Bungie Universe
This topic has moved here: Subject: What Was the Biggest Mistake of the Human-Covenant War?
  • Subject: What Was the Biggest Mistake of the Human-Covenant War?
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • of 3
Subject: What Was the Biggest Mistake of the Human-Covenant War?


Posted by: divinevahalla12
I would have to say not having a massive reserve fleet at Reach with more super MAC's. Halo 2 made Earth look like it had more protection from the Covenant than Reach.


For that I blame bungies absolutely terrible potrayal of reach. It was like a friggin farming colony.

  • 03.19.2011 9:57 PM PDT

Anti-Teabag self-destruct mechanisms ftw

The whole thing where truth hid the whole human reclaimer thing was a big mistake. They should have got the word out, started worshiping out sorry asses, and let us try to find out everything that was going on with the old forerunner tech. That would be great, but that doesn't have the conflict required for a video game.

Can't you just see it? A legion of grunts doing your bidding... Ah the stupidity. Marvel at it.

  • 03.19.2011 10:07 PM PDT


Posted by: Wazooty

Posted by: divinevahalla12
I would have to say not having a massive reserve fleet at Reach with more super MAC's. Halo 2 made Earth look like it had more protection from the Covenant than Reach.


For that I blame bungies absolutely terrible potrayal of reach. It was like a friggin farming colony.
Because, obviously, the planet had to be made of cities and military bases.

C'mon, the population of the planet was a little over seven hundred million, and the planet itself was three thousand kilometers wider than earth. There is bound to be large tracks of smally populated areas. a lot of smally populated areas.

Anyways, when has it become so that, since you didn't see the fleets, it meant that they weren't there? Why would they risk taking high casualties if there was a way to minimize it? Thae Covenant carriers are made to be attack ships as well as being a carrier. That Supercarrier would have ripped them a new -blam!- before it would be destroyed.

Besides, the book is the only source that listed the total SMAC numbers, in which it states that there were only twenty. Those guns' projectiles are bound to shoot straight. How was it a good idea to only have twenty of them, especially since a planet is a sphere? It would leave large gaps in the defences!

[Edited on 03.19.2011 10:24 PM PDT]

  • 03.19.2011 10:10 PM PDT


Posted by: no name12222235
The whole thing where truth hid the whole human reclaimer thing was a big mistake. They should have got the word out, started worshiping out sorry asses, and let us try to find out everything that was going on with the old forerunner tech. That would be great, but that doesn't have the conflict required for a video game.

Can't you just see it? A legion of grunts doing your bidding... Ah the stupidity. Marvel at it.
It would of torn out the central belief of the Covenant. From what Truth understood, we were Forerunner (Of course, we know now that this isn't correct). It would have meant that not every Forerunner did the Great Journy, and that it wasd possible to be left behind.

  • 03.19.2011 10:12 PM PDT

▀▄▀▄ Strategy, Competition, & Achievements for Halo & Beyond ▄▀▄▀
████▓▓▓▓▒▒▒▒░░░░ Mjolnir Battle Tactics ░░░░▒▒▒▒▓▓▓▓████


"Ignorance is a plague."

Close, but the plague killed those infected with it, and the ignorant are still alive.
I wish ignorance was a plague.

Posted by: shadow alfa92
Making only 75 Spartans
(Yes I know it was experimental but they could have capped it off at 100)

There was 150 of them at the start of the training. Only 75 made it to the augmentations and 33 survived with no deformities.

  • 03.19.2011 10:15 PM PDT
  • gamertag: W1ltz
  • user homepage:

Another one is that Regret should have sent a bigger fleet with him to Earth. I know Regret didn't "foresee" a human presence there but he is a high prophet and all.

  • 03.22.2011 8:54 AM PDT

Don't worry, you're still your mom's favorite Bnet member.

