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Subject: Tactics and tips for Halo PC multiplayer
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But first…

DISCLAMER!!!

While this an official Bungie.net site, this is a player written post and so the sole view of the person who wrote it. It is in no way official. I don’t speak for Bungie, Gearbox, Microsoft or Gamespy. Nor are they endorsing the views or tactics of this thread by allowing it to be posted. I just thought you new players might like a little help. It stays on this post at their mercy.


Okay kiddies; let’s get started. There’s a lot of stuff running around the forums about tactics, but no clear description of how to fight and survive in the bloodbath that is Halo PC multiplayer. For the uninitiated, I thought a guide might help you start taking names and kicking butt. Primarily, this post is to help you with specific tactics on specific maps, but I’ll have to talk a about the weps and vehicles to wet your taste buds.

And yeah; when you scroll down, those first ones are all me. But not to worry; you don’t have to try to read this in one lump sum. Just scroll down to the map you’re interested in owning and read away.

Now I’d like to talk about those weapons…

First up, a personal favorite

The Pistol: Typically two shots to take out the shields and a third in the head. You’re done, and so is your opponent. The pistol is by far the most balanced weapon in the game when it comes to accuracy, ammo, and range. If you can learn to become proficient with this little monster, you can hold your own against just about anything. When firing any weapon its best to tap the trigger button on your mouse instead of holding it down. This improves the accuracy of your shots. As with all human weapons, the pistols are best used on unshielded opposition.

It doesn’t matter what game type I’m playing, I always try to get my hands on the pistol.

The Shotgun: Your first impulse on picking up a shotgun is “YES! So many little balls of hot lead streaking out the other end, there’s no WAY I can miss!”

WRONG!

In some ways, the shotgun is even more of a precision weapon than the pistol. Used effectively, it’s a one hit kill. Aim (or lead and aim; more on leading later) for the head at close range, preferably right in their face. They go down, they stay down. Ultimately, the better you center your target with any weapon, the more damage you inflict on your opponent. At medium range, the shotgun is still a mean little mother, but less effective than the pistols. A trick you’ll often see shotgun pros use is “the finisher”. Charging their target at close range they fire and melee, which all but guaranties a kill.

The MA5B: Trusty machine gun; what would we do without you? The most rounds of any weapon, most people today shun the MA5B as outmoded to the pace of Halo PC multiplayer. But she does have her uses. The trick is to fire in short bursts to preserve accuracy. Don’t hold down the trigger unless you’re fighting point blank, otherwise three bullets in four will probably miss your target. Best at close range, good at medium range.

The Sniper Rifle: Longest range and most accuracy of any weapon in the game; one shot kill with a headshot. What’s not to love? Well, you have to aim the dang thing for starters. If you’re reading this guide, then this weapon is probably the last one you pick up and the first one you drool to use. Fear not, Minus has the secrets to making you kick butt, even with this beast:

A side note: Leading Your Shots: Leading your shots is what it sounds like: point your weapon at a point in the “air” ahead of the target you want to hit. If they are running to your right, respectively, you want to aim a little far right of the target to hit them.

Unlike Halo PC campaign, there is no assist in leading/aiming your shots. In fact, the distance between you and the target has an effect on just how much you should lead your shot. The further away, the longer a “lead” you have to give for your bullet to hit the mark.

Not all servers are created equal though. Bad ping for you or your opponent can really mess up your aim. Ping is where most of the “WTH? I hit you!” complaints come from in the chat text. Leading is something of an art among the more advanced players. If both players are of equal skill, it usually comes down to a question of who gets the drop on who, luck or ping when determining the whiner…and the winner too.

That’s why you keep missing your target buddy. Just because the target reticule reads red when you pull the trigger, it doesn’t follow that the guy on the other end will fall down go boom (unless he does the courtesy of standing still for you). Ok, enough about that. back to the goodies:

A lot of people use the sniper to spawn kill. I’m personally against that (waste of ammo). The sniper is best used in a rearguard position, protecting your allies from heavy weps and taking out enemy vehicles from a safe distance. Great suppression weapon for bottlenecks (i.e. tunnels and teles).

The Rocket Launcher: Boom. BIG boom. Pros? See previous statement. The most powerful handheld weapon in the game per round fired. Cons? Ten shots max with a full load, two shots per clip, slow speed for rounds fired from the tube and a wicked reload time if you’re under fire. Aim for the feet of your opponent (remembering to lead). Best used for vehicle suppression and taking out small clusters of troops. Short to medium range preferred. The rounds will keep going until they hit something, but chances are what you’re aiming at won’t be there if you fire from standoff ranges.

Flamethrower: The ultimate human type room suppression weapon in my opinion. This monster packs a punch that leaves your shields and life falling long after the initial blast. It’s not uncommon to be killed while wielding one of these and have no kills, then reach Killtacular! Status by the time you respawn. Con; they are the only human weapon to overheat; be careful not to get caught in your own fire.

Plasma Pistol: In campaign, there’s no equal (in my humble opinion) to the plasma pistol. In multiplayer, it lacks some of its polish, but is still a wonderful shield buster. The charged shot can still take out enemy shields with one hit (yes, even overshield). Switch to human pistol and say g’bye. A lot of people call this a “noob” tactic. I call it a “Ha! You just got smacked down by a NOOB tactic!” Tapping the button creates a string of green death few people willingly walk through. Great for suppression fire at medium to short range. As with all plasma weapons, they are best for shielded opposition.

Plasma Rifle: Greater rate of fire than the plasma pistol equals more rounds missing your opponent. As with the MA5B, tap the trigger, releasing short bursts until you’re at close range. Biggest con: it overheats. Fast. Medium to short range preferred.


