want, but try to conserve your Beam Rifle's ammo. After a moment, some jump-pack Brutes will enter the scene wielding Carbines. When they notice you, try to dodge their fire as best you can and force them to get closer. As soon as one takes to the sky in your direction, follow his path and try to meet him right as he lands so you can melee him. Take his Carbine (you can drop the FRC for now) and use it to snipe the remaining jumpers. Or you could use the same tactic as against the first, if you like. When the jumpers are dead and the other Brutes have moved to engage the marines in the large bunker, look up at the bridge you passed under to reach this area. To the left is a path leading up the hill and allowing you to stand atop the bridge, providing you with a nice view of the firefight ahead. A Sniper Rifle is up there, giving you a second long range weapon to take out the Brutes. Once again, I have to stress the importance of conserving ammo here. You have a lot of shots, yes, but the Brutes' numbers are great. Don't fire more than two shots at any one Brute. That should be enough to kill anyone, with the possible exception of Chieftains. Anyway, from your new vantage point, you should be able to find the Captain firing the FRC at the bunker. Just follow his line of fire back to him. A shot or two from your Beam Rifle should end him. Then scan the area for more Brutes, taking them down when you spot them. The Grunts on the left should be handled with the Carbine. Feel free to get closer if you need to. The left side of the bridge leads onto the hills surrounding the bunkers. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (FRC), 1x Wraith As soon as you hear the music, retreat back to the top of the bridge. A Phantom comes in and drops off some more Brutes, including a Chieftain and some jump-packers. If you make it to the bridge in time, you can snipe the Chieftain before he even exits the Phantom. If not, try to get him as soon as he hits the ground, before he has time to get cover or fire a shot (yes, he can and will fire at you from that distance). A checkpoint should have just appeared, so consider reverting if you fail to eliminate the Chieftain with three shots or fewer. -Oddity: Exploding Phantom Strangely enough, the marine who was wielding the FRC managed to survive to this point. When the Phantom came in to drop off troops, the marine began firing up at it. I didn't think it would amount to much, but the Phantom actually exploded and fell to pieces around the Brutes who had just jumped out, trapping many of them amidst the rubble and making them easy targets. The Wraith approaches from far ahead, near the next area. He shouldn't spot you immediately, so use the time you have left to take out as many jump-pack Brutes as you can. Eventually the Wraith will move up, and then begins the mortaring. Although it may be easiest to close the distance and destroy it with the FRC, I strongly advise against it. If you can capture the Wraith without destroying it, the rest of the level will be a cakewalk. That comes later, though. For now, you'll have to just avoid his constant bombings. You'll be a sitting duck on the bridge, so it's time to return to ground, where there is ample cover. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (FRC) After taking down a few Brutes, another Phantom flies in to drop off another squad, including yet another Chieftain with an FRC. This brings the total to almost 20 Brutes. Once again, do your best to take out the Chieftain quickly and with as few shots as possible. By now, the Beam Rifle you brought along is probably close to empty. If so, return to the top of the bridge and swap it for the Sniper Rifle I mentioned earlier. Be careful to avoid incoming mortar fire while you're up there. Fresh rifle in hand, head over to the left side of the bridge and down the hill. You have another rifle, but it probably won't be enough to deal with all the enemies. You'll want to clear a path to the large bunker where the marines were holed up fighting Brutes earlier. A second Sniper Rifle is in there, and you'll be needing the ammo. Using the smaller buildings as cover, sneak around and snipe the Brutes between you and the large bunker. Use your Carbine when possible. One strategy is to hide inside one of the small bunkers and force the jump-pack Brutes to come to you. You can melee them when they land nearby (though sometimes they land on the roof), then take their Carbine ammo for yourself. -Oddity: Early Pelican This is probably related to the Exploding Phantom, as it happened during the same playthrough. Normally, Johnson's Pelican comes in after all the Brutes, including the Wraith, have been taken care of. This time around, the Pelican flew in before everything was dead. Several Brutes and the Wraith immediately turned their attention to the Pelican, which made dispatching them extremely easy. Keep moving around between buildings, dodging Wraith bombs and sniping Brutes. When you have a clear path to the large bunker, run straight for it, hopping the low cement walls and evading fire. Once inside the bunker, the Sniper Rifle should be right there on the floor. In addition, there's a weapon crate full of Battle Rifles, which you can swap for your Carbine if you like. There should only be ten or so Brutes left, so continue dodging among cover and sniping Brutes until only the Wraith is left. With all the other Brutes dead, you can now capture the Wraith. Get some cover and wait for the Wraith to stop firing. Then, peer carefully out from behind your cover and zoom in on the Wraith. See the gunner manning the turret? Snipe him. You could have done this earlier, but another Brute would have taken his place. With the Wraith's only close-range defense out of commission, you're free to run right up to it (still being careful to avoid bombs, of course), climb aboard, and proceed to melee the driver. Congratulations, you've just commandeered the vehicle you'll be using for the remainder of this level. Incidentally, if you managed to bring a Chopper here from earlier, this entire battle would have been much simpler. You wouldn't have had to worry about conserving ammo; you could simply have sniped the heavy hitters and used the Chopper's guns on the rest. You'd still want to have saved the Wraith, though, so once it arrived, you probably would have needed to exit the Chopper. It's hard to mow down Brutes while evading mortar fire. Anyway, climb aboard your newly acquired (if slightly damaged) Wraith, and allow a marine from the Pelican to climb into the turret seat. You shouldn't even need to worry about weapons for the rest of the level, but if you'd rather be prepared for the worst, scour the area for FRC ammo. If your Sniper Rifle is about empty, replace it with a Carbine or Battle Rifle and move on. Destroy the hovering platform with the Brute sniper in it, then begin blasting the Choppers as they come toward you. A single direct hit probably won't be enough to take a Chopper down from the front, so be prepared to fire twice. Unfortunately, your new marine buddies in their Warthogs will probably get in the way. Do your best not to hit them, but if it means the difference between life and death for you, don't hesitate. Another hovering platform houses more Brute snipers, and two Shade turrets guard the tunnel ahead, but they shouldn't be a problem. Before moving on, grab a Beam Rifle to go with your FRC. -Noteworthy enemies: 3x Wraith Head through the tunnel and blast the two Brutes before they board their Choppers. Now, don't move forward just yet. Position your Wraith near the Choppers you just destroyed and look ahead. On the hill across the gap, another Wraith is waiting. If you stay back far enough, he won't even fire at you, though he might fire at your allies if they're careless. Aim high--and I mean high, like above the cloud ring--and fire your mortar. It may take some adjusting of aim, but it's possible to destroy that Wraith with your own from here. Four or five direct hits should be enough. After each hit, watch the Wraith for a second. If you see a blue explosion (apart from your own bomb, I mean), that signals the Wraith's demise. Now, move up toward the break in the road, but don't jump it yet. Look toward the Wraith you just destroyed, and scan left across the bridge. Another Wraith is there, waiting to replace the first one. Once again, you can fire on him without him firing back if you keep your distance. With the second Wraith taken out, go ahead and jump the gap. You'll need to use the boost to clear it. On the other side, begin destroying Choppers. Take a sharp left and use the large rock as cover if you need to. A Phantom will drop off some more Choppers, and a third Wraith will take up position on the other side of the hill. He usually decides to climb up and take the place of the first Wraith you destroyed, in which case you'll need to be careful of his bombs while engaging the Choppers. You can't easily deal with the Wraith from this side of the hill, so just avoid him for now. Shortly, another Phantom will drop off even more Choppers. Just stay near that big rock and fire on them as they approach. When you get a chance, follow the left path around the hill, under the bridge. Fire on that Shade turret. More Choppers will probably come in, so be prepared to retreat if needed. When you take out the Shade, back up and move around the opposite side of the hill. As you come around the back, you'll see another Shade turret, so blast it. Now all that should be left is the final Wraith. From his position atop the hill, he has the advantage. You have a few options here. If you still have a marine manning your Wraith's turret, the best thing to do is snipe the other Wraith's gunner from afar, then charge your vehicle up the hill and go nose to nose with him. He won't fire his mortar at that range, and neither should you. Just let your own gunner blast him while you stay right in his face. If you don't have a gunner, it's a little trickier. You could still snipe the enemy gunner, then run up the hill on foot and board the Wraith to melee the driver. You could also sneak around and take shots at him with the FRC. There isn't much cover on the way up, though, so both of those endeavors are risky. Instead, you could inch up the hill in your vehicle until you barely see the top of the enemy Wraith. Don't go too far up, or you'll get a face full of mortar. Hang back just out of sight on the slope and fire just high enough to clear the top of the hill and hit the Wraith. Do this a few times and you'll be clear to head up and reach the road. With your Wraith, the Brute blockade Johnson mentions should be easy to clear. The jump-pack Brutes might close the distance, but they can't really do any harm. The Brute Shots can do some damage, though. Just bomb the hell out of the whole area, and don't forget the Brute sniper further back. Continue on toward the wrecked Pelican and the final encounter of this level. Bomb