Welcome

This is the Halo Section. Of The Pillar of Autumn. This is were we will ahve all of the information on halo.

Here is the content of The Halo Page
The Story
Weapons and vehicles
Easter Eggs
Guide

 

The Story

Captain Keyes and Cortana(an A.I.) are forced to make a blind jump into uncharted territory. Their ship, the Pillar of Autumn, is boarded by hostile alien forces known as the Covenant. Aboard the Pillar of Autumn is 1201 UNSC Marines. 800 of which are Marines and 400 are crewmen. The last marine is known as John-117, or simply Master Chief(MC). He is the only spartan to leave the Reach System, and for all he knows, the last spartan alive.

As a result of the blind jump is that they stumble across HALO. They dont know what it is, but it is their last hope of survival. After many have escaped the Pillar of Autumn, including MC(now with Cortana implanted into his computer system), Captain Keyes and the rest of the crew attempt to land on the giant ring world. The ring has a similar environment to Earth.

After MC saves some of the soldiers and crewman, Captain Keyes is taken hostage. MC now must board a covenant battle cruiser, known as the Truth and Reconciliation, to save the captain. He makes it. There, he learns that Halo is some type of weapon. It is said that whoever controls Halo, controls the fate of the universe.

After locating the control room, something terrible is released. The only creature the covenant fear is now loose. The Flood. The Flood is a infection that controls anything it consumes. Its food is any living organisms it can catch. But with a little luck, MC gains an ally. The monitor and his "friends" the sentinals. They help you fight off the flood and guides MC to the index.

Then they travel back to the control room where MC finds the real truth of Halo and the monitor. The monitor just wanted MC to activate Halo's weapon and wipe out the Flood's food so that they starve. But since the Flood eats all living organisms, it will blow up to 25 million lightyears away, which would consume Earth. Now MC must battle the Flood, the Covenant, and the sentinals.

After MC disarms Halo's weapon, he locates the Pillar of Autumn's crash site where he plans to blow up the engine room, which would cause an explosion of almost 100 billion degrees, to blow up Halo. He gets there and starts the self destruction count. He has six minutes to find a way off Halo. After his first attempt fails because his evac ship was shot down, he learns that there is a Longsword Fighter still docked in the Pillar of Autumn. He gets off with just seconds to spare. He looks out the window as Halo is destroyed.

"Did anyone else make it?" questioned Master Chief.
"Scanning. Just . . . dust and echoes. We are all that's left. We did what we had to do . . . for Earth. An entire Covenant armada obliterated, and the Flood . . . Halo. It's finished. " replied Cortana.
"No. (The Longsword is alone in space, and through the window we can see the Master Chief reaching up to unclip his helmet from the rest of his suit) I think we're just getting started."

Weapons and vehicles

All weapons

Melee Attack

3 hits to the front for a kill
1 hit to the back for a kill
2 hits to the front with the flag for a kill
Running and hitting does more damage
Jumping and hitting does even more damage

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Grenades

Plasma Grenade

 
-Three second fuse
-Sticks to animate objects
-Strong enough to kill if it sticks
-Very easy to see
-Carry up to four

Fragmentation Grenade

 
-One second fuse once still
-Large blast radius
-Bounces drastically
-Emits a small flash
-Carry up to four

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Guns

Camo Recover is the time it takes for you to become invisible again after firing a weapon.

This power list is very general, especially in singleplayer where only certain weapons are available at certain part of the game. But the multiplayer list is true in most cases.

Multiplayer Power Weapons
1. Human Pistol
2. Sniper Rifle
3. Rocket Launcher
4. Shotgun
5. Plasma Rifle
6. Assault Rifle
7. Plasma Pistol
8. Needler

Singleplayer Power Weapons
1. Human Pistol
2. Plasma Pistol
3. Shotgun
4. Plasma Rifle
5. Sniper Rifle
6. Rocket Launcher
7. Assault Rifle
8. Needler

Rocket Launcher

Best at= Mid Range
Best vs.= Shotgun(Short Range)
Worst vs.= Sniper(Long Range)
Melee= Very Slow
Reload= Very Slow
Camo Recover= Very Slow
Headshots= No
Easy Kill= Jumping and shoot mid jump at enemies' feet
Ammo= 4 clips of 2 shots; 8 rockets total
Special= 2x zoom

NOTE: Rockets travel slowly; Splash damage is effective; It can take out warthogs and scorpians easily.

Sniper

Best at= Long Range
Best vs.= Rocket Launcher(Long Range)
Worst vs.= Shotgun(Short Range)
Melee= Moderately Fast
Reload= Moderately Slow
Camo Recover= Moderately Slow
Headshots= Yes; 1
Easy Kill= 1 headshot
Ammo= 6 clips of 4 shots; 24 bullets total
Special= 2x, 10x zoom

NOTE: Move around when sniping; Farther away you are from target, the more you must lead the shot. Know when and where to take cover.

Shotgun

Best at= Short Range
Best vs.= Sniper(Short Range)
Worst vs.= Pistol(Mid Range)
Melee= Moderately Fast
Reload= Very Slow
Camo Recover= Moderately Fast
Headshots= No
Easy Kill= One very close shot
Ammo= 5 clips of 12 shots; 60 bullets total
Special= None

NOTE: One very close shot will kill anyone; Long reload time; Always run towards target.

Pistol

 
Best at= Mid Range
Best vs.= Plasma Pistol(Close-Mid Range)
Worst vs.= Pistols(Mid Range)-skills prevail
Melee= Moderately Slow
Reload= Very Fast
Camo Recover= Moderately Slow
Headshots= Yes; 3
Easy Kill= 3 headshots. Make sure you strafe, this way it is harder for them to get good shots.
Ammo= 10 clips of 12 shots; 120 bullets total
Special= 2x zoom

NOTE: Best all-around weapon.

Assault Rifle

Best at= Mid Range
Best vs.= Plasma Pistol(Close-Mid Range)
Worst vs.= Needler(Mid Range)
Melee= Moderately Fast
Reload= Moderately Fast
Camo Recover= Very Fast
Headshots= No
Easy Kill= Confuse by running close circles around target while unloading clips and meleeing.
Ammo= 10 clips of 60 shots; 600 bullets total
Special= None

NOTE: If shooting at a far away target, use quick bursts.

Needler

 
Best at= Mid Range
Best vs.= Assault Rifle(Mid Range)
Worst vs.= Pistol(Mid Range)
Melee= Moderately Slow
Reload= Very Fast
Camo Recover= Varied by number of needles
Headshots= No
Easy Kill= Get them in a small walkway and unload a clip
Ammo= 4 clips of 20 shots; 80 needles total
Special= Delayed Explosion; Homing

NOTE: Needles follow enemies and bounce off walls; must lead your target; 9 successive needles will kill an enemy.

Plasma Rifle

 
Best at= Mid-Long Range
Best vs.= Needler(Mid Range)
Worst vs.= Pistol(Mid Range)
Melee= Moderately Fast
Reload= None
Camo Recover= Very Fast
Headshots= Yes, barely; 9
Easy Kill= Shoot at enemies when they are trying to cross platforms
Ammo= 100 energy cells at 2 shots a cell
Special= Stuns

NOTE: Shots freeze enemies (flag-bearers worst enemy).

Plasma Pistol

 
Best at= Close-Mid Range
Best vs.= Needler(Mid Range)
Worst vs.= Shotgun(Close Range)
Melee= Very Fast
Reload= None
Camo Recover= Moderately Fast
Headshots= Yes, barely; 14
Easy Kill= Overcharged shot at close range and then melee.
Ammo= 100 energy cells at 5 shots a cell; Overcharge 11 energy cells
Special= Overcharge; Homing

NOTE: Overcharged shots take down enemy shield, even if they have an overshield.

All Vehicles

1. Have a one hit kill, that is running them over
2. Have unlimited ammo
3. Can block portals
4. Can be used as cover for snipers
5. Are quicker than walking on foot

Ghost

Speed= Very Fast
Armor= Moderately Good
Seating= 1 driver/gunner
Kill= 8 shots (stuns)

For a great combo againt grounded opponents, hold down your fire while driving straight at an enemy. He will be virtually frozen until you drive right over him. If your playing CTF and have this vehicle enabled, use it. It good for getting in and out of places quickly. Though, you can be easily sniped while getting in.

Warthog

Speed= Moderatley Fast
Armor= Moderatley Good
Seating= 1 driver, 1 gunner, 1 passenger
Kill= 2 seconds of shots

The driver and gunner are essential for any gametype, especially CTF. But never use the passenger seat, unless you dont plan to go into combat. The passenger's view is often shaky and isnt able to get a clear shot; and yet, the passenger is just another free kill for the enemy with a rocket launcher. Though, you can be easily sniped while getting in. There is also a Rocket Launching Warthog in the PC version (right).

Tank

Speed= Moderately Slow
Armor= Very Good
Seating= 1 driver/gunner, 4 passengers
Kill= 1 shot from the primary cannon (four second wait)
Kill= 5 seconds of shots from the secondary gun

Be careful tanks can be easily sniped from the front. Like the warthog, passengers are never good on this crawler. This vehicle is great when set up infront of an enemy's base, with the front facing away and the nozzle facing at the base. The tank becomes un-sniperable, at least from the base, and is able to lay down constant fire. Unlike the other vehicles, it is a bit harder to be sniped while getting in.

Easter Eggs

The Megg

This is the last easter egg to be found, and after months of looking, it's top-secret whereabouts are now released. It is a bloody 'M' shot onto a ceiling. This is how to see it:

Select Campaign from the main screen and play Pillar of Autumn on Legendary. Once you get cryotube, turn around and hop on top of it. Jump off to your right ontop of the shield generator. From there, hop on the grated walkway and turn right. Run to the wall and touch it. Now turn around and run and touch the wall on the opposite side of the walkway. Then jump to left on top of the yellow-striped barrel. Jump back on the walkway and run back and touch the wall above the doorway. Then walk off to the right and go through the door. Continue through the level as normal, until you reach the Australian marine that tells you to follow him. Make sure you jump over him and make him follow you. Once you reach the bridge, dodge Captian Keyes, and the cutscene, and fall into the glass pit behind the space grid. Go up the ladder, but make sure the caption appears, the one that tells you how to go up ladders. Now go talk to Captian Keyes. Go get your pistol, shoot the three grunts, and get your assault rifle from the cafeteria door. Reload the rifle and turn around and run back the bridge. From here you can either... shoot Captian Keyes, melee him or melee one of the standing crewmen. Cortana will order the invincible marines to come kill you. Run to the door from which they come (the door on the right path, not the left path that leads to the cafeteria). Take out your assault rifle and blast the marines as the doors open (try to hit every marine, so they don't come charging). When you run out of ammo, go and reload in the room that connects the paths (make sure you hide behind a part of the wall or something). After reloading, run back and lay down fire on the marines and work your way through the hallway. The door at the end of the hallway should now be open. Run through (the marines should'nt follow you any further) and walk into the end room. Look up as you enter this secret room and you should see a bloody 'M' shot onto the ceiling. Turn on you flashlight to see it better.

Just for a little history lesson, the word Megg is a cross between Egg and Meg. Meg is the name of the girlfriend of one the creators of Halo.

Carnage Before. The once unlockable door is now open.

Look up as you enter the last room. The Megg is revealed.

A blood heart with an 'M' shot into it. A valentine?

.Fortune

This is an odd little easter egg. When typing in '.fortune' as your profile name, the words at the top of the screen are replaced with a random fortune; like a fortune cookie. Try and see for yourself.

Bulletin Board

This can be found on the Pillar of Autumn, the first level. It is a bulletin board in a corridor right before you see Captain Keyes. On the bulletin board there are posters.
The posters have this written on them, from left to right:

#1- FOR SALE. PENTIUM XI 33GF. CHICAGO OFFICE. COLONY SHIP. 3 SPEED TRANSMISSION. HYDE PARK CONDO. INTEGRITY
#2- MARINES KEEP IT CLEAN! CLEAN YOUR AREA, TOSS YOUR FILTH, PUT AWAY YOUR TRAY
#3- MARINES. SCOOTERS ARE FOR SQUIRTS. NO SCOOTERS ON DECK
#4- DUTY ROSTER. PILLAR OF AUTUMN
#5- LOST: CALICO CAT. ANSWERS TO JONESY
#6- ATTENTION MARINES. CALLBACKS FOR SOUTH PACIFIC
#7- FIGHT FOR HER

Edit Gametypes

This can be found when highlighting 'Edit Gametypes' under the Multiplayer screen. The words branching off Master Chief actually say something.

Visor-UV PROTECTANT. SEE ARMOR FOR PROTECTION FROM ELEMENTS

UpperTorso- ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US

LeftArm- ACTION/RELOAD. ONE WAY FLEXIBLE JOINT SYSTEM

LeftLeg- DIRECTIONAL LOCK. MJOLNIR CYBORG. DEALER PARTS

Rifle- UV PROTECTANT. SEE VISOR FOR PROTECTION FROM ELEMENTS

RightLeg- SOMETIMES I GIVE MYSELF THE CREEPS. SOMETIMES MY MIND PLAYS TRICKS ON ME

AboveRightKnee- HYDRAULIC SUSPENSION THIGH PADS WITH COOL KEVLAR CRAP

Food Nipple Grunt

This hidden grunt has a lot to say. You will find him hidden in last driving sequence of the Maw. After Foehammer is shot down, continue until your NAV point is around 914 meters. Halfway through the tunnel you should jump out of your warthog. To the right is a room and at the very end of it there is a grunt that wont attack you.
Walk up to him and he will say:

"Good thing that food nipple's waitin' for me at the starship, cause man! Have I worked up a big, grunty, thirst!"

This special grunt never attacks, just talks.

It becomes fresh meat after its done speaking.

Rex Blood

This is a splattering of blood on the wall spelling 'rex'. It hidden deep in the level, the Maw, at the end of the driving sequence, after Foe Hammer was shot down. There will be a large drop off coming up. Go off this ledge at about a 15 degree angle. You should land on a raised dark-gray structure. If you accidently roll off or land on the other side of the structure. Hop on the back of the warthog, then up on the wall. Run along the wall, then walk off onto the piece of ground with the flame and the 3 barrels. Look for a side path that takes you inside the wall. On your right is a splattering of blood on the wall that spells out 'rex'. Rex is an abreviation of ferrex, which is the nickname of Tyson Green, Halo's level designer.

Enter the dark corridor. Spooky.

Turn on your flashlight and you will see it, 'rex'.

Hippo Shell

This is simply a picture of a hippo on a shotgun shell. It is on every shell and can be seen with a sniper rifle after a shell is on the ground.

Portal Gas

This is pointless but interesting. Go to blood gulch and have one player with a rocket launcher stand on top of a base pointing at the portal. Have the another player watch the back of the portal from the ground. When the player fires a rocket at the portal, a green gas comes out the back.

Tank Numbers

This is just a group of numbers on the front of the scorpion tank: 030569. These numbers are the birth date of Halo's Art Director, Marcus Lehto. He was born on March 5, 1969.

There it is, 030569.

Master Chief Marked

This is the initials, MRL, of Halo's Art Director, Marcus R. Lehto. Check the bootom of Master Chief's right foot with a sniper rifle to see the initials. Easy ways to see it are looking at another player's foot as they are going up a ladder or at a dead body on the ground.

Keyes' Pipe

This is Keyes' misplaced pipe in the level Keyes. It is in the covenant ship, in the room where you find Keyes engulfed in a flood-like cocoon. At the back of the cocoon, there is a something like a tail coming off of it. With a sniper rifle, you can clearly see keyes' pipe at the end of the tail.

You can barely see it without the help of a sniper rifle.

Zoom up to 10x and it is in clear sight.

Alternate Ending

This is a rather funny alternate ending sequence that includes a marine and an elite hugging one another. To see it, complete the Maw on the Legendary difficulty setting.

Alternate Dialogue

This is quite noticable if you play through all of the difficulty levels. The harder the difficulty, the more interesting the dialogue gets. The marines and grunts talk a lot more and cuss a bit more on Legendary.

Hidden Music

This is simply a clip of music taken from the game, Myth, on the level Assault on the Control Room. To get it to play, get a banshee and head to the control center. There is a pillar that goes straight up passing through 3 brackets. You should land on the middle bracket. This is where you should go to hear the music. It may take a few tries to park your bashee without falling off.

---Table of Contents---
,,Tricks
,,,,,Co-op
,,,,,,,,,,Object Overload
,,,,,,,,,,Infinite ammo
,,,,,,,,,,Infinite active-camouflage
,,,,,,,,,,Jump really high (using a Warthog)
,,,,,,,,,,Change suit color
,,,,,,,,,,Flying crewman, PoA
,,,,,,,,,,Climbing display, PoA
,,,,,,,,,,Touching Halo, PoA
,,,,,,,,,,Three weapons, both players, PoA
,,,,,,,,,,Top of T&R
,,,,,,,,,,On top of the Silent Cartographer
,,,,,,,,,,Don't deactivate the security system, SC
,,,,,,,,,,Through invisible wall, SC
,,,,,,,,,,Stand up in passenger seat, SC
,,,,,,,,,,Descending the security shaft, SC
,,,,,,,,,,Don't wait for doors to open, The Library
,,,,,,,,,,Bottom of AotCR
,,,,,,,,,,MC on the ring, AotCR
,,,,,,,,,,No enemies, AotCR
,,,,,,,,,,Beginning of AotCR...in Two Betrayals
,,,,,,,,,,Linked-lives, Two Betrayals
,,,,,,,,,,MC Killed in cutscene, Two Betrayals
,,,,,,,,,,On top of Keyes
,,,,,,,,,,In the ceiling holes, Keyes
,,,,,,,,,,Don't leave the ship, Keyes

To search for a trick, find its name in the table of contents. Press ctrl+F, and type the trick name surrounded by brackets. Example: [Free grenades, SC]

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-Co-op-

[Object Overload]
Object overload is sometimes called "o-o". Have one player kill the other. Once respawned, have them get killed again. Do this for a little over half an hour. After a while, the guns will start to make a really large pile. If enough guns are in the game, it will glitch and some pretty strange and fun things can occur. First, some tips on killing:

Use melees to the back

Back into a corner so the other player always respawns in front of, and with their back facing, you for a quick kill.

If you kill in the same spot for a while, the frame rate will decrease greatly.

Don't be afraid to move to another spot to do it quicker. It's not the placement of the guns, it's the quantity of them.

Find a somewhat high place, preferably with a ledge that leads to another accessible part of the level, and position yourself so that the respawning player respawns over the edge and automatically falls to their death every time. Leave the game like this for about an hour to ease things a bit. The main shaft of SC is good for this. Try using a place you can get to for better results (so the guns still stay relatively in the game).

Clear the area of enemies first, just so they respawn fairly quickly everytime.

Don't worry if the bodies start disappearing (they will). The bodies aren't what overloads the game, it's the guns.

Here is a list of some of the things that can occur because of object overload. Remember, though, not all of these will occur every time, and some are dependent on the level of o-o you do (how long you've been killing. Some of the more extreme ones take a bit longer).

All enemies disappear (although some can still spawn)
MC not shown in map-activation cutscene (SC)
Covenant spawn with no weapons
Rocks are completely removed
Trees are completely removed
Purple crates are completely removed
Weapons don't spawn
Rocks become invisible at certain angles
Stationary shields are completely removed
Barrels become invisible
Respawn with no weapons
Don't respawn at certain angles
Weapons have no effect
Some/many enemies don't spawn
Some enemies disappear in front of you
Plasma pistol (overcharged) doesn't glow
Bodies disappear instantly
Weapons disappear instantly
Keyes' blob doesn't spawn (although it's still there in the cutscene)
Crashed Banshee by gravlift in Keyes doesn't spawn
Severe frame rate drop
Last Pelican in SC doesn't come

[Infinite ammo]
There are some load points, where if one player gets warped across them they will have infinite ammo. One of them is the second time you enter a maintenance tunnel in the PoA. Select the one weapon you want to use and have the other player warp you across. If you're using the needler/AR/pistol, your bullets will decrease but your clip size will not. You also cannot change weapons, die, swap weapons or you will lose it. Go to halo.bungie.org for more details and other places to perform this.

[Infinite active-camouflage]
There are some places where if one player has active camouflage and is warped across a loadpoint, their invisibility will last forever. One place to do this is the Silent Cartographer. In the main facility, there is a loadpoint. Have one player stand in front of that, and the other go down and get the active camouflage. Once they get it, the first player should cross the loadpoint. The second player now has infinite active camouflage until they die. Go to halo.bungie.org for more details and places to perform this.

[Jump really high (using a Warthog)]
Have one of you get in the drivers seat, and the other as a gunner in a Warthog. Drive at a pretty fast speed, and have the gunner face himself backwards and looking as high as the gun will go. Now, have them exit the Warthog, and, if everything was done right, they should fly into the air about twenty feet.

[Change suit color]
This is easiest to do on PoA. Have one player stand in an area where his armor will be a different color (like a room with no light, so his armor is looks black). Have the other player cross a loading zone and warp the other player to him. The warped player should have the same suit color they did before they were warped (black, usually, since that's the easiest one to find). They will have this color until they move.

[Flying crewman, PoA]
Go to PoA on co-op, heroic or legendary will be easiest. As soon as both of you gain control of your characters, run to the door. When the door opens, have one player go through and the other stand in the doorway, blocking the crewman from going through. When the first player reaches the fires and triggers the explosion, the crewman, no where near it, will still be thrown to the ground and die.

[Climbing display, PoA]
This can be done on single player, but you get a better idea of it on co-op. After you meet Cpt. Keyes, look at the display behind him, the one that looks like it's made of glass. Have one player jump onto the small ledge in front of the glass and crouch. You can climb this screen, somewhat like a ladder.

[Touching Halo, PoA]
I haven't done this completely yet; pretty difficult. Anyways, here's a quick explanation:

Choose PoA on co-op. As soon as you gain control of MC, jump into the cryo tube before it closes. Now, moving around will sometimes cause him to exit the tube in strange ways, like falling through the level, landing behind the cryo tube, or just ending up in front of it. Keep reverting to saved (hopefully you got a checkpoint after you were inside the tube) until you are catapulted into the ceiling. Have the other player hit a checkpoint and come back so you can actually see where you're going. Jumping from light to light, and using the other player to change what you see, make your way to the bridge. Once there, walk into space and towards Halo. If you've made it, it'll say "Press X to flip <Need a string entry here>".

If you want a detailed explanation from somebody who has actually done it, you can check halo.bungie.org for "Cryo B exploration 3".

[Three weapons, both players, PoA]
Have one player perform the three weapons trick the way they would for single player. Once they have their weapons, have them stand in front of the checkpoint, and the other player being safely behind it (just have them stay completely in the bridge). Have the other player shoot him down and have him respawn past the checkpoint. Have them go collect two weapons, then both of you go back to Cpt. Keyes and trigger the checkpoint. Both of your pistols will load with your other weapons, leaving you both with three weapons to complete the level with.

[Top of T&R]
Go through the level normally until you get to the first outdoor room where a covenant dropship lands (the one with the active camouflage, or the one before the grav lift room). After disposing of all the enemies, head back to the first shade in the room. The shade overlooks a small rock ledge, and a few feet after is the large cliff edge. Also, notice two tree branches growing out of the wall, that almost lead to the top of the cliff wall. Melee the shade as close as you can get it to the wall behind it. Have one player hop in and point it towards the first tree branch (make sure the other player has at least one plasma grenade, and full health). The gun should come about a foot short of the branch. Have the player with the grenade jump onto the shade, walk up the gun, and jump onto the first branch. The other player (to be called player one), should kill themselves and respawn on the branch (if ever they don't respawn there, move up the branch a bit more). Once respawned, have player one stand against the cliff wall, still on the branch. Player two jump on top of them, then on to the next branch. Again, player one kills themselves. Now, move up the branch so player one respawns nearest to the wall. Once they do, both of you move up the branch a bit until player one is a few inches higher. Player two should jump on their head. Throw a plasma grenade on top of player one, time it, and before it explodes, get a short running start and jump towards the top of the level. You should make the jump pretty easily.

[On top of the Silent Cartographer]
Drive towards the security building and get the Warthog past the tree barrier. Kill all enemies that would you give some trouble, and find the last rock before you exit the bottleneck, near where the cliff edge is pretty low. Drive the Warthog between the rock and the cliff wall, and try to back it up the rock a bit. Have one player get into the gunner seat and aim towards the lowest point on wall, while the other player jumps on top of the gun, walks as far up on it as they can, and jumps the rest of the way to the top of the level.

[Don't deactivate the security system, SC]
Take a Warthog to the locked door in the Silent Cartographer, and have one player crouch, directly in the center of the door. The other player drives the Warthog slowly at them, and it should push them through the door. Activate the cutscene on the platform to the right for the other player to get across.

[Through invisible wall, SC]
Have both players hop in the Warthog and head into the sea. When you reach the invisible wall, have the player that's not driving get out and stand against the invisible wall, then crouch. The first player, now, should drive slowly towards (tap forward at a moderate pace) and the Warthog should push the second player through the invisible wall. It's still just water over there, but a long ways off will be the end of the level.