Another side note: the twitchy Masterchief in your target reticule is no illusion. When hit by one of these two weapons, players “twitch” or slow down, unable to outrun you or turn and fight back with the normal speed of movement. Great if your target has the flag and expected a quick jog back to base…great for you that is…

Needler: With six needles in them, it’s like dropping a weak plasma grenade onto your opponents head. The more needles you hit them with the greater the explosion. They go boom and die. Add to that, it is the only weapon in Halo PC multiplayer whose shots track the target. Great weapon right? It has drawbacks.
1.Slow round speed makes needles easy to dodge.
2.See 1.
3.See 1 and 2.
4.Slowest melee of all the weapons; even the rocket launcher packs a quicker punch. Dirty trick for needlers is to point at an AFK (Away From Keyboard) player in a cluster of the enemy and unload the entire clip. It’s like dropping a plasma right in the center, but only if everyone stays near their AFK friend.

Fuel Rod: A smaller boom than the rocket offset with better reload times, an arcing shot that automatically aims towards the targets feet. If the opposition gets a hold of several of these little beauties and charges your base there is one strategy I find works well: curl up in a corner of your base and start calling them Fuel noobs until they run out of ammo or take pity on you and switch back to their secondary. Just Kidding; but the fuel rod is the second most balanced weapon of the game when it comes to damage to ammo ratios and reload (or in the fuel rods case recharge) speed. Not as effective at stand off ranges as a lot of people seem to think, best used on vehicles and base suppression. A single fuel rod can hold down a base with four people in it for a quite a while. In bottlenecks, its only rival is the rocket launcher. Switch to pistols and take on a fuel rod at long range, or snipe them.

Frag grenades: these little brown beauties can do some serious damage in the right hands, and cause a world of hurt to your team in the wrong ones. It’s hard to tell if the frag has power equal to or slightly less than the rocket, but I digress. The old tunnel bounce trick you learned in campaign to take out grunts still works on other players. If you get the drop on someone, throw one of these their way and finish them off with pistols for a quick kill. Just don’t go crazy with the throwing the things, okay? Most betrayals are grenade related fatalities; don’t let this happen to you or because of you!

Plasma grenade: stick it to your opponent and watch them fly. The plasma nade is weaker than its frag cousin, but guaranties a one hit surprise kill when you get your throw down pat. Gives new meaning to “stick it to the man”.



[Edited on 8/9/2005]

  • 08.04.2005 3:52 PM PDT
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Another side note: Dodging You can dodge bullets in Halo, to a degree. While the space bar helps you scale those pesky steps in Sidewinder, it also makes you a more difficult target to hit. Add to that (and you better or you’re road kill) the “A” and “D” buttons aren’t there for show. Learn to keep your movement erratic while keeping your opponent in your sights. On the Xbox people would role the movement stick around in a circle to present a more difficult target to sharpshooters. Halo PC gives you greater options. Just push the button and that’s where you go. It takes practice to become truly erratic in your dodging, but you die a lot less.

Next up; vehicles:

One more side note (yeah, these are getting annoying aren’t they?): Vehicles are not your mom’s Ford Pinto and Halo PC is not a trip to the grocery store. The more vehicles you take away from a base, the more you give your opposition when you die (and if you’re driving around the map like Grandpa on a Sunday cruise, you will die). Don’t use vehicles to jump from one point in a map to another; that’s what the Gods of Halo gave Masterchief feet (and teleporters) for. That said, if the flag bearer needs a lift and you’re the first to respawn “GoGoGO!” It’s a judgment call; just don’t hurt the team in your rush to help them, okay?

The machine gun warthog: Good speed and maneuverability balanced by the annoying fact that they tend to roll over. My trick, when the warthog is going to flip, turn your wheels (your point of view) toward the ground it’s rolling to and let off the gas a second, then burst “W” a couple of times and it should right itself (Gunners, I don’t really know if this helps, but if Bungie did it right, it should. Aim the weapon skyward, perpendicular to the skid; the weight shifting might help your driver right himself). It’s like turning into a skid and pushing down on the antilock breaks; chances are (higher) that you’ll avoid that unsightly rollover. Also, when jumping from a cliff or precipice, look behind you as you take off. The warthog will enter a skidding spin and somehow keep itself level (works for ghosts and (to a degree) TANKS too!). Useful trick if you’re jumping from the top of Death Island onto the beach below.

That machine gun never runs out of ammo does it? Use that to your advantage. Suitable for base defense and attack, the M-warthog is a smooth offensive balance that should be a welcome addition to any outdoor map. Best served in passenger transport roles in larger maps on CTF games and King of the Hill. Circle the enemies’ base, using those tires as a weapon while the machine gunner picks off stragglers, or park it near your own base and wait for the unlucky opponent to wander into view. As with all weapons, the machine gun is more accurate if you tap the trigger rather than hold it down, but not much.

A lot of people like to joke that the main role of the passenger is to take the rocket hit for the driver and thus salvage the vehicle. You actually have a different role to play. In games like CTF, oddball and King of the Hill (teams, of course) your biggest responsibility is to charge the base and get the flag, sit on the “hill” while the warthog protects you, or grab that oddball and RUN! It’s not the driver’s job to do this, and he should know better. A stationary warthog with a gunner is an easy target for a pistol fighter or a nade. A moving warthog chases down said pistol fighter and turns him into street pizza. In slayer? I hope your driver had the sense to make a pit stop near a fuel rod or rocket for you because its jump-off-and-go-to-war time buddy. Two targets do more damage than one.

Rocket hog: Greater offensive power than its M-warthog cousin is offset by even greater instability and an insane rollover ratio. She flips. A lot. On the bright side: Boom. Three BIG booms! A slow reload time for the rocket hog can be compensated for by a good driver. Keep an eye on the gunner and count. When he runs out of ammo, pull back for a count of five and turn around. By then, the weapon should be reloaded and ready to dish out more unfriendly fire!

