Chapter One: Artifact

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Things have not gotten better despite the string of defeats you’ve delivered upon the Covenant. If anything, things have only managed to get worse. Requiem is on a collision course with its sun, which will claim the USNC Infinity crew as casualties of very grim physics. Fireteam Crimson and Majestic are sent to the Harvester to recover an artifact that will hopefully make things right before it’s too late.

As bad as the situation is, do not rush headlong into danger recklessly. Fight your way through the Covenant defenses to reach the Harvester, then clear an air corridor to allow for an air strike that will breach its defensive shielding. The Harvester must be reactivated to recover the artifact that may save Requiem and the Infinity.

Map Location: Harvester

Power weapons are the order of the day here. The Rocket Launcher is provided through ordnance drops during the mission and proves valuable against Hunters and AA guns. The Fuel Rod Cannon can be found on weapon racks and in the hands of the Covenant. Smart use of these weapons means you can stay well stocked throughout the mission, supplementing your favored primary weapon of choice.

Objective One: Proceed to Coordinates

As soon as you are deployed, you are attacked by a Covenant squad that includes four Hunters [1]. This is a good start to the episode and mission! Shortly after contact with the enemy is made, Rocket Launcher ordnance drops are made available to help you turn the tide. Lt. Murphy and his Pelican stick around to provide some fire support.

[2] Watch out for Jackal Snipers as you advance down this path toward the coordinates, in addition to the other Covenant forces along the way.

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[3] A Shade Turret greets you as you enter the valley in front of the Harvester. If you still have rockets, it’s not a waste to use one on the turret.

[4] The valley itself is full of Covenant defenders. Clear them out before proceeding to the designated coordinates. Another Shade Turret can be found close to the first [5]. When you do arrive at the coordinates, you find that sadly there’s little of apparent value.

Objective Two: Eliminate Hostiles

So you didn’t find anything of value, but you did trigger a Drop Pod ambush [6]. Your goal now is to take down these enemies, then find a way back into the Harvester to use its firepower against that stone wall. This can be a vicious wave of hostiles to fight, expect Beam Rifles and Fuel Rod Cannons to be pointed in your direction for this fight. Once you clear the zone, you discover that a shield is preventing access to the Harvester’s inner workings.

Objective Three: Destroy the AA Guns

[7] Air support is called in to destroy the shield, but the Covenant have anticipated this and have set up an anti-aircraft battery farther up the mountain. A Phantom deploys a guard unit near the guns, while another squad tries to block you from proceeding closer to the guns. Be especially careful of Jackal Snipers trying to get the drop on you from elevated positions [8].

[9] The AA guns appear to be shielded, and a Drop Pod deploys more troops nearby to keep you busy while Roland figures out a solution. After he manages to disable the shields, Roland sends more Rocket Launchers your way to help facilitate destroying the AA guns. It takes three rockets to bring down a gun. Afterward, we recommend hoarding as much extra ammo for the Rocket Launchers as you can manage. You can also find a weapon cache filled with Fuel Rod Cannons near the second gun [10].

[11] The third AA gun is at the top of the ridge, but its shields are still up. A Phantom flies in to deploy a pair of Hunters. After you take out the Hunters, Roland will take out the last AA gun’s shields, and you can destroy it.

Objectives Four, Five, Six, and Seven: Reactivate the Harvester, Eliminate Hostiles, Free the Scientists, Proceed to Coordinates

You are now ordered to return to the Harvester, but the Covenant are not about to let this go unchecked. A Drop Pod deploys more hostiles near where the first two guns once stood [9]. After dealing with them and proceeding farther down the path, another Drop Pod tries to cut you off with more troops [7]. Another pack will try to fall back closer to the Harvester itself. Once the area around the Harvester is cleared, Lt. Murphy performs an air strike on the shield.

[12] The Covenant are lying in wait inside the Harvester once again, so expect a spirited defense. Not only are they guarding the Forerunner vessel, but they also have a cadre of scientists being held in a makeshift holding cell [13]. You’re ordered to put down the enemy so you can extract the scientists. With the Harvester clear, controls to deactivate the shields holding them prisoner are indicated on the HUD [14], and you’ll need to use both consoles to free the civilians.

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The scientists relay bad news: The Covenant wanted them to reactivate the Harvester, but it’s not possible with a fried power source. You’re given a set of coordinates inside the Harvester to investigate the problem. Roland does know where it may be possible to find a replacement power source, but as usual, it’s nowhere close to where you really need it to be, and it most definitely will be found behind a large force of Covenant and Prometheans. Proceed to the indicated evac zone so you can head to your next mission.

Chapter Two: In One Way

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The power source needed to repair the Harvester is believed to be located at Apex, but the current situation means that a direct insertion is impossible. Instead, Fireteam Crimson is sent to the Warrens, where they are to proceed on foot through a passage that will lead them to Apex. The Covenant are ready to fight to the death to prevent this breakthrough, and have set up defenses throughout the surface and underground areas of the Warrens.

The Covenant know that by standing their ground to fight you, they are sentencing themselves to death one way or the other. Expect their fanaticism to be at its peak. Fight your way from the surface of the Warrens to the underground cavern. Your goal is behind the security door at the very back of the underground area.