the Brutes, bomb the Shade, and bomb the Chieftain with the Plasma Turret. Destroy the forcefield generator and leave this place behind. ========================================================================= THE STORM (L400) ========================================================================= ---------- GHOST TOWN ---------- -Goal: Destroy first anti-air Wraith. Open the first door, then head upstairs to the left into the room with the glass walls and computers. At the far left end is a door leading to a small room with a Battle Rifle, which you should swap for your Pistol. Proceed toward the first encounter and hit the button to open the door and allow your allies through. Toss a grenade into the enemy ranks to clear a few out, then start firing your weapon to finish the rest. I don't recommend sitting back and letting the Warthog do all the work, since there's a good chance a Grunt will toss a plasma grenade at it. It's better to keep that vehicle alive. To make the next part easier, take over the driver's seat of the Warthog. Pull it up to the next door, get out, hit the button, and jump back in. As soon as the door opens, punch right down the hall. Go all the way to the end and smash the Brutes before they hop into the Ghosts, then clean up the remainder. You have a choice here. You can stay in the Warthog, or you can take one of the Ghosts. Honestly, with the amount of enemy vehicles in the next area, the Ghost is probably the better option, simply because it's easier to maneuver. I'll assume you opted for being in control of both movement and weapons and took the Ghost. No matter which vehicle you're driving, though, if you take fire from more than one enemy Ghost at a time, you're in trouble. -Noteworthy enemies: 5(?)x Ghost, 1x Wraith, 1x AA Wraith As soon as you're out the door, make a sharp left and boost all the way along the narrow path, running down the Brute Captain and his Grunts in the process. Help the fleeing marines retake the small building under the Phantom by firing from afar with your Ghost. When you've cleared most of them out, exit the Ghost and go inside. On the roof are a Sniper Rifle and a Missile Pod, both of which you'll want to grab. The Wraith that drops in makes a tempting target for the Missile Pod. Five shots should destroy it. That leaves you with three shots, which I recommend using on the Ghosts instead of the AA Wraith. Unfortunately, it takes two shots to finish a Ghost, so that third shot won't be much help. To deal with the remaining Ghosts, you could either climb back into your own Ghost and engage them one at a time, or you can try to sneak around and snipe the pilots with your Sniper Rifle (this is one of the only situations where using a Sniper Rifle on a Grunt is justified). Neither option is particularly easy. If you choose to fight back in your Ghost, you'll be hard-pressed to restrict their movements and engage them one on one. The best way is to meet them by the slope near the end of the wooden walkway outside the small building you just cleared. Even then, if the enemy Ghost begins firing before you do, chances are that he'll win and you'll be dead. If you instead choose to snipe the pilots, you'll have to get them either from the side or from behind, because the front of the Ghosts protects their heads. There is one thing you can do to make things easier. If your Warthog is still around, you can park it near the edge of the walkway outside the small building and get out, letting the gunner go nuts on the Ghosts below. The enemy will probably aim for you instead of the Warthog, so act as a decoy while the gunner does his thing. Once the Ghosts are taken care of, you can finish the AA Wraith. Fire on it from afar with a vehicle, or snipe the gunner and get closer to destroy it however you like. -Goal: Destroy all other Wraiths. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Plasma Turret) Secure a Ghost if you don't have one (there should be at least one still intact) and head for the next door. Blast all the enemies that come through, then start firing at the ones inside. If you make an immediate left upon entering the room, you'll see a door that opens to some stairs leading up. Your Ghost won't fit through it, but it doesn't need to. When the door slides open, just fire into the stairwell. The Covenant upstairs might come to investigate the sounds. If they do, make them regret it. Be prepared to back off if a Brute hurls a Power Drain, though. It'll immobilize your vehicle, making you an easy target. Alternatively, you can go over to the other staircase on the right and just fire directly up at the enemy. Don't get too close, though, or they'll swamp you. Again, beware of Power Drains being tossed your way. If the Chieftain refuses to die, hop out and use whatever ammo you have left in your Sniper Rifle. You might want to grab his Plasma Turret for the next battle. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Drone Swarm It's pointless to count the number of Drones here, but collectively they can dish out lots of death. The Plasma Turret can take out most of them, but it'll probably run out of ammo before long. Drop it and switch to your Battle Rifle at that point. When the majority of them have died, the rest will retreat. Before moving on, take a look at that weapon crate. Are those Rocket Launchers? Why yes, they are! Ditch your Sniper Rifle and move on to join the marines with Mongooses. Notice another weapon crate nearby has more Rockets. Why they give you this second batch, I'm not sure. It's not like you can carry that many. Anyway, take the driver's seat of the free Mongoose and continue. -Noteworthy enemies: Pretty much everything There's nothing subtle about this battle. Have some fun driving around and watching stuff explode. Do your best to evade enemy fire while your passenger and other allies destroy everything in sight. Choppers, Ghosts, and Banshees (yes, there are some Banshees flying overhead) can all kill you quickly, so keep moving. -------- JUDGMENT -------- -Goal: Kill the Scarab tank. Probably the safest way to deal with the Scarab is to stay right underneath it and let your passenger fire at its legs. Nothing can fire on you, but you'll need to be careful not to get stepped on. As soon as the Scarab drops, climb aboard and fight your way through. Grab a Plasma Turret and blast away at the core, then jump off and get the hell out of there. If you'd rather do something more interesting, try heading toward the structure when (or even before) the Scarab arrives. Go up the ramp on the right, turn right, and drive onto the red-brown grating that leads to the crane. There's an elevator here. Park your Mongoose right in the center of the tower, climb off, and hit the green button. The elevator will rise, taking you and the Mongoose up to the top. From there, drive up to the tip of the crane and sit while your passenger launches rockets down at the Scarab. The main gun usually won't be able to hit you (unless its angled just right), but the large turret still can. Thankfully, it's most likely going to be distracted by other things. When the Scarab is close enough, get off the Mongoose (you'll probably need to turn it sideways to avoid falling off the crane), and leap down onto it. This way, you don't need to spend time blasting its legs. Just fight your way to the core and destroy it. -Goal: Neutralize the anti-air cannon. Before you continue to the next area, return to the crane where you left your Mongoose (if you went with that option). The elevator has returned to the lower level, so ride it back up. At the top, just to the right, you'll find a dead marine and a Sniper Rifle, which you should totally grab. Keep the Rocker Launcher as your other weapon. As you head into the makeshift medical ward, grab one of the Machine Gun Turrets, then move on to the firefight. Use the turret to tear apart the Brutes. A second turret is up on the walkway if you need it. Continue on through and deal with the next group of Brutes, these ones threatening the factory workers. The two turrets should be all you need. -Noteworthy enemies: 2x Hunter When the Hunters arrive, drop the turret and pull out the Rocket Launcher. A single rocket should drop each of them, as long as you hit their bodies and not their shields. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Gravity Hammer) Switch to the Sniper Rifle and aim for the Chieftain. Alternatively, fire a rocket into the midst of the whole group. You probably won't kill the Chieftain, but you'll clean out a lot of others. The Chieftain will retreat to the right if enough of his squad dies, and his remaining troops will follow. Don't go outside quite yet. Look to the left for some stairs leading up. Go into the room and through the next door. In this second room is another Sniper Rifle, so use it to refill your ammo. Go out the next door to the outside and begin sniping Brutes. If your turret still has ammo, feel free to use it. Should the Chieftain still be alive, snipe him or rocket him, whichever you choose. If you wait too long and kill his troops first, he'll charge you and probably go invincible, which you want to avoid. If any Battle Rifles or Carbines are lying around, grab one (drop the Rocket Launcher for now) to use against the Grunts and Jackals. Don't waste sniper ammo on them. Retrieve the Rocket Launcher once the small fry are dead. