Halo 3 skulls

Skulls are easter eggs in Halo 3 designed to make the game more challenging or interesting.

Background
The skulls resemble those in the multiplayer game variant "Oddball" and can be used as weapons in much the same way but they lack information text to pick them up. They are usually hidden out of the way, so one must search for them, or else know where they are, to get them.

Do note that in order to obtain any of the skulls you have to begin the level from the beginning and on Normal or higher difficulty. With gold skulls you do not have to finish the level nor do you need to carry the skull after first picking it up, so you can simply save and quit.

You don't have to play through the rest of the level with the silver skulls. Just play from the beginning and get the skull. It is optional to play through the rest of the level.

To use the silver skulls you merely need to press X at the level selection screen and select any of the skulls you desire active.

"Gold Skulls" will grant you achievements when you first get them, but "Silver Skulls" will not. They are differentiated on the selection screen by their background, but are identical in-game. In the Campaign Scoring mode, activating gold skulls and silver skulls will grant you a multiplier to the points you receive, depending on the skull and/or skulls.

Iron
Level: Sierra 117

Directions: This skull is at the end of the level. You can find it after a part in which you cross a bridge packed with enemies. It is located on the roof of the building to the left of the building where Sergeant Johnson is being held captive (facing the entrance). You can get up by jumping onto the pipes. Go all the way to the end of the rooftop, and the skull will be there.

Icon: A skull marked with a hammer.

Effect: If you die while playing solo, you will restart at the beginning of the level (you cannot revert to the last checkpoint at any time). If any player dies while playing co-operative, you will reset to the last checkpoint.

Point Multiplier: 3x

Black Eye
Level: Crow's Nest

Directions: As soon as you start the level, move to the end of the first room where there is a locked door you will use later on in the level. The door is facing what appears to be empty weapon racks. Carefully jump on top of them. Above the racks there is a set of brown pipes connected to one larger pipe that you must jump onto. After that, jump on the larger pipe. The skull should be at the end of the larger pipe.

Icon: A skull marked with a smaller skull with a bruise under one eye. Also, the skull’s left eye is marked with a bruise underneath it.

Effect: Your Energy Shield will not recharge until you perform a melee hit. The Energy Sword and Gravity Hammer's R-Trigger attacks count as a melee attack. Hijacking also counts as a melee attack.

Note: In Halo 2 the Blackeye skull could be used to give the player a full 300% overshield but the recharge effect only worked if you killed an enemy with a melee attack. In Halo 3 simply hitting an enemy with a melee attack will recharge your shield, regardless of whether the enemy dies or not. However you're no longer able to gain an overshield.

Point Multiplier: 1.5x

Tough Luck
Level: Tsavo Highway

Directions: There is a point in this level where there is a shield that is blocking all vehicles from passing it. Disable the shield and fend off the drones that follow. Proceed through the tunnel and you will be on Tsavo Highway. To your left there should be a distinguishable yellow ladder. Go to the last one before the pipe stops touching the ground and climb over it. There is a support below it, a large iverted 'T' that looks far enough down to kill you, jump onto the first one of these. Moving away from the bridge there is a cliff to your left. On the cliff you should find the Tough Luck skull.

Icon: A skull marked with three clovers.

Effect: Enemies dodge grenades, needles, and vehicle assaults with a far greater success rate.

Point Multiplier: 1.5x

Catch
Level: The Storm

Directions: Method A In the outdoor area with an AA Wraith, some Ghosts, and later a normal Wraith, there is a silo-like building past the boathouse near the edge of the cliff. Get up onto it using a vehicle and a grenade or an ally (Alternatively, you can park a Ghost next to the silo and then park a Warthog on top of it as a ramp, but this may take some practice, you can also park the 'Hog next to the lowest edge of the silo roof and deploy a bubble shield on top of the warthog as a ramp. Alternatively, if the Warthog is destroyed, it is possible to stand on a ghost and grenade jump to the roof), and the skull will be there. Note that if the non-AA Wraith's driver is killed (whether or not the Wraith is destroyed), the skull will disappear. This skull can be seen from other locations, including the boathouse where the battle rifle is located and the landing where the regular Wraith is located. If the skull disappears, go back to your last saved checkpoint.

Directions: Method B This method is a bit easier than the other one and far more safe. Grab a ghost and go to the structure. Put the ghost between the odd-red colored wall and the structure itself. Granade jump when you are standing on the ghost. It may take some tries but it is pretty easy.

Note: There is a glitch in some games where this skull will not appear, even if the other instructions have been followed. In such an event, you should complete the entire campaign on at least Normal difficulty. Also note that the skull itself is affected by physics, so if a Wraith’s plasma mortar hits the top of the silo, the skull may be lost. Further Note: This "glitch" that the note above refers to is if you kill any of the wraiths the skull will disappear.

Icon: A skull marked with a triangle.

Effect: All AI-controlled units, friend or foe, throw grenades more often, where applicable. The Catch skull has no effect on Flood, as they don't throw grenades.

Point Multiplier: 1.5x

Fog
Level : Floodgate

Directions: At the beginning of the level, you will not walk into the destroyed city of Voi. As soon as you enter the city, there is a large building to your right after the missle silo. Take out a weapon with a scope (preferrably a battle rifle) and wait for a marine to start yelling to look in the air. If you are playing co-op, station one man in the middle of the road between the burning building and the building the creature lands on(Check where he goes before reverting to last save.) A single flood soldier should appear on top of the building, ready to jump across the structure. Kill the flood just before/as it jumps, one guy using an assualt rifle shooting straight up, and one guy sniping from the slanted light post with a battle rifle. Hopefully, the skull will fall off the building so you can pick it up. This should take several tries. If you miss the flood or the skull is stuck on the building, just restart at the last save.

