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Halopedia:Projects/Reach Mapping

Project page Discussion
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The Reach Mapping Project aims to cross-reference both in-game and supplementary material in an attempt to detail Reach's planetary pages. Obviously, this will involve detailed examinations of all of this material and might spoil details.

The current pages for Viery Territory, Ütközet, Eposz and Alföld and potentially others do not have a clear or consistent hierarchy of locations, requiring detailed maintenance.

GoalsEdit

Current researchEdit

Thanks to several sources including the maps included with Dr. Halsey's personal journal, Halo: Outpost Discovery, the Order of Battle seen in the opening cutscene of Tip of the Spear and a Covenant deployment map seen on the bridge of Ardent Prayer, it is possible to begin piecing together a good idea of Reach's landscape and layout.

Official mapsEdit

To begin with, here is a full world map of Reach, taken from the in-game texture used for the holotank of the Covenant corvette.

 

Thanks to the map provided by the Hall of History in Outpost Discovery (left), we can place the cities of Manassas, New Alexandria, Esztergom, Quezon, Sopron and Casimir. The map provided in Halsey's Journal gives us the locations of SWORD Base (marked SWO), CASTLE Base (marked CAS), Visegrád (marked VIS) and several thus-far unidentified sites.

  • Outpost Discovery map.

  • Halsey's map.

These sources combined allows us to place a number of important locations seen in Halo: Reach and supplementary material (Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: First Strike, Halo: Shadows of Reach, Data Drops etc.) with a fair degree of accuracy, and begin piecing together the overall geographical structure of Reach.

 

Thanks to this information, we can begin collating together other sources and references. One key in helping decipher these locales are the location paths usually seen in the cutscenes of Halo: Reach in the camera views, in the bottom right of the screen (these are provided below). Several other resources are collated below.

ResourcesEdit

Primary resourcesEdit

  • Halo: Reach - Includes a swathe of visual, audio, and narrative information on Reach since it is primarily set on the planet.
  • Halo: First Strike - Includes location hierarchies in chapter headers for sections on Reach.
  • Halo: The Fall of Reach - Includes location hierarchies in chapter headers for sections on Reach as well as other descriptions of the planet.
    • Halo: Fall of Reach - Includes location hierarchies in establishing shots for sections on Reach as well as other descriptions of the planet.
  • Halo: Shadows of Reach - Includes location hierarchies in chapter headers as well as information in the narrative itself.
  • Halo: Outpost Discovery - In person event that ran during 2019.

Additional resourcesEdit

BooksEdit

Chapter headingsEdit

Halo: The Fall of Reach chapter heading pathsEdit

  • Chapter 3: Epsilon Eridani System, Reach Military Complex, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 4: Epsilon Eridani System, Reach Military Complex, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 5: Epsilon Eridani System, Reach Military Wilderness Training Preserve, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 6: Epsilon Eridani System, Office of Naval Intelligence Medical Facility, in orbit around planet Reach
  • Chapter 8: Epsilon Eridani System, Reach UNSC Military Complex, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 24: Epsilon Eridani System, Reach UNSC Military Complex, Planet Reach, Camp Hathcock
  • Chapter 25: Epsilon Eridani System, Reach UNSC Military Complex, Planet Reach, Omega Wing-Section Three Secure Facility
  • Chapter 26: Epsilon Eridani System, Fleetcom Military Complex, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 27: Epsilon Eridani System, UNSC Military Reservation 01478-B, Planet Reach

Halo: First Strike chapter heading pathsEdit

  • Chapter 1: UNSC vessel Pillar of Autumn, Epsilon Eriani System Near Reach Station Gamma
  • Chapter 2: Epsilon Eridani System, Unknown Aerial Position, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 3: Epsilon Eridani System, Orbital Defense Generator Facility A-331, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 4: Epsilon Eridani System, Longhorn Valley, Planet Reach

