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Halo 3 Mythic Walkthrough by Daniel Morris


Home | FAQ | Skulltacular! | Know Thy Enemy | The Nine-Step Program | Version 2.0

Sierra 117 | Crow's Nest | Tsavo Highway | The Storm
Floodgate | The Ark | The Covenant | Cortana | Halo


Sierra 117

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    Welcome to the lush, green jungles of East Africa. It's a typical day in jungle with gleaming sunlight, singing birds, angry midget aliens that sound like they just fell shy of reaching the Yellow Brick Road.
    Your combat here will mainly focus on Brutes and Grunt squads with a few Jackals thrown into the mix. You'll learn a few key techniques that'll will stay with you throughout most of the Covenant-based levels, and you'll also become very familiar with prioritizing your enemies.

Walk it off.

    Well that's a fine way to treat a celebrity... nevertheless, take a moment to grasp all the graphic intense goodness that surrounds you (compliments of 360 technology being introduced into the Halo series), then hop to it. Now it pains me to say this, but for many reasons, the first few areas of this mission have the potential of being nothing short of a nightmare due to the questionably weak weapons you've been given. Let's examine, shall we?
    You'll find very quickly that the Assault Rifle is of practically no use against the Covenant. It doesn't lower shields. It doesn't register headshots. The Magnum, on the other hand, will register headshots, but only at close range. Any further and you'll be missing more than nailing. So let's bend the rules a bit and tilt the odds more in our favor.
    As soon as you gain control of the Chief, empty out four clips of your assault rifle, then pull out the Magnum. Move up just a little, but not so much as to trigger the Marines to take off. Then execute Johnson. The second he's down, rush over and collect his assault rifle ammo. If you did it right, then when he revives he'll be grasping a fresh new battle rifle.
    Now if you're feeling guilty, look at it this way. I'm sure he'll make it up to you by lasering you once or twice on Halo.
    Okay, now follow Johnson's squad through the vegetated paths of the jungle until you spot the Phantom. As soon as Johnson crouches down, pull out the Magnum and shoot him again. Once in the head should do. Now grab the battle rifle and toss the assault rifle away from Johnson so he won't pick it up. Once again he should revive with the battle rifle, and to top it off, he won't follow the Marines up the waterfall, so after every skirmish with the Covenant, feel free to return for more ammo. Johnson won't mind. To get a better view on how this is done, check out the video below.

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    As shown above, space out your betrayals. Two betrayals too close together will provoke the Marines into making sure there isn't a third. However, your betrayal count resets after every would-be checkpoint. You'll be fine as long as you use them wisely.

    The next video shows how I typically deal with the first battle.

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    Okay, now for the good stuff. Just like in the above video, if the Grunts haven't already charged (and normally they won't), trigger them by hopping up onto the fallen tree. You'll here the Brute say something along the lines of "Find them you whelps!" and that'll be your queue to jump back to the rock on the right hand side of the log while Arbiter jumps up the left. Arm your battle rifle and take out the two Grunts that hobble from the left. Immediately the rest will emerge from behind the other fallen tree one at a time. Repeat the process until you hear the Brute berserk. Curiously, this is the only area in the game where taking out a Grunt squad will piss off its Brute leader.
    Now I wouldn't rush in right away. Odds are your Marines are still alive and like the Covenant, apparently they take no prisoners either. To avoid getting 'naded by your allies, just hang back and let them deal with it until the Brute's armor is down. Then put a headshot into him. Once you hear the Arbiter say his line, reward yourself by returning to Johnson and gathering additional ammo. Now gather some plasma grenades and prepare for your next encounter.
    You see that nice big rock in the middle of the waterfall? Jump behind it and wait for the Phantoms to descend. Then chuck plasmas at the light plasma cannon. Not only will you destroy the plasma cannon, but you should also take out a few unsuspecting Grunts too. Retreat back and keep your eyes on the left hand side of the creek. Typically two or three Grunts will meander on up from the drop zone. Show them no mercy. Then move onto the rest once the Phantoms leave. See those small buildings on the right? The roof is the perfect spot for sniping Grunts. Once you kill enough, they'll retreat back into the jungle. Once again, that's your opportunity to "collect" more ammo from Johnson.
    We have one more skirmish to go in this area. By now you should know what to do with the Grunts, but to help keep you out of harm's way, long-range plasma the closest Brute as shown in the above video. As it turns out, apparently there's a window of opportunity between the plasma charge's range and a Brute's sense of awareness that allows the player to nail Brutes from a distance without them trying to dodge. Sierra 117 is perhaps the best mission to exercise this technique with its wide-open spaces and excess plasma pistols from downed Grunts.
    Taking out the Brutes first via the long-range method allows you to avoid dealing with berserking monkeys later. Arbiter will say something else once all enemies are down, and once again go ahead and grab your last clip from Johnson. It's time now to move deeper into the jungle.
    If you lost any shields during the last encounter, you're about to get a freebee. As soon as you enter the next area, head right. There's a Grunt near the ledge, and despite that he turns around and looks directly at you, he'll just turn right back around and go to sleep. Well, his loss is your gain. Assassinate him for full shields.
    This next video shows how I tend to prioritize enemies in this area.