Note:Dont look up and to the right just BEFORE entering the city continuing to walk into it. You will see them run to the top ledge of the building, but you have a VERY limited amount of time to shoot the Flood creature. But the first time, if you're unable to shoot them, you will at least have a good idea of where to be looking the second time, and just revert to saved.

Icon: A skull marked with a swirl of fog.

Effect: Your motion sensor is no longer visible.

Point Multiplier: 1.5x

Famine
Level: The Ark

Directions: Method A At a point in the level, you will be directed into a fork in the road. Going straight will lead you into a giant bowl-like valley, and going to the right will lead you through a passage about 40 feet wide. Go to the right. When you get underneath the platform structure, you will notice some climbable rocks on the right that will lead you to the platform itself. You will notice several beam-like supports alongside the platform. Go the very last one, at the end of the platform. Align yourself close to the support. You need to get to the crevice of it, sticking out and away from the platform. Get about 6 feet away from the incline, and throw a plasma grenade to the top of the incline. It will stay there, because the incline rises about 3 inches before it goes downward. As you throw, begin a jump toward the crevice of the support. If you timed it right, you should be about 5 feet past the grenade when it explodes, which should give you the boost you need to get onto the support and get the skull. The timing might take a few tries before you get it right.

Directions: Method B A slightly easier way to get the skull is to use a Brute Chopper. Save one from an earlier battle, and then drive it to the part that's underneath some kind of roof (this is where you're going anyways) drive out from underneath it, and you should be making a right turn. To the right, on the rock face, there is a lone boulder on the ground. Drive slightly past it, then turn around, aiming at the bridge, and drive up the steep face. Eventually, you will be at a small gap between the bridge and the rock. on the left "edge" of the rock, you can see a small upwards incline. Using this as a jump, boost off of it and try to land on the bridge. This will probably take a few tries. Once you're on, turn left and drive to the last "pillar" (which contains the skull) hugging the pillar, drive the Chopper as close to the edge as possible. Then just jump on top of the Chopper, and jump into the pillar. Getting the Chopper just right and getting into the pillar takes a few tries, so don't be discouraged if you miss and take a while.

Directions: Method C When killing Brutes in the level pick up a deployable cover and drop it in front of the pillar with the skull and use it as a step to the ledge.

Directions: Method D It's almost certainly possible to use a Rocket Launcher, Brute Shot or even a non-explosive weapon to shoot the skull off its perch and simply pick it up when it falls to the ground. However, upon testing this theory with grenades, battle rifles, the covenant sniper equivilant, a plasma rifle, and an assault rifle, I found that no matter how I aimed, whether or not i was hitting the skull, Mr. Skully refused to budge. Piling two ghosts on top of each other with another player crouching below me led to success.

Directions: Method E Play the level on Co-Op with a friend. Both of you should climb up on to the platform. Have your friend stand as low on the incline near the pillar as he can with his back against the pillar. Then your friend should kill you, and when you respawn you will land right on his head, use him to jump up to the platform, grab the skull, and you both get the achievement.

Icon: A skull marked with a smaller skull.

Effect: All weapons that are dropped by enemies or are scripted to spawn on the ground (e.g., near a downed Pelican or group of dead bodies) have halved or reduced ammunition or charge. However, weapons found in cases still have the regular amount of ammo.

Point Multiplier: 2x

Thunderstorm
Level: The Covenant

Directions: There is a part in the level where there are two hornets and you are expected to take one and get to the third tower to take it down. When you get in, start to fly to the third tower. On your way there, you will see the second tower (which was disabled by the Elites). It looks exactly like the third tower (only without all the land and enemies on it). Fly over to it. There is a long part of the tower that extends out into the ocean. There is a very tall ramp that leads up to it. At the end of the extension you will find the Thunderstorm skull.

Note: You must start at mission start. If not, the skull will not appear.

Icon: A skull marked with a lightning bolt.

Effect: All enemies (and Sangheili allies) are promoted to the next available rank. The number of shielded Flood attack forms is also increased.

Point Multiplier: 1.5x

Tilt
Level: Cortana

Directions: The skull is at the top of the large circular room where Cortana asks your name, and says it’s very nice to meet you and that she likes to play games too.(your screen and movement won’t change for this one). To the left of the room will be some small, somewhat fungal, growths on the walls. Using these, jump up onto a platform. There will be some more nearby, so use those to get to a large circular platform with the skull on it. The skull will not be there after you reach the next save point.

Icon: A skull marked with a smaller skull with a hole in its head.

Effect: Enemy resistances are greatly increased. Where a particular type of weapon normally does slightly increased damage (e.x. projectiles against Brute flesh, or plasma against Brute armor), it is instead greatly reduced.

Point Multiplier: 2x

Mythic
Level: Halo

Directions: Hug the right wall from the very beginning of the level. Soon you will reach a cave with a dead end, and the skull is on the ground, among the rocks. The skull may be a bit hard to see, so turning your flashlight on will help.

Icon: A skull marked with a circle with a smaller circle in it

Effect: The health of all enemies doubles.

Point Multiplier: 2x

Gold Skulls Video
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