[Stand up in passenger seat, SC]
This trick utilizes object overload (o-o), which can trigger several different glitches. The way to do this: go to the SC on co-op. After you get the Warthog, both players get out. Have one player kill the other. When they respawn, kill them again. Every time, the player killed will drop a plasma pistol and assault rifle. Keep killing them over and over again, so the guns accumulate. After a long while, you may notice that the rocks and Warthog disappear at certain angles. That's good, it means you're getting closer. Eventually, player two will respawn weaponless. Avoiding all guns, have them walk to the Warthog and get in the passenger seat. They'll get in, and their view will be normal, but from a third-person perspective, they're obviously standing up. It's pretty funny to see. If you want, then, have the second player get in the drivers seat and run over the other, so they respawn weaponless.

[Descending the security shaft, SC]
Go to the security building and kill the two hunters inside. Now, go back out and have both of you pick up overshields. Head back inside and look down the shaft. Have one of you jump to the nearest platform, and crouch as you land. Have the other do the same. Now, walk along the platform until you see a small room indented in a wall. Aim for that next, crouching as you land. When either or you gets low on health, have the other player kill them so they respawn with full health. Keep jumping down, one at a time, to the closest part you see (either a room or a platform). Eventually, you'll be at a part where you can't see any more platforms below you. Nobody has yet found a way to get lower than this point.

[Don't wait for doors to open, The Library]
In The Library, if you find a door that's partially open, though not far enough for you to walk through, have one player stand next to the lowest section of a sloped part of the door (the sloped part leads to the square/diamond shaped opening). Player two should now jump on top of them, then onto the slope part of the door, then jump through the other side. I haven't confirmed this yet, but it may cause the door to open sooner than normal.

[Bottom of AotCR]
This trick is how to get to the bottom of the pit at the beginning of AotCR.

As soon as you gain control of your characters, both of you hit X a few times to stay in the Pelican. Now, normally when you do this, you make it down to the blue fog, where you're knocked out and fall to your death. A second or two after you notice the fog entering the Pelican, have one player hit X to exit the Pelican, then keep tapping X rapidly until they die. They should have, hopefully, flipped the Pelican upright a bit. One player will still die, though, that's inevitable. If all goes well, now, you'll be able to fall to the very bottom, and get out safely.

If the player that flipped the Pelican respawns in midair, and gets the option to flip the Pelican again, don't.

If you both still die, try making slight adjustments with your timing (the time when you jump out and flip the Pelican).

[MC on the ring, AotCR]
To get MC on one of the spinning rings at the beginning of AotCR, have one player tap X to get back in the Pelican, have the other player get out normally and quickly die (any death works). When the Pelican hits the ring on its way down, Player 2 (or whoever died) will respawn on the ring. They must either jump or move forward, though, to avoid falling through the ring's gaps.

[No enemies, AotCR]
Refer to the single player method on getting to the rock ledge. Once your both there, have one player melee the other in the back. Wait a second or two, then walk off the ledge, staying against the wall. Once they hit the snow ledge, the other player should respawn on it, as the other dies. Wait so both of you are alive on the ledge, then head to the first part of the bend, fall off, and crouch as you land (see the single player method for a more in depth look at getting down).

[Beginning of AotCR...in Two Betrayals]
Go through Two Betrayals as you normally would, until you get to the very large firefight just before the third pulse generator. Fight through here and grab your banshees, then head to the bridge directly above you. Go to the left side (if you're looking at it from the open end of the canyon), and have one player get out. Have that player stand in the center of the door, and the other player slowly maneuver their banshee to try to push them through it. If they were killed by the banshee, keep pressing against the door and hopefully they'll respawn on the other side. The player in the banshee can now kill themselves to respawn on the other side, as well. Behind the door, you will find, among other things, a gray, textureless environment, stationary shields, and, uh, working, sideways doors.

[Linked-lives, Two Betrayals]
At the beginning of Two Betrayals, after you destroy the sentinels, head over to the holopanel. Have one player jump over the side to their death. When they die, so will the other player.

[MC Killed in cutscene, Two Betrayals]
Play Two Betrayals on Heroic or Legendary (for best results) on co-op. Go through normally until you reach the final pulse generator. Have one player go in on a blitz (no shooting the sentinels) and destroy the generator. Immediately after that, the other player should cross the load point and warp him back out. When the cutscene starts, MC will be attacked by all the sentinels, and after a few seconds will be killed. At the end, Cortana will teleport his dead body.

[On top of Keyes]
This is the easiest way I've found to do this: Have both players pick up eight grenades and not use any of them. Head to the grav lift. Find the overshield next to the grav lift and have one player kill the other so their grenades land near the overshield (the three grenades already there don't matter, they won't explode in a chain reaction). When they respawn, have them kill the other player so eight more grenades land in the pile. Pick up one plasma grenade from somewhere. Throw it in the middle of the grenades. About one and a half seconds after you threw the grenade, jump on top of the overshield, then jump again, so you're in the air with the overshield charging as the grenades explode. The blast should send you up pretty high. Aim for the ledge to the right of the overshield; near the coolant pit opposite the one with the banshee. Once up, kill the other player, or have them kill themselves so they respawn with you. Facing the grav lift, head to the right side of the ledge. They'll be another part you can jump onto over there. Do this, and you can now walk the rest of the way to the top of the level. Oh, and that cliff edge back there has an invisible floor, so you can walk on it without falling.

[In the ceiling holes, Keyes]
Make sure you have at least one plasma grenade. After coming back into the ship through the grav lift, go through the hallways as usual. Choose any of the holes in the ceiling (that lead to another floor) that you'd like. Have one player stand directly under it, and the other stand on top of them. Throw a grenade on the bottom player's head, and about half a second before it explodes, jump towards the small room above. If you make it, the other player will respawn up there with you. There's nothing to do up here, as all the doors are locked, but it's still somewhat interesting.

[Don't leave the ship, Keyes]
Okay, this one is quite difficult (tedious, and may take a while). Go to Keyes On any difficulty and kill all the enemies at the beginning. Make sure you have a plasma pistol, and head to the stationary shield (where there was a group of grunts, and a purple crate). Take out the shield with a plasma pistol, and get in the following position:

(Shoot the base of the shield to keep it from regenerating)
Make sure its base is to your left, and you are standing so that the base is between you and the hallway that leads to the door that leads to the hole. In other words, face the purple crate with the shield base to your left.

Notice that there are two small squares in the middle of it (the shield base), one on either side. The one on the left should be smaller than the one on the right, and the one on the right should appear to have a blue square in its center.

Jump onto the square on the right side and look straight down, holding the plasma pistol out. Turn slightly to the left, so the top part of the aiming reticule is pointed the thicker part of shield's base. Position yourself so the bottom left line of the reticule is coming out of the bottom left hand corner of the blue square. The bottom right line of the reticule should be about halfway between the top and bottom of the blue box, but extending slightly past the right edge of it. If you're having trouble position yourself this way, try jumping, then making small adjustments (movement sensitivity is decreased while you're in the air).

Now, when the shield regenerates, it should do one of many things:
1. Force you to the side (make some minor adjustments and try again).
2. Send you into the hole in the ceiling (jump back down and try again).
3. Bounce you off the wall to the left of the shield (close, make minor
adjustments and try again.
4. Send you through the ceiling, out of the level for a second, and land you back in the room (almost, try again).
5. Land you behind the pink holographic display arm, to the right of the shield (good).
6. Send you through the ceiling and land you on top of a wall (good).

If 5 happens, double jump to the top of the arm and jump to the top of one of the walls to your left (if you miss, you either fall through the level and have to start from the beginning, or you'll land back in the room, and you'll have to start from the beginning again).

Once you're on top of a wall, have player two go through the hallway the leads to the shield (back towards the beginning of the level), and find the first red (locked) door (it should be on the left side, if you're heading towards the beginning). Have them now come back and bring back your vision of where you are.

Walk along the top of the lights (carefully), until you reach a turn. Look for the red door that player two found in the last step. You'll probably have to jump across the hallway to get to it. Aim for the wall to the right of the door. Notice some small lines, really thin, across the ceiling. Jump to the middle of that (you should be able to stay on), then make another jump to the lights, to complete your travel across the hallway. Walk towards the red door and jump past it. Player 2 should kill themselves (or something, so he spawns with you on the other side of the door). You should be in the room with Keyes' blob.

Once there, go through the next door and find a checkpoint to trigger. Head back to where Keyes was (you should come across a lot of frozen flood, feel free to shoot them a few times). You can now activate the cutscene and complete the level normally.

Guide

Elite

Desciption: The Elite are very hard to kill.  They are about 8'6' tall and very strong.  They will mostly use hand to hand combat but also have some weapons.

Weapons: Aside from plasma pistols they will use whatever covenant weapons they can find.

Melee Attacks: All Elites resort to hand to hand combat, so when ever possible use the melee attack but watch out they will hit you back and take your sheild down.


Ranks


Gold Type: The gold type are commanders and they are the hardest to beat. (They will mostly be found on legendary)

Black Type: The black type are special ops and are also kind of hard to beat. (They will mostly be found on legendary)

Invisible Type (gray type): Some times you will encounter invisible Elites. They are found on levels like the silent cartographer. Becareful most invisible Elite's have swords that will kill you in one hit, so keep your distance.

Red type: The red type are major and  semi easy to beat. (They are found mostly on normal and up)

Blue Type: The blue type are minor and the easy compared to the other ranks. You will find them through out the game.


Vulnerability

Throw a grenade on them and run away. A plasma grenade will work best but watch out they will charge at you.

M6D Pistol Works the best. Try to get a head  shot.  (most effective)

If al else fails use the Assaultt Rifle and use the melee attack when there shield is down. If you run out of ammo try to get a covenant weapon the  plasma rifle would be the best covenant weapon.




Grunt

Description: The grunt is around the easyist to kill. They are about 5' tall. Grunts travel in groups so don't expect just 1. Becareful when fighting them most grunts have Needlers and they can be very effective when there are a lot coming at you.

Weapons: Grunts use covenant small arms and plasma gernades.

Melee attacks: The melee attack is very effective on grunts but you have to look at the ground to hit them and when there are Elites that is not a good idea.

Ranks

Black Type: The black type are special ops and the hardest to beat out of all grunts. (they are found mostly on legendary)

Red Type: The red type are Majors and  kind os easy to beat. (they are found on heroic and legendary)

Orange Type: The Orange type is minor and easy to kill. (they will be found throught the game)

Vulnerability

Throw a gernade and watch them run around and kill the rest of the grunts.

When they are in large groups use the assault rifle or plasma rifle.

When they are sleeping use the melee attack.

Use the shotgun for a large group.


Hunter

Description: The Hunter is the hardest to kill. It will kill you befor  you can even get close to it, because of its large Fuel rod gun.

Weapons: The fuel rod gun (you cant pick up this covenant rocket luncher)

Melee attack: The melee attack has no efect maby a little taken off its sheild. It how ever has a powerful melee attack one hit will take out your sheild the next will instantly kill you!


Vulnerability

M6D Pistol is about the most deadly weapon you could aim at a hunter, You will need to aim at the orange spot to have a shot at it

Assault rifle will do some damage but you might want a pistol to save you you have to get its back to kill it or it will come charging at you like a bull

Plasma gernades work ok but throw them at the orange. fragmentation gernades don't realy have any efect unless the hunter is dead and lying on the ground



Jackal

Descriptoin: The jackal has a very powerful sheild. It  has great vison and sense of smell so when you want to be stelthy take out the jackal when the others are sleeping. The jackal can hold it self agianst about 7 marines.

Weapons: Unlike most of covenant the jackal will ONLY use the plasma pistol.

Melee Attack: The melee attack is your best bet for taking out the jackal because of its powerful sheild.


Ranks

Orange Type: The orange type is a major and in a sense hard to beet.

Blue Type: The blue type is a minor and are still kind of hard to kill.


Vulnerability

Use the assault rifle or rocket luncher for the melee attack.

Throw a gernade and try not to hit their sheild try to get it near them.

use the rocket luncher and blow them up.


Flood
Description: The flood is the sinister secret hidden on halo. Flood creatures are parasitic, Virulet forms. the forunners reconizied  the flood as the most deadly threat to life in the galaxy and built halo to combat it. There are a few forms of flood one is the combat form and they will resort to hand to hand combat and use shotguns and some use small covenant weapons. The carrier type will just get near you and blow up.

Weapons: The flood usaluy does not carry weapons exept for the combat type  they can be found using the human shotgun.The carrier type will just blow up.

melee Attack: The melee attack dos not have much efect on the flood.


Ranks (Type)

Combat Type: The combat type will use hand to hand combat or any wepon they can get their hand like things on.

Carrier Type: The carrier type will blow up and take down your sheild very fast so don't be afraid to run away.


Vulnerability

The shotgun works best on all flood but when shooting  the carrier type try to get a few covenant or flood near it first.

The assault rifle and plasma rifle should be a last resort it will take half of a clip to kill one or two.

The gernade will do good if you have a plasma and you hit the they will come at you like the Elite.

Last but not least the M6D pistol will do, But it is a slow firing weapon it has small clips and well there is hardly any ammo to be found unless you have marines and kill them the only level ther are  dead marines  just  lying around  is like the assault on the control room.









Walk through

Level 1
Level 1: The Pillar of Autumn


      This level is a gem. Lots of tightly packed covenant forces just waiting to be tagged with plasma grenades. Some marines are around to take some fire for you, and some tight, but not impossible situations.

    * The guide's best run: 17 minutes and forty eight seconds. One respawn.
    * Average Difficulty 1
    * Ideal weapon set: One human, one Covenant

Pillar of Autumn:

The beginning of this Tutorial/level is pretty straight forward. Go find Captain Keyes. As long as you don't sit around to watch your invincible crew-mates take a beating, you should be fine. The only thing that you need to watch out for are the preset grenade explosions. They aren't just for show, they hurt!

A.I. Constructs and Cyborgs first:

This is where things start to get fun. You walk away from Captain Keyes with a gun in your hand and Cortana in your head. You are ready to face your first of many challenges in playing Halo on Legendary.
    

          
      

Cafeteria:

The three grunts waiting for you should pose no threat. Just remember: Head shots are your friend! When the last grunt falls, head through the door to the cafeteria. Synonymous with bad food and carbonated beverages, this place would usually be one of the most jovial places on the ship. Unfortunately, the Covenant are there, and they aren't too enamored of bad food or soft drinks.
    

          


      

You will see two Elites venting their displeasure on two marines as you enter. The marines will quickly fall from sustained plasma fire or grenades lobbed in their direction. However, you need to ignore the Elites for the time being, and instead pick off the grunt running around the Elites with your pistol. Keep track of where it's pistol falls.
    

          


      

After the grunt goes down the door behind the Elites will open up, and marines in the outer hallway will open fire on the Elites. The Elites will forget about you for the time being and vent their plasma rifles on the marines. At this time run up behind each of them and give each a healthy dose of smack with the butt of your rifle. Now is the time to grab your plasma weapon of choice.
    

          


      

With the Elites dead, a small army of Covenant will come pouring out of the doors to the right. Towering above the grunts will be three Elites. The recommended course for this engagement is to seek the hallways that the Covenant came out of. There will usually be one Elite that will be blocking your straight run to the hallways. Take him out and continue on to the relative safety of the hallways.
    

          


      

Sometimes there will be one or two gruntish stragglers in the halls. Kill them and the hallway is yours. If any marines are still alive they will have the Covenant's full attention. Play 'hide and go seek' with the remaining Covenant, ducking around the corner to recharge shields, and then exposing yourself for brief periods of time to pick off lone enemies.
note-after you run into the hallway the Covenant originated from you have the option of just leaving the area. I personally enjoy killing Covenant, and thus have never done this. It's up to you.
    

          


      

With the area clear grab the ammo and health and head into the adjacent hallway. Shortly you will find a lone Elite annoying three marines. Show him the exquisitely detailed bump-mapping on your fist and continue on.
    

          




      

"Did something just hit us?" :

This engagement is quite fun. A Covenant boarding party is entering the Pillar of Autumn for your viewing pleasure. By now you should have several plasma grenades at your disposal. Toss one plasma grenade on the far wall of the airlock, and then strafe around and toss one into the crowd of Covenant trying to board. Boom, Boom. Flying bodies. "Thank you for coming aboard, and enjoy your stay on the Pillar of Autumn." A couple of Covenant may have evaded your wrath. Kill the survivors and then grab one of the two overshields lying in the Covenant boarding ship. Continue on...
    

          






      

I took the one less traveled by... :

Eventually you will come upon a split in the path. Down one you will see several marines fighting for their lives, while the other path will be empty. Take the empty path. You will essentially be flanking a group of Covenant four Elite strong. Toss some plasma grenades into their ranks and watch them fly. (or duck out of the way to avoid the small storm of indignation that will mark the place you just resided) Repeat until the majority of the Covenant forces have found an early death.
    

          


      

A little further on you will find another situation similar to the first. It is again recommended that you flank your enemy.(just run straight ahead, the marines will be to your right) This time it will be only two Elites for your killing pleasure. Same as before, a couple of grenades are the simplest solution.
    

          




      

Boarding party #2:

Another group of Covenant have decided to come to the pleasure barge that is the Pillar of Autumn. They will be lurking right around the corner. Try to beat your marines to them. There will be one elite around the corner with a small gaggle of grunts. Show them how much fun it is having plasma grenades stuck to their faces and then run for cover. Now you will have two Elites left in the hallway to dispatch. Again send as much fire their way as you dare to before seeking cover. Repeat until either you or them are dead. Fill up on grenades and grab one of their overshields. (warning: if your shields are depleted and you walk over both overshields, you may accidentally pick both of them up. that would be BAD)
    

          


      

Up ahead you have another squarish setup in which you can advance upon your enemies from two ways. Unlike the previous two encounters run straight up to them. Covenant will run out of the door to the right. Throw a grenade in the crack between the door and the object up against it. That should usually kill one of the elites in this area. The other one is in the hallway that you could have taken initially. Advance on him in any way your killing heart desires as long as you end up advancing over the elite's dead body. Now run back to the boarding party. Grab the second overshield. (if you can't pick it up you likely still have a bit left from the last one. Grab a rifle and use the stationary shields to get rid of that last bit of shield.) You have a bit of a challenge coming up, and the overshield will definitely come in handy.
    

          








      

"Covenant- on the landing above us!":

Welcome to the most difficult engagement of the first level. As Cortana lets you know, there are most certainly covenant on the landing above you. Well, as every young spartan would dutifully tell you: "Never let your enemy have the advantage of height when you can avoid it." Run as fast as you can up those stairs. Sometimes one of the elites will be nice enough to expose itself when you are running up the first set of stairs. Aim an overcharged pile of plasma his way, and maybe a headshot if possible. Continue on if you miss. Getting up the stairs takes priority in this case. Now, you are at the top of the stairs. You want to get to your current left (your right as you were just entering the room or if you backed up the last stairs). In that direction is a door that is going to unleash two elites and yet more grunts on you and your beleagured marines. When the first bit of a gap appears between the doors, toss one or two grenades into their midst. Shortly thereafter the decor of that area of the ship should take on beautiful hues of blue and purple. Run around the top level ducking behind structures and taking out the remaining covenant one at a time. Avoid the adjoining hallway for now. Fill up on grenades and weapons if needed, and prepare yourself, you've still got a bit to go before you are guaranteed a checkpoint.
    

          




      

Enter into the hallway adjoining the room containing the stairs. If you look to your left you will see some covenant far down the hall. Run towards them. Toss two plasma grenades as accurately as you can, one in front of the other right in their midst. Take cover until you here the twin thunderclap of destruction you have sown. Finish up by showing the survivors just how pleasant of a mood you are in after finally making it up those stairs.

Not quite out of the fire yet. There are several grunts milling about just around the corner. If it wasn't for the two elites further out of sight, they wouldn't be a problem. As it is, gun down the grunts and proceed around the corner with caution. A couple of grenades should keep the elites on their toes while you finnish off the rest with smart weapons fire.

You will find some health and ammo lying right by an observation port. Grab them, you just made it through the toughest part of the first level.
    

          


      

The maze-tainance tunnels:

Run around the corner. Kill the grunts. Enter the maintenance tunnels. Time for fun... As you round the final corner of the tunnels you will see a door that will let you out into the middle of a covenant force. That would be bad. However, you should be able to see a grunt lounging right outside the door. Massage that sore spot in it's back with a nice ol' plasma grenade. If you are lucky, he may even run crying for help to the elite standing nearby. You can tell by the various screams of pain that shortly ensue. Now, back up and find the tunnel to your right. Head down it and take the first left. This will again lead to the hallway swarming with Covenant. See if you can send another grenade o' love towards a grunt's flesh. After the explosion head back around and take the path that Cortana originally has you take on your tutorial game. Follow the back halls back around again to the spot with the covenant. Shoot some elites, tag some grunts. By now you should know the drill for the first level. One thing to watch out for is the elite that is hanging around in the hall that goes by the cryo-chamber. Make sure you didn't just grab the health before you face him.
    

          


      

"Looks like the Covenant were trying to catch you napping!" :
    

          


      

Run past the cryo-chambers and send some pent up plasma at the elite at the very end of the hall. Finish it up with a head shot and you are good to go. Round the corner and give out indiscriminant justice to all the grunts that reside there. Run to the maintenance tunnels to your right and find your way to more Covenant. This time the covenant you find will likely be preoccupied with two marines to your right in the hall. Show them who their real threat is with a grenade. Post-explosion, head out into the hall. There is usually a small pile of grunts quivering in fear to your left. Dispatch them however you please and continue on to your last battle of the first level.
    

          


      

This is fun. Usually the tutorial on 'how to throw grenades', there is a rack of grenades in front of you. Work that throwing arm of yours. Throw and throw until all the screams stop. Hop into the last dropship and get your butt off the Autumn!



Level 2
Level 2: Halo


      

There are several ways to tackle this level. Because many areas have wide-open spaces, you'll find that some firefights can get pretty chaotic. You'll also find that the dynamic of these firefights can vary greatly depending on how things play out. If something goes horribly wrong, don't be afraid to revert to your last save point and try again.
    

          
      

Flawless Cowboy:

The escape pod you rode out of the doomed Autumn crash-lands in a high rocky valley with you as the only survivor. As you exit the pod, past the scattered and broken bodies of your comrades, be sure to stock up on ammunition and grenades. Cortana will warn you about Covenant search parties and suggest that you head to the hills to avoid being noticed. You can head over the bridge to the hills, but chances are that you’ll be noticed and surrounded, so don’t do that just yet.

Follow the path of the downed pod towards the river but don’t get your feet wet yet. Spend a little time taking in your surroundings: you’re on the floor of a narrow and rocky valley. A waterfall cascades from several hundred feet above your head into a shallow basin which then drains down one side of the valley you’re in, along a steep shelf of stone, and then drops away again off the side of the mountain your on into the mist below. The stone shelf rises from the edge of the cliff, where the small stream disappears off the edge and a narrow bridge connects the two sides of the gorge, and continues back further into the mountains. Along the other side a tall cliff rises up and you can see a number of trees growing along the ridge.

As you wander around near the stream below the waterfall, Cortana will remark on the complexity of the ring’s ecosystem. That’ll all very interesting, but the cue you’re waiting for is her warning that a Covenant dropship is inbound.

Take up a position near the end of the groove carved out by the dropship as it skidded across the ground at the edge of the stream and ready your pistol. Shoot at the grunts as they cross the open ground between their dropship and the bridge. If you miss any, you can pick them off as they try to get across the bridge. On legendary there are six grunts and two elites. Make sure you account for all the grunts before attempting to take on the elites. A single stray grunt may not be able to do much to you, but he can tip your hand and alert the elites to your presence when you’re trying to be sneaky as described in the next part.

Now that you’ve taken care of the grunts, it's time to take out the elites before you move across the bridge and into the rest of the level. While you can kill an elite (even on legendary) with your pistol, these two have plenty of cover to use. Instead of taking them head on, show them your backside and run directly into the stream. Follow the ridge up to the waterfall and skirt around behind it, keeping right next to the rock wall on your left the entire time. If you continue following it, you will eventually wind up at the edge of the precipice. Walk along as close to the edge as you dare until you are near the nose of your dropship. If you stayed close to the wall and the cliff edge, got all the grunts and haven’t been jumping around and firing your weapon while you took this lengthy walk, you should also be behind the two elites who will still be looking for you to stick your head out from the rocks near the waterfall. Smack them each once in the back of the head.

Alternately, No7orious suggests that you try it this way:

Grab the grenades and ammo as you run out of the escape pod, and head across the bridge. The Covenant dropship should pass directly overhead, completely oblivious to your presence (so long as you don’t shoot at it) and two banshees will enter the valley far to your right. Once on the other side of the bridge, continue on to your right. Keep an eye out for the two banshees which will ambush you. One of them tends to fly around drunkenly and doesn't really attack you for a bit, while the other will fly out and attack you from over above the river.

Take out the pistol, zoom in on the banshee and fire all twelve rounds at him while he is still a good distance away. When he makes his run at you swap to your assault rifle and fill him with a clip 'o lead. Make sure that you stand in a nice open area for him. He should fall rather quickly if you manage to put some full clips into him. When you manage to kill one of the Banshees, the other one will retreat allowing you to kill Covenant ground troops in peace.