Posted by: xXWiltzXx
Another one is that Regret should have sent a bigger fleet with him to Earth. I know Regret didn't "foresee" a human presence there but he is a high prophet and all.
Had Regret brought a huge fleet with him, maybe he could have captured Earth with the Elites. Then when Truth showed up with the Brutes, maybe the Elites could have held their own against them.

  • 03.22.2011 8:59 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Posted by: xXWiltzXx
Another one is that Regret should have sent a bigger fleet with him to Earth. I know Regret didn't "foresee" a human presence there but he is a high prophet and all.


Hmm... If he had brought 100 ships with him for example, chances are he would have lost most of the ships while trying to retreat without making any significant damage to Earth in the process.

Posted by: divinevahalla12
I would have to say not having a massive reserve fleet at Reach with more super MAC's. Halo 2 made Earth look like it had more protection from the Covenant than Reach.


Earth had better protection. It had 280 more SMACs. Not sure about ground forces, but we do know 4 Spartan-IIs were present and most likely Spartan-IIIs as well. Either way, it doesn't really matter in the end whether you have none or 1000 Spartans present on the ground if space battle is lost.

[Edited on 03.22.2011 9:20 AM PDT]

  • 03.22.2011 9:01 AM PDT
  • gamertag: Poy357
  • user homepage:

Human : Re-capture of Harvest.

Covenant : Elites changing sides.

  • 03.22.2011 11:08 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

"Time was your ally human. But now it has abandoned you. The Forerunners....have returned. And this tomb... is now yours". - The Didact


Posted by: Poy Poy
Human : Re-capture of Harvest.

Covenant : Elites changing sides.


True,but if the UNSC never captured Harvest then the spirit of fire wouldn't find the shield world.Covies activate the fleet with another reclaimer and BOOM Forerunner fleet wipes in the UNSC out.

  • 03.22.2011 11:33 AM PDT

About me: I am a vicious wolf of a man.

But really am sweet at heart. =)

The UNSC not training better senior officers.

Many of the major defeats in the UNSC were simply because of inexperienced flag officers charging the enemy lines with inferior weapons and armor.

Think of how the Battle of Sigma Octanus could have been different if Stanforth had manuvered his ships around and used hit and run tactics? Instead he had them all hold position, lost one of 3 major repair stations that could repair and build SIX destroyers at once, and STILL lost 3/4ths of his fleet.

The UNSC was always underplaying the Covenant threat. Even with ONI outright lying to the civilian population that they were holding the Inner Colonies. If they had broken the truth about how far the Covenant had gone, it would have lead to huge amounts of enlistees wanting to defend their home planets. Also, MUCH more funding would have gone to RnD to get better weapons on to the field.

  • 03.25.2011 7:01 AM PDT
  • gamertag: W1ltz
  • user homepage:

Posted by: Gottalovec4
The UNSC not training better senior officers.

Many of the major defeats in the UNSC were simply because of inexperienced flag officers charging the enemy lines with inferior weapons and armor.

Think of how the Battle of Sigma Octanus could have been different if Stanforth had manuvered his ships around and used hit and run tactics? Instead he had them all hold position, lost one of 3 major repair stations that could repair and build SIX destroyers at once, and STILL lost 3/4ths of his fleet.

The UNSC was always underplaying the Covenant threat. Even with ONI outright lying to the civilian population that they were holding the Inner Colonies. If they had broken the truth about how far the Covenant had gone, it would have lead to huge amounts of enlistees wanting to defend their home planets. Also, MUCH more funding would have gone to RnD to get better weapons on to the field.


There were lots of good senior officers:
such as Rear Admiral Whitcomb and Captain Keyes

  • 03.27.2011 5:41 AM PDT

Even if the Changing of the Guard had never happened, the Flood still would have infected High Charity, and the Arbiter would still have his suspicions about the Covenant religion.

Who knows, maybe the Elites would have left the Covenant anyway, some of them did have a growing respect for humanity.

