Waterworks

Summary
Waterworks is a Halo 2 multiplayer map. This huge map, found mostly in the Big Team Battle playlist, is a symmetrical area with bases on either side. This map is built mainly for games of 8 versus 8 Assault and Capture the Flag. There are several stalactites hanging from the ceiling which can be brought down by shooting them repeatedly. However, if they are shot with an explosive it will fragment and not be able to damage anything. If they hit an opposing vehicle or enemy, it is an instant kill. It is similar in many ways to the cavern parts of the campaign level, Uprising. If your are killed by the large piston in the center, you will be killed by the Guardians. Also the Ghost of Lockout can appear and disappear right after you look at it.

The basic layout of the map is one base at either end of the cavern, with the large piston that moves in the center with a bridge through it.

Layout
Waterworks is arguably the biggest multiplayer map in Halo 2.

First of all, the bases: your standard Red/Blue base. These bases are actually more homely than others, with a total of three floors. The first floor has a nice window, some crates, and a Battle Rifle, Plasma Pistol, SMG, and a Magnum. The second floor is unprotected but with more ammo, with a Needler, Sniper Rifle, Frag Grenades, SMG, a Battle Rifle, and a machine gun in a little protective alcove that is good for suppressing enemies. A ramp leads to the "hangar bay" that has a Banshee, a Battle Rifle, and a one way teleporter. In the front, there is a small parking lot that has a Warthog, Ghost, and (usually) a tank of some sort. This is the same for both bases.

The teleporters lead you to a personal bridge for each team, that has a Rocket Launcher, an SMG, and a Plasma Pistol with a Carbine. Both these bridges lead to the same place, but they're all pretty vulnerable to snipers and gunners.

Both these bridges end up in the same place- the bases and the piston. This place has the Energy Sword, a Sniper Rifle, a Brute Shot, a Battle Rifle, Rocket Launcher, and more. This piston also has the central bridge that connects the bases to one another.



Territories

 * Center Bridge
 * Red Base
 * Blue Base
 * Blue Bridge
 * Red Bridge

Tactics

 * Watch out for snipers, gunners on stationed turrets, and vehicles (If you're on foot). They'll end your livelihood very quickly.


 * Always keep a flexible arsenal (i.e. Battle Rifle, Shotgun, Carbine, Sniper Rifle)


 * The pounder has a lot of catwalks that are perfect places to snipe, provided you can reach them (via Banshee). Once there the person who should have a Rocket Luncher and sniper should be able to command that position for the duration of the match if he/she has enough skill.


 * Each base has its own fleet of vehicles. Put people in the Scorpion Tank, Warthog, Ghost and Banshee.


 * It is easy to get lost on this level. Try to stay near the bases be that the case in the large map.


 * There are stalactites on the ceiling, shoot them enough and they will fall. If anyone happens to be standing under these stalactites when this happens, they will die.

If you happen to be caught without a vehicle head for the giant area in the middle, you'll last a lot longer.

Trivia

 * Waterworks, along with Headlong, are the only maps in Halo 2 multiplayer that feature a ladder.


 * You can shoot down the stalactites on the ceiling of the level. They can do major damage, but you must have excellent timing.


 * Like on the Halo 3 map The Pit, maniacal laughing can sometimes be heard.


 * The moon is visible to see on this map by looking out the hole that's in the ceiling.


 * If you get killed with the stalactites sometimes the kill will go to the Guardians.


 * If you touch the water under the bridge or lower it is an automatic death.


 * This is the only map where the Wraith spawns by default.


 * In Red vs. Blue a Red Team soldier, the character, Donut, was smashed by a ship and had fallen through the ground from Blood Gulch\Coagulation into this level.