Know Your Enemy

This article contains information of dubious canonicity. While not officially established as fully non-canonical, certain aspects of the subject may not be part of the official Halo canon.

"Know Your Enemy" redirects here. For the Halo Wars 2 story ViDoc see Halo Wars 2 ViDoc: Know Your Enemy.

The Halo Wars 2 Official E3 Trailer, also called Know Your Enemy, is a video advertisement for Halo Wars 2. It was released on June 13, 2016 at E3 2016, and depicts the crew of the UNSC Spirit of Fire fighting the Banished for control over Installation 00. It is set to the original song "I Know You" by The White Buffalo.

Transcript

Fade in on wreckage of an abandoned battle site. Dust and embers blow through the air.

Cut to a UNSC officer's shoulder, as he walks through the wreckage. Running Marines pass him by.

Cut to the Marines, assembling at the site and taking cover. A Marine levels her battle rifle, while another with a face mask on looks around for direction.

One of the Marines gestures for his squad to move forward, but as they do so, a low pulse is heard. Cut to a Marine's face, as his mouth widens in shock.

The wall he's facing shatters in slow-motion, as a Jiralhanae smashes it with his gravity hammer.

Cut to the other Marines opening fire with their shotguns and battle rifles. Despite their attempt, the Brute effortlessly sends them flying.

• Song: "I know you. We’ve been here before."

In slow-motion, the Marines are blasted away amidst rocks and debris by the chieftain. However, the officer, revealed to be Captain James Cutter, continues walking forward calmly.

• Song: "No surprises."

Cutter walks alongs, looking determined while a Warthog emerges behind him.

Cut to rear-view of the Warthog, racing through the battlefield. Its gunner shoots down the hammer-wielding Brute. Another Brute looks around wildly for the humans, but then is rammed and crushed by the Warthog.

• Song: "A settled score."

• Song: "I know the darkness."

The Warthog continues driving. Another Hog drives alongside it, but is shot and explodes.

• Song: "From inside."

The shots came from two Gydrozka Workshop Blisterback walkers ahead. Their hulls open to fire more Annihilator missiles at the humans. Cut to the missiles, flying high and then ducking to streak toward their targets.

• Song: "Reckless rage."

The scene pauses, with the missiles hanging frozen in mid-air. An enormous Brute appears, Atriox, with armor cobbled of many pieces and white warpaint on his face. He walks by the missiles, running a hand over one of them.

• Song: "And poisoned pride."

The scene un-pauses and the missiles resume flying. It impacts the other Warthog, sending its flaming hull rolling away.

Numerous Cyclops run out to battle the Blisterbacks. The scene slows as Cutter walks ahead of them, looking forward grimly.

• Song: "I know the weakness."

Cutter looks up to the black-smoked sky. High above is his flagship, the UNSC Spirit of Fire. Cut to the ODST pods it is deploying from its hull.

• Song: "I know the pain."

Closeup of the pods as they fall from the sky. Cut to the Blisterbacks, falling to pieces as the pods pierce into them.

• Song: "I know the fear."

Closeup of a Blisterback as a pod smashes through it. It falls apart, but Atriox walks by it unperturbed.

• Song: "We do not name."

Aerial shot of the battlefield and the Blisterbacks being destroyed. A pod opens to release its ODST. He runs forward into the fight, accompanied by the massive Cyclopses and three Spartan-IIs, Red Team.

• Song: "And the one who comes to find me."

Closeup of Atriox, who stops and rests his mace on his shoulder.

• Song: "When my time is through."

Cutter stops too, facing Atriox. He crosses his arms and looks him in the eye.

Atriox and Cutter stare each other down. The battlefield behind them slowly fills with their soldiers.

• Song: "I know you."

The scene pauses just as their forces clash. Sword-wielding Elites and Brutes with war hammers freeze with their weapons raised at the humans.

• Song: "Yeah I know you."

Pan out over the slowly moving battlefield. A Cyclops swings a Brute it has grabbed while a Banshee flies toward it. Another Banshee flies low, with a Spartan having leapt on top of it.

Full view of the battlefield, in the wreck of the crashed Enduring Conviction, a CAS-class assault carrier. One of Installation 00's curved arms can be seen in the distance.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

Trivia

Production notes

• Two versions of this trailer exist:
  • The official version revealed at E3 2016, which included an extended musical outro, a different title reveal, and also altered the color of lighting on certain assets, such as the bright light on Atriox's gauntlet.
  • The official version released on Youtube on the same day, which extended the outro, opting for subtle piano, while showing a new wide-angle of the battle, revealing it took place in the crashed remains of the then-unnamed Enduring Conviction. Additionally, the different title card revealed the game's release date.

Miscellaneous

• The song was made by the singer Jake Smith, better known as The White Buffalo.

Gallery

Concept art

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  A Know Your Enemy print exclusive to SDCC 2017.

Images

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  Jiralhanae Warlords break through the wall giving UNSC Marines cover

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  Atriox feels a missile

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  Blisterbacks are destroyed by drop pods

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  An ODST ejects form his drop pod

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  Red Team sprints into action

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  Cutter with the Spirit of Fire behind him

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  Atriox with his mace

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  Atriox and Cutter stare down

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  The Banished and UNSC fight

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  The battlefield is revealed to be a CAS-class assault carrier that was split in half