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Subject: As if some things weren't hard enough!
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Posted by: womyfts
Welp, I gave up on the IWHBYD attempt, moved on to fart around on DH and OS....

Of course, I decided with all those skulls active, I really should go back to the beginning and finish the attempt I gave up on earlier, which was cairo.............and.......GOT IT!

Some useful tips with this skull assortment active (cowbell, thunderstorm, catch, envy, mythic, ghost, angry, sputnik, grunt bdp) include:
Same here. I couldn't get the damn skull to spawn. Some weeks ago, I was able to spawn it as many times as I wanted. I also deleted my skull backup game saves as part of my retirement plan. As a result, I can't do any more testing.

Posted by: womyfts

A PP overcharge, followed by a plasma stick makes for very angry and pissed off elites. But it can be a great way to get them to go to their swords (Sliding Ghost taught me that!). There is a big advantage with Angry active in having Elites with NO PLASMA weapons to tar your ass with.
Let's not forget about melee only mode. If they don't pull out swords, there's still a chance they'll "forget" how to fire their gun.

Posted by: womyfts

I found that there are certain times it pays to be pretty aggressive. The first hanger, you have to slaughter the grunts immediately. And you have to be risky and try to take out as many elites as you can BEFORE the third wave arrives. When there are more than four down there it is damn near impossible to get past. I found that hoarding the PP's right at the dead marine/BR location on the stairs made me much more effective than leaving the extras PP's down by the closed door/magnum area.
Agreed. I found that going cqc with Black Eye is doable but once the third wave comes in, holy -blam!- it becomes a matter of life and death. I still have my CS SLASO saves so I can test this.

Posted by: womyfts

IN the second hanger, that dual PP combo was brutal since there are better lines of fire than the first hanger (in my opinion). It also helps that if you can get elites to a sword, they will charge you. When they coma t you from a distance that is all to the MC advantage as you have the time to light him up with two overcharges and blow him up with the BR to the head (love GBP!).
The first hangar is always the hardest. Now that I think of it, the Covenant always dominate in hangars I.e. Ultra Elites, T&R Zealots.

Posted by: womyfts

The bomb room was the same, every available PP from the bugger battle brought with to the lower hanger door, then out to the bomb room elevator once the jet packers were toasted. Double OC's, BR, return bomb.

I died about sixty times during this run, but I finally got it (I believe they call that segmented, lol, and I was in many segments!)
How do you stop them from sinking into the ground when you get them on the rising platform? Or did you dual wield, drop 1 at the elevator, then go back and get the others?

Great effort!

[Edited on 01.25.2012 10:07 PM PST]

  • 01.25.2012 10:05 PM PDT
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Prior to getting the PP's into the elevator I had them in the lower chamber (since that door locks) that the big platform elevator drops to after the bugger battle.

From there, once the jet pack elites are dead you double wield them, and drop into the elevator that goes to the bomb room without going far enough in to trigger the vator downward. Typically it is faster to swap both for one of hte dead jet pack elite PR's, and leave 2 each time, then swap the PR for two more. There comes a point where you are just dropping one into the elevator and carrying one, when you run out of PR's to carry back.

I did notice that when the elevator to the bomb room does its jiggly dance down that the PP's floated a bit, and that scared me thinking I might lose them. When we hit bottom they just dropped to the floor. I got them all out of hte vator by double wielding and dropping so that I did not have to expose myself each time I needed to swap for a new one. With Angry going that trip to the open doored elevator is rather dangerous!

  • 01.26.2012 6:36 AM PDT
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Posted by: womyfts
There comes a point where you are just dropping one into the elevator and carrying one, when you run out of PR's to carry back.

I did notice that when the elevator to the bomb room does its jiggly dance down that the PP's floated a bit, and that scared me thinking I might lose them. When we hit bottom they just dropped to the floor. I got them all out of hte vator by double wielding and dropping so that I did not have to expose myself each time I needed to swap for a new one. With Angry going that trip to the open doored elevator is rather dangerous!
Ok.

What a relief! That's all I needed to know.

  • 01.26.2012 3:15 PM PDT
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With Cairo down I moved on to Outskirts. The parts up to and past the alley to Zanzibar were tough but not undoable. Past strategies helped alot in making it beatable.