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    Your first priority should be the Carbine Jackals since they can decimate your shields in seconds from their current positions. There will be one on the far right, two in the middle, and one more out if sight on ledge just to the left. Use the BR to kill the ones you can see. The spread of this weapon gives you a much higher chance of success with a single burst versus the Carbine, which may take several shots, causing the Jackals to do substantial damage before you pull off the kill.
    With the first three Jackals down, temporarily switch out your battle rifle for one of the Carbines and change your focus to the ground-level Grunts. Feel free to splurge a little on Carbine ammo here since there are four crates worth (two near you, one just below near the cave below the last Carbine Jackal, and one in the far corner on ground level), and you won't be returning here very much. You won't hear me say the word "splurge" too often in this walkthrough, so enjoy it while you can.
    Arbiter should be doing his part at this point, but without a doubt needs the help of Master Chief. Mop up the rest, then start pegging the ones on the opposite side of the area. They'll be fairly spread out, so you may want to shoot some of the plasma coils to help startle the ones hiding behind the trees. After you've killed enough, a group of reinforcements will emerge from the right (the area we'll be traveling to next). They shouldn't be much of a bother. Just pick them off one by one and rack up those headshot medals.
    With the Grunts out of the way, your enemies should be limited to Jackals and Brutes. Go ahead and long-range plasma charge the Brutes from across the way. There should be at least three, though sometimes there will be a fourth wielding a Brute Shot. Now switch out the Carbine for the BR and make your way over to the left side of the area while keeping your eyes in the upper ledge just to the right from where you were earlier. In no time you should spot the last Carbine Jackal. Put him out of his misery, then continue to make your way towards the opposite side from which you came in.
    There will be two shielded Jackals perched on an upper ledge not too far from your position. Prime one of your frag grenades and chuck it at the ledge, causing both Jackals to dive off. With both at ground level. I find it easiest to sticky their legs. Once dead, the two on the opposite side will skip on over. Deal with them in the same matter. Don't be shy. There should be plenty of plasma grenades scattered about.
    "The battle is won!" as Arbiter would say. You'll hear Johnson say something about the river, so exchange your battle rifle for another Carbine, but remember where you left it, stock up on ammo, grab a fresh plasma pistol if you need one, and head into the next area. This one should be a breeze.
    By plasma charging the Brute, you'll trigger the Grunts to start chucking plasmas. Immediately jump back behind the foliage and listen out for the chaos to unfold. Typically this is how things will pan out. The Grunts will go nuts, start chucking grenades at the Marines, and end up sticking not only each other, but the Brute as well. Even if the Brute survives, his armor will be gone, allowing for an easy headshot kill. The two Carbine Jackals, however, always seem to make it out alive. At this point return to your BR and this time leave the plasma pistol behind. You won't need another one right away.
    Head back to where you just came from and take out the Jackals. Usually one will remain behind while the other retreats a little further back on the path. No biggie, just inch your way over as you come back around and up towards the fallen tree's level. Once he's dead, you life just got easier. Walk along the tree-bridge and trigger a small group of Grunts that'll emerge from the rocks over on the left. You should be able to backpedal across the bridge without them noticing you. By now you should know the drill. Headshot them with the carbine and conserve your battle rifle ammo.
    I'll also note that this is really the first time in the level where you really can't place like half a mile between you and the enemy, so the Grunts will be more prone to throwing grenades. Here's a tip. If they throw a grenade at you, and you're not 100 percent positive where it landed, always run forward. Grunts tend to overshoot their intended target, so if you back up (which is usually your first instinct) you'll wind up being a pile of plasma goo.
    At some point during the battle, two shielded Jackals will emerge from the back area closely followed by a few Grunts. You know, if those little guys had any sense, they'd stay behind the Jackals, but I guess if they were smart, they wouldn't be the Covenant cannon fodder we've all come to know and love. After making them regret their poor choice of tactics, move up. There will usually be at least one or two Grunts that hang back with the Brute Captain, so be wary of their grenades as well as the captain's Brute Shot. Two direct hits from that thing, and you'll be listening to Johnson telling you to "Move out" again. Take your time with the Brute. He'll usually hide behind the tree for a few seconds, giving you the perfect opportunity to clip his armor with a charged plasma shot from one of the spare plasma pistols scattered about. With him down and out of the way, you've just placed the first half of the level behind you. So backtrack for more Carbine ammo, fill up on battle rifle clips from the little rock cave where the Grunts came from, and ready up. The last half is far from a pushover.

