The Arbiter (Level)

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Summary
A Halo 2 campaign level in which, as the Elite Arbiter, you must assassinate the Heretic Leader on a Forerunner Gas Mine in Threshold's atmosphere.

The mission involves neutralising Heretic forces. Along the way, the player will have to open a hangar door for reinforcements, fight, for the first time in Halo 2, Sentinels, and fly a Banshee to escort a friendly Phantom that is looking for where the Heretic Leader escaped to.

This is the first time you are able to use the Carbine, the Sentinel Beam, and the Fuel Rod Cannon.

Usable Weapons

 * Beam Rifle
 * Carbine
 * Energy Sword
 * Fuel Rod Cannon
 * Needler
 * Plasma Cannon
 * Plasma Pistol
 * Plasma Rifle
 * Sentinel Beam
 * Shielded Plasma Cannon

Drivable Vehicles

 * Heretic Banshee

Mission Objectives

 * Locate the Heretic Leader
 * Pursue the Heretic Leader
 * Kill the Heretic Leader

Transcript
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Part 01: The Arbiter
(The scene opens up with a blurry camera shot focused on the floor, before clearing and focusing on the back of Tartarus. The shot then changes to show Tartarus walking down a hallway in High Charity, two Brutes behind him, carrying the Elite Commander on their shoulders. They are walking through a prison.)

Brute 1: How much further must we heft this baggage? Any cell will do. Why not toss him in with this lot?

(The Brutes pass a cell containing three Jackals, which hiss and reach out through the bars at the Brutes as they pass.)

Brute 1: They could use the meat.

Brute 2: Them? What about us? My belly aches, and his flesh is seared, just the way I like it.

Tartarus: Quiet! You two whimper like Grunts fresh off the teat. He's not meant for the jails. The Hierarchs have something special in mind.

(The Brutes and their cargo move out onto a platform overlooking the Mausoleum of the Arbiter. They ride a Gravity Lift down to the walkway leading up to it and pass dozens of Elite Honor Guards standing at attention, staves ready. They enter the Mausoleum, where the Prophets of Truth and Mercy await. The Brutes and Tartarus bow.)

Tartarus: Noble Prophets of Truth and Mercy, I have brought the incompetent.

Prophet of Truth: You may leave, Tartarus.

(Tartarus looks up, surprised.)

Tartarus: But I thought-

Prophet of Truth: And take your Brutes with you.

(Tartarus hesitates, and then bows again.)

Tartarus: Release the prisoner.

(The Brutes drop the Elite to his knees and rise, leaving the room. The Elite touches the Mark of Shame on his chest.)

Prophet of Truth: The Council decided to have you hung by your entrails and your corpse paraded through the city. But, ultimately, the terms of your execution are up to me.

Elite Commander: I am already dead.

Prophet of Truth: Indeed. Do you know where we are?

Elite Commander: The Mausoleum of the Arbiter.

Prophet of Truth: Quite so. Here rests the vanguard of the Great Journey. Every Arbiter, from first to last. Each one created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis.

Prophet of Mercy: The Taming of the Hunters, the Grunt Rebellion... Were it not for the Arbiters, the Covenant would have broken long ago!

Elite Commander: Even on my knees I do not belong in their presence.

Prophet of Truth: Halo's destruction was your error, and you rightly bear the blame. But the Council was... overzealous. We know you are no heretic. This is the true face of heresy, one who would subvert our faith and incite rebellion against the High Council.

(Truth presses a button on his chair, and a miniature hologram of an Elite in different equipment appears.)

Sesa 'Refumee: Our Prophets are false! Open your eyes, my brothers! They would use the faith of our Forefathers to bring ruin to us all! The Great Journey is-

(Truth cuts off the hologram.)

Prophet of Truth: This heretic, and those who follow him, must be silenced.

Prophet of Mercy: Their slander offends all who walk the Path.

Elite Commander: What use am I? I can no longer command ships, lead troops into battle-

Prophet of Truth: Not as you are, no. But become the Arbiter... And you shall be set loose against this heresy, with our blessing.

(A large container pod floats into the center of the room, opening to reveal a suit of ancient armor surrounded by white light. The Elite stares at this for a moment, before turning back to Truth.) Elite Commander: What of the Council?

Prophet of Mercy: The tasks you must undertake as the Arbiter are perilous, suicidal. You will die, as each Arbiter has before you. The Council will have their corpse.