By now, the Covenant should be out of the dropship and on their way over to the bridge. If both elites have decided to try to make it over while you are distracted, throw a couple of fragmentation grenades on the bridge. They will dodge... to their deaths!

Make your way back to the base of the bridge. There will be a large rock behind you and to your right. To the left of the rock, next to the ledge, there will be a path. If you follow the path, it will lead you to where you can ascend the rock. From your new heightened vantage point it should be easy to pick off your foes.

You should be able to kill all of the grunts as they tend to jump into and out of cover rather gruntishly. Try to leave one or two alive before you take on the elites. They will provide you with feedback when you kill an elite. Now start on the elites. Their shields alone will take more than an entire pistol clip to deplete. However their favorite hiding spot, the rock, is now no longer any cover from your fire. Just aim for the top of the rock and fire. If they don't run for cover behind the rock, even better! When grunts start running across the bridge with their hands in the air, it is a good indication that the Elites are dead.

Before moving on, restock your ammunition by the escape pod. Consider swapping your assault rifle for a plasma weapon at this point, but consider also that you may want to hold onto it until you've dealt with the banshees up ahead (if you haven’t crossed the bridge yet). Don’t pick up the health pack unless you absolutely need it however. You may need it later and it won’t go anywhere. Cross over the bridge and make your way along the open edge of the ridge deeper into the valley. Watch the skies as you do so, as two banshees will swoop down and open fire on you. When the do, move close to the trees for cover and pop at one of them with your pistol until it gets close, then unload with your assault rifle as is passes overhead. If you’ve dumped one or both of these and are having trouble hitting the fliers with plasma weapons you can usually get up the hill safely if you stick to cover, after which they’ll fly off. You only have to take one of them out and the other one will fly off and leave you alone. If you really want to impress anyone who happens to be watching, tag one of the banshees with a plasma grenade and then hit it four or five times with the pistol.

Once the banshee threat has been eliminated, or at least avoided, follow the open edge of the ridge (again) up to the cliff wall and then hug that towards a large boulder near the mouth of the canyon. Edge around this and pick off the handful of unsuspecting grunts, but pull back when they spot you or the elite runs towards you. Hit the elite with an overcharged blast from the plasma pistol then shoot him in the head with your pistol to remove him, or simply rush him with your plasma rifle and then take out any stray grunts. This fight may have left you hurting, or you may have simply lost a little health, either way, now is the time to go back for the health pack if you need it. Once you enter the canyon and drop down, you won’t be able to come back this way.

Of course, there’s a third way:

Leave the escape pod and grab ammunition and grenades, then haul ass over the bridge. As you cross it, the dropship will buzz overhead. Ignore it and make your way up the hill towards the back of the valley. As you’re moving this way, the two banshees will swoop down and give you hell. If you’re paying attention, you can keep an eye on them and use the trees for cover. You can fight them or not, as you so desire, remembering that once one has been destroyed, the second will fly off.

Use your pistol to zoom in on the patrol of grunts up head and pick them off with carefully placed headshots, then move in and take on the elite. Now you’re free to move on to the next area. This method is faster, probably a little easier, but not necessarily as much fun. You don’t have to fight the Covenant that come out of the dropship provided that you keep moving forward and up into the canyon and you don’t decide to go back for health or ammo.
    

          
























      

Once you’re loaded for bear, follow the path through the canyon back into the mountains, as you round a bend, Cortana will tell you that she’s detected an escape pod and you should look for survivors. A moment later, you’ll round a bend into an open valley where you’ll see a large alien structure which periodically emits a blast of energy skyward. Some of the Autumn’s crew has holed up with some marines. Don’t spend too long watching the energy beam race across the diameter of the Halo though; a covenant dropship has just unloaded a group of grunts and elites who are making things unpleasant or your friends. Get down there and help them out!

You arrive at the scene just as the dropship lifts off. Four grunts will be disgorged from the side of the dropship closest you. Toss a frag grenade their way and then lay into them with your pistol. As soon as they’ve been taken care of, turn your attention to the two elites and grunt that came from the other side of the dropship and are using a large boulder as cover. Another frag grenade their way should soften them up, but isn’t strictly necessary. If you can tag one of the elites with a plasma grenade, you’re off to a good start. They should be busy with the marines, but that doesn’t mean they won’t fire at you if you try to sneak in and bop them. Use the overcharge on your plasma pistol coupled with a well-placed pistol round to take out the elites. If they turn and charge you, back off and get some cover. Having both of them focus on you doesn’t make for good odds. You can also man your way in with your AR or plasma rifle blazing (just watch that heat meter), but you should take out the grunt first so he doesn’t make a nuisance of himself and (again) try not to take both of the elites at once.

If you haven’t been a slouch not only should you be in good shape, but you should have saved all but one or two marines. If you got beat up, climb the ramp to the top of the structure and you’ll find some ammunition, grenades and two health packs on the left. Unless you really need them, leave them for now. The sarge will explain what a tight spot they're in and Cortana will assure him that you’ll stick around and help out until they can be evacuated. You don’t have to stick around and listen to the sarge’s speech, but having him come up to you and start talking is what starts the next wave of enemies... unless he died in the previous fight, in which case, the next wave will start as soon as the checkpoint finishes saving your game. As soon as the sarge starts talking, make your way around the right hand side of the structure to the other side. We’ll call the side you came in on the back and the side you’re going to now the front. As you come around, you’ll see that the valley opens out some more and that there are fewer trees. You should also note the presence of two smaller structures that you can use for cover in a pinch as well as a downed escape pod. There’s a health pack and a stash of ammunition near the back of the pod, but leave this be for now. You’ll need it later.

Five covenant dropships will now land and release troops to try and make it hard for you to save any of the human survivors. If you stick to the right of the main structure, and the right of the smaller structure which is on that side, you should come out next to the first enemy dropship on the side with two elites ready to hop out at you. Stick a plasma grenade to one or both of them. If you miss, throw another. If that one misses, run away! Get some cover fast and use the old pistol combo to work on the elites, then use the human pistol to take out the grunts and jackals that came out from the other side.

If you manage to kill both elites with plasma grenades before the drop ship has time to take off, start pulling back to cover and toss a frag grenade around to the other side of the dropship (or underneath it a little) to give the grunts and jackals something to think about and then pop them with your pistol. Remember to take cover if you need it, there is plenty of it in the form of trees and the smaller forerunner structure behind you.

If you happen to come at this encounter from the other side, one or two frag grenades dropped right as the grunts and jackals hit the ground will usually take them all out. Then you’ll just have to dance a little with the elites using our favorite plasma overcharge followed by pistol round technique which you should know well by now.

So much for the first dropship.

You should be able to spot the second ship flying overhead, moving to the left side of the front of the structure. Make sure you have a full clip and a fully charged plasma weapon and head over that way. If you need it, pick up the health pack near the escape pod as you pass.

The second dropship lands in an open hilly area. Two elites and a grunt will jump out on the side near you, away from the valley wall. On the other side, four more grunts will spill out. You can use more or less the same strategy with this dropship as you used with the last, but bear in mind that you have less cover to work with.

If you don’t manage to stick grenades to the elites and the blast doesn’t kill them anyway, you may be in a lot of trouble, but you should be able to make it to the small outlying structure behind you and pick at them. If you’re a little slow with the first dropship, the second may have already unloaded its troops. Use distance and the lack of cover to pick off the grunts from a hill near the escape pod as they run for some trees closer to the left hand auxiliary structure. You can even take the elites from this range if you’re patient, but watch your ammunition and plasma battery charge.

The third dropship will come down behind the main structure, where you fought the covenant before speaking to the sarge. Since you’re already on the right side of the building, stay there and just run around back. Keep an eye on the dropship as it hovers. If it starts to land before you’re in a favorable spot, rush in and get ready to toss some grenades. Experiment and try to find the best angle and distance to approach the dropship. Coming in from the trees near the giant rock, where you first encountered grunts before talking to the sarge so long ago, works well because it gives you some good places to hide and there’s plenty of open ground in front of you.

If you have any frag grenades left, drop one or two at the feet of the four grunts who will hop out of the dropship on your side. This will send them flying through the air. Pick off any grunt survivors as you retreat back to the trees… which you should do now. The other side of the dropship should unload two elites and a grunt or two. The grunts should be your first priority while keeping cover. Once they’re taken care of, take out the elites in the usual way, but carefully: you don’t want to take a lot of damage at this point because the next and last encounter pits you against two dropships at the same time!

You can also use the same method on this dropship that you used for the first one on the other side. The elites will come out of the dropship from the side opening to the cliff face. The rest is pretty standard at this point.

If you don’t need any health, or if you think you’re tough enough to do this next part without getting a boost, stay on the far left side of the structure, near the valley wall. You should climb on top of the high bluff that overlooks the dropship landing area to the left of the left hand auxiliary structure. From your high vantage you should see a group of grunts milling about near the drop ship. There will also be three elites and at least one jackal near the dropship on this side. When you start shooing and the Covenant figure out where you are, they will run for cover. The dropship will also take off and start shooting at you. Not only is this irritating, but it can do a lot of damage to you if you’re not careful. If you can, take out the jackal before he gets away, then pick at the grunts, and once more, kill the elites. I shouldn’t have to tell you how at this point, but, if you’re in the right spot, you may be far enough away that the plasma pistol’s overcharge won’t be able to get a lock onto anything and will fly in a straight line. You should be safe to move closer once all the grunts are gone so that you can eliminate the elites.

With the elites dead, you should move on to take the next and last group of Covenant who landed on the other side of the valley. Their dropship will have taken off while you were fighting the first group (probably shooting at you as it went) and the Covenant should be engaged with the marines on the structure. This will allow you to get behind them and do some damage before they notice you. Get down there quickly though, provided you’re trying to save the marines…

Keeping the escape pod between you and the Covenant forces at the base of the structure, lob some grenades into their midst. If you think you can tag an elite, go for it! Otherwise, keep in cover and pick at enemies as you find them. Any surviving marines should help you by distracting the Covenant closest to the structure; make sure that you reciprocate when you have the chance. Once you take out the remaining covenant forces at the structure, don’t forget to pick up any remaining health packs and replenish your ammo stockpile while you’re waiting for Foe Hammer to deliver the Warthog.

Alternately, if you decided you wanted a health pack and went up on top of the structure to get it, take on the drop ships in the opposite order. Get off the top of the structure and head back to where you fought the first dropship on this side. Speed is of the essence, so jump off the edge of the main structure after you’ve picked up the health pack and try to land on top of one of those large rocks just below. If you crouch right as you land, you’ll take little to no damage and won’t suffer the stun effect of a long fall. This may take a little practice, but it’s a useful trick. Now, run up the ramp of the smaller structure in front of you towards where the dropship is making its decent. You should be able to tell if the dropship is going to be able to land before you get there or not. If it is, throw a plasma grenade at the elite and jackal which got out on the side facing you, and run to your right past the trees up the slope, then turn and try to take out the elite without getting destroyed. If you can make it before the dropship lands, you can take out this dropship just like the first one you fought here: tag the elites and frag grenade then pistol pop the rest of the troops.

This completed, the other Covenant should be showing you their backsides, giving the marines on the structure a hard time. Circle farther behind them, towards the escape pod, and use your weapons to your best advantage. Be careful near the escape pod, as both the elites and the grunts will come back there to seek cover from the marines on the structure or just to look for you. Once you’ve taken out the remaining covenant troops, you can stock up on ammunition, grab a fresh plasma weapon and health pack (if there are any left) and wait for Foe Hammer.

Doing things this way sometimes works really well, but it tends to be harder overall, so the first course of action is the recommended one. There is a third course of action that involves no fighting at all, but it is a little time consuming. If you just run away, past the structure complex towards the cave and hang out for 15 minutes or so, eventually Foe Hammer will show up anyway and drop off the Warthog. Sure, you don’t have to do any fighting, but who wants to sit around for 15 minutes… besides, you don’t get any marines to ride shotgun!
    

          


















      

Hop in the Warthog and drive deeper into the valley where you will find a large cave. As Cortana so rightly points out, the cave is not a natural feature… someone must have built it, so it must go somewhere. Regardless, it’s the only way available to you that presents forward progress. Drive through the cave until you come to a wide-open “cavern” where you will see a mixture of Covenant milling about. The “road” continues straight ahead, slightly elevated from the floor, but dead-ends at a chasm at the end of an arched tunnel. To your left is a narrow ledge with a number of square-ish blocks where four grunts patrol. To your right, nearest you are two more of those blocks where you will find three jackals skulking. A little further away is an area of rowed pillars, near which are two elites who patrol the road, four more grunts and behind it all, a lone jackal. You can take this encounter one of two ways, both of which work equally well.

The first way is to hop out of your vehicle and use your pistol to pick off the grunts and jackals on the right and then the left (or vice-versa) and then run down to the right and hunt the elites. When doing this, you should keep in mind that because of the large amount of cover they have, the two-pistol combo which has been the suggested manner of elite eradication heretofore probably won’t work nearly as well, though you can try it. If you get in very close by circling around the pillars and coming in from the far side, you should be able to get behind at least one of the elites and either bop him on the head or tag him with a grenade. The second one shouldn’t pose too much of a threat by himself. The other effective way to approach these two is to flush them out with grenades and hit them with the pistol one-two punch as they dive away from the grenade.

The second way to take on this encounter is to drive down there with the Warthog and let your gunner do most of the work while you make as good use of your fenders as you are able. Start with the left hand side and take out the grunts there, then hop over and head for the jackals close to where you came in and finally, take on any survivors who ran back into the pillars. The most important thing to remember using this method is to keep moving. When you’re not driving around, you’re a target for plasma grenades and incoming fire in general. This is also true if you roll the jeep. Don’t do this. No7orius points out that if you wait just a bit before diving down there, both the elites will end up standing next to each other on the right side of the road. Just fishtail and boom! your biggest threat has been eliminated in a spray of purple goo.

Now to get across the chasm.

Near the edge of the columned area you will see a ramp that leads up to the side of the cavern. Once you’ve taken care of all the Covenant below, park your ride at the foot of this ramp and ready your grenades. Lurking at the top of the ramp, just out of sight, are three elites. As you make your way up the ramp they will leap down at you, guns blazing. So, before that happens toss a grenade at the top of the ramp. Toss a second one when you’re about halfway up, a little to the left so that it bounces around the corner, wait for it to detonate and then complete your run up the ramp, turn the corner and blast away at any of the surviving elites. That done, move down the walkway to the end and use the panel at the end to activate a nifty light bridge that will let you proceed across the chasm and to the next part of the level.
    

          








      

Reunion Tour

In this part of the level there are three groups of stranded marines to rescue. You can rescue them in any order. Before you start rescuing marines though, get a hold of your surroundings. You are once again in a long, canyon-like valley through which a stream runs. On both the left and the right side are narrow passes that lead to smaller open areas where the marines are holed-up. Small flashing blue lights mark these passes, so they’re easier to find. As you make your way into the main valley, follow the stream and on the left-hand side you’ll see a downed escape pod. Be sure to stop here and exchange one of your weapons for the sniper rifle. Throughout the rest of this level, the sniper rifle will be your best friend.

The three groups of marines are located in three distinct areas. Each of these areas have two entrances marked with the aforementioned blue lights. From the escape pod, standing facing its nose, one group is located directly to your left with entrances directly behind and in front of you. Another of the energy pulse structures and a wide-open cliff characterize this area. A second group can be found in front of you and to the right of the stream. The second entrance to this area is through a longer canyon to your right. This area has yet a third energy pulse structure, partially buried with a steel hill behind it against the valley wall. The third area is directly to your right and looks like a large rockslide.

If you still have a chain-gunner, head to the rockslide area first. If not, skip down to the section on the cliff-edge area and do that area first.

As you approach the rockslide area, you should see another downed pod near the valley wall and note that the marines here are on top of the largest of the boulders. A mixed squad of grunts, elites and jackals is attacking them. Drive around and let your chain-gunner go to work. Between the two of you and the marines above you, you should be able to make short work of these first forces. You may have to hop out and gun down any remaining Covenant hiding in the rocks. This is one part of the level where a plasma rifle is probably more useful than a plasma pistol. Don’t get cocky yet though. Four Covenant dropships will land, one at a time, shortly after this first wave has been eliminated, though there is enough time, if you haven’t done so already, to get the marine with the sniper rifle to join your hunting party.

Facing the rock slide, drive around it to the right and hug that wall all the way up to the top. You’ll find all the marines gathered there at this point. Boot the marine in your passenger seat out and encourage the sniper marine to take his place. Then drive back down into the open area and go to work on the Covenant who are getting out of their dropships.

No7orious suggests this method for getting the sniper marine into your warthog:

If you still have marines with you, hop out and leave them behind. (if you press x when it is telling you how to get into the spot they occupy they will hop our of the jeep for you) You will now be riding around in an empty jeep. Drive up to where your marines are stationed. This is accomplished by keeping right up against the wall to your left.

You should easily make it to the outcropping where the marines are lounging. You want the sniper to ride shotgun. He will usually be near the front of the ledge. Drive on the right side of the tree on the ledge. Drive slowly, it isn't too difficult. Your empty jeep should first be occupied by a sniper, and then a gunner will usually present himself too. Having a sniper ride shotgun actually plays a huge part in making the rest of this level hugely fun, and much easier. I highly recommend trying hard to get him to join you.

Stay in your warthog and when you see the dropships open their doors, be ready to plow into the troops as they try to scramble away from you and their landing zone. Your chain-gunner should be able to pick off any that make it away from the ship. The two biggest dangers here are the dropships as they come in and out (they will use their turret to pound you severely) and getting stuck with a plasma grenade (though if you keep moving, this is not as likely to happen).

Once you’ve taken care of all the Covenant, Foe Hammer will arrive to whisk the marines to safety. Grab the health pack near the downed escape pod and head out the way you came in.
    

          








      

Back at the first escape pod that we’re using for a reference point, follow the stream straight ahead up to where there is a marked opening on your right and left. Follow the one on the left first and park your ride once you can see the escape pod in the open area, directly across from the entrance. To the right, you’ll see some trees, the large structure and beyond that, a steep hill. The marines are on top of the hill, but don’t run out there yet. With your trusty sniper rifle, you should take out as many Covenant as possible. The more heads you ventilate, the less fighting you’ll have to do later. There are five jackals, two grunts and five elites. Two of the jackals are between you and the structure, three more are between the structure and the hill. The grunts like to hang out of sight, underneath the structure. Two of the elites patrol the left side of the structure, between it and the hill. Two others patrol the right side, and the fifth patrols in front.

As you’re picking these off, make sure that you gun for the elites first, then the jackals, with the grunts being your lowest priority. Once you’ve taken out as many of these as you can, and be patient about it, it may take a while, hop back in the Warthog and drive fast up the far left hand side of the structure, then along the ridge towards the marines. Park it near the first medium sized rock, with the driver’s side facing downhill and go talk to the marines in the small hollow just a little bit away from where you’ve parked, taking note of the wounded sniper marine where you can grab some more ammunition. Alternately, if you come in from the other entrance to this area, simply drive the Warthog right up to where the marines are hiding, and then park it in the same manner.

At this point, any stragglers that were guarding the structure should charge up the hill towards you. Use you sniper rifle at range and your other weapon close up to finish them off, then plant yourself near the back side of the Warthog. Facing downhill, you should cover the structure and the left hand flank while the chain-gunner and whomever you’ve got in the shotgun seat will take care of everything that comes up the other side. If you picked up the sniper marine in the rockslide area, you can almost sit back and watch as he and the chain gunner decimate the Covenant forces in the area. A Covenant dropship will land near the escape pod and its cargo of troops will come through the trees at you. If you have a sniper marine, don’t worry about it unless there’s nothing on your flank. If you don’t you may be a little busy watching both flanks, but it still shouldn’t be too hard. The biggest threat, of course, are the elites who come that way because they use the rocks and trees as cover very effectively. The jackals are dangerous, but only because they will serve to distract you from bigger problems. Use your motion tracker to monitor your backside and take care of anything that gets behind you posthaste. If you don’t allow yourself to get flanked, this area is pretty easy.

Something to note is that, occasionally, a grunt will hide out down in the structure and Foe Hammer won’t come pick up the survivors until he’s taken care of. Once the Covenant from the dropship have been taken care of, if Foe Hammer doesn’t arrive leaving you to move to the next location, run down towards the structure and hunt for stragglers.

Once you’ve taken care of everything here, restock on ammunition and grab that health pack and move on to the next area. Leave the same way you came in, cross the river and enter the cliff-face area.
    

          


      

Park your ride in the entrance to the area and take a look around. In front of you is a complex of three structures, though the large main structure and some trees largely obscure one of them. To your right is the cliff edge, which makes up the edge of the valley on that side. The ground slopes up to a low rock face on the other side, keeping the main valley, where you started, separate from this one.

Again, you should do a lot of sniping here. The marines have taken cover underneath the main structure and there are entrances to that part of the area in either of the outlying structures. If you manage to kill enough of the Covenant up above, the marines will fight their way out to the top and help you mop up the remnants.

Move the Warthog so that it is positioned just on the inside of the entrance to the area. It should then be close enough that the gunner and sniper marine can take on many of the Covenant patrolling this side of the structure. Hop out of the driver’s seat and use your sniper rifle to help them out, picking off any troops in the trees or farther away. Start sniping at the jackals between you and the first outlying structure, then move on to the Covenant on the structure itself. Be patient and careful and work for headshots. There are a lot of troops here, so make every shot count. The only enemy you should have to use more than one round on are the red elites, and they will only take two. Waiting until they stop moving is one good way to ensure a clean shot. With the red elites, the first round will stagger them, but they will often run off if you’re not ready with the second round right away. Don’t be too hasty, but don’t give in to trepidation either. If you let them run off, their shields will recharge and you’ll have wasted a bullet. After you’ve cleared what you can from the closest outlying structure, move on to the main structure. There are elites and grunts on top, and grunts and jackals on the ground on either side. That done, get back in the Warthog and drive down to your left until you can see the second outlying structure. There are more elites and jackals here, and as you start shooting at them, they may spot you and start to charge you so stick close to your ride.

Now that you’ve sniped everything that you could see, move the Warthog down near the second outlying structure and enter the subterranean area through the door on the cliff side. Kill any covenant you encounter down here, but be careful that you don’t accidentally shoot any marines! Cross through and leave out the other side, then make sure you’ve taken care of any straggling Covenant. When the area is secure, Foe Hammer will arrive to pick you and the Marines up.
    

Level 3
Level 3: The Truth and Reconciliation


      

If you ask anyone who has beaten single player Halo on Legendary which level was the toughest to get through, chances are they'll say "The Truth & Reconciliation." Perhaps it's all the sword-carrying Elites. Perhaps it's the large rooms. Maybe it's just that the Captain is a little too reckless and eager to fight, and keeps getting himself killed. Whatever the case may be, if you haven't finished this level on your own, here is your salvation. The trick to this level is to know where enemies are triggered so you can avoid triggering more than one group at a time. The doors all over the Covenant ship beep and blink before they open, giving you an ample opportunity to toss a grenade into a tightly packed space. Armed with a sniper rifle, a plasma gun, and an ample supply of grenades, you should be able take on this level without taking too much of a beating.
    

          
      

This level begins with a dropship deploying you and a handful of your comrades under cover of night. Your objective is to bypass several security outposts and make your way to a nearby Covenant teleporter to gain access to their ship.

Although Cortana suggests higher ground, I would highly recommend sticking to the gully and sniping the enemy from the lower entryway. This location allows you to take out the inattentive Covenant forces and back up behind the cliff to your left if you alert someone or need to reload. Make sure you always have at least two rounds in your clip when opening fire on an Elite, as it will take at least that many to take them down. Remember, headshots are much more effective than body shots. If you are spotted and they start returning fire, it may be in your best interest to revert to your last save and try again. You'll save yourself a lot of grief. Stealthily take out the Covenant one by one. Keep your eye on the motion detector to track where each enemy is. Don't forget to eliminate the Grunts in both turrets. When you're down to the last enemy, snipe him and immediately rush in. If you hesitate, things will get chaotic real quick. Once you rush in, make a beeline for the opening ahead. This corner turns into a narrow path that Covenant reinforcements will funnel through. Use it as a choke point. Immediately lob a grenade at the path entry before the Elite emerges. If your grenade is placed well, you will take him out before he even sees you. Continue to own the pathway with grenades. Stay back far enough to keep out of enemy fire. If you run short, collect a few plasma grenades when there are brief lulls in enemy arrivals.

After the reinforcements have stopped, go back and sweep the area for plasma grenades and swap your assault rifle for a needler. As you cautiously proceed around the bend, you will see a small cliff with a few enemy heads peeking over the top begging you to pop them with the sniper rifle. Oblige them. Be watchful for the Jackal's charged plasma shots as a single hit will take your shields down to nothing. You will soon alert an Elite to your presence, making the sniper scope useless as he fires at you. Duck behind a tree or rock, let your shields recharge, then pop out from behind the tree and unload a volley of needles in his general direction to finish him off. Once it gets quiet, cautiously proceed a few steps forward. A couple more Grunts will show up on the cliff above. Snipe them. Ahead in a small furrow to your right there will be an Elite laying low and a Grunt in a turret above. Reload your needler and toss a grenade into the cove. As the Elite charges out, fill him full of needles and take cover till you hear them shatter. Snipe the turret and swap your needler for a plasma pistol. As long as you have marines behind you, charged shots can be very effective to take down enemy shields while your marines pepper their flesh with AR rounds.

