Sandtrap: Difference between revisions

{{Ratings}}

{{Era|H3}}

|image=[[Image:Sandtrap1.jpg|300px]]

|location= Unknown, possibly the [[Ark]]

|weapons=

*[[BR55HB SR Battle Rifle|Battle Rifle]]

|vehicles=

|power-ups=none

{{Article Quote|"Although the Brute occupiers have been driven from this ancient structure, they left plenty to remember them by."}}  

'''Sandtrap''' is a [[multiplayer]] map featured in ''[[Halo 3]]''.<ref>Gamepro Magazine, July 2007 edition</ref>

Sandtrap is set in a vast desert (possibly situated on [[Installation 00|The Ark]], as the nearby Albatross known as "[[03]]" was said to have crashed in the Ark's vicinity) with rolling sand dunes and some enigmatic half buried structures. They have obviously been dulled and eroded by the sand to quite some extent, suggesting that the structures are much older than other [[Forerunner]] structures. They may have been built merely as temporary shelters or possibly bunkers. Another possibility is that these structures were built by the [[Precursors]] before the Forerunner's rise to power. The origin of these structures is unknown, but they bear certain similarities to the "temples" on [[Installation 05]].

It features odd Forerunner constructs and is encircled with a minefield that features vertically launching mines to prevent players from venturing beyond its boundaries. Six large towers surround the outer extremities of the map, all connected by a large wall. The purpose and origin of these structures is unknown. The September 07 ''[[EGM]]'' stated that this was the site of a [[Brute]] excavation and [[UNSC]] forces (deployed from the frigate ''{{UNSCShip|Aegis Fate}}'', which hovers in the sky above the map) came along and removed them; remains from both sides' forces can be seen in the form of a crashed [[Phantom]] and a crashed [[Albatross]].<ref>Electronic Gaming Monthly September 2007 page 70</ref> It has a heavy emphasis on vehicular combat. All of the vehicles in the game are on this map - for example, the "bases" are a pair of [[UNSC Elephant]]s at opposite ends of the recently unearthed Forerunner ruins. There are also some very interesting sniper spots. For example, if you are inside of the crashed Phantom, it will be hard for other players to see you and the location gives you a very interesting view to take down some unsuspecting players. Also, a large hill gives you a good view over the field from overhead.

According to the holographic displays stationed on the lower sections of both Elephants, Sandtrap has an atmosphere which is mainly composed of CO₂ or other poisonous gases, making it harmful to unprotected human life. This may disprove the possibility of Sandtrap being located on the Ark.

==Secrets of Sandtrap==

*A popular thread on [[Bungie.net]] explores the reasoning of Sandtrap and its relationships with the other maps. Many players have used the [[Pan Cam]] feature to explore the ''Aegis Fate''. Many theories have risen, including one that claims that [[Epitaph]] is one of the six towers. The thread has over 10000 posts.

*There are hidden [[Easter Egg]]s (or "Da-Vinci Eggs") hidden near each of the towers. It is theorized that these eggs are the real [[Guardians]] (to whom the minefield kills are credited) because when you are in the minefield, a faint [[Sentinel Beam]] can be seen shooting in your direction. The beam is believed to activate the mines and they can be traced back to the Easter Eggs. At first, it was believed that the tower farthest from you shoots the beam, but close inspection reveals that anywhere from one to three beams will target you in rapid succession, each firing from different towers.

*The two wind tunnels or air lifts are powered by a green square object. There are only two of these objects hidden underneath each of the tunnels or lifts. To see them, you must get under the map in [[Theater]] and fly to them. Another way to view them is by [[modding]] a map to have them on the surface.

*There are several hidden shapes within the walls of Sandtrap. Most of these shapes are just different types of parallelograms, the most common kind being squares.

*There are several secret rooms on Sandtrap. The most popular one is the one inside the ceiling of one of the bases. The other secret rooms are all within the walls of the long narrow hallway in the middle of the map.