Best accuracy is found when used at closer ranges. Gunners should take care not to flip their own hog with the blast of their shot. The trick I use to measure is this: if the target is within one warthog length of the vehicle or a teammate, it’s a bad shot. If he’s that close, wait to fire.

Tanks: I’m going to get in trouble with some of the other seasoned players on this one.

Tanks are a long range artillery weapon, just like tanks in the real world. While they are most accurate at medium ranges, these medium ranges should be as Loooooooong as possible without compromising the vehicles safety. This is definitely not a weapon you want your opposition getting his hands on; especially if it’s your teams. The round is like an all powerful sniper bullet without the aide of the scope. It takes little time to travel from one side of a map to another, but still people insist on using those treads like a warthog. The problem with this “strategy’ is that the tank is the most susceptible to nade attacks as opposed to any other vehicle. The rounds are fast, the machine is slow.

My suggestion: keep tanks close enough to your respawn points and teleporters so you have a chance of salvaging the vehicle if the worst should happen. Once map control is established, then you can begin moving them forward with the rest of the offensive and spawn kill the snot out of everyone. A good tank driver doesn’t have to sit on top of his target to hit it; if you do, don’t get in one.

When you’re firing at longer ranges you should try to aim a little above your target. Your view gives you a different impression of where the round is actually going to go. That’s why when you fire at a tank from the other side of Blood Gulch you end up hitting a nearby hill. Or that hill might just be in the way of your shot anyhow, and while you have line of sight, your weapon is actually blocked. Don’t get discouraged; as long as you keep the tank near your base, you’ll have plenty of chances to practice!

A common trick for protecting a tank is to turn it around and fire “backward” toward the enemy. This is best used when your tank is behind a hill or the ground in front is in some way elevated between you and your attacker, like a trench. Also, remember to hold down that right mouse button. That machine gun the Scorpion is equipped with may not be the most accurate thing in the world, but it beats spit wads (barely).

While the ghost was once the natural enemy of the tank, that role has been supplanted by the banshee. Usually, people use tanks to fight shees, and shees to take on tanks.

Ghosts: Nimble and vicious, the ghost is a personal favorite of mine; a holdover from my Xbox day. Twin mounted plasma cannons anchor your target in place, giving you ample time to turn around and run them over. While not as fast as the banshee, the ghost can cover ground quickly and go places no other vehicle could even dream. Tap back on the “S” button to raise the front of the ghost when scaling or under fire (works well against snipers; I’ve been accused of cheating several times for using this old standby). This gives you the advantage of that wide front end, effectively creating a shield while you recharge. It also assists in scaling the afore mentioned impossible areas for vehicles. The greatest adversary of the ghost is the nade and rocket. If the vehicle is flipped by one of these; well, I hope you’ve been practicing you’re pistols and he wasn’t camped too nearby…

Banshee: the most used vehicle in any game it exists in, the banshee is the only aerial attack vehicle in the game. And by proxy, often the most misused. If you’re looking to rack up kills, get in a ghost or a tank; the shee is not for you.

Primarily, the banshee should be used in an exit suppression strategy and fast attack posture. Strafe (or swipe) at your enemy; don’t turn around over his head and try to dive bomb him. Seasoned players will unload their pistols on you until you get close and then whip out a shotty to finish you off. Your shields are your best friend in the banshee. Make sure you keep them charged.

When I say exit suppression, I’m touching a sore point with a lot of people. But it’s a tactic that works and the better players employ them (whether they admit it or not). A banshee camping a telepoter will keep that exit closed to your opposition, and open for your team. You see this a lot on Death Island, but somehow it’s never been properly transitioned to places like Danger Canyon and Gephyrophobia (more on this when I explain the levels).

Either way, the shee is and will continue to be best in camping roles and strafes. Their high speed and maneuverability lets them get to the enemy base first. Focus shifts to them, instead of the tanks and rocket hogs creeping their way toward the enemy base (hint hint).

The greatest threat (besides a tank or a good M-warthog gunner) to a shee is misuse. Don’t try to use them like an airborne ghost. They’re just too fragile.



[Edited on 8/4/2005]

  • 08.04.2005 3:53 PM PDT
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(Yep. It’s that time again) Side note: On dog fighting: play a couple of flight sims folks; learn the fundamentals.

While the banshee is by far the most unusual aerial vehicle I have ever controlled, basic flight rules still apply in a dogfight. The shee with the tightest turn invariably wins. This does not mean you should jam the “stick” into a hard right and whirl around each other for half an hour though. Speed is a factor in a dog fight. The banshee has the ability to both hover…and fall. Use these to your advantage. One example: try to lure your opponent into a spin. Then hit “S” hard to hover and track him with those nasty plasma cannons and (if you’re good) a fuel rod to the tail. Then go for your fastest breakaway: straight down. Let go of all movement controls save your mouse, turn your nose down and hit the gas (“W”). You can then turn that shee back into a hard right to grab some air and finish the job. Learn to fly and you will quickly earn the in game appellation “shee noob”.

And now, the maps.

I’ll be listing weapons, vehicles and power-ups in their order of importance to controlling the maps and how to use them to really kick some butt. I won’t be talking about all the different modded map types, but the standard all vehicle/all weapons type of maps you’re likely to find.

(ONE LAST) Side note: When picking up a specific weapon you are in a sense declaring to yourself and your team that “I’m taking this gun’s/vehicle’s job.” Don’t grab the sniper rifle just to have something until you get to a rocket launcher. These weapons and vehicles have a purpose and a role to fulfill. If you don’t want the job, don’t grab the goody. That being said, be dynamic. If something doesn’t work, don’t come grousing to me or (worse) blame your teammates. Try new things and find what works for you and the people you play with.

