The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Reach level)/Walkthrough

Overview
This is a walkthrough for the Halo: Reach level The Pillar of Autumn. It is written for play at the Legendary difficulty, but contains notes for lower difficulties. This is the ninth level of Halo: Reach. For this mission you are joined by Emile-A239. Your Mission is to deliver Cortana to Captain Keyes and the. Your initial loadout for this mission is your trusty MA37 Assault Rifle and the M6G Pistol. It is important to note that as this walkthrough at the Legendary difficulty, all strengths of enemies reflected are at the Legendary level.

Not Rain, Nor Heat, Nor Your Ugly Ass Shall Keep Me From My Duty
You know where you need to go, but getting there is going to be a challenge. Advance until you can see in the distance. You'll be standing on a high cliff. Look over the ledge and assess the area beneath you. A squad of Spec-Ops Grunts and a Elite Major are directly below you. To the right of the bridge you'll see an Elite Ultra with a Concussion Rifle and some Grunt Ultras. There are also some Jackal Majors scattered around the bridge. Carefully walk off the ledge and slide down the cliff face behind the Major and his squad. If you do it right, you'll take very little damage when you hit the ground, if any. Sprint forward and assassinate the Major. If you don't get him, revert to the previous checkpoint and try again. Taking him out makes doing this part much easier. Once the Major is dead, proceed to kill off his Grunt squad. You have limited ammunition for your pistol so you may want to use your Assault Rifle on them. The Jackals will probably have shielded themselves and started firing on you by this point. Lob a grenade to break up their party and finish the survivors off with your Magnum. Dealing with the Ultra Elite is the tricky part. He's got very powerful shields and a Concussion Rifle, plus a few Grunts backing him up. These Grunts will probably have moved up on your right and started firing at you by now. Take them out and recharge your shields if necessary. You may want to swap your Assault Rifle for a Plasma Pistol or Needler to help fight the Ultra, your choice. Chip away at him until he goes down, staying as far away from him as you can. There are probably a few Grunts left once the Ultra is down, dispose of them as required. Once across the bridge in the building on the right are M392 Designated Marksman Rifles and M41 Rocket Launchers. Grab both, you'll need them. Get on the Mongoose. Emile will hop on the back. Drive as fast as you can. Follow the road and don't stop for anything. You're going to need to be fast and use brake sliding to make some of the turns but you shouldn't ever need to engage any enemies here. Sticking to the defined path is the safest route, where you're least likely to flip over. Continue along the path, jump the gap in the broken highway bridge and dismount. This is your first real fight section. Head into the damaged buiding on the right and drop your Rocket Launcher for an M45 Tactical Shotgun. Remember where you left the launcher because you're going to come back for it. Head over the barrier and start killing. Stay back and to the left to avoid the two Jackal Snipers in the Deployable lookout tower with Needle Rifles. Once you've gotten rid of the Grunt Ultras in front of you and Any approaching Brute Minors, edge left until you can see the snipers through the cab of the truck providing your cover and take them out. Now start clearing the Brutes and Jackals at mid range. These Covenant are mostly Brute Captains and Jackal Majors, but there are a few Brute Minors scattered around. Keep a roof over your head when possible. The Wraith AI is very accurate and the mortar shot has enormous splash damage. When you go after it, kill the gunner, grab a Plasma Pistol off the ground and use an overcharge round to stun the Wraith. Hop on and either hijack or kill it. You can then clear the entrance to the cave area of Jackals and Grunts before going back and swapping out your Shotgun/Plasma Pistol for your Rocket Launcher and reload your DMR to full. Alternatively, you can opt for a more dangerous, but very rewarding strategy. Immediately pick off the Jackals in the tower with your DMR and move along the right side of the area at high speed with Sprint, ignoring all other enemies. Kill the Wraith gunner as you move. Once the gunner is down, close in on the Wraith, which should be almost defenseless. It may boost in an attempt to splatter you once you get close enough, so keep that in mind. Hop on the tank and beat down the driver. Take control of the tank and lay waste to the Brutes and Jackals, who will probably be firing at Emile. Watch out for plasma grenades from the Brutes and overcharge shots from the Jackals. Once you're done, hop out, rejoin Emile and advance into the network of caves ahead, no backtracking required.
 * On a side note here, as you approach the bridge you should see a Phantom fly past you. Hold up and wait for it to pass by on Legendary before jumping the bridge; you can survive being shot by the gunners on Heroic but it's much less likely on Legendary.