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (FRC) You'll spot the AA gun just as it blasts a ship from the sky. At the end of the platform, you'll find a Machine Gun Turret. Without ripping it off the stand, fire on the enemies coming down the hill. The Chieftain will be at the top, but he'll probably retreat to the right before you can kill him (although it may be possible to snipe him). There's also a Grunt who sets up a Plasma Turret somewhere, so keep an eye out for him. When no enemies remain on the hill, detach the turret and carry it on your way up. I've recently discovered that it's possible to destroy the AA gun without climbing the hill to get underneath the core. To the right of the turret you were just operating is a small section of platform. If you go as far as you can, all the way to the fence, you'll be able to see the glowing core of the AA gun when it drops. Just a small section, but it's enough. Pull out your Rocket Launcher and fire on the core. This requires precise timing, since the rocket takes some time to travel the distance to the core. You'll need to fire before the core actually drops. It will take two or three hits to destroy it, so you may require four or five rockets to account for misses while getting the timing down. Feel free to revert to the previous checkpoint if necessary. Also be certain you actually aim at the glowing sphere itself, not the casing around it. Of course, you may want to do things the old-fashioned way. Use whatever weapons you have at your disposal to take out the forces guarding the AA gun. Machine Gun Turret, Plasma Turret, Rocket Launcher, Sniper Rifle; they all work wonders here. The Chieftain will be here if you didn't kill him before, as well as two Captains with Brute Shots. They're the biggest threats, but don't ignore the multitude of Grunts and Jackals. Take it slow, use cover, and eliminate every enemy. Then use whatever is left to destroy the AA gun's core and end the level. ========================================================================= FLOODGATE (L500) ========================================================================= ------------------- IT FOLLOWED ME HOME ------------------- -Goal: Find the crashed Flood ship. Head down the hill back toward the factory. Upon reaching the platform and making the first left turn, search the left wall for a fallen Brute Chieftain and his Gravity Hammer. Replace one of your weapons (it doesn't matter which, since you'll be swapping the other out shortly), and move on to see the marines get ambushed by Flood. Either toss a frag into their midst or just wade in and unleash hell with the Gravity Hammer, then prepare for a few more waves of Combat Forms and Infection Forms. If they bunch together, blast them with the hammer. Otherwise, try to single them out and go for a simple melee strike. If you find yourself dying a lot, move over to the pair of marines and the weapon crates behind the sand bags. The Arbiter will be left to deal with the majority of Flood, which will result in him going berserk with his sword and cleaning them all out quickly. Replace your other firearm with a Shotgun from the aforementioned weapon crates. Move on through the door. If you want a small challenge, try to rescue the marine before he gets infected. The Assault Rifle can be used to kill the Infection Forms before they reach their target. Just something to try, if you feel up to it. Otherwise, just melee the poor sap and keep going. If you're quick, you can also save the marines behind the sand bags in the next area. Again, completely optional. They have some interesting things to say if they survive. The best way to deal with the crapload of Combat Forms is to wait at the top of the stairs as you exit the small room. Pull out the Shotgun and blast or melee them as they come up. Strangely enough, the sergeant with the Shotgun further on can sometimes hold his own, and he makes a nice addition to the team for the next few battles. Check the weapon crate behind the sand bags for some more Shotgun ammo, then continue on and deal with the next wave of Combat Forms. Shotgun all the way, hammer if you're surrounded. If you want to grab it, there's a Flamethrower atop the metal walkway on the right side. I usually don't bother; the Shotgun and Gravity Hammer are more than enough. After Cortana's little interruption, ready the Gravity Hammer. As you round the first bend in the snaking hallway, you'll encounter a tightly packed group of Combat Forms, most of which can be disposed of with a single slam. For the rest, melee or Shotgun, as you please. Pass by the gibbering marine and emerge outside. Note that a Trip Mine can be found nearby. Can you believe this is the same place you fought the Scarab earlier? It looks so different without the...ground. ---------------- SHADOW OF INTENT ---------------- Most of the Elites who drop in will probably perish before you even reach the battle. Although you can take their Energy Swords if you want, it's not really necessary. The Gravity Hammer is better to have along, and you certainly don't need two close-range weapons now. On that note, exchange your Shotgun for one (or two!) of the Plasma Rifles littering the area. The Combat Forms start to carry weapons more frequently from this point on, so you'll want something to engage them from afar. Some of the Flood here carry Brute Shots, which are great to take along, as well. Their melee strikes are akin to sword attacks, and their shots can take out several Combat Forms at once. Personally, I stick with the Plasma Rifles because they last longer, but I'll leave it up to you which to take along. In either case, you should probably keep the Gravity Hammer in case of emergencies. Continue on inside and engage the Flood in the wide hallway. The corner on the left is a good place to set up camp, as it's easy to duck behind the wall should your shield be wiped out. Replace your Plasma Rifles if they get low; a few of the Flood are carrying them. No Brute Shots, though, so you won't be able to refill yours if you brought one. When you reach the other end of the hall, a group of Combat Forms drops in from above. If you happened to pick up a Trip Mine earlier, place it near the dead marine. When the Flood arrive, they'll walk right over it and set it off, destroying many of them instantly. Some more come in from the next area, walking through the door on the second level. Stay back and use the Plasma Rifles or Brute Shot, though you'll likely run out of ammo for the latter. If so, drop it and pick up whatever is nearby. Tons of stuff to choose from. Use the hammer if you get swamped. When the battle is over, scour the field for ammo or replacement weapons, then continue. -Goal: Search the ship for Cortana. For those who care, there's another Flame Thrower in the room with the glass walls. If your Gravity Hammer is running low, you might want to grab it. It's a good alternative for dealing with the Pure Forms you're about to meet; a single spritz will kill them no matter what shape they take. Speaking of Pure Forms, their constantly shifting bodies make the next battle difficult to write a strategy for. Like I said, the Flame Thrower is great for downing them, but if you don't want to use that (or can't, in case they're out of reach), you'll need something else. Refer to the General Advice section of this guide to see the best ways of dealing with each form. When you emerge outside, a pair of Phantoms will drop off some Elites to assist you. There's a Machine Gun Turret to the left of the large stack of crates, which can be handy to have. Be prepared to drop it if you get swamped, though. Stay on the higher path to the right and let the Arbiter and friends deal with the enemies below. The tower at the far end seems to be a favorite spot for Ranged Pure Forms to hang out, so you'll likely need to deal with them using long range weapons. Keep pressing toward the wreckage, killing everything along the way with whatever weapons are called for. If you get really frustrated, it's possible to rush past everything and just dive into the ship. The Arbiter will draw some of the fire, but if too many Ranged Pure Forms are around, it'll be difficult. ---------------------- INFINITE DEVIL MACHINE ---------------------- Once you're inside the ship, you're essentially in the clear. Just don't disturb the pulsating bulges. Of course, if you WANT to deal with dozens of Infection Forms, that's your choice. Me, I'll be heading straight to the console to retrieve "Cortana" and end this level. ========================================================================= THE ARK (L600) ========================================================================= --------------- INSTALLATION 00 --------------- -Goal: Eliminate hostile anti-air units. Sniper Rifle in hand, approach the first battle. Move up the left side and stop at the pair of rocks framing a great view of the enemy camp. Aim for the Captain first, then take out another Brute or two. After a few seconds, a trio of Grunts will sneak up on you from the right, so switch to the Battle Rifle and deal with them. A Brute will follow shortly thereafter, then you can resume sniping. Occasionally, a lone Grunt will decide to pull a kamikaze charge from the right, so keep your ears open for the crazy shouting they often let out when doing that. After the Brutes are dead, switch to the Battle Rifle to handle the Grunts and Jackals, including two Jackals with Carbines. At the end of it, replenish your sniper ammo with the canister at the top of the hill. Before going through the tunnel, ride up the grav lift into the hovering platform. Detach a Plasma Turret and carry it along with you. There are also some more weapon canisters nearby, so refill your Battle Rifle, then press on. When you come into view of the AA gun, drop the turret and snipe the Jackal atop it, then shift your reticle to the Brutes below. Most of them will move to flank your team from the right, so eliminate as many as you can before they get close. If your marines didn't die in the previous battle, they probably will here. When the Brutes are gone, you can start taking out Jackals and Grunts with the Battle Rifle. -Noteworthy enemies: 2x Hunter A Phantom will arrive to drop off a Hunter duo, and a pair of Jackals with Carbines will join them. Try to eliminate the Jackals first (use the Sniper Rifle for a quicker end), then pick up that Plasma Turret you dragged along. Drop down to the lower level and just unload on the Hunters. One Hunter can be brought down with fewer than 100 shots, meaning a fresh turret is enough to kill both, as I mentioned in the General Advice section. Their lasers are pretty easy to dodge, even with your encumbered speed. As soon as one Hunter falls, the second will forego his green death ray in favor of charging in for close combat, so be ready to move. If you feel like it, trek back and get another Plasma Turret from the hovering platform to use on the upcoming Brute and Grunts. There's no real reason other than to conserve Battle Rifle ammo, but I thought I'd mention it just in case. When those last forces are dead, gather whatever Sniper Rifle and Battle Rifle ammo is left in the two camps. As you pass through the building, don't forget that Terminal #1 is nearby. Remember, there is new information to be gleaned from these on Legendary mode. This one appears to be a diary of sorts, a record kept by Mendicant Bias, the AI construct that betrayed the Forerunners, as was mentioned on other terminals on lower difficulties. The events described seem to have occurred just prior to Mendicant's assignment to study the Flood. You'll also discover the origin of that name, "Flood." Interesting stuff. When you emerge outside again and witness the crashing ship, approach the cliff straight ahead. If you have any sniper ammo left (which you should, unless you were extremely wasteful in the previous battles), you can snipe the two Brutes in the area, then use the Plasma Turret or Battle Rifle to clean up the Grunts. As soon as they're all dead, make a dash for the wrecked Pelican (drop the turret if you have it). There's a Rocket Launcher down there among the scattered supplies, and you want to find it and get it ready before the Prowlers show up. If your Sniper Rifle still has some shots left, then drop the Battle Rifle. As soon as the Prowlers clear the dune and land, blow them away. You'll probably need to aim a bit ahead of them to match their speed. If your aim is true, one shot will clear the Prowler of all Brutes. The second Prowler comes in right