(The Elite rises, and walks toward the armor. He pauses before it, and looks to the pods containing the corpses of the Arbiters who fell before him. He reaches up and takes the helmet of the Arbiter, and places it upon his head, then looks to the Hierarchs.)

Arbiter: What would you have your Arbiter do?

(The scene changes to show the outside of High Charity, the fleet surrounding it. Three Phantoms fly past the camera and swoop past the ruins of Halo, a large piece of it still intact and with landscape and clouds still visible. As it flies, the voice of the Spec Ops Leader can be heard.)

Rtas 'Vadumee: When we joined the Covenant, we took an oath!

(The scene cuts to the inside of the phantom, where Special Ops Elites, along with the new Arbiter, line the walls, with a line of Special Ops Grunts in the center. An Ultra Elite, the SpecOps Leader Rtas 'Vadumee, walks among them.)

SpecOps Elites: According to our station! All without exception!

Rtas 'Vadumee: On the blood of our fathers, on the blood of our sons, we swore to uphold the Covenant!

SpecOps Elites: Even to our dying breath!

Rtas 'Vadumee: Those who would break this oath are heretics, worthy of neither pity, nor mercy! Even now they use our lords' creations to broadcast their lies!

(a Grunt fumbles with the methane tank of another Grunt, some air is released, the second Grunt mutters angrily at the first)

SpecOps Elites: We shall grind them into dust!

(Note: the Hidden Subtitle appears here.)

('Vadumee turns his head to face the camera, revealing he is missing the mandibles on the left side of his head.)

Rtas 'Vadumee: And continue our march to glorious salvation!

(Spec Ops Leader approaches the Arbiter. They stare each other down.)

Rtas 'Vadumee: This armor suits you. But it cannot hide that mark.

Arbiter: Nothing ever will.

Rtas 'Vadumee: You are the Arbiter, the will of the Prophets. But these are my Elites. Their lives matter to me. Yours does not.

Arbiter: That makes two of us.

(Spec Ops Leader responds to this with a respectful "hmm.")

(The Phantoms fly over a Forerunner structure and descend toward another structure dangling below it on a long cable, a Gas Mine. An intense storm swirls below the structure.)

Phantom Pilot: Leader, there is no doubt: the storm will strike the facility!

Rtas 'Vadumee: We'll be long gone before it arrives.

(The Phantoms fly lower, near the top of one of several towers sticking out from the center of the main structure. One deposits a group of Grunts and an Elite, followed by a second one that drops two Elites and the Arbiter.)

Rtas 'Vadumee: Warriors, prepare for combat!

(The Arbiter ignites his Energy Sword and looks down at it, before the mission begins.)

Part 02: "A Whisper in the Storm
Rtas 'Vadumee (Radio): We are the arm of the prophets, Arbiter, and you are the blade. Be silent and swift, and we shall quell this heresy without incident.

(If you wait until Rtas 'Vadumee finishes, then walk to the two Elites waiting at the ramp)

Elite: This lance is in position.

(as the Arbiter approaches the doors where the rest of the team is waiting to enter)

Rtas 'Vadumee (Radio): The storm has masked our approach, and it should have their local Battlenet in disarray. We have the element of surprise. .. For now."

(the Arbiter enters the airlock beyond, with a team of SpecOps Grunts and Elites.)

SpecOps Elite: Engage Active Camouflage! Reveal yourselves only after the Arbiter has joined battle with the enemy!

(The Grunts and Elites "dissappear" as their camouflage is engaged.)

Rtas 'Vadumee: You may wish to do the same, Arbiter, but take heed: your armor's system is not as...new as ours. Your camouflage will not last forever.

(The team enters the next room. If you wait without being seen for a moment, the two heretic Elites in this room will talk to one another.)

Heretic Elite 1: Any word on our missing brothers?

Heretic Elite 2: Still nothing. Given what we have learned, I fear they are lost.

Heretic Elite 1: Maybe the Oracle will protect us...

Heretic Elite 2: Perhaps. But his Sentinels are too few. Better we protect ourselves!

(Later, the team enters an elevator and descends into a hangar containing a Seraph. A new enemy appears: the familiar Sentinels.)

SpecOps Elite: Sentinels, the holy warriors of the Sacred Rings. Why have they sided with these heretics?

(during the battle in the hangar)

Phantom Pilot (Radio): Arbiter, clear the hangar and open this door, so I may drop the second Lance!

(The Arbiter opens the door.)

Phantom Pilot (Radio): Hold position, I am making my approach.