Charlie Foxtrot

    We've made it to the river and... damn it! The Covenant beat us to it. The Pelicans are under heavy fire from all directions, and things aren't looking too promising from evac.
    By now you've probably also noticed the beams of light streaking from the other side of the river and thought to yourself, "Oh no! Not again!" Yes, it's true. The Jackal Snipers have returned. I'll openly admit that I still have trouble forgiving Bungie for introducing those magically agile and pinpoint accurate baddies into Halo 2. However, true to their word, they've undergone a massive tweaking and are a lot more fair than their H2 counterparts. Yes they can still kill you in one hit (and yet you just survived a two-mile fall?!), but a few things have been altered in your favor.
    First off, they seem to have short attention spans. If you notice one looking over in your general direction, jump back behind a tree for a few seconds and soon they'll start focusing on something else. Second, just like their Carbine cousins, they have a lighted scope mounted to their beaks which allows you to tell from a distance what direction they're facing. Lastly, there seems to be more of a delay in their reaction time in comparison to Halo 2. You can now peek out from your hiding spot without instantly being zapped by a pink beam of hate.
    From where you are now, you should be safe from their sight. Focus on the Grunts closest to you to prevent grenade spam. Some of them retreat to the pipes on the other side as well as the remaining Brutes. Your goal at the moment is just to make the immediate area safe, so if a few make it to the pipes, it's not hurting anything. There will also be a pair of Carbine Jackals of the roofs of those small structures in the middle of the area. Normally the Pelican gunners will take them out. If not, you know what to do.
    After a few seconds, a pair of Banshees will blindside the Pelicans causing them to topple over the waterfall. Things should now be fairly quiet. Your next task is to deal with the snipers. There are only two, and you have a lot of cover here, so just take your time. Arbiter will usually draw their fire, keeping you out of harm's way. Whip out that battle rifle and headshot them one at a time. Make sure you only keep one in view at a time to avoid getting double teamed. Even from a distance, the battle rifle works surprisingly well here.
    With the snipers out of the way, you'll find yourself in a safe position to off the rest of the baddies in the area. For now, though, take a moment and do a quick survey. Up on the ledge you just came from there are two extra battle rifles plus a few grenades. A little further back is another battle rifle laying on a rock. There may be one or two more on the ground closer to the river. Why is all of this important? Between here and the downed Pelican further up, you'll be returning to the river a lot to gather more BR ammo, mainly because you'll be dealing with a number of ranged Jackals from here on out.
    Now switch over to your carbine and start sniping Grunts. Once they've been dealt with, back up to the ledge from where you came from originally, and range-shoot the Brutes. Now deal with the three Carbine Jackals that are hiding up and behind the pipe segments. There should be one directly in your line of view and two more on a ledge behind that gigantic boulder. Once the area is safe, move up along the right hand side of the structures to avoid the two shielded Jackals beside the boulder.
    Once you reach the last one, the Phantom will trigger. Hightail it behind the structures and wait for it to pass. While you're hiding out, it'll cruelly drop off another platoon of Grunts and a few Brute Captains to liven things up. You'll need to painstakingly repeat the same process and take out the Grunts first followed by the Brutes. Use your Carbine until you're completely out of ammo. Then switch over to the battle rifle. Once you've neutralized the Grunts and the Brutes, move up by hugging the left hand side of the area. Sticky the two Jackals that eagerly wait to decimate your shields via a surprise plasma charge. If you need to recharge your shields, instead of sticking the last Jackal, plasma charge his shields and assassinate him as he turns to run.
    Take some time to stock up on BR ammo, grab a fresh plasma pistol, and prepare for one last go-round at the river bend. Right around the corner will be one or two Brutes along with a few Grunts. Backtrack to the furthest of the small structures, climb on top, and range-shoot the Brutes. You can easily spot them from there, and just like earlier, they normally won't budge. This will usually trigger the Grunts to stick themselves and go charging in, arms flailing. I used to think this was hilarious until I started playing with the Iron Skull...
    Approach the pipes again and allow the Arbiter to recklessly charge out to see if any Grunts remain. Your biggest concern, though, is the Jackal Sniper guarding them. Once you're sure the Grunts are dead, inch your way around the corner and BR the sucker while he's off gazing at the wall. When the area is clear, the Arbiter will let you know by telling you to retreat back into the jungle.
    If only he knew...