Battle Creek

Rocket/Fuel rod

Camo

OS

Nades

Shotgun

Flamethrower

Plasma

Battle Creek is one of the smaller, more confined maps when playing multiplayer.

Rockets and Fuel rods should be camped on top of a base; preferably yours. Getting on top can be done by jumping from one of the steps on the sides of your base (either a brown rock or a grey wall). You’ve probably tried this before but couldn’t make it all the way up. Well, here’s the trick:

To get on top of the base you’ll need to crouch jump (jump and hit *ctrl*) onto one of these steps. Crouch jump again and you’re up there.

Beware though, if your team neglects OS and camo, you’re liable to get meleed to the back of the head by someone who then takes your Rocket/Fuel and begins administering payback. This happens more often with camo, but OS can help your attacker survive that first defensive shot of yours and at least put you in a world of hurt with a couple of nades and a pistol barrage.

Battle Creek’s tight spaced feel inside the bases is a perfect home for the flamethrower and shotgun, giving your target nowhere to dodge to. Nades are a must on an assault. If they try to outrun you, the plasma weapon slows then down for a quick melee to the back of the head.

Since most of Battle Creek's action is in the bases, the sniper is less effective than in more open places. In fact, it’s often more effective to just swap out to pistol if you want to snipe someone. But the sniper is still a good exit suppression weapon. Camp on the cliff where you find it (it’s usually at the top of the ladder in the middle of the map) and keep an eye on those pesky exits for your team.

Sidewinder

Ghost

Fuel rod

Sniper

Rocket

Rocket Hog

OS=Camo

A big map like this finds the vehicles taking center stage. There are three “thoroughfares” at your disposal: out in the open (shakes head), the teles at the top (nods knowingly), and through the tunnels (big toothy grin). Most of the fighting can be found here and in the bases *cough*spawn killing*cough*.

In the tunnels, the ghost is king. Grab the OS and you can change that to malicious dictator. If you’re on a base assault (CTF type team games), drive right inside and run over anyone you want. If there’s no flag to grab, a lot of people will just sit inside the oppositions’ base after clearing it with a ghost and run over people as they respawn. I think you have better things to do with your time though. If the base has been cleared and the flag is on its way to your base, zip back to that OS/camo respawn point and rearm your shields (if you need it, and you probably do).

If you prefer to walk it in, you want to get a Fuel Rod quick. While the rocket does more damage, the fuel rod is better for this nasty little role: cutting down exits. Charge the enemy tele and clear out the top. DON’T GO DOWN THE LADDER! Stand in the back and camp the ladders, being careful of the wayward nade. This cuts off the teles (and those heavy weps) for your opposition. The Fuel rod is preferred for this task because of her larger ammo capacity than the rocket, but either can do the job.

Snipers should be guarding the teles, preferably, to keep people from grabbing said Fuel Rod and Rocket and trying this strategy.

On base defense, the Rocket Hog can quickly dethrone the all-powerful ghost. Park it in the back of your base, but NOT ON TOP OF THE FLAG POST. If you park a vehicle on the post, the flag cannot respawn when your team members retrieve it. Either way, try to park it so you’re vision is a little too high for the ceiling; that way you can see the ladders (and what’s coming down them).

Damnation

Fuel Rod=Rocket

Sniper

OS=Camo

Another closed, no vehicle type of map, but more open than Battle Creek allowing a wider range of combat styles. This is the place to become proficient with the crouch landing (jump from a high place and as you hit the ground HOLD *ctrl*. You will take little or no damage. If you release too quickly though, you will take MORE.).

In team games, the high ground is key, and so is holding it. Fuel rods and rockets pummel your opposition from above while snipers keep the other team from sneaking up on your heavy weps and dispensing payback. Snipers should watch the tele and the upper bridge (the one suspended above the columns and where you can most often find the Fuel Rod) in the center of the map too, as these are the most used points of assault or retreat.
As always, OS and Camo can turn the tide in a game; if you’re sniper is put out of action here, you can quickly lose those powerful weps holding down the enemy.

Rat Race

Pistols

Nades

Shot gun

Plasma

Flamethrower

Camo

OS

The cave is key to Rat Race. Taking the center tele, and holding it, gives your team access to the OS and Camo while denying your enemy easy acess to these goodies and your base.

I’ve never played a game of Rat Race with a Fuel or Rocket, unless the weapons were extensively modded to support them, so will not include. Nonetheless, if you see one of these, suppression fire for the cave is suggested.

This map is a Pistol fighters dream. Long tunnels open enough to dodge create pistol fights that look almost like a ballet. Pick up a shotgun and sit those dancers down with a quickness, or camp in a bend in the tunnels with the flamethrower and some nades to make them think twice about coming in.

A trick to getting the OS and camo is to shoot it when it’s suspended in the air above you. The power-up will spin and fall to the ground, letting you grab it without hazarding the tunnels first.

Prisoner

Sniper

Rocket=Fuel

Plasma

OS

Camo

Another open (but closed) area; again go for the high ground. Snipers are effective here as they have a good view of most of the map from the very top. Use Rockets/Fuel to secure tunnels and protect your snipers from attack. I put in Plasma weapons because of fall damage. Most people like to jump from one platform to another. Hit them with a string of plasma and they miss the platform and (depending on how hard you hit them and how far they fall) splat! Best in a game of oddball, I like to run to the oddball and sit at the top platform, then jump down to the ledge directly beneath me and run to the other topmost platform. Often, I’ll get all the time from doing this.

Hang ‘Em High

Sniper

Rocket

Camo

Fuel rod

Plasma

Like Prisoner, but more popular due to its size and the placement of the bases. Snipers should resist the urge to spawn kill and concentrate on enemies with heavy weapons and the flag or oddball. Rocket and Fuel rod? Give in to said urge. Camp at the top of the enemy base and pummel them Battle Creek style. Fall damage is a factor here, so Plasma weps take the stage again, giving your opposition a head (or in this case a FOOT) ache!

