The Cartographer

This article is about the Halo Wars 2 mission. For the structure, see Cartographer; for the Halo 4 achievement, see The Cartographer (achievement).

The Cartographer is the fifth campaign level in Halo Wars 2.

Transcript
SOUTH SPIRE / THE CARTOGRAPHER

THE CARTOGRAPHER

Mission Briefing

The text doesn't show planning in words while in dialogue told about it
 * Captain Cutter: "Professor, once you get inside the Cartographer. I need you to find out what Atriox is planning in using it for"
 * Anders: "Understood, Captain. Isabel gave me everything the UNSC already knows about the area, and it looks like we'll need to reach the Map Room. Also, I've been running scans as we got closer; there seem to be large power signatures from the central chamber nearby. It's unclear whether it's Banished or Forerunner in origin."
 * Isabel: "Be careful, Professor. There will be a strong Banished presence and from what we've seen of the Sentinel defenses you may have them to deal with, too."
 * Anders: "I'll let Jerome handle the former, but as for Sentinels... Remember that special project we were talking about earlier? I think it might be time for a test run."
 * Isabel: "It's not quite done yet, but I'll give it a shot. I'll wait for your word from down there. Good luck."

Mission Summary

Protect Anders from Forerunner defenses to reach the Cartographer's Map Room.

Scouting Report

Wolverine anti-air vehicles are on standby to counter enemy air units.

{In-game Cutscene}

''Anders, Jerome and the Marines arrived through elevator while UNSC Command Center and Supply Pad was already prepared ahead while the Generators and Garage was already on route for construction. She lead Jerome and the others to the base where the Map Room is just ahead of the base.''
 * Anders: "Up ahead, that's where we need to go. Come on."

A Squad of Marines comes out from Combat Station but ahead the shield prevents them from advancing any further.
 * Anders: "Oh, great. That's our way in."
 * Jerome-092: "Spirit of Fire Actual, we've got a problem. The route through to the Map Room is blocked by some kind of energy shield."

A Pelican arrives, dropping the Garage for construction on Combat Station.
 * Captain Cutter: "Can you open it, Professor?"
 * Anders: "Well, we're in the right place...those power signatures i detected in the central chamber must be connected to this energy shield somehow.

Jerome, Anders and the Marines from elevator arrives at the base.
 * Jerome-092: "Spirit of Fire, we may be here a while."

UNSC then heard something.
 * Jerome-092: "Let's find a way to open the shield. Wait, what's that sound?"

{Gameplay}

Jerome spots Banshees inbound to their location.
 * Jerome-092: "Banshees! Spirit of Fire, we're going to need those Wolverines!"
 * Captain Cutter: "Already standingby, Jerome."

''A Pelican arrives and dropping Two Wolverines, the Banshees soon arrived to attack the base and UNSC repels the first wave. Later, the second wave of Banshees inbound to the base.''
 * Jerome-092: "More Banshees! Take them down, Wolverines!"

After repelling the second wave, UNSC regroups and start building forces.

After building enough forces, Jerome lead the Marines to the first conduit at the west of the base and soon they met Banished's infantries and Banshees guarding the conduit there.
 * Jerome-092: "Professor, there's some kind of Forerunner structure here."
 * Anders: "That's the conduit for the energy shields, but the Banished have locked it down. As much as I'd like a more scientific solution, I think you're just going to have to destroy it to force it to shut down."
 * Jerome-092: "Only one way to find out. Weapons free, team. Target that conduit."

After clearing the Conduit form the Banished, UNSC start open fire on the Conduit but when the Conduit's health reaches 75% the shield rises and UNSC heard something.
 * Jerome-092: "Did you feel that, Professor?"
 * Anders: "The Cartographer's sending in Sentinels to protect itself! We can't take on those Sentinels, fall back!"

UNSC quickly pull back as the Sentinels arrives, guarding the Conduit from UNSC.
 * Jerome-092: "Looks like they're here to stay this time, Professor. Any ideas?"
 * Anders: "What's the status of our special project, Isabel?"
 * Isabel: "It's ready, Professor. You guys might want to hold onto something down there!"

A MAC Hits the Sentinels and the defense formation dispersed as the Sentinels stop defending the Conduit.
 * Jerome-092: "What was that?"
 * Anders: "An EMP targeted to disrupt the Sentinels command networks. Good work, Isabel."
 * Jerome-092: "Area is clear, everyone back to work!"

UNSC continue attacking the Conduit and when it reaches less than 25% another Sentinels Swarm inbound in the countdown of ten seconds as the Conduit's shield rises again.
 * Anders: "Jerome, the Sentinels are on their way back!"

The Sentinels arrived again to protect the Conduit.
 * Jerome-092: "Keep clear of those Sentinels, our weapons aren't making a dent!"
 * Anders: "Isabel, we're going to need another EMP to clear them out."