Map Location: Warrens

Take a Jet Pack, if nothing else. By now you should be very familiar with what weapons will work best for you throughout an entire mission. The Jet Pack is best way to make navigating the Warrens much easier. During the later sections of the mission, you have the opportunity to stock up on Binary Rifles, so the Ammo upgrade isn’t a bad idea to have in your loadout either.

Objectives One, Two, and Three: Proceed to Entrance, Enter Warrens, Get to Back Entrance

You start fairly close to the designated Warrens entrance, but the Covenant have a significant guard force in place to deny you access. Watch out for the guard platforms hovering throughout the area, Jackal Snipers can and will use these elevated positions against you. One idea is to let the snipers take these posts, ensuring that you know where they are before you kill them. Air support is called in to assist you, but it will take time to arrive.

Complications start immediately. The Warrens entrance [1] seems locked down tight, and both Roland and Miller ask for you to hold the area while they work out a solution. Finish off any stragglers, and after Roland remotely hacks the door, you’re asked to give the controls a shot.

The door opens on the first try, and a new waypoint appears on screen. Follow the cave into the Warrens [2], where another Covenant force awaits. Don’t rush out recklessly; in addition to the ground troops there are Shade Turrets in the area covering the access tunnel. Do what you can to take out the enemy from the safety of the smaller cave before pushing farther into the larger underground area.

[3] As you deal with the first Covenant group inside the Warrens, you’re told that you need to get to the back entrance of the caves. You can expect Elite Zealots to be among the hostiles. If you’ve brought a Jet Pack to the fight, you can use it to flank the enemy and maybe even use one of the Shade Turrets on the upper ledges, but be wary of snipers and Fuel Rod Cannon users.

[4] The indicated entrance also has a sizable guard unit protecting it. Expect more Fuel Rod Cannon users among these troops.

Objectives Four, Five, and Six: Activate Door Controls, Activate Light Bridges, Reach Upper Ledge

[5] The door is sealed shut, but the Covenant still have controls in the area that can open it. When you approach the controls, they vanish before your eyes, and are replaced by a mob of Prometheans that teleport into the area. After you take them out, a solution is discovered for the door problem, but you need to get closer to some tech that is elsewhere in the caves, and to do that you must activate the light bridges found inside the cavern at an indicated control panel [6]. Watchers begin teleporting into the area to run interference.

With the light bridges restored, you’ll have to fight your way to the upper ledges of the Warrens. More Watchers arrive on the scene to continue making life difficult for you, while Crawlers rush you from the ground. While there are a number of ways to access the upper paths, the Jet Pack can make the climb go faster. Advancing can be frustrating, as the Watchers have a tendency to try to revive fallen Prometheans, and there’s a lot of terrain for them to hide behind.

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[8] This encounter deserves some extra recognition. As you cross the final light bridge to the designated waypoint, a pair of Knight Lancers with Binary Rifles teleport onto the bridge. Don’t stand your ground to try to outgun them both, fall back down the ramp toward the first light bridge [7] and use the rock pillar next to it as cover. If you have managed to get your own Binary Rifle, you can deal with them one at a time.

Objectives Seven, Eight, and Nine: Overload Door Lock One, Overload Door Lock Two, Overload Door Lock Three

[8] To get the sealed door open, you’ll have to overload a series of door locks. The first is on the upper ledge structure and protected by more Prometheans. Once it’s cleared, use the controls at the waypoint to begin the process.

[9] You then need to cross over to a smaller ledge across from the first lock to reach door lock two. Watchers swarm in to interfere with your progress. As you get closer to this control, another group of Prometheans teleports into the area.

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[10] The third door lock can quickly be reached from the second with the use of the Jet Pack, but as with the previous two locks, this triggers a Promethean ambush that you don’t want to start fighting from within it.

Objectives Ten and Eleven: Activate Door Control, Evacuate to Apex

[11] With all three door locks overloaded, make your way back toward the controls indicated on the HUD. The fight’s not over yet. Once again, as you approach the sealed door, Prometheans teleport into the area in force. This is the home stretch! Wipe these guys out, then use the controls to finally open the door that will take you to Apex.

Chapter Three: Seize the Power

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With Requiem shaking itself apart the closer it gets to its sun, Fireteam Crimson has managed to finally arrive at Apex on foot; their goal is hopefully somewhere in this area. The reason that Crimson has been proceeding on foot is the UNSC has already lost numerous Pelicans and Marines to the Covenant. It’s a better bet for the Spartans to fight their way in on foot, look for survivors from the Pelicans, find the parts they need for the Harvester, and muscle their way back out on foot.

Apex has been a highly contested zone throughout the conflict, and the Covenant have taken steps to ensure that the peak has been thoroughly secured against your presence. You must gain access to the basin at the top of Apex, disable a series of shield generators, and penetrate the Forerunner structure they protected. It is believed that what is needed to power the Harvester can be found there.