Proceed forward and replenish your ammo supply at the fallen marine. Typically, I prefer not to use health packs unless my health is in the red, or I know there will be no way to go back and get it later. This one will stay there until you take the teleporter up, so use it only when necessary. On this level you start with 64 sniper rounds. After the initial supply is depleted, your rifle can only hold 24. You're right, it doesn't make sense, but it keeps the game balanced. So here's where the math you took in high school pays off. Each box of sniper ammo contains 16 shells. If you have 23 bullets left and pick up a box of 16, you will use the whole box, and only get one bullet out of the whole deal. So, to make sure you don't waste any ammo, only pick up one box when your supply goes below 8.

As you proceed, you will encounter more Covenant forces charging around the bend. They will be much easier to take out while they are on the ledge, so don't let them come too far forward and surround you. Use charged shots and grenades to take them out.

Keep moving forward. Snipe the Elite moseying around on the cliff ahead and any Grunts you can get. Cortana will tell the marines to hold back. At this point you have two options: either charge up the middle or go up the left side. Opt for the latter. You will come across two Jackals patrolling the path ahead. Hold back and take them out with snipes to the head. Move on and snipe the turret to your immediate right up the embankment. Lob a grenade into the well-lit inlet straight ahead to take out the turret hidden there. At this point an Elite by the nearby tree will notice you and open fire. Take him out first. Next, snipe out all remaining turrets to keep your marines from getting reamed. Go up to the tree where the invisibility is, but do NOT pick it up yet. Snipe out the Jackals. A Covenant dropship will descend to your right. Head over there and carpet the ground with plasma grenades as soon as the doors open. If anything survives, mop them up with your plasma pistol. Take out any stragglers and things should get quiet for a while. Run around the area, pick up a fresh plasma pistol and refill your grenade supply.

When you have taken a breather and are ready to press on, move up to the hill on the far left edge of the area and move toward the narrow passage that leads to the gravity lift area. Your presence will trigger a group of Elites to come charging out. Rain a few grenades down on their heads and help your marines take out any survivors.

Now that the area is secure, restock again and go back to the invisibility. With a running start, run over the invisibility and scramble your way through the passage to the next area.

While you're still cloaked, smack the backs of the two Jackals patrolling the area ahead. Take out the sleeping Grunts in the general vicinity. Sweep up the hill to the right and hit the Elite on the back of his neck. Take out the one or two sleeping Grunts and charge the first turret. You should be de-cloaking right about now. Snipe out the rest of the turrets. A Covenant dropship will land in front of you. Charge the dropship and tag the deploying forces with grenades. Very soon, the first wave of reinforcements from the gravity lift will show up. If there are any Jackals remaining, send a charged plasma bolt to their shields and let your marines mop them up as you hop in the nearest turret. Open fire on the landing platform. As the first cluster of aliens drop, your turret will soften them up pretty good. Keep your eye out for the Elite. When you see him, concentrate your firepower on him. When he's gone, mop up the rest. If a Grunt manages to make it into another turret, hop out, snipe him, and hop back in. When the last alien falls, a new wave of reinforcements will drop, so point your turret back at the platform. Be careful to avoid catching your marines in the crossfire. They are the only thing diverting the Covenant's fire from you. Repeat this tactic until your last marine falls or is ready to fall. At this point you are a sitting duck and you need to high tail it to the narrow passage from whence you came, using trees and rocks for cover. It is best to retreat when there are only one or two enemies around. If there is a whole platoon running around, you will most likely get reamed pretty badly.

Once there, the Covenant will hesitate to follow you. Those that do will find themselves clustered and funneling through the passage, making them easy prey for a grenade. Allow your shields to regenerate, maybe go back and pick up that health from the dead marine we saw earlier; while there, pick up another box of sniper rounds.

Use grenades and dropped weapons behind you to take out the last few waves of Covenant. Keep ducking behind the rocks in the passage every time your shields get low, and allow them to regenerate. You will know you've killed the last alien when you get a checkpoint message. Once you get to the checkpoint, pull out your sniper rifle and wait for a pair of Hunters to drop from the gravlift. If you are still hiding out in the narrow passage, the Hunters will not initially see you. Snipe the exposed portion of their back as soon as they turn it to you. Often you can get them both this way. If you don't, revert to your last save and try again. It will save you time and ammo. Once the Hunters are gone, more reinforcements will arrive. Now would be a good time to pick up any remaining health packs, sniper ammo, grenades, or fully charged plasma pistols that you can find. Climb atop the gravlift base and catch a ride upward.

Once in the belly of the beast, you will have a moment to assess your surroundings before all hell breaks loose. The trick to this area is to keep as many of your marines alive as long as you can. Their biggest danger is Elites carrying swords. Your duty is to take the sword Elites out before they can take a whack at your men. The doors will flash briefly and beep before opening. Use that to your advantage. Stay somewhat central and watch all four doors for them to blink. As soon as you see a blinking door, run to it with your pistol charging. The first enemy will be an invisible sword Elite. Your Marines won't see the enemy until you fire the first shot at it. Nail him with an overcharged shot and it will stun him for a second or two, allowing the marines to finish him off. Continue on, watching for flashing doors. When you see them flicker, lob a plasma grenade in the doorway and you will often take out the troops before they get a chance to exit into the hallway. They drop grenades when they die, making chain reactions in the confines of these hallways more likely. Keep your plasma pistol charged to take out the sword-toting Elites' shields as soon as you can.

The best weapon combination for this area is an assault rifle and a plasma gun. It's always a risk to unload a gun you want to come back to later because grenade explosions can send it flying away, never to be seen again. However, the sniper rifle in combat like this becomes quite useless. If you can, swap the sniper rifle in a safe place for an assault rifle. Get good at switching to a fully reloaded AR to follow up an overcharged plasma shot. Your pistol will overheat, making it useless for that brief moment while the Elite is stunned. There are lots of plasma pistols available in this room; Grunts and Jackals drop them by the boatload.

Although it looks tempting, save the invisible powerup until all your marines are dead. The enemies will just stand around with nothing to shoot at, making them easy targets for a melee in the back. Take out the Elites first. Never shoot while invisible. Once the Elites are gone, grenades and back smacks are good for mopping up the remaining troops. When you finish, you'll definitely want to get your sniper rifle again (if you can find it) as it proves very useful in the docking bay. If you can't find it, you may wish to consider the rather extreme measure of reverting to your last save before you hit the next checkpoint. If you don't have the sniper rifle, the remainder of this level will be much more difficult.

Once you've taken out the Covenant in the area, you'll get a checkpoint and a door will open revealing two Hunters. If you don't mind a long, drawn-out battle you can try to take them down with some of the short range weapons on the floor. If you can shoot them in the back using no more than 4 sniper rounds between the two of them, that route is preferable.

Go through the open door on the right. The hall will come to a "T" intersection. Stop just before you round the corner. Let's call this the safety point. Lob a grenade around the corner to your right and take out the 2 Grunts lurking there. If you continue upward, you will be ambushed from behind. Watch your motion detector. As soon as you get to the spot where the hallway bends up to the left, you will trigger a pair of Grunts or a Jackal behind you. Double back to the safety point and take them out as soon as the doors to your left open. Move forward again. Try and take out an alien or two while watching the radar. Double back to the safety point. Continue doing this, doubling back and taking out Jackals and Grunts until they stop appearing behind you. Proceed forward. As you pass the pillar and turn right, it should checkpoint.

The doors will open into a large storage area with enemies in front of you and down to your right. Use overcharged plasma shots and grenades to take out the aliens in front of you, using the storage units as cover. Do the same to take out the Covenant below as best you can. If there are one or two stubborn guys left, don't worry about it; you can take them out once you get down there.

You can avoid a firefight in the passage that takes you down by simply running off the ledge and landing on the Wraith below. Go straight for the switch and run through the doorway that opens. If you have any marines left, they'll be waiting on the other side. Opening this door will trigger reinforcements in the storage bay, so you'll want to go up the ramp back to the gravlift bay and stock up on grenades and a fresh plasma pistol.

Go back down the ramp and use the doorway as a safe position to take out the Covenant from afar with your pistol and grenades. Maybe use the sniper rifle on an Elite or two. Once the area is clear, stock up (don't miss the sniper ammo and frag grenades), follow the nav point to the next door and move down the ramp. Turn right, using grenades and charged plasma to take out the cluster of Covenant in the pillar corner. Round the bend and do the same at the end of the hallway, using cover where possible. Keep heading downward and you'll arrive at the infamous docking bay.

Scoot forward just far enough to activate the doors. Stealthily snipe the three Grunts by the bay opening. Reload and take out the Elite on the platform directly ahead before he's even aware you're there. The bay will remain empty until you proceed forward. Once you enter the bay a handful of Covenant will emerge from the door to your right and from behind the central platform on the right. Lob a grenade at the door right before it opens, then turn and lob a grenade to the right of the main platform. If the Elite survives, shoot him first, and finish off the others with your pistol.

It will get quiet again. Now would be a good time to head over to the health pack (if needed), replenish your sniper ammo, maybe find a few grenades. The next wave will be triggered once you pass the central platform. Once you pass it, immediately run back to the doorway you came from. Before the next wave of Covanent emerge from that same door on the right, huck a grenade over there to take out what you can. A few Jackals and some Grunts will show up on the second floor. Snipe them and take cover in the doorway when needed. Snipe and grenade any remaining aliens.

Once again, things will get quiet. Collect grenades and a fresh plasma pistol. Refresh your sniper ammo, if any remains, by the fallen marines where the health pack was. When you're ready, go get the super health powerup. You won't be able to head back to the same place for cover because Covenant will start pouring out of it. Instead, trot over to the doorway in the corner far from the entrance. Use the crates for cover and use grenades, sniper rounds, and plasma pistol shots to take out the attacking Covenant. Be very aware of your surroundings; after the last Elite falls, the door behind you will flash, and two Hunters will be right on your back. Get the heck out of there. If you're out of sniper ammo, run by the door to your right and pick up the last stash. Head toward a hunter and as he charges, pass by his side matador-style and pop him in the back with a sniper round. Repeat with the other one. Checkpoint. Take a deep breath. Although you may be tempted to drop your sniper rifle at this point, don't do it; it proves quite useful in the command center and detention block.

Head through the open door, peek around the corner and dispatch the two Grunts with plasma and grenade. Toss a grenade around the corner ahead to the left. Charge your plasma gun and take out the Elite's shields. Follow up with a volley of plasma shots, maybe a grenade. Head up the ramp, peek around the corner and send a charged shot to the Grunt by the pillar. Lob a grenade up there for good measure. There will be an invisible Elite hiding to the left of the pillar. Pull out your sniper rifle and zoom in to 10x. Turn off night vision. Look for the subtle deformation of the texture and pull the trigger twice to take him out. If he's not there, scoot forward to flush him out and head back to the intersection to try it again. When the last alien is gone, the game should checkpoint. Head on up to the next set of double doors and you'll be at the second floor of the docking bay.

As soon as the doors open, toss a grenade at the two Jackals ahead. When the dust clears, fire off a charged bolt at the Elite (if he's still there). Take cover behind the containers, allow your shields to recharge, toss another grenade or two and follow up with plasma. There will also be an invisible Elite up there. Usually he'll die by grenade or crossfire. Occasionally, though, he'll be waiting off to your left. Since the game just checkpointed, I'll often revert to saved if that happens because that guy will ream you from the side.

Once you've cleared the ledge, salvage grenades and restock your weapons. Head down the walkway to your left. Turn around and walk backwards. As soon as you pass the dock control panel, a small group of Covenant will emerge from the door you just exited. As usual, toss a couple grenades in front of the door as soon as it blinks. When the doors open, they'll never know what hit 'em. Mop up any survivors. Restock grenades and keep moving.

Inside the next door, there will be a small group of Covenant waiting. Toss grenades as soon as you have a clear shot. Make sure you took out the Elite. If not, concentrate your effort on him. A charged bolt with follow-up gunfire does nicely. Some survivors will fall back down the corridor. Take them out and move on. Another Elite will be waiting for you around the next corner. Be ready for him. A grenade toss around the corner should soften him up. Turn the corner, take out the two Grunts that are more of a nuisance than anything. The hall will jog to the left and checkpoint at the top right before a pair of double-doors to your right. This will open you up to the third floor of the docking bay.

Down and to your right, there is group of Covenant waiting in the doorway, all nicely clustered together waiting for a couple grenades. Toss soon, before they disperse. Take out the survivors, but don't follow them too far to the left. Collect ammo and grenades and let your shields recharge. Now head down the catwalk to the left. At this point, you will be ambushed both ahead and behind. If you take out the group ahead, there will be more waiting in the doorway, leaving you no sanctuary to recharge or restock, so you'll want to take on the group behind you. As soon as you see red dots appear on your motion detector, haul back to the doorway you exited as fast as you can, tossing grenades at the Jackals when the doors open. Blow through the Grunts and take cover in the doorway. Take out the second group as they come with whatever you have left. Collect grenades on your way to the far doorway. As soon as you get close, two Jackals will be at the door. Not to sound like a broken record, but toss a grenade or two at the door when it blinks. However, a sneaky Elite is on to you; he'll be hiding around the corner. Thanks to me, you're on to him. Toss a grenade around the corner and follow up with anything but a needler since you'll be up close and personal.

As you round the bend, you'll come to a four-way intersection. To your left will be a health pack, sniper ammo and AR bullets. Whew! Pick up one box. Straight ahead will be one of three unlocked doors to the command center. Unfortunately, you have to go through one to proceed. I prefer to take the corridor to the right and take the first two unlocked doors to the left. Holding back, sleeping Grunts make easy targets for the sniper rifle. Back off and head back to the first unlocked door you came across. If you have a clean shot at the yellow sword Elite, take it. Unless you hit him in the head, you'd best have a full clip in your sniper rifle. Take out the rest of the troops easily with the sniper rifle. Go back to the two dead marines and pick up the other box of sniper ammo and follow the arrow on your screen to the open door, restocking grenades on your way.

When you come out, take a left. When the hallway bends to your left again, there will be a group of Grunts and Jackals waiting. Grenades and plasma will cut through them like buttah. Proceed forward, left, then right. Ahead is another 4-way intersection with a Jackal waiting on both the left and the right. Again, grenade and cleanup. Proceed forward and left, then right at the next 4-way. At the following 4-way intersection, go up the ramp into the first detention center. There will be nothing here but a spare health pack in one of the cells. Take only if necessary as you will be coming back through here on your way out.

As you exit, head straight to the bottom of the ramp and turn left. Two Jackals will be patrolling down towards the bottom of this ramp. At this distance, two sniper bullets will do nicely. Sometimes you can get away with one. Head down and to your right will be an open door to the Captain's detention cell. Stay back, reload, and snipe the gold Elite from the hallway intersection. Snipe any sleeping Grunts. Some Grunts will awaken. Snipe them as they pass in front of the door. Creep toward the doorway. There will be two invisible Elites waiting for you inside. Zoom to 2x, turn on your night vision and pull the trigger when you see the active camo distortion. Sometimes you'll need to toss a grenade to flush them out. Creep inside, keep your eye out for the other transparent Elite and pop him when he manifests himself. Go flip the switch and watch Captain Keyes' spiel about Halo. At this point, the game would be a whole lot easier if you could trick the Captain back into a cell and flip the switch. But, alas, the guy thinks he has to prove something.

Head toward the door, toss a grenade or two and fire your sniper rifle in the center to take out the invisible Elites when it opens. With luck, you should tag one. There is a box of sniper ammo, some health, and other goodies in the last cell on the left. Stock up and move out. Take out the two Jackals in the hallway and start heading back. If you need health, go pick it up from the empty detention center as you pass by. Try not to let your marines run ahead of you, if possible. If it comes to it, backtrack and gun it forward. Keep working your way back to the command center, taking out small enemy groups as quickly as possible before they can inflict serious damage on your Marines. When you get to the command center, hold back and don't enter.

There will be three invisible sword Elites in the room ahead. Stay out and easily snipe them from the doorway. Clear the entry area of grenades. Step back and toss one if you have to. Your marines will all be clustered here, and you don't want anything to set the place off. As soon as Cortana says there is a Covenant dropship available and displays the marker, three doors will open simultaneously and Covenant will pour out. The last thing you want is for your men to be standing there when that happens. By staying at the door, you will have only one door nearby to contend with. Fill up on grenades during the monologue. As soon as Cortana stops talking, chuck two plasma grenades at the two doors on the far side. Immediately, the door next to you will open. Without hesitation, charge like Han Solo in the Death Star down the hallway to the right, blasting Grunts as you go. If you don't finish them off, it doesn't matter. Just keep charging and get those men out of there. You'll go straight down the first hallway on your right, take the first left, and turn left again. You'll get the "Loading..." message and have a set of unlocked doors in front of you. Occasionally the Captain has to be a hero and get himself killed. You'll just have to try again. Stow the bellyaching, soldier; remember you're a leatherneck!

Don't worry about your Marines at this point, they'll find you. Besides, you don't want them to be there when you open the doors to the docking bay. So, without hesitation, step forward to open the doors. There will be a small group of Covenant patrolling the walkway in front of you. Since this is the last fight you'll have, unload all your grenades in a volley into the entry one after the other. If there's anyone left standing after that, they'll be pretty soft. A shot or two should finish them. Move ahead and activate the control panel. Once your Marines fall in behind you, the ending cutscene will trigger. You've done it! You've beaten Truth and Reconciliation on Legendary! The nightmares should stop within a week.


Level 4
Level 4: The Silent Cartographer


      

This level is one of the easier levels to beat on legendary. There are plenty of stashes of ammo and weaponry to be had around the island as well as a healthy supply of overshields. There are also many checkpoints, some of which can be triggered multiple times. There are several ways to approach this level. Some players have even found a way to hop out of a warthog fast enough to get through the shaft entry door before the Covenant lock it. This bypasses a good portion of the level. My approach to this walkthrough will be taken as the level designers intended, triggering each intended event.
    

          
      

After the insertion cutscene, you’ll jump out of your Pelican onto the sandy beach where you will face a large group of Elites and Grunts. To your left, two Grunts are hanging around some large rocks by the edge of the cliff. Immediately switch weapons to your pistol and pop them both in the head (zoom in if you need to). If they are not taken out first, they will ream your marines from the side –and this first sequence is all about saving all the marines you can. Head directly over to their bodies and pick up the needler that was dropped and open fire on the Elite. He won’t see you flanking him, and a volley of needles will take him out. The grunts will turn tail and run away, making them easy targets. Switch to your pistol and finish the first wave of Grunts off. Proceed forward, concentrating fire on the next Elite; toss a grenade or two. The last wave of enemies is the toughest. They will be better fortified, and this time it will be several Elites and Jackals. They will easily finish off your Marines unless you take them out quick. Hail them will all the grenades it takes to finish them off.

The beach is now clear, go back and salvage what weapons and grenades you can. You’ll want to hang on to your pistol, as it proves indispensable in this level.

Shortly, Foe Hammer will drop off a Warthog for you. When you hop in, two Marines will follow suit. Check their health meters when they get in. If one of them is in the red, you may want to hop out, get beside him and push the X button to make him hop out. Get back in, drive over to the rest of your Marines, and see if someone with better health won’t get in.

Head around the cliff and you will be met with a small group of Jackals. Although they don’t pose a huge threat, you can often take them out by fishtailing your Jeep into the ones on the ground, and lobbing a grenade onto the large chunk of fallen rock the remaining Jackals are standing on. Head up the hill. There will be a small group of Covenant at the base of the hill. It’s always fun to try and run them over, but real easy to get stuck on a rock and become a sitting duck for a plasma grenade. With the warthog, the trick is to keep moving, and you can usually avoid grenades while your gunner and bumper make mincemeat of the enemy. Once you’re done messing with them, proceed up the hill.

Ahead will be a large platform with a large group of Covenant guarding the entrance to the Silent Cartographer. Stop just before it. Under cover of trees and rocks, zoom in with your pistol and snipe any grunts you can. They carry grenades and post the greatest threat to your Warthog. Once you’ve taken out as many as you can, hop back in the jeep and gun it to the platform. Taking care that you don’t drive off the edge, smash the Elites against the walls by doing donuts, fishtailing and everything else you can think of to make them purple road kill. You’ll probably want to drive through the entranceway once or twice, but don’t go down the hallway. It’s too easy to get stuck. If your shields get too low, head back to the grassy Grunt-sniping spot and allow them to recharge. Once you have cleared the platform, park your hog in front of the entrance, giving your gunner a clear shot down the hallway. Hop out and go to one of the other entrances and flank any remaining Elites with guns and grenades. There are a lot of hiding spots in this hallway so be careful. Let your shields recharge if you need to.

Once the hall is clear, hop back in the driver’s seat and drive right in. Keep driving downward. When you get to the open door, park your Warthog (making sure your gunner has a clear shot) and toss a grenade or two at the cluster of enemies below. Head down and finish them off with gunfire. Cortana will call the Captain and give you instructions to find the switch that unlocks the doors on the island. At this point, drive back out of the structure, off the platform and continue counterclockwise around the island. Don’t worry about the group of Jackals below the platform. They are just ammo wasters that won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. There is an overshield on the beach in front of them if you feel like becoming a target. Go through the field goal arch. Further ahead, you’ll find a couple health packs, a Warthog and some pistol ammo. Pick one up; you’ll probably need it by now. Use grenades, pistol and chaingun fire to take out the group of covenant at the base of the path that goes into the interior of the island. Drive your warthog up to the tree that blocks the path and hop out. Your gunner will stay there, picking off enemies that pass in front of him until he dies or clears the area. You’re done with him now. Proceed up the path, and take out the enemies in your way.

At the top you will see two Hunters on the shaft service entrance. They only fire their cannons at a distance, so pull your pistol out and head straight for them. Grab an overshield and blast their exposed midsections with your pistol. Wait under the large metallic beam for a few seconds, and a group of Jackals will filter in. Use overcharged plasma to remove their shields and follow up with pistol fire. Watch out for their overcharged shots as well. When they stop coming to you, you need to go to them. Zoom in with your pistol and take out a grunt or two in the clearing ahead. Use a grenade or two on the Elite, and finish him off with pistol fire. Take out the remaining Jackals and head towards the cliff. Four Grunts will be waiting at the security room entrance. When they are cleared away, go to the far side of the entrance and pick up one of the overshields. Since we won’t be coming back to this place, head back to where you killed the two Hunters and restock your health and pistol ammo from the dead Marine on the hill. Head back to the security entrance and go down the ramp. Two Hunters will be waiting inside. Spend the obligatory two bullets to take them out, and proceed down the hallway to the security override control. If you lost your overshields to a Hunter, go back up and grab another one; you’ll need it once you flip the switch. Once you’ve bypassed the security and seen the door open, head back the way you came. Several cloaked Elites will appear in the room where the Hunters were. There are so many openings and hiding spots, that it is easy to get surrounded in here. If you try to fight them in the open room, you’ll only die frustrated. If you just head straight down the hallway, jog left and go up the ramp, you can exit the room without losing any health. If you get up the ramp and feel like you took the coward’s way out, you can always turn around and go back to the doorway and open fire with your pistol, where your chances are much better.

When you get back to the entrance, grab the last overshield and look down at the beach. There will be a crashed Pelican and a ton of supplies scattered about. Snipe the enemies closest to the stash. Needles and overcharged shots are ineffective at this range. After you’ve cleared a few away, head over to the far right side of the cliff and step off onto the short embankment and slide down. Head over to the Pelican and stock up on pistol ammo, health, and a rocket launcher. Hop in the Warthog and head back to the beach where the level started. If your gunner is still alive, swing by and pick him up on the way. Grab a Marine or two at the beach where they will be faithfully waiting for you. Drive back to the Silent Cartographer entrance. Stop when you see the group of Jackals in your way. Hop out and shoot anything your chaingunner misses. Don’t go too far forward yet, or a Hunter will see you and open fire. Once you have eliminated the Jackals, walk towards the Hunters and dispatch them with your pistol. Head back to your hog, hop in and drive into the entrance. When you get to the newly unlocked door, park slightly askew with the chaingunner pointed at the entrance and the passenger (if alive) opposite the door. Hop out and turn right if you want a look at the shaft. Turn left to go kick some booty.

In the small room at the end of the corridor, an Elite will be fiddling with an uplink station. Whack him on the back. Going into the next room, there are three entrances. I prefer taking the ramp up. It lets you attack with a bit more stealth. You have eight rockets, so pick your targets wisely. This building has many alcoves; so it’s pretty safe to swap your SPNKr for another weapon and go back to pick it up later. I prefer to save my rockets for the trip back up to the surface, using alien weapons and my pistol on the way down. There is no more pistol ammo from here on out, so use that wisely as well. Once this room is clear, reinforcements will come through the door opposite you. Pick them off and head down the ramp. Go through the door the reinforcements came out of and be careful not to fall as you spiral down the ramp. The next room contains Jackals and Hunters. If you stay out of the central area, the Hunters won’t attack you. Take out the Jackals, then move inward. In legendary, it takes two rockets to bring down a Hunter. Your pistol is still more effective. Teach the Hunters how to bleed and move to the downward ramp at the far end of the main room.