(The Arbiter descends through the facility, eventually entering a room featuring a window looking out onto a landing pad with three Banshees. The Heretic Leader, Sesa 'Refumee appears.)

Sesa 'Refumee: Deal with him, my brothers! I will defend the Oracle.

(He hops onto a Banshee and flies off.)

Heretic Elite 3: This truth must not be silenced!

Part 03: To The Hunt
Rtas 'Vadumee (radio): The heretics are mobilizing their air forces, Arbiter. Get after their leader, but watch your back. I'm sending one of our Phantoms to support you.

(after the first wave of Banshees is eliminated)

Phantom Pilot (Radio): The heretics have weapons emplacements all over the facility, Arbiter. We'll take them out, one by one, until we find the heretic leader.

(If you take too long to head for the final emplacement)

Rtas 'Vadumee (Radio): No sign of the heretic leader - or his banshee. We must keep searching!

(Alternately:)

Phantom Pilot (Radio): That was the last of them - but there are more ahead.

(The Arbiter nears the final emplacement.)

Rtas 'Vadumee (Radio): We've tracked the leader to this part of the station. Clear that landing platform, and get inside.

(The level ends once you clear the platform and arrive at the door.)

01: A Whisper in the Storm
Well, I have to admit that ever since the first cutscene, I've been wondering just why the hell this Elite guy was getting so much screen time. I had it in my head that this guy was going to be some lame kind of boss character who would kill our father (no, Chief, I am your father!), burn our home to the ground (only the Covenant already did; oh well), and perform other EVIL VILLIAN activities. While my suspicions were at least quelled, I was right, in a way. Halo 2 has indeed brought up the lamentable and stupid tradition of the "boss", and we'll be spending this level and the next preparing for our ridiculously difficult and cheesy confrontation with him.

Once I got over my dislike of the Arbiter, I realized that he's really a much better character then the Chief: from a story-telling point of view, anti-heroes>heroes. The Chief is faceless (literally and figuratively), flat and static; the Arbiter is tortured, well-rounded and very, very, dynamic. Not to mention, there are a few advantages to playing as him:


 * 1) Our useless flashlight is replaced by the non-useless camo.
 * 2) Instead of useless (if entertaining) Marines and gung-ho, invincible Johnson, we have deadly Elites and slightly gung-ho, equally invincible Rtas 'Vadumee.
 * 3) We start most levels with an energy sword and four plasma nades.
 * 4) We get a lot more "unfun" levels as Arby, true. (Viz. Oracle, Sacred Icon, QZ.) But we also get a lot of "fun" levels, such as "Great Journey", "Uprising" and this one. "Arbiter".

So, we start out on top of a orange-looking facility. Continue straight forward, fall off the edge, and land kneeling, Neo-style, in front of our fellow Elites (and Grunts). That'll impress them.

Bear in mind that while the Elite getting the door open and the Elite to our left, as well as the two Grunts, will be joining us, the other two Elites will not. In fact, they don't even show up later, so I don't know what purpose they even serve. Whatever. Give your plasma rifle to one of the Grunts, then exchange his plasma pistol for the rifle of one of the 'useless' Elites. It's not like they need it, seeing as how they never show up again. (By the way, the Elites that show up later in the level if yours all die are not the same ones; not one of them has a plasma pistol).

So, now that we're nicely prepped, we're ready to move on. Head through the doors as they open, but, as you go through the second one, be sure to activate your massively useful camo. Cut around the right side of the central pillar and assassinate the Elite. Grab the carbine, then use it to beat the sleeping Heretic Grunts to death. Head up the slope on the right side, noting the patrolling Heretic Elite, activating your camo as you go. Cutting around his back, assassinate him too. Grab his carbine too. Then head around to the other side and grab the carbine ammo there.

Now, time for the whole "joining battle with the enemy" part. There is a Heretic Minor (brown), a Heretic Major (gold/tan), and six Heretic Grunts in the area—two Lances, that is. The Grunts should be killed first, as their Needlers pose more threat than do the Elites. If you waste these Lances quickly enough, four more Grunts will join the fray, but they will fall to your Carbine. By now, you may have noticed that the Carbine is more or less the Battle Rifle, but with more ammo and no burst-fire. Get used to it; it's a slightly better weapon than the Battle Rifle, although I prefer the BR55 myself. Furthermore, it'll be your go-to gun for the rest of the game.