Bad to the Drone
Carter has given you a chance, take it. advance again, keeping your DMR out. Your going to run into some Drones. They're quick and good shots, but VERY weak. They're easy enough to pick off with the DMR, just take your time and use a single shot for each one, every round counts here. They will often stop and hover to line up shots. Use this time to headshot them (they'll explode if you are successful). The shotgun also works quite well here where the extended range and tighter grouping of the pellets (compared to Halo 3's M90A) are a one shot explosion against drones. Once you are past the first group, you'll get some DMR ammo and an Drop Shield. If you're on Legendary, the Drop Shield will SAVE YOUR LIFE. Eventually you'll advance to a second group of Drones supported by Skirmisher Murmillones. Their shielding makes headshots the most viable form of termination here. They've all got Needle Rifles. Murmillones are very fast and agile so you'll need to keep steady and hit them when they stop to shoot at you. When they are down, run back and grab whatever ammo is left for the DMR. Advance into the next area.

Junkyard Dog
Just before you exit the caves on the ground there will be a Spartan Laser make note of it because you are going to come back for it. Ahead of you is a drop off leading to a large area populated by baddies, usually one Elite General, one Elite Ultra, two Elite Majors, lots of Jackals (Majors and Minors) as well as Grunts and Skirmisher Murmillones. Overlooking the battlefield from the scrapped ship are two Elite Rangers. They won't attack until you eliminate some of the Covenant forces on the ground, so ignore them for now. Start shooting. Clear out the majority of the enemies (get the General and the Ultra, they're the biggest threats). Eventually you will probably be down to the Elite Majors, the two Rangers and some Murmillones. If you are out of DMR ammo run back and swap it for a Needle Rifle to finish off the Skirmishers. If you like, you can expend your Rocket Launcher ammo here to clear out the enemies and go back for the Spartan Laser, but it's actually easier to use the Laser here to hurt the high ranking Elites. There are three Spartan Lasers in this area so you don't need to be incredibly stingy with your shots. You may want to save the Ultra or General for last and use the Spartan Laser on him (It makes for an excellent screen capture on review). Once all the enemies here are dead, make note of the building below and left of you. There is ammo here you are going to come back for. Hop down and go into the building on your left to restock DMR ammo. Mop up any survivors (the Rangers will probably have attacked by now). A few troopers may have survived the battle, hand off the General's Fuel Rod Gun to one if you want, although they won't last long. Head into the facility directly in front of you and go up stairs. When you reach the top you'll find a huge balcony with a Spartan Laser on one side and a Sniper Rifle on the other. This is why you saved the Rocket Launcher ammunition earlier. Use one rocket apiece to knock out the Shades, it makes this section that much easier. You can also simply DMR snipe the gunners, but the guns are often manned again and could easily catch you by surprise. The reason the Spartan Laser is useful here is because of the Ghosts (usually two). They move around a lot and are tough to hit with the slow-moving rockets. Kill them with the laser, or use the Sniper Rifle, it's not very useful otherwise in this section. Mop up survivors with the DMR. It may seem like an endless horde, but you should be able to plug through it with ease. The third Spartan Laser in this area is on the ground underneath the scrapped ship, near where Emile and any surviving Army troops will be fighting. If you want this laser, poke around underneath the ship to find it. Once you've cleared the area, reload your DMR and head to the left hand side of the structure, there is a conveyor belt across to the other side head over and look into the building from the roof openings. You'll see two Elite Ultras, an Elite Minor and some Grunts. Knock them off with the DMR. You can use the noob combo on the Ultras if you like, but KEEP THE LASER. Go back and get it if you swap for a Plasma Pistol. Keep your DMR always. If you backtrack out the door to the ground level entrance to the room (you came in from the roof) there is a case with DMR ammo. Advance to the next section.