Follow the ramp down and around to the large empty room at the base. This room has two doors on one wall. Face the wall and look at them. Contestant, will it be door number one or door number two? Door number two on the right leads you down a gauntlet where the enemy is firing from both sides. Door number one on the left takes you to a control platform with an invisibility powerup. Choose door number one and take a look at your prize. Just look, don’t touch. You’ll need this later. Hop over the ledge and take the ramp leading out of the room. Toss some grenades into the next room to take out a few inattentive grunts on the floor and the catwalk, then concentrate grenades on the Elite if he gives you trouble. Continue on clockwise through the room and you will come to a ramp down to your left. At the bottom of the ramp are two Elites. Take them out with grenades and gunfire, maybe even a rocket if they clump together.

Up ahead, you will see the panel for the Silent Cartographer. Don’t push it quite yet. Pass the panel and turn left. On the platform to the left is an overshield with several Grunts guarding it. Run through the area sweeping out all Grunts you come across. When you can find no more, pick up the overshield, head back to the Silent Cartographer control and flip the switch.

Head back to the room you came from; however, instead of taking the ramp that you came from, take the other ramp that leads up to a walkway and out door number two. Pull out your rocket launcher; it’s time to make somebody pay. As you pass a window to your right, you will see a group of Jackals headed down the ramp to intercept you. Toss a grenade at the closest one to you ad send him flying off the catwalk like an extra on the A-Team. If the grenade doesn’t kill him, the floor eventually will. Three more will start charging towards you. Fire a rocket at the wall behind them and send Jackals flying. Head out the door and turn to your right, blowing away the jackals in front of you and quickly escape to door number one where your triangular blue prize awaits. With yourself cloaked, run back up the ramp, out the door, and head straight for the ramp ahead, where five Jackals are clumped together trying to find you. Toss a grenade as soon as you emerge, then weave your way past the survivors, smacking a few on the neck as you go by, being careful not to reveal yourself. The walkway will weave left and right and out to the shaft and back inward to the left. A few grunts and an Elite will be waiting. Stealthily break the neck of the Elite as you go by, maybe a Grunt or two. You will probably de-cloak up here, so be ready to fire a rocket at the Jackals in front of you.

Proceed around the bend, blowing jackals off the upward ramp with grenades, using the wall on your right for cover. Proceed upward into the next room and head straight. At the far end of this room will be a doorway on the left. Chuck a grenade or two in it as soon as you can. A few Jackals will emerge just as the grenades go off and your path will be clear. Turn right and you’ll be back to the stash where the two Marines lay. Restock your pistol ammo, health, and frag grenades. An Elite and his entourage will pop around the corner. Lob a grenade down the hallway and follow up with a rocket if necessary. Make sure to save at least one rocket for the grand finale. Proceed up the ramp into the next room. Charge up the ramp to your left, firing your pistol and tossing grenades at the Jackals blocking your path. Toss another grenade at the cluster of grunts down below. Head around the corner and you will see the small entry room where the Elite was fiddling with the uplink station on your way in. Now there will be another one along with a few Grunty compatriots. Throw a grenade down there and finish them off with pistol fire. Hop down, collect grenades and head out the door to your left.

The gold Elite we saw in the unlocking cutscene will be here, engaging your men. Either let them take him out or saunter behind him and give him a firm whack with the rocket launcher. Hop in the warthog and head back up the ramp. Park it at the top of the ramp facing the entrance and hop out. Duck into the alcove in front of your jeep and wait for a second. Your chaingunner will open fire on several cloaked Elites. They will come out of hiding and open fire on your Marine. Launch your last rocket at the entryway floor directly in front of your jeep and watch the Elites de-cloak, defy gravity and dematerialize. If any of them survive the shot, toss a grenade or two and give your gunner a little help.

Head out the doorway to the platform where Foehammer will be waiting for you to climb aboard. Hit X and fly the friendly, albeit underground,

Level 5
Level 5: Assault on the Control Room


      

This level is one of the most expansive levels in the game. It has huge outdoor environments. It introduces us to the Scorpion tank, the Ghost, and pits us against the Wraith for the first time. From the expansive snow-covered landscapes to the striking wonder of the control room, this level has a little of something for everyone -including people that like a lot of repetitive, monotonous, monochromatic rooms.
    

          
      

The insertion point for this level is a large platform within a large underground shaft. We begin with what Marty O’Donnell lovingly refers to as the “Schwarzenegger shot” of the Pelican rising face-to-face with a grunt. This will send him fleeing for reinforcements.

As soon as you get booted out of your comfy ride, immediately throw a grenade in the doorway ahead. The doors will open. If your grenade is sitting in the doorway, the enemy is not going to be stupid and walk right over it; they’ll hang back. Immediately toss another grenade into the open door. If that one doesn’t look like it’s going to take out both Elites, toss another. You’ve got to save your health as best you can, since you won't find any more for quite a while. Immediately mop up the survivors with your assault rifle. The AR works best against Grunts in tight hallways.

Proceed to the next door, but hang back far enough that you don’t trigger it. Watch your motion detector. There will be an Elite pacing the floor in front of the entry. As soon as you see his red dot pass by the door, charge in and whack him on the back. You’re best off in this room not to alert the Covenant in the central area. Pick up his grenades and swap your rifle for his. Take a left (it’s slightly shorter). As you pass in front of the window, crouch down, so as not to draw a lot of fire. Once past, take out the Grunt above and toss a grenade at the group of Grunts ahead. Swap your rifle for a plasma pistol and use overcharged shots against the Jackals ahead. When the area is clear, crouch-creep past the next window and pull out your pistol. The door to your left will open and a handful of grunts will pour out. Dispatch them quickly and go through the door. Don’t hang around too long, or the Covies in the central room will wise up and come to see what’s making all the noise.

Head through the passage and you will emerge onto a bridge. There will be 3-4 sleeping Grunts around the front of the bridge. Quickly use melee attacks to help them rest in peace. A Banshee will come from the left side. It will lose interest in pursuing the Human dropship and open fire on you. Duck behind the wall at the entry and let your shields recharge. You’ve got to take out the Banshee or it will plague you across the entire bridge. Bullets from your pistol do wonders against Banshees; plasma is ineffective at best. An Elite on the lower floor of the bridge will be alerted to your presence and attack. Shoot him with an overcharged bolt to take his shields off and finish him off with pistol fire. Needles work well too. Use the aforementioned wall as a haven to recharge your shields every time they get low. Once the Banshee has been dispatched, cautiously proceed across on the bridge and use overcharged plasma followed up with bullets to take out the pair of Jackals ahead. Grenades also work nicely. Once they are gone, head down to the lower level of the bridge and move forward. In little alcoves on your periphery there will be a handful of sleeping Grunts just begging you to knock them off the edge. Don’t disappoint them. If you proceed up the last and fourth ramp ahead, you will trigger more enemies, so it would be advisable to back up to another ramp and take out the two remaining Jackals above. Grab a fresh plasma pistol. Once you get close to the end of the bridge, a door will open up and grunts will pour out with a gold sword Elite following behind them. Use grenades and bullets to take out the grunts as quickly as possible. The Elite will charge you. Fire an overcharged bolt of plasma while running backwards. Switch to pistol and finish him off. Collect grenades and move forward through the door. We’re just getting started.

Poke your head through he door and find a Grunty candidate for bullet reception. Once you’ve taken one out, back up into the doorway. A cloaked Elite will come looking for you. Fire your pistol at the blur in front of you. Continue to use your pistol to clear the central area of Grunts as there is a healthy supply ahead. Go back out to the hallway and proceed clockwise. You’ll come across the body of two unfortunate but well-stocked Marines. Reload your pistol. Pick up the health if you have to. Two Hunters will be waiting ahead. You could just avoid the Hunters and run down the tunnel to your left, but who wants to do that? Back up and lure them one at a time to the central room where there is more space to move around and dispatch them with pistol shots to their soft tissue. Restock. Now go through the tunnel, down the elevator, and into a hallway full of snoozing Grunts. Fore!

This area can be pretty fun if you can make it through without alerting anyone. Turn left first and take out any sleepers in that small area. Turn around and head counterclockwise through the circular hall, making sure you don’t pass directly in front of any windows. An Elite will be pacing the area ahead, so stay hidden in the first upward ramp to your right after the entry. Keep your eye on the motion detector, and pop him on the back when he turns around and heads the other direction. Continue on, popping sleepers as you go by. Eventually you’ll come to the opening of the central room. Grunts will be patrolling the area, so wait until he turns his back to you to proceed. Whack him and use the large blocks for cover. Slip past and out the exit on the right to the snowy plains of pain (not to be confused with the rainy plains in Spain).

As soon as you emerge from the doorway, you’ll want to get to your troops ASAP because they are about to get reamed. One of your most powerful weapons in this game is a well-driven Warthog with a chaingunner. Your goal is to get over to your Warthog, flip it over and get at least one Marine in it without getting killed yourself. Good luck. Dash out and to your left, making a beeline for your Warthog. Stick a plasma grenade to the Gunner on your left as you go by. Run over to the Warthog and flip it. Hop in. Don’t wait for your Marines to come to you, you must go to them. Once you have your gunner, it may be a good idea to floor it before a mortar hits your vehicle. At this point, you need to start doing doughnuts and fishtailing all over the battlefield, taking out as many Covenant pedestrians as you can. Your gunner will take out the banshee. Play chicken with the Ghost that’s been plaguing you and get him to flip its driver out. Your gunner will finish him off. After you’ve cleared the area, another wave of Covenant will come in on foot. Play Death Race 2000 with them without getting too close to the Wraith that’s been shelling the ground all around you. Once they are dead, it’s time to take out the Covenant tank. Drive back to where you picked up the Jeep. Hop out quickly and swap your plasma pistol for the rocket launcher. Get back in and gun it before the Wraith manages to draw a bead on you. Cruise behind the plateau where the second plasma turret is sitting. Hop out of your Warthog and walk behind the small plateau. As soon as you spot the Wraith, fire your rocket. It’ll take about 3 to bring him down, so if it gets too dicey where you’re at, walk behind the plateau again to the other side and fire from there, or, if you’re gutsy, just charge in with guns a-blazin’. When the Wraith is gone, it will be safe to go restock. Back where you got the Warthog you can swap a sniper rifle for your pistol; there’s also some health there if you haven’t already used it. Next to the turret plateau, there are some more rockets. There should also be a Ghost available there too unless your Marine took off with it. If you flipped the occupied Ghost instead of letting your gunner take it out, it should also be available. Switch to your rocket launcher, hop in the ghost and head toward the narrow canyon opening. There will be a few Jackals and others along your way. You can either take them out with your Ghost or drive past them and over the ledge to the next area.

As you round the corner, there will be two small groups of Covenant fighting three of your Marines. If you do nothing else here, you MUST save your sniper. Ol’ snipey should live if you are to move through this level with any kind of help. Drive your Ghost right next to your troops, hop out, and fire a rocket at the group of Covenant directly in front of you. Fire another at the survivors. Fire another at the stragglers –you’ve got a stash of eight nearby, so apply rockets liberally. Once the area is clear, head over to the downed dropship and restock everything. Hop in the tank and make sure your sniper joins you. Ahead you have two choices, either drive the tank straight through the tunnel or go left and around the tunnel. Both go to the same place. The tunnel provides some cover when you emerge, but it places you a stone’s throw from the Wraith on the other side. If you take the path on the left, you can shell the Wraith from a distance, taking it out without getting too close. Go left. A few Ghosts will come at you, but if you fire your tank at them, they won’t be a problem.

As you emerge into the clearing, move your tank to the left, in the shadows by some trees. Carefully aim at the top of the Wraith and pull the trigger. So long as you aim high, you should be able to take it out before it even figures out where you are. The rest of the area should clear out fairly easily. At the far end of the clearing, a Wraith patrols the top of the entrance to an interior tunnel. Scoot forward enough on a small hill still in shadow and squeeze off a few rounds until it quits moving. Move towards the door below the Wraith. A banshee will appear and start shooting at you. Get it in your sights, pull the trigger, and spank that guy. To your left are you'll find ammo and an invisibility powerup. If you are in a tank it will do you little good. I usually pass it up. Two hunters will be guarding the tunnel entrance below. Creep forward far enough to the entrance so that you can peek down. Fire one. Fire two. Move along.

Head through the tunnel, getting out when you need to unlock the doors. Eventually you’ll arrive in an expansive, open room. Creep forward enough so that you are on the last uphill ledge before the entrance. Two Elites will be pacing the floor ahead. When they cross in front of you, fire your artillery and watch ‘em fly. Move in. Mop up the room with your unlimited supply of tank shells. Your sniper will earn his keep here. Not only will he take out Grunts, Elites, and maybe a Hunter or two, but he will also find hard to spot enemies that you can finish off. Proceed across the bridge, but don’t go past the halfway point until you are certain both Hunters on the other side have been dispatched. Their plasma weapons can send you flying if you get in range. Once the other side is clear, hop out, flip the switch to open the door and move out. Around the bend, there will be a small group of Elites and Grunts. Scoot forward until you are on the uphill slope directly in front of them and blow them away. Take a left and pick off as many aliens as you can find on the hill. As you get to the top, a dropship will land and let some troops off. Hang back far enough to stay out of the way of the dropship's gun. Once it takes off, drive forward. Stop in the entry way and clear out all the Covenant you can find from that location before moving on. You don’t want them to get behind and surround you. Remember, there is splash damage inflicted with each explosion, so if an enemy is difficult to hit, try firing on a tree or rock nearby.

Ahead is a tall tower of stone, around which you can either go left or right. Left is a bit too confined and gets you a bad angle on the pathway ahead, so I prefer the right. On the right will be a ramp with a turret on top. Take out the turret. Move forward. A doorway on your left will open up. Shell the doorway before those poor blokes have a chance to escape. Move to the right of the ramp. You’ll find some dead Marines and a stash of goodies here. If you need anything, get out and pick it up. From this location you can often fire two shots with the tank at the Wraith in the clearing ahead. If he does notice you and starts firing, back up and shoot from the other side of the ramp. Scoot forward a bit. A Ghost and a Banshee should rear their ugly heads. Take a second to aim before firing since it takes about four seconds to reload. In the canyon ahead two Hunters will emerge. Stay back and open fire. If you get too close, they will launch their plasma cannons at you, and then it will be curtains for you and your sniper friend. When the coast is clear, move forward through the canyon.

When the path opens up, there will be a group of Covenant to your immediate right. Fire your tank at the rock they are standing around and send ’em flying. Fire at the group directly ahead. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as using massive artillery to take out small, closely packed groups of aliens on a cliff. A turret gunner across the ravine will try to fire on you. If your sniper hasn’t taken him out already, launch a shell across the canyon at him. All good things must come to an end, and this hails the end of your single-player tank drivin’ days. Time to hop out. Move to the ridge ahead and look down. Two Hunters will be on the ground below. Fire off a few sniper rounds at their soft spots; your buddy may follow suit. When the Hunters are dead, follow the curved ramp downward to a group of stranded Marines. Don’t hang around. Take the path of ice towards the large structure behind you. A Covenant dropship will make its way in above you. Once the Marines realize they can’t hit anyone at their position, they will follow you. Hang back in front of the large pipes, and snipe the Covenant as they round the corner into view. Once they have been dispatched, look to your right and scavenge the large stash of goodies. Hold off taking the health and the invisibility. Swap your sniper rifle for a pistol. Creep forward between the pipes and hold as soon as you see a cloaked sword Elite come towards you. Aim high with a few shots of your pistol to take him out. Another one will be right behind him. Take him out the same way. Move through the passage and stop. Your Marine buddies will follow you. A small group of Covenant stand in the opening ahead. Open fire on them with your pistol. With your friends behind you, you’ll make short work of them. Hearing the commotion, a pair of Elites will come down the path of the ridge in front of you. Again, short work with your friends. Now is the time to turn around and go back to the stash behind you. Pick up the health. Reload your pistol and go pick up the bullets. Stand behind the invisibility. When you’re ready, charge. You’re going to cloak as you head back through the tunnel. Head up the winding path up the ridge ahead. Charge straight for the door in the side of the cliff ahead. Be careful not to brush against any enemies, as you’ll blow your cover. The door ahead will open and two Elites will emerge. Zip past them. By the time you round the corner, you will de-cloak completely unharmed. Don’t worry about the Marines you left behind. They were just going to stay back anyway.

In the room ahead is a large group of sleeping Grunts and a pair of Elites patrolling the central chamber. Play whack-a-Grunt on your way through the room. Whack the Elite when he turns his back and use the large boxes in front of the entry for cover. You’ve done this before. You’ll experience a lot of deja-vu in the next few rooms. Circling counterclockwise, you’ll come to a hallway on your right. Follow it down to an elevator and take it up.

A Jackal will be waiting in the doorway as soon as you come up. At these close quarters, his shield won’t help much against your pistol. Another one will be around the corner. Toss a grenade down the corridor and listen for the scream. Past the door is a small room with several Jackals. Chuck a few grenades down there to keep them company. Follow through with pistol fire. Up the ramp ahead will be a small group of Grunts and Jackals, toss a few grenades at them and watch them fly. Before moving forward, stock up on frag grenades. When you get low on pistol ammo or health, there is some up on the ramp in the middle of the room. Go through the doorway and enter the room.

There may be a straggler or two up the ramp; grenades and pistol fire should take them out. As you proceed counterclockwise through the room, a gold Elite will notice you and face you down. Pull out your rocket launcher and fire it straight at him. Chances are, he’ll survive. He’ll probably go duck behind a wall to let his shields regenerate. Track him down and pop a few rounds in him. Stay out of the central room. Proceed counterclockwise until you come to the exit guarded by a Jackal. Hang back and throw a grenade at him. Cautiously creep forward after he dies. When you get near the exit, the door will open up and a large wave of Covenant will pour in. As soon as their blips register on your motion tracker, toss a grenade and fire a rocket into the doorway. This will take out the two Elites in front. Repeat with grenades and a rocket down the corridor to take out the Grunts and Jackals that will be right behind them. When the exit is clear, move on.

As you move ahead, you'll find another door that opens up to a large bridge like we’ve seen before. There will be a lot of sleeping Grunts to whack at the beginning. Eventually, you’ll be seen and the fun will be over. Back up and swap your rocket launcher for a plasma pistol. Start using grenades and overcharged shots, followed by pistol fire and the rest of your rockets to start clearing the bridge. You’ll be attacked from the bridge on your right by grunts, so be careful. Overcharged shots work well. Once you’ve taken out the Elites, you can use their needlers to clear the other bridge. About 2/3 of the way down the bridge, you will checkpoint. The door ahead will open. That’s your cue to toss a few grenades over the wall to take out two cloaked elites and some grunts. If you’re low on pistol Ammo or health, remember the stash I mentioned earlier if you haven’t used it already.

Enter the next room. There are four Elites and a large stash of ammo and health here. If you use grenades and plasma pistol overcharges followed by pistol fire, the Elites won’t give you much trouble. Once you have taken out the four of them, go raid the stash. Drop your plasma gun for a rocket launcher. The exit to this room takes you down a long hallway brimming with Grunts and Jackals. Toss grenades and fire a couple of rockets down this shaft to decimate their ranks. Go back to the stash and pick up another box of rockets and move on to the next room.

This room is much like others you’ve encountered in this level. The strategy here is stealth. Grunts will be sleeping, Elites will be patrolling. Watch your motion tracker. When an Elite passes the entrance, creep up behind him and whack him. Smack the Grunts as you make your way around the perimeter, staying out of the central room. Watch for Elite patrol patterns and make sure you come from behind. The exit will be guarded by a cluster of Jackals. Rockets or grenades work well against them. Just head out quickly or you’ll soon have a large group of Covenant to contend with.

The bridge ahead is guarded by a large group of alert Covenant. There are also two Hunters on the bridge to your right. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, use grenades and overcharged shots followed by pistol fire on the group in front of you. Make sure to set your rocket in a safe place nearby. If you haven’t alerted the Hunters across from you yet, pull out your pistol and wait for them to expose their backs. If they’re on to you, rockets may have to do, but you’ll want to save about 2-3 rockets for later. However, if you feel particularly daring, you can always try to ignore them altogether. In the middle of the bridge will be a few Elites. I’ve found a needler dispatches them fairly well. As you move forward, you’ll checkpoint and the door at the end will open. Like last time, toss grenades over the wall into the doorway to take out a small group of Grunts and two cloaked Elites. Make sure you go back and grab your rocket launcher as there is a stash of rockets ahead. Proceed through the door.

The next room is much like the others; however, using stealth tactics will only get you so far. If you pass the entrance to the central room stealthily and attack the Jackals beyond, you will alert everyone and end up surrounded. Set your rocket launcher down in a safe place and do the usual attacks with overcharged shots, grenades and pistol fire. Work your way counterclockwise, allowing your shields to recharge before engaging the enemy. Once the room is clear, go back and get your SPNKr. You’re gonna want it for this next hallway.

As you exit the room, you’ll come across a hallway patrolled by four cloaked Elites. The one closest to you will have a plasma rifle. You’ll see two more behind him with swords. The last bugger with a plasma rifle is hiding in the dark alcoves further down. Reload your rocket launcher so you have two rockets ready to fire. Stick a plasma grenade on the guy in front. Fire a rocket at the Elite behind him. The other Elite with a sword will charge. Slap him with your second rocket. Proceed forward with caution. The last Elite will be hiding behind the fourth column on your left. Toss a grenade at his feet and watch him fly. If he survives, fire your pistol at him if you have any ammo left. Ignore the invisibility powerup for now and move down to the end of the corridor and into the next room.

You’ve now come to the last of the blue round rooms for this level. This one is a breeze if you know how to handle Hunters. In the central chamber are two Hunters, a stash of every kind of ammo you should require and a health pack. Pull out your pistol if you still have it; if not, pull out the weapon you wish to swap for a pistol. If you still have bullets, shoot the Hunters when they expose their midsection. If you don’t, there is a pistol and plenty of bullets by the fallen Marine with the health pack. If you see a Hunter charging his plasma weapon, charge him and he will power down and try to melee’ attack you with his shield. When he stretches, that’s when you get him. Gather all the ammo you can carry, don’t miss the stash on top of the short ramp in the middle. Head toward the exit and get just close enough to trigger the door. Toss a grenade at the oblivious Jackal standing there. When the grenade goes off, some Grunts and Jackals will come down the hall. From your present position, keep tossing grenades until the hallway is clear. Don’t, however, exit the room just yet. Take a moment and familiarize yourself with the shortest path between the exit of this room and the invisibility powerup where the cloaked Elites were. Once you’re ready, get next to the active camouflage and with a running start, gun it through the Hunter room and out the exit.

Boogie as fast as you can to the Banshee ahead and hop aboard. You should be de-cloaking about here, so there is no time to waste. Fly your banshee straight across the canyon to the top floor of the pyramid, park it directly in front of the doorway next to the switch and get out. Pull out your rocket launcher. Flip the switch and toss a grenade as the door opens. Fire your SPNKr into the crowd of Covenant standing there and immediately hop into the Banshee again. Hover upward and open fire. Fire your secondary weapon at the gold sword Elite. Keep blasting away until your Banshee hits its last pip of health and hop out before it explodes. Finish off the rest with grenades, rockets and whatever you have. Two Elites will fall back to the end of the room. Send a rocket or two their way. Heck, unload it all. This is your last battle of the level. Go through the next pair of doors and watch the cinematic. You’re done.

Level 6
Level 6: 343 Guilty Spark


      

For a good number of people playing Halo for the first time through, this is the level that soiled many a trouser. The press were forbidden to discuss the horrors that this, and all subsequent levels, held. Although 343 Guilty Spark is one of the shorter levels in the game, it is one of the most powerful, eerie and dramatic. It's also an easy level to get lost in. There's a fair amount of backtracking and several rooms that can't be exited without doing some jumping.

343 Guilty Spark begins with a quick shot of a small group of Covenant that have been spooked by...something. Although they are running towards your insertion point, you won't encounter them in battle.
    

          
      

When you disembark at the landing zone, you will see a crashed Pelican off to your left. On Easy difficulty you can find a shotgun laying there, but in Legendary, you'll have no such luck. There are 3 health packs here; keep that in the back of your mind in case you should need one. Stop here for a moment. Once the Pelican flies past, a few Grunts and Jackals will attack. Use the rock next to you for cover and take them out with your pistol. Move toward the gully they came from and swap your AR with a plasma pistol. To your left, you will see a downed Covenant dropship. A few Jackals will open fire on you. Hold down the trigger of your plasma pistol and release overcharged bolts at the Jackals, taking out their shields. Finish them off with plasma pistol fire at close range, or bullets at a distance. Follow the gully as it winds left. A large, fallen tree looms up ahead. Hop on top of it and walk the length of it to the small hill on the other side. A Jackal or two will try to stop you. Use your alien/human pistol combination to take them out.