Anyway, once you head down to the elevator, you'll meet four Heretic Grunts, two on each side of the elevator, who will soon be joined by a Heretic Lance from the elevator. It's possible to use your camo to get around to the elevator side and stick the Elite leading the Lance before he even reaches the top, but keep in mind that you'll then be vulnerable to fire fron the Grunts. Myself, I find it more effective to shoot down the Grunts, then let my Special Ops team fight the elevator Lance while I flank them and combine grenades and assassinations to finish them all.

Whew. That's a day in the life of an Arbiter, I suppose. Well, actually, no, it isn't. This level and the next three Arbiter levels are a day in the life on the Arbiter. One defeat of a small army, three battles with a parasitic xenomorph which destroyed the most powerful race in the history of the galaxy, one destruction of an installation created by the aforementioned powerful race, one capture of an artifact on which the fate of all life hinges, one (nearly successful) attempt on your life, one encounter with the controlling intelligence of the aforementioned parasitic xenomorph. That's a day in the life of an Arbiter.

Okay, enough rambling. Down here is a hangar; a pretty tricky battle, too. A Heretic Elite is patrolling around your position; camouflage and assassinate him. Then, head around to the left side walkway. As you approach one of the doors, a Lance will come out. Throw a plasma grenade to disorient them, then use your sword to finish them off. A Sentinel will descend in front of you and open fire. For now, though, focus on sticking the Heretic Major who will come up the ramp in front of you. Then shoot down the Sentinel with the Carbine, camouflage, and open the hangar door with the switch at the bottom of the ramp. Another Heretic Elite may show up to threaten you, but he too can be sworded.

Here is where things get a little hairy. After the Phantom shows up, Grunts with fuel rod cannons will show up and open fire on it. Kill the one nearest to you quickly, drop your Carbine for it, and jump onto the Seraph, then onto the other side of the hangar. Two Elites and two Grunts will show up from these doors; spam some fuel rods on them and clean up with the sword. Another two or three Grunts will probably show up from the doors closest to the elevator. As soon as they die, some more Grunts will show up from the door on the lower level. They have turrets, meaning you'll want to take them out quickly; I suggest plasma grenades. Two Elites, one with a sword, will follow them. Destroy them.

After that mess, I hope you have some Elites left. You will want them. Grab a new energy sword and drop your empty fuel rod cannon for a plasma pistol; there's probably one lying around somewhere. If not, go with the carbine.

As you head down the hall, two Grunts and two Elites will show up. I like to use the overcharge of the plasma pistol on the Elites, then stick them with plasma grenades. You probably should take out one of the two Elites that show up soon after by doing the overcharge-stick tactic as well, but the other is probably attacking you by this time, so sword-lunge him with extreme prejudice. Then swap out the plasma pistol for a carbine or four, and let your allies stealthily sneak into the next room.

Once they've moved forward a bit, move around them and headshot the two Grunts who are patrolling near your position. Then, camouflage, head up the ramp and cut around behind the two Elites who just showed up. Assassinate them both, as they're far too busy with your team to notice you.

In this area, you'll find two Elites already in the area, two more who join them a bit later, and about six needler-Grunts. Stick all the Elites you can find, and take out the Grunts fast. They can make you into a pink pincushion of power as fast as you can say "Wort, wort, wort."

As you head down from this room, an oblivious Elite will patrol by you. (Whenever I play this level and watch everybody patrolling for no apparent reason instead of attacking me, I have to resist the urge to sing to myself, "They see me rollin/They hatin/Patrollin/Tryin to catch me ridin dirty"). Wait for him to pass you, then introduce him to the magic of assassination. There are two sleeping Grunts off to your left, so give them the same fate. Head down the hall, watching your motion tracker. There's yet another patrolling Elite, whose back is often towards you. Beat him down the ramp with a melee to the back.

This next area is a bit tricky, as you have to open fire, but an Elite flanks you as soon as you do. So, instead of taking the ramp down right away, keep going straight until you come to a locked door. Shoot it with the carbine, then switch to the sword. A very surprised Elite is behind the door. Cut him down to size with the sword, then turn around. A host of Grunts have heard the commotion and are coming up the ramp to check it out. Bizarrely, they will fire at your allies, not you. Shoot them all while they're distracted. Once they're all drowning in their methanous blood, move on down.

There's a weapon cache in the next area, including a shiny new energy sword. Take the sword, but bear in mind that we can exploit the Infinite Energy Sword Glitch here. So, we want to have an opportunity to empty the sword of ammo. Fair enough.