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    Gee, thanks a lot, Arbiter. Welcome to sniper hell. It's hard to explain exactly where you should go on this one, so watch the above video closely. A few things to remember. First off, Arbiter isn't too bright and will usually run ahead of you. This will work in your favor mainly because when he starts getting shot, you'll be able to see where the shots are coming from without putting yourself in too much danger. I also need to point out that the spawns here are random. Sometimes Jackals will spawn in certain trees or ledges, and sometimes they won't. To make matters worse, they won't always spawn with the same weapons either. While most will have carbines, the number of beam rifle wielders seems to vary. My advice? Pretend they all have beam rifles just to be on the safe side. Also keep track of where they land. You'll be needing them later.
    I tend to hug the left side, then jump between rocks and hill as I move up. The video displays it best. As you reach the back, there will be a Carbine Jackal in the tree and a Jackal Sniper on the rock ledge across from him. These two are always there. Just to the right of the Jackal Sniper will be another one, though whether he wields a carbine or beam rifle seems to vary. Take no chances none the less. Above that Jackal's location on a high and annoying bright ledge will be an actual Jackal Sniper. This one isn't always easy to see, so take your time and make sure he's down for the count before you move forward. There's one last Carbine jackal up on the hill ahead. Usually the Arbiter will deal with him.
    Set aside a couple of minutes to retrieve additional BR ammo from the river area and prepare for the next battle. You're not out of the woods yet... okay, bad joke.

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    Upon your return, head up the hill on the right and keep your eyes over to the left. Johnson will say something about dumb apes which will trigger the Jackals in the next area to show up. Again, some of their spawns are random. There could be as many as four Jackal Snipers here and as few as two. Over on the left there will be a Carbine Jackal close to the ledge. Take him out first. Behind him will be a Jackal Sniper that doesn't always spawn, but always assume he does. Towards the middle there may be as many as two Jackals with one wielding a beam rifle. Make them your second priority. Lastly, on the far right there will almost always be at least one Jackal Sniper on the upper ledge and possibly two. Once all of them are down, your immediate threats have been neutralized.
    Over further to the right you'll see a tree where two more Carbine Jackals will be hiding. There may be one more on a ledge on top of the Pelican, but he isn't always there. For now, concentrate on the Grunts below. Once you feel like you've cleared the area of all enemies within your line of sight, backtrack for additional BR ammo, then gather up all the beam rifles from the previous area that you can find and dump them into the next area via the juggling method. Yes it's tedious, but it will totally pay off down the road.
    Side note. Sometimes when you return to this area, you'll notice the Phantom has backed into the trees and has become stuck. That's Covenant driving for you. Never looking where they're going. Take this opportunity to kill the Brute Chieftain dangling off the side for bonus Invincibility! Getting the Phantom to finally leave is easy. Just sticky the heavy plasma turret a few times.
    Okay, if you're sure you're ready, hop on down to the dropship area. Keep in mind that the Phantom dropped off a group of Grunts that you can't see at the moment, so edge your way forward and pick them off one by one. Keep to the left and look up towards the tree for another Carbine Jackal. After he's down, remain on the edge of the area and carefully make your way around until you spot the enemies near the Pelican. There will usually be a few Grunts accompanied by a Brute Captain and possibly a Carbine Jackal. Again, take out the Jackal first if he's there, then the Grunts.
    If you need shields at this point the Brute is going to be your source, so let me explain a few things. Brutes seem to have three different melee attacks. The first is their short-range attack. This usually occurs when they're only a few feet in front of you. As a result, they hop forward, and presuming they miss, they'll have their back to you for a little over a second. This gives you the perfect opportunity for an assassination. The second attack is a direct result of the first. If you wait too long to melee, yet you're still pretty close to them, they'll try to spin around and hit you. Not always lethal, but not a good thing either. Their last attack is their ranged-attack. This is when they take a long flying leap through the air with both fists ready to bring down. When you see this one, run like hell. No matter where they land they will always be facing your direction, and it's always an instant kill. Again, your best chance to nail the assassination is when they execute the first attack above.
    By now you should have easy access to the Pelican, so persuade the Arbiter to run ahead by traveling up the hill a few steps, then backpedaling to the Pelican. This way he'll start engaging the enemies while you flee to safety. Climb on top of the Pelican, which will give you a fair view of the enemies in the area. The first group (which should already be engaging the Arbiter) will contain a pair of feisty Jackals backed by only a few Grunts. Watching over them will be one Brute Captain.
    Pick them off as you see fit, and when enough of them are out for the count, reinforcements will show up from the cave in the very back. Only a few Grunts and a pair of Brutes will show up, so by now they should be no real problem in dealing with them. Here's where things may get tricky. Sometimes the Grunts and Jackals fall off the upper level and try to sneak around the back. Fortunately you took the smart route and are perched on top of your Pelican waiting to give them a surprise.
    The Brutes will usually hang back near the cave. From where you are, you can range-shoot them with your plasma pistol and follow up with precision BR headshots. If they jump back and hide, move in via the bridge and headshot them, just be careful. After awhile, they'll stop berserking and pull out their Brute Shots again.
    When the area is finally clear, you know what to do. Yes, as much as it sucks to set aside the extra fifteen minutes or so, go back for those beam rifles and juggle them up to the cave from where the Covenant reinforcements made their entrance. You may not have very far to go, but the mission still isn't over yet, and there's no sense in screwing up now, right?

