Snowbound

Snowbound is a medium sized multiplayer map in Halo 3. From Bungie Q&A on a Weekly Update, they hinted that it may take place on a former Forerunner planet near Earth, though it is currently occupied and being excavated by the Covenant.

Note About Cardinal Directions
Cardinal directions in this article are based upon Bungie's heatmaps. North is "up". In this article, the secondary map (with the numbered locations) is inverted, so north is "down" and south is "up".

Layout
Snowbound is a medium-sized, semi-symmetrical map set in a snowy Forerunner construct with two large Covenant bases at either end of the map. The bases, known as high base and low base, are connected by an underground tunnel network. Several rock outcroppings are found around the perimeter of the map, as well as other Covenant and Forerunner constructions. A unique feature of this map is the infamous shield doors, similar to those found on Epitaph, these doors stop all weapons (except Energy Sword and Gravity Hammer, you can still lunge through the doors) and explosions, but let players pass through. Although Spike Grenades can stick to the shield itself, vehicles cannot pass through them. Due to the map's structure, fighting often takes place in or around these shield doors. The most unique part of this level, however, is its boundaries. Here, Automatic Turrets will shoot any player who ventures out of bounds.

In Bungie's 8/22/08 Weekly Update, Bungie announced that a version of Snowbound called Boundless without shield doors (except the four which can be accessed on top middle) and slightly different weapon layout.

Low Base
Low Base is often referred to by players as "BR Spawn" due to the two Battle Rifles which spawn on the outer rear walls. Inside, you will find a Spartan Laser, two Spikers, and a Bubble Shield. Outside the base spawns a Carbine, Spiker, Mauler (left side), and Active Camouflage (right side). On top of the base are a Needler, Plasma Rifle, and a pair of Plasma Grenades. This base's lights do not flicker.

High Base
Directly adjacent to Low Base, High Base offers a different set of weapons. High Base is commonly referred to as "Sniper Spawn" or "Carbine Base" due to the Carbine and Beam Rifle which spawn in this location. Behind the base, players can find a Battle Rifle or a Plasma Rifle around the rock terrain. Outside, players can find a Mauler to the left of the base, and an Overshield to the right. Inside, you will find two Plasma Rifles, a Beam Rifle, and a Power Drainer. On top of the base are a Plasma Pistol, Plasma Rifle, and a pair of Plasma Grenades. The lights of this base flicker and buzz.

Upper Map
The upper portion of the map is home to many predominant features and access ways, and is also a Sniper's paradise. Located between both bases, to the south, is the Underpass (or "Ghost Spawn"), where a single Ghost (or Warthog) spawns. In the center of the map, you have access to the lower levels by way of the Ice Cave Tunnel. A common tactic for players is to blindly toss grenades into the map's lower levels from this area, utilizing the underground corridors and tight spaces to trap players in the explosions. Further to the north, on the opposite side end the Underpass, lies the Ice Cave's main entrance with its distinctive overhang and large shield door.

Ice Cave
Predominantly known as the "Shotgun Spawn" in Lone Wolves or "Sniper Spawn" in Team Slayer, heavy fighting occurs in this cold and icy cave. This area sees frequent carnage, due to its high traffic, tight quarters, and position between the High and Low bases. To the immediate south is an elevated opening with no shield. West of this is the tunnel to Low Base. East of this is the tunnel to High Base. Directly south is the Main Entrance, which is protected by a larger shield door. Entering the Ice Cave from any of these 3 methods is usually extremely risky. This main entrance is very defensible, as it affords the player with a full view of the cave's three most-used entrances. The shield door further enhances this area's strategic potential. Above the Ice Cave's main entrance spawns a Brute Shot (top), as well as a Spiker to the west and a Mauler to the east. Players have several points of entrance and exit, but the tight quarters of this cave make maneuvering quite difficult. An often seen tactic on this map is to hide on the other side of a shield door with the Shotgun or Mauler, and kill players as they pass through.

Key Areas
01. Low Base - Bubble Shield found here 02. High Base - Power Drain found here 03. Low Base Batteries 04. High Base Batteries 05. Rock Side 06. Tundra Side 07. Ice Cave Entrance (Concrete call-out) 08. Ice Cave 09. Ice Cave Tunnel 10. Ice Tunnel 11. Underpass 12. Far Rocks

