Painting pretty pictures.

Leviathan updated his webcomic, "A Fistful or Arrows" with three new pages. They are awesome. Check them out and sound off at the link below.

A Fistful of Arrows (Pages 21 - 23)

Old and new alike.

HBO sends word that Fire Team Zulu has unleashed some brand new challenges and revamped some of their existing ODST offerings. To check out all the newness, hit the link below and prepare to drop.

Fire Team Zulu

Anoj writes:

Anoj is back!

Hey everyone it's Anoj and to start off the new year we have Episode 11: Top 10 Lucky Kills where no skill is needed whatsoever! Sit back and enjoy!

YouTube - Top 10 Halo Reach Lucky Kills: Episode 11 by Anoj

To submit your clips for future episodes, go to Top10Series.com and click on "Submit a Video."

Take MLG's hand.

You need to brush up on your MLG game. Yeah, you. Your stats are terrible. Good thing MLG is ready, willing, and able to guide you through the game types.

"Following the recent release of the MLG Playlist, the folks over at Major League Gaming have produced a series of short, informative walkthrough videos for each of the game types found in the MLG Playlist. The videos were created with the intent of introducing those less familiar with their settings and also to serve as a review for those players with more experience. All of the videos are available on the MLG website or MLG YouTube Channel."

http://www.majorleaguegaming.com/news/mlg-halo-reach-game-type-walkthroughs

My God, it’s full of stars!

If you’re reading this, then I am already dead. Wait, that’s not right. Let’s start again.

If you’re reading this then you are invited to participate in the inaugural week if ill-advised community content competitions that we’re officially dubbing, "Bungie All Stars.” Each week’s competition will task you with using Halo: Reach’s suite of sweet in-game features, like Screenshots and Saved Films, or with using your own natural talent to create something that makes us wet ourselves with laughter, shed tears of joy, or gasp in terror at the mere sight of your foul and unholy exhibitions.

The rules are loosely constructed (and may not even be adhered to), the judging will be completely arbitrary (and wholly subjective), and the prize will be totally intangible: the seldom seen “Star” nameplate for use in Halo: Reach. As far as I know, there’s only one player in the world who already has access to it, and he works for us.


If you want to be the second player to join the ranks of the Bungie All Stars, this week’s task is simple:

1. Using any medium you can digitize and send via email, whip up some fan art of what you think Auntie Dot would look like, if she could take on holographic form, ala Cortana or Benjamin Franklin.
2. You have from this very second until Thursday, January 13th at 11:59pm PT to submit your entry for consideration (and public ridicule) to contest@bungie.com.
3. Use the subject line “Bungie All Star Week 1” without the quotation marks to help me keep nice and organized.
4. The size limit is 10MB and you should use your best judgment and discretion in terms of the nature of the content you choose to submit. After all, our mothers visit this site (yours too!).
5. One submission per person. Please include your Bungie.net profile and gamertag in your email.

If you’re not classically trained in the traditional arts, don’t freak out. I’ll be on the lookout for everything from masterful Photoshop submissions to hilarious MS Paint portrayals. Almost anything goes, as long as we can display it on the web (oh yeah, we'll probably display your submission on the web). You can even whip something up in Forge if that’s your preferred canvas. Again, if you can email the image to me, it’s fair game.

So, there you have it. Fame, fortune, and fan art are all up for grabs this week. Many will enter, few will win, but one thing is absolutely certain:

This is the way the world ends.

Good timing.

Looks like Grifballhub's going to be taking sign ups soon. Hit the link to read more about it. Thanks to HBO for the heads up.

Good Games League Signups Open January 21!

Tyrant122312 writes:

Why does this tank have six pedals if there are only four directions?!

Though the HBO Mythic Difficulty guide is still on holiday until next week (where we'll be finally throwing New Alexandria into the mix), the SOLO LEGENDARY guide has made its triumphant return with the three part narrated video of The Package, Tyrant's personal favorite mission in the campaign.

This week, we'll be returning to the glassed ruins of Sword Base in search of a high-priority demolition zone.  What we'll find is far more paramount to humanity's survival than we could have ever imagined!

Watch (and listen!) as the Tyrant shows you all the tips and tricks you'll ever need to make it through the mission on solo Legendary without dying!

ibagiest halo writes:

I'll see you on the moon.

Jack and Geoff are back in yet another hilarious volume of Fails of the Weak! This week is campaign heavy and also laugh heavy. You know, gravity is the reason why we feel weight, so therefore there is a lot of gravity in this video. Enjoy!

Rooster Teeth - Fails of the Weak Volume 16

CheckedBRUTES writes:

Still counting down the kills.

New year. New kills.

amdprophet writes:

Phat stats!

The Reach Service Record app for the iPhone received a big update over the holidays. The update includes the most requested features from the community and a few bug fixes as well. Some of the new features include:

- Rank Progress
- Stats by Playlist
- Stats By Map
- Medal Stats
- And more!