after, so do the same thing to it. Occasionally (for me, anyway) the gunner on the second Prowler survives the blast and attacks you. If he does, quickly dive for cover, then get him with your Battle or Sniper Rifle. A checkpoint should have appeared just prior to the Prowlers' arrival, so if you have to spend more than two rockets total, revert and try again. Chances are that you'll die many times trying this, but it's probably the simplest way, given the recent checkpoint. One of the Prowlers should have survived the explosion, so I suggest you take it. Hop into the driver's seat and allow the marines to come aboard, one gunner and two side riders. If both Prowlers are still intact, you'll still get a gunner, but the other marines will take the second Prowler rather than ride yours. Some really stupid marines may decide to ride the Mongooses instead. If so, I suggest you force them off and then destroy the little vehicles with melee hits so they don't try it again. What you want is at least one marine riding the side of your Prowler. When they decide where they want to sit, force the rider to get off, then trade him your Rocket Launcher. You might think I'm crazy, but trust me. It'll be just like in Tsavo Highway when you handed your Warthog's passenger that Fuel Rod Cannon. You'll be driving into battle with some serious firepower. Hop back into the driver's seat, allow your newly armed ally to get comfy, and head out. When you encounter the enemy vehicles, try to drive so that your passenger has a clear shot with his rockets. Also remember that Choppers have a very limited field of fire, so flank and follow them whenever possible to avoid their guns. Don't let the Ghosts catch you off guard, either. Hopefully enough marines survived to drive the second Prowler into battle, granting you some welcome assistance. Further up, the enemies near the crashed Phantom should be easy to handle, even with their Plasma Turrets. Note that a busted Warthog is near the wreckage of the human ship you saw go down earlier. The Warthog itself isn't worth much, but there's a Sniper Rifle on the ground near it, giving you some more ammo for yours. Drive into the next area and fight off the two Choppers, circling around them as much as possible to limit their shots. Once they're down, hang out near the overhanging bridge above you and allow your passenger to launch rockets at the Shades. Move to the left and let him continue his barrage against the forces around the barricades. Be careful of the Grunt wielding the FRC. The Prowler is agile enough to dodge incoming fire as long as you keep your distance. If you have a second passenger, hand that cannon to him, giving you a nice piece of heavy artillery on each side of your Prowler. Otherwise, take the FRC for yourself and get rid of the Battle Rifle. Follow the Pelican to the next area, blowing those two Ghosts to bits along the way. When you crest the hill and arrive at the firefight, pause briefly behind the rocks and let the two Ghosts come to you. If you charge in, they and the Brute with his FRC will destroy you. When the Ghosts are down, you can cruise around and wipe out the other forces. Just like before, the FRC shots can be dodged fairly easily, though you have to be careful since there isn't as much space here. If the marines in this area live, allow them to fill up the remaining spaces on your Prowler. Hand your currently equipped FRC to a new passenger if you get one, then grab the Brute's FRC for yourself. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Wraith Head into the cave, but don't go all the way through. Exit the Prowler and pull up your Sniper Rifle. Aim for the Wraith's gunner and snipe him, then climb back into the Prowler and move toward it. Drive around in front of it while your two heavily armed passengers fire away, making sure to keep out of range of the Shade and Plasma Turret until your passengers can handle them, too. When these enemies are dead, the Brutes near the hovering platform on the left will move across the land bridge toward you. They'll die easily enough, but beware of the two Ghosts that come flying in shortly thereafter. Also beware of the Brute-operated Plasma Turret up on the hovering platform itself. Once they're all taken care of, park your Prowler in the middle of the land bridge and allow your passengers to fire into the strangely-shaped rock formation between you and the AA Wraiths. A Grunt with an FRC is among the enemies hiding there, so be prepared to move if necessary. This may take a while, since your allies apparently aren't smart enough to just fire at the walls and ceiling of the Covenant hideout and let the splash damage do the work. No, they insist on getting direct hits. Just humor them. It's safer this way. When the majority of those guys are dead, move slowly up the right side. You may have to get out of the Prowler and take care of the hovering platform yourself, since your allies might not notice the Plasma Turret until it fires on you. Continue making baby steps in the Prowler until your passengers start attacking the AA Wraiths. Beware of leftover enemies in the rock formation. They do have Plasma Turrets set up there, and they might surprise you. ----------------- FORWARD UNTO DAWN ----------------- -Goal: Lead friendly armor through the wall. -Goal: Locate the Cartographer. I'm always amazed at the Dawn's entrance. Abandon your Prowler and hop into a Scorpion. If you're lucky, your former passengers will join you on the tank, giving you a ridiculous amount of firepower. Don't count on it, though. Hell, it's not like you really need the extra boost. In fact, do I even need to guide you through this part? How 'bout this: Blow shit up. Ghosts, Prowlers, Hunters... None of them should be even remotely threatening. Your range with the Scorpion is superior in all cases. Even a Phantom will go down. Go ahead, blow that Phantom out of the sky while it's setting up a hovering platform. Five shots from the Scorpion's cannon will destroy it. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Wraith Yes, unfortunately you still have to be careful when dealing with Wraiths, though it's more for the sake of your passengers than for you. Take out the Ghosts first, then get comfy under the overhang. The Wraith's mortars might reach you, but more than likely they'll hit the roof over your head. You, however, have no such restrictions. Move up and fire on the hovering platform and the barricades below it. The only enemy worth mentioning is someone carrying an FRC. I say "someone" because I don't know whether it's a Brute or a Grunt. It makes little difference, though. He'll die either way. -Noteworthy enemies: 3x Wraith When you return to the area with the wall, challenge yourself by trying to blast the Phantoms out of the sky. There's one straight ahead, directly above one of the Wraiths. It'll fly away soon, so there's not really a point to destroying it, but really, how many times do you get the chance to blow up a Phantom? I say enjoy the opportunity. The second Phantom comes in later to drop off a third Wraith in front of the upper door where you meet up with Guilty Spark. The Wraiths in the area aren't a major problem, but they can actually hit you now since you're in the open. Keep moving while you fire on them from afar, then blast your way across the bridge and join Guilty Spark at the door. Wave bye-bye to your tank for now. Remember, Terminal #2 is directly behind you after activating the bridge. This one details a conversation log between MB and LF. I'm fairly certain MB is Mendicant Bias, and I can only assume LF stands for "life form" and refers to the Flood, or more precisely the Gravemind. Within, you'll see the foreshadowing of Mendicant's betrayal. That Gravemind sure is a smooth talker. Try not to get stepped on by the Scarab when it passes by. Join up with the Warthog as it flees the pair of Ghosts. Hop into the driver's seat while the Ghosts apparently panic at the sight of you and turn around. Let the marine take over the Gauss cannon and destroy the Ghosts when they return. Before going down the hill, look back in the direction from which you came. There's a Phantom hovering to the right. If you drive up toward it (be careful not to fall off the cliff), your gunner will start firing at it, but the Phantom won't fire back. It will take approximately 50 shots from the Gauss cannon, but this Phantom CAN be destroyed. I suggest you do so, otherwise it will drop off some Brutes with FRCs later. The shots from the Gauss cannon are actually powerful enough to move the Phantom backwards in small increments, eventually out of your gunner's range. Sit tight and the Phantom will slowly drift back into its previous position, allowing your gunner to resume firing. You may be tempted to take over the gun yourself to speed up the process, but don't. The marine will take the wheel and drive away like a moron. You could just kill the marine, sure, but then you're left with no gunner for the coming battle. Be patient, and the Phantom will go down. While you're doing that, sometimes the Wraith down in the next area will spot you and start launching mortars. To avoid this, just stay out of his sight, away from the very edge of the cliff. Once you've destroyed the Phantom, continue on down the hill. Let your gunner take out the Ghosts, then plow through the small force behind them. Meet up with your allied vehicles and help them take out the Wraiths, Ghosts, and Choppers in the area. If you didn't destroy that Phantom earlier, it flies in here to drop off its heavily armed troops. For an easier battle, abandon the Warthog and take over a Scorpion. You'll be a lot slower, but also a lot more durable. Seriously, even the Scarab's main gun won't be able to kill you easily. A few options are available to you for handling the Scarab. You can climb up the central structure and jump onto the Scarab's back from there, then just reach the core and destroy it while fending off the Scarab's crew. That's the most straightforward method, but it's also kinda boring. Plus, when you're done, you'll be on foot surrounded by Choppers and Grunts with FRCs. Instead, you can use the Scorpion to blow out its legs, then climb aboard and destroy the core. Return to the tank and flee the scene while cleaning up the remaining enemies. Again, kinda boring. I like to spend as much time as possible in the Scorpion, so here's what I do. Start by driving the Scorpion up the structure in the middle. From the roof, you have a good view of the Scarab's back, so blast as many crew as you can find. Wait for the Scarab to turn around and let you see its rear. See that glowing spot underneath the large turret? If you blast that area enough times, the entire section of armor will crumble, giving you a clear shot at the core. The Scarab's movement might make the shot difficult, so if you want to, go ahead and shoot the legs to immobilize it. Try to save the last few shots on the legs for when the