As you rise over the roots and up the hill at the end, you'll see a few yellow blips on your motion tracker and hear some friends engaging the enemy. A group of covenant will be fleeing from the entrance to an underground structure and a turret will fall prey to a grenade. At the moment they will be spooked, but their fear will quickly fade. As they run out, you run in. As you continue forward to the large shaft ahead, an elevator will approach. Hop aboard and ride it down to the next level.

The room you arrive in has one door with a covered entryway. Approach the left side of the entry and bounce a frag grenade into the opening. Run around to the other side. You should see a small cluster of Grunts flying through the air. Those that survive will be looking for you on the left, surprise them on the right with another grenade or plasma fire. Don't be too liberal with your bullets; you'll need them for surgical amputation procedures later on.

On the other side of the doorway, a few jackals are waiting; toss a grenade on the floor next to them and teach them to fly. Follow up with plasma fire. You should now have a pretty good stash of alien weapons lying around. A group of Covenant guard the doorway out of the room below. Stay on the platform above and take out as many aliens as you can from there. If you haven't eliminated them by the time you get to your last Covenant weapon, hop down and take out the remainder at close range. Move out the doorway into the adjoining hallway. Several of the larger rooms are connected by small, square-shaped hallways with a pair of storage rooms. The exit is on the diametrically far side.

A huddle of Jackals (read: grenade bait) will be guarding the door across the room and to your left. Quickly toss two grenades in the midst of them and take cover. While they are still reeling from the stun, charge in and pelt the survivors. Move out the door they were guarding into another square hallway.

You will emerge into a large vacant hall full of turrets and needler munitions. Leave them alone. Needlers will be inadequate and downright dangerous in the rooms ahead. On the right side is a small platform with an open door. Walk close to the platform and hop up to exit the room. In the adjoining square hall, blood paints the walls and bodies are strewn about. Curious, no Elite bodies.... Keep moving; there is nothing for you here.

In the next room you will stumble across a lone human survivor who appears to be missing a few marbles from his cranial collection. His only purpose in life is to provide you with foreshadowing and bullets. Put him out of his misery and collect the clips he has bequeathed to you. On the far end of this room is a flaming pile of debris and a broken chunk of catwalk. Hop up onto the chunk and up to the walkway above. Head back toward the entrance to the room and out the door above.

You'll be back in the vacant hall, but this time, you'll be on the upper floor. To your left is a switch to activate the lightbridge ahead. Turn it on and walk across the room to the broken doorway. Turn right, then take a quick left down the ramp. If you need health, keep going forward to a pair of health packs; otherwise, take a right at the doorway to trigger the cinematic.

After your introduction to the Flood, swap your plasma pistol for an assault rile; you'll be needing this bullet hose real soon. Head to the opposite end of the room and stand on the raised platform in front of the far door. Eventually a swarm of Flood spores will burst out of the doorway. Spores themselves are harmless against a shielded enemy. When they try to latch on to you, they will pop and bring your shields down a notch. En masse, the can be a bit more deadly. A large swarm can bring your shields down to nothing. Once your shields are down, they latch on like a school of hungry piranhas and drop your health to nothing in a matter of seconds. The technique you'll want to employ against them is to fire your AR at the spores in a group, which sets off a chain reaction taking most of them out. If the area is pretty clear, you can let the stragglers pop themselves on your shields, saving yourself a few bullets. Once the first wave of spores is whittled down, a second wave will come. Watch your motion sensor and head over to the door they are about to breach. Fire your rifle into the mass and repeat. The entrance will be locked this whole time. When it finally pops open, you will encounter your first combat Flood forms. Spray bullets at the entrance, thinning out the enemy. Toss a frag grenade into the doorway. Using plasma grenades against the Flood is a bit like playing Russian roulette with a double-barreled shotgun: more often than not, it will stick to a charging enemy that is dying to give you a nice warm hug. Keep a close eye on your shields; there are plenty of spores around and they are dying to sink their teeth into you.

Pull out your pistol and keep moving. Aim for the arms of the combat forms that have the threshing tentacles on them. Move! Sidestep! Back up! Shoot! Blam! If you have any remaining disabled Flood forms (aka "friends")clinging to you like lost puppies, take them out. Checkpoints often don't save if there are still creatures nearby. Head out the door and turn right. Pick up a health kit and engage the Flood with pistol in hand. If you get pinned in a tight spot, the assault rifle will work, but melee attacks are futile. Exit the upper room out the broken door.

Staying up on the platform, you'll notice that the hall you're in is no longer vacant, but the last vestiges of a small battle between the Flood and the Covenant are occurring below. You needn't bother yourself with them. Staying on the platform above, follow it to the door on your right. It will take you through a square hallway into a large square room with green goo dripping from the ceiling. Look to your right. The door on the ground level is the one you will eventually use to vacate the premises. There will be a few Flood forms patrolling the floor below. Fire your pistol at them, aiming for the dangerous arm. Don't be lulled into a state of confidence. The flood can leap up to the platform you're on and even whip you through the geometry. Stay on your toes and fire at anything that moves. Once you have whittled down the ranks below, hop down to ground level and proceed out the aforementioned door. Go through the square hallway and you will emerge into another large hall.

You will be a lot more vulnerable in this hall; it is easy to become surrounded. You may want to hang back in the doorway initially. When the door opens, the Flood will often be oblivious to your presence. Find a group of them and toss a grenade at the floor nearest the largest clump of fighters. Be careful not to tag one unless you are far enough away that you can keep your distance when he charges. Clean out the room with your pistol (there's a bullet stash nearby), aiming at the deadly arms, and mopping up spores with your rifle if your shields get low. On the ledge above to your left will be a few Jackals. Toss a grenade or two at them. Scrounge around on the floor for a plasma pistol. On the opposite side of the hall is a stack of Covenant storage bins. Hop up the pile and onto the catwalk above. Use your plasma pistol to take out the shields of the remaining Jackals and finish them off. Up here are two exits. If you go to the switch and turn on the light bridge to go back the way you came, you'll only find a broken elevator and Flood resistance. Just take the door where the Jackals were standing and turn left. Ahead, you will find 2 medkits and a stash of ammo. Swap your plasma pistol for an assault rifle, recharge your health and don't miss the pistol ammo. Move forward and out of the room.

You will emerge in a small room with a few energy devices in it. Move through the room to the other end and out the door. You'll emerge into an elevator room with a few Flood forms guarding the way. Keep moving, firing your pistol at their left arms. A few spores will try to latch on to you, so watch your shields. As long as you stay moving, they shouldn't be a problem. Take the elevator down into the unknown. That blue blood that you so gleefully spilt is now smeared down the shaft as an ominous warning. When the elevator comes to a stop, you will find a more advanced Flood infestation at the base of the elevator. These are now wielding guns and a few of them are infected humans. These are substantially more dangerous than the Flood you've met so far; they can now attack from a distance, and taking off just one arm no longer incapacitates them. Clear out this room like the one above, keeping yourself in motion. Once all those pesky spore forms are gone, jump up on the pile of storage crates to the right of the doorway. On top you will find an overshield. Nab it and poke your head out the exit.

A few spores and fighters will try to jump you. Pull back and open fire on them, concentrating on the arms. When the area is clear, head back out the door and grab one of the invisibility powerups. Since there are two of them, and you can't come back...Why not? From the upper platform, clear out any enemies you can below with grenades; even a needler can be useful from here. When you're ready to move on, grab the other invisibility. From here, your goal is to get to the door on the other side of the hall. Unfortunately, the lightbridge is malfunctioning and keeps flickering. With a little dumb luck and a lot of patience you can time things right to hop across the light bridge and bypass a fight or two. If you just want to unleash your fury, vidding it like a Green Manalishi with a two-pronged crown, then hop down and follow me.

If there are any stragglers below that you may have missed, walk up to them and stealthily stick them with a plasma grenade and back away laughing. Quickly comb the floor. Here you will get your hands on your first shotgun since you crash-landed on this ring. Swap it for your rifle and exit the broken door on the left. You will pass through a square hallway. Relish the damage your shotgun does to meat by-products at close range. Run into the next room and clear it out with the shotgun. Pause between shots to allow yourself to re-cloak and blast the Flood at point-blank range. On the far side of this room is a burning pile of rubble, atop which is a health pack and pistol ammo. Jump up and onto the catwalk above. Walk across to the other side and out the door. You'll now be at the other side of the malfunctioning light bridge. Walk straight across (you may find another shotgun up here) and out the door on the other side. Go through the square connector hallway and into the next room.

This room is identical to the one on the other side of the hall, with the exception of a flaming pile of debris with goodies sitting atop it. Stay on the upper level and let the flood come to you one at a time. Unload your eight gauge on them. When the area is under control, hop down and head out the busted-up door, through the connecting hallway and out to another large room.

Run up to your first enemy and fire at close range, sidestepping as you go by. There's plenty of space to move around in here, so it takes little time turning the rest of the opposition into discarded buckshot receptacles. Exit out the other broken door on the opposite side of the hall.

You'll find yourself in yet another of the smaller, two-level rooms. On your right is a large bloody block with a stash of shotgun ammo on top. Head over there first, dealing with the enemy as necessary. You'll find it easier to hop up if you duck on your way up. This pulls your legs up into a tuck, making it easier to clear the top of the block. Across from you is a broken piece of catwalk, lower than the rest. Jump across to that section and finish off the enemies in this room from above. Use your shotgun for short-range combat, pistol for everything else. Head over to the far side of the room and out the door.

This takes you to the upper level of a large hall. Fire your shotgun at any hostiles nearby. Flip the switch for the lightbridge and move across. Several Flood fighters will spew forth from the door at the end. Switch to your frag grenades (if you have any) and toss one into the doorway. The fighters don't dodge as well as they did pre-infection. You should take out a few of them. Finish off the rest with your shotgun, go through the doorway to the next room and take the elevator up.

At the top of the elevator shaft, you will meet up with a small group of human survivors (the last ones of the game) Stock up from the pile to the left of the exit doorway and head out into the swamp with your crew. Pull out your pistol and follow your troops. Flood forms will attack you ahead and from the flank. Once the path opens up to a large, shallow pond, your marines will most likely be dead. Pull out your shotgun and charge for the tower in the clearing. Use the technique I discussed earlier to battle Flood in large open spaces with lots of room for movement: charge the enemy, sidestepping and firing your shotgun at point blank range as you pass. Stay close to the tower and use it for cover. Eventually, 343 Guilty Spark and a small flock of Sentinels will come to your aid. Continue to fight until the cutscene triggers. Congratulations, champ. You've made it.

Level 7
Level 7: The Library


      

Writing a walkthrough for the Library is much like writing a manual for wiping out an anthill with your bare hands while covered in honey; you can plan, script and describe all you want, but when you’re in the middle of a fight, anything can and will happen – and you can't plan for every possible outcome. In the Library, you won’t find any books. What you will find, however, are seemingly endless waves of Flood bent on making you a statistic.

Your goal for this level is to follow the Monitor around the spiraling floor plan up to the index access point. The index serves as a key to activate Halo’s defense systems and destroy the Flood.
    

          
      

You will teleport to a somewhat safe location at the back end of a large room. As the Monitor moves forward, follow him with extreme caution. As you pass the first outcropping on your left, you’ll notice a puffy, inflated Flood form shaking violently like a living castanet stuffed with Mexican jumping beans. Enter the Flood carrier: an impregnated Flood form that spreads its seed by detonating. Whip out your pistol and concentrate your fire on the carrier. When he pops, any infection forms surrounding him will follow suit and likewise explode. Quickly pull out your assault rifle and spray the ground with bullets to take out any remaining spores. Looking ahead, four carriers will begin charging your position. Swap back to your pistol and take out the frontmost carrier. Popping the carrier in the front will cause an explosion that will send the other carriers flying from the point of detonation. Killing a carrier at the rear of the pack will send the rest flying towards you. That would be bad. The thing to keep in mind when fighting the Flood is to always concentrate your fire on a carrier when other forms are near him. As in the Myth games, where seasoned players jump at the chance to take out a Wight in a cluster of troops, you can damage several enemies at once without using much ammo. If your energy level is adequate, you can allow the remaining spores to burst on your shields, or just melee attack them. Follow the Monitor forward cautiously until you see red blips appear on your motion tracker again. Immediately backpedal to avoid getting flanked on both sides. Using your pistol, take out any immediate threats first, concentrating on the carriers. After that wave, turn on your flashlight, scan the floor for ammo and move forward with caution. The moment you find a shotgun, swap it for your rifle. At the end of the room, a couple of carriers will be standing still. Use your pistol to pop them and back up right away. A group of well-armed Flood will charge from the outcroppings ahead. Toss a frag grenade just in front of them. Keep your pistol trained on them and don’t let yourself get surrounded. Pummel away and creep forward when the fighting stops. Another small wave may come forward; repeat the procedure until the room clears and you checkpoint. Allow your shields to recharge and follow the Monitor out the doorway to the right.

You will enter the vast central room of the Library. Quickly turn to your left and take out the armed Flood Fighters to your left. Immediately whip around and open fire on the Fighters to your right. Often the Flood carriers will try to surprise you by hiding in a nice ambush spot. When you are preoccupied in battle, they will emerge. Try to take them out at a distance with your pistol before they go back into hiding. Keep a close eye on your shields. If you have to, run back into the doorway to avoid being surrounded by Flood spores while your shields recharge. Once all the large forms are gone (infection forms will keep appearing sporadically) follow the Monitor to the doorway on the left.

Once you walk into the entry hall to the next room, a group of Flood will literally come flying toward you. The second you see a Flood fighter jump from behind the unit ahead, throw a plasma grenade on the floor in front of you and back up. As soon as it goes off, toss another one in the doorway. Several more Fighters will appear and fly forward from the explosion. If any survive, mop them up with the shotgun. If you accidentally tag a fighter with a plasma grenade, blast him with your shotgun to stun him long enough for the grenade to go off; if he charges you, all bets are off. Step into the next room. Your presence will trigger a few small groups of Flood to jump from two ducts directly ahead. Back up into the central room and use grenades and the shotgun to clear them out, using the entryway as a choke point. Repeat this procedure until the ducts stop spewing Flood.

When you emerge into the next room, you’ll find it very similar to the first one you were in. Pull your pistol out and take out as many enemies as you can from a distance. Use a grenade or two. If you start to get swarmed, back up to the entry hall again, forcing the Flood into a single file line as you blast away at them. Watch your shields. If they gets low, back out and run around to avoid spores until your shields recharge. When the Fighters stop coming, go back in the room and scrounge around the floor for goodies. Switch to your pistol and move forward. When you reach the Monitor, a fighter on the outcropping to your right will open fire on you. Snipe him with your pistol before he gets a chance. Stand under the Monitor and wait for the large set of doors to open. Move through the doorway into the next room.

There is nothing but a cluster of spore forms waiting to the left, so take a right into the spacious hallway. On the floor ahead there will be three glass panes. Inevitably, the carriers will swarm the glass, shattering when they pop. Don’t forget about these three nasty holes, as you will be fighting around them soon. A group of Flood will appear around the glass. Shoot with your pistol and grenade them from a distance. Switch to shotgun when they get close. Always look for cover. There’s going to be a lot of shooting going on, so you aren’t going to want to be out in the open. The last thing you want to do is charge ahead full bore. Trigger one small group, back up, destroy them. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. If you run out of shotgun shells, swap your gun for an assault rifle. It’s better than plasma and definitely better than nothing. When the large hall comes to a “T”, you will go left. A small group will come for you. Use grenades and pistols from a distance, shotgun at close range. Duck and cover.

Follow the large hall around until you see Guilty Spark again. A small group of Flood will pour from the duct ahead. Use grenades and backpedal around the corner to take cover while shooting. Around the corner to the right will be a health pack. A slot in the floor will have a super shield. Be advised that as soon as you round the corner a group will jump from the slot. Toss a grenade in front of the short ramp and trigger the Fighters right before it explodes to watch them soar. A few more Flood Fighters will appear before you can pick up the overshield but they shouldn’t give you too much grief. When the coast is clear, go down the short ramp and pick up the powerup. Overshields are a lifesaver when fighting the Flood. Since they are scarcer than bullets, you will want to open fire on the spores rather than letting them whittle down your overshield. Moving forward, you will trigger an ambush that will approach from in front and behind. Immediately back up to avoid getting swarmed and open fire on the Flood carrier closest to you. Take cover and fire at the Fighters as they come. Concentrate your efforts on the Carriers. Scoot forward slowly. Blips will appear ahead by another group of three glass panes on the floor. You can pretty much take out that group from a distance with your pistol. Once the coast is clear, creep past the fresh holes in the floor until you come to another bend in the hall. Turn right. Ahead another group of Flood will appear. However, there are enough walking pus pouches that you shouldn’t have much trouble eliminating them. Take the jog to the right past the library’s AV department and keep moving forward. Another group of Flood will appear, but this time a group of Sentinels will come to join the fight. Don’t feel too obligated to save them since they won’t follow you up the nearby elevator. Give them a hand, neutralize the threat, scavenge around for ammo and hop on the massive elevator platform at the far end of the hallway.

Wait, it gets worse!

Step off the elevator and head toward the doorway. To your right, a cluster of Carriers will drop. Blast them with your shotgun and step back to avoid their explosion. Head back in and go to the right. Sentinels will emerge from the alcove to your left. Move forward past the bank of 200” Jumbo-Tron screens and take the jog to the left. The Monitor will leave you and the sentinels to take out another small group of Carriers. Directly in front of you is another slot in the floor. This one has two health packs, so use one if you need it. Keep moving forward until you checkpoint. You will then get the infamous message: ”Hold your position until the Monitor returns.” Here’s where we have fun.

Go to the far end of the room next to another health pack on the floor. Toss a grenade into the nearest duct on your right. The Flood will begin pouring out of the ducts, so stay in that little alcove and let them come to you. Cream them with a little shotgun and ‘nade. When you get down to your last grenade, toss it in the middle of the room and run through to the opposite side of the room. You should pick up a few goodies along your way. Continue doing what you’ve been doing until the Monitor returns. Grab a health pack and follow him through the big doors.

This next room is the large circular room directly above the index. Whip out your pistol and follow 343 Guilty Spark. A large group of Flood will show up ahead. Toss grenades ahead of them and open fire on the Carriers behind. See how high you can make the Fighters fly. Repeat with the next group. Repeat with the third group, keeping an eye out for rockets. When the coast is clear, scan the floor for ammo. Resist the urge to pick up the rocket launcher; it will just mess you up due to the time it takes to line up a shot and switch back to a close range weapon. At the end of the room there will be another set of doors. You’ll also get another message to hold your position. Relax. This one’s easy. Go grab a rifle behind you and mop up the waves of spores as they come towards you. Shortly the Monitor will return and the doors will open. Clear away the popcorn forms, swap your weapon back and move through the doorway.

Follow 343GS to the right. Ahead will be another slot in the floor, but this time the descending ramp actually goes somewhere. Take out the small pocket of Flood resistance ahead and proceed down the narrow ramp. Pull out your pistol and pop the Carriers. Carefully peek around the corner ahead and pop the pregnant pusballs waiting for you there. Move forward down the narrow walkway until you see the exit. Several Flood forms will jump down. Back up and use the corner of the hall for cover. Toss grenades and use your pistol until the area is clear. Move up the ramp and out the exit. Spores will be there to hop down on you so make sure your shields are full. Follow the Monitor to the left. Stop right before the hall comes to a “T”. This AV corridor will have Flood attacking from both ends, so stay back and clear this hall like so many you have before. Once the waves of Flood dry up, move forward and follow the large hallway. When the Hall comes to a “T” again, pull out your pistol and turn right. At the far end will be a large group of Flood Carriers and a pair of rocket wielding Fighters. Stay back so you can dodge the rockets and start popping Carrier forms as fast as you can. When you've killed them all, move forward. A health pack will be in the corner to your left. If you need it, take it and follow the hall to the right. Another group will jump you. Fight them till they stop coming. If you feel compelled to pick up a rocket launcher, drop your pistol in a safe spot so you can pick it up immediately following this encounter. Follow the Monitor. An ambush will appear, but if you just keep moving forward to the elevator, you can avoid a fight altogether. Ride the elevator up.

But I don’t want to ride the elevator!

Hop off the elevator and turn left. You’ll come across a group of Sentinels fighting the Flood. Help them out if you want. Sometimes the Sentinels do more harm than good, though. Head down the ramp in another slot in the floor ahead. Follow the narrow hallway around. When you get to the turn, pull out your pistol and snipe the small group ahead. A large group of Infection forms will show up. Send them away with your shotgun. Lastly, at the next bend will be two Carrier forms. Toss a grenade around the corner or carefully snipe them from a distance with your pistol. When you reach the exit, a group of Flood and Sentinels will appear on your motion tracker. Back up and let them duke it out. When the blips on your motion tracker stop, proceed up the ramp. The Flood will have won and there will be plenty of survivors. Head back down the ramp and use it as a choke point, letting the Covenant funnel into your sights. When the area is clear, move up the ramp and into the room.

Turn right, pass the three consoles and turn right at the row of screens. Turn right again and follow the hall until it dead-ends. You’ll be asked to wait until the Monitor returns again, but this fight will be much easier than the first. There are just enough Carrier forms to make this a shotgun-only battle. There will be a health pack in the far corner when you are finished. Follow the Monitor through the doors when he returns. This will be the third floor of the index room. This time you’ll go clockwise around the perimeter. A group will initially attack from the left. Use your skillz and gunz to eliminate the threat and move on. The next group of Flood will drop onto the two tall blocks directly ahead. Stay back and use your pistol to snipe them before they can ream you. Move through the doorway into the next large, winding hallway.

A heath kit will be sitting on the floor ahead, should you need it. Follow the Monitor to the right. Switch to plasma grenades ad pistol. Stick a plasma grenade to the floor in front of the slot ahead. Three Flood forms will jump from the slot right about the time your grenade goes off. Pop the other forms with the pistol as they come towards you. Switch to your shotgun if any get in close range. The hallway ahead will come to a “T”. If you go forward, you’ll trigger groups of Flood on both ends of the “T” so back up and take them out, triggering one group at a time like you’ve done before. Take a left, left, right, right to the next set of large doors. Squeeze through the opening into the next room. Trigger the checkpoint and it will tell you to stay here until the Monitor returns. Slide into the niche between the outcropping and the double-doors and reload your shotgun. Don’t go too far back - just far enough to use the outcropping as cover. You won’t be able to stay here for long. Fight the Flood as best you can with grenades and shotgun shells. When your health gets low, use the health pack in the center of this room. Always reload as soon as there is a momentary lull in the action. You’ll end up having to use plasma grenades to supplement your arsenal. Try to hit the ground as best as you can. If you start getting surrounded, move to the niche on the other end of the room, picking up grenades on your way.

Once the doors open, several Sentinels will come to your rescue. Go out the doors and follow the hall to the left. Hang back and help your Sentinels fight the next group of Flood by using your pistol at a distance. Follow the hallway around to the end where you will get to the elevator again. Beware kamikaze Carriers that will drop from the ceiling as you go by.

Fourth Floor: Tools, Guns, Keys to Super Weapons.

As you get off the elevator, a few Flood Carriers will drop from above. Be watchful and get away if one gets next to you and prepares for self-detonation. There’s a health pack right here in case you need it. Follow the path to the adjacent bank of video screens where the hall comes to a “T”. Does this sound familiar? Go forward, trigger each wave and pull back to take cover behind an outcropping, letting the flood funnel to you at a trickle. Repeat this process again until they stop coming. Move down the hallway. You’ll eventually come to another slot in the floor with a ramp leading down to a small tunnel. Does this sound familiar? Head into the tunnel. Around the first bend will be a Carrier or two with a large swarm of infection forms. Pop them and proceed. There will be a couple more around the next bend. Pop them and proceed. If the Flood weren’t so much fun to blow away, this might actually get monotonous. Proceed forward up the ramp and take an immediate right. Although it doesn’t say so in your objectives, this will be another one of those “wait for the Monitor to return” moments. Stay in the niche on the right. If you go to the far left side, fighters will pour out of the opening above and on top of you. Besides, on the right there is a health pack available when you need it. There's another one on the other side of the door, so don’t feel obligated to save it for later. When the Monitor returns, move through the open doors and out. The health pack is in the floor slot ahead. Move forward; we’re almost there. Eventually, you’ll trigger the next wave of Flood. However, there won’t be an easy fall-back position. At this point, you need to just run and gun. Blast through the Flood quickly and get your butt out of there. Eventually you’ll come to a large pair of doors on your left. This is not a good place to turn and stand your ground. The Monitor will come and open them, allowing another wave to pour in from behind. Keep moving and duck in the first niche past the door. THIS is where you will make your stand. Use plenty of grenades and blow away anything that moves. When the coast is clear, move toward the open doors.