Reach Service Record for the iPhone can be downloaded for free from the App Store.

An update for the Android version will also be coming soon!

jake_108 writes:

I must break you.

Breakpoint certainly is the largest map of the three, but that doesn't mean it should be the most confusing. Follow these simple tips and you'll find yourself and your team on the winning side of the match.

Teabag Prevention: Noble Map Pack Week 3 - Breakpoint

Godly_Perfection writes:

Do you truly understand the power of patterns?

We've gone plaid!

"Another week, another lesson. We've got a nice little pattern going here, huh? Speaking of patterns, what happens when you break a commonly used convention that is used amongst the community? Like making a visually working teleporter for aesthetics that doesn't actually send you anywhere. Well frustration can happen. But breaking patterns like that can also be useful. Read on to learn the power of consistency and inconsistency in various contexts. Enjoy and see you next week folks!

Lesson 41: Consistency

* When a player encounter an object that acts differently than they expect it can throw them off balance
* Your goal is to not create an ambiguous definition for objects an keep them consistent throughout a game and your map
* Learning when to create patterns of consistency and when to break those patterns can be a powerful skill in your design toolbox"

Gimme and H, gimme an O...you know what, just watch the vid.

Also found on HBO, the most recent episode of Achievement Hunter's HORSE. Two grown ass men putting themselves through the paces for the sake of your entertainment.

Achievement HORSE #5

Free for all (assuming you're on mac mobile).

HBO points the way to another free Reach app. Stats and Service Record access on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

Halo Reach Challenges - on your iDevice

a rascal cat writes:

Inspiration. Dedication. Recreation. 

We're kicking of the new year with, Preserve by WhtButterflyLiz. Liz did an incredible job of describing her map in the interview below, so I'll let you check that out for yourselves. Enjoy!

Q. Who are you and why do you Forge?

A. Well hey there. My name is Liz, I'm an architect by trade and a WorkPLacer by night. Why do I Forge? Because it's fun! =) The building blocks and canvas we've been given with Forge World, combined with all the new tools like phasing and snaps mean you're pretty much only limited by your inspiration in making maps for Reach. It's fun to build spaces you can run around in, and then share it with your friends.


Q. What was your inspiration for Preserve?

A. Well, the first thing I did when I booted up Forge for the first time back in September was spend an hour or so flying around the map looking for spaces that interested me. I found the little ledge where Preserve is situated above the canyon and thought it would make a great starting point for a semi-suspended map. Then turning around and looking at the beautiful view I had at my feet, I thought "Wow... this would be a great place to have a wildlife preserve." I could just imagine Forerunner lions lurking the canyons below. So I organized everything on the basic principal that it was an observation deck. So we have the glass railings at the very edge, some holes in the deck to look directly down on different wildlife on the slopes, a stepped design as you move back from the edge, and hopefully a sense of respect for nature with the rock garden and walkways that avoid treetops.

Gameplay-wise, I wanted something that was large enough to host 5 or six on a side, but wary of the DMR's deadly accuracy at range, I wanted a curve to the basic design so the bases were protected from one another. I wanted an element of height that served the verticality brought to Reach by jetpacks, but I personally really REALLY dislike maps in which the upper levels dominate the lower levels so much that there's no point in going down there. So I tried to get a great variety of pathways to and from each level worked into the natural flow around the map, and I put a copious amount of cover on the lower deck while leaving the upper walkways pretty exposed. Hopefully this keeps all three levels engaging.

Q. Anything else people should know before they download?

A. Preserve was designed with 1-Flag in mind, so I would say that and Team Slayer are the optimal gametypes to give a shot on it. I also set it up for Headhunter since that's one of my favorite new gametypes, and King of the Hill since I felt there were distinct strategies to holding specific parts of the map that changed significantly based on where the hill was, so it should stay challenging. It was my very first attempt at the Forge in Reach, so it has a few wrinkles that weren't ironed out, and a few gametypes not supported, but I'm pretty proud of the overall product, and I hope you all enjoy playing on it!!! =)

Lastly I'd like to give a shoutout to The WorkPLace, who make Halo fun every night and are an awesome group of people to just hang out with, and The T00L B0X, who give me the playtesting support and constructive feedback to turn my maps from pipe dreams into really fun playable spaces.

Thank you so much for answering our questions, and constructing this remarkable map, Liz.

Note to the community: Be sure to download the Preserve Map File below!

Map File: Preserve

Cheers!

Silent Vandal writes:

The ultimate 'sleep' mode...

Reclaimer is back in action.

Go check out the Cavalcade's latest technological woes.

Gear61 Owns writes:

Will you walk with me?

This is Zev's 2nd Halo: Reach montage, edited by himself. It is pretty similar to his first montage, featuring good gameplay, a relaxed soundtrack, and simple editing. The gameplay gets better as it progresses, showcasing some sweet overkill exterminations along with a nice grenade launch on Countdown, and I liked the music choice. Enjoy!