Scarab's rear is toward you again, otherwise you'll have to return to ground level and circle around. By then, the Scarab will probably have recovered. Plus, you'll have to contend with the Choppers and FRC-wielding Grunts. Whatever you end up doing, the remaining enemies shouldn't prove difficult to clean up. You can attack most of the Covenant on the spire right from your tank if you want. Otherwise, your Sniper Rifle and FRC should make short work of them. You can also grab a Plasma Turret from the wreckage of the Scarab if you like. It certainly helps in the future. If you want one, make sure to grab it before you move up the spire, otherwise they and most of the Scarab's remains will disappear. Also, the Brute stalker on the spire sometimes drops a Cloaking equipment, which might come in handy. Before you head into the building, consider the following: There's a Brute Chopper inside the middle structure, where the Grunts with FRCs were during the Scarab fight. The Chopper can actually fit through the door that Guilty Spark opens, as well as all subsequent doors inside. Maneuvering is very difficult in those tight quarters, but you may decide the extra firepower is worth it. I've been through the place both with and without the Chopper, and it definitely makes things easier if you have it. The walkthrough assumes you went on foot, because there isn't much strategy when taking the Chopper. Just be careful not to get surrounded and you should be fine. If you think you might need it but aren't sure, then park it in the first room, where Spark zaps the marine, so you can come back for it whenever you want. The door to the outside locks behind you, so there's no going back once you're in. ------------------------ REAL MEN DON'T READ MAPS ------------------------ Rush past the sleeping Grunts and melee the Brute Captain while he's relieving himself in the corner. He might notice you (fantastic peripheral vision, apparently) and wake up the Grunts, in which case just revert to the last checkpoint and try again from a different angle. Then just wipe out the sleepers (eight total) and keep going. Run down the hallways and enter the next area. If you're quick enough, you can melee the patrolling Grunt from behind, which allows you to remain stealthy for the next battle. Enter the doorway on the upper floor, which puts you on the walkway overlooking the napping Grunts. There should be a Brute Captain patrolling this walkway. For me, he's always just reaching the opposite end, where it slopes down to ground level. It's a simple matter to run around the walkway and get to him before he turns around, allowing for another silent kill. The sleepers (of which there are six) are easy targets after that. If you can't seem to kill the Brute without him waking the Grunts, you could use that Cloaking equipment you picked up outside. Don't forget about Terminal #3. This one continues the conversation between Mendicant Bias and the Gravemind. It's amazing to me how the Flood justifies what it is doing, how it convinces Mendicant that the Forerunners are the enemy. I wish MY linguistic and logic skills were that advanced. Must be one benefit of having a collective intelligence. The next battle is full of Brutes with Brute Shots. In this cramped space, that can be troublesome. A Brute will open the door before you reach it, so duck back behind the wall for a brief second, then emerge. The Brute should have turned around, so rush up and melee him as he walks away. Unfortunately, no matter what I seem to try, the Jackal on the right notices me and wakes up the sleeping Brutes. It's probably possible to kill at least a few of them before they rise, but I've never managed to pull it off. Just rush that Jackal and bash his head in for having the audacity to shout a warning, then keep to that side area while you launch fuel rods at the other enemies. You might even consider using that Cloaking if you haven't yet. When you're done, move on and activate the Cartographer. -Goal: Head downstairs for evac! -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Plasma Turret) I wouldn't blame you if you just ran past this next battle. I do it all the time. Open the door, blast the Grunts, then make a dash for the next door straight ahead. You'll arrive right when the Chieftain and his Brutes do, so give 'em a few shots with the FRC and keep going. If you decide to stay and fight everyone else, just be aware that some of the Brutes are carrying Maulers, which makes close combat a very bad idea. -Noteworthy enemies: 4x Brute stalker (Spiker) You're probably running low on FRC ammo by now, so you might want to grab the Chieftain's Plasma Turret for the battle with the Brute stalkers. When you first enter their room, take a right and then turn left down that path and start shooting. One of the stalkers is there. Head through the nearby door and go down the ramp, then camp out with your weapon trained on the lower door. Watch for the distorted space that gives away their presence, and use your motion tracker to find them around walls and such. When the four of them die, two shielded Jackals enter through the next door, so deal with them. Grab a Cloaking device if you don't have one and keep moving. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Gravity Hammer) Use your Cloaking to get behind the Chieftain and melee him. Before your invisibility fades completely, dash back the way you came and use the see-through walls as cover. If you've been following my advice to the letter, you should still have plenty of Sniper Rifle ammo to finish off the jump-pack Brutes, as well as the two Jackals with Carbines who appear on the opposite side. Meet up with the Pelican to end the level. ========================================================================= THE COVENANT (L700) ========================================================================= ------- TRIDENT ------- -Goal: Deactivate first barrier tower. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (FRC), 2x Shade Use your Battle Rifle to clear out the nearby Grunts right from the start. Before engaging the Brute Captain and his Brute Shot, duck behind the rocks and blast the two Shades with your Spartan Laser. Trade the laser to the marine with the Shotgun, who might already be dead. Use the Shotgun to take out the Captain, dodging among the rocks and trees to close the distance. Although it's easy to destroy the AA Wraith from here with the Spartan Laser, don't do it. You can deal with the Wraith in a moment without wasting ammo. From your side of the water, use the Battle Rifle to take out the Grunts on the other side. If you can catch a Brute far from cover and not under the effects of a Regenerator, go ahead and shoot him. Keep an eye out for incoming fuel rods courtesy of the Chieftain. When you've cleared out most of the Grunts, cross the stream to their side. If the two Brutes aren't dead yet, kill them now, before you engage the Chieftain. When it's down to just the Chieftain and the Wraith, do whatever you need to get close to the Chieftain. If you're right in his face, he won't launch his FRC at you, and you can use a combination of Shotgun blasts and melee strikes to take him out. Don't worry about the Wraith attacking you; there's no gunner on it for some reason, and the main cannons are busy firing into the sky. After you kill the Chieftain, you can board the Wraith and beat the driver to a pulp. When the Pelican arrives to drop off vehicles for you, it's time for some trading. Take the Chieftain's FRC and give it to whichever marine is in the passenger seat. Then trek back and recover your Spartan Laser. The Battle Rifle will serve well enough for now as your second weapon. Take the wheel of the Warthog and continue. Before you even leave the beach, you'll encounter two Banshees. Keep your foot on the gas and drive around beneath them while your gunner and passenger take them out. A pair of Ghosts comes down the hill soon after, but your allies should make short work of them. Continue up the path and kill off the Shade and surrounding forces. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Wraith, 2x Prowler Keep your speed at maximum as you go up the hill. A pair of Grunts are about to board some Ghosts. You can run over one of them before he reaches his vehicle, but the other will probably escape. Follow him while your passenger launches fuel rods at him, and he should go down quickly. Deal with the other two Ghosts who come up from below, then head down to deal with the Wraith. There's a Shade turret on a rock as you reach the lower area, but your passenger can take him easily. You're now free to engage the Wraith. If you like, you can return to the top of the hill and fire the Spartan Laser at it. If not, you can cruise around in the water, out of range of the Wraith's gunner, while your allies fire away. When the Prowlers arrive, you again have the option to retreat uphill. If your laser is still good, you can try using that, but the Prowlers' speed makes them difficult to target while the laser charges up. You can also grab one of the Beam Rifles in the weapon crate at the top and try to snipe the drivers and gunners. Again, not very easy to aim, but it can be done. The simplest way is unfortunately the most dangerous. Keep the Warthog back near the edge of the water, right off the slope you came down. The Prowlers won't follow you that far, but they'll be able to fire at you when they get close enough. Your passenger will also fire on them. If you can survive being assaulted for a second or two, the Prowler will be destroyed by your passenger. The Shade and forces on the hilltop just past the entrance to the tower can also be handled by your passenger. As for the Covenant guarding the entrance itself, you can inch your Warthog up and let your passenger take a few shots, then back off when the Shade starts firing. Rinse and repeat until they're all dead. Alternatively, just plow right through them and crash into the Shade, then back away and let your allies clean up the mess. Before going inside, take a moment to adjust your team's weapons. More than likely you'll only have the two marines who accompanied you on the Warthog, but it's entirely possible for the two who took the Mongoose to also be alive. One marine already has an FRC, so he's good to go. For the others, those two Beam Rifles back at the top of the hill might work, though you may want to keep one for yourself. If your Spartan Laser has any shots at all, pass it along or just abandon it here. There aren't any targets inside that justify taking it with you, but a marine can certainly make use of it, no matter how many shots are left. Any other marines can make due with Battle Rifles. As for your own weapons, I recommend a Beam Rifle and a Battle Rifle. There's a Cloaking device right outside the door, sitting in front of some weapon crates, which you might consider grabbing. When you enter, stay near the large glass wall. Snipe the Grunts and Jackals