The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Reach level)/Walkthrough

Overview
This is a walkthrough for the Halo: Reach level The Pillar of Autumn. It is written for play at the Legendary difficulty, but contains notes for lower difficulties. This is the ninth level of Halo: Reach. For this mission you are joined by Emile-A239. Your Mission is to deliver Cortana to Captain Keyes and The Pillar of Autumn. Your initial loadout for this mission is your trusty MA37 Assault Rifle and the M6G Pistol. It is important to note that as this walkthrough at the Legendary difficulty, all strengths of enemies reflected are at the Legendary level.

Not Rain, Nor Heat, Nor Your Ugly Ass Shall Keep Me From My Duty
You know where you need to go. Getting there is going to be an issue though. Advance until you can see The Pillar of Autumn in the distance. Stop. Look over the ledge, You'll see a squad of Spec-Ops Grunts with an Elite Major directly below you. To the right of the bridge you'll see an Elite Ultra with a Concussion Rifle and some Grunt Ultras, there are also some Jackal Majors scattered around the bridge. Equip your M6G Pistol, and go left, over the edge and down the rock face. Once you're at the bottom, slip right and assassinate the Elite Major. If you don't get him, revert and do it again, because it just makes doing this part easier. Once the Elite is dead, proceed to pick off the Grunts and Jackals while circling around the Truck to the left. If you are very lucky the Elite Ultra will come over the bridge but be focused on Emile allowing you to assassinate him. If you can't get the assassination continue clearing out the Grunts and Jackals until they're gone then quickly work your way across the bridge. Use whatever ammo and Grenades you have to delay or wound the Elite (if you can kill him so much the better). Once across the bridge in the building on the right are M392 Designated Marksman Rifles and M41 Rocket Launchers. Use the DMR to finish off the Ultra if you haven't already. Now fill up your DMR ammo and get on the Mongoose. Emile will hop on the back. Now Drive. Follow the road and don't stop for anything. You're going to need to be fast and use brake sliding to make some of the turns but you shouldn't ever need to engage any enemies here. Jump the bridge and dismount. This is your first real fight section. Head into the damaged buiding on the right and drop your Rocket Launcher for an M45 Tactical Shotgun, remember you left it here because you're going to come back for it. head over the barrier and start killing. Stay back and to the left to avoid the two Jackal Snipers in the Deployable lookout tower with Needle Rifles. Once you've gotten rid of the Grunt Ultras in front of you and Any approaching Brute Minors, edge left until you can see the snipers through the cab of the truck providing your cover and take them out. Now start clearing the Brutes and Jackals at mid range, these are mostly Brute Captains and Jackal Majors, but there are a few Brute Minors scattered around. Again, move forward cautiously, the Wraith hasn't been an issue to this point but once you start moving forward to pick off the turret operator it will target you. Grab a Plasma Pistol off the ground and use an overcharge round to stun the Wraith. Hop on and either hijack or kill it. You can then clear the entrance to the cave area of Jackals and Grunts before going back and swapping out your Shotgun/Plasma Pistol for your Rocket Launcher and reload your DMR to full. Alternatively, you can opt for a more dangerous, but very rewarding strategy. Immediately pick off the Jackals in the tower with your DMR and move along the right side of the area at high speed with sprint, ignoring all other enemies. Kill the Wraith gunner as you move, and then lure the tank into boosting at you once you reach it. Dodge it, board the tank and kill the driver. Take control of the tank and lay waste to the enemies, just watch out for plasma grenades. Return to Emile and advance into the network of caves ahead.
 * On a side note here, should you approach the bridge and see a Phantom pulling away, back up as it will fire on you and kill you.

Bad to the Drone
Carter has given you a chance, take it. advance again, keeping your DMR out. Your going to run into some Drones. They're quick and good shots, but VERY weak. They're easy enough to pick off with the DMR, just take your time and use a single shot for each one, every round counts here. They will often stop and hover to line up shots. Use this time to headshot them (they'll explode if you are successful). The shotgun also works quite well here where the extended range and tighter grouping of the pellets (compared to Halo 3's M90A) are a one shot explosion against drones. Once you are past the first group, you'll get some DMR ammo and an Drop Shield. If you're on Legendary, the Drop Shield will SAVE YOUR LIFE. Eventually you'll advance to a second group of Drones supported by Skirmisher Champions. Their shielding makes headshots the most viable form of termination here. They've all got Needle Rifles. Champions are very fast and agile so you'll need to keep steady and hit them when they stop to shoot at you. When they are down, run back and grab whatever ammo is left for the DMR. Advance into the next area.