The next area has about seven Grunts, two Sentinels and four Elites. Kill them all with a combination of plasma grenades, sword and carbine. Note that you don't want to empty the sword yet, so save some ammo for it. You still have two battles ahead where you'll seriously want it.

The next room has two Elites patrolling. If you make a sound, four Grunts will show up to aid them. I suggest that you camouflage, assassinate the backmost Elite, then stick the next one and run past him into the next room. For some strange reason, the Grunts almost never follow you in there, and if one of them does, he's usually alone.

Hey, look! The Heretic Leader! Unfortunately, Bungie has concentrated on making it impossible for us to kill him at this stage. Although it is possible to glitch through the window and cut him down, it results in an inability to complete the level. Too bad; I think Bungie could have mad it possible (if very hard) to destroy the window, spring upon 'Refumee, and end his pathetic life. But they didn't. Too bad. Jump up onto one of the ledges on this room's sides. The left one is the one I usually choose. Watch your motion tracker. Hopefully, the two Elites and three Grunts that come through one of the two doors after a few seconds will be on your end of the room. If not, I'd suggest reverting. You just got a checkpoint, after all, and it's easier to wait a few seconds than it is to fight across the room against two carbine Elites and three needler Grunts.

Once they're all dead...

02: To the Hunt!
I seem to remember that they said this on the Three Stooges a lot. It would be something to see Covenant Three Stooges: Truth as Larry, Arbiter as Moe, and Tartarus as Curly. But I digress. Hop into a Banshee and take off. The new Banshee, unfortunately, is somewhat underwhelming; the fuel rod gun is much weaker (as are all explosives in Halo 2), it can no longer hover, and it's pathetically inaccurate with the plasma guns. Still, it serves our purposes pretty well. Across from us are two Grunts on turrets. The best thing to do here is boost across to them, climb out of the Banshee and unleash the sword on them. Not only does it get rid of sword charge, which is one of our three goals for the rest of the level, it also gives us access to a crapload of fuel rod cannon ammo, which you should trade for your carbine as the second of three goals. It also removes some enemies, which is the third goal. Once these goals are for now accomplished, hop back in the Banshee.

Every so often, another group of Banshees will show up to attack the Phantom. However, as it's indestructible, you can easily target them while they do this. Whenever you come to another landing zone, land and take out the fuel rod cannon Grunts on foot. Do this until you are full up on fuel rod cannon ammo and empty on sword ammo. After that point, your only concern is survival. The three landing zones should give you ample opportunities to accomplish these goals.

The last of the aerial battles is a bit tricky. There are a decent amount of fuel rod Grunts and turret Grunts in this area, not to mention three Elites who will show up as reinforcements. You're not exactly ideally equipped for ground combat at this point, either, so I suggest that you clear almost everything out, let the Phantom drop off some allies, then let them finish the Elites.

Once they're all dead, the level is clear.

Overview
Once again, you'll find the action on this creatively-set level split between on-foot and vehicle-based sections. You'll begin by fighting your way through a series of variously-shaped open rooms interspersed with narrow corridors, somewhat reminiscent of T&R back in Halo 1. Your foes will be limited to sentinels, grunts armed with either the needler or fuel rod gun, and elites, often armed with the new carbine or sentinel beam. With your newly acquired cloaking device, you'll be better able to choose between fighting and sneaking, and we'll be doing a bit of both. The second half of the level will formally introduce you to the newly-modified banshee through a series of air-to-air and air-to-ground (or ground-to-ground, if you prefer) engagements.

Part 1: A Whisper in the Storm
Huh.

Well, I didn't see that coming.

In a move disturbingly reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 2, Bungie seems to have pulled the old switcheroo on us. Actually, I don't think it's as bad as that, unless you're really dead-set on playing the Chief and nothing but the Chief. There's no difference between the Chief and the Arbiter in terms of combat performance, save that we've managed to trade up our broken flashlight for a significantly more useful temporary cloaking device. Plus, I must admit that I've always wanted to fight with grunts on my team, even if they don't survive very long. Then again, my sympathy for the Arbiter is tempered by the fact that he's apparently the same bastard responsible for massacring Reach, hunting down the Pillar of Autumn, and generally spending the last game trying to kill us. Well, at least it's nice to see our enemies fighting among themselves. Once you reconcile yourself to your new identity, follow your team through the doors and prepare for some covenant-on-covenant violence.

