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 Home | Cairo Station | Outskirts | Metropolis | The Arbiter | Oracle | Delta Halo | Regret UprisingOverview:This level offers a remarkable number of potential shortcuts and provides ample freedom to decide how (and if) to fight each battle. Nearly every area has multiple effective routes, depending on whether you prefer fighting or evasion, and clever use of the Arbiter's active camo can often allow for quick and devastating flanking maneuvers. You'll begin by fighting on foot through a mountain valley, followed by a series of rooms and caverns. Like most of the previous level, your primary opponents here are brutes and jackals. Eventually you'll make it back outside again, where you'll finally have access to vehicles, including ghosts, a spectre, and even a wraith as you wind your way through narrow valleys toward the structure at the end. Part 1: Oh, So That's How It IsWhoever said that revenge is best served cold clearly never had access to an energy sword, plasma grenades, and active camo. Much like Gravemind, this level begins rather inauspiciously as we find ourselves dropped into a combat zone with no grenades and a single plasma rifle. Fortunately, we have a few things going for us this time that the Chief was lacking. For one, we're equipped with the infinitely more useful cloaking device. The last level, if nothing else, provided a good reminder of how much harder things can get without those few seconds of invisibility. For another, there's an energy sword lying on the ground a little way up the trail near an elite corpse. If you're lucky you may also find a couple of grenades there as well, though they seem to show up randomly. You'll be facing a total of eight brutes in the upcoming area, but I'd advise against simply taking them on as they come. There are two brutes sitting up on the cliff who will fire down on you while you engage their buddies, greatly complicating the situation. Instead, I'd suggest using your active camo to move around behind them, as shown in the next video. QuickTime (2.8 mb) | WMP9 (2.6 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. This approach allows you to hit the brutes up on the cliff first, before they can harass you from their elevated position. From that point you'll have a couple of choices. When you kill off all of the brutes in this area, three elites will drop in to reinforce you. A cloaked sword elite will also join forces with you when you first reach the top of the cliff, though he won't follow you until the brutes are dead. This guy is a grenade-throwing machine, so it's entirely possible just to hang back and laugh as he ruthlessly pelts the brutes with plasma grenades from the top of the cliff. Of course, you also have the option of heading down and taking them on yourself, though I'd suggest trying to conserve your sword as much as possible at this point. In either case, I'd recommend swapping your plasma rifle for a brute shot as soon as you get the chance. Alternatively, you could just continue onward once you're inside and skip this battle altogether. However, your fellow elites are highly useful and entertaining to fight with, and since your cloaked elite will often do most of the work anyway, if you let him, I'd have to recommend sticking around to fight this first battle. As you continue through the next door, you'll enter a large, multi-level cavern. Like the first battle, you can get into trouble here if you just follow the path and attack the enemies in the order they're presented. There are three main groups of enemies, each consisting of 2-3 brutes and a couple of jackals (or drones, in the case of the third group), plus several more jackals scattered throughout the area. When engaging the second group of brutes, in particular, you can be left vulnerable to counterattacks both by jackals from the side and by the third group of brutes and drones that will arrive from the door above and ahead of you. Thus, it pays to deviate from the standard route, as shown in the next video. QuickTime (4.4 mb) | WMP9 (4.1 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. If your four elites are accompanying you, you can move up to engage the third group while they take on the second. Your team is actually pretty tough and outnumbers the brutes, so they can usually hold their own in this encounter. If necessary you can always drop down to finish off any remaining brutes after you take out the group up on top. Note that you can also grenade jump up the little cliff directly ahead of you when you enter the door and head right for the exit, using your cloak to slip past the enemies if you're not concerned with fighting the battle or keeping your team alive. You'll encounter a relatively small group of two brutes and a couple of jackals in the next room, which should pose little problem, especially if your allies are still with you. Sometimes the last remaining brute or jackal may go charging off through the door and into the next area, so you may have to chase them down. When the battle is over, collect as many grenades as you can find, as they'll be very useful in the next battle; I'd also recommend sticking with