The alert carry, sometimes mistakenly called "ceasing fire", "standing down", or "gun down", is a feature introduced in Halo 2 for machinima purposes, and has since appeared in Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo 4, Halo 2: Anniversary and Halo 5: Guardians. The feature allows gamers to holster or lower their in-game weapons; it is commonly used when making machinima. The exact execution of the alert carry has changed between games and requires different button combinations for different game controller layouts.

Halo: Combat Evolved

The alert carry can be performed in Halo: Combat Evolved by simply looking down. Although the player is looking at the ground, others will see their head looking forward with their arms and weapons pointed at the ground. Generally, using an M6D Pistol or a Plasma Pistol resulted in a more relaxed effect; using a Needler or an Assault Rifle tended to bend the left arm inwards.

Halo 2

Noticing that Red vs Blue, which frequently used the alert carry effect, helped the Halo franchise, Bungie made it easier to perform the technique in Halo 2 by assigning it its own button—down on the D-Pad.

The alert carry is shown by looking down at the player's legs, they will not be as bent as normal. Other players will see it as your weapon being lowered. Shooting, throwing grenades, meleeing, reloading, entering vehicles, dying, or pressing the D-Pad again will end the effect. On Xbox Live, the trick can also be performed by exhausting all grenades and holding L (Left Trigger).

In Halo 2, not all weapons can be put into ready position, such as dual-wield weapons, Rocket Launchers, and Energy Swords. The trick seems to work on two-handed rifle type weapons, as when the Brute Shot is lowered, but on closer inspection, the player's arm is bent slightly and the Brute Shot itself is slightly tilted.

Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST

Note: This does not work on Xbox Live due to the possibility of exploits, according to Bungie.

The Halo 3 alert carry was first performed in public by Red vs Blue cast members. In Halo 3, the feature is activated with a button combination. The player can cease fire by pressing and holding the following in any order (different according to button layout):

1. LB (Switch Grenades)
2. RB (Action/Reload)
3. A button (Jump)
4. Left Thumbstick (Crouch)
5. D-pad "down"

After holding the combination together for three seconds, a player will find that their weapon has disappeared off of their screen; the weapon is lowered and visible to other players. Some weapons, however, are barely or not at all affected by this trick; such weapons include the Energy Sword, Brute Shot, Gravity Hammer, Sentinel Beam, Plasma Cannon, Machine Gun Turret, and Flamethrower. The trick looks odd when performed with the M41 Rocket Launcher, Fuel Rod Gun, Spartan Laser, and dual-wielded weapons.

The animation of the Rocket Launcher, Fuel Rod Gun, and the Spartan Laser will look similar to that of the assault rifle in Halo: Combat Evolved (unless the player uses an Elite model, then there's no change). If a player is dual-wielding, looking around will desynchronize their hands.

Shooting, throwing grenades, meleeing, going into Edit Mode on Forge, dying or re-entering the button combination will end the effect.

Halo: Reach

The alert carry option returned in Halo: Reach and was first seen being used in the Red vs. Blue Halo: Reach PSA: Deja View. The player can alert carry by pressing and holding the following in any order (different according to button layout):

1. X Button (Action/Reload)
2. B Button (Switch Grenades)
3. Right Thumbstick (Zoom)
4. D-pad "down"

After holding the combination together for three seconds, a player will find that their weapon has disappeared off of their screen; the weapon is lowered and visible to other players. Like in Halo 3, players will be unable to perform it on Xbox LIVE.

Unlike Halo 3, the M41 Rocket Launcher, Fuel Rod Gun, Gravity Hammer, and the flag will be in a resting position after using alert carrying.

Unlike previous games, when the player alert carries while holding a detached turret, the camera angle will shift a bit and the Spartan will also appear to be slightly more relaxed.

Halo 4

Pre-release screenshots revealed that alert carry had been incorporated into Halo 4. However, it is only available in default control layout, though once activated, it will work in other control layouts. The controller input is to perform it is:

1. X button (Action/Reload)
2. B button (Crouch)
3. A button (Jump)
4. D-pad "down"

As in Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, alert carry doesn't work in Xbox Live games. Unlike the other games, alert carry only works when the player is standing still; any other movement will cancel the alert carry for as long as the player is moving.

