Shield World (level)

Shield World is the tenth campaign level of Halo Wars.

The level begins as the Spirit of Fire is suddenly locked in a field that is rapidly pulling into a rift on the planet's surface. Three platoons are still remaining on the surface and they need to be evacuated back to the ship. The main mission is to rescue the three platoons for evacuation by killing all the Flood in the way between the Firebase and the units. Alpha Platoon will reward the player with a Grizzly tank, Bravo Platoon rewards the player with an Elephant, and Charlie Platoon will reward them with three Spartans of the Red Team. They can be rescued in any order, but when the player tries to rescue the last group, the Pelican takes damage, and is ordered to break off. The remaining units will make their way to the base to be picked up there. The normal time limit is 18 minutes, but a side mission, which gives the player access to the special Gremlin unit involves placing Gremlins to disable pylons generating the field that pulls the Spirit of Fire inside the structure. The pylons are located in different corners of the map will buy the player more time (about 22 minutes for all four of them).

If the player shut down every pylon in the level with Gremlins, they will be rewarded with "The Procrastinator" achievement and 5 Gamerpoints.

Plot
At the Apex Site, the Prophet of Regret examines Professor Ellen Anders with amusement, noting how frail she appears and how little of a threat Anders appears to pose. Regret is further amused by Anders' demands to know why she is being held prisoner, but they are interrupted by a Sangheili with news that the is approaching the entrance portal to the shield world. The enraged Arbiter orders the Hierarch returned to High Charity and for the human ship to be intercepted and destroyed.

The Spirit of Fire holds station above an ocean that Serina tells Captain James Cutter is where Anders' transponder signal is coming from. As Serina runs a scan of the location, she suddenly begins muttering about "docking" and "cleansing" before announcing that Cutter won't like what's coming. The ocean splits down the middle, revealing an entrance tunnel that Sentinels emerge from, scanning the ship. The ship begins to be pulled towards the tunnel with Serina unable to stop it and with people still on the planet. Cutter orders Serina to hold station for as long as she can and to recall their people on the surface.

The Spirit of Fire constructs a firebase near where Alpha, Bravo and Charlie platoons are pinned down by massive Flood forces, Spartan Red Team trapped alongside Charlie platoon. With limited time until the Spirit of Fire gets pulled into the tunnel, Serina directs the ground forces to use Gremlins on pylons in the area which disrupt the Forerunner tractor beam and buy her more time, though the Gremlin's EMP can't stop the tractor beam forever and can only slow it down. Despite heavy resistance, ground forces manage to clear the way for Pelicans landed at the firebase to pick up Alpha and Bravo platoons.

After UNSC ground forces clear the way for Charlie platoon and Red Team, a surge of Flood forces the evacuation Pelican back to the firebase. With no other choice and with their base under heavy Flood attack as well, Charlie platoon and the other UNSC ground forces make their way on foot back to the firebase where they are extracted by Pelican to the Spirit of Fire just in the nick of time, leaving the abandoned firebase to be overrun by the Flood forces.

Transcript
{Open Sesame Part 2}

''Scene pans upwards to the Apex Site, with a Spirit dropship departing. Ellen Anders is imprisoned in a Forerunner stasis field device. The Prophet of Regret and the Arbiter approach her.''


 * Prophet of Regret: "This is her?"


 * Ripa 'Moramee: "Yes, Hierarch. This is the one I observed."


 * Prophet of Regret: "Such a frail thing. You would hardly think them a threat."


 * Professor Ellen Anders: "I demand to know why I'm being held!"


 * Ripa 'Moramee: (laughs) "Demand?"

A Sangheili approaches the Arbiter.


 * Sangheili Zealot: "Arbiter, a human ship has arrived and is closing in on the entrance portal-"

The Arbiter strikes the Zealot in anger, sending him flying across the platform.


 * Ripa 'Moramee: "Get the Hierarch to High Charity! Intercept that human ship and destroy it at once!"