the brute shot as your second weapon, for the time being. When you're ready, head through the door and follow the short hall to the left, where you'll find yourself on the top tier of a four-level room. This can be a tough battle, as there are quite a few enemies packed into a relatively small space. The platform below you holds five blue jackals. The platform below that holds four brutes—two on each end. Finally, four more brutes will arrive through the door on the bottom floor once about three of the brutes are dead. The next video shows how I usually approach this battle. QuickTime (3.8 mb) | WMP9 (3.6 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. As you can see, firing a diversionary shot can get the first group of brutes to look in the same direction, letting you drop down on the other side and strike them from behind. It helps if you can save as many grenades as possible for the last group in order to take out the first few as quickly as possible without exposing yourself to too much return fire. Try to prioritize the ones wielding brute shots, if you can. As usual, collect as many grenades as you can find when the battle is over; you can obtain a full energy sword in the hallway ahead, which you'll probably need by this point. The next hallway leads to the second floor of a relatively small, two-level room. As in the previous battle, you'll initially face a group of four brutes and several jackals (although this time they're mixed together); a second group of four brutes will enter from the door on the far side once you've killed a few enemies. This battle can be even trickier than the last, because the enemies aren't separated into distinct groups, which means you'll usually face much more firepower at any given time. Furthermore, the second group of brutes will often charge up the ramp at you. The brute shot and carbine are both valid options for this battle, though each has its own advantages. The carbine gives you the ability to kill off brutes from the second level with headshots; however, it's not much use at close range, and it generally takes longer to kill jackals. The brute shot, on the other hand, is less precise but can kill jackals in one hit, has decent stopping power against the brutes, and can hit multiple enemies at once with splash damage. You can decide for yourself which approach you prefer; personally, I tend to go with the brute shot. The next video shows one approach to this battle. QuickTime (4.5 mb) | WMP9 (4 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. Given the large number of enemies, there's not much of a fixed pattern, though the second group of brutes will usually charge up the ramp at you. Actually, this tendency can work in your favor, as the top of the ramp provides relatively good cover and it separates them from the main group. I wouldn't recommend jumping down to finish off the brutes until there are at most 2-3 remaining. Note that a couple of grunts are cowering up on the second level, and they won't join the battle until only one or two enemies are left, at which point it's usually too late to make any difference. If you're feeling particularly ruthless, killing them will usually produce a grenade or two. When the battle is over, head through the door and around the hallway to the right, where you should make sure to exchange your brute shot or carbine for the fuel rod gun. You'll find more fuel rod ammo in the next room just behind the crate near the door. Part 2: Step Aside, Let the Man Go ThroughWhen you're ready, approach the door, fuel rod gun in hand, and proceed as follows: QuickTime (2.5 mb) | WMP9 (2.5 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. The first group of two brutes and three jackals plays out in more or less the same way each time, though sometimes the second brute will charge off to the left rather than toward you. Try to avoid approaching the small hill in the middle of the path down to the left until you're ready to move on, as this will trigger the second wave of enemies, which consists of five brutes and one very annoying jackal sniper. The difficulty of this second group depends largely upon where the jackal sniper decides to position himself with respect to the five brutes. As you might expect, you'll need to take out the sniper right away to prevent him from nailing you as soon as you de-cloak. Most of the time he'll hang out near the back, which lets you kill him first without immediately alerting the brutes. Sometimes, though, he'll hang out in the middle of the group, in which case you may just have to start pounding them with the fuel rod gun as soon as you jump off the hill and hope for the best. Two of the brutes have shotguns that can kill you in one shot at moderately close range, so you may want to back off a bit to medium range when you engage them. Of course, if you don't like the idea of charging them you can always trigger the second group and then hang back by the entrance and try to take out the brutes one at a time as they close in on you. The sniper is smart enough to not to get too close, which means you'll have to either stay out of his line of sight or kill him from a distance. Neither of your weapons is