with the Battle Rifle, and use the Beam Rifle if the Brute Captain emerges. If your allies don't do anything stupid, they can be very helpful here, and they might even survive. The two Jackals with Carbines are perched in an alcove on the left, down at the other end. It's actually possible to climb up to the second level and reach the elevator without going up the ramp in the next room, completely bypassing those enemies. On the left side, there are two red and black boxes stacked atop one another. You can jump on top of them and from there jump to the second level, landing right next to the terminal. Then just jump to the elevator and keep going. I'll still describe the battle you can skip, but just know that this is an option if you want to limit combat. For the battle, there's a pile of energy canisters in the center that you can shoot, taking out most of the nearby enemies. You can either snipe the Brute Captain on the next level or, if you sneak around the side, you can melee him. Terminal #4 continues where the last terminal left off. Mendicant Bias agrees to assist the Flood in attacking the Forerunners, providing aid as the "irresistible force" assaults the "immovable object". -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Gravity Hammer) Activate the elevator and leave your allies behind for now. You should have plenty of Beam Rifle ammo left to deal with all the Brutes up here. Two of them immediately rush your position, so handle them (with melee, if possible). Stay near the elevator and poke your head around the glass wall to snipe away. It's a good idea to take out the Chieftain early in the fight, lest he decide to charge you. Once they're down, hit the button and deactivate the barrier. -Goal: Deactivate final barrier tower. If you were quick about dealing with the Chieftain, then he should have dropped his Invincibility equipment. Definitely take this. Don't bother with the Gravity Hammer, though. You won't need it. Jump on the elevator and head down. The marines you left behind will be battling some Covenant forces, so help them out. Return to the outside. Your Warthog should still be around, so hop in and let your marines get comfy. Ideally, the one wielding the FRC is still alive, and he's the one you want riding with you. If he's not alive or he doesn't jump into the vehicle, go back and get the weapon he had and pass it along to someone else who WILL ride with you. If NONE of the marines lived, drop your Beam Rifle and take the FRC for yourself, then make a promise to do better and protect those marines next time. When you get back to the beach, try to set up the seating arrangements on the Hornet so that a rider has the FRC. If you can get the other rider to take the Spartan Laser, even better. ---------------------------- IF YOU WANT IT DONE RIGHT... ---------------------------- Take to the skies and begin the battle. The Banshees should be your primary targets, but watch out for the AA Wraith on the small island. Your FRC and Spartan Laser passengers will make this whole scene easier. Visit Terminal #5 to see the threat Mendicant Bias made against the Forerunners, confirming its betrayal. Before moving around the cliff to the final tower, hover out above the small island where the Wraith sat and look ahead. You'll see the enemy Phantom and some Banshees engaging a pair of Pelicans. If you want to secure your safety, you can shoot down all the enemy aircraft from here with your onboard machine gun. It'll take several minutes of constant firing, but that Phantom will eventually fall. The Banshees take far fewer shots, but are significantly more difficult to target. Move on to the third tower and take out the surrounding Banshees, followed by the two AA Wraiths, the regular Wraith, and the two Shade turrets, keeping your distance all the while. There's also a Chieftain with an FRC on the central ledge, above the Wraith. After that, you can close in and kill the majority of Brutes by the tower entrance without even exiting the Hornet. Just be careful not to hit the Arbiter and the other Elites when they arrive. Before heading inside, search the forested area to the right of the tower, where one of the AA Wraiths was sitting. There's a weapon crate there with a nice load of FRC ammo, which you certainly want to grab. You can drop the Beam Rifle, or better yet, give the rifle to one of the Elites. Head toward the door and blast all the Brutes as they come out. You've got plenty of FRC ammo, and you'll be getting more later, so don't be stingy. You could also let the Elites go first and clear the way, if you want. -Noteworthy enemies: 2x Hunter, 1x Drone Swarm This part can be annoying. If you focus on the Drones, the Hunters will get you. If you try for the Hunters first, the Drones will get you. Thankfully, you're carrying a piece of equipment that can make this much easier. As soon as you see the Hunters, activate the Invincibility, then close and give each Hunter three or four shots with the FRC, reloading to kill the second. Remember to avoid hitting their arm shields. Once they fall, retreat to cover before your shield runs out entirely. Switch to the Battle Rifle and coordinate fire with the Elites to take down the Drones. When most of them are dead, the remainder will retreat up the elevator shaft. Once again, it's possible to skip the next battle and jump directly up to the second floor from here. It's more difficult, because there isn't an obvious foothold. You need to melee one of those red crates over to the right without knocking it over. Hit one edge a few times, then hit the other, and "walk" the crate over until you can use it as a stepping stone. As before, I'll assume you decided to play through the level as normal, but use this if you feel like it. Move into the next battle and run straight toward the Brutes, firing several shots from the FRC to force them to retreat. Follow them and melee them if you can, but watch out for the few who have Maulers. Use the Battle Rifle on them. If you want, let the Elites distract the Brutes from the front while you sneak up behind them via the large window. As you approach the elevator, the Drones who retreated will come back to cause trouble. There should only be a few of them, so down them with the Battle Rifle. If your Battle Rifle is running low, grab a Mauler (or pair of Maulers) to replace it. You might want to do that even if you have plenty of Battle Rifle ammo left, assuming you're confident of your ability to spot stalkers. Your call. Terminal #6 is the most interesting of the lot, in my opinion. Instead of Mendicant Bias, the content of this log seems to have been composed by Offensive Bias, the replacement AI the Forerunners chose to battle Mendicant. It contains a lengthy description of the battle between the two AIs, culminating in...well, I won't spoil it for you. Pay attention to what the victor decides to do with the loser, though. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Plasma Turret) At the top of the elevator, you have a Chieftain and four stalkers to deal with. Handle the stalkers first, using either your Battle Rifle from a distance or sneaking between walls and closing to use Maulers. Don't waste what little FRC ammo you have left. When the stalkers are dead, grab up the Maulers from the weapon crate near the elevator. Get close to the Chieftain, dodging behind walls for cover, and blast him with the Maulers. If this proves too difficult, go ahead and use the FRC. Grab his Plasma Turret before you hit the switch. -Goal: Breach the Citadel. Use the Plasma Turret to take out as many Flood as you can. When it runs out, drop it and use whatever you have on you, most likely the Mauler. When you're done, refill ammo and ride the elevator back down to help the Arbiter and his pals clear out more Combat Forms. Once again, the Mauler is great here. Continue outside and deal with more Flood. Be careful of the Carrier Forms. Fend off the Flood as you make your way out, then climb into the Scorpion and head through the tunnel. Marvel at the instant change in weather. ------------- JOURNEY'S END ------------- Blow away the first group of Covenant here, then hop out of the tank and scavenge for the FRCs the Brutes were carrying. If you can't find them, don't worry. You'll get another batch in a moment. Move on through, destroying everything in your path. When you see the small cave, go inside to find a weapon crate with more FRC ammo. Head out the other side, deal with the Wraith and surrounding forces, and finally reach the Hornets. It's your choice whether to use the Hornet or keep the Scorpion for the battle with the two Scarabs. I always take the Hornet, so the walkthrough will be written to reflect that. As soon as you take off, keep an eye out for enemy Banshees. Take them out if you see them, then begin strafing the crew on one of the Scarabs. There are also a number of Ghosts and Prowlers on the ground, so you may want to deal with them before really focusing on the Scarabs. When you've cleared out enough distractions, begin circling one Scarab and fire on its legs. Be careful not to slam into the cliff sides while you're doing this. When the Scarab goes down, go around to its backside and fire on the plating below the large turret. The armor will crumble, allowing you to fire into the core and destroy the Scarab without ever leaving the comfort of your Hornet. Repeat this process for the second Scarab. -Goal: Stop Truth from firing the rings. Before going to meet up with the Arbiter and Guilty Spark, hunt through the Scarabs' remains to find a Plasma Turret. It'll help out a lot when you're making your way to Truth. Now, go be sad about Keyes. ---------- REVELATION ---------- Don't count on much help from the Flood. Though their numbers seem to be infinite, they die easily. At best, they provide a distraction, allowing you to stay in the open for longer than you otherwise could. -Noteworthy enemies: 4x Grunt (FRC) When you get a chance, pull out your FRC and fire a few shots at the Grunts with their own FRCs at the other end. Once they're gone, you should have little trouble wading through the other Covenant with your Plasma Turret. The Grunts here seem to REALLY like throwing grenades, so be on the lookout for their blue glow. A second pair of Grunts with FRCs enters from the next door when you're a bit closer. Don't be afraid to use your FRC here. You'll pick up plenty of ammo for it. Grab that fresh Plasma Turret if you need it, then move on to the next section of the bridge. -Noteworthy enemies: 1x Brute Chieftain (Gravity Hammer), 2x Grunt (FRC) This next part contains some jump-pack Brutes, but they shouldn't be too difficult. Just FRC and Plasma Turret your way to the other side. See what I did there? I used weapons as verbs. I'm tricky like that. Beware of incoming Trip Mines, though. If you see one land, back off and shoot it. Of course, the real threat is the Chieftain at the other side. Try to blast him with the FRC while he's busy