[Edited on 8/4/2005]

  • 08.04.2005 3:57 PM PDT
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Chill Out

Rocket/Fuel

Shotgun

OS

Nades

Flamethrower

Another no where to run to; no where to hide map. Grab the rocket and Fuel and use them for tunnel suppression of camp teleporter exit points (these are one way). Shotguns and flamethrowers work well in the tunnels again and nades can make a mess. Make sure to control the OS here; or you’ll be singing that old “WTH! I hit you!” refrain.

Derelict

Rocket/Fuel (rarely here, but grab them if you see them)

Nades

Shotgun

Health (you heard me right)

Plasma

Camo

A lot of people like to grab the Camo and sniper to camp out on the second story of this map. They change their mind quickly when I’m playing. Toss them a nade to play with, then cap off with pistols.

Derelict is a fast paced high movement map. In other words: Run or DIE! Use nades on slow movers and to clear the tunnels. While the high ground is preferable, that’s not where you’ll find the shotgun usually. Grab this and go to war; use your nades to keep the opposition away from you and pop out every once in a while for a touch of payback. Because running is preffered, plasma weapons prove a pain to the unlucky sucker *cough* I mean TARGET that strays into your line of sight.

Single player or teams, try to maintain control of the health respawn point. It’s right in the center of the map on the bottom side and often prime real estate for pistol sniping or the plasma charge.

Boarding Action

Sniper

Camo

Fuel Rod/Rocket

Shotgun

A snipers dream, Boarding Action gives you plenty of places to hide. If you spawn at the bottom of the map go for the Camo and start pwning people.

Watch out for Rocket and Fuel rods though. Rocket fighters often camp out, waiting for that tell tail sniper rifle trail to rear its head so they can mark you and blow you away from a safe distance. Fuel rods are preferred when fighting on the same side of the map; their suppression abilities makes short work of groups or the unlucky camper. So do shotguns. Keep your eyes open and Happy Camping!

Blood Gulch

Tank (on teams)

Sniper

Rocket=Fuel

Banshee

Camo

M-Warthog=Rocket Hog (on teams)

Ghost

OS

Big open area ideal for sniping, right? Not if there’s a vehicle on it. Tanks are the ultimate camp buster; use them at long range to clear out those snipers that keep spawn killing you. Banshees keep that offensive charge stymied from the air and protect the base and tanks on team games.

If it’s a CTF game, try to get a full load into those warthogs and pound away: circle the base with your gunner cleaning house while the passenger sneaks in and grabs the goods. Drivers remember to stop at the Fuel rod or Rocket so your passenger has some heavy weight of his own to throw around while he’s in there.

If you just want to create havoc and there’s no tank in sight, go for the ghost and pull the warthog trick solo.

Camo beats OS on this map because its so open. People get used to the idea that they will see their opponent coming. Use this to your advantage for a quick kill or a silent infiltration.

Wizard

Rocket (you heard me)

Shotgun

Camo

Pistol

OS

As soon as you spawn, go for the center by jumping or crouch jumping and pick up your rocket. DIRTY TRICK!: don’t even wait for a visible shot; chances are someone is on the other side of the pillar pressing “E” as we speak, so aim that rocket at a point beside the pillar and fire. One less rocket for you to contend with. Pop out and launch another at the platform with the most people and switch to shotgun. Jump and run to the Camo and hide while you reload your rockets, then jump back into the fray. Lather rinse repeat.

“But,” you ask, “what game type does this work one?” Answer: ALL OF THEM! Control of the rocket gains you (and your team) control of the board. Just be careful of that standoff OS equipped pistol fighter; he’s gunning for you above everyone else.

Chiron TL34

Flamethrower (“Say what???”)

Rocket=Fuel rod

OS

Camo

Shotgun

Tight and confusing, Chiron is the perfect place to hone your room suppression skill with the flame thrower. If you can’t make it to the old torch in time, go for the Rockets (or Fuel Rod) and camp teleporters. The shotgun does its fair share of damage, so you want to avoid it by going invisible or take it head on with pistols and your trusty Overshield (better still, grab flamethrower and OS and go to war).

Take some time to get to know this map. Once you know where these teleporters are plopping you, you’ll enjoy it more

Longest

Rockets

Nades

Shotgun

Camo

OS

A favorite of mine from the old Xbox days, the high ground is key in Longest. Control the Power-ups and the Rocket, you control the board. If the rocket is out of action, switch to shotgun and blast away, tossing the occasional nade to let people know you’re still frosty. Make sure to keep moving though; jump from one ledge to another, like relocating when you snipe.



[Edited on 8/4/2005]

  • 08.04.2005 4:00 PM PDT
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Ice Fields

Tank

M-warthog

Rocket Hog

Sniper

Fuel=Rocket

Controlling the bridge is the key to the Ice Fields. Park a tank or Rocket Hog up there (using the low ground to avoid fire) and camp the teles with the Rocket, Fuel and Sniper. Your M-warthog should blaze a trail for the base (with the Ghost for support when possible).

Right in the middle of the map you’ll find…my my, what’s a Fuel Rod doing in such an unsuspecting place? Waiting for your passenger to pick it up of course. Grab this and head to the enemy base.

This may sound odd, but it works. The passenger on this map should actually NOT go for the flag. Instead, using the Warthog for cover, he should hold his ground and spawn kill any defender while another person (maybe even the M-warthog gunner but NOT THE DRIVER!) takes the honors. Due to this bases less than open area, and the respawn points the computers prefer, you can rack up a lot of kills doing this before you finally bite the bullet. When the flag is away, retreat and fall back on your pistols.