Break On Through (To the Other Side)
Once inside the facility you are going to run into an anteroom next to a large machine room. Clear the back of the machine room of Jackals and Grunts and steal a Plasma Pistol (swap temporarily for your Laser). A few Ultras and maybe a Major will appear. Use an overcharge shot to eliminate their shields, then pick them off with the DMR. Go back and grab the Spartan Laser. Advance through and peek around the next corner, there is a group of Murmillones and two Hunters. This is why you have the Spartan Laser. This fight is VERY difficult without it. Now if you can get a shot on the Hunters' backs you can kill them with one laser shot. If not, two shots each and aim a little high so to avoid hitting the shield arm. Finish off the Murmillones with the DMR. When they are dead you can advance into the building. Here there are Jackal snipers on the upper deck and a DMR on the ground near the barrels, so restock on ammo and start clearing. An Elite Ultra will sneak up on the right with an Energy Sword and gut you if you are not careful. When he shows up, retreat and make him go after Emile. Emile can finish the Ultra by himself, as he can't die, or you can assassinate it. Grab the sword or a Plasma Pistol from the dead Jackals. Check the Sword's battery when you pick it up. Don't bother with it if you're below 50-60% battery. Once you've cleared the catwalk, go up the stairs, another group will appear from the forward doorway, including an Elite Ultra. Use the Sword (or the noob combo) and DMR to kill them quickly. Now under the stairs is a room with a case of DMRs, grab one and head back through the door. Clear out the Grunts then move forward. A container with Grenade Launchers should be in front of you. Keep the Sword or swap it for the Grenade Launcher, your choice. If you don't have the Sword, pick up the Grenade Launcher. Again, KEEP THE DMR. NOTE: If you prefer the Needle Rifle to the DMR, and took one from the caves where you encountered the Drones, Jackal Snipers, and Skirmishers, it's arguably more powerful in the next section; however, you will have to be very judicious with your shots throughout the level to have enough ammunition for it by this stage for it to be useful.

This is Why They Call Me Hyper Lethal.
Head out onto the landing pad area. Now there are several strategies for dealing with this area. You are going to have to defend this area against several (3-4) waves of enemy troops, consisting of Brutes, Jackals and Grunts. No Elites, so in a way you lucked out. You should have a DMR or Needle Rifle primary weapon at this stage. Your secondary will be either the Grenade Launcher, Shotgun, or Energy Sword. Evaluate your area of operations before things get hectic. There is a building to the left side of the platform, with a Sniper Rifle on the roof as well as health packs and ammunition for the Assault Rifle, Magnum, and Grenade Launcher on the ground level. Shotgun and additional Magnum ammunition can be found in the basement. Simple strategy is best here and you should stick to it. Hold the high ground. DMR ammo is hard to come by here, so make every shot count. (There is ammo by a dead soldier on the rocks on the lower left side of the battlefield, and extra can be obtained with a glitch. The first wave of Phantoms will drop troops to the rocks to the left of the landing platform at the far end and in the rocks directly to the right of you on the gangway. Stay only the gangway only leaving to get more ammo. Pick off as many enemies as you can with the DMR. Keep an eye on your motion tracker because Brutes are going to try to get in your face. The Grenade Launcher or Shotgun should do fine at keeping them away. The Grenade Launcher is hard to use, but its high damage allows it to kill at a farther range than the Shotgun or Sword, and there's plenty of ammunition for it if you picked it up before you started the battle. Employ it on clusters of infantry for good effect (Jackals in particular). Your Marine allies will almost certainly be wiped out during the course of the battle. When you hear the call for the second wave of enemies (they drop on the right side of the battlefield, the music will change dramatically as a cue), grab the Sniper Rifle. There will be two Chieftains here, one with a Fuel Rod Gun and one with a Gravity Hammer. Focus on the Fuel Rod Chieftain. Because he won't dodge much, the Sniper Rifle is a great choice to take him on, just don't waste ammo, you'll want the Sniper shots later. Two headshots will take him down. Quickly swap out your Sniper Rifle and retrieve the weapon you dropped. The Gravity Hammer Chieftain will charge you, drop grenades on him and keep backing away. If he gets close enough to swing, jump over him away from the Hammer to dodge the force of the strike. Keep hitting him and he'll go down eventually. Swap his Gravity Hammer for your Grenade Launcher if you're low on ammunition, otherwise keep the Grenade Launcher. Finish off the remaining enemies to trigger the last wave. You can head to the main landing platform to gain a pretty good vantage for your last showdown, or you can stay on the roof of your building. There will be a couple of Brute Minors and a Chieftain with a Plasma Launcher, plus any surviving Brute Captains and Jackals from prior waves. Use the DMR to clear the everything but the Chieftain. Once you're down to him, bring out the Gravity Hammer. If you have enough ammo left (unlikely), use the DMR, it's much less risky than closing with the Hammer, but if you can close quickly enough you can finish him off and grab the Plasma Launcher for yourself. If you stay on the roof, this wave will drop right on top of you. Fire Grenades into the mass of Brutes before they can spread out to kill or wound most of them, or charge in with the Gravity Hammer or Energy Sword. This is very dangerous, but rewarding if you pull it off. Now Captain Keyes' Pelican will drop in, before you go to him, grab that Sniper Rifle off the roof and head over to the Pelican to deliver your precious cargo.