Junkyard Dog
Just before you exit the caves on the ground there will be a Spartan Laser make note of it because you are going to come back for it. Ahead of you is a drop off leading to a large area populated by baddies, usually one Elite General, one Elite Ultra, two Elite Majors, lots of Jackals both Major and Minors as well as Grunts and Skirmisher Champions. On the far building overlooking the battlefield are two Elite Rangers. They won't attack until you eliminate some of the Covenant forces on the ground, so ignore them for now. Start shooting. Clear out the majority of the enemies (get the General and the Ultra, they're the biggest threats). Eventually you will probably be down to the Elite Majors, the two Rangers and some Champions. If you are out of DMR ammo run back and swap it for a Needle Rifle to finish off the Skirmishers. If you like, you can expend your Rocket Launcher ammo here to clear out the enemies and go back for the Spartan Laser. Eventually Emile will call out reinforcements arriving and the remaining enemies should line up below you like tin soldiers waiting for a good killing. End them. You may want to save the Ultra for last and use the Spartan Laser on him (It makes for an excellent screen capture on review). Once all the enemy here are dead, make note of the building below and left of you. There is ammo here you are going to come back for. Hop down and go into the building on your left to restock DMR ammo. Mop up any survivors (the Rangers will probably have attacked by now). Head into the facility directly in front of you and go up stairs. When you reach the top you'll find a huge balcony with a Spartan Laser on one side and a Sniper Rifle on the other. If you still have the Rocket Luancher, pick off the Shades so you don't have to worry about them. You can also simply DMR snipe the gunners, just be careful the guns aren't manned again. The reason the Spartan Laser is more useful here is because of the Ghosts. They move around a lot and are tough to hit with the slow-moving rockets. The Laser is much more useful here. if you miss, use the Sniper Rifle to finish the Ghosts off. Mop up survivors with the DMR. It may seem like an endless horde, but you should be able to plug through it with ease. Once you've cleared the front, reload your DMR and head to the left hand side of the structure, there is a conveyor belt across to the other side head over and look into the building from the roof openings. you'll see two Elite Ultras, an Elite Minor and some Grunts. Knock them off with the DMR. You can use the noob combo on the Ultras if you like, but KEEP THE LASER. Go back and get it if you swap for a Plasma Pistol. Keep your DMR always. Advance to the next section.

Break On Through (To the Other Side)
Once inside the facility you are going to run into an anteroom next to a large machine room. Clear the back of the machine room of Jackals and Grunts and steal a Plasma Pistol (swap temporarily for your Laser). A few Ultras and maybe a Major will appear. Use an overcharge shot to eliminate their shields, then pick them off with the DMR. Go back and grab the Spartan Laser. Advance through and peek around the next corner, there is a group of Champions and two Hunters. This is why you have the Spartan Laser. This fight is VERY difficult without it. Now if you can get a shot on the Hunters' backs you can kill them with one laser shot. If not, two shots each and aim a little high so to avoid hitting the shield arm. Finish off the Champions with the DMR. When they are dead you can advance into the building. Here there are Jackal snipers on the upper deck and a DMR on the ground near the barrels, so restock on ammo and start clearing. An Elite Ultra will sneak up on the right with an Energy Sword and gut you if you are not careful. When he shows up, retreat and make him go after Emile. Emile can finish the Ultra by himself, as he can't die, or you can assassinate it. Grab the sword or a Plasma Pistol from the dead Jackals. Check the Sword's battery when you pick it up. Don't bother with it if you're below 50-60% battery. Once you've cleared the catwalk, go up the stairs, another group will appear from the forward doorway, including an Elite Ultra. Use the Sword (or the noob combo) and DMR to kill them quickly. Now under the stairs is a room with a case of DMRs, grab one and head back through the door. Clear out the Grunts then move forward. A container with Grenade Launchers should be in front of you. Keep the Sword or swap it for the Grenade Launcher, your choice. If you don't have the Sword, pick up the Grenade Launcher. Again, KEEP THE DMR.

This is Why They Call Me Hyper Lethal.
Head out onto the landing pad area. Now there are several strategies for dealing with this area. You are going to have to defend this area against several (3-4) waves of enemy troops. This will consist of Brutes, Jackals and Grunts. No Elites so you lucked out. If you still have your Spartan Laser give it to one of the troops here, he'll do plenty of damage before dying, and yes he will die, not because of scripting, but because you just can't defend all the helpless infantry dogs from the hordes of evil monsters assaulting you. Before they land, evaluate your area of operations. There is a building to the left side of the platform, there is a Sniper Rifle on the roof area, reloads for your Pistol and DMR on the ground level with health packs, Assault Rifles, Shotguns, and Grenade Launchers. In the sub level area there are more health packs and more reloads for the Pistol and Shotgun. Simple strategy is best here and you should stick to it. Hold the high ground. DMR ammo is hard to come by here, so make every shot count. (There is ammo by a dead soldier on the rocks on the lower left side of the battlefield, and extra can be obtained with a glitch. (Pillar of Autumn Extra Ammo)) The Phantoms will drop troops to the rocks to the left of the landing platform at the far end and in the rocks directly to the right of you on the gangway. Stay up here only leaving to get reloads. Pick off as many enemies as you can with the DMR. Keep an eye on your motion tracker because Brutes are going to try to get in your face. The Grenade Launcher or Shotgun should do fine at keeping them away. Essentially, the Grenade Launcher should be used as an explosive shotgun. Direct hits are your friend, but don't waste ammo. The Grenade Launcher is hard to use. Employ it on clusters of infantry for good effect (Jackals in particular) Your infantry support will help you as much as they can but they will be overwhelmed. When you hear the call for the second wave of enemies (they drop on the right side of the battlefield), grab the Sniper Rifle. There will be two Chieftains here, one with a Fuel Rod Gun and one with a Gravity Hammer. Focus on the Fuel Rod Chieftain first. Because he won't dodge much, the Sniper Rifle is a great choice to take him on, just don't waste ammo, you'll want the Sniper shots later. Two headshots will take him down. If he dies the Gravity Hammer Chieftain will charge you, drop grenades on him and keep backing away. Once his armor drops hit him with the DMR. The Hammer Chieftan is harder to kill with the Sniper Rifle, so use the Grenade Launcher and DMR on him. Swap his Gravity Hammer for your Grenade Launcher and finish off the remaining enemies before the last wave drops. Now, on the far side of the building near the path down to the Far rocks there is another reload for your DMR. Head to the landing Platform. This is a pretty good vantage for your last showdown. Not as much ammo this time, but you shouldn't need it. There will only be a couple of Brute Captains some Jackals and a Cheiftain with a Plasma Launcher. Use the DMR to clear the everything but the Chieftain. Once you're down to him, bring out the Gravity Hammer. If you have enough ammo left, use the DMR, it's much less risky than closing with the Hammer, but if you can close quickly enough you can finish him off and grab the Launcher for yourself. Now Captain Keyes' Pelican will drop in, before you go to him, grab that Sniper Rifle off the roof and head over to the Pelican to deliver your precious cargo.