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    You'll want to juggle all of your items into the area just beyond the cave. Don't go too far or you might trigger the cut-scene. Once you do, there's no going back. With that in mind, here's what I recommend you bring to the final area:

  • 1 full Battle Rifle
  • 1 full Carbine
  • 1 full Sniper Rifle
  • 4 Beam Rifles
  • 6 Plasma Pistols
  • 2 of each grenade
  • 1 Bubble Shield
  • 1 Invincibility (if you were able to snag one)


    One or two of those weapons may "disappear" into the ground, but don't worry about it too much. When you actually enter the area to trigger the cut-scene make sure you're carrying both your battle rifle and your sniper rifle. Both have a tendency to disappear after the cut-scene if they're left laying on the ground. If you think you're ready, walk forward and prepare to watch Johnson get his ass handed to him.

Quid Quo Pro

    Great. So Johnson got himself captured. This loosely reminds me of having to rescue Captain Keyes and the command crew aboard the Truth & Reconciliation back in the first Halo. Those were the good ol' days before Jackals were given beam rifles. Nevertheless, you'll have two Jackal Snipers to deal with in this area along with a few of their Carbine buddies. At least the spawns here aren't random, and if you did what I told you to do, then you should be well prepared, and you'll finally be putting all your newly obtained skills to the test.
    Obviously the snipers here are your biggest threat, and Bungie pretty much hands the first one to you. So if you haven't already, switch to your sniper rifle. The snipers are located on the far side of the dam on the upper ledge. The first is patrolling back and forth along the pipes. Zoom in and snipe his beak clean off. If you miss, then jump back into cover, wait a few seconds for things to calm down, dry your palms if you need to, and try again. The second one is on the roof of Johnson's building further to the left. He should be out of your line of sight from your present location, and as long as you don't meander too far out onto the ledge, he shouldn't be able to avenge his buddy.
    From here on out, the name of the game is to stay on the ledge as long as you possibly can. You're relatively safe and can always retreat further back into the woods if things down below start getting a little too rough. In the dam's current state, it's far too easy to become overwhelmed or simply taken off guard at ground level. Essentially, this is the main reason we brought so much stuff. It'll be awhile before you have the opportunity to replenish your supplies.
    The Carbine Jackals are your next biggest threat, more specifically the one closest to you on the roof of that shack directly below. While it may seem a little fruity, your best option is to jump up and down and slowly reveal the enemies to you. This far increases your chances of not getting grenade spammed and also keeps you off the ledge, out of sight from the second sniper. Use this method to headshot the first Carbine Jackal using the BR. The second one is located on the roof of the building directly across from you. No hopping required for this one. Just take him out.
    To conserve battle rifle ammo, exchange your BR for the carbine. Start jumping again. This time keep your focus on the Grunts down below. There maybe a few hiding in the small shack, but they'll stay there for now and can't really toss grenades up to where you are with much success, so for now they're fine.
    When you've killed as many Grunts as you can, switch to plasma grenades and try to stick the Brute Captains closest to you. If you miss, you have plenty of plasma pistol ammo to seal the deal. With your immediate threats out of the way, it's time to deal with that second sniper. Arbiter may or may not be drawing its fire. In either case, drop your bubble shield close to the ledge. If you were lucky enough to obtain Invincibility, use that instead. Sneak on out until you have the location of the second sniper. If he isn't looking directly at you, step outside the bubble momentarily and go for the headshot. Otherwise, just hang back until he starts shooting at the Arbiter again. Upon sniping the sniper (hehe), go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief. These were your biggest problems, and cause for your confinement. Now you have a bit more freedom.
