Button combo

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"Button Combo" is a colloquial term that refers to a series of button combinations for Halo 2 that allow for special tricks.

Introduction

These button combos utilize disruptions of firing and reloading animations, and successful executions lead to special advantageous effects like automatic plasma grenade sticks, instant close-range kills, etc...

One Touch Tricks

The following is an explaination of how single buttons can be incorporated in button combos. For more information on their normal usage, see Halo Controls.

X - The X button will of course reload a weapon, but besides that it can cancel the timers of animations such as melee or grenades (off-host) enabling you to fire or melee sooner than you would normally.
Y - The Y button will ofcourse switch a weapon which directly after you can throw a new melee (or sword lunge), but besides that it can also cancel reloading, cancel melee animations and when used in a quick double sequence it can enable you to open fire again sooner after reloading or cancel reloading if you are caught off-guard while reloading.
B - The B button will let you melee, but when used at certain times it can do more, after reloading, for example you can cancel the reload timer by melee-ing and after that pressing X. The melees lunge can also be used to swing at your opponent, whichafter you can snipe someone no-scoped or stick people with a plasma grenade.
R - The only function the R button has is to shoot, but as you will read below, in combination with other buttons a lot of tricks can be achieved.
L - Besides getting grenades out, you can actually use it to reload. After you have thrown a grenade and press X you will automatically reload, even though you can keep shooting (off-host).
Overheat - Overheated plasma weapons have extra abilities. After a weapon overheats, it will reset the timers for shooting, melee-ing and nading, this can be used to get quick sessions of double grenades.

List of Button Combos

Delayed Reload: Hold R,X (Off-host)

At the beginning of the clip of your rifle, hold fire and press x for the first shot, then you can fire a few rounds before it auto-reloads. If you learn the timing and press x every first shot, you can keep going without reloading. With the shotgun you can do this all the time, after fired rounds it will reload till it's full and you can fire whenever you want. Note - Many people combine this with the Quick Reload X,B,X Note2 - Many people use this in the form B,R,X, making it a MeleeFire which reloads afterwards Note2 - Only works Off-host

Quick Reload: X,Y,Y or X,B,X

After a certain time in a reload animation, the weapon is reloaded, pressing Y,Y, enables you to fire again. This also works to cancel out the swords 'reload time' since there is a period of waiting after a swordlunge. If you don't have a secondary weapon (Y,Y is switch back and forth), then press X and after the weapon is reloaded press B to melee and X to cancel it again.

Nade Reload: L,X (Off-host)

If you have shot a few rounds out of your clip already and you want to reload and shoot at the same time, then press L, then quickly press X while doing the reload animation and then just keep shooting the rounds you have left in your clip while the gun reloads at the same time. Note - Works only when you are not host, due to communication error towards the host.

Double Melee: B,X,B or B,Y,B

As soon as your melee has hit your opponent and the damage is done, you can cancel the rest of the animation with X and melee again. If you have a secondary weapon you can also press Y between melee's to switch and melee with your secondary or go for a Y,Y to melee with your primary weapon again (sword and brute shot have stronger melee's than other weapons).

MeleeFire: B,X,R or B,Y,Y,R

As soon as your melee has hit your opponent and the damage is done, you can cancel the rest of the animation with X and open fire again. If done optimal it will seem like a melee and shot at the same time. To be done with a full clip or using Y,Y instead of X when not. Strangely enough, you will automatically get a full clip some time after a BXR, even if you shoot. Also works with sniper, but preferably press X before the melee hits so you are still moving towards your opponent and can get a clean snipe. Note - When you don't have ammo to reload your battle rifle, you can keep doing B,X,R

Quick Switch: Y, YY or Y,B,Y,Y or Y,B,X

If you want to be the faster combo-whore after releasing a plasma bolt, just switch, melee and switch switch (or cancel melee by pressing X) and you'll be able to fire a splitsecond before you combo-opposition can. Also Y, wait, YY works. Note - All rifles allow you to fire straight after the Quick Switch and Quick Reload, but all heavy weapons can fire just as soon as they usually can even though the animation finished

Cancel Reload: Y,Y or B

During reload you might decide to want to open fire again, press Y,Y before the weapon has reloaded and you can continue fire with the ammo left.

