Gameplay

Reach:Tip of the Spear

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This article is about the level. For the soundtrack, see Tip of the Spear (music).

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Nightfall

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Long Night of Solace

Tip of the Spear
HR TipOfTheSpear Loadscreen.png

Game:

Halo: Reach

File name (?):

m35[1]

Player:

Noble Six

Date:

August 12, 2552

Location:

Szurdok Ridge, Ütközet, Reach

Objective(s):

Neutralize Covenant AA cannons and disable Spire One's shield.

Par Time:

00:15:00 (Master Chief Collection)

Par Score:

30,000 (Master Chief Collection)
15,000 (Halo: Reach)

Main-Legendary.png

Halopedia has a walkthrough guide for this level; see Reach:Tip of the Spear/Walkthrough.

 
Two massive armies clash! Time to go to war against the Covenant.

"Tip of the Spear" is the fifth Campaign level in Halo: Reach.[2][3]

Summary[edit]

The level opens with Auntie Dot briefing Noble Team on the situation: A large Covenant invasion force has been discovered in the Viery Territory, and a joint UNSC military force has been mobilized to counter them across the continent. Noble Team's mission is to destroy Spire One, one of many large towers the Covenant have placed around their landing zone. Noble Six and Catherine-B320 lead the charge at the Covenant positions, and destroy two Covenant anti-air guns. Noble Six, manning a Falcon's gunner seat, then joins Jorge-052 as they make their way to the Spire. As their Falcon passes through the Spire's energy shield, the craft is disabled by an EMP which sends it crashing to the ground, killing the crew and forcing the Spartans to continue on foot. Jorge and Six eventually make their way to the Spire, where the installation is revealed to be a teleportation terminal, used by the Covenant to transport troops to the ground from a yet-unknown source. After deactivating Spire One's energy shield, Six leaves the area on a Falcon accompanied by Carter-A259 and Jorge-052 as the UNSC Grafton destroys the Spire. Immediately after the tower collapses, the Grafton is destroyed by the previously cloaked Sh'wada-pattern supercarrier Long Night of Solace.

Transcript[edit]

{Cutscene}

Szurdok Ridge, Ütközet

August 12, 2552 08:00 Hours

A convoy of more than thirty Warthogs, a Mongoose, four Scorpions, along with several Falcons and two Pelicans advance across a bare plain.

  • Auntie Dot: "It appears that Noble Team's discovery last night was not an anomaly. Large Covenant deployments have occurred undetected, and we are now under attack across the Viery territory, including orbital defenses. As per the Winter Contingency, we are countering on every front. Noble's reconnaissance has also identified sophisticated Covenant army hiding canopies, and has been pinpointed what's believed to be a landing zone for additional Covenant forces, the origin of which is yet to be determined."
A screenshot of a large UNSC Army armoured convoy attacking a Covenant landing site in the opening cutscene for Tip of the Spear.
A large UNSC convoy, about to engage Covenant ground forces.

The Warthogs, led by Kat and Noble Six, charge towards the Covenant landing zone, followed by a group of Falcons. Carter is revealed to be on board a Falcon overlooking the Warthog driven by Kat. Noble Six rides shotgun in Kat's Warthog.

Note: At this point, the subtitles show Jun saying, "Time to bake that cake we made last night!" The dialogue was confirmed by Bungie to have been a last-minute change.[4]

Kat detonates the charge that was planted on the pylon in the previous mission by Jun, which is seen far to the right of the advancing Warthog strike force. The pylon is destroyed.

Banshees swoop down on the convoy and open fire, while Wraiths lob mortar rounds from a distance. The gunners on the Warthogs retaliate, firing at the Banshees. Zurdo-pattern Wraith mortar rounds tear into the convoy and destroy several of the advancing vehicles. Kat and Noble Six dodge the mortar fire, and turn towards a bridge across a deep chasm, but as they prepare to cross, a plasma mortar destroys the bridge.

  • SPARTAN-B312: "Incoming!"
  • Kat-B320: "Might want to hold onto something!"

Kat accelerates and the Warthog manages to jump the gap in the destroyed bridge, but crashes violently on the other side, (presumably) killing the gunner and sending Kat and Noble Six flying.

Fade to white.

Fade back to Noble Six's point of view, which is hazy. The SPARTAN is lying facedown after the crash, with an M319 Individual Grenade Launcher lying several feet away. Vision clears, and Six glances towards the destroyed bridge. A second Warthog attempts to clear the gap in the bridge but fails, and the troopers inside fall screaming into the canyon below.

  • Kat-B320: "Six! Can you hear me? Six, you alright? I could use some help!"

Six gets up, grabbing the grenade launcher along the way.

  • SPARTAN-B312: "On my way."

{Gameplay}

Tempest Perimeter[edit]

Push up the hill and secure a landing zone.

Two members of NOBLE Team shortly after Battle at Szurdok Ridge began. Catherine-B320 activates armor lock to protect herself from the destruction of her M12 Chaingun Warthog by a Is'belox-pattern Banshee. SPARTAN-B312 fires his M319 grenade launcher. From Halo: Reach campaign level Tip of the Spear.
Noble Six fires his grenade launcher at the Banshees that destroyed the Warthog.

Kat activates her Armor Lock as the Warthog she is using for cover explodes after being shot by two Banshees. A Spirit drops down troops and flies away. A Falcon flies overhead and engages a few Covenant troops before being shot down. On the adjacent plateau across the river, dozens of Warthogs and Ghosts are clashing.

  • Carter-A259 (COM): "Kat, Six, what's your status?"
  • Kat-B320: "Pylons are down, we're pushing up the hill."

Kat and Six encounter heavy resistance as they move up the hill, including two Fuel Rod Shade variants. After eliminating the enemy forces in the area, a Pelican shows up with a Missile Warthog.

  • Carter-A259 (COM): "Kat, be advised: ONI has ID'd two hostile anti-aircraft guns southwest of your location."
  • Kat-B320: "Copy, Commander. New targets, Six. Go shut down those AA guns."
  • Kat-B320: "Commandeer that Warthog, get us there in one piece."

If the player stalls:

  • Kat-B320: "Commandeer that Warthog, Six."

Kat and Six drive a short distance before arriving at the AA gun. A Falcon flies above the Covenant infantry, engaging them before being shot down by the AA gun.

  • Carter-A259 (COM): "Six, AA gun should be in visual range."
  • 2 Lima 4 (COM): "2 Lima 4 to Noble One, those guns are pounding us with high-velocity plasma shells!"
  • Auntie Dot (COM): "Which would mean a strike by the frigate Grafton is also out of the question."
  • Carter-A259 (COM): "Noble Six, all our birds are stuck out of range unless you can do something about those guns."

As they approach the gun, a furious battle can be seen in the valley below. Three Scarabs and multiple Karo'etba-pattern Ghosts, Wraiths, and Banshees are exchanging fire with a large group of Warthogs, Scorpions, and Falcons.

Kat and Six proceed to the AA gun, encountering resistance along the way.

  • Carter-A259 (COM): "New intel, Six. Looks like normal weapons won't dent those AA guns."
  • Auntie Dot (COM): "I would suggest neutralizing the internal fuel cells, Lieutenant."