    From here, clean up what you can in terms of the enemies left down below. Double check to make sure there aren't any hiding Grunts. Usually the best way is to toss a frag down to where you think they might be. They'll using shout obscenities and dodge, carelessly revealing their location.
    Now lets focus on the bridge. I don't know about you, but I'm not feeling too keen on that hammer. On top of that, he has two Brute bodyguards wielding carbines. Let's take them out first. Range-shoot them from your location using the plasma pistols, but don't start headshotting until both have had their armor decimated. Reason being if you kill one, the Chieftain will berserk and head on over to your location. He will be accompanied by the surviving Carbine Brute. However, if both are berserking, then the Chieftain will travel alone, giving you more time to kill the second bodyguard.
    Here's where Arbiter really comes in handy. "Push" him down to ground level (without falling down there yourself) and let him deal with the Chieftain. Odds are Arbiter will emerge victorious. In the event that he doesn't, well that's why we brought so much extra ammo. Take out his shields with the plasma pistol and keep shooting his head with the battle rifle until the headdress pops off. Ten bursts will usually do the trick so long as he doesn't activate his Invincibility. Once you can see that bare, hairy scalp, just like you would with any other Brute, finish the job.
    It's finally safe to jump down off the ledge. Take any ammo you have left with you. Jumping down will trigger a Phantom to ruin your day by showing up and dropping off reinforcements. The new troops will include a cluster of Grunts, two Carbine Jackals, and at least two Brute Captains.
    Use one of your beam rifles two quickly take out the Jackals as they land. If you miss, no biggie. At least they aren't snipers, but continue to be aware of their presence. Now hop to the second floor of the other building on your side of the dam, crash through the glass, and pick off the Grunts with the battle rifle as they hobble across the bridge. Alternatively, make the Carbine Jackals your top priority if you haven't already dealt with them. Arbiter should be lending you a hand by now, but if not, get to work on the Brutes. It's easier to range-shoot them with a plasma pistol when they're hiding. All the charged shot needs to do is clip one small segment of their armor, or even the weapon they're wielding. From where you are now, that should be relatively simple.
    After you've cleared the bridge, swap out your plasma pistol for a fresh one, and head on over to the other side. You may want to be skimming the edge as you do. Usually one or two Grunts will still be hanging out behind one of the buildings. When you're sure the area is safe, go ahead and rescue Johnson.

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    Don't start celebrating yet. I've still managed to get myself killed between here and the time the Pelican shows up. Keep in mind that it doesn't just show up. A certain number of Covenant reinforcements need to be brought to justice before it'll sweep through to save the day. At this point, make a mad dash for the bridge while using the structures for cover, and at the last second, jump into the engine room to your left and behind the pipes. This will cause both Johnson and the Marines to engage the Covenant. Heading back into the pipes too soon will just cause the Marines to follow you, making you a big red target for grenade spam from both sides.
    While the Marines are battling the Covenant, use the engine room to head back in the direction of the building (but remain in the engine room!). Usually the Marines will kill enough Covenant to trigger the Pelican. Otherwise just headshot the remaining Grunts from the safety of your current location.
    Soon the Pelican will arrive to obliterate both Covenant Phantoms as well as most of the remaining infantry. Still, take your time and make sure the way is clear before proceeding to the bridge. The last step is simple. Board the Pelican and watch the cut scene. After that trip through Hell, you've earned yourself a cookie.

Daniel would like to thank VincentKurayama for his discovery of the ranged plasma shot and Ur Television for figuring out how to get a BR for the beginning battles in Sierra 117.


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