On base defense, grab your pistols and nades and use the ladders to go up top. This offers the best view of the two entrances to your base. If you can get one; grab a fuel rod for some payback to that unlucky opponent.

A trick: when sniping the bridge, crouch jump to the raised corner (most people stop there) and turn around. You can crouch jump (if you practice a little) onto the rock face for a better view and a quick exit through the teles if things get hairy.

Death Island

Banshee (teams)

Tank (teams)

Sniper

OS=Camo

Ghost

M-warthog=Rocket Hog

Fuel=Rocket

If you’re near the teleporter when you spawn; hit the shees and take off. Stay near the base to keep your tanks protected and wail on warthogs or snipers and spawn killing Fuel/Rocket fighters that try to walk in. The hope is that you can lure the other shees into a dogfight close to your base. Don’t attack too early; the opposition’s tanks will shred you. What you want to do is take control of all the banshees if you can, and have the tanks either in your possession or so far away from the enemy base that they can’t get to them. If player numbers defy using this elaborate strat, go in with the shees and strafe the snot out of them.

Dirty Trick: to keep people out of your base, many people like to park their tanks in the doorways, cramming them in the way as a roadblock. Personally, I think it’s…outdated. Those tanks will eventually respawn outside your base, leaving you open to an attack from the shees, tanks and heavy weapons the other team has been grabbing up like candies. It works for a while, but will eventually fail.

A better strategy is to drive a tank to the top of the island and park it atop your enemy base; then camp their shade gun tele with its “big boom” cannon. Beware of nades when doing this. If you have shee control, you don’t have much to worry about.

I said not much, right? Snipers will cut into a tank performing this strategy, as will heavy weps. A ghost can lead the assault on the base from downstairs, but I like to jump down from the top of the island and keep the beach clean. M-warthogs and Rocket Hogs with passengers equipped with heavy weps are your best attack on a CTF game (the most played game style on the map).

In non-team games, try to camp in dark places like inside tunnels or the back of the base and under the (he he) patio.

Danger Canyon

Sniper (with OS)

Fuel Rod

Rocket

M-warthog=Rocket Hog=Ghost

nades

Camo

Tunnels are key in a team game and the long walk outside can turn into a nightmare for the opposition if you have a good sniper with OS (nice of them to put that there, yes?). Camp that spot to watch the tunnels, rockets and vehicle battles, helping as you can and relaying “incoming ghost” when they slip through.

I find the Fuel rod more effective in the tunnels than the rocket launcher on this map; camping the top of the enemy tunnel entrance while they try to live long enough to toss one good nade at you (Dirty Trick: use the fuel rod to boost your jumping ability and hop onto the ledge over their tunnel and you can blast them as they charge your previous position for a change of pace. It’s good to do this when you need to “relocate”. Just make sure you have full shields.

Some admins won’t allow this next “dirty” trick. If so…well, step one, make sure they ARE an admin. If they don’t have the clan status in their name, they’re bluffing you 99 times out of 100.

If the admin allows it, park your Rocket hog (or theirs!) in the open part of the tunnel and camp their entrance.

When this is done, let your sniper know so he can keep an eye on the other danger point: people trying to walk in and grab a rocket launcher from outside.)

As usual, nades + tunnels = bad day for someone.
If it’s not a team game, the camping strategies will still work, but will be less effective. For a higher score, try to hold the tunnels as long as possible with the Fuel Rod and shotgun.

Infinity

Banshee

Sniper

M-warthog=Rocket Hog

Camo

Fuel Rod

Rocket

Shade

Get air control early on and try to use the shees to cover the teleporters and your attacking warthog (one each). Snipers should concentrate on a quiet insertion near the enemy base and long range assistance to those vehicles.

As always, Fuel rods and Rockets equal quick kills at medium range; best to control them lest they control you.

Suffice it to say, this is a defense game. You’re goal on base defense it to break up those shees and gun down that warthog with your shade. Camo should go to the best sniper so he can keep the other team guessing while your team rallies those shees from two to four. Then strafe and let the warthog go to work.

In slayer, grab the camo and the sniper and stay away from the bases as far as possible, picking off people as they spawn.

Timberland

Sniper

Ghost

Fuel rod

OS

Camo

Snipers paradise. Plenty of open ground to watch; hard to sneak up on you from the hilltops. Remember to relocate if you’re sniping though. The second shot from your first position will likely be your last.

Hit the ghost in team games and grab the OS from the center of the map. If you’re walking in, try to get to the Fuel rod and run for the Camo. Both these are nasty combinations in a team Game.

Gephyrophobia

Banshee

Ghost

Fuel Rod

Sniper

Rocket

OS

It you’re inside the base when you spawn, go for the shees and hold on tight. Charge the other shees (or just the other teams) and knock them off the ledges with your own shee or the Fuel rod. Now; to work. You’re job in a shee is to suppress snipers and keep those shees grounded. It is NOT to assault the center island, though a quick fuel rod strafe is okay if you’re the only airborne banshee. Don’t neglect those teleporters or you won’t be around long enough to ask why. Shees will respawn and take to the air, snipers will cut you down, and your team will chew you out on open chat.

The ghost rules this map in kills. Upstairs, grab the OS and the rocket on your way in and kill spawn until the server adjusts and sends bodies elsewhere. Then it’s a question of where you are. If you’re upstairs with the rocket and OS, stay put. If you’re downstairs without the aide of the rocket and OS, go on in. The server will move bodies back outside while you run up and get the flag, then beat a hasty retreat through the teles with banshee air support.

The “NOOB” phenomena:

How many times have you heard someone call someone else a “shee noob” or a "rocket noob” in open chat only to press F1 for the stats and see that this “noob” has the highest kills of any player, more time with the oddball or scores with the flag?