*There is a small hole within a small gap on Sandtrap where all weapons fire will just simply go through and disappear. If you look through it, the [[Mirror, Mirror on the Wall]] effect may occur if you are playing on splitscreen mode with at least one guest controller. It will not work on Xbox Live.

*The playable size of Sandtrap can be doubled by going outside of the map, where there is more playing space. The explosions of the mines can simply be countered in [[Forge]] by placing large piles of every possible type of grenades. These grenades will negate all explosions even though it seems like the explosions are still happening. However, this will only work in Forge and not Custom Games. The reason why is currently unknown.  

*There is an Easter Egg in the central hall where the boxes that say "UNSC" say "USNC" instead.

*There is a symbol inside the "crypt" of Sandtrap which is the same symbol inside the crypt of sandbox and they are crossed on the hologram on the ceiling and on the double block, stone platform, so they may have a lot in common.

[[Image: Sandtrap-numbered.jpg|thumb|right|200px|1) The main base with the "cavern" below, 2) The destroyed Phantom, 3) The main "spine" of the level, 4) The upper "deck", 5) Smaller base, 6) The buried Albatross.]] The main spine of the level is where most battles take place; there is an underground part to this spine that comes out into a small "pit", or the ravine where most vehicle battles take place. The larger base also has an underground "cavern" to it, though unless you are just defending, it is an easy place to ambush. The destroyed Albatross is a great sniping spot.  The "deck" on the side is also good cover from below, the smaller base has less hiding spots to it, but it is more open,  making it better for explosives. The Albatross is not the best for attacking or defending.

[[Image:1204275692_Outside_sandtrap.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Outside view of Sandtrap.]]

*''[[Aegis Fate]]'' (Hovering high in the background)

*[[Phantom]] (Crashed and destroyed near the [[Banshee]] spawn) 

*[[Albatross]] Dropship (Crashed and buried near the Attacker spawn)

*In Multi-Flag [[Capture The Flag|CTF]] and [[Assault]], a good strategy is to seize the enemy [[Elephant]] and bring it to your base in order to repetitively capture the objective. In Neutral Assault, take the enemy Elephant to the very middle of the map and continuously grab and plant the bomb until victory. Beware; stealing an enemy Elephant is quite a task, so make sure to bring several team-mates along with you.

*In CTF games, try to sneak up on the flag with a partner. Take the flag from the Elephant and steal the enemy's mongoose that spawns on the elephant's lower level. Your opponents will think that when you steal a flag, you will be easy to kill. But you will be long gone by then.

*Upon picking up the [[Spartan Laser]] at the beginning of the match, be ready to destroy the opposing [[Banshee]], [[Chopper]], [[Warthog]] and [[Mongoose]], because more often than not, the enemy will most likely get it ahead of your teammates, and you can eliminate the threat immediately.

*If you start at the Albatross end of the map, and if you are going for the Sniper Rifle, then always keep an eye out for enemies camping up high on the other side, although a [[Bubble Shield]] is an easy way to get past this problem.

*If you are playing this level on multiplayer [[Infection]], a good way to stay alive is for at least two people (non-Zombies) to form an alliance and get to a Warthog or [[Elephant]]. Whoever is the better shot uses the turret and the driver continuously drives around the whole level on the path. As long as you have good reflexes and are a good shot you can usually kill the charging and incoming [[Zombie]]s before they reach the Warthog or Elephant.

*One great sniper spot is inside the crashed [[Phantom]], as it provides excellent cover and allows you to watch the Banshee. Be sure though to carry another weapon that can help you because opponents can become aware of your position and attack.

*Another excellent sniper spot is the highest sand dune on the outer edge of the map. This area provides a spot where you can see the whole map. However, there is no cover and you can be easily detected. Also, it is usually the first guess as to where a sniper is hiding, due to the relative popularity of the spot.

*Try and get a team-mate to let you jump on his Banshee and go to the highest building and jump off with a long-range weapon.

