Part 05: The Skirmish and Multiplayer Modes

Spartans Alice and Douglas get a jump on the enemy, tussling with two Covenant Elites on the Shield World. Expect no mercy in Multiplayer Mode!

The Covenant make a classic mistake, leaving the UNSC to built up their Grizzly tank forces for too long, and paying dearly for this error.

A Brute Chieftain makes short work of a group of Creep soldiers guarding a critical Hook on the Multiplayer Map 2v2: Beasley's Plateau.

Perhaps the most important, and certainly one of the most entertaining aspects of Halo Wars is challenging friends to online battles ranging between small skirmishes between dueling players, to all-out war raging between two sizes of three players each. With the propensity for confusion and disaster always at the forefront of a Halo Wars general, a sizable chunk of the guide was given over to this extremely important game mode, with a general emphasis given to ensuring battlefield domination. Blogs 02 and 03 deal with aspects of the two warring Factions present in the game, and they provide thorough knowledge regarding specific unit usage. For the Multiplayer chapter, we visit every single one of the Multiplayer Maps, from the instantly recognizable 1v1 Blood Gulch, to the sprawling 3v3 Fort Deen. Each of the maps receives a thorough inspection, beginning with a map itself.

Taking almost an entire page, the Maps are worth the price of admission on their own, as they instantly reveal the topography of each level, allowing you to plan attacks accordingly. If your friend chooses to play “1v1 Chasm”, for example, you can instantly see the cracks in the tundra, the dotted rock islands, and the narrow passageways. Only after close study of each map can you easily recognize where you are in the game, the shortest point to your foe’s base, and the numerous features designed to help or hinder your progress.

Hooks are vital to gain the upper hand against your opponent while challenging them to online skirmishes, and are structures, usually Forerunner in origin, that house large Supply Elevators, or Reactors, that (when overrun by your forces) give you the appropriate economic or technological bonuses. After study of the maps, you can then figure out whether spending resources on a UNSC Reactor is worthwhile, compared to claiming one already built, and freeing up a Base socket for a different building in the process.

There are a range of hooks to learn about too, and include Forerunner Relics that can release Flood hordes to pillage your opponent’s troops, a Mega-Turret that can lay waste to entire tank detachments, and even a Life Support station that can increase the total population cap of your army. Knowing which maps house these advantageous places, and how far they are from your starting base, is critical to your online ranking. Simply put, the Multiplayer maps alone shave weeks of learning, and second-place finishes in battle, as you quickly ascertain the right battle tactics that vary from map to map.

Also of relevance on the battlefield are the locations of empty bases, and Neutral Bases, which are guarded by groups known as The Creep. They don’t response well to light attack strategies, but quickly overpowering them with heavier vehicles or artillery allows you to take over their base of operations. But do you try this, or head for an early Rush and beat your opponent quickly? It all depends on the Map, which is handy, as there’s copious tactical information gleamed from Ensemble Studios lead designers and QA department; this is a distillation of the months of strategizing they completed.

Join us one last time, when hint at some game secrets, and peek behind the exclusive Gallery, filled with Halo Wars artwork.

Head here, for Ready for War video Overviews, guide purchasing options, and the chance to win a Bungie-signed Halo 3 artbook. 

Part 03: UNSC Faction Facts, with the Prophet of Regret

Forge and the Arbiter have a slight disagreement. Unlike the UNSC, the three Covenant Leaders take to the battlefield with their troops.

A quintet of Wraiths fire enhanced plasma ordnance into a UNSC Firebase. Power these tanks with shields, and they become devastating.

Even a Spartan-controlled Wraith is no match for the Covenant's biggest and baddest unit; the devastating, base-killing Scarab.

The second major Faction you’re able to control in Halo Wars are the Covenant, and although there are similarities between the two forces (such as how the economy works), there are numerous differences too. The most striking are how the Leaders work on the battlefield. Instead of peering down from the relative comfort of the Spirit of Fire, the Covenant prefer the crackle of plasma and human bloodshed up close and personal, which is why each of the three Covenant Leaders receives their own personal unit, and devastating combat power they employ themselves. The first Leader is the Arbiter, a beast capable of leveling entire bases himself (indeed, this is a popular tactic at the earliest stages of battle). With his Rage power, he can actually regenerate hit points as well as cutting swathes of foes (or parts off buildings). He’s accompanied by Suicide Grunts, who don’t usually return from their combat missions, and are useful when you need a sure-fire way to stop a vehicle, or drop a building.

 The Brute Chieftain is the personification of punishment, armed with a massive hammer and a power known as the Vortex; a whirling maelstrom that can tear apart already weakened units with amazing ferocity. The Chieftain has two units that he alone brings into battle; the Brute infantry, and the Brute Chopper. The Infantry can be upgraded with jetpacks, allowing them to swarm remote supply or reactor locations known as Hooks. The Chopper meanwhile, is like a toughened Ghost, but with greater combat prowess, and costs to boot.

Perhaps the most fear-inducing of the three Covenant Leaders is the Prophet of Regret. Armed with a terrifying power called Cleansing, this is like a moving MAC Blast that cuts through every type of enemy in seconds. The Prophet is accompanied by his Elite Honor Guards, who are adept at sneak attacks thanks to their cloaking upgrades. With all the different combat permutations, it is vital you learn how these attacks work, and more importantly, who they work on. This is where the guide comes in.