really ideal for this purpose, so you may want to run back and grab a brute shot or carbine, if you can find one. Regardless, I'd really recommend the direct approach if you can manage it. You were given a fuel rod gun for a reason, and you might as well exploit it to its full advantage by moving in aggressively and hitting the brutes while they're still bunched up and unaware of your presence. Unless you're intending to skip right to the end of the level (more on that a bit later), your fuel rod gun is probably empty at this point. In any case, it won't be too useful for the next few battles, so you'll probably want to exchange it for the sniper rifle. Grab one of the nearby ghosts when you're ready and head into the cave. At this point, you'll have a number of very different choices to make about how you want to proceed through the next part of the level. If you intend either to kill everything in the next area or to drive past them in the ghost, I'd suggest that you first get out and snipe the jackal sniper up on the cliff to the right. Afterward, you can hop back into the ghost and cut down all of the brutes (you may want to destroy the unoccupied vehicles first so that they can't use them) or just boost right by them into the next part of the valley. However, the jackal sniper up on the cliff can also serve as the basis for some nice shortcuts. The next video shows how you can exploit him skip the next two battles. QuickTime (4.7 mb) | WMP9 (4.3 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. A nice side-effect of this route is that, for some reason, neither the spectre nor the brutes/jackal sniper group will spawn on the far end of the second battle, allowing you to make a much safer getaway. In contrast, if you try to sword fly there without walking on top of the level (for example, by using the same jackal sniper to clear the first battle, and then either the brute or jackal on the far end to bypass the second area) you'll have many more enemies to deal with when you arrive at the ghosts. If you want to take the shortcut one step further, Flechette has found an amazing way to skip right to the ending cutscene once you're on top of the level, as shown in the next video. QuickTime (4.9 mb) | WMP9 (4.5 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. As I mentioned previously, you'll need to save at least one fuel rod round for this route (I believe you can also perform this trick with the brute shot, but then you won't be able to fly up to the top). The theory behind this trick is that the blast from the fuel rod gun slows your fall enough that you can survive the drop to the ground. Be aware that the final cutscene will start regardless, and if your timing is off you'll still die and revert to your last checkpoint. I should also mention that there's another way to reach the top of the level by jumping up behind the tree on the ridge near the edge of the cliff back where you found the ghost. Personally, I think flying up there is easier, though it's not as quick. If you choose to stay on the ground, you'll encounter another battle in the next area. Initially, you'll face one brute, one sniper, and a few scattered jackals. After you kill three enemies, a second group that includes a spectre manned by two brutes, several more brutes on foot, and (sometimes) a sniper will approach from the far end. While it's certainly possible just to boost right on through, it can be fairly risky as you'll encounter a large concentration of enemies in the narrow part of the valley. Therefore, I usually thin out some of the opposition before moving on, as shown in the next video. QuickTime (2.7 mb) | WMP9 (2.6 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. I find that the spectre is easier to snipe when it's first approaching, as it heads right toward you rather than strafing from side to side. Thus, make sure to aim in on the far end as soon as you kill the jackal sniper, if you're following this sequence of events. Also, you may want to grab one of the full sniper rifles from the nearby crate before you make your getaway. At that point, you can either hang around to finish off any remaining enemies in your ghost, or just get out of there. You'll encounter a few scattered jackals up ahead; either kill them or ignore them, as you prefer. Shortly thereafter you'll follow the course of a small river; slow down when you reach a steep hill that curves down and to the right, as you'll run into another group of Covenant that includes two snipers around the bend. There's not much subtlety to this battle, as you can stop far enough away that they won't detect you. Obviously, take out the snipers first, and then either snipe the remaining brutes and jackals or kill them with your ghost. I'd suggest grabbing a rifle from one of the dead snipers before you move on, as you'll want quite a bit of sniper ammo for the next encounter. Eventually, a large structure will come into view, but before you worry about that there are two jackal snipers along the edge of the waterfall to deal with. The first one is easy, as he stands right in the middle; the second hides out along the right edge. Unfortunately, in order to get the second sniper