''The Arbiter walks off. Regret departs with his Honor Guards. Fades to black.''

Fades in to the Spirit of Fire's'' location, over an ocean. Cuts to the bridge. Sergeant John Forge and Captain James Gregory Cutter look out into the ocean.''


 * Sergeant John Forge: "Nothing but ocean."


 * Captain James Gregory Cutter: "Are you sure this is it, Serina?"


 * Serina: "Fairly sure. Initiating a deep scan... Docking, Cleansing...? That's not right. Captain, you are not going to like this."

''The ocean below suddenly splits in two. The UNSC Spirit of Fire shakes and begins to descend. Cutter looks back.''


 * Cutter: "Serina!"


 * Forge: "Captain, we've got company!"

''Forge points out to the hole in the middle of ocean. Several Aggressor Sentinels approach the Spirit of Fire, and fly around it for a moment. The Spirit of Fire is drawn into a docking and decontamination mechanism within the planet. The ship's position is tilted. Cutter and Forge climb their way to the back of the bridge.''


 * Cutter: "All hands, engage! Serina, I've got troops out there still! Get them back on board now!"


 * Serina: "Captain, I can only hold this position a few minutes at the most."


 * Cutter: "Now, Serina!"


 * Serina: "Recalling surface squads, so we can all die together. Aye, sir!"

Cuts to black.

{In-Game Cutscene}

Scene pans from a Forerunner pylon firing a beam to groups of Marines around a Grizzly tank firing at a group of Flood infections in front of them.


 * Serina: "Three platoons inbound. Designating them Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie."


 * Cutter: "Red Team?"

''The area beyond the Flood infection forms is revealed to be occupied by numerous Flood structures and biomass. Large number of Flood swarms fly above that area.''


 * Serina: "They're with Charlie, sir. Ah, that could be a problem."


 * Cutter: "We can't evac those trapped Marines until the air is clear. Let's be about it, people."

''Behind that Flood-infested area is a UNSC firebase being assembled, while being defended by two Scorpions, two Hornets, and several Marines. Three Pelican dropships land and hold their positions next to the base.''


 * Cutter: "Serina, see if you can buy us more time. Sergeant, break through that line for our Pelicans."

{Gameplay}

''Flood swarms and bomber forms assault the base, but are eliminated by the UNSC forces defending it. The timer starts: 18:00. ''

A horde of Flood swarms attack the Marines from Alpha Platoon.


 * Alpha Platoon Marine (COM): "This is Alpha Platoon, we've got hostile contacts! Lots of hostile contacts!"

The Flood swarms approach Bravo Platoon's position.


 * Bravo Platoon Marine (COM): "This is Bravo. Sarge, could you kindly get off your ass and save ours?"

The Flood swarms begin to descend on Red Team and Charlie Platoon.


 * Jerome-092 (COM): "This Spartan-092 with Charlie Platoon. They are hammering our position! "

''If base turrets have yet to be constructed:


 * Marine #1 (COM): "Maybe we should get some turrets up!

If the base takes heavy damage:


 * Marine #1 (COM): "Spirit, Evac Force is requesting a repair on the base."

If the timer reaches 04:00:


 * Serina: "We're running out of time."

The UNSC forces explore the area, discovering a large tower deploying a large beam.


 * Serina: "Captain, those pylons down there are generating the field we're in."


 * Cutter: "Can we shut them down?"


 * Serina: "Way ahead of you, sir. Forge, I'm sending you a new toy, a Gremlin. Drive it over to that pylon."

A Gremlin is deployed by a Pelican, and arrives next to the pylon.


 * Forge (COM): "Gremlin in position, EMP in three, two, one..."

''The Gremlin fires an EMP burst, and the pylon shuts down. The time left in the timer has increased.''


 * Serina: "Recalculating speed of descent, carry the four, and... we just might make it!"

The Gremlin remains next to the pylon, firing an EMP burst whenever the pylon reactivates.

From this point on, if the UNSC forces come across another pylon:


 * Serina: "Pylon sighted, marking on your display."