Sneak in and bash the unsuspecting elite and the two sleeping grunts with your plasma rifle (might as well conserve the sword), as well as the elite up the ramp to the right. Your team will remain in stealth mode as long as you don't alert the enemy to your presence. Note that despite their odd appearance, the heretic elites are more or less equivalent to red elites, in terms of their damage-absorbing capacity, meaning that one stuck plasma grenade will kill them, but one sword lunge usually will not. When they're dead, exchange your plasma rifle for the carbine, which basically serves the same function as the battle rifle: performing headshots on unshielded enemies. Three shots will also take down an unshielded sentinel. You may find that without the three-shot burst of the battle rifle headshots are somewhat more difficult to line up, although the high rate of fire and relatively large ammo capacity compensate somewhat. I also find it rather odd that the weapon was apparently designed to eject spent magazines directly at the wielder's face. I have this image in my head of the clip bouncing off the Arbiter's forehead every time I reload. Anyway, I personally prefer the battle rifle, but since it's not widely available in most levels from this point onward we're mostly stuck with the carbine.

At this point you'll find yourself on a platform overlooking an open room characterized by the presence of three conveyor belts. This area presents your first meaningful choice in the level of either fighting or sneaking. In this case, the quickest and easiest option is probably sneaking; not only will you avoid this battle, but, as the next video shows, if you're quick enough the enemies on and around the upcoming elevator will not even spawn.

QuickTime (2.7 mb) | WMP9 (2.4 mb)

Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk.

If you are detected or take a bit too long, you may have to deal with a few grunts down by the elevator, but you shouldn't be faced with the normal contingent. Either side of the conveyor belt room can be used to advance (both begin with one patrolling grunt); I tend to pick the one where the grunt seems to be most advantageously positioned. Of course, the downside of sneaking is that you abandon your team, who can potentially aid you during the hangar bay battle after the elevator.

If you choose to fight it out, the next video shows an example of one possible route.

QuickTime (5.4 mb) | WMP9 (4.6 mb)

Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk.

I try to thin out the grunts a bit before moving in, as they remain annoyingly intent on firing at you, and can easily turn you into a pincushion before you even realize it if you just charge right in. Also, nobody is forcing you to use the sword if you don't feel comfortable with it. Feel free to fall back on the plasma pistol/carbine combo for dealing with the elites from a distance if you prefer; the concept works just as well here as it did back on Cairo Station.

If you fought your way through the battle, hopefully a few of your elites will still be around to join up with you afterward. You can fill up your carbine ammo and grab a new energy sword in the elevator room, if necessary. When you're ready, step onto the elevator, hit the down button, and rest for a bit as you watch the descent. You'll emerge onto the second level of a large, two-level hangar with a heretic ship docked in the middle. A single elite patrols the area in front of the elevator, but rather than taking him on directly, I instead duck around behind the elevator shaft, where I usually receive a nice checkpoint. You'll also see a few sentinels, but they won't bother you until the enemies raise the alarm.

The upcoming battle is a fairly extended one, but it breaks down naturally into two distinct halves, the first of which, in my experience, is much more consistent than the second. The next video shows how I usually begin the fight.

QuickTime (2.7 mb) | WMP9 (2.4 mb)

Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk.

As you can see, one of the keys to making things a lot easier for yourself in this area is hitting the enemies quickly while they're still bunched up in the doorways, before they can spread out and start wreaking havoc on your team. By the time you hit the button to open the hangar doors and cross to the other side of the room, there should only be a few sentinels remaining. Between the phantom, whatever members of your original team are still alive, and your newly-delivered reinforcements, you shouldn't even have to bother with the sentinels yourself. I usually just sit back, take a break, and watch the fireworks.

The second phase of the battle begins with the destruction of the last sentinel (or the delivery of your reinforcements, whichever comes last), at which point a couple of enemy grunts are usually thoughtful enough to emerge from the nearby doors to deliver fuel rod guns right into your hands, as shown in the next video.

QuickTime (4.3 mb) | WMP9 (3.7 mb)

Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk.

There are a couple of things I should note about this battle. The doors from which the enemies appear can vary. Sometimes the fuel rod grunts both appear nearby, sometimes they're split up (as in the video), and sometimes they don't even appear at all. The two elites & grunts usually emerge from the middle door on the opposite side, but the pattern of the subsequent grunts can also vary. Thus, it pays to keep an eye on your surroundings and ensure that you don't get caught out in the open. One invariant feature of the battle is the final group of two turret grunts, a carbine elite, and (after a bit of delay) a sword elite that arrive from the door on the lower level beneath the elevator. An amusing tactic, if you're fortunate enough to have enough fuel rods left and you've finished off the rest of the enemies quickly enough, is simply to set yourself up in front of the door and unload on them with the fuel rod gun as soon as it opens. They won't know what hit them.

