Marine Glitch on the Silent Cartographer

This is a humorous glitch that occurs on the Halo: Combat Evolved level The Silent Cartographer.

How to Achieve It
Play through the Silent Cartographer level on Halo: Combat Evolved until you reach the first Forerunner structure. Fight your way inside and Cortana will advise the Master Chief that he should not allow the Covenant to close the doors. Once the doors have closed, ferry the Marines that came with you to the drop zone using the Warthogs available on the map to this room in front of the door. Ensure you bring most, if not all the surviving Marines to this room. You can ask them to disembark from the Warthogs if you wish but you run the risk of killing them when you bring your next load of Marines with you. This room should now be full of Marines on foot and/or in Warthogs. Continue with the mission as normal. When you trigger the next cut scene the Elite Zealot will be killed by your Marines almost instantly.

Once you have activated the Silent Cartographer you will receive a message from the Marines stating that they are coming under attack at the Landing Zone, which is impossible considering they are actually completely safe within the building you are in. Return to the room you left the Marines in on your way out of the Forerunner structure. They will be exactly where you left them, either standing or sitting within Warthogs, but will be completely motionless. You can attack them and they will make the noises of being wounded but will remain absolutely still nonetheless. Once you attack them enough their weapon will fall from their hands to the ground, but the Marines will remain where they are, completely immobile but lacking a weapon. If you shoot a Marine statue with a Needler the needles will not explode, unless you unload three clips, walk away, and come back. This means you can potentially turn a Marine into an explosive chandelier. You can also try throwing Plasma Grenades. However, on some occasions, the Marines will all have died for no apparent reason.

Similar Glitch
When the door has been opened, there will be no Zealot (like always). Get the Marines, get them just outside the Silent Cartographer, and only one Warthog will have acting Marines. In the other Warthogs, they do not do anything, no sound no movement, and you can't get in Warthogs. Also, when you go down the first time, if you ignore all the other enemies, you can stick the Elite Zealot. The doors will then close and lock on their own. Then, when you unlock the door, triggering the cutscene, you can clearly see the Elite walk out perfectly fine, but you can also see its dead body.

Further Aid
The Marines can be ferried to the entrance room to the Silent Cartographer at any point before you activate it. The walkthrough here just provides the quickest and simplest path.

Related Links

 * The Silent Cartographer