YouTube - Zev's 2nd Halo: Reach Montage

HuckInAustin writes:

Mobile madness.

Get stats in the palm of your hot little hand.

"Daily Reach for WP7  is the easiest way to look up daily and weekly in-game challenges for Halo: Reach without logging on to you Xbox. Enter your gamertag and track your progress as you play. You can also track your friends progress as well. This is not an extended Halo: Reach stats application.

The app is, and will remain, free."

App Details

Br0nto writes:

What's old is new again!

Bet you thought the gift-giving season was over. Bam!

"Precipice is a Halo Custom Edition map that has been in the works for many years now. As a New Years present, I have released both the map and a promotional trailer for those interested in seeing it.

Promotional trailer

Map download:
http://www.filefront.com/17736797/precipice.rar

Release thread on Modacity.net, with screenshots and additional information.

Enjoy, and Happy (Belated) New Years!"

Tyrant122312 writes:

All skulls. One city. No mercy.

When it comes to culling the Covenant (especially for TONS of credits), how better to do it than down on the dirty streets of New Alexandria City on Legendary with all 13 skulls activated? Though it may seem near impossible, Tyrant and Team Mythic have you covered from start to finish from the zany suicide squads to the brutality of Brute Chieftains. We'll show you step by step how YOU can take the city of New Alexandria back from the Covenant on Mythic Difficulty (Legendary + ALL SKULLS activated), granting you bragging rights to all of your envious friends via the Mythic Exodus guide brought to you by the Tyrant, Team Mythic, and Louis Wu from HBO.  You'll be treated to tons of text and detailed videos voiced by the Tyrant himself!

Need additional help outside the guide?  Be sure to swing by the Mythic Reach thread where all eleven Mythic Conquerors are standing by waiting to give YOU all the tips and tricks you need to get through the mission successfully.

Not quite ready for Mythic? Not a problem! Start your training by taking a look at Tyrant's Halo Reach Legendary Guide where we teach you how to get through each and every mission on solo Legendary with no deaths and just a few fun skulls thrown into the mix for good measure. This week we're featuring the easter-egg-filled mission New Alexandria. We've added a few upgrades to the guide this week to up the overall quality, so be sure to watch, learn, play, and CONQUER!

Step inside for all the gory details.

As of right now, our matchmaking support team has deployed two major playlist additions, introducing Arena FFA and Community Slayer, the latter of which is completely comprised of some notable Forgetacular maps. They've also made other, more minor modifications, which we've lovingly listed below. Go nuts!

PLAYLISTS

Arena

• Added FFA Arena playlist, test your might in this 6-8 player Arena
• Added Unanchored map variant to all Arena playlists
• Players can now change their votes in Arena playlists

Community Slayer

• The first of several new community playlists
• Unaltered maps made by you, the Halo community
• Play and vote. Your voting data controls what rises into the ranks of official playlists!

Team Objective

• Cleaned up entries in the Team Objective playlist, we now offer the best of the best

MLG

• Maps updated to v2.1, this includes fixes to weapon spawn times

Team Slayer

• Adjusted weightings in response to voting data, default “Team Slayer” should now be available more often

MAPS

Asylum

• Added soft kill volumes to the rocks leading up to the ledge on the right side of the Red Base (AKA, Infection camping grounds)
• Adjusted the placement of the large rock on the outside ledge of Red Sniper spawn

The Cage

• Added soft kill volumes to some lower areas outside of the intended playable space

Anchor 9

• Modified the size and shape of the center hill object to better fit the area in KOTH games

Breakpoint

• Reduced the radius of the safe haven in the greenhouse

GAMETYPES

Big Team Slayer

• Now 100 to win!

Elite Slayer

• Modified loadouts, Armor Lock is now accompanied by a Plasma Rifle instead of a Needler

Rocket Race

• Motion Tracker is now Enabled
• Hud-widget for KPH is now in the bottom center

Powerups

• In gametypes built from the latest matchmaking variants, powerups should now function as they do in Forge
• You’ll need to save off the latest game variants from your temporary history to take advantage of this!

Gear61 Owns writes:

I'm a rebel.

Holy hell, how did he come up with that?!

"This is a Halo 3 trick jumping montage from Nate, edited by Joshington, entitled, 'Renegade.' I didn't find it to be as sick as 'Novella' was, but the jumps are still ridiculous with a lot of them having that 'Holy hell, how did he come up with that?' factor. The editing is great as well, showcasing an interesting Foundry transition alongside some nice syncing. I also thought the soundtrack was good. Enjoy!"



YouTube - Renegade - A Halo 3 Trick Jumping Montage

CruelLEGACEY writes:

Ring in the new year with some laughs.

That's my jam!

"The Fails of Reach - Episode 5 is now online. Featuring music by A Flock of Seagulls. Just reading that makes me laugh! Don't forget to head over to cruellegaceyproductions.com for more Halo laughs, montages, tutorials and achievement guides, screenshots, and forge creations!"