It may occur to you to circumvent this last group of enemies and sneak out through the door once they enter, but I wouldn't advise it. The areas that follow are pretty densely packed with enemies, and it's almost impossible to make it through unseen. When you're detected, not only will you have to deal with the immediate threats, but the enemy elites from back up in the hangar will also run down to join the fray. At that point, you'll be surrounded and most likely meet with a tragic end. So, in this case, fighting is almost certainly the easiest option.

After the last enemy falls, you can exchange your sword for a fresh one and fill up on ammo as necessary. Actually, at the next video shows, my preference for the next battle is to abandon the carbine temporarily in favor of the plasma pistol, because the confined space in the corridor ahead is ideal for the plasma pistol/plasma grenade combo.

QuickTime (2.0 mb) | WMP9 (1.6 mb)

Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk.

If you don't like that approach, and want to play the next few areas more conservatively, you might also consider going plasma pistol/carbine. You won't be equipped quite as well for close-quarters combat, but it will give you more power from medium range, which would be more useful if you don't plan on closing with the enemy. When they're dead I swap the plasma pistol back for the carbine in anticipation of the next battle.

This is another area where I wouldn't advise the sneaking approach, for the same reason as the hangar battle. Fortunately, the triggering of the enemies in this room is relatively predictable; the next video shows one approach to the fight.

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Although it's rather hard to see from the path in the video, two elites will emerge from the door on the far left as you move through the conveyor belt area, while a group of grunts will jump out of hiding from under the platform on the far right. Shortly thereafter, three more grunts will run in through the door on the far end of the room. So, if you want to play things a bit more safely, I would suggest using the plasma pistol/carbine combo to pick off each wave of enemies methodically as they appear, backing off to the relative safety of the area where you entered after moving forward to spawn them. As far as the aggressive approach, I opt for the right side because I feel the platform provides much better cover, and allows you to break up the grunts quickly with a few grenades before they can cause you too much trouble. As you can see, the battle becomes much more manageable if you have some elites remaining on your team, as they'll hold their own pretty well against the heretic elites and draw attention away from you. Take care to avoid letting the battle carry through the far door, so as not to alert the enemies in the next area.

Reload and rearm yourself as necessary; most likely, you'll want to stick with whatever weapon selection you've been using thus far at least through the next area. Prepare for a little change of pace, as I'm going to recommend the sneaking approach for the corridors ahead. Unlike the previous sections you shouldn't have to worry too much about getting surrounded if you're detected, so get into Solid Snake mode and have fun, as the next video shows.

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Note the presence of the locked doors at various points, which will open to release an elite if the alarm is raised nearby. I've noticed that sometimes the grunts in the first section will wake up for no apparent reason even if you kill the elite silently, so keep that in mind. It may have to do with how close you are when you smack the elite. Use your motion tracker to observe the movement of the second elite, and strike while his back is turned. I find it pretty tricky to make it past the third group unseen, so I generally abandon stealth at that point. However, you can turn their own ambush against them by deliberately triggering the elite and then storming right in to kill him as the door opens. Afterward, the little locked alcove becomes yours to use as cover from the nearby grunts.

As you continue onward, you'll soon run across a nice stash of weapons, including a sword. At this point, you once again have a viable choice between killing every enemy in the next room or using your cloak to skip much of the encounter; as usual, I would recommend either the carbine/energy sword or plasma pistol/carbine selections, depending on your style. The next video shows an example of the quick approach.

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If you go that route, I'd definitely recommend taking the high road in order to avoid the grunts; the timing of your first cloak is important to avoid getting pounded by the first two elites. Alternatively, you could also take the methodical approach, killing the sleeping grunts with a grenade, taking cover on the far right before shooting down the sentinel and killing the two elites, moving slowly along the ground level to shoot the needler grunts, and finishing up with the last two elites up on the far ledge. One advantage to running past everything is that for some reason the three grunts in the next corridor usually won't spawn from the door at the far end. The downside is that there's a possibility of an elite from the previous area following you in and making your life more difficult. However, if you hit them hard enough on your way through or avoid being seen altogether in the vicinity of the door you can usually avoid that problem.