stomping on Infection Forms. The two Grunts are also problem-causers, so deal with them when you get a break between jumpers. If you want the Chieftain's hammer, make sure to get it before his body gets infected, otherwise it'll disappear for reasons unknown. The resulting Combat Form certainly isn't carrying it. Move on to the next section and the ensuing cutscene. -Goal: Escape the Flood! The two Combat Forms can be disposed of with melee attacks, as can most of the other Combat Forms later on. If they crowd together, unleash the FRC or Gravity Hammer upon them. Of course, the Arbiter will have his sword out most of the time, so he'll handle the majority, not to mention the Sentinels who come to assist midway through. Be on the lookout for Combat Forms with Energy Swords. When you reach the end, jump down the chute and be done with this level. ========================================================================= CORTANA (L800) ========================================================================= ------- RAMPANT ------- -Goal: Find Cortana. When you first start, you'll see a group of Infection Forms. Use your Assault Rifle and try to prevent them from taking over the two bodies nearby. It's not a big deal if they do; just melee them when they rise up. Near the bodies are a plasma grenade and an incendiary grenade. Up ahead, some pustules burst and release some more Infection Forms, which take over some nearby bodies. The resulting Combat Forms can easily be handled with melee hits. For the rest of the Infection Forms, Assault Rifle in short bursts, and let the last few die on your shield. There's a tunnel on the right side that leads to an upper level overlooking this area. Up there you'll find a Carbine, a Plasma Rifle, and an Energy Sword, as well as some more grenades of varying types. Trade your Shotgun for the sword if you want (don't expect to keep it for long) and your Assault Rifle for the Plasma Rifle. Just a heads-up, you'll be using Plasma Rifles throughout this entire level, so be on the lookout for replacements when yours get low. Head through the first of many sphincter-like doors, then drop through the one in the floor. After Cortana's creepy sobbing laughter, prepare to deal with a wave of Combat Forms. Use the pillars on the right as cover and fire on the Flood with your Plasma Rifle. If one gets close, melee him. There should be two among them wielding Brute Shots. When you find one, take it. Yes, that means dropping the sword. The Brute Shot will be your other main weapon during this level. Two Carrier Forms follow soon after the Combat Forms. Toss an incendiary at the first, and if you have another one, toss it at the second. Move up the gentle slope on the left and follow it around. When you reach the top, stop. To the right is a large amount of Pure Forms. To the left is a cluster of Combat Forms (among them is one wielding a Gravity Hammer) and an opening in the wall which leads to a crashed Pelican. Take the left path with your Brute Shot at the ready. When you spot the Combat Forms, launch a few shots at them and destroy them, then dash directly for the Pelican. The Pure Forms generally will not follow you outside, allowing you to deal with them on your terms. Near the Pelican are several weapons you may consider taking: a Shotgun, a Rocket Launcher, and a Flame Thrower. You don't actually need any of them, but they may help you clear out all the Pure Forms in the area. Speaking of which, most of these Pure Forms will stay in Spider shape as long as you don't rush into their midst. Wait near the opening for one to come near you, then lash out at it with the Brute Shot's bladed end, killing it in one blow. Repeat this until all of them are dead. On the off chance that one morphs, use the Brute Shot's melee to deal with Tanks and the Plasma Rifle to handle any hard-to-reach Ranged. Three more Carrier Forms appear, as well, but if you stay back, they'll just walk right past you down the slope into the previous area. You may think I'm an idiot for not telling you take the Rocket Launcher with you, but seriously, it's more of a burden than anything. To justify using it, you'd need to wait until a whole bunch of Flood were grouped together, and that's just not something you want to wait around for. Trust me and leave it behind. I'll let you decide if you want the Flame Thrower or not, but I usually don't bother. Head through the next two "doors" and find a group of Infection Forms milling about. They'll see you and infect a bunch of bodies, which you can handle using melee strikes or dual blasting Plasma Rifles. When you're done, grab one of the Deployable Covers nearby. As you move up, you'll find some Plasma Rifles to replace yours. Drop into the hole and prepare for the next major battle. Look down the corridor. Your goal for this area is to reach the big purple thing behind a wall on the left. You'll be able to camp out behind there for a good portion of this battle. Ready your Brute Shot and make a run for it. Once you're back there, melee any Flood that come after you, then peer around the sides and look for others. If you see any Ranged clinging to the walls or ceiling, switch to the Plasma Rifle and fire on them in bursts of three or four. They'll curl up eventually, but just keep firing. When you see one fall, that means it's dead. When you've cleared out everything nearby, move up to the glass screen and repeat the process. Poke your head out to see if any Ranged launch their needles at you, then follow their line of fire and use your Plasma Rifle as before. They can be hard to see in the distance with that annoying haze lingering about. Once all the Ranged are cleared out, you can move up and melee everything else with the Brute Shot. Just be wary of Pure Forms replacing their Ranged buddies on the ceiling. When you reach the other end at the lower level, circle around and find an opening in the sloping floor, granting you access to the "room" underneath. There are several weapons and grenades lying around, including a Gravity Hammer leaning against a computer. If you decide to take it, be forewarned: using the hammer recklessly will result in nearby egg sacs on the walls bursting and releasing dozens of Infection Forms. If you're in the middle of combat, those Infection Forms can prove exceedingly dangerous. I personally prefer to keep the Brute Shot. It's melee attack is good enough for me, and it has the advantage of never running out of power. Incidentally, if you access the computer, you'll receive another message from Cortana. Something about wanting to keep you safe but being unable to. Just thought I'd point it out, since it's easy to miss. Anyway, move on through the next corridor. You'll encounter two Carrier Forms, which you should probably deal with now before you engage the Pure Form behind them. Use incendiaries if you have them, otherwise the Plasma Rifle will have to do. Melee the Pure Form and continue. This next part can be tough. Your main focus should be anything on the ground, but the Ranged Pure Forms like to cling to the bridges and fire while you're busy with other things. Use Brute Shot melee attacks for the most part, and retreat behind whatever is nearby if a Ranged begins assaulting you. When the ground forces are dealt with, you can fire on the Ranged with your Plasma Rifle(s). Move up slowly, always keeping a fallback position in mind, and try to deal with the Ranged Pure Forms one at a time. Note that there are several places where you can climb up to higher ground, which could make things easier. Also note that one of the side halls near the beginning of this area has a hole in the wall, which leads to a small corridor with a Flame Thrower in it. Again, I usually ignore the Flame Thrower, but if you want to grab it, go right ahead. When you reach about the midpoint of this area, a loud screeching will alert you to the arrival of more Combat Forms, these ones wielding weapons. Retreat to a safe area and lure them in. Melee with the Brute Shot as much as possible, and use Plasma Rifles on distant targets. Don't be afraid to fire a few shots with the Brute Shot if things get hectic, but for the most part this battle shouldn't be hard to control. When the Combat Forms are dead, deal with the last few Pure Forms and move on. The next sphincter-door leads to a room that spirals upward in a series of sloping paths, and of course the whole area is swarming with Combat and Pure Forms. This can be another of the more difficult battles of the level, but if you take it slow, you should be fine. First of all, when the door opens, you can see a good number of enemies without even entering. Fire the Plasma Rifle at the first few Combat Forms, then enter when it's clear. To the left is a weapon crate with Carbines, and to the right is a side tunnel with some more Flood in it. Kill the Flood and go inside. Still have that Deployable Cover I told you to grab? Lay it down at the other end of the tunnel, blocking off that exit entirely. You can put your back to this shield and melee any Flood that enter from the other side, giving you a pretty decent safe zone to retreat to whenever necessary. Plenty of Pure Forms will congregate outside your new miniature base, so pop out and melee them with the Brute Shot, but be ready to retreat inside if you take fire. When the ground is relatively clear, you can poke your head out and fire your Plasma Rifle at any Ranged clinging nearby. You may need to submit yourself to their needles in order to find them. When you can leave your tunnel without being fired on, stay on the ground floor and look around for any Combat Forms you may have missed. Then look high up at the surrounding walls. There will likely be several Spider Pure Forms hopping around. Watch them for a while, and if any transform into Ranged, fire on them with the Plasma Rifle. When you've killed all the enemies you can find this way, move slowly up the slopes, and keep on eye on the high walls for more Ranged and Spider Pure Forms. There are some Cloaking devices as you go up the first slope, so consider grabbing one for later. Continue your path to the top, always watching the walls and your motion tracker. You'll encounter some more Combat Forms near the top. When you reach the door, double back through this area and replace your depleted Plasma Rifle(s), then move on. Head through the water-filled and bone-strewn corridor to reach the reactor chamber. You can handle this in several ways. You can fight your way through, as you have been, until you reach the other side and head to Cortana's room. Just take it slow. Or you can decide that you're sick of fighting all these damnable Flood and just bypass them. If you're as tired of this level as I am, here's how to clear the area without fighting. You can use the Cloaking you picked up earlier and just run past them, but it'll probably fade before you reach the door. Try to melee the first few Flood you see, then activate the Cloaking just before you