MeleeStuck: B,X,L

When you lunge towards an opponent for the melee you can cancel the full animation in order to use the lunge towards your enemy to get a plasma grenade attached. Works best when the melee has not hit yet, since then you are still moving towards him.

Overheat nade: Charge,R,Y,L

When you release a plasma bolt after the pistol is charged and released you can hit Y and L quickly after eachother. What will happen is that the grenade will fly without its throwing animation. Helps if you missed the plasma shot because your opponent goes behind a wall. After the grenade is thrown there is a small time you can not shoot, but doing a cancel reload (Y,Y) fixes that.

Double Nade: Charge,R,pause,L,L

When you release a plasma bolt after the pistol is charged or when another plasma weapon has overheated (Beam Rifle, Plasma Rifle) wait one second and press L,L in order to through two grenades rapidly after eachother. With the right timing you can throw them almost at the same time. You can also set traps with this, deliberately missing a plasma shot, then surprising your opponents with a rain of grenades. You can switch back to your battle rifle, but only after the first nade is thrown.

Dual Nade: L,Y,B,L (On-host)

Not to be confused, but do to be combined with the Double Nade. The Dual nade is an entirely different trick that uses the picking up and dropping of dual wieldable weapons to cancel the time intersection between two grenade throws. Basically you stand on a dual wieldable weapon, holding a dual wieldable weapon, then press L to throw your first grenade, hold Y to pick up the dual wieldable weapon, B to melee and throw the weapon away and L to grenade again. With boxer settings the sequel would be L,Y,L. Note - This trick can also be used in combination with the Double Nade, using the plasma pistol as the first dual wieldable weapon for a deathtrap of three grenades.

Double Fire: R,R,X

The hardest one of all; quickly press R, then as soon as you have your R unreleased again, quickly squeeze it again and this time hold, quickly after the controller has registered the start of the holding press X in order two have the two shots burst out at the same time or rapidly following eachother. Timing is crucial, there is about 1/10th of a second to do so and within that second pace of the shots is also determined. You will know its succesfull when you see no reloading animation, but have a full clip again with 6 bullets less. You can also cancel the actual reloading by the Cancel Reload, but more usefull is to Doublefire and then instantly throw a grenade to cancel the reloading, this also seems to be the quickest way to get damage across a map.

Instant death: R,R,Y,B

The hardest to pull off, but also the quickest way to make someone die with a battle rifle. Stand in front of them and aim at his/her head, then by pressing R,R,Y,B quickly you will first fire one shot, then switch, melee and fire the second shot. The melee is to be pressed when you see the secondary weapon model. You could use the B,X,R, but with this trick you will always do damage, because of the first shot and on top of that you can do it with a not-full clip. Note - You do not want to run forward while getting in range for the melee, because then you will have the second shot hitting you in the back of your head.

Suicide shot: R,R,Y (secondary weapon)

This is a technique that can help you get out of a bad spawn without losing a point. When you press R,R,Y (al quickly after eachother, the results of the button pressing comes later) and move forward the following happens. You will fire one shot, then switch to your other weapon and then fire another shot. If you have moved forward during the button sequence, the second burst will hit you, because it will still come from the place where you pressed the second R. Note - MLG prohibits this

Boxer: B,X,R

It is a somewhat-complicated move that can be used with any weapon within Halo 2. The procedure involved has the player pressing the buttons, "B, X, R" in rapid succession, causing a melee attack instantly followed by round(s) from whatever weapon the user is holding.

This move is most often used in Team Hardcore by those experienced with the Battle Rifle, where it becomes an immensely effective combat type, for the strike will first take down shields, and if aimed right can provide an instant kill.