Player can now access EMP MAC on Leader Power.

Soon, another EMP MAC is fired to the Conduit, disabling the defenses and the Sentinels dispersed once more and UNSC finally shut it down.

{In-game Cutscene}
 * '''Jerome-092: "That did it, we've opened the energy shield to the central chamber, Professor, what happens now?"

Anders is running towards the Cartographer without any escort.
 * Anders: "Let's find out!"
 * Jerome-092: "Professor, wait!"
 * Anders: "Nothing ventured, nothing gain, right?"

The shield turns off and Anders continue running to the Map Room until she reaches it.
 * Anders: "Phew, smells bad - Brute bad. They must have been using these passages to avoid Sentinels."

She start working and found three more conduits.
 * Anders: "Okay, there are three more conduits in this area."

''First Conduit was guarded by infantries, Wraiths and Banshees. Second Conduit was guarded more heavily than the first and the last conduit was located behind Banished base.
 * Anders: "Each of them are controlling the Forerunner shield blocking our path to the Map Room, so you'll need to shut down every one of them."
 * Jerome-092: "I never expected it to be easy, Professor."
 * Anders: "Watch out for the Sentinels. They'll swarm in once you start attacking the conduits."
 * Jerome-092: "Then we better work fast. Let's find those conduits, people."

{Gameplay}

The status of North, West and East Conduits are shown on the HUD and UNSC start assembling forces again then sets out to one of the Conduits and clear the area of the Banished that guards the conduit.

Once the Banished around the Conduit has been wiped out, UNSC start attacking the East Conduit and when it reaches 75% the Sentinels are inbound.
 * Anders: "Get into cover, quick! Sentinels coming"

''UNSC quickly withdraws to safe area and issue an EMP MAC once Sentinels arrived, disabling their defenses. Once the defenses down, UNSC continues attacking the Conduit while eliminating Banished reinforcements that tries to stop UNSC from destroying it and when it reaches 25%, the Sentinels returns again.''
 * Anders: "Sentinel wave incoming, take cover!"

''UNSC withdraws again and once the Sentinels swarm the conduits, another EMP MAC was shot and disabling the defenses again. Once defenses are disabled, UNSC finally forces it to shut down and the first shield are offline.''
 * Jerome-092: "That's the first conduit, Professor"
 * Anders: "Just two more to go."

UNSC then start assembling units again and this time they went to the West Conduit, clearing any Banished's resistance.

Once the Banished are wiped out, UNSC start attacking the Conduit and when it comes to 75% the Sentinels are inbound.
 * Jerome-092: "Keep clear of those Sentinels, our weapons aren't making a dent!"

''An EMP MAC hits the Conduit and Sentinel's defenses are disabled. UNSC start attacking it again while taking down Banished reinforcements and once the Conduit reaches 25% the Sentinels returns again.''
 * Anders: "Jerome, there's a wave of Sentinels coming! Isabel, prepare the EMP!"

''An EMP MAC hits the Conduit once more and the defenses are disabled once again. UNSC quickly destroy it to force it to shut down.''

The second barrier are disabled once UNSC destroys the West Conduit.
 * Anders: "We're nearly there, Jerome. One more and we'll be through the shield!"

UNSC start assembling forces again and this time they have to go through Banished Base to reach the North Conduit but they lack manpower to breach it.
 * Captain Cutter: "You're going to need more support, Jerome. I've managed to free up a few more fresh recruits for you."

The Banished launch the assault to UNSC base while UNSC are regrouping on the base, immediately defend against the incoming attack.
 * Captain Cutter: "Jerome, to support such a heavy Banished presence, they must have bases somewhere in the central chamber."

New Reinforcements upgrade can now be researched at the Armory.

''UNSC start building more forces and after assembled, UNSC launch the assault to the Banished base. The fight was intense as Banished gives strong resistance however UNSC manage to destroy the base and defeats the Banished's defenses around the base.''

Upon reaching the North Conduit, UNSC spots Engineers on the North Conduit.
 * Jerome-092: "Professor, the Banished have Engineers."
 * Anders: "Take them out before they repair the conduits!"

UNSC immediately defeat the Banished defenses around the conduit wand they try to attack the conduit however Engineers around the conduit immediately repairs it.
 * Anders: "Jerome, we need those Engineers gone before we can take out the conduit!"

UNSC immediately defeats the Engineers before start attacking the Conduit.
 * Jerome-092: "Engineers are down, team. Target the conduit!"

''When it reaches 75% the shield rises as the Sentinels inbound and moves away to safe distance. UNSC then issues EMP MAC to disable the Conduit's defenses and once the defenses are down, UNSC continue attacking it again however Banished has send more Engineers and units to repair and defend the Conduit from UNSC.''
 * Anders: "Watch out, the Banished are sending in more Engineers!"