''A Pelican arrives at the base and deploys a Gremlin. Once the Gremlin arrives at the pylon:''


 * Forge (COM): "Gremlin in position, EMP in three, two, one..."

The Gremlin(s) will then fire a burst of EMP, shutting down the pylon(s) whenever they reactivate, though each only increase the time left in the timer once.

If Alpha Platoon suffers heavy casualty:


 * Alpha Platoon Marine (COM): "This is Alpha Platoon, we can’t hold our position much longer!"

If Alpha Platoon’s Grizzly is nearly destroyed:


 * Alpha Platoon Marine (COM): "This is Alpha Platoon, we're being overrun!"

If Bravo Platoon's Elephant is destroyed:

If Charlie Platoon suffers heavy casualty:
 * Bravo Platoon Marine (COM): "I'm too pretty to die..."

Eventually, the UNSC forces destroy the first/second group of Flood structures.


 * Forge (COM): "All clear! Evac flight, start your run."

''One of the Pelicans next to the UNSC base heads to the rescued Platoon's position and extract all the surviving Marines.


 * Pelican pilot #1/#2 (COM): "Platoon recovered, returning en route to the Spirit."

If Alpha Platoon is one of the first two platoons to be rescued, Alpha Platoon's Grizzly stays behind and is now under the player's control:


 * Alpha Platoon Marine (COM): "Hey, thanks for that, Sergeant. Need a Grizzly?"

If Bravo Platoon is one of the first two platoons to be rescued, Bravo Platoon's Elephant stays behind and is now under the player's control:


 * Bravo Platoon Marine (COM): "About time, I won't forget this."

If Charlie is one of the first two platoons to be rescued, Red Team stays behind and is now under the player's control:


 * Jerome-092 (COM): "This is Red Team. We're staying dirt-side to give you a hand, sergeant!"

Finally, the UNSC forces destroy the third group of Flood buildings.


 * Forge (COM): "All clear! Evac flight, start your run."

{In-Game Cutscene}

The Pelican flies towards the canyon, but is intercepted by a large group of Flood swarms.


 * Serina: "Aerial hostiles on an intercept course. Evac Flight, abort! Repeat: Evac Flight, abort! Abort!"

The Pelican quickly turns around and flees.

{Gameplay} ''The Pelican holds its position in front of the UNSC firebase. Flood forms begin to assault the firebase.''

If Alpha is the last platoon:


 * Alpha Platoon Marine (COM): " This is Alpha Platoon. We are on our way, save us a seat!"

If Bravo is the last platoon:


 * Bravo Platoon Marine (COM): " This is Bravo Platoon, we can hoof it, if we have to."

If Charlie is the last platoon:


 * Jerome-092 (COM): "This is Charlie Platoon, we'll come in on our own, keep those engines hot!"

The last Platoon arrives at the base.


 * Forge (COM): "Welcome back. All ground forces present and accounted for, Captain."

{In-game Cutscene}

The last Pelican flies away from the base as the base turrets struggle to fend off the large number of swarming Flood forms.


 * Cutter: "Good work, Serina. Final evac from surface from planet surface inbound, prep airlocks."

Level ends.

Easter eggs

 * The Catch skull accessible after killing 350 Flood swarms, and can be found on the island in the southeast section of the map, which is only reachable by air units.
 * The Black Box in this level is located behind Bravo Platoon.

Miscellaneous

 * The name of the beginning cutscene, "Open Sesame Part 2", is a reference to the first time "open sesame" was said in Halo Wars, which is muttered by John Forge when he saw the Covenant opening the relic on Harvest.
 * This is the first of the two levels in campaign in which Forge is not present in gameplay, the other being the last level, Escape. This is likely explained by Forge being onboard the Spirit as depicted in the opening cutscene. Despite Forge's absence on the ground, in-game characters still referred the ground commander as "Forge" or "Sergeant", though it is possible that Forge is commanding from inside the UNSC base.