Strategies

 * After swapping for the Spartan Laser when spawning in Team Slayer, if your team doesn't plan on using the Ghost, a good tactic would be to wait for an enemy to get in it, eliminating the Ghost, that enemy, and possibly the Overshield threat.
 * Even though the outside is good for sniping, the Beam Rifle is more commonly used inside for no-scoping and double shots, which is usually rather effective.
 * The rocks lined up near the Ghost spawn is normally a less risky way up top when traveling from base to base.
 * The ceilings inside the bases are in fact transparent, enabling you to see potential assailants above you.
 * The Needler is a very useful weapon on this map.
 * The Maulers on the Tundra side of the map can prove very useful if you intend to patrol the ice caves.
 * In the ice caves a Deployable Cover is useful in team games, as you can throw it out when an enemy is trying to get through.
 * From almost the beginning of the game a majority of the fighting takes place in the Ice Cave or the tunnels leading to it. The team that holds the Ice Cave has the advantage because of how tight the entrances to the cave are allowing the team on defense to get some easy grenade kills but are also easily killed by grenades as well.
 * When playing Team SWAT, always jump through shield doors rather than walking through them. If there is someone beyond the shield door, this will surprise them.

Forge

 * In Forge you can block off all tunnels to the ice caves (using mostly crates and boxes, and weapon holders to keep them there), this lets you focus on long to medium range combat.
 * In Forge, you can get under the Ice Cave and float around. You can keep going in Monitor form until you come out under the Ghost. Once there, you can turn into a Spartan/Elite and fight. Also, you can build on this area as it is a solid surface.

Boundless
Main Article: Boundless (Level)

Boundless is a variety of Snowbound. Boundless consists of a few weapon differences and there are no shield doors in the main ice cave. Boundless was created by Bungie.

Trivia

 * In the Red vs. Blue transition to Halo 3, Church shows this map as well as High Ground and Valhalla as a place where they can move to. Church speaks of property value and how this map, though in the arctic, could be a good investment should global warming arise.
 * This was the first Halo 3 Multiplayer level revealed to the public.
 * This is one out of two multiplayer maps in Halo 3 which take place on a Covenant-controlled territory.
 * This is currently the only map to feature a Beam Rifle by default.
 * Snowbound is also the title of a 1994 movie, starring Neil Patrick Harris and Kelli Williams.
 * There are several Automated Turrets, positioned along the outside of the map which will shoot at any players who go beyond the boundaries of the map.
 * When killed by the boundary turrets, A message appears saying, "(Player) was killed by The Guardians."
 * When you venture outside the boundaries a siren wails as a warning to go back before the turrets kill you.
 * In the Halo 3 Beta you could use a Bubble Shield to defend yourself from the stationary AI turrets, allowing you to travel further out of the map than usual. This has been fixed in the final version of the game though.
 * Like Sandtrap players may leave footprints in the snow (which could be tracked) for a few seconds before fading away. This is helpful when opponents are in Active Camo.
 * Even if you are invulnerable, the turrets will still be able to kill you.
 * In the sky, the visible planet has a Marathon symbol on it.
 * The spheres in both bases appear to be vehicles or some sort of manned Covenant equipment since there are seats inside them.
 * In the Active Camo tunnel there is a Canadian $1 coin (or loonie) buried in the snow beneath the Active Camo, perhaps an homage to the "lucky loonie" customarily buried under the ice during Canadian National ice hockey or curling events. The "lucky loonie" was made famous during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic games when both the men's and women's team won the gold medal.
 * In the Beta, the engine incorporated real time reflections into many aspects of the game. The outside of Snowbound's bases, as well as the Ghost, player armor, and a few weapon holders, utilize the graphical enhancement of real time reflection. However, this was removed from the final version of the game.
 * The default version of Snowbound has been removed from all Matchmaking playlists except Lone Wolves and Rumble Pit. It has been replaced with the Hard Core (HC) Snowbound in which a few changes have been made, which deletes the Spartan Laser and Shotgun from the map and puts the Beam Rifle on the original Shotgun spawn point. Each base now has a Bubble Shield, where the default Snowbound had only one base with a Bubble Shield and another with a Power Drainer.
 * It is possible using the Forge to "box in" the turrets, allowing you to move freely until an invisible barrier stops you.
 * You have to overload the map twice to disable the Guardians fully. Once to disable the energy doors, twice to disable the turrets for the rest of the game.
 * On IGN during the time of the Halo 3 Beta, IGN stated that Snowbound was probably inspired by the Battle of Hoth.
 * It is possible that the Maulers on this map may removed from this map, since Snowbound is a relatively a close-quarters map as well. There are two Maulers on the map (near the rocks that are near the Ghost and another Brute Shot spawn), and they are sometimes used by players to compensate for the Shotgun when they do not have access to it.
 * Snowbound now has another alternate variant, called Boundless, which excludes the shield doors that lead into the ice caves from the bases and also changed weapon spawns. It was announced in Bungie's 8/22/08 Weekly Update and will appear in the September playlists as of September 16.