Halo: Shadows of Reach chapter heading pathsEdit

  • Chapter 1: Insertion Run, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 2: Vadász Dombok, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 3: Vadász Dombok, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 4: Tárnoc Gorge, Ujeger Highlands, Vadász Dombok, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 5: Kisköre Manor, Juh Mező Township, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 6: Kisköre Irrigation Tunnel, Juh Mező Township, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 7: Dombräd Springs, Észac Plain, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 8: Infirmary, Logistics Base Gödöllő, Bük Burn Cavity, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 9: Juh Mező Aqueduct, Gödöllő Steppe, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 10: Map Room, Logistics Base Gödöllő, Bük Burn Cavity, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 11: Underglass Approach, Banished Armory, New Mohács, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 12: Banished Armory, New Mohács, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 15: New Mohács, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 16: Old Banished Armor Yard, New Mohács, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 17: Landing Zone Bella, New Mohács, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
    • Figyelő Point, Bíbor Cliffs, Highland Mountains, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 18: Végtelen Mászás, Dél Eléri, Arany Basin, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 19: Vanadinite Mountain, Csongrád Region, Highland Mountains, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach
  • Chapter 20: CASTLE Base Access Shaft, Csongrád Region, Highland Mountains, Continent Eposz, Planet Reach

Halo: ReachEdit

Level location headersEdit

Several times in Halo: Reach's campaign, levels are introduced or scenes are connected with dates and locations, this is a list of them.

  • ONI: SWORD BASE
    • Sword Base, Babd Catha Ice Shelf, Eposz
  • Tip of the Spear
    • Szurdok Ridge, Ütközet
  • Long Night of Solace
    • Szurdok Ridge, Ütközet
    • Sabre Program Launch/Research Range, Farkas Lake, Eposz
  • Exodus
    • New Alexandria, Eposz
  • New Alexandria
    • New Alexandria, Eposz
  • The Package
    • Sword Base, Babd Catha Ice Shelf, Eposz
  • The Pillar of Autumn
    • Asźod, Eposz
  • Lone Wolf
    • Planet Reach

In-game Location Camera PathsEdit

Level/Source and Location Image Path
Winter Contingency/Visegrad Relay   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP 3

MT-HDP/RM_OBS/VHC_ABN/FL

RCH/VRY/UTKZT/EPSZ/VISGRD

ONI: Sword Base   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP 3

AI-ARTC/DIRCT FEED/SAT/REG

RCH/VRY/UTKZT/EPSZ/BD CTH/SL D1

Tip of the Spear/Szurdok Ridge   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP 3

AI-ARTC/DIRCT FEED/SAT/REG

RCH/VRY/UTKZT/SZURDK RDG

Tip of the Spear/Orbit over Szurdok Ridge   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP 3

AI-ARTC/DIRCT FEED/SAT/REG

RCH/ORBIT/VRY/UTKZT

Tip of the Spear/Orbit over Mohács   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP 3

AI-ARTC/DIRCT FEED/SAT/REG

RCH/VRY/UTKZT/BARS/MOHACS

Long Night of Solace   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP 3

MT-ARTC/PLAYBACK/CV/SCTY

RCH/VRY/UTKZT/EPSZ/FARKS LK

The Package/ONI: Sword Base (Tunnels)   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP 3

MT-ARTC/PLAYBACK/CV/SCTY

RCH/VRY/UTKZT/EPSZ/BD CTH/SWD

The Pillar of Autumn/Aszod Shipbreaking Yards   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP 3

AI-ARTC/DIRCT FEED/SAT/REG

REACH/ALFOLD/UNG/ASZOD

The Pillar of Autumn/Aszod Shipbreaking Yards   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP 3

MT-ARTC/PLAYBACK/CV/SCTY

RCH/VRY/UTKZT/EPSZ/ASZD/A3CRC

Halo: Reach ViDoc: A Spartan Will Rise/ONI: Sword Base (Halsey's Lab)   HIGHCOM/SPECWAR/GROUP_3

AI-ARTC/DIRCT FEED/SAT/REG

RCH/VRY/UTKZT/EPSZ/BD CTH/SWD/SL D2

Environment DetailsEdit

Computer Screens and TerminalsEdit

  • Map seen on a computer screen in various locations throughout the game. Does not appear to line up with any actual Reach geography.