My Name is Spartan B-312. You killed my Teammates. Prepare to Die.
You're on your own, but there's work to be done. Equip the Sniper Rifle, there is a Elite Zealot on the far gangway near where you came in. Ventilate him, it should take three quick headshots, you MUST be precise. Reload, the second Zealot will exit, you should send him on the Greatest Journey the same way. Reload, a third Zealot may appear at the door, if you have the shot take it. If not, leave him for now. Pick up a DMR if you can find one, otherwise a Magnum or Shotgun will do just fine, and clear out the Grunts. Once you don't see anymore Grunts move to the right side of the doorway. There is an Engineer here. Hit him with a few shots from the DMR or use the Plasma Launcher if you still have it. This will draw out the last Zealot. Pick up a Plasma Pistol and noob combo him. Now stop, your last individual enemy is ahead, a Elite Field Marshall with a Fuel Rod Gun. He's a good shot with it and will put a shot into your face if you charge him. Try using the overcharge shot to pop his shields, if you miss, just try again. Once you knock out his shields he'll drop the Fuel Rod Gun and pull out an Energy Sword. Don't panic. If you're in close, you can run around behind him and assassinate him while he does the animation to pull out the sword. If not, just wait till he starts charging and headshot him.

You....Shall Not....Glass!!!
OK. You're down to your last hurrah. The Mass Driver Cannon is just up the stairs. Now you can hop in the driver's seat and plug away at Phantoms and Banshees until the CCS-class Battlecruiser is in range and then fire. However, on Legendary this requires ridiculous timing, absurdly accurate fire and more than just a little luck. It's much easier, and completely safe to hop into the turret, then hop out and run down the stairs, wait for the right moment (Keyes will cue you at the right moment). Run up, hop in, aim, fire, pump your fist, you just completed your mission and ensured the escape of The Pillar of Autumn.

Legendary Notes

 * This level requires you use all of the skills you learned in previous levels, from vehicles to assaults to firefights, you do it all here.
 * Conservation of ammo is often key here. While for skilled players headshots aren't too difficult, less experienced players often use too much ammo aiming for center mass and doing less damage, especially on Legendary. Practice your sniping skills, while they may not always be necessary, they will always be useful.
 * There are Two Spartan Lasers on this level. Use them right and you'll be able to keep one to the end of the level.
 * This can never be stressed enough, know your weapons. You may be most comfortable with a DMR and Plasma Pistol, but if all that's around is a Brute Spiker and a Plasma Rifle, you'd better be able to wield them effectively.
 * Never Surrender the High Ground. there are several areas here (no less than 4) where you will have height and range on your enemies, use these positions to keep yourself safe and the enemy dead.
 * Any skull would be good here. You are going to face the most deadly enemies on this level anyway and they're all going to be in front of you. There's plenty of weapons around and no one ever went wrong with more grenades. Only Iron may be something of a stickler here as it is a fairly long level and repeating the whole thing if playing solo will be a little tedious.
 * If possible, and when all the weaker enemies are dead (Grunts, jackals, etc) sneak around to the back of the enemies, while your allies distract them, and assassinate, move back to cover and rinse and repeat. This is best used against elites for it takes forever to take down there shields at long and med range and they move to cover after shield is down. If you're too close, well, good luck dodging all the concussion rounds they send at you.
 * If there are other weapons lying around, like assault rifles, plasma rifle, etc. Pick em up and use em against weaker enemies, for it will conserve your ammo on your preferred choice of weapons.

Notes for Lower Difficulties

 * Heroic difficulty has more enemies but they are easier to defeat. Plan on seeing more Elite Majors and Brute Captains.
 * One shot with a Sniper Rifle will kill nearly all the Elites. You can almost kill Every Elite after you find them with a single well placed shot to the head (two at the most).