cross to the center. Alternatively, you can climb up above them onto the circular platform that runs around the whole room. When you first enter this area, you'll see a weapon crate on the left. Jump on top of it and look up and to the left, where the dangling cords are. You can actually jump up onto the small purple segment hanging down, and from there climb up to the room- circling platform. It's difficult, but it can be done. Once you're up there, just run around it until you reach the other side of the room, then drop down to the bridge and make the short run to the door. Breach the stasis field, retrieve Cortana, and return the way you came. -Goal: Destroy the reactor. When you get back to the reactor chamber, make an immediate left and melee the two Pure Forms just standing there like idiots. Then turn around and run the other way, melee attacking the Combat Forms and other immobile Pure Forms. In fact, most of the Pure Forms in this room just stand still. I'm not sure why, but I won't complain. It certainly makes things easier. Clear out your side of the room, ducking behind cover if a Ranged Form on the other side unleashes needles on you. If you can locate the Ranged, use your Plasma Rifle on him. Before hitting the switch in the center to drop the reactors, clear out all the Flood on the other side. Again, most of the Pure Forms are just standing there in Spider shape, but a few may be in Ranged or even Tank shape. There are also a number of Combat Forms who don't hesitate to fire their weapons. Use the mounds in the center as cover while you try to close distance with them for a melee strike. If this proves too difficult, just fire the Brute Shot. The level is almost over, so no need to conserve ammo. One of the Combat Forms has an Energy Sword, so be on the lookout for him. When the room is cleared, go hit the switch, then look directly behind you. That red door at the other end is going to be the one that opens after you destroy the reactors. From the center, you can hit all the reactors with the Brute Shot. A single blast should be all you need for each. After the third shot, head for that door. When it opens, destroy the Combat Form that emerges (he has a Mauler, so be careful), then head for the hole in the ground. -Goal: Escape High Charity! When you drop in, turn left and head in that direction, toward the Combat Forms. Don't be shy about firing the Brute Shot; no need for subtlety anymore. Use incendiaries on the Carrier Forms if you can. Up ahead turn right and head down the corridor. You're now in the room where Cortana asked if you like games. Run up the slope straight ahead and keep going. The door ahead is swarming with Combat Forms, some of which have Energy Swords. Clear them out as quickly as you can, but be aware of more Combat Forms coming in from behind you. This is a good time to use any frag grenades you may be carrying. The entire group is followed by a Tank Pure Form, who bursts through the wall at the end of the corridor. Deal with him and go through his passageway, dropping down the hole at the end. In this room, take the left path, and keep making left turns until you reach the sphincter-door. Go through, destroy the Carrier and Combat Forms, and continue on, taking a left through another sphincter-door and into the final room, where you'll find the Arbiter. From here, it's a short run to the Pelican you found earlier. The Arbiter will distract the Flood, so just dash to the Pelican, climb in, and leave this hated place behind. ========================================================================= HALO (L900) ========================================================================= ----------- FULL CIRCLE ----------- -Goal: Find the Control Room. Interestingly, you start this level with whatever weapons you had after finishing the previous. The Brute Shot is still a good choice to take along, but it might be low on ammo. Feel free to check the area around the Pelican for replacements if you want. The Shotgun is a good alternative. You'll still want a long range weapon, too, and the Plasma Rifle is my personal choice, but you may decide you want something else. Don't forget about Terminal #7 as you move through the cliffs. Unlike the previous terminals, which contained data logs of past events, this one contains a direct message to the Master Chief from Guilty Spark. If you piece together this info with what you learned from the other six terminals, you should come to a startling realization about the true identity and origin of Guilty Spark. The first enemy you see is a Combat Form carrying a Gravity Hammer. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to take his weapon. There are a LOT of Combat and Pure Forms coming up. Drop the Shotgun/Brute Shot if you decide to grab it. The best advice I can give for the coming battles is to take it slow. Stay near the Arbiter and wipe out all the enemies you can see before moving on. If you press forward without covering your rear, you'll easily get surrounded. It may seem like the Flood here are infinite, but they will stop coming eventually. The only ones who are infinite are the Pure Forms climbing up the tower, and they don't attack. Use the mounds of snow and such as cover while you fire your Plasma Rifle (or other long range weapon) from afar, only going for melee attacks if they get close enough or if there are no weapons firing on you. You shouldn't have to worry about destroying bodies; no Infections Forms are here to revive them. If the Arbiter goes berserk, let him rush the enemy with his sword to save yourself ammo. Some Fuel Rod Cannons and Rocket Launchers are lying around in the snow around the tower. If you find them, feel free to use them, but be ready to replace them when they run out of ammo. The Sentinels who arrive provide some welcome assistance, but don't depend on them to bring a quick end to things. You can let them deal with enemies further away, allowing you to save ammo, but be ready to melee anything that gets close. When you leave the snow and step onto the first level of the tower, you'll find a Flame Thrower. As always, I leave it up to you whether or not to bring it. You'll need to move pretty fast in these battles, so be prepared to drop it and run if necessary. Continue moving up the tower, destroying every Flood in your path before going forward. When you reach the top, grab those two Auto-turrets and set them up in front of the door. They won't do a lot of damage, but they might help out. When the Flood start dropping in, try to remain on one side or the other, where you won't be easily surrounded. The Gravity Hammer is fantastic here, as is the Brute Shot. If you have any rockets or fuel rods left, use them up here, because you won't be needing them after this. You'll have to endure several waves of Flood, but your allies should lighten the load a bit. You'll get several checkpoints between waves, as well. Some of the enemies later on have heavy weapons like FRCs and Rocket Launchers, so be especially careful with them. When Johnson joins you by the door, you'll know you're done. If the Auto-turrets happened to survive the battle, destroy them now. They become your enemies on the way out, so it's better to get rid of them before they can actually attack you. -Goal: Kill the Monitor, activate Halo. No guide should be necessary for the battle with Guilty Spark. You've played the game before, so you know how this works. Blast him with Johnson's Spartan Laser when you get the chance, then mourn the man's death and prepare for the final run. ---------------------- THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS ---------------------- -Goal: Get to the Frigate! Unfortunately, you don't get to keep your previous weapons. Use your brand spankin' new Assault Rifle to mow down the Flood with the Arbiter's help. Grab up one or two Plasma Rifles and head outside. March up and around the cliff, fighting off the Flood and Sentinels. It shouldn't be hard, especially with the Arbiter to assist you. Continue inside, blasting your way through more Flood and Sentinels. The Carrier Forms in the next hall fall easily to Plasma Rifle fire, as do the Infection Forms who emerge. Move on, shoot through the last couple dozen Infection Forms, and reach the Warthog. At this point, it all comes down to your driving skills. You should know the route to follow; it's no different than other modes. Just be careful to avoid exploding platforms and the resulting holes, which seem to be more frequent on Legendary. Don't stop for anything, and if you flip your vehicle, right it immediately and keep going. Jump into the hangar and watch the ending movie. After the credits, watch the scene with Master Chief, then watch the extra scene after that. I have no idea what this scene is supposed to imply, but I've been told it makes sense if you've read the Halo book series. Congratulations! You've finished Legendary mode! ========================================================================= FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (S6FQ) ========================================================================= None yet. ========================================================================= THANKS TO (S7TH) ========================================================================= Bungie, for creating a great game. You, for taking the time to read this. ========================================================================= CONTACT INFO (S8CI) ========================================================================= If you want to get a hold of me, I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have about Halo 3 or about this guide. Also, if you have a suggestion to make for getting through a certain part of the game that you think people should know about, feel free to submit it. If I decide to add it in, I will give you credit. Be sure to include the name you'd like me to give credit to, else I'll be forced to just use the first part of your email address. I'll also welcome any criticism you may have, as long as it's constructive. Don't write me just to say my guide sucks. Tell me WHY it sucks, which parts need fixing, etc. I'll take respectful recommendations under consideration. I do insist that you speak to me using the English language. None of this "u r aw3s0m3/s7upid!!!11" crap. I don't want to have to decipher your message to find out what it is you're trying to say. Send emails to zorlockdarksoul[at]hotmail[dot]com, and include something in the subject line so I know it's in regard to this guide. Even something simple like "Your Halo 3 guide" will let me know not to just delete the message as spam. Once again, thanks for reading! Copyright 2009 Nick Howland End of document ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "You do not deserve this ring! I have kept it safe! It belongs to me!"
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Halo 3 :: Walkthrough 1.1
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