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The Elites as depicted in Halo Wars.

"If they want a war, we'll give 'em war."

— Commander of SPARTAN Group Omega

The Halo Wars Announcement Trailer was revealed on September 27, 2006 at the Microsoft X06 media briefing. It was the official media release to announce the development of Halo Wars.

Transcript

The trailer begins with an Ensemble Studios logo, before showing four M12 LRV Warthogs and two turretless Warthogs leaping over a rise in a snowy night landscape. The camera shifts to the two Marines in the lead Warthog, dressed in arctic uniforms.

• Passenger: "Spirit of Fire, this is Blue 6. We're joining Blue 5 and are en route to the recon patrol's last known position. Six out."

The Warthogs catch up to an outfit of five M808B Scorpion tanks (Blue 5). The camera then pans ahead to two members of the recon patrol. The two seem to have re-established contact, as they radio in to Blue 6.

• Recon: "Blue 6, Blue 6! We're under attack!"

As they flee from an unidentified figure towards a waiting Warthog both Marines are promptly gunned down by plasma fire. The Passenger gasps as he hears it over the radio. One recon Marine is shown to have survived and is attempting to crawl away. He then turns on his back and witnesses an Elite uncloaking and drawing an Energy Sword. The passenger listens intently as screams are heard over the radio.

• Passenger: "What the?"

It is revealed that the last remaining patrol member has been killed. The Elite picks up the carcass, inspects it, lets out an animalistic snarl. He then tosses the body aside. Additional Elites uncloak behind him as eleven Banshees rise into the air and charge forward. An all-out battle breaks out as several Herons land, accompanied by Shortswords, Scorpions, and Warthogs. A group of Banshees is shown wreaking havoc upon the UNSC air forces, while several Marines taking cover behind an overturned Warthog gun down the leader of an Elite lance using what appear to be Battle Rifles. A Banshee strafes them, hitting one Marine and sending him flying into the camera.

The camera then cuts to an over-the-shoulder view of a Spartan. Several columns of smoke are seen rising from the destruction. The camera then flips and pans back revealing five Spartans standing in front of what appears to a platoon of Marines.

• Spartan: "This is Spartan Group Omega. If they want war, we'll give 'em war!"

Four Shortswords fly overhead.

The screen cuts to a Halo Wars logo.

Music in the Trailer

The music begins with a restless violin section almost reminiscent of the music omnipresent the Matrix series. The music then shifts into a triumphant, driving drum beat that takes a distinctive minor turn when the recon team is gunned down. When the surviving recon soldier is stabbed with the energy sword, perhaps the most recognizable piece of music is heard: the Gregorian chant section of the original Halo theme song is reworked into a mournful section that depicts the hopelessness and despair of the fight against the Covenant. As the Elite tosses aside the body, the music takes a distinctive modal shift into what sounds almost Middle Eastern, but immediately shifts again into what sounds increasingly reminiscent of the beat-driven riffs of Martin O'Donnell of the Halo series, despite the fact that O'Donnell did not work on Halo Wars. After a desperate violin arpeggio, drum beats accent the brave words of Omega Leader, and the trailer ends with a simplistic low note that seems to be inspired by the simple tones of the Halo 3 Announcement Trailer.

Trivia

• The Banshees appear different than their other iterations, as they have a ridge on their hoods and even feature headlights, as well as several individual LEDs on the engines instead of the faint glow from Halo: Combat Evolved.
• The Elites appear to be lacking shields for their armor.
• Interestingly, only one or possibly two Elites are wielding energy swords, and all others appear unarmed.
• The Battle Rifles shown seem to be automatic, and the Marines are firing them in controlled bursts.
• Spartan Group Omega only appears to have five members, while the other soldiers are Marines.
• The Spartans are wearing an early (non canon) version of the MJOLNIR Mark IV armor. The armor in the game is different.
• The trailer appears in the final game, playing silently in the background of the start menu.