Map Location: Apex

The many crashed Pelicans left an abundance of supplies for the early going, but most importantly they left a number of functional Warthogs for you to use. These, along with the allies you come across manning the Machine Guns, arguably make up the most important part of your arsenal throughout this mission. Ghosts, manned by Covenant or left unattended, make excellent backup weapons to use. The Wheelman upgrade might not be a bad thing to have with you for this operation, as there are many Plasma Pistol users, and getting disabled while under heavy fire means certain death.

Objectives One, Two, and Three: Enter Apex, Rendezvous With Spartans, Secure Power Supply

[1] You begin inside the structure at the bottom of Apex. Your first objective is to use a control panel to lower the shields of the building so that you can start your search. You then meet up with Spartans from Fireteam Forest [2], who survived a Pelican crash, along with a number of Warthogs. Take your pick of the vehicles and get ready to roll out with these new allies in tow. It’s confirmed that the power supply you need is at the top of the mountain. As you start the climb, you encounter another pair of Spartans on a Mongoose armed with a Rocket Launcher. Be careful when driving near this Mongoose! The Rocket Launcher user is a little trigger happy and can just as easily kill you as he can the enemy.

Objectives Four and Five: Clear Out Defenses, Open Gate

[4] You have to drive to the top of the mountain and clear out the local defenses first. Expect all manner of Covenant infantry backed up by Shade Turrets, with reinforcements being delivered by Phantom. After the enemy defenses are dealt with, a control is marked on your HUD that will grant access to a new part of Apex mountain.

Objectives Six and Seven: Enter Basin, Destroy Shield Generators

[5] [6] The newly opened door grants access to a basin that has been completely blocked off until now, and at the highest point is a Forerunner structure you need to get to. However, it is protected by a shield that’s powered by three shield generators. The basin area is filled with Covenant defenders, with the Ghosts making up a large portion of their overall strength.

In addition to ground troops and Ghosts, all three generators have at least one Shade Turret somewhere in their vicinity for extra protection. You have to be inside their protective barriers to damage the generators. Thankfully, you can use this to your advantage for a short time to allow your own shields to recharge if necessary. You’ll also need to clear the basin of hostiles before you can proceed further.

Objectives Eight, Nine and Ten: Enter Forerunner Structure, Clear Out Forerunners, Locate Power Source

[7] Once inside the structure, you’ll have to deal with Prometheans and a suicidal pack of Grunts. Follow the ramp upward cautiously, as there are a number of additional Knights protected by Watchers along the way.

After clearing out the structure, a Covenant comm panel is marked for you to use it. This calls in a Lich, which is filled with a lot of bad guys. Roland says that this is all part of his plan: the part you need to power the Harvester is nothing less than the engine core from that Lich, and you’ll have to “convince” it to get close enough for you to board. When you see it approaching, it is accompanied by Banshees and Phantoms. Brace yourself.

Objective Eleven: Fight Lich Forces

The Lich and the Phantoms deploy every variety of Covenant infantry and armor than they can muster. It’s a tough fight by any stretch of the imagination. If you have to be on the ground on foot, stay mobile, and make sure you have a Plasma Pistol to disable any hostile vehicles that come your way. Things can get a bit confusing if you still have Spartans from Fireteam Forest in the fight, as they will hijack Covenant Ghosts if at all possible. Check your fire, as these Spartans provide an invaluable service: that of the decoy.

The Lich pauses occasionally over the battlefield to deliver more troops, including sets of Hunters, as the fight progresses. Additional hostiles arrive via Phantom, and these typically include extra Ghosts to throw into the fray. Keep fighting and killing the enemy until the Lich moves itself into position for the next phase of Roland’s plan.

Objectives Twelve, Thirteen, and Fourteen: Board Lich, Steal Lich Core, Escape Lich

You can board the Lich with a running start and a Jet Pack-assisted leap, or you can drive something fast and nimble, ideally a Ghost, and use the terrain next to where it “parks” as a natural set of ramps to launch yourself aboard the vehicle. The latter of these two options is more awesome, but both work just fine. Once aboard, fight your way past the Covenant crew until you reach the engine core and rip the part you need free from it. Taking the core naturally destabilizes the whole vehicle, which leads to an explosion that will tear the whole craft apart. You will want to be off the Lich before that happens.

Objective Fifteen: Escape to Caverns

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With the part you need in your possession, there’s no more reason to stay on Apex. Find a Ghost and race down the mountain as quickly as you can, back to where you started this mission. Phantoms make strafing runs to try to slow you down, and Beam Turrets begin phasing into the area as you move down the mountain. Don’t overstay your welcome; just race past the enemy and hit the designated control to return to the Warrens!

Chapter Four: Out the Other

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Fireteam Crimson has made it back to the Warrens, but the enemy has managed to reoccupy the area, fashioning a series of ambushes and defensive positions that will force the Spartans to fight their way back out of the underground caverns to the surface. Given the nature of enemy coverage, there is only one viable evac point, and it is deliberately behind a wall of Covenant.

Multiple Pelicans have fallen throughout the Warrens, leaving behind supplies that will allow you to fight the staggering numbers of hostiles that await. The exit to the surface has been locked down by a shield system, so you will need to disable any power sources before you can exit the caverns. Intel suggests heavy