  • 03.27.2011 5:53 AM PDT


Posted by: Sierra 1993DJC

Posted by: Dedworth Mean
The Covenant letting the Flood loose on Installation 04. And then for messing about with them all again during the events of Halo 2

Why were the the Flood even on Halo anyway? Shouldn't all life in the galaxy have been destroyed?

Im pretty sure no one bothered quoting you or correcting you but the reason the flood was still on Halo was because when the Halos are activated its not really an explosion which I assume is what you think it is but more like a wave of energy that destoys a beings nervous system.

So since the flood doesnt have a nervous system then they would survive. So would Hunters since they dont have nervous systems either.

  • 03.27.2011 6:23 AM PDT
  •  | 
  • Fabled Mythic Member

“Strange,” mused the Director, as they turned away, “strange to think that even in Our Ford’s day most games were played without more apparatus than a ball or two and a few sticks and perhaps a bit of netting. imagine the folly of allowing people to play elaborate games which do nothing whatever to increase consumption.”

The Black Chapter!

Not killing Johnson when they had the chance.

  • 03.27.2011 7:11 AM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

The Forerunners killing off the Precursors; wait wrong war.

The Forerunners not actually treating the flood as a threat until it was too late; oops wrong war again.

The Didact not giving the order to have the remaining Flood rounded up, permanently sealed inside a shield world, dropping said shield world into a black hole, and then putting a Halo at the edge maintaining a quarintine. While again this is the wrong war, why he let the flood survive boggles the mind.

Not having more defenses around/on Reach. While I'm not asking for enough defenses that would rival Cadia, I did expect there to be more in terms of cities, factories, bases, defenses, and Nukes. Bejusus man, this is supposed to be the fortress of humanity amongst the stars, not an Agri world.

  • 03.27.2011 1:18 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Posted by: Pewter
The Forerunners killing off the Precursors; wait wrong war.

The Forerunners not actually treating the flood as a threat until it was too late; oops wrong war again.

The Didact not giving the order to have the remaining Flood rounded up, permanently sealed inside a shield world, dropping said shield world into a black hole, and then putting a Halo at the edge maintaining a quarintine. While again this is the wrong war, why he let the flood survive boggles the mind.

Not having more defenses around/on Reach. While I'm not asking for enough defenses that would rival Cadia, I did expect there to be more in terms of cities, factories, bases, defenses, and Nukes. Bejusus man, this is supposed to be the fortress of humanity amongst the stars, not an Agri world.


Yeah, I don't think the problem was that Reach wasn't properly defended, the problem was that they were too confident with Reach. After all it wasn't until after the fall of Reach when they learned 20 ODPs simply ain't enough against hundreds of Covie ships.

Reach was a great lesson for them. Hypothetically speaking, If they had found Earth first instead of Reach, chances are humanity may have had a better chance against the Covenant if they had pulled all their remaining forces at Reach and build up 300 ODPs there after Earth's demise.

  • 03.27.2011 2:46 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Deva Path


Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?


Posted by: manwith
Posted by: Pewter
The Forerunners killing off the Precursors; wait wrong war.

The Forerunners not actually treating the flood as a threat until it was too late; oops wrong war again.

The Didact not giving the order to have the remaining Flood rounded up, permanently sealed inside a shield world, dropping said shield world into a black hole, and then putting a Halo at the edge maintaining a quarintine. While again this is the wrong war, why he let the flood survive boggles the mind.

Not having more defenses around/on Reach. While I'm not asking for enough defenses that would rival Cadia, I did expect there to be more in terms of cities, factories, bases, defenses, and Nukes. Bejusus man, this is supposed to be the fortress of humanity amongst the stars, not an Agri world.


Yeah, I don't think the problem was that Reach wasn't properly defended, the problem was that they were too confident with Reach. After all it wasn't until after the fall of Reach when they learned 20 ODPs simply ain't enough against hundreds of Covie ships.

