Defend This
H3 Achievement Defend This.png
50 Gamerscore icon taken from Xbox.com. Originally a single block colour (with the two circles both being white and the 'G' a transparent cutout), but modified by myself to display nicely on dark *and* light themes, and to be reminiscent of the pre-Xbox One gamerscore icon.

Defend This is a Halo 3 achievement, worth 50 Gamerscore, which was unlocked by earning a flag melee kill in any ranked or social match on a Legendary map.[1]

Following the shutdown of Xbox 360 Halo online services on January 13, 2022, this achievement is no longer attainable.[2][3]

TipsEdit

  • One way to get the achievement was in a Legendary playlist called DLC Big Team during a Capture the Flag match on Avalanche. An easy way to do this was to drive into the Giant Man Cannon at the enemy base and fly into the base with a vehicle, then pick up the flag and wait for someone to come running. Flag melees are instant death for the enemies, unless they have Overshields. Another variation on this was to move down the ramp once on the top level of their base with the flag, and crouch near the opening where the ramp changes direction, as people would come running to defend the flag, and in this position could be beat down soon as they came round the corner, lessening the distance between them and the player. In this way the player could also avoid being sniped which was a risk when camping at the top of their base.
  • An easier but less common way on the map Avalanche is to grab the flag then head down the ramp and take the portal, which would teleport the player to where the turrets are. A lucky player could fine a helpless enemy using the turret, allowing them to assassinate them with the flag. Crouching would help to avoid showing up on their radar. Another option was to wait near the teleporter exit to melee any enemy players the moment they exited the teleporter chasing after them.

TriviaEdit

  • This achievement could have been named after a level in Marathon, "Defend THIS"!
  • Some players were able to get the achievement by sticking a player on the opposing team and picking up the enemy flag before the grenade detonated, demonstrating that it wasn't necessary to kill with a flag melee, but just get a kill while holding the flag.
  • Some players were able to unlock this achievement while playing a CTF match on a Mythic map. It is unknown if this is a glitch or if Bungie intended to make this achievement unlockable via the Mythic Map Pack.

SourcesEdit