Calling someone a “noob” in these instances is often an attempt by the person saying it to get the “noob” player to stop using a tactic that is tearing his enemy to shreds. I can’t count how many times I’ve blown someone away with a banshee when they were running for one themselves only to be called a “shee noob”. Personally, I consider it a complement. If you’re using a tactic that is winning, ignore them. As long as you don’t TK, Score Hog, piss off the admins (the REAL admins) or act like a total jerk in open chat, you’re doing fine.

Find what works for you and don’t get flustered when the inevitable “noob” insults start rolling in. Usually, the person insulting you just hasn’t figured out how to do what you’re doing to him yet.

Until when

Play fair and good gaming

"-" Minus Sign

[Edited on 8/4/2005]

  • 08.04.2005 4:00 PM PDT
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i hope you don't mind other posts in here. here are a few of my tips, but it's up to you to use them:

*cover, cover, cover. It's just not smart run into 4 enemies with partial shields.
*in some games, stealth is your best friend. Stick to the shadows, don't shoot the enemy unless they see you. In games like CTF, the enemy you kill will most likely alert his buddies that you're coming through that tunnel like a madman, and will try to ambush you. Crouching makes you less visible, so do that when you don't have to run from a road-killing hog.
*Everyone says that burst fire with the automatic weapons is best. I prefer do do single shots. To me, it's more accurate then bursts, and can save more ammo.
*throw a grenade when it looks like you are just about to die. You just might get lucky if the guy walks into your nade.
*turn down your textures to low (if you haven't already). To me, enemies "stick out" more than if your textures are set to high. The opposite goes for audio, set audio qualtiy to high, and turn EAX on if you can. You can "hear" where shots are coming from, and investigate.

i may add more from time to time.

  • 08.04.2005 5:52 PM PDT
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Of course! Feel free to add to this post, suggest tips on how to make my strategies better or reasons why they won't work. Add your own too. As with all posts I write, they're always intended to be open discussion.

[Edited on 8/4/2005]

  • 08.04.2005 7:23 PM PDT
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Definitely Guide material - nice use of formatting. PM a mod and get this stickied in the guides sticky or I will. Damned good job, Minus Sign - stick around for us, eh?

  • 08.04.2005 8:20 PM PDT
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agh!!! to much (great, by the way) advice for1:00 AM!!!

  • 08.04.2005 9:53 PM PDT
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Posted by:aM Inspire

Definitely Guide material - nice use of formatting. PM a mod and get this stickied in the guides sticky or I will. Damned good job, Minus Sign - stick around for us, eh?


Agreed. This is the most useful thing I've come across in this forum after a LONG time. Keep up this damn good work.

Oh, by the by, I'm not sure if this was covered, but here's a tip on dodging vehicles...

Rocks and other obstacles are your best friends. Even small ones. Take bloodgulch. If someone tries to run you over with a hog, simply run to the nearest rock. Most drivers can't handle the warthog as precisely as they'd like, and when they try to run you over, 95 percent of the time they'll end up klunking into that rock or spinning out and missing you. Just keep strafing, pick away at the driver when you can, throw a nade or two, and be sure to keep that rock between you and the hog. I once spent an entire three minutes playing around with a guy who kept trying to run me over...

[Edited on 8/4/2005]

  • 08.04.2005 10:21 PM PDT
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Well, I would read that, BUT ITS 4 FULL POSTS LONG!!!!!! How long did it take you to type that? The only thing that I think is off is that the fuel rod gun is the second most ballanced weapon. That is not true. You need to take into account no shield games too. I would have to say that everything depends on the skill of the player, ballence wise.

  • 08.04.2005 10:26 PM PDT
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Aight, as an ex-veteran here's my two cents.

Dancing with Worthogs: Sidestepping and jumping is key. Let them charge you and think they're gonna get the splatter, then dodge last second. You can do this forever if you're skilled enough. Keep wailing on the vehicle with your most rapid fire weapon.
Grenades are great against vehicles. One thing I love about Halo 1 for xbox or PC is how tippy the hogs are ;). When a hog starts charging you straight on (true sign of somebody that doesn't know what they're doing) throw a grenade in the right place and you'll send that hog tumbling, a few shots will kill the driver. If you learn to execute this manuver and master throwing grenades you can adapt it for ghosts and scorpians too. Impresses the hell outta people when you take out a pest in a vehicle in 5 seconds flat.

Anti-Air: The best place to fight a banshee is at a base of course due the cover it provides (keep in mind most my advice is being said with Blood Gulch in mind but can be used elsewhere). Arm yourself with a pistol and shotgun. Pistol is good for distance, and learn when it comes within reasonable range for the shotty cause it's the key thing to killing a banshee whore(don't get me wrong, banshees are multiplayer vehicles too and all, but some people use them the whole round!). Another impressive 5 second kill can be achieved like this. If you can't get you hands on a shotgun, the Assualt Rifle's auto fire makes for good anti-air if you and a teamate or two can focus on the enemy banshee.

The Firefight: If you engage in a 1 on 1 shootout with somebody, you usually start circling or running in a line. The line is a bad thing, keep your movement unpredictable. I know it's hard to mantain your aim with the pistol if you're strafing left and right but you'll get used to it and it'll make you far harder to hit. Jumping is only good unless you keep doing it, then it's predicable and you'll be led easily. If all else fails, charge the enemy and smack him good, always a good finisher.

Perhaps more from me later. For now, that's all I wanna stuff into one post.
Thanks to whoever started this, I tried to make a clan to help new people and train them but ultimately that failed. This is a more subtle and probably more effective means of help, keep it up. With the level of activity here in the maw, I think we can keep it front page even if they don't sticky it :)

  • 08.05.2005 12:51 AM PDT
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Wow, I've never seen a new guy be THIS contributive! Anyways, heres my tip:

If your teammates are drving away with the flag and they've got a flea(another hog), shoot at it with the pistol to lure them towards you. More than 90% of the time, they'll give up the chase and go after a nice kill. If you time it right, you whip a nade in front of the hog just intime so the nade will explode ight as they are over it. As they're flailing through the air, pull out a pistol and get em in the head. This strategy has saved my teammates' @$$es quite a few times.