Winter Contingency (Visegrád Relay, 50KM from Visegrád, Eposz)Edit

  • A huge basin below the Visegrád Relay to the southeast, with snowy tundra, some sparse trees and a sizable lake.

ONI: Sword Base (Sword Base, adjacent to Babd Catha Ice Shelf, Eposz)Edit

  • A topographic view of the peninsula Sword Base is located upon, and the adjacent Babd Catha Ice Shelf to the east.

  • Sword Base viewed from orbit.

  • Sword Base viewed directly from the south.

  • South-western view across the inlet to the west of Sword Base. The inlet feeds southward into Big Crater Bay.

New Alexandria (New Alexandria, Eposz)Edit

  • A digital display located in the New Alexandria Medical Center Skybridge

Orbital ViewsEdit

  • The skybox texture of Reach when flying the Sabre.

  • The skybox texture of Reach while in the Ardent Prayer.

  • A texture used for the surface of the planet while in the Ardent Prayer.

  • The original matte of the orbital view of Aszod from Noble Actual.

Bonus itemsEdit

  • "Sticker" on the Legendary Edition Box: Esztergom/Bars, ALF/Alfold

  • Note the writing location at the top: Manassas, Alfold

Confirmed informationEdit

The Fall of ReachEdit

  • In Chapter 24 of Halo: The Fall of Reach, the Highland Mountains are located on Reach's northern continent. Camp Hathcock is located among the mountains as mentioned in this chapter too.

Shadows of ReachEdit

  • In Chapter 1, Big Crater Bay is confirmed to be the large body of water south of the Babd Catha ice shelf/SWORD Base.
    • Chapter 1 also reconfirms that Eposz is a continent.
    • Chapter 1 also confirms that the Arany Basin is east of the Highland Mountains.
  • In Chapter 3, Eposz is confirmed to be a supercontinent.
  • In Chapter 4, it is described that Chief can see the mountain tops of the Highland Mountains from Tárnoc Gorge in the Ujeger Highlands. He can also see the Arany Basin directly in front of him. On top of this, Fred is described as looking at the west quadrant of the sky, over Arany.
  • In Chapter 18, the Pelican is described as landing at the top of Black Iron Gorge where a Spartan-II training location was. After disembarking, Blue Team discover a brass bell buried in the dirt. This bell is described as being the bell from Halo: The Fall of Reach. As such, this means that this training location is in fact the Reach Naval Officers Academy.

Discussion with writersEdit

  • Troy Denning on Twitter places Vadász Dombok just south of the crater in the center of the large landmass (what has been theorised as Aszod below). (Link)

OtherEdit

  • In the Halo: Reach radio conversations for Overlook, it confirms that Visegrad relay (likely the town too) connect northern Alfold along with two other sites to a complex south.

DiscrepanciesEdit

  This section needs expansion. You can help Halopedia by expanding it.

Using above infoEdit

Locational hierarchyEdit

Based on everything above, here is the hierarchy for surface locations on Reach.

Applying to visual mediaEdit

  • In the cutscene/level The Heretic of Halo 2, Reach is briefly seen being glassed. In the original version, Reach had a completely different design. In the Halo 2: Anniversary version of the level, Reach was redesigned and appears to be based on Halo: Reach's version of the planet. This is confirmed by comparing details with terrain maps of the planet. By doing this, it appears the cutscene shows us parts of the sea and bits of land near and west of New Alexandria.

  • New Alexandria appears to be the small, but visible crater bay near the right of the image.

  • Reach is seen from orbit in Halo: Reach's prologue Noble Actual. By rotating around the view, we can see that the shot actually shows us part of the landmass near Big Crater Bay.

  • The original matte of the scene.

  • The image rotated. Big Crater Bay is in the top right.

  • Based on the descriptions from Shadows of Reach, it's likely that the river seen in the far back is the Black Iron Gorge.