My Name is SPARTAN-B312. You killed my Teammates. Prepare to Die.
You're on your own, but there's work to be done. Equip the Sniper Rifle, there is a Elite Zealot on the far gangway near where you came in. This is what you've been saving the Sniper Rifle for. Ventilate him, it should take three quick headshots, you MUST be precise. Reload, a second Zealot will exit, you should send him on the Great Journey the same way. Reload, a third Zealot may appear at the door, if you have the shot, take it. If not, leave him for now. Pick up a DMR if you can find one, otherwise a Magnum will do. Clear out the Grunts from a safe distance. Once you don't see any more Grunts move to the doorway where the Zealots and Grunts came from. There is an Engineer here. Hit him with a few shots from the DMR or use the Plasma Launcher if you still have it to take care of it. This will draw out the last Zealot if you didn't kill him with the Sniper Rifle. Pick up a Plasma Pistol and noob combo him. If you were unsuccessful with the Sniper Rifle, the noob combo is your best chance. Do not try and engage a Zealot in close quarters if possible. They often dual-wield Plasma Rifles and are excellent shots with a very powerful melee. Coupled with their very strong shields, you will always be disadvantaged in a close quarters battle. Strafe and use the Plasma Pistol and DMR to chip their shields away. Once all three Zealots are down, your last individual enemy is ahead, a Elite Field Marshal with a Fuel Rod Gun. He's a good shot with it and will put a shot into your face if you charge him. Try using the overcharge shot to pop his shields, if you miss, just try again. Once you knock out his shields he'll drop the Fuel Rod Gun and pull out an Energy Sword. Don't panic. If you're in close, you can run around behind him and assassinate him while he does the animation to pull out the sword. If not, just wait till he starts charging and headshot him.

You....Shall Not....Glass!!!
OK. You're down to your last hurrah. The Mass Driver Cannon is just up the stairs. Now you can hop in the driver's seat and plug away at Phantoms and Banshees until the CCS-class Battlecruiser is in range and then fire. However, on Legendary this requires ridiculous timing, absurdly accurate fire and more than just a little luck. It's much easier, and completely safe to hop into the turret, then hop out and run down the stairs, wait for the right moment (Keyes will cue you at the right moment). Run up, hop in, aim, fire, pump your fist, you just completed your mission and ensured the escape of Pillar of Autumn.

Legendary Notes

 * This level requires you use all of the skills you learned in previous levels, from vehicles to assaults to firefights, you do it all here.
 * Conservation of ammo is often key here. While for skilled players headshots aren't too difficult, less experienced players often use too much ammo aiming for center mass and doing less damage, especially on Legendary. Practice your sniping skills, while they may not always be necessary, they will always be useful.
 * There are three Spartan Lasers on this level. Use them right and you'll be able to keep one to the end of the level.
 * This can never be stressed enough, know your weapons. You may be most comfortable with a DMR and Plasma Pistol, but if all that's around is a Brute Spiker and a Plasma Rifle, you'd better be able to wield them effectively.
 * Never surrender the high ground. there are several areas here (no less than four) where you will have height and range on your enemies, use these positions to keep yourself safe and the enemy dead.
 * Any skull would be good here. You are going to face the most deadly enemies on this level anyway and they're all going to be in front of you. There's plenty of weapons around and no one ever went wrong with more grenades. Only Iron may be something of a stickler here as it is a fairly long level and repeating the whole thing if playing solo will be a little tedious.
 * If possible, and when all the weaker enemies are dead (Grunts, jackals, etc) sneak around to the back of the enemies, while your allies distract them, and assassinate, move back to cover and rinse and repeat. This is best used against elites for it takes forever to take down there shields at long and med range and they move to cover after shield is down.
 * If there are other "common" weapons lying around (assault rifles, plasma rifle, etc.) pick them up and use them against weaker enemies, for it will conserve your ammo on your preferred choice of weapons.

Notes for Lower Difficulties

 * Heroic difficulty has more enemies but they are easier to defeat. Plan on seeing more Elite Majors and Brute Captains.
 * One shot with a Sniper Rifle will kill nearly all Elites. You can kill almost any Elite after you find them with a single well placed shot to the head (two at the most).