Editing The Storm

{{Status|Gameplay}}

{{Article quote|Reclaim the [[Voi|city]]. Make a hole.}}

It begins with a [[UNSC]] [[Warthog]] convoy moving to [[Voi]], its objective to punch through the [[Covenant]] [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|anti-aircraft defenses]] that surround the supposed [[Portal at Voi|Ark]] and allow [[Lord Hood]]'s small fleet to launch a direct strike against the [[Prophet of Truth]]'s [[Anodyne Spirit|Dreadnought]] in hopes of killing Truth and stopping the firing of the [[Halo Array|Halo rings]]. [[UNSC Marine]] forces, led by [[John-117]], fight through several pitched skirmishes through the industrial zone of Voi.

After breaking through the industrial area, John meets up with a group of approximately five [[M274 Mongoose|Mongoose]] ATVs and commandeers one with a [[Marine]] riding 'pillion' using a [[M41 SPNKR|rocket launcher]]. They immediately engage a squadron of [[Ogab'd-pattern anti-aircraft Wraith|Anti-Air Wraith]] tanks to secure a landing zone as [[Barukaza Workshop Chopper|Brute Choppers]] and [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]] attack. Covenant forces are being continually reinforced by [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantoms]]. [[AV-14 Hornet|Hornets]] and [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshees]] fly above, vying for control of the skies. Although they manage to take the landing zone, the victory ends up being short-lived as a [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] arrives to crush the UNSC forces. After John destroys the massive walker, remaining UNSC forces prepare to push into a [[Jiralhanae]]-controlled warehouse.

With reinforcements led by [[Thel 'Vadam]] along with the [[civilian|Voi Factory Workers]], the Chief and his allies push onwards, engaging nearly a dozen [[Jiralhanae]] armed with [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker|spiker]]s and [[Type-25 Brute Shot|brute shot]]s, a pair of [[Mgalekgolo]], and a [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]] wielding a [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|Gravity Hammer]]. They finally press on to the anti-aircraft battery, engaging a small Covenant force defending it, including a [[Jiralhanae War Chieftain]]. Eventually, they succeeded in destroying the gun, enabling three [[UNSC frigate]]s to attack [[Anodyne Spirit|Truth's ship]].  Unfortunately, the assault fails to damage Truth's ship. The artifact opens and activates a massive portal, which Truth and the rest of the Covenant fleet use to escape. Before the UNSC can figure out what to do next, [[Indulgence of Conviction|a badly damaged Covenant cruiser]] enters Earth's orbit and crashes into a nearby factory. An [[Flood|even deadlier enemy]] has arrived...

[[File:Voi 1.jpg|300px|thumb|The Warthog convoy arriving at Voi.]]

*'''[[Commander]] [[Miranda Keyes]] (COM)''': "Chief, the [[Prophet of Truth]] has found the [[Portal at Voi|Ark]]. Our only chance of stopping him is a surprise aerial assault. Clear this sector of Covenant [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|anti-air defenses]]. Make a hole for the [[Terrence Hood|Admiral's]] ships. Good hunting. Keyes out."

''The Warthogs emerge from the tunnel in a parking lot scattered with destroyed Warthog chassis and Marine and [[Unggoy]] corpses. The Warthogs roll to a halt as the Marines and Master Chief walk out, and the Marines form a perimeter outside the locked door. (On co-op, Thel 'Vadam and N'tho 'Sraom will also get off their Warthogs, but Usze 'Taham will remain unless he chooses to get off.)''

''The Chief heads back down to the ground floor, and opens a second set of doors, leading to a factory tunnel full of [[Jiralhanae]], Kig-Yar, Unggoy and even a pair of [[Karo'etba-pattern Ghost|Ghosts]]. Beyond that is another door leading outside to Lake Bed A. After cleaning out resistance in the tunnel, the [[UNSC]] forces open the next door, revealing a massive expanse with cruising Ghosts and a heavy Covenant garrison, along with an [[Ogab'd-pattern anti-aircraft Wraith|Anti-Air Wraith]] which fires at [[AV-14 Hornet|Hornet]]s overhead.''

''A team of Marines are forced to retreat from a small dock office in the center of the lake bed as a [[Kez'katu-pattern Phantom|Phantom]] dropship drops Covenant troops directly on top of the structure. The Master Chief and accompanying Marines rendezvous with the displaced team and together they assault the dock office, clearing it of Covenant. The Ghosts attack the UNSC force, but are repelled. A Phantom drops extra Ghost reinforcements, but the Chief and company destroy these too. Another Phantom deploys a [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|standard Wraith]] at the opposite end of the lake bed.''