Reach was a great lesson for them. Hypothetically speaking, If they had found Earth first instead of Reach, chances are humanity may have had a better chance against the Covenant if they had pulled all their remaining forces at Reach and build up 300 ODPs there after Earth's demise.


It's not that they were too confident, in honesty they started losing moral.

They knew it was only a matter of time before the covenant would come, they new that they would win, and they knew only Reach and earth were really left for humanity.

Just like Earth Most of reach's forces were out of system and the ships that were there we in-between shifts, the covenant picked the best time. The only Reason reach was lost was due to the "sniping" ship, even then the covie would have just came back for round two.

No matter what we say nothing could have been done to truly save reach, unless we had 200 more MACs and 500+ ships.

  • 03.27.2011 3:08 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Posted by: grey101

Posted by: manwith
Posted by: Pewter
The Forerunners killing off the Precursors; wait wrong war.

The Forerunners not actually treating the flood as a threat until it was too late; oops wrong war again.

The Didact not giving the order to have the remaining Flood rounded up, permanently sealed inside a shield world, dropping said shield world into a black hole, and then putting a Halo at the edge maintaining a quarintine. While again this is the wrong war, why he let the flood survive boggles the mind.

Not having more defenses around/on Reach. While I'm not asking for enough defenses that would rival Cadia, I did expect there to be more in terms of cities, factories, bases, defenses, and Nukes. Bejusus man, this is supposed to be the fortress of humanity amongst the stars, not an Agri world.


Yeah, I don't think the problem was that Reach wasn't properly defended, the problem was that they were too confident with Reach. After all it wasn't until after the fall of Reach when they learned 20 ODPs simply ain't enough against hundreds of Covie ships.

Reach was a great lesson for them. Hypothetically speaking, If they had found Earth first instead of Reach, chances are humanity may have had a better chance against the Covenant if they had pulled all their remaining forces at Reach and build up 300 ODPs there after Earth's demise.


It's not that they were too confident, in honesty they started losing moral.

They knew it was only a matter of time before the covenant would come, they new that they would win, and they knew only Reach and earth were really left for humanity.

Just like Earth Most of reach's forces were out of system and the ships that were there we in-between shifts, the covenant picked the best time. The only Reason reach was lost was due to the "sniping" ship, even then the covie would have just came back for round two.

No matter what we say nothing could have been done to truly save reach, unless we had 200 more MACs and 500+ ships.


I was always under the impression the UNSC thought that Reach literally could not fall.

Anyway, I am pretty sure the UNSC would have won the battle fair easily against 315 Covenant ships with 300 SMACs, 200+ ships and the nuclear minefield they had there that destroyed a decent number of ships during the battle.

The main important difference between Reach and Earth is that at Reach they were not prepared and it was a total surprise, and the situation at Earth was complete opposite.

  • 03.27.2011 3:17 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

Deva Path


Posted by: DecepticonCobra

We are all going to get banned aren't we?


Posted by: manwith
Posted by: grey101

Posted by: manwith
Posted by: Pewter
The Forerunners killing off the Precursors; wait wrong war.

The Forerunners not actually treating the flood as a threat until it was too late; oops wrong war again.

The Didact not giving the order to have the remaining Flood rounded up, permanently sealed inside a shield world, dropping said shield world into a black hole, and then putting a Halo at the edge maintaining a quarintine. While again this is the wrong war, why he let the flood survive boggles the mind.

Not having more defenses around/on Reach. While I'm not asking for enough defenses that would rival Cadia, I did expect there to be more in terms of cities, factories, bases, defenses, and Nukes. Bejusus man, this is supposed to be the fortress of humanity amongst the stars, not an Agri world.


Yeah, I don't think the problem was that Reach wasn't properly defended, the problem was that they were too confident with Reach. After all it wasn't until after the fall of Reach when they learned 20 ODPs simply ain't enough against hundreds of Covie ships.