in view you'll have move far enough ahead that you'll often trigger the chapter transition and its accompanying checkpoint. Thus, you'll have to be quick if you want to take out bother snipers prior to receiving the checkpoint. Part 3: Fight ClubWhen the snipers are dead, your next task is taking out the four brutes occupying the structure: two directly ahead of you, and two more on the ramp off to the right. Your beam rifle will make short work of them, as shown in the next video. QuickTime (4 mb) | WMP9 (3.6 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. The last remaining brute on the ramp will usually go berserk, which makes him much harder to snipe. For that reason I knock off both of their helmets before killing one of them; one more shot will be enough to finish off the other. The two ahead of you will generally not go berserk, so just be patient and wait until you have a good shot. Although you can potentially snipe the group of brutes to the left as well, you're close enough that they can see you just as well as you can see them when you move out on the waterfall. Thus, I'd suggest moving ahead once the first four are dead and triggering the nice, safe checkpoint before dealing with the rest. At this point, you once again have the option of skipping as much of the next battle as you want. If you choose to fight it out in full, you'll face a major assault by a total of eleven brutes spread out over several waves. One sniper will also be present at the beginning, and two more will sometimes appear in the same location during the battle. Not surprisingly, the safest place to make your stand is in the cover of the structure, which provides you with multiple avenues of attack as well as a good stash of weapons, and protects you from the wraith and sniper fire. Use your cloak to get in the first shot, get their attention, and let them come to you, as shown in the next video. QuickTime (14.6 mb) | WMP9 (13.5 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. Note that the round Covenant platform provides a relatively safe location from which to counterattack charging brutes. When you clear the area, some elite reinforcements should drop in to support you (you may have to move up a bit along the natural bridge to trigger them). On the other hand, if you just want to skip the majority of the battle, sword flying provides a convenient avenue of escape, as the next video shows. QuickTime (941 kb) | WMP9 (878 kb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. You may still want to turn around after you receive the checkpoint and clear off the bridge or even board the wraith, but at least this route will prevent any more waves of brutes from appearing. Depending on your timing, you may encounter the second group of brutes in the hall after you fly across the bridge, which could complicate things a bit. Once you resolve the first part of the battle, three more waves of enemies stand between you and your ultimate destination. As has often been the case on this level, you'll have a couple of significantly different options for tackling them. Four brutes are initially stationed outside, near the entrance to the cave. The second wave consists of two snipers, a ghost, two brutes, and a couple of jackals. Note that the snipers may sometimes move ahead of the rest of the group and position themselves near the exit of the weapons area; other times, they may run to the opposite side of the ledge. Their exact behavior will depend to some degree upon which route you take. The safest method is probably to take advantage of the wraith. In that case, you don't even necessarily have to go inside at all. You'll also be completely protected from any snipers. Personally, I find it pretty satisfying after the last couple of levels of punishment to abandon all precision and just bring the hammer down. The next video illustrates the basic idea behind this approach for the first two waves. QuickTime (5.2 mb) | WMP9 (4.8 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. As you can see, you'll have to grenade jump up to the ledge to trigger the second and third waves. The wraith is pretty tough, so a few grenades shouldn't hurt it. Make sure that you use your cloak to avoid being sniped when you trigger the second wave. Of course, you could also take the conventional route. Fortunately, Bungie has been nice enough to provide us with a massive array of weaponry, and it's entirely possible simply to brute-force your way through the battle on foot, as shown in the next video. QuickTime (6.9 mb) | WMP9 (6.6 mb) Right-click (option-click on a Mac) and "Save As" to save to disk. In this case the snipers were close by, so I took them out first with the brute shot before exchanging it for the rocket launcher. Other than that, just take on the enemies as they appear from the cave and have fun blasting away at everything in your path. Of course, it's also possible to sneak by the final group in the cave, if you really feel the need. The level ends when you exit the door at the far end of the cave. Home | Cairo Station | Outskirts | Metropolis | The Arbiter | Oracle | Delta Halo | Regret |
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