Team SWAT

Team SWAT is a Halo 2 and a Halo 3 unranked Matchmaking gametype. The player has no shields, no motion tracker and spawns with a headshot weapon. Common starting weapons are the Battle Rifle, Covenant Carbine, or the M6C Magnum. Players do not spawn with grenades, and there are usually no weapons or grenades found on the map. Its inclusion in Halo 3 matchmaking includes grenades, however the player is given 200% health so grenades do not feature an instant kill. In Halo 3 matchmaking, Team SWAT features either Battle Rifles and Magnums, or just Magnums. Mongooses can be found on maps such as Snowbound, and Isolation, as well.

The lack of shields significantly increases the speed of the game due to almost instantaneous kills, though there is a tendency for people to be more cautious due to their vulnerability. Headshots are usually crucial, as they can take down a person in one round or burst, compared to shooting the body, where it can take up to two or three.

SWAT on Halo 2
SWAT game playlist has mostly slayer gametypes although it has also some objective games on it like CTF. Preferred maps:
 * Battle Creek
 * Elongation
 * Midship

SWAT on Halo 3
SWAT is played as DoubleXP Weekend Playlist, and it had only the Team SWAT and SWAT Magnums gametypes. It didn't have anything else other than slayer games, per the original design of Team SWAT.

Map Rotation:
 * SWAT Construct
 * Hardcore Isolation
 * SWAT Guardian
 * SWAT The Pit
 * SWAT Ground
 * SWAT Epitaph
 * SWAT Snowbound
 * Hardcore Snowbound

Team SWAT will be returning as a ranked playlist in May 2008.

Tips and Strategy

 * Many players prefer Sangheili Combat Harness or other Elite armor harness in this gametype due that fact that Elite is nearly impossible to headshot from behind. Assault and Ascetic are the most used helmets for their small headshot area. They have their weaknesses, however, like large headshot area when shooting from the side. It is still possible, though, to get a headshot from behind by either shooting the small portion of the head that 'bobs' up as the player is walking, or a spot between the 'shoulder blades' that some people claim results in a double kill.


 * This playlist, more or less, comes down to finding viewpoints and angles, quick reactions, getting ready for an opponent at every turn, checking angles, and being outright paranoid.


 * All that is needed for a kill is one shot to the head. Extreme long-range shooting is always worth an attempt here, unlike other game types.

Trivia

 * The double experience weekend playlist for Team SWAT took place from March 20th through 23rd, but due to a unknown reason was stopped short by two days. To compensate for this error, the playlist was put up again the following weekend.
 * SWAT on Blackout will be one of the main focus points of it's return in May 2008, due to the intensity and excitement of playing SWAT on Lockout in Halo 2
 * Team SWAT has appeared twice so far as a Double XP Weekend, the first time it appeared from 20th March 2008 through 23rd, although experienced technical errors and was stopped 2 days short, the second time it appeared was from April 24th 2008 through April 27th. This will be its final appearence until it becomes a permanent playlist in Halo 3 Matchmaking in May.

Related Pages

 * Slayer Variants