Ahead, you will see the central elevator that rides an energy beam down to the index. Although it may look clear, don’t be fooled. There is a massive flock of frikkin’ Flood waiting on the sides to flank you, fire at you, and flog you. Before proceeding, scavenge around until you have a healthy supply of grenades. When you're ready, creep towards the doors. If you’re quiet, you can run about halfway to the elevator before being detected. If you have full health you might just make it. If that isn’t working, then you’ll have to eliminate the threat as best as you can. Hang back as far as you can and snipe the Fighters standing on the left pillar. Then turn and snipe the ones on the pillar to the right of the doorway. If they aren’t visible, shoot the wall near them to get their attention. Hopefully you can take out the doorway guardians without alerting the rest of the crowd. When they are taken out, run through the doorway, making a beeline for the elevator. When you start taking fire, do a 180º and blast away with your shotgun while backpedaling to the elevator. Eventually, the cutscene will kick in. When all is said and done, passing this level requires not only a little knowledge, but also a lot of skills and some plain old dumb luck. Good luck.
Level 8
Level 8: Two Betrayals


      

If you’ve been following the storyline up until now, this is the level where we discover Halo’s dark secret. We also discover why the Monitor keeps calling you “Reclaimer.” Apparently he confuses you with someone who has done this before, and assumes you already knew what the index would do. When Cortana reveals the key vital tidbit of information, you abandon your former allies. Don’t worry – the Sentinels are as ineffective against you as they are against the Flood. Earlier on, you had to make your way to the control room. This time, you’ll be making your way back, essentially moving through the fifth level backwards. However, the level of chaos has increased exponentially now that the Flood has escaped.
    

          
      

As soon as you gain control of your player, jam your thumbstick forward and get behind the large glass pane to avoid Sentinel fire. Turn around, charge your plasma pistol and release a bolt when a slow-moving Sentinel crosses your sights. The overcharged bolt will home in and take out the Sentinel in one shot. Once you have taken the Sentinels out, move forward and trigger the switch to exit the control room. Ahead, a squad of Covenant will engage a flock of Sentinels. If you do nothing, the Covenant will prevail and come after you. What you want to do is help the Sentinels even the odds. Staying back at the door, lob a few grenades at the cluster of Covenant ahead. Let them duke it out for a bit until one side prevails. Move in and take out the remaining enemy with your shotgun. The first chance you get, swap your plasma pistol for a needler. When the first wave is dead, an Elite and two Jackals will show up. Take out the Elite with the needler. When he is gone, the Jackals can be taken out easily with a long-range alien weapon. Just keep sidestepping to avoid fire. Open the next door. Switch to the shotgun and plasma grenades, and reload if you need to. Flip the next switch and quickly crouch behind the adjacent plasma shield. The Covenant will have difficulty seeing through it, so stay down. Lob two plasma grenades into the alcove on the near right side. There will be two Elites hiding there. Usually, you can take them both out before they knew what hit them.

When the Elites die, the Grunts will spook and drop their guard momentarily. Charge in with your shotgun and take out the Covenant at close range, taking cover behind the purple pylons if your shields get low. When you’ve taken them out, glance at your motion sensor to make sure no more Grunts are making their way towards you. When the area is secure, stock up on goodies. Directly ahead is a small spiraling ramp. Follow it all the way up. At the top you’ll find a healthy stash of ammo, a health pack, a pistol and a sniper rifle. Pick up the latter. There are only eight shots available so use them wisely. If you drop down the slot between the ledge and the wall, you can fall back down to ground level and not die because there is an incline at the bottom that will gracefully break your fall. You may want to take advantage of this shortcut because you’ll be coming back here at least one more time. Looking out at the clearing ahead, move to your right and take out the Elite patrolling below with your rifle. Pick off a few more targets, expending all eight rounds. Go back up to the stash and swap the rifle for a pistol. Be careful to avoid the health pack if your health is still out of the red. Slide down again with your pistol in hand and snipe out the enemy as you make your way downward. Don’t forget to use your grenades. Switch to shotgun if you experience a close-range encounter. On the far right of the pyramid you’ll come to a ramp that leads down to the bottom level of the pyramid. There will be two Elites guarding that corner, so hail plasma grenades at them and charge in with your shotgun. When an Elite is ducking behind cover, he is waiting for his shields to recharge. This is the best time to slap him with a wad of buckshot. If you continue downward, you’ll come across a rocket launcher and a health pack. However, in this walkthrough I’m going to have you try something a bit unorthodox and stay away from it. From this upper corner on the right, hop over the ledge and slide down the slope to the snow-covered ground. Directly ahead of you will be a tree, and beyond that, a Wraith. Keep the tree between you and the Wraith. Surprise him by emerging from behind the tree on the right. If you stay close to the Wraith, he won’t be able to fire his cannon at you. Use the Wraith for cover from the large group of Covenant at the base of the pyramid. As it takes fire from behind, slam it with your shotgun from 8 feet in front of it. When it starts smoking, back up a smidge and deal the final blow (being careful not to catch heat from the explosion). As soon as you dispatch the Wraith, make a beeline for the banshee and hop on board. At this point, you can either try to take out the forces at the base of the pyramid from the sky, or you can ignore them altogether –your choice. When you are ready, head towards the nav point on your screen. As you get close, the door on the platform will open. Launch a plasma burst from your banshee into the doorway and clear the area out before setting down. Make sure there is enough ledge behind your banshee before exiting the cockpit (you’ll pay the price if there isn’t). Pull out your shotgun and enter through the doorway.

There will be no opposing forces in this room at all –no powerups either. Head toward the center of the room. When you get to the pulse generator do a 180 and face the doorway. Carefully back into the generator. As soon as you hear the explosion, run forward and out the exit. You’ll pass a few Sentinels on your way out. Fight them only if you feel like it. They usually won’t even follow you out. When you exit the platform, you’ll find the banshee fairy has left you a little gift while you were inside. Hop aboard this fresh vehicle and move down to the next nav point.

The next nav point will be a door on the land bridge below. On the land bridge will be a small wave of Covenant. Use your plasma bursts to send them flying. Be careful to avoid theirs, or you will find yourself flying. If you get down to one pip of red health on your banshee, either head back up to the platform above and swap for your slightly used model, or land the thing. Keep in mind, that the plasma cannons the Grunts drop will explode when they die, so stay clear. If you want to freshen up a bit, land your banshee on the pyramid and grab a powerup or some ammo from either the stash at the top of the spiral ramp or the health pack by the rocket launcher at the base. Enter into the doorway signified by the nav point when the bridge is clear.

A Grunt will pass in front of the doorway; when he gets about half way past, sneak up and smack him on the back if he doesn’t see you. Typically he’s carrying a plasma pistol. Swap your shotgun for the plasma pistol and creep toward the entrance to the central room. Hanging behind the block in front of the entrance, use grenades and overcharged plasma followed by pistol fire to take out as many units as you can. Once the Elites are gone, go back and get your shotgun again. Follow the outer hallway clockwise and take out the remaining group by the exit with grenades and gunfire. Several Jackals will be waiting in the room below. Toss one or two frag grenades down the exit ramp and charge in with your shotgun to take out the rest. Follow the bend around to a long hallway. Although it looks empty, there will be a large group of Covenant waiting in the alcoves on the right. Toss a grenade their way to flush them out. Go back to the large room you came from and swap a needler for your shotgun. Fire your needler willy-nilly down the long hallway. This should take out most, if not all, the forces ahead. Go back, get your shotgun and move forward.

Soon you will come to a short ramp leading upward. As you look up, you should see a large battle raging. While everyone is distracted, toss a grenade into the melee and let God sort ‘em out. Hang back in the doorway until the fighting stops and toss another grenade at the survivors. Charge in with the shotgun and finish them off. Turn around and look for a shotgun stash and a pair of health powerups. Grab one and move through the outer hallway clockwise. By the exit will be a large group of Covenant. Throw a few grenades and charge the rest with your shotgun. Exit through the door. A few enemies will emerge from the central room, but by that time you should be long gone. The covenant won’t follow you out.

The door ahead will open and you will find yourself on a familiar bridge. Now that the Flood has been released, however, you will be hard-pressed to find any sleeping Grunts. Several Jackals will be preoccupied fighting Flood across the chasm. Fill them with buckshot before they know what hit them. Immediately reload. A yellow sword Elite will see you and charge. Fire shell after shell at him while backing up until he drops. Move forward across the bridge, ignoring the Flood across the way until they hop over. Much of the Covenant resistance will be softened up by the Flood. You should be able to cross the bridge fairly easily with grenades and shotgun fire.

This next room will be not so easy. Poke your head through the doorway and head out toward the middle room. A group of Flood fighters will spot you and charge your position. Open fire with your pistol and when they get in range, throw a plasma grenade at the fighter who's leading the pack. Back into the doorway and duck behind the first corner with shotgun loaded and waiting. Use this corner as a choke point to cream the Flood as they funnel in to you. Toss a frag grenade around the corner if you get a large cluster together. When they stop coming, poke your head out again and move in. Proceed clockwise. Let the Spore forms pop on you or melee them; you don’t want to alert the others. At the exit you will meet up with a group of fighters. Use grenades and shotgun to clear the area. Around the next bend is another long hallway. An Elite will be there, but that’s about it. Blow him away and move on to the next room.

In this room, there will be a few Flood fighters to contend with, but that’s about it. Just keep yourself from getting surrounded and wail away with your shotgun. Avoid triggering too many at a time. Fight a manageable group before moving along to the next one. At the exit, you’ll find a health pack. Behind the exit door will be a swarm of spores, so make sure your shields are fully recharged before opening it. Blast a few shots at the cluster and let the rest pop. Let your shields recharge before opening the next door.

Your next area will be another bridge. A pair of Banshees will give you grief from the onset. Use your pistol from a distance; slap them with buckshot if they get close. Stay behind the initial barrier. Keep an eye out for a Flood Carrier or two that may try to attack while you’re thus engaged. Once they are gone, move forward. A pair of Flood Fighters will jump at you. Backpedal and take them out with your shotgun. Towards the middle of the bridge will be a few Fighters wielding rocket launchers. Stay behind cover, making sure that something is between you and them. Snipe them with your pistol, take out any companions they may have and move forward to the exit. Go down the elevator and out to the hallway ahead.

A few fighters will spring from the ceiling. Back up and blast them away. A few more will come to see what the commotion is about. Stay there and fill them with buckshot. Continue counterclockwise through the room. There will be little resistance. Continue to the exit and go outdoors into the snow.

See that Flipped Ghost in front of you? Go for it. Take a shot or two at the Elite ahead on your way. Once in, another Ghost will come and attack you on the right side of the structure. Move toward it and engage. Keep strafing and firing at him, eventually, you’ll bring him down. A Banshee will join the fray. Stay in the Ghost and spray plasma at him. Keep moving and keep an eye open for green plasma bursts. He usually fires one off as he starts a new pass. When he is gone, take the ramp down to the base of the structure next to you. At the base, there are two doorways. In one is a pair of health packs; in the other is a stash of ammo. Go ahead and load up. Swap your shotgun for the rocket launcher. Hop back in the Ghost and move up the ramp. At the top will be a small outpost of Covenant. Stay in the Ghost and stay back on the concrete landing pad. Strafe back and forth in that general area, taking out the Covenant nearby and avoiding the mortar fire from the Wraith. When the last enemy falls, you can either hop out and waste on the Wraith with your rocket launcher, or you can take the safer route and pummel it from afar with your Ghost. If you ever get to the point where your Ghost has one pip of health left in it, get out and swap it for the one below the structure. When the Wraith is vanquished, grab the Ghost in better condition and head towards the small cave below.

Drive between the pillars and open fire on the Jackals ahead. Hop out at the downed Warthog and stock up on stuff. Watch out for falling grenades! Get back in your Ghost and zip up the ramp to the top of the hill and open fire on the Grunts. When they are gone move forward to the clearing ahead.

Scoot your Ghost to the right and head toward the pair of Hunters. When you are right on top of them, hop out of the Ghost and pop them each in the soft tissue with your pistol. You should be getting fairly good at it by this point. Get back in the Ghost. Shortly, a Banshee will come swooping down to get you. Fire your double plasma cannons at it until you see him light up the sky. With those two nuisances out of the way, it’s time to commandeer another Banshee. Move to the right and climb out of your Ghost. Creep around the central pillar until you can see the small base guarding a pair of parked Banshees. Go for the easy target first. As soon as you see it, zoom in and snipe the Shade turret with your rocket launcher. If you can topple it, you can prevent any Covenant fighters from mounting it and reaming you. Having done this, climb back into your Ghost and slide out into the open field. A second Banshee will notice you and attack. Use your Ghost again to take out the Banshee. Be careful to keep out of the range of the Wraith guarding the entrance to the tunnel ahead. Back up in your Ghost and head around the right side of the pillar again. Flank the Wraith and open fire with your Ghost. Stay a good 50-80 feet away and pummel him with plasma. Strafe left and right to avoid getting shelled. Eventually the tank will explode. Scoot forward toward the ramp ahead. There should be a cluster of cornered grunts atop it, begging for mercy. Pull out your rocket launcher and send a payload at their center. As they fly in a variety of directions, run towards the point of impact and take the hill. As you creep forward, you will discover that you now have the advantage over the three Elites below. Launch a few rockets at their feet. When you’re done gloating, saunter over to a waiting Banshee and fly upward to the nav point. As you climb upward, a pair of Elites will notice you from the landing platform atop the pillar and take to a pair of Banshees. Have fun dogfighting. Top Gun Tip of the Day: get behind the enemy and shoot him. Oh, and keep your finger off the X button while flying or you’ll eject and your goose will be cooked. It’s dark out here, so watch for the contrails. Try to stay below the platform and fly around the midsection of the column, staying out of range of the gunners above. Once you have taken out both pilots, it’s time to take out the forces on the air base above. Fly just below the horizon of the plateau and pop up just long enough to fire a blast from your plasma cannon at one of the turrets. Dip back down and continue to circle the column while your cannon recharges. Peek back up, fire your cannon at another target and dip back down. Continue to do this until you have taken out all the Covenant fighters off the platform. If your Banshee begins to smoke, it’s time to swap it for the other one on the ground below. Once the air base is clear, concentrate a few bolts on the doorway marked by your nav point. When the area is secure, land your Banshee and head in through the door.

When you get inside, pull out your rocket launcher and run to the central room. At the far end a large group of Flood fighters will be engaging a small gaggle of Sentinels –but not for long. Without hesitation, launch two rockets through the room at the cluster and back up into the entryway. The survivors will charge you. Toss grenades in their path and fire your pistol. As soon as you can, swap the pistol for a shotgun. When you hold your position in the doorway, make sure you can easily duck for cover, because there are several SPNKr-wielding Flood Fighters with clumsy trigger fingers. When the area is secure, move forward. On the opposite end of the room will be a large group of Spores. Run around and eliminate them all or they will plague you when your shields drop off. Take a moment and collect all the ammo you can. When you are ready, switch to your rocket launcher and head towards the exit door. Keeping the doorway in front of you, back up slowly until you hit the pulse generator and your shields drop off. Immediately jam the stick forward and run toward the exit. As soon as you enter the outer hallway, scoot to your left and hone your SPNKr on the doorway. As soon as you see the door open, fire a rocket, banking a shot off the back wall of the entryway. Another group of Flood will charge from the right of the doorway. Back up counterclockwise down the outer hallway, tossing grenades on the floor like rose petals before a king. Be liberal with your rockets too, you’ll come across plenty of them around these parts. When all the flesh lies prone, scour the floor for goodies and mosey on out the exit.

A fresh Banshee will be waiting on the platform just outside the exit. Hop in, scoot off the dais and let your flyer drop to the ground. Hovering just above the ground like a Ghost, creep toward the cave entrance. A small battle will be ensuing on the slope below. Hang back at the cave entrance and start firing random blasts of plasma at anything that moves. Clear the immediate area as best you can. Cautiously scoot in and fire a shot or two at any survivors. When you get the chance, shoot off several cannon blasts at the clump of rocks on the right side of the base of the hill. There is a smug little Floody rocketman waiting to turn your banshee to scrap metal. If you stay back far enough, you can flush him out with cannon blasts before being in his range. Once you feel confident that you got him, hop out of your Banshee and walk down the slope. Just around the corner will be a small clump of smug little Floody rocketmen standing around waiting for you. As soon as you see where they are, squeeze the trigger and send ‘em flying. There should be a Ghost sitting nearby. At this point I would recommend that if you are low on shotgun shells that you swap your shotgun out for an assault rifle. Collect ammo and hop in. Move through the tunnel until you get to the malfunctioning door that only opens a crack. Scoot your Ghost in close and shoot anything that moves. A few Carrier forms will try to explode near you, so be careful and pop them before they pop you. Once you have cleared away everything you can while in a Ghost, ditch it and squeeze through the doorway into the large room.

Move forward to the bridge ahead. Although it looks clear from your point of view, you’re actually about to walk into an ambush. About a third of the way across, a swarm of Flood Spores will amass and charge, followed by six or more combat forms. Grenades and AR fire clears the path well. Just backpedal and don’t get surrounded. About two–thirds of the way across, the entire deck ahead will fill with Flood Fighters, some of which will fire rockets at you. Just stay back, giving yourself ample time to react and dodge while returning rockets in their direction. Mop up the stragglers with your gun. Replenish your ammo supply, take a health pack and open the exit door.

Make your way afoot through the large corridor until you hit snow. When you get to the point where the letterbox is triggered, you will also trigger a group of Flood that will engage the Covenant. Until the first shot is fired, though you will be the most interesting target for everyone. Hang back and keep an eye on the Banshee circling around in the sky. When you see it open fire on ground forces, make your way up to ground level. To your right, a small group of Flood will become interested in this latest development and hurl themselves into the melee. Hang back and enjoy the view. If you’re feeling particularly manly, you can join the mosh pit. Otherwise, hang back behind the first tree on your right and wait until there is a clear victor. More often than not, the Banshee will cease to be an issue. Move in for the kill and mop up all survivors. Grab one of the Ghosts sitting on the mound here and scoot to the next area. Another battle is going on at the next opening. Your Ghost will provide you with enough advantage that you can ream the enemy cluster without getting yourself surrounded. When the initial cluster is dead, hop out of your Ghost and look towards the shadow area across the frozen path. Three Fighters with Rockets will show up and open fire on you. Stay far back enough to dodge the rockets and volley a few of your own. To your left is a large cave opening with a massive supply of artillery. Head over there and swap your AR for a sniper rifle. Get back in the Ghost and move forward down the path. Eventually, you’ll come to a short ledge. On the far left side of the ledge is a small rock. With a little perseverance, you can slide to the rock, press the ‘A’ button to pull up the nose of your Ghost and get over the ledge.

In the next clearing ahead, there will be a huge mass of Covenant including two Wraiths, a pair of Hunters and five cloaked Elites. If you just jump into the fray, you won't survive. Your goal is to commandeer one of the two parked Banshees at the far end of the field. Your first goal should be to take out the Wraiths. Pull up to the large rock on the right. A group of Flood will emerge from behind the rock. Quickly back up to avoid becoming rocket fodder. Stay back and open fire on any Flood Fighters that decide you are more interesting than the Covenant. When the area is clear, park your Ghost behind the large rock and ready your rocket launcher. Fire a couple rounds at the Wraith closest to you. It’s important to attack them while there are still Flood around to draw their fire. Keep an eye on the other Wraith and make sure you stay clear of the mortar explosions. If you are detected by a Wraith, move behind the rock and pop out on the other side. When you can, fire a few more rockets across the clearing at the other tank and take him out. Hop back in your Ghost and harass the Covenant front lines. Fall back to the large icy area. A few invisible Elites will open fire on you. Trace their projectiles and blast away at their point of origin until you see an Elite drop. There are about five of them, so keep track. By this time the Hunters will have emerged into the clearing. Scoot forward and park your Ghost behind the rock again. Snipe the hunters if you can get a clear shot at their midsections; otherwise, concentrate on the Gold Elites. You only have a few shots, so make them count. Hop back in your Ghost and travel back to the cave with the massive stash. Swap your sniper rifle for the pistol. Use a medkit if you need to. Climb aboard the Ghost again and zip back to the enemy. Hang back a ways. If the turrets are still standing, zoom in and fire a rocket at them; you'll flip them over and make them inaccessible to the Covenant. Pull out your pistol and snipe away at the rest of the resistance. When their numbers are few, run forward, pistol a-blazin’, and take out the rest of the crew. If any Hunters are left, charge them head-on to make them stop firing their plasma cannons at you, and pop them up close with your pistol. When the field is quiet, swap out your pistol for a plasma pistol. Climb aboard one of the Banshees and fly towards the last waypoint.

If you need health, stop for a brief layover at the nearby treasure cove and grab a medkit. Fly your Banshee high above the waypoint. You’ll want to approach from high above. As you get close to your destination, you’ll find a small swarm of Sentinels guarding the entrance. Their energy weapons are very effective against Banshees, so try to take them out from high above or behind.

Finally, you will get to your last pulse generator. A few Sentinels will be guarding it, but charged plasma shots make quick work of them, Whenever you feel inclined to end the level, hop in the beam of light and get it over with. That’ll do, Chief. That’ll do.

Level 9

Level 9: Keyes

The penultimate level in Halo is a Flood-drenched test of your reflexes and stamina. It's not as if the Covenant have left you alone either. Your determination to rescue Captain Keyes will lead you through some intense combat situations, but if you keep the following guidelines in mind you'll make it to the end of the level in one piece.
    

          
      

Move forward and head to the first set of doors. As you move down the hallway, look through the grating on your right to see the shape of things to come. One of my favorite moments in the game is just past the doors ahead. As they open, you'll see a terror-stricken Grunt chased by an armless, headless Elite Flood warrior. To your left is a closet with some plasma grenades and an active camouflage powerup. Don’t pick up the cloaking just yet. Follow the grunt and his companion around the corner to a small fight where a group of Grunts are making their last heroic stand. Toss a grenade into their midst and mop up what's left. Scour the area for a shotgun (there should be one here) and swap it for your plasma pistol. Up ahead and to your left is a large, gaping hole in the floor of the Covenant cruiser you are aboard. Rather than waiting for the Flood to rush in behind you and force you to jump, take control of your own destiny. Run back to the active camo powerup, grab it, then sprint back to the hole and take the plunge to the surface below.

You will fall into an area with three pools of coolant and one pathway out. A group of Covenant will be duking it out with wave after wave of Flood. Since you are cloaked, you probably won’t be noticed. If you open fire to join the fray, you will be fired upon. Instead, toss a few grenades at strategic clusters of aliens and mop up the rest with your shotgun. The Flood will keep coming for a little while, but you’ll want to take them out here, rather than have them come from behind when you're facing another battle farther on. Once you've cleared the area, scrounge around for a pistol and swap it for your Assault rifle. Replenish your grenade supply and move out the only path exiting this area. You may want to turn on your flashlight. The flashlight proves invaluable during this level, so when you're taking a breather you may want to turn it off and let the battery recharge before moving on.

As you round the bend, you will come to a large opening, which is the site of another large skirmish. First, pull out your pistol (if you couldn’t find a pistol in the last area, a Needler will suffice) and snipe the two Flood warriors on the ledge up ahead from the comfort of your enclave. When they are gone, poke your nose out and huck a few grenades into the altercation off to your left. Often this will set off a chain reaction of grenades that will clear out a good number of hostiles. Mop up the rest with your shotgun, always remembering to keep moving and looking around. A few more Flood Fighters will pop up in the darnedest places, but if you stay alert you can wipe them out. The spores will keep coming so don’t try and eliminate them all. Scavenge around for any goodies you can stockpile and move up the path marked between the two portable plasma shields.

Just before you crest the hill, lob a grenade behind the rock at the top. There will be a small wave of Flood that will take the brunt of the grenade before they even see you. Reload your shotgun and move up to the crest of the hill and take out the rest. There may be some Spores in the area, so keep an eye on your shields and jump around to avoid getting leeched onto by one of them. Around the next bend, a small wave of kamikaze Carriers will practically plop right on top of you. Back up at the first sign of them. Take out their resulting Spores any which way you can and move forward to the next opening.

If you look down, you’ll see a large pool of coolant with Carriers emerging one after another like a team of Wights in a game of Desert Between your Ears. You may also notice the pair of Hunters taking the brunt of their attacks. At your feet is a sniper rifle. The sniper rifle is quite ineffective against the Flood; however, it provides you with a great way to eliminate the Hunters. Temporarily swap your pistol for the rifle and pop the two hunters when they expose their back. Behind the Hunters, under a stone bridge is a group of Elites and Grunts that now have to contend with the Carriers. Zoom in and take out as many Covenant as you can. When your rifle is out of ammo, go back and get your pistol. Head back to the opening and drop down. Use your pistol to drop any remaining carriers and swap to your shotgun if any fighters show up. Pick up grenades if you find them; there’s also a health pack on the ground here if you need it. Proceed forward, following the nav point that has appeared on your screen.

Around the bend, an unsuspecting group of Covenant is using a Shade to cover a strategic choke point in the path. Toss a grenade at the turret and take out the rest with your guns. Resist the urge to hop in the turret. It’s like not using your left thumbstick in a game of Slayer; you’re a stationary target. Several large waves of Flood will emerge from the bend in the path. Charge the choke point, using grenades and your shotgun to take them out before they can swarm you. When you get to a lull in the action, round the bend and move up the path. A few more fighters may come your way, but the shotgun should easily dispatch them. If you are low on shotgun shells, you may want to dig around for some now. When ready, move through the archway ahead and hop down from your ledge to the path below.

Around the bend will be another small skirmish with four flood fighters giving their compatriots aid from the cliffs above. Toss a grenade or two into the fray to clear the ground forces. Pick up the health pack if you need it. There’s another one just ahead as well. Scrounge around for a Needler and swap it for your pistol if you can. Send a volley of needles to the four snipers on the cliffs and watch them go kaboom. Retrieve your pistol and move forward.