Oh, and there's one more thing I should mention at this point. While you still have the entire banshee section ahead of you, it's not too early to begin thinking about the next level. There's a simple glitch that you can exploit in order to give yourself an unlimited energy sword on the next level; however, the glitch requires that you end the current level carrying an empty sword. So, if this idea appeals to you, you might want to start making sure that you're using up your sword's energy while you still have enough enemies around to fight.

In any case, you'll eventually end up in a room with a large, unbreakable glass wall (so much for destructible environments) and two doors on either side of you. The heretic leader will send his lackeys to take care of you (yeah, right, because that always works) while he makes excuses and runs off like a wuss. A few moments later, a group of three grunts followed by two elites will emerge from one of the two doors. You can slice them up nicely with the sword if you're waiting next to the door as they appear; however, I have yet to identify any sort of pattern or sign to indicate the correct door. That doesn't mean there isn't one, but it's not that big of an issue in any case, since at worst you have a 50-50 chance. You may or may not get a checkpoint before this fight. If you want to be on the safe side, wait for the checkpoint in the middle, where you can quickly jump up to either door. At worst, just pick off the grunts from across the room with the carbine as you run toward the door.

Part 2: To the Hunt
The remainder of the level involves you playing follow-the-leader with the phantom in order to take out a series of heretic positions while fending off waves of enemy banshees. Hop into the banshee, and you'll soon notice the very different feel, as compared to Halo 1. Gone are the abilities to hover easily in place and back up, though you'll now be able to boost, as well as perform quite useful vertical and horizontal rolls. Fly around the column directly in front of you to locate the first enemy position, consisting of a couple of turrets which are easily destroyed with the fuel rod cannon. Meanwhile, the first of several pairs of enemy banshees will show up to pester you.

Fortunately, I've never found these banshees to pose much of a threat. In fact, I might go so far as to call them downright pitiful at air-to-air combat. Usually they will engage the phantom and ignore you completely. You can help them in their poor decision-making by trying to keep the phantom between you and them until they're suckered in by the distraction. Also, it would be a gross understatement to say that they're pretty bad at evasive tactics. Hit them with a fuel rod blast, and they'll typically break off combat and flee in a straight line, almost as if they're trying to help you line up that second shot. The only real danger is when you get swarmed by several of them (which you don't have to worry about now) or they manage to surprise you from behind, as they can actually do quite a bit of damage even in the short time it takes you to turn around. If you try to flee, they're very persistent about chasing you, so your best bet in this situation is to turn around as quickly as possible and attack them right back. Amazingly, even when they have you virtually dead to rights, once they take some damage they'll turn around and start running like little girls, shaming themselves most dishonorably.

Other than the banshees, your foes will consist mainly of grunts wielding fuel rod guns, which is fortunate, as the fuel rod gun happens to be just what we're going to need farther down the road. Once again, it's time to start thinking about the future: specifically, an unpleasant battle with a certain heretic leader. Nothing simplifies this battle like good old-fashioned superior firepower (I think Sarge would approve); so what I do is acquire the fuel rod gun here and carry it all the way to the end of the next level. Thus, your mission for the remainder of this level is to pick up a fuel rod gun and completely fill up on ammo. You should be able to find more than enough over the course of the next few engagements, which go something like this,

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this,

QuickTime (2.7 mb) | WMP9 (2.4 mb)

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and this.

QuickTime (2.4 mb) | WMP9 (2.0 mb)

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Of course, you'll also have to deal with a few banshees before and after each battle. After you kill off the grunts in each area, land and gather fuel rod ammo. Note that killing the grunts with the banshee's fuel rod cannon can sometimes knock their weapons over the edge, which you don't want to happen too often. Also, take care that you don't get caught out in the open running around on foot when enemy banshees show up, because if you catch their attention they can kill you with frightful speed.

As the next video shows, the last battle can be a little trickier, because you face a decent number of assorted enemies, including some elites who show up as reinforcements.

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To complicate matters, landing to finish the battle on foot can be problematic because your weapon selection (if you've been following my advice) consists of a fuel rod gun that you don't want to use yet and a depleted energy sword. So, either get ready for some hand-to-hand combat, or just blast everything that moves with the banshee. Note that you'll get some reinforcements of your own near the end of the battle, so try to avoid friendly fire incidents (though even if they all die you'll still begin the next level with the same team).

Empty sword? Check!

Full fuel rod gun? Check!

The hunt continues in the next level...