Dome of Light

Dome of Light is the sixth level of the real-time strategy game, Halo Wars. The level involves breaking through a giant, dome-shaped Covenant Energy Shield to discover what lies within. The main objective of the mission is to escort the Rhino tanks to the marked points around the map, defended by the Covenant, after which Serina will fire all tanks on the same point of the energy shield to break through it. The mission initially involves placing three Rhinos at the marked points but after a failed attack on the shield two more points are selected for Rhinos to be placed at. After the energy shield is broken through, the player is then given 40 MAC shots to destroy the Covenant base within and complete the mission. This is another level in which the player can't control ODSTs.

Transcript
{Big Dog Walking}

''An exterior view of the Spirit of Fire. Cutter starts talking, in the middle of a discussion already.''


 * Captain Cutter: "So...it's an energy shield that they can deploy on the planet."


 * Anders: "Yes, Captain. We can't see through it, but the Covenant are up to something."


 * Captain Cutter: "Agreed, we need to find out what that is, can we use the ships cannons and take it out directly?"


 * Anders: "We may destroy whatever's under there. Covenant shield technology is susceptible to superheated plasma. Aren't we field testing some plasma-based Rhinos?"


 * Serina: "Pillar of Autumn inventory shows they have some prototypes."


 * Anders: "It might take some time to get the right power settings. I'll need to be on the ground to do that."


 * Captain Cutter: "Professor, Sergeant Forge, let's get that shield down!"


 * Forge: "Ugh, babysitting again?"

Anders gives Forge a quick smile.

{Gameplay}


 * Forge: "Well, this little field trip is a bust! Anders, is there anything out here except for that big alien dome thing?"


 * Anders: "Scans seem clear, shall we see what's inside?"

''A Rhino approaches firing position and opens fire, hitting the dome shield. Covenant air units begin to appear and attack the Rhino.''


 * Forge: "Looks like we only shook the beehive, we got multiple bogeys inbound."

The Banshees destroy the Rhino on screen.


 * Forge: "Any more bright ideas, Anders?"


 * Anders: "Data from the shelling proved we're on the right track, but we'll need to simultaneously launch from multiple Rhinos."


 * Pillar of Autumn: "Harvest Surface Command, Pillar of Autumn. Request for plasma Rhino is approved. Rhino is inbound."


 * Anders: "The Rhino has arrived, get it to Position One."

The Rhino gets to its position.


 * Anders: "I'll take control of that Rhino to calibrate the shots."


 * Forge: "Rhinos are expensive, I've called for some ODSTs to protect this one."


 * Anders: "I've marked Second Position, request another Rhino and get it to that site."

The mark appears on map


 * Forge: "Ooh, perfect! There's a stinkin' Covenant outpost right where you marked! We'd better take that out first."

Response to Rhino request


 * Pillar of Autumn: "Rhino LRA plasma augment, on its way."


 * Forge: "We should take out those Covenant buildings that are reinforcing their position."


 * Forge: "The area's secure, get a Rhino in place!"


 * Anders: "Rhinos are in position and ready to fire, firing Rhinos in 3, 2, 1..."


 * Forge: "Not much effect, but it looks like we're makin' some progress."


 * Anders: "I've marked the third position."

Response to Rhino request


 * Pillar of Autumn: "Request for plasma Rhino received, it's en route."


 * Forge: "We're gonna need a transport to get the Rhino to that position."

Response to Rhino request


 * Pillar of Autumn: "We'll have that Rhino on the ground in no time."

With the combined fire from all three plasma Rhinos the shield begins to falter, when multiple Locust show up


 * Forge: "Holy hell, they have Locusts!"


 * Anders: "Hmm, my calculations show that two more Rhinos will be necessary to open up a hole big enough, the final two positions have been marked."


 * Forge: "The Covenant must have figured out what we're doing, we're going to need a larger force to take those locations."

Rhino gets to position.


 * Anders: "Only one more Rhino to get into position."


 * Anders: "Cross your fingers! Firing all Rhinos in 3, 2, 1..."

A section of the dome shield falters and opens up


 * Anders: "The dome power supply is overloaded, we got it!"

Gameplay changes to MAC crossairs


 * Serina: "MAC is coming online, single turret available."


 * Forge: "Alright, the dome generators and the air defenses are the main targets. Light 'em up!"

''MAC opens up. After a few rounds, Serina takes charge.''


 * Serina: "MAC fully online, all rounds loaded, I'll take out the remaining structures."


 * Forge: "Nice work. Let's get down there and see what the Covenant found so damn interesting."

Level ends.

Trivia

 * If the player sends a captured Banshee toward the energy shield, the Banshee will immediately self-destruct and the SPARTAN will fall to the ground. The SPARTAN will then respawn by the player's base.
 * When a Rhino is requested, sometimes the Pelican pilot refers to the ground team as Harvest Surface Command. This may have been an oversight by the developers, as this level takes place on Arcadia. However, it is possible that the Spirit of Fire was still officially assigned to Harvest.
 * The ODST squads that are sent to guard the first Rhino each have two medics instead of one.
 * The large domelike shield seen on this level is very similar to the Covenant Spire seen in Halo: Reach, and may be an earlier version of this structure.