In the clearing ahead, you will finally see the grav-lift. However, to access it, you need to go to the far end of the hill and get to it from there. The resistance will be great, but you don’t need to defeat everyone, you just need to get to the lift. Don’t dally around here. To the right of the hill is a pile of grenades and a super shield powerup. Nab it and back around the hill to the ramp base. Run up the ramp to the grav-lift tossing grenades to clear the Elites off the ledge. Grab the health pack and duck behind one of the porta-shields until the gravity lift kicks in. If you have incoming hostiles, you may want to peek out and toss a grenade or two at them.

Once aboard the Covenant ship, proceed through the open door ahead and around a few bends. Be wary of kamikaze carriers around each corner. At the top of the ramp, you’ll find a large open room. In the corner across the way you'll find a health kit and a super shield. Pop a few Carriers from above with your pistol. Walk off the ledge onto the Wraith below and run straight for the super shield. To your left is a doorway in the corner. Take a couple pot-shots at any fighters in the room, then move straight to the doorway and down the ramp. Don’t hang around in the storage room too long, or you’ll find a large group of reinforcements to keep you company. Keep your eyes open and watch your back. With shotgun loaded, toss a few grenades to clear the hall and come to a stop at the round hole in the floor. You are about to engage in some of the most insane shotgun action in the whole game. A few Flood carriers are waiting below. Toss a grenade or two down the opening to clear the area and jump down.

Several hallways will be blocked by flaming panels, so there’s really only one way to go. Head around the first corner, and come to a stop before the second corner. Around the bend will be a small but deadly group of Covenant. Poke your head around the corner and lob a plasma grenade into their midst. Peek around again and lob another at the survivors. Once you hear the explosion, charge in with your shotgun a-blazin’ and take out the rest. Around the next corner and down the slope will be another group of Covenant. Dispatch them like you did the last group, but be careful. If you get too close to them, you’ll trigger a group of Flood that will attack you from behind. When the Covenant are gone, you have no choice but to move on. As soon as you notice a clump of red spots appear behind you on your motion sensor, backtrack, peeking around corners. The group should be oblivious to you if you haven’t fired a shot since they appeared. Lob a grenade at them, back up, wait for the explosion, pop back around the corner and slap any remaining carriers with buckshot; the resulting explosion will take out anyone who’s left. Immediately reload and charge back down the ramp before another wave can spawn behind you, clearing a path with your shotgun. Keep charging down the hallway slope until it levels off at the docking bay.

Across from you will be no less than four Elites stationed around a turret and multiple porta-shields. Because there is so much cover, it’s practically impossible to snipe them all with your pistol with them all shooting at you. Your best bet is a needler. Backtrack through the door behind you and survey the carnage for a needler. Swap it for your pistol but keep track of where you drop it; you’ll want that pistol back. You may run into a few Flood stragglers here, but in small numbers; they won’t hold up against your shotgun. Just beware of Carriers in close quarters. Head back down the ramp and take cover behind the pillar facing the four Elites. When you have full shield strength, stick your needler out and send a volley of pink death in their general direction. Unload an entire clip before ducking back behind the pillar to let your shields regenerate. If you end up getting reamed, take advantage of the health pack next to you. The easiest targets are the ones that man the stationary gun. Concentrate on them first. Kill one and another will take his place and so on until they are all dead. Go back and get your pistol. Head back into the docking bay. Here’s where things get a bit hairy. Wave after wave of Flood and Covenant will come pouring out of the two open doors on this floor. Your best bet is to hold an Alamo position on the peninsula where you offed the Elites. With the 2 species fighting each other, take cover behind a purple pylon and have your shotgun ready. Occasionally you’ll be noticed and have to join the mayhem. When the fighting gets to a lull, make a break for the far door marked by your nav point and run in.

A group of Grunts and Flood will come scooting around the corner. Use grenades and shotgun fire to take them out. Don’t forget to watch your back; some of your pals from the firefight you just left may have noticed your absence and followed you. Proceed down the corridor, dispatching the small groups as before. At the top of the hallway, you should checkpoint before exiting into the top level of the bay.

To your right will be a small skirmish between Flood and Covenant. Huck a few grenades into the open doorway and saunter through the cleared passageway, hitting your nav point. Follow the passage through the ship, unobstructed.

THE CAPTAIN

Eventually, you’ll see a Grunt dart across your path; a flaming hallway with a medkit should be on your left. That Grunt, you soon discover, is actually part of a frantic battle taking place in the intersection ahead. Lob a grenade at them to help speed up the body count. When everything is dead, proceed into the intersection. To your left will be Flood. In front of you, Covenant will emerge. Back up to the niche where you saw the medkit and let the two mortal enemies duke it out for a bit. Toss a grenade and show them how mortal these enemies are. More waves (of each species) will come; keep lobbing grenades into the intersection to contribute in your own special way. When things slow down, move forward and turn left up into the large chamber, clearing out any stragglers. A medical kit will be on the floor to the right. Be careful not to touch it; you will need it later. Move up the ramp ahead to the undulating mass of bulbous tissue and say hello to an old friend.

After the cutscene ends, Flood forces will find their way in. The one escape route will have a wave of Spec Ops Elites and Grunts blocking the path. If you feel the need to mow through them, fine. If you want to take a smarter way out of the situation, you can use the Flood and Covenant to your advantage. As soon as the cutscene ends and you regain control of the Chief, run down the ramp towards the door you came in. Swipe left as soon as you trigger the door and run back to the small niche at the far end of the room. As the Covenant forces emerge from the door you just opened, the Flood forces should be entering the room. The two forces should clash, ignoring you, and whittling down their defenses to a manageable size. As long as you don’t alert them to your presence, you should be fine. When the fighting dies, charge in, give your shotgun a few blasts, run over the medkit and out the door.

Turn right to go back the way you came in and follow the corridor down. Before you reach the hangar bay, there will be a small group of Flood waiting in a landing below. Resist the temptation to blast them away. Give them a moment, and they will attack a small SpecOps group inside the hangar bay. Surviving this level is all about picking your fights and letting others do the dirty work. Follow them into the bay.

Clean up the rest with grenades and guns. As you enter the bay, a pair of Banshees will float in as well. On the center platform below, an Elite will start pelting you with plasma and in general giving you grief. A cornered rat on a small platform is always a great target for a needler, and there are plenty of those around. Swap your pistol for one, let your shields charge fully, then hop out from behind your cover and hold the trigger down until your clip expires. When you see the Elite fly through the air from the pink explosion of doom, fall back and let your shields fully recharge. Clear away as many of the forces below with pistol, needler, and grenades. You should at least take out 3 or more Elites from here before moving on. Step down onto the central platform, and take cover behind the two pylons on the right. When your shields are fully charged again, it's time to make your escape. The Banshees below are heavily guarded with a seemingly infinite amount of reinforcements, making it impossible to clear the area before commandeering your vehicle. Your best bet is to fall from above and take it without giving any warning. Slip around to the right of the pylons and fall on top of the banshee wing nearest you, jamming the ‘x’ button as you go. It may take a couple tries to get the timing right, but you'll save yourself grief in the long run. As soon as you have control of the vehicle, you'll be able to watch the ending cutscene and see yourself fly your way to freedom. Only one more level to go.
    
level 10
level 10: The Maw


      

So here you are, the last level of the game. Finish this and the glory shall be yours. You will soon be able to amaze and delight your friends with a UI map list filled with Covenant Elite skulls.

When we last left our hero, he had just commandeered a Banshee from an unsuspecting lot of alien warriors. As he flew away, his aircraft was pelted with bolts of plasma. We pick up with a failing, smoldering Banshee, barely able to make it to your destination: The Pillar of Autumn.
    

          
      

Upon entry, take a left down the hallway, and follow it to the right. At the end, there will be an unlocked door to the maintenance shaft, enter in and take an immediate left, then left again. From an opening in the floor, several spores will emerge. Melee them with the butt of your rifle and let the remainder that slip by pop on your shields. Down below, five Flood Carriers will have engaged a small group of sentinels. Clear the area under the ladder by tossing a frag grenade down the shaft. Hop down with your AR drawn and weed out the spores that remain.

Swap to your plasma rifle and open fire on the Sentinels at the other end of the room. Use the large girders for cover if your shields deplete. Swap back to your AR and move forward to the right. Up ahead, a group of Flood Warriors will be waiting just around the corner. As soon as you see their ambush position, toss a plasma grenade at one of them and back up. When the remainder of the group begins charging, hose them off with a barrage of bullets. Once this group is gone, you can begin the search for better weapons. You're looking for a pistol and a shotgun. Swap out the plasma rifle first, then the AR if you find both. Ahead and to the left, a closed door will get forced open by the Flood. Ready a grenade. As soon as the floodgates open, toss a grenade into the narrow hallway and follow up with shotgun fire. Move forward a bit to pick up any grenades that may have gotten dropped and back out in preparation for the next wave. Use the doorway for cover and pop out long enough to lob a grenade or shoot your boomstick, running in the corridor long enough to restock and back out again. As the waves of Flood diminish go ahead and walk in, scavenging amongst the debris for munitions. Proceed forward and it will checkpoint when the coast is clear. Ahead of you will be a closed door next to a flaming wall. Move forward and poke your head out the door.

A group of Flood will be giving a pair of Hunters a load of grief in the hallway. Toss a grenade in the melee and hop back into the hallway while they continue to duke it out. With fully recharged shields, it's now time to take out the Hunters. Pull out into the hallway with pistol drawn. Often one or both Hunters will be distracted with a Flood Fighter. Wait for the Hunter to take the upswing in a charge and pop him in the midsection. Take his companion out in like manner. When the hallway is clear, you should checkpoint. If you need one, there are two health kits in the alcove between the two cafeteria doors. Scrounge around in the hallway for a plasma pistol. If you don't find one, peek your head into the cafeteria and nab one off a dead grunt, swapping it for your shotgun. Occasionally, there's none to be found. Use grenades more liberally and charge a bit more aggressively if this is the case.

Step into the Cafeteria with your plasma pistol fully charged. Send a charged bolt at the Elite at the end of the room. Swap to your M6D and finish him off. Once you've cleared the room, a new wave of Covenant SpecOps fighters will come in. Be wary of your surroundings, if the floor is covered with grenades, one blast from a Grunt's plasma cannon can deal a wallop of damage. Take them out first. Sometimes their resulting explosion can take out a friend off his. Continue to use the plasma/human pistol combination to weed out the enemy, tossing grenades on occasion. Duck behind the vending machines if your shields go down. Since there are two entrances from the hallway, you can sometimes catch the Covies off guard by backing out and assaulting from the other doorway. When you have put them all down, go back out to the hallway and retrieve your shotgun in place of the plasma pistol. Pick up a health pack and head through the cafeteria and out the door to the left.

As you near the bridge, you'll see an Elite at the end of the hallway. Before he notices you, stick him with a plasma grenade and whip out your shotgun. With him gone, you then need to clear the bridge of Grunts. Since the fuel rod cannons self destruct when their owner dies, you can use that, and the tight quarters of the bridge, to your advantage. Hop around the corner and blast the first fuel rod carrying Grunt you can see and quickly hop back around the corner. When it detonates, peer around the wall again and take out the remaining Grunts. When the bridge is clear, head toward Cortana's old pedestal to trigger the next cutscene. After the movie plays, just leave the bridge. Don't waste your ammo on the sentinels…they won't follow you. You may have noticed a health pack on your way to the bridge. You'll pass by it again. Feel free to take it if you want to, you won't be back.

Exit to the left and reload your shotgun. Just around the next bend, a wave of Flood will pour into the intersection. Stay back and let them come to you, using the corner as a choke point and take them out with your shotgun one at a time. Turn right and go through the empty armory. Up ahead, you can peer through the windows in the closed doors at the other end of the room and watch what happens when Flood Fighters take on Hunters. It will be a short battle, and if you get close enough to the door, you may end up triggering the door open and a Flood Warrior or two may swing in to check you out. Once the fighting has stopped, peer out of the doorway. You should see a pair of Hunters to the right. If any Elites have survived, they'll be with them. Throw a plasma grenade at any survivors, and a chain reaction of grenades should take them out in that enclosed corridor. Show yourself again, using the portable barricade for a shield. Pull out your pistol and coax the Hunter into charging. When he does, unload your bullets into his belly. Do the same with his partner. Back in the alcove is a health kit. Exit the hall through the doorway across from you. The hallway zig-zags and takes you to a hallway with a spore-sentinel battle taking place. Stick a plasma grenade to a Sentinel to take him out and shatter the leftovers with a shotgun. If you can find a plasma weapon sitting around, swap it for one of your guns temporarily. To your left, you'll find the jammed door you had to duck under at the very beginning of the game. Arouse the attention of the spores and take them out as they come at you. Duck under the door and peek down the hallway.

A small flock of sentinels will be waiting down the hall. Toss a plasma grenade at one and follow up with plasma fire. When they're gone, go back and get the gun you dropped and continue forward. If you need health, you can find some if you hop over the pipes to your left. As you move forward, you'll come to the Cryo bay. A Sentinel-Flood battle will be taking place. As always, the easiest way to handle the situation is to wait until one side is victorious before mopping up the survivors. If you want to just join the fray, I would recommend entering the bay from the far door. Use your shotgun to mow past the Flood fighters on the floor. Don't concern yourself with the Flood above you on the catwalk, it's best to take them out once you get on their level. Run to the back of the Cryo Bay and head up the ladder. Move along the catwalk to the technician's roost. At the entrance, a group of sentinels will be clumped together. And what is the best way to handle a clump of slow moving enemies in tight quarters? That's right kids, a grenade! Take out the Sentinels with a grenade and shotgun fire. There will be a health pack on the floor near the opening to this room, but don't take it unless you can actually feel the reaper's breath on the back of your neck, as the next wave of Flood is some of the most relentless in the game. If you didn't take the health pack from the aforementioned pipe jump alcove, keep in mind that going back for it at this point will just trigger more Flood to spawn near you, and you'll have to fight them to get back to this point.

To the left of the technician roost, the hallway will begin filling with wave after wave of Flood. Use the doorway for cover and begin opening fire on the Flood as they push forward. Concentrate your fire on the Carriers to maximize the effectiveness of your gunfire. Always target the one in front, so you aren't shooting enemies toward you. If no Carrier is present, but the hallway is full, use a grenade. If a rocket launcher gets tossed your way, trade it for the pistol, fire it twice and switch back before your pistol gets blown through the window. Between waves, run into the hall a ways and pick up ammo when you can. When the smoke settles, cautiously move forward. Directly ahead, more Flood will come from the doorway across the hall. Get into the hallway and step to the right. Use the doorway as a choke point and cover. As soon as they pop into view, blast them. When they stop coming, enter the doorway and comb the floor for ammo. A triple-shield will be available. Once you get it, take care that you don't allow the Flood spores to waste it away.

Go down the hallway and take a left into a maintenance tunnel. Blow away or melee the Flood spores when you enter. Take a right, a left, then a right. Directly ahead, a Grunt will run past you in front of an open doorway. Follow him to the left and take him out. At the end of this tunnel there is another exit to into a closed off hallway. There's not much here except a few plasma grenades and some Covenant weapons. Take what you need and head back, retracing your steps to the intersection where the grunt crossed. Straight forward is a health pack and some frag grenades. To the left is a Sentinel-Flood-Hunter battle taking place in the hallway. Draw your pistol.

With luck, a Hunter will cross in front of you, allowing you to shoot his soft spot from the side. Miss, and he'll follow you into the tunnel. Pop ‘im in the tummy when he stretches to strike. There are two doors that exit the maintenance shaft into the main hallway. Use these as cover, peering out and firing, hopping back to let your shields recharge. If it gets too hot in front of one, back up and cross over to the other exit and fire from there. Concentrate on the Hunters and their Elite buddies. Sentinels will help you take their shields down, making them easy pistol fodder. Once the Hunters are gone, the situation becomes a little more manageable. Throw some grenades into areas where the most action is happening, following up with shotgun fire and backing up into the tunnel to allow your shields to recharge. A few Carriers and their buddies will enter by the Sentinels to help you out with them. Avoid catching a crossfire by taking out the remaining Covenant to the right. Without any other distractions, waves of Flood will begin to charge you from the left. Be persistent and make good use of cover until the threat subsides. At the other end of the hallway, you should see two red arrows on the floor. Note this intersection, you'll be back. Follow the arrows to the armory, that's your next destination.

When you enter the armory, immediately swap your pistol for a rocket launcher and turn on your flashlight. At the other end of the room, you will be greeted by some new friends –cloaked Flood (which will be easier to see with your light on). As soon as you see the door open on the other end, fire a rocket into the doorway. Quickly reload. If you don't see anyone ahead of you, cross over to the other side of the room and watch. Eventually, a few more Flood will enter. Watch your motion tracker to avoid being caught from behind and be generous with your rockets, they are in abundant supply. If the fighting gets too close, swap to your shotgun and blow them away. Shortly, the smoke will clear and you'll have the room to yourself. Consider it an ordnance-filled haven of rocket launcher lovin'. Reload your weapons, stock up if you made room for more, and head back to the intersection with the two red arrows. This time, you'll want to follow the arrows that lead to engineering.

Light fuse, run away.

When the hallway comes to a "T" turn right, then left, and through the door. The large, open, engineering room presents one of the largest challenges in this level. Your goal is to follow the ramps and hallways up to the third floor, flip a switch to open the vent shaft, and then frog blast the vent core with a rocket or grenade. Sounds straightforward enough, however, you need to do it four times. Yikes. Alright, then, let's do it. As soon as you enter, pull out your shotgun and take a right and head up the first ramp. There will be health kits on the terminals in the center of this platform, and more across the room on the other side, making a total of eight in this room. That should be more than adequate. Graze one on your way past if you need it, and enter the door on the far end of this level marked "Level 2". On your way up the ramp, you'll notice several dots behind you on your radar, pay them little heed. You are a man on a mission to get to the 3rd floor. The trick to getting through these hallways is to press the attack. If you fall back every time you get charged, more and more Flood will emerge from around the corner ahead. Flood will not spawn if you are in view of their spawn points, so keep moving forward, backing up only to dodge a Carrier suicide or a tossed grenade of yours. With luck, you can get to the platform at the top with only a few shotgun blasts and some grenades. Save your rockets for the exhaust vents. After you get to the second floor, turn to the left and go into the door marked with "Level 3" on an arrow. Go up and around the hallway. When you get to the last bend, a ramp going up to the 3rd floor will be heavily guarded. Throw a grenade or two into the confines of the entryway and charge up the ramp after the explosion and out the door to the 3rd level before more Flood can spawn.

Turn to your right and flip the switch at the first terminal. The manifold directly in front of you will begin retracting. Immediately hop on it and turn around. As it pulls back, the first vent will be exposed. Fire a rocket or two into the core and watch it explode. You'll know you did it right if the manifold shifts direction and moves back toward the platform you came from. Your rocket launcher should be reloaded before you ever push the retraction button. You don't want to be a sitting duck on the manifold longer than you need to, and if your first rocket doesn't take, you don't want to be standing there reloading while Sentinels are busy zapping you to death. The jump back to the platform is just barely too high to make with a mere press of the jump button. However, if you squat when your jump reaches the peak of its arc, it tucks your legs up just enough to make it back to the platform without having to backtrack your way up to the 3rd floor. A few Sentinels will emerge and tick away at your shields. Quickly head back to the nearest doorway and allow your shields to recharge. Watch your motion sensor for nearby enemies that may pop through at any given time. When you are recharged, head out and flip the switch on the next terminal down. Same drill, hop on, shoot, hop-squat back up, and recharge in the nearest doorway. Repeat this process one more time, this time hopping down to the second floor instead of back up once you destroy the core. After you destroy the fourth core, the door to the armory will lock, so let's go stock up again and grab some health. From the second floor, jump down to the upper platform on the first floor (grab a health kit if you need one) and then proceed down the ramp and out the exit.

Follow the hallway to the "T" with the two terminals and flashy red lights, and turn to head back to the armory. Follow the arrows to the armory, stock up, and come back to the "T" intersection. Take a right again (it's easier to get to the third floor if you take the right entrance instead of the left). Follow and fight your way back to the 3rd floor like you did earlier. If the last terminal is on the other side, cross through the flaming center passage and blast away any foes that stand in your way. Reload your rocket launcher if you don't have two equipped already, push the button, hop on the manifold, wait for the core to expose, and fire away. Resist the urge to run to the exit at this time, just duck into the nearest doorway to let your shields recharge. Cortana will shortly display the exit to the elevator in a nav point. Haul butt to the nav point and, subsequently, out the exit, bidding the engine room adieu.

Pull out your rocket launcher and reload. A small, but lethal group of Covenant will be on the elevator platform as it comes down. Fire two rockets at the floor in the center of the group to take them out before they have a chance to open fire on you. Hop on the elevator and reload your weapons as you ride it to the top. At the top, you should checkpoint.

Warning: Hitchhikers may be escaping convicts

Well here you are, at the last sequence of the game. The final warthog run is essentially the same on legendary as it is on other difficulties. The main difference, however, is that your timer is shorter (5 minutes) and you take more enemy fire –but it's rarely fatal. On legendary, you have the luxury of taking maybe three spills before your race is a lost cause. The trick is to just keep going forward without getting caught up somewhere for any length of time. That's why I would discourage yielding to the urge to take the shortcut tunnels. By the time you slow down, right yourself, get hung up on the corner, correct your Hog and finally accelerate through the cutoff, you may as well have just kept going along the arterial route. The most common reason for taking a spill on the Maw run is landing a jump on a downhill ramp and flipping your vehicle. The trick to avoiding these spills is to keep your accelerator stick forward at all times. The Warthog is a 4 wheel drive vehicle, and the front wheels will help pull you out of a nose dive. The same is true for a sideways landing. Correct your wheels to point in the direction you wish to go, and jam forward on the accelerator allowing the front wheels to pull yourself out of trouble. The last tip before we get started is to avoid any large bumps on only one side of your warthog. There is no better way to flip your vehicle than to hit a raised side with your left wheel at the end of a ramp. With all that considered, let's go!

As soon as you get off the elevator, take an immediate right and another quick right, go under the support structure to get to the first Hog to the right. There will be a health kit next to the door and you will invariably pick it up on your way into the driver's side. In one smooth motion, hop in the car, move forward and in an "S" pattern, overcorrect and slide out the opening at a slight forward angle. Avoid the wreck on the right and steer clear of any live grenades on the floor or fallen fuel rod guns. Gun it up the hill and back down. Plow through the Carriers and stay centered. Follow through the tunnel and steer left on your way back up. There will be an obstacle in your path. Steer around the left and turn back to the center of the room and head up the ramp. Go full throttle and you should make all the jumps across the top. Keep jamming the accelerator and go straight. You will go through a series of ramps and holes that all lead to the same place. Eventually you'll come to a series of "S" curves. Through these curves, there are pillars in the center that you need to go around. Alternating sides, there are a series of small ramps to the sides of these pillars. When you see your first central pillar, steer to the flat side and as you slalom through these curves, you will have a much more stable drive. As soon as the first "S" curves open up into the next large room, you'll need to pick a side to turn your warthog as there is no quick path through the center. Hug the edge of the room and follow along the side wall, being careful to avoid bumps that can send your tire in the air and flip your Hog. From here, it's another straight shot for a ways. Eventually, you'll get to a ramp that leads to a platform with a squad of fuel rod wielding Grunts. Don't try and jump to the platform and run them over, you won't make it. Take the ramp a little slower and jog to the side when you crest so you can drive around the base of the platform. From here you can try to hug the wall to get through this room, I prefer to slalom through the middle. At the end of this room is a ramp that a Covenant dropship will hover over. Gun it up the ramp and pass under the dropship. Keep pressing forward, we're getting there. Shortly, you'll drop to a lower level where Cortana will ask you to stop for Foe Hammer. If you've played through on an easier difficulty, you already know she's doomed, just keep going rather than waste valuable time shooting at Banshees.

Keep going forward, steering to the sides to avoid central pillars, avoiding the sides with the speed bumps. Up ahead is a huge drop. The Warthog has a maximum speed that levels off pretty quickly. You don't need much of a head start to get up to top speed. Go off the ramp, fall into the tunnel below and up the next ramp to jump the short gap. Keep going straight and in a moment you'll land in front of a stack of barrels that impede your progress as a driver. Hop out and open fire with your SPNKr on anything that looks like it will get in your way. Watch your radar for anyone that may attack from behind. Keep running forward to the fighter at the top of the ramp ahead and trigger the cutscene.

Wait! Don't walk away! There's a short scene you haven't seen when you've beaten the game on previous levels. You'll see a tug of war happening between an Elite and Sergeant Johnson.

"But wait." You say, "I saw Sgt. Johnson die twice now already. What's up with that?"

Well, think of Sgt. Johnson as being like Kenny from South Park. No matter how many times he dies he'll always come back. Why? Well, it's complicated. Suffice it to say that even nuclear explosions can't keep a good man down.

Congratulations, soldier. Songs will be written about you and campfire stories of your exploits shall be passed down from generation to generation. You are now the stuff of legend.