In much the same way as we did with the UNSC, the Covenant’s base of operations (the Citadel) is explained, along with the key construction choices, and unique buildings. Visual representations are important, as you’ll want to know what strangely-shaped building your opponent is constructing before you’re swamped with units you haven’t defended against. But more importantly, the costs, advantages, and shortfalls of these structures are revealed. Need to Hot-Drop Wraiths to back up your base-savaging Brute Chieftain? We show you how, and why this is an excellent plan.

As for the troops themselves, each of the main buildings that spawn unit types are explained in great detail. The Hall, for example, releases Grunts, Jackals, and Hunters. If there was ever a unit to counter the devastating power of the UNSC Scorpion, the Hunter (with its Fuel Rod Override capacity) fits the bill. If you’re wanting to learn about ground vehicles, there’s copious tactical advice on the Ghost, Wraith, and Locust; a building killer that can crush enemy fortifications from long distance. And the more said about the Scarab, the better; this stomping great behemoth is the Covenant’s most dangerous (and hilariously expensive) unit. Try spawning two on a battle, and your opponent isn’t trying hard enough.

Covenant units are slightly weaker than UNSC ones, but they make up for it with their air Engineers; floating sacs that attach to different units and heal them constantly throughout a battle. There’s also the Banshee and Vampire to round off the Covenant forces, each equipped with devastating (and different) upgrade paths and strength, and all revealed in the strategy guide. Its an extremely satisfying feeling to take out a UNSC Spartan by upgrading a Banshee with “Sacrifice”, allowing it to crash into an enemy instead of simply exploding!

It is also extremely satisfying to complete the entire series of Campaign Missions on Legendary Difficulty: Which is what I’ll reveal snippets of next time.

Head here, for Ready for War video Overviews, guide purchasing options, and the chance to win a Bungie-signed Halo 3 artbook. 

Part 01: Tactical Training with Sergeant John Forge

Meet Sergeant Forge, and Spartan Red Team. You'll get to know them, and just how incredibly bad-ass they are, as the guide and game progresses.

A trio of Grizzly tanks completely obliterates a Brute unit on the way to a decisive UNSC Ambush victory.

UNSC Warthogs execute a tactical Rush, catching the Covenant completely off-guard in a Skirmish map known as Blood Gulch.

It has taken three months, hundreds of Skirmish and Multiplayer games, two destroyed Xbox 360 debug units, and a steady hand coupled with almost telepathic abilities to complete the Campaign on Legendary, but I’ve finally finished the fight, and the 208-page guide to Halo Wars. Work began last Fall with a trip to Ensemble Studios in Dallas, where I had the good fortune to receive copious notes, tips, tricks, and advice from some exceptional RTS experts, who were extremely keen for this guide to be as comprehensive as possible. I feel we’ve succeeded, in no small part because of their continuous help and support.

Over the next six Blog posts, I’ll be encapsulating what it took to piece together this guide, with an overview on the various chapters. To begin with, I worked closely with Ensemble to craft a Training section that removed “instruction manual” advice in favor of more advanced information, including technical data that only Ensemble was in possession of. By now you’ll probably be aware that Halo Wars is based on the RTS tenet of RPS (or Rock Paper Scissors), with different unit types generally having advantages over others (in this case, ground vehicles defeat infantry, that can take down air units, which can crack open ground vehicles… etc). Fortunately, Halo Wars is much deeper than that, as (for example) it introduces specific “counter” units, adept in tackling a specific foe. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of these troops (which the guide reveals in meticulous detail), and you have complete battlefield dominance.

The Training section also revealed advice on Veterancy (yes, troops can survive confrontations time and time again, and becoming grizzled bad-asses grants you more than just a fearsome reputation; there are other interesting enhancements, too). The same goes for Upgrades. Although the forthcoming Blog 02 on Factions lets you know more about Upgrades, there’s plenty of general information to impart, too. We even go into detail about some hidden items that are likely to appeal to those already familiar with the franchise….

One of the key elements to gaining in proficiency at Halo Wars is knowing how to construct a Fortress (UNSC) or Citadel (Covenant) both quickly and effectively. With different Leaders requiring different Base progressions, a step-by-step route showing which Base buildings to construct, and when, provides immediate clarity. The Training also digs deeper into the key tactical methods of play, beginning with a Glossary to bring those unfamiliar with the term “Turtling” up to speed. Then, we reveal exactly how to attempt a Rush, Boom, Tech, Turtle, Ambush, Hit-and-Run, or Scout strategy, and how to pinpoint whether one is happening to you. There’s advice on Hot-Dropping troops into the battlefield, prioritizing your Queues, Ambushes, Sling-Shooting tactics, and more.

The Training section comes to an end with a thorough inspection of how to effectively play against an A.I. opponent, what Leader Powers are, what the key differences are (and there are many) between an Easy and Legendary foe, and to round off the Training chapter in its entirely, we present a few general Tips. Okay, about 170 of them. And this is 17 pages into the strategy guide….

Come back next time, when I offer an overview of the Factions chapter, showcase some key UNSC units, and figure out just what exactly can stop a Spartan….

Head to the Prima Halo Wars Feature Page, for Ready for War video Overviews, guide purchasing options, and the chance to win a Bungie-signed Halo 3 artbook.