*When playing [[Slayer]] gametypes, the Warthog is undoubtedly one of the most important things to get kills with. Have a driver drive the gunner along the paths of the map and eliminate any foot soldiers. Beware of the Chopper, Spartan Laser, and other Warthogs, as they are the biggest threat to your 'hog.

*It is a pretty good idea to camp with a shotgun in the Phantom wreckage, however, a well placed grenade might flush you out. This spot is very useful for Zombie gametypes.

*The Mongoose is a great vehicle for getting to the combat zone fast. Coupled with a passenger on the back and the ability to drive in the mine field, it can be a fast moving offensive weapon.

==[[Forge]]==

<!--This section is for Forge tips, do not put things like "Add a Brute Shot, its more fun"  Give good reasons WHY and WHERE to add the object(s), like "Adding shield doors in the main hallway will change the flow of battle to the sides of it, allowing for more heated firefights in the side allies." Thank you for keeping Halopedia neat-->

*There are two ways to "bridge the gap" between the big wall in the center. The first is a simple two-way teleport system, obviously both being on the same channel. This allows for infantry to cross; however vehicles can't go through Teleporters. The way to fix that is to place two permanent [[Grav Lift|Grav Lifts]], one on either side, of the gap. This will allow most land-based vehicles going a decent rate of speed to cross, the only exceptions being [[Scorpions]] and [[Wraiths]]. Be cautious going towards the smaller base (with the [[Albatross]]), as you may go through the holes in the top, and flip your vehicle over.

*Another fun way to "bridge the gap" is to use the [[Floating Forge Items]] trick on Crates. This also gives you the opportunity to make a new focus point for some of the attention if it is a [[Flag]], [[Bomb]] or [[Oddball]] spawn point.

*The map is obviously based on vehicular combat, so consider that when in Forge. Place vehicles like [[Hornets]] and [[Gauss Warthogs]], and make sniper towers out of the pillars, adding Barricades for cover, and a [[Teleporters|Two-Way Node]] from the top of the pillars to the bottoms. Add [[Missile Pods]] and Warthogs to the Elephants, setting both to automatic respawn.

*It is possible to make the Elephant fly while in Forge. Place all the map's explosives (Fusion Coils and [[Plasma Battery|Plasma Batteries]]) in the Elephant and set the run time minimum to the highest number. Then, spawn a Hornet. Get into the Hornet and fire missiles at the explosives. The Elephant will do flips and get off the ground. It causes lots of lag and noise, but it is still fun to watch.

*There is a way to indirectly pick up the Elephant in Forge, though it will not spawn where you place it. Spawn a Scorpion tank and slip it inside horizontally from behind the Elephant. You will see hook-like attachments on top of the Elephant. Slip the scorpion under that and lift. It will rise a little then the tank will slip out from under it eventually.

*Another way to pick up the Elephant is to spawn a closed Drop Pod and move it into the cockpit. Then, you just move the Drop Pod and the Elephant will come too.

==Alternate Sandtrap Map Variants==

====[[Sand Tarp (Level)|Sand Tarp]]====

The "Sand Tarp" variant is simply just a normal Sandtrap, with one major difference: The [[Elephant]]s on the map have been removed, and if Asymmetric gametypes are played on this map, the defender's base will no longer be the large crypt near the [[Phantom]] crash site. Instead, attackers will spawn in the crypt, and defenders at the other "open-area" base. Also, one [[Prowler]] replaces a Warthog at each base.

====Sandtrap Covies====

The "Sandtrap Covies" variant is mainly a Covenant-weaponry modified version of Sandtrap, with these changes:

*All vehicles at each base, except the [[Mongoose]]s inside the Elephants, are replaced by [[Ghost (Vehicle)|Ghosts]] and [[Wraith]]s. The [[Banshee]] in the map has been removed.

*The [[Missile Pod]]s near each base are replaced by [[Gravity Hammer]]s. And ''vice versa'': the original Gravity Hammer spawn on the map is replaced by a Missile Pod.

*The [[Sniper Rifle]] on the map is replaced by a [[Beam Rifle]].