Reach was a great lesson for them. Hypothetically speaking, If they had found Earth first instead of Reach, chances are humanity may have had a better chance against the Covenant if they had pulled all their remaining forces at Reach and build up 300 ODPs there after Earth's demise.


It's not that they were too confident, in honesty they started losing moral.

They knew it was only a matter of time before the covenant would come, they new that they would win, and they knew only Reach and earth were really left for humanity.

Just like Earth Most of reach's forces were out of system and the ships that were there we in-between shifts, the covenant picked the best time. The only Reason reach was lost was due to the "sniping" ship, even then the covie would have just came back for round two.

No matter what we say nothing could have been done to truly save reach, unless we had 200 more MACs and 500+ ships.


I was always under the impression the UNSC thought that Reach literally could not fall.

Anyway, I am pretty sure the UNSC would have won the battle fair easily against 315 Covenant ships with 300 SMACs, 200+ ships and the nuclear minefield they had there that destroyed a decent number of ships during the battle.

The main important difference between Reach and Earth is that at Reach they were not prepared and it was a total surprise, and the situation at Earth was complete opposite.

No, Halsey said it her self that it was only a matter of time before the covenant found them and Earth. the whole government felt that way, which is one of the reasons the spartan program went public.

So? and after the battle they would be left with 20-30 crippled ships and have a good amount of MACs offline. then the covenant would come in for round two and they would lose. As i said it nothing would have changed.


It was clearly stated in GoO that earth was caught with ships in-between shift rotation and MACs offline.

  • 03.27.2011 3:23 PM PDT


Posted by: Gottalovec4
The UNSC not training better senior officers.

Many of the major defeats in the UNSC were simply because of inexperienced flag officers charging the enemy lines with inferior weapons and armor.

Think of how the Battle of Sigma Octanus could have been different if Stanforth had manuvered his ships around and used hit and run tactics? Instead he had them all hold position, lost one of 3 major repair stations that could repair and build SIX destroyers at once, and STILL lost 3/4ths of his fleet.

The UNSC was always underplaying the Covenant threat. Even with ONI outright lying to the civilian population that they were holding the Inner Colonies. If they had broken the truth about how far the Covenant had gone, it would have lead to huge amounts of enlistees wanting to defend their home planets. Also, MUCH more funding would have gone to RnD to get better weapons on to the field.


You're kidding right?

Stanforth's plan was totally brilliant, he certainly wasn't a dummy as you seem to think he is. And part of the reason why human commanders did not fair well against the Covenant is because of the superior Covenant tech, not much they can about it, and because the Covenant was a new enemy, up until the Covenant war they had only fought fellow humans and human warships, or undergone training to fight fellow humans, nothing at all could have prepared them for fighting an undiscovered alien species.

I don't endorse what ONI did during the war regarding mis-information, but it would not have promoted more people to enlist, it would have introduced a sense of fatalism and people would undergo mass hysteria and panic.

And even if more money was put into weapons research, there's not much you can really do about fielding new weapons or technology during the war, and much of what they had in new weaponry was lost on Reach when it fell.

  • 03.27.2011 8:49 PM PDT

Hanger one I just shredded with the SMGs until ammo was out and I just threw 'nades like a boss while BRing.

My experience playing Cairo Station on Legendary

Probably sending troops down to defend Reach. It was doomed the moment the Covenant entered the system. Humanity should have called it's forces away, re grouped, and developed a plan. A waste of 30 Spartan II's if you ask me.

  • 03.27.2011 8:58 PM PDT


Posted by: Sector Z 157
Probably sending troops down to defend Reach. It was doomed the moment the Covenant entered the system. Humanity should have called it's forces away, re grouped, and developed a plan. A waste of 30 Spartan II's if you ask me.


That wasn't the biggest mistake, imo, but that certainly was a bit of poor planning on the UNSC's part.

  • 03.28.2011 9:19 PM PDT

  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • of 3