Sword flying

Summary
The player can leave the ordinary map boundaries by performing a "sword fly trick" or "sword cancel". The player will charge at but not slash the other player, allowing the sword user to fly over the other person and get over a boundary. Players could also use the "sword fly trick" to get past the boundaries in older versions, although this glitch has been removed from the game by an update from the game publisher, Bungie.

There are four ways to glitch involving the Energy Sword. In this article, 'R' is shorthand for the right trigger on your controller. 'X', 'Y', 'B' are the blue, yellow, and red buttons respectively.

Note: for those using boxer control, use Left Trigger instead of B.

Walk Through
The first, sword canceling, is the act of lunging at a person without hitting them, by hitting R + X, effectively cancelling your attack. Another form of cancelling is B + X, which is useful for wall climbing (see below).

The sword fly trick works by having one player already in the position the other player wishes to reach. While jumping, the player wanting to reach the position must have a rocket launcher with no ammunition and a sword. While targeting the jumping man, from the bottom of the cross-hair, the player must switch between the rocket and sword to obtain access to the new area. Two players can still use the "sword cancel" to gain access to new areas, or a technique called 'butterflying,' in which one player locks on with the sword by pressing "r" then quickly hitting "x." Another way to do it is by pressing the "B" and "X" buttons simultaneously with the index and middle fingers, jumping upon the other player's head and jumping again. The glitch can be done more quickly by adding "a" into the button combo. The player doing the cancelling is propelled up to the first, who jumps again. This method of play can be used to attain incredible heights, as long as the first person maintains his position on top of the other's head. Invisible walls on most levels stop the players from traveling 'out of the map,' but it can still lead to unfair play in objective games on maps such as Relic.

Rocket Cancelling
The other form, sometimes called rocket jumping or sword flying, is when you have both a Rocket Launcher and a sword, in either hand. First switch to the Rocket Launcher, then aim at a target so the crosshair turns red. Then quickly press X + Y + Right Trigger repeatedly until you "fly" at the target. This is useful for getting to otherwise un-reachable places high on maps, like Zanzibar and Headlong.

To get to really high places, you can use a combination of Sword Flying and at the top of the flight, using the Sword Cancel on an opponent to get to where they are.

In Halo 2 1.1, Halo 2 after the latest auto-update (as of 23/4/2005), Sword Flying has been changed drastically on Xbox Live. Instead of pressing Y, press Y, X, and B at the same time in place. It is much more difficult and will only lunge at other with certain angles. Sword lunging still works. Sword Cancels have not been disabled due to the auto-update.

Rocket Launcher Jump
Another notable glitch involves the rocket launcher, an Overshield, and a battle shield. This is done on the new map "Relic". First of all, move one of the two tall blast shields found near the crashed transport vehicle, to beside the main structure. This is most easily done with a warthog. It is easiest if the shield faces away from the structure, and is about 20 feet away. Stand on the T-brace that supports the shield against the ground and shoot the top of the shield with the rocket launcher. This will kill you if you do not have an overshield. Theoretically, a teammate could shoot the shield if Friendly Fire was off. If done correctly, you will be launched very high into the air, and you can land on top of the structure if your aim is good (Note: You must be connection host to do this glitch). It is recommended that you bring a sniper rifle or the Oddball up with you, as you are essentially invincible. (this can also be performed using an upturned banshee)

Sword Climbing
The third form of sword glitching is the sword climb. To sword climb, you need 2 people willing to work together. They stand right next to each other and look at the other person. Then, at the same time, they both hit X+A+B repeatedly. This glitch lets you climb hundreds of feet in the air. It is also called butterflying and "doing the Matrix."

Warthog Variation
Sit in the passenger seat of the Warthog while wielding the sword. Aim at a flying enemy (Phantom, Banshee) until the rectile turns red, and then attempt a lunge. When you exit the Warthog, you should fly torwards the enemy.