*A [[Rocket Launcher]] spawns at each base to compensate for the loss of the Missile Pods. The original Rocket Launcher spawn area on the map has been removed.

====Sandtrap Heavy====

The "Sandtrap Heavy" variant is more based around heavier vehicles and more anti-vehicle weapons, with these changes:

*One Chaingun Warthog at each base is replaced by a [[Gauss Warthog]].

*Another Banshee spawns opposite the Phantom crash site.

*[[Prowler]]s spawn at the opposite site of each base's Warthogs' spawn.

*In front and behind of each base's Elephant, Wraiths and Scorpions spawn.

*In addition, two additional [[Spartan Laser]]s spawns are found diagonal to the other two original Laser spawn points, which have been moved slightly farther away from each base.

*An additional Missile Pod spawns in a small cave near the other Banshee spawn point on the map.

*The [[Shotgun]] spawn in a cave is replaced by a Rocket Launcher; the one at original spawn point remains, and its respawn time has been decreased.

<!--This is TRIVIA, not Strategies, only trivia belongs here, please put strategies below in the Strategies section-->

[[Image:Sandtrap.jpg|thumb|right|Sandtrap from a distance.]]

*If the player manages to flip the [[Elephant]], when approached, instead of the "Hold RB to flip [vehicle name]" message, the player will receive "Hold RB to flip... wait, what? How did you do that?"

*There are six very real [[Easter egg]]s on this level. To find them, overload the map and venture past the [[invisible wall]] in [[Theater]] mode. An egg is located at the top of each tower. They only appear when close to the player, and are covered in cryptic messages. <!--These have been said to be failed texture mapping. Please do not remove this unless you have definitive proof.-->

*GamePro has stated that Sandtrap "...has few ties to older [[Halo 2]] maps, but its massive size recalls [[Relic]]."

*The secret room on this map is in the room with the computer, crowbar and the weird, blue square thing on the floor and ceiling. To get into the secret room, you must hold up a receiver node against the square thing on the ceiling and press the A button rapidly until the receiver node goes through the ceiling. Then just spawn a Sender Node and jump while standing in its beam to get into the small, rectangular room.{{fact}}

*Unlike other games, the ''[[UNSC Aegis Fate]]'' is not part of the "floating bitmap in the sky." It is a complete model. Its 'serial' number is FFG-307.

*You can go higher in actual game play in this map than you can in Theater mode.

*A low textured [[Sentinel Beam]] (that normally stays at the spires but will rarely follow the player inside the map) is supposedly in control of when the Mines spawn. To best see this, drive a [[Hornet]] through the minefield, staying about 10 feet off the ground. When you see an orange-yellow laser beam, quit and go to Theater. In theater, follow the laser. You will see that the laser originates from the spire furthest away from you. The other end has been reported to set off mines; however, this does not always seem to be the case.

*In the [[Elephant]], there is a screen near the [[Mongoose]] with description about the vehicle and the map itself.

*A [http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Crowbar crowbar] similar to [http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Gordon_Freeman Gordon Freeman's] from the Half-Life series can be found. Coincidentally, [http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Sandtraps "Sandtraps"] is also the name of the eighth chapter of Half-Life 2.

== Gallery ==

Image:Shrine.jpg|A Chopper battle on Sandtrap.

Image:UNSC Battle Cruiser 2.jpg|Chopper vs. Warthog.

Image:unscfrieghtsandtrap.jpg|UNSC Frigate Aegis Fate

Image:UNSC Battle Cruiser 1.jpg|Chopper defeats Warthog.

Image:Elephantwr8.jpg|Battling the Elephant.

Image:Flying_Elephant.jpg|A flying exploding Elephant.

Image:M808 Scorpion on Sandtrap.PNG|Scorpion vs. Wraith.

Image:H3 MP Sandtrap.jpg|Red team players.

Image:Mediaghghgg.jpg|Prowler defeats Prowler.

<references/>

 

{{levels}}

[[Category:Multiplayer Levels]]