''UNSC then splits their units in two, one to attack Conduit and one to attack the Engineers. Once the Engineers down, UNSC attacks the Conduit again while defeating any Banished reinforcements that was coming towards UNSC.''

When the Conduit reaches 25% the final Sentinel defenses on the last Conduit inbound.
 * Anders: "Here they come, Jerome!"

''UNSC moves away while engaging Banished Infantries and Banshee, once Sentinels arrived the final EMP MAC was shot to the Conduit and the Sentinel's defenses dispersed. UNSC finally shuts down the last conduit and the last shield disables.''
 * Jerome-092: "That's the last conduit!"
 * Anders: "We've got a new problem, Protector Sentinels incoming!"

Several Protector Sentinels are heading to UNSC base to destroy it.
 * Anders: "They've not part of the swarm; so we should be able to damage them."

Jerome and UNSC forces immediately pull back to the base to defeat the Protector Sentinels and once the Sentinels are defeated the UNSC start building forces again before heading to the Map Room.

''Once assembled, Jerome leads the UNSC and encounters pack of Protector Sentinels and Swarm of Sentinels that block their way. UNSC quickly takes the Protector Sentinels out and the Sentinels dispersed.''

''Moving to the second Sentinels barrier, UNSC encounters more Protector Sentinels along with the Aggressors. UNSC give no ground and quickly defeats the Sentinels and the Sentinels barrier dispersed.''

Encountering more resistance on the final Sentinels barrier, UNSC defeats every one of the Protectors Sentinels and once they are destroyes the final Sentinels barrier dispersed.

Upon reaching the Map room, the Swarms of Sentinels are defending it while two Protector Sentinels guards it. Once the Protector Sentinels are defeated, UNSC calls in EMP MAC to disable Sentinels defenses on the Map Room and the Sentinels dispersed from Map Room.
 * Anders: "Isabel, there's another swarm blocking our entrance to the Map Room. Power up the EMP."
 * Anders: "That's cleared them out!"

UNSC immediately moves to secure the Map Room.

{In-game Cutscene} Anders runs to the Map Room while Marines are guarding the area.
 * Jerome-092: "That looks like it, Professor. It's all yours."
 * Anders: "Time to find out what Atriox has been up to."

Anders arrived on the platform and it ascends so she can start working on it.
 * Anders: "Incredible, I can see so much of the Ark from here! Weapons system, environmental controls, bio-resource libraries..and..."

A Forerunner cannon can be seen on it and later, Atriox's portal networks around the Ark.
 * Anders: "The Ark's portal network. Captain, Atriox has been using the Cartographer to map and take over The Ark's portal network!"

A script here says hundreds but Anders said thousands in her dialogue.
 * Anders: "There's thousands of them! He's got coverage over the whole of the Ark!"
 * Captain Cutter: "That's how his troops seem to be everywhere at once. At least we know how he's doing it now."

Anders keep working on her job to get what she need.
 * Captain Cutter: "Professor, I need to know how he's controlling that network so we can take it out. Do you have what you need?"

The alarm rangs and the platform start to descend as Anders stops her work.
 * Anders: "Well, I'd love to stay and find out more... but I'd say that's our cue to go."

''The Wolverines moved to intercept Protector Sentinels that was coming to Anders and UNSC guards it, the first Sentinels was shot down by Wolverines and Jerome boards the second Protector Sentinels, using his Spartan Laser to takedown another Protector Sentinels but it crashes and destroys one of the Wolverines. Another Wolverines destroys last Protector Sentinels that inbound to them while Jerome crash land the Protector Sentinels into destroyed Wolverines.''
 * Jerome-092: "Spirit of Fire, we're on our way back!"

Level ends

Leader powers

 * Restoration Drones I and II
 * Archer Missiles I
 * Battle Hardened I
 * Lotus Mine I and II
 * MAC blast EMP I

Initial Structures and Units

 * Jerome-092
 * 2000 Supply
 * 500 Power
 * 6 Marines
 * Command Center
 * 1 Supply Pad
 * 1 Generator
 * 1 Garage

Trivia

 * The player cannot issue EMP MACs when not hitting the Conduit. The EMP MAC only becomes available when the Sentinels are swarming the Conduits.
 * Skulls will be unlocked once the player destroys both Minibases.
 * This is the only level in which the MAC blast EMP leader power can be used.

Strategy

 * Make sure you have proper firepower to assault the Banished's base.
 * There are two Minibases around the Central Chamber. It is best to destroy them before attacking the North Conduit to have less resistance from the Banished.
 * Remember to keep the base defended and upgrade all turrets with anti-air Upgrades, since Sentinels can only attack from the air.
 * Keep your distance from the conduit once the Sentinel is inbound to avoid casualties.