  • 08.05.2005 9:42 AM PDT

Don't drink to excess– You might shoot at tax-collectors... and miss

Computer: Power Mac G5 CPU Type: PowerPC G5 (2.2) Number Of CPUs: 2 CPU Speed: 1.8 GHz L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB Memory: 1.25 GB Bus Speed: 900 MHz

ATi Radeon X800 XT Mac Edition
Display Type: LCD Resolution: 1680 x 1050 Depth: 32-bit Color

Great guide! A while back I asked if the rocket warthog handled differently than the machine gun hog and if gunner/passenger "weight" changed the handling and was told "no." At least someone else noticed. It could be that adding more people does not change the programmed physics, but adds to the lag since it's more work to coordinate the positions/actions of 3 players and a vehicle, and so the "feel" changes. Either way, it feels different when you add people to the hog.

  • 08.08.2005 11:01 AM PDT
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Okay, since this jumped back up to front page, heres another tip for dodging vehicles:

hit Ctrl to crouch if you aren't near one of those good luck rocks or the driver has proven skill. This works best against ghosts, of course, but in hilly areas, a hog can jump right over you.

[Edited on 8/8/2005]

  • 08.08.2005 12:44 PM PDT
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Also, since its come up, I'll give a hard number on the leading of shots in Halo PC:

THERE ISN'T ONE!!!

but if you're insistent that you just can't get it down, try leading one target reticule further than the target you want to hit. In other words, measure the space from the target and center the reticule so that the opponent is just touching the outer edge as you lead. Now, if you miss him, watch where your bullet hits. if it lands ahead of the target, you're leading too much. Conversely, if it lands behind the target, you aren’t leading enough.

Remember, the fastest way to get good at halo PC is the school of hard knocks. Play play play; you’ll only get better with practice.


[Edited on 8/8/2005]

  • 08.08.2005 2:28 PM PDT
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Not a big deal but let me tell you now. I see too many people running around calling the sniper rifle "a sniper". A sniper is a person who snipes. The actual gun is called a sniper rifle. There's a big difference and no one seems to know or care what the right one is. I personally just call it "SR" standing for Sniper Rifle in a real game, it's shorter than "sniper" and it actually makes sence.

  • 08.08.2005 9:25 PM PDT
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Wow, that was great you helped me out alot!

  • 08.08.2005 10:31 PM PDT
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This is an excellent answer to the lag issue; much better than mine. tried it, and it WORKS:

Mr MA5B wrote:

let me put it this way. throw a grenade. take note of the time between when the grenade is supposed to appear and when the grenade really appears. this is the time it takes for a bullet to actually appear after you pull the trigger. Aim far enough ahead so that the time your target takes to reach your crosshairs is the same as the time that it takes for the bullet to "appear".

just saying "aim x much ahead of your target" isn't good advice. Let's say you have a pistol. You need to aim farther ahead of your target when you are closer than if you are far away from your target. Up close, an enemy seems to move faster across the screen than when he's far away.


[Edited on 8/9/2005]

  • 08.08.2005 11:59 PM PDT
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I read most of the tactics post to see if I saw anything new. I did see a few things like the 'finisher'. What I wanted to talk about is the psycology of the Banshee. When you see your friend in a hard spot trying to gun down a shee and you just know it is his 'dia de los muertos' hop in a shee and fly towards them. If you are aproaching from the back just hit him with a fuel rod burst and while his shields are down unleash a voley of plasma bursts at him. If he sees you first then what I usually do is the exact oposite of a tactic above. Let him get behind me and lead him around a bit in a cirle. He will keep his plasma cannons flaring. What you do is then become eratic in movement. I usually start slowly circling down. Then I lead him into a steep dive. This is where my controler comes in handy. Most people use a mouse because the mouse is easier to use on foot. But using a mouse when trying to aim up you usually have to reposition. When I pull out of the dive I have smooth control of the shee and he has to repositon the mouse, making him crash into the ground. I will either let the tank take him out or if the tank misses, I will pin him myself. The only fault of this is that you only have a few seconds to do it as they ready themselves to continue pirsuit.

[Edited on 8/9/2005]

  • 08.09.2005 8:30 AM PDT
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god man what an excellent post man i salute you maybe this game still has a bright future...

  • 08.09.2005 2:33 PM PDT
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You know, it’s become so natural, I don’t even notice I’m doing this anymore…*shrugs*

Ghosts and high jumps. Instead of the sideways skid mentioned in the thread, what I do most of the time in a ghost is to use my movement buttons to level it out. If she’s listing to the left, hold down the “D” button to level her off. Nose dive? Hold back on “S” and she should right herself.

Also while driving a ghost or hog: if you’re in an enclosed space like the Sidewinder base, look “up” and the camera will offer a better view of the area, instead of blocking the world off with a ceiling.

That’ll do it for now.

Play fair and good gaming

“-“ Minus Sign

  • 08.09.2005 10:39 PM PDT
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Pressing spacebar while going off jumps in a ghost can help you land better. It makes your nose go up so landing will be easier.

  • 08.09.2005 11:39 PM PDT
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and for most of the other vehicles, the spacebar serves as a brake. i like to tap the spacebar in a hog around turns to do a sharper turn. in the banshee, the spacebar is pretty much the same as letting off the gas.

  • 08.10.2005 12:11 AM PDT
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Is it just my computer acting screwy or are all our posts being erased?

  • 08.10.2005 9:34 AM PDT

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