Halo 2 Anniverary

The alert carry returns in Halo 2: Anniversary, fixing Halo 4's problem; in addition, the function can now be performed on Xbox Live. The combination to alert carry is:

1. RB (Action/Reload)
2. A Button (Jump)
3. Right Thumbstick (Zoom)
4. D-pad "down"

Unlike previous entries, dual-wielded weapons, the Brute Shot, and the Sentinel Beam can be alert-carried, and Elites can exclusively alert-carry the Machine Gun Turret. Note that switching your weapon will exit the Alert Carry stance.

Halo 5: Guardians

Alert carry in Halo 5: Guardians can be achieved with the new Machinima control setting in Custom Games. When activated, Hold Reload and "down" on the D-pad.

Trivia

• Alert carry in Halo: Combat Evolved is actually a glitch rather than a feature. The creators of Red vs. Blue exploited this glitch for their machinima. Due to the popularity of the webseries, Bungie implemented an actual alert carry feature in Halo 2 solely for machinima.
• In Halo 3, by executing this trick in Forge while Edit Mode, you can create a permanent, lasting effect. This way, the effect will last until you die. Also, if you man a turret or enter a vehicle and then get out, your weapon will appear, but it will be misplaced (this effect is most notable with the Brute Shot).
• Execute this trick in conjunction with an Energy Sword and it will disappear. See Silhouette Sword.
• In Halo 3 local Split-Screen, this trick may be a possible method to combat screenwatching due to not being able to see what weapon you have equipped, though they may still be able to see the icon for it on your HUD.
• A tip to Halo 3 machinima makers; when you want to view someone lowering their weapon, the most commonly known, and probably the easiest way to do this, is to simply reverse the footage of them raising it. However, the button combination can be performed in any order. If you're talented enough, you can "crouch" while running, which negates its effect, and hold down (A) after you have jumped. If you hold these down while puppeteering your character, and complete the combo, your character will lower his/her weapon while neither crouching nor jumping, giving it a smoother look. It is tricky to master though, and some find the reverse-footage method more convenient. This trick is not very effective for Elites in general, and is only really visible when the player does not move. Running will cause the weapon to appear (to other players) to lift back up again, although to the player it will appear as if the weapon is still lowered. Another, simpler method is simply to turn off the ability to crouch in a custom game.
• During an alert carry, when a player enters a vehicle and exits, the player will see in his HUD that the weapon is frozen at the highest point of being drawn and the player does not appear to breathe as during holding a weapon off of cease fire. However, it will disappear if the player swaps or switches weapons, fires his weapon, or throws a grenade.
• Using an Armor Ability while Alert-Carrying will not cancel the Alert Carry.
• In Halo: Reach, Alert-Carrying any Turret weapon while playing as an Elite results in a somewhat humorous "Hold" posture; it will appear as though your left arm is merged with your chestpiece.
• Interestingly enough, in Halo: Reach, if you Alert-Carry and enter a vehicles passenger seat, it will look like you are holding a weapon like normal. However, when you exit the seat, assuming you didn't fire while in the seat, you are still Alert-Carrying.
• If you alert carry while holding an Energy Sword in Halo: Reach, it appears to the player holding it as though the sword mostly vanished; all you will see is little crackles of electricity from where it should be. To others, though, it is still fully visible.

Gallery

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  Alert carry in Halo: Combat Evolved.

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  Alert carry is used in the machinima series Red vs Blue. Example in Halo 2.

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  A red-colored Spartan with a pistol in alert carry position in Halo 3.

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  Alert carry in Halo 3 ODST.

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  An Elite with a lowered Plasma Repeater in Halo: Reach.

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  A Spartan with a lowered Assault Rifle in Halo: Reach.

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  A Spartan with a lowered Assault Rifle, in crouched position.

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  A Spartan with a Heavy Machine Gun Turret, normally (left) and in alert carry (right). Note the slight difference in right arm position.

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  Alert carry for Halo 4.

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  Two Spartans with their weapons lowered in Halo 2: Anniversary.

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  Alert carry in Halo 5.