Deployment of forcesEdit

August 12th, 2552Edit

Based on the satellite image provided at the beginning of Tip of the Spear, here are the known UNSC deployments that day. Note, this only includes ones whose rough locations in relation to established locations.

  • 8th Armored Brigade — (APP-6A: AW 8 X)
    • 38th Regiment — (APP-6A: AW 8 ||| 38) - Southeast of CASTLE Base
    • 169th Company — (APP-6A: AW 8 | 169) - South/Southeast of New Alexandria
    • 267th Company — (APP-6A: AW 8 | 267) - Northeast of New Alexandria
    • 352nd Company — (APP-6A: AW 8 | 352) - North of Manassas
    • 371st Company — (APP-6A: AW 8 | 371) - Southeast of Esztergom
    • 465th Company — (APP-6A: AW 8 | 465) - Arany Basin
  • 34th Infantry Brigade — (APP-6A: INF 34 X)
    • 581st Regiment — (APP-6A: INF 34 ||| 581) - Northwest of Esztergom

August 14th, 2552Edit

Based on the hologram seen in on the Ardent Prayer in Long Night of Solace here are known Covenant deployments notated points of interest on this day.

GalleryEdit

TheorycraftingEdit

Hypothetical location placementsEdit

 
Hypothetical locations of Farkas Lake and Asźod.

  • Long Night of Solace skybox texture.

  • Aszod - Based on the Halo: Reach radio conversations, Aszod appears to be near or in the direct flight path of the Highland Mountains. It is also arid and appears to be within a crater. As such, that narrows it down to one crater east of the mountain range containing CASTLE Base.
  • Military Wilderness Training Preserve - CASTLE Base is located approximately at 500 km south of Visegrad, and Halo: First Strike reveals the Military Wilderness Training Preserve is nearby. A mountain range in the skybox directly south of Visegrad Relay appears identical to one that can be seen in the distance in the multiplayer map Highlands, which is located in the preserve. Though the in-game compass from the multiplayer map does not support this, as it places this mountain range in question to the southeast of the preserve. Additionally, the promotional trailer Patrol, in which UNSC Army unit 3 Charlie are ordered to investigate a disturbance in the Visegrad Relay, takes place in the Longhorn Valley, within the preserve.

  • A mountain range viewed from the Military Wilderness Training Preserve.

  • A mountain range south of Visegrad Relay.

  • A comparison.

Other theorizingEdit

  • In the radio conversation for Overlook, the two speakers mention that the Army is moving in to Pálháza and suggests that it is directly connected to Visegrad. The further description of Visegrad's location further suggests that the two are located close together in northern Alfold.
  • In the final Data Drop, the Pillar of Autumn technician says they are holding position over Lábatlan but see activity over Eposz, suggesting that Lábatlan is not connected or a part of Eposz.
    • In the same Data Drop, a different technician suggests that they contact Casimir Station while being over Lábatlan. This suggests two things. One that Casimir Station is in orbit of the city of Casimir and two that Casimir Station (and by proxy, Casimir itself) are part of Lábatlan or close by geographically.
  • With the presence of the Viery Militia in Shadows of Reach and the reference to the "Viery civilian sector" elsewhere, this seems to suggest that the Vierry Territory might be a polity, equivalent to a national government holding parts of Reach as opposed to a physical feature or natural area.
  • In Chapter 8 of Shadows of Reach the Banished seem to be aware that the Portal complex is within the Highland Mountains, though unsure specifically. When discussing their continued search Ballas says that he has troops looking at Szurdok Ridge. This suggests that Szurdok is extremely close to or part of the Highland Mountains.

Silver Timeline researchEdit

ResourcesEdit

Official mapsEdit

Locational hierarchyEdit

OrbitalEdit

CleanupEdit

LocationsEdit

Checked boxes indicate articles that have been updated or created with new info and images.

CharactersEdit

Double check that locations and location based info is updated on various character related pages. This includes SPARTAN-II program and SPARTAN-II training pages.

BattlesEdit

See alsoEdit

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