''The Chief takes a Mongoose (or any other vehicle of choice) and heads outside with other ATVs.  A small squad of Marines has taken refuge on the boardwalk on the northern side of the lake bed. They are shortly engaged by a Covenant lance. Multiple Jiralhanae [[Barukaza Workshop Chopper|Choppers]] and Ghosts mill about in the center, guarding two more Anti-Air Wraiths. In the sky above, Banshees and Hornets are engaged in a fierce dogfight.''

''Enemy Phantoms deploy additional Ghosts onto the battlefield. The Marines on the northern boardwalk use a pair of [[LAU-65D/SGM-151|mounted Missile Pods]] to support the Chief from a distance.''

===Judgement===

*'''Johnson (COM)''': "[[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]]! Find some cover. Now!"

*'''Johnson (COM)''': "One more target, Chief. There’s a [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|Covenant AA gun]] in the next area. Take it down and Lord Hood can start his attack run."

*'''Naval Officer (COM)''': "All Brute [[Ket-pattern battlecruiser|cruisers]] are pulling back to [[Prophet of Truth|Truth's]] ship. Winds inside the storm just hit 200 kilometers per hour. Energy cascades all over the artifact!"

''The Master Chief and Thel 'Vadam pass through a stained area of bolted tin plates until they reach the periphery of the warehouse, where a trio of Marines are pinned down under sandbags as [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker|spiker]] projectiles fly through the air. Farther forward is a steel bridge where a pair of Marines frantically open fire on Jiralhanae all around them with a [[AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun|mounted machine gun]].''

''After the last wave of charging Jiralhanae is killed, the Master Chief, 'Vadam, and the surviving Marines make their way into the next section, where behind a mass of stacked crates a Jiralhanae violently throttles a construction worker. Three other workers armed with [[M6G magnum|pistols]] flee from the Jiralhanae and his [[pack]]. The throttling Jiralhanae roars out.''

''The Chief, 'Vadam, and the surviving Marines and civilians move around the remaining buildings and reach the hill where the massive [[Skar'wa-pattern Mantis|anti-aircraft emplacement]] stands. Weapons can be found among the Marine corpses lying behind sandbags at the base of the hill. The Covenant AA gun opens fire on a surging UNSC [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] and scores a direct hit on its engines. The damaged craft plunges into the cliffs below.''

''The Chief, 'Vadam, and the remaining Marines and civilians push up the hill.  Unggoy tentatively run down the slope to face the onrushing UNSC forces. The Chief eliminates them and presses forward. Mid-way up the hill, he encounters a [[Jiralhanae War Chieftain]] wielding a [[Pez'tk-pattern fuel rod gun|fuel rod gun]]. The War Chieftain is backed up by his [[Jiralhanae Captain]]s and Bodyguards, as well as an [[Unggoy Heavy]] manning a [[Pek-pattern plasma cannon|plasma turret]], and Unggoy and Kig-Yar infantry.  Numerous [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshees]] patrol the sky above (on higher difficulties, they will occasionally swoop down and strafe the player).''

*If one uses a [[Power Drain]] or an over-charged [[Plasma Pistol]] shot, one can take down a [[Hornet]] but the player can not fly it or use the passenger seats. If the player do this while fighting the [[Deutoros-pattern Scarab|Scarab]] the player can stand on top of the [[Hornet]] and jump on to the Scarab after the [[Hornet]] can fly again and gets close enough to the Scarab.

*The ''Halo 3'' official game guide doesn't show a [[gravity lift]] being on this level, however there is one in a dark area near the [[marine]]s manning [[LAU-65D/SGM-151|missile pods]].

===Easter eggs===

{{Main|Easter eggs}}

File:HTMCC H3 Achievement Milk Carton.png|Concept art for an earlier iteration of The Storm, in which the Mantis cannon would have been placed inside the town.

File:H3 Concept TheStormDocks1.jpg|Concept art of the docks of Traxus Factory Complex 09

File:H3 Concept TheStormDocks2.jpg|More concept art of the docks.

File:H3_TheStorm_Lakebed_Concept_2.jpg|More concept art of the docks.

File:H3_TheStorm_Lakebed_Concept_1.jpg|Near-final concept of the docks.

 

File:H3_TheStorm_Concept_Sheet.jpg|Revised digital design document titled "040 - Voi".