The real problem is how the skull combo affects the Ghosts. They are -blam!- damn near indestructable!

Things that seem patently unfair and way stacked against the MC in vehicle combat:

1-It takes more than 6 Rockets to take out a ghost. I know since I hit the same ghost with a FULL CLIP of 6 rockets and it was still moving around and firing at me. The effect of Mythic seems to extend to most vehicles that the elite is driving EXCEPT the troop carriers in the tunnel (at least getting that first explosion, after that taking out the driver it can take forever due to Mythic). Banshees, Wraiths and Ghosts all are damn near impossible to kill without dying alot unless you are firing from a ghost at long range, out of their range, and have nothing shooting at you.

2-The effects of the skulls related to vehicles are MUCH more noticeable on my vehicle than the enemy. With Angry and Sputnik, a ghosts shots move the warthog or my ghost around a ton, whereas when I fire from a ghost, at another ghost, or even hit a friendly hog, nothing happens like that, they do not move in any way other than under their own power. They are still subject to explosions moving them under Sputniks awesome power, but the weapons fire seemingly has not a whit of effect on them like it does on me.

3-A beam or sniper rifle shot to the fuel tank will still take out a ghost, if you can get a clean shot. The amount of movement seems to double at least with this skull combo, they do not spend much time dawdling and giving you clear shots on that tank. Even if you do manage to get them out of the ghost, they are tough to make dead. You can go through over a third to half of a beam rifle to take one of these steroided up elites out, or a ghost firing on him for over ten seconds.........and there are alot of elites on the second half of OS!

I have a feeling that for Metropolis bridge action I am just going to have to make sure that my Scorpion shots send the ghosts off the bridge, otherwise it is gonna be sheer hell. The Banshees, that will be rough, I may just take the damn hog and race through, but that goes against my better nature of killing everything!

  • 01.27.2012 11:35 AM PDT
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That womy, is exactly why I consider OS to be hell. Some of that stuff I didn't even know! During my most recent tests, I never tried to speedrun because I always got pwned by the damn Phantoms...

Posted by: womyfts
I have a feeling that for Metropolis bridge action I am just going to have to make sure that my Scorpion shots send the ghosts off the bridge, otherwise it is gonna be sheer hell. The Banshees, that will be rough, I may just take the damn hog and race through, but that goes against my better nature of killing everything!
Don't shoot at the Banshees with the tank! Hijack one and use it to kill everything.

[Edited on 01.27.2012 1:09 PM PST]

  • 01.27.2012 1:03 PM PDT
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Wow! I never knew you could snag a banshee like that! It gives you alot of possibilities ESPECIALLY getting the scarab gun and bringing it back to use in battle? Wait, I would wager that once you pass enough checkpoints that you are screwed as far as enemies spawning back on the ground....bummer, but a very cool idea you have there!

PS. I only watched the first few minutes, given I have to now go and try that!

  • 01.27.2012 3:45 PM PDT


Posted by: womyfts
Wow! I never knew you could snag a banshee like that! It gives you alot of possibilities ESPECIALLY getting the scarab gun and bringing it back to use in battle? Wait, I would wager that once you pass enough checkpoints that you are screwed as far as enemies spawning back on the ground....bummer, but a very cool idea you have there!

PS. I only watched the first few minutes, given I have to now go and try that!

On Metropolis, you can't snag the banshee on the bridge and fly it to the Scarab gun, you have to do the same old lure it down the tunnel to the load point and then board it as the pilot de-loads. Alternatively, you could try launching to the Scarab gun in a Warthog and corner riding back to street level.

Both of which, are going to be near impossible to do under SLASO conditions :/

  • 01.27.2012 3:51 PM PDT
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Got past the end of OS finally, and my first attempt at snaggin a banshee worked perfectly (great teacher in SG!). I found something funny, when you fly down towards the water you can see whatever you have blown off the bridge sitting on top of the water. It doesnt react to any firing at all, but it does look funny just sitting there (or floating there?).

I saw your post willis, and I am not surprised that you cant shortcut it that way, is a true bummer!

  • 01.27.2012 4:28 PM PDT
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Posted by: womyfts
Got past the end of OS finally, and my first attempt at snaggin a banshee worked perfectly (great teacher in SG!).
:D

Posted by: womyfts
I found something funny, when you fly down towards the water you can see whatever you have blown off the bridge sitting on top of the water. It doesnt react to any firing at all, but it does look funny just sitting there (or floating there?).

I saw your post willis, and I am not surprised that you cant shortcut it that way, is a true bummer!
Hmm I never noticed that.

Yes it is a bummer. I've tried getting the Scarab gun on Legendary via Banshee luring. Absolutely brutal. The problem is that the Banshee is reluctant to pursue you. Otherwise, it might be possible to get it to the end of the tunnel.

  • 01.27.2012 4:44 PM PDT


Posted by: Wilis_kid

Posted by: womyfts
Wow! I never knew you could snag a banshee like that! It gives you alot of possibilities ESPECIALLY getting the scarab gun and bringing it back to use in battle? Wait, I would wager that once you pass enough checkpoints that you are screwed as far as enemies spawning back on the ground....bummer, but a very cool idea you have there!

PS. I only watched the first few minutes, given I have to now go and try that!

On Metropolis, you can't snag the banshee on the bridge and fly it to the Scarab gun, you have to do the same old lure it down the tunnel to the load point and then board it as the pilot de-loads. Alternatively, you could try launching to the Scarab gun in a Warthog and corner riding back to street level.

Both of which, are going to be near impossible to do under SLASO conditions :/
There is a tedious way for that Banshee. After getting through the tunnel go back and push a Banshee (the hijacked one) through the tunnel to the lz. Stick the left wing inside and get in.

I've done it but it is very tedious work.

  • 01.27.2012 4:54 PM PDT
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I just got back from Cairo Station LASO practice. After excruciating, agonizing, hair pulling moments (and a heck lot of screaming, raging, cursing, and weeping), I have a new, better strategy for the first hangar room.

My new strategy calls for map control, just like in the bomb room. I had doubts this kind of strategy existed in the first hangar. I also doubted that I could pull it off, but having survived my first playthrough with no overshields (and often, with my normal shields down), I can safely say that it's a viable option. It requires a ton of patience though and you really should headshot every single Grunt before attempting it.

With this strategy, there's no need for Johnson.

I'm getting the videos ready (might take a while) so I'll just provide some screenshots.

Basically, you headshot all the Grunts then stick all of the Elites (especially the dual wielding Elite) to get them to pull out swords or go into melee mode then you show yourself from this position to 1 at a time. He charges. Blam! Assassination. When dealing with sword Elites, just cloak and use cover to hinder his view. Armory skull may have enhanced them but I've got some surprising assassinations on them today.

[Edited on 01.28.2012 1:01 AM PST]

  • 01.28.2012 12:03 AM PDT
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I have used that spot to hide, I think the only time I lured was by accident (HA!).

I have yet to get Johnson into the hanger, so I have had to go the harder way each time, but not with a full load of skulls, most but not all.

Currently boarded the scarab on metropolis. What an absolute pain in the ass the ghost and wraith parts were. I was so close to throwing my controller against the wall so many times it was scary (I am still aggravated). A warthog just goes up in flames way to easy with angry on. Very annoying! I am looking forward to getting this level over with, very much so.

  • 01.28.2012 6:37 AM PDT
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OS down, and half of Arbiter.

Arbiter is by far the easiest of the first three levels.

Heretic Elites are not pumped up by Mythic nearly as much as the normal thunderstormed elites are. One plasma stick and a head shot after and they are toast, which is about 20% of the abuse that the non heretic elites are capable of taking.

Funny thing happened three times so far (I am at the elevator of death), I have ended up facing three heretic elites that have no sword to draw after they get pissed off and toss their carbine. It is like having flood buddies from CE, except these are much more animated and still try to strike you like they had a sword, same motions and same sounds. With Angry going they are actually pretty funny to watch going after me. I had one solo, which I thought was just a glitch, then I had two at the same time, huffing and puffing away trying to hit me with their imaginary swords, funny stuff!

  • 01.28.2012 3:59 PM PDT


Posted by: womyfts
Got past the end of OS finally, and my first attempt at snaggin a banshee worked perfectly (great teacher in SG!). I found something funny, when you fly down towards the water you can see whatever you have blown off the bridge sitting on top of the water. It doesnt react to any firing at all, but it does look funny just sitting there (or floating there?).

I saw your post willis, and I am not surprised that you cant shortcut it that way, is a true bummer!
You can hop out and stand on them too. A guy could space all the stuff knocked over the edge and hop across to the other side, lol.

  • 01.28.2012 5:45 PM PDT
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Posted by: womyfts
I have used that spot to hide, I think the only time I lured was by accident (HA!).
It's a good place to lure.

Posted by: womyfts
I have yet to get Johnson into the hanger, so I have had to go the harder way each time, but not with a full load of skulls, most but not all.
If one manages to get Johnson into the hangar, he seems to be a decent distraction. The only problem is that he likes to take cover against the big crates.

  • 01.28.2012 6:42 PM PDT
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Can you blame Johnson for wanting some cover? Those freeking elites with angry going are a real pain in his hairy dairy-aire (typo on purpose, I am a cheesehead from wisconsin). Some of the funniest sounds I have ever heard in the game are from Johnson getting hammered by an enemy, the occassional serious primal scream, very fun to hear, just not very often.

  • 01.28.2012 8:12 PM PDT
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Posted by: womyfts
Can you blame Johnson for wanting some cover? Those freeking elites with angry going are a real pain in his hairy dairy-aire (typo on purpose, I am a cheesehead from wisconsin).

Some of the funniest sounds I have ever heard in the game are from Johnson getting hammered by an enemy, the occassional serious primal scream, very fun to hear, just not very often.
Isn't too bad. The only problem is that you have to knock away all the cover. To do that, Johnson must stay on the upper railing.

But you have a good point. I hate how I lose my shields within 2 seconds. It wasn't like that in CE.

Lol!! Johnson must really be in pain.

  • 01.29.2012 3:53 AM PDT
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I am seriously annoyed for two reasons:

1-I picked up famine without thinking about it, which is going to make the rest of this effort a major pain in the ass. There sure is a jiggle fest going on around that skull, with the shaky flood rather than grunts at that skull.

2-I am at the boss battle with the heretic and his two holo's and cant even get to my firing position on the upper level. With cowbell, angry and all the other BS I have going I cant even manage to get too a second round of cloak they peel my paint so quick. -blam!- THIS GAME at times!

  • 01.29.2012 6:40 AM PDT
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Went into the heretic battle with double needlers and a beam rifle, ended up never needing anything but the needlers. I was surprised, once I was finally able to get onto the upper level how easily they fell, damn good thing since I was running out of patience in a major way.

Delta Halo hasnt been too bad, up to the point you run into ghosts and banshees and wraiths, god they take for -blam!- ever to destroy with mythic on. At the middle of the level, the structure with the prophet babbling on about the journey. Marines are useless, just a way to prolong ammo with Famine now active. I forgot how much I hate that skull!

Buckle up your chinstraps folks, from here I have a feeling there will be alot more swearing in my posts (Cover your kids ears, and if you are a kid, GO TO YOUR ROOM!)

  • 01.29.2012 10:46 AM PDT


Posted by: womyfts
Went into the heretic battle with double needlers and a beam rifle, ended up never needing anything but the needlers. I was surprised, once I was finally able to get onto the upper level how easily they fell, damn good thing since I was running out of patience in a major way.

Delta Halo hasnt been too bad, up to the point you run into ghosts and banshees and wraiths, god they take for -blam!- ever to destroy with mythic on. At the middle of the level, the structure with the prophet babbling on about the journey. Marines are useless, just a way to prolong ammo with Famine now active. I forgot how much I hate that skull!

Buckle up your chinstraps folks, from here I have a feeling there will be alot more swearing in my posts (Cover your kids ears, and if you are a kid, GO TO YOUR ROOM!)
Lol, good read. If you drive back up to the corner with the Scorpion, you only have to fight one Banshee, the others will not appear. Then you can kill the Wraiths without them firing back.

  • 01.29.2012 11:08 AM PDT
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Posted by: womyfts
2-I am at the boss battle with the heretic and his two holo's and cant even get to my firing position on the upper level. With cowbell, angry and all the other BS I have going I cant even manage to get too a second round of cloak they peel my paint so quick. -blam!- THIS GAME at times!
Yes, the Heretic boss battle is very unfair and unpleasant. With Armory on, you only have a few seconds to cloak. Now imagine doing the entire level single segment and coming to this part. Holy -blam!--ing -blam!-, that would give anyone nightmares if they died.

Anyways, here's a method I came up with for dealing with the Heretic leader. :)

Posted by: womyfts
Went into the heretic battle with double needlers and a beam rifle, ended up never needing anything but the needlers.
Is there a beam rifle on Oracle? :o

  • 01.29.2012 5:55 PM PDT
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Speaking of boss battles, damage sponges are rarely fun to fight.

If anything, I would prefer mini-boss encounters. I've had a lot of fun with Twilight Princess 6th level's Darknut. He's like an Elite, but with no recharging shields and no instant kill sword.

Posted by: Grumpy1

Posted by: womyfts
At the middle of the level, the structure with the prophet babbling on about the journey.

Buckle up your chinstraps folks, from here I have a feeling there will be alot more swearing in my posts (Cover your kids ears, and if you are a kid, GO TO YOUR ROOM!)
Lol, good read.
Agreed. :P

Posted by: womyfts

Buckle up your chinstraps folks, from here I have a feeling there will be alot more swearing in my posts (Cover your kids ears, and if you are a kid, GO TO YOUR ROOM!)
I've already got ear coverings (for an entirely different reason) but I'm all open ears to that. The frustration from gameplay has warped my mind and made me look like an Elite!!

[Edited on 01.29.2012 7:36 PM PST]

  • 01.29.2012 6:10 PM PDT
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Delta Halo ended up not being too awful once I got past the buggers.

Regret's jackal snipers were a real handful with cowbell on, but overall not too much trouble.

Where I have run into trouble were two specific spots, one surmounted, the other currently giving me indigestion!

1-The second gondola ride, where you match wits with the banshees, 2 jet pack elites and fuel rod grunts, yeah that one took almost 30 attempts before I could manage to get that checkpoint. I kept getting killed due to never being able to battle and then hide effectively before one of the three bastard categoires of evil aliens got me. I was saving the rocket rounds since all of them wont even take out one banshee, so why bother, and saved them to attack the gondola and sight up on any too nosy jet packer. I finally was able to kill the FRC grunts first, then basically just run around and cloak until the checkpoint went. You cant do the run around strategy when the FRC grunts are still alive, they lay you to waste (or just blow you off of your gondola to the watery death below). The jet pack elites got their death when they held up at the temple of regret.

2-I am currently trying to dispatch the Prophet of Regret and Mythic seems to have made him damn near invincible. I have gotten the first series of three checkpoints after beating on him for the appropriate amount of time, but I have found that he has grown rather obnoxiously strong since that point. I have gotten to him and landed six punches as many as ten more times (total of 60 MC fists to the head) before getting killed and he still will not go down and -blam!- die!

I feel like I am living the nightmare of trying to find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of some fiendish tootsie pop! How many frakking times do I have to hit the SOB before he gives it up?

[Edited on 02.01.2012 7:18 AM PST]

  • 02.01.2012 7:15 AM PDT
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Posted by: womyfts
I feel like I am living the nightmare of trying to find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of some fiendish tootsie pop!
lol the world may never know.

Posted by: womyfts
How many frakking times do I have to hit the SOB before he gives it up?
Isn't there a grenade boarding exploit for Regret? Also, have you tried dual wielding Needlers to get him out of his chair?

  • 02.01.2012 12:08 PM PDT


Posted by: Sliding Ghost

Posted by: womyfts
I feel like I am living the nightmare of trying to find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of some fiendish tootsie pop!
lol the world may never know.

Posted by: womyfts
How many frakking times do I have to hit the SOB before he gives it up?
Isn't there a grenade boarding exploit for Regret? Also, have you tried dual wielding Needlers to get him out of his chair?
An RL works too but dbl needlers are the best imo. Knock him out of the chair and go RL him to death. I've never fought him with Thunderstorm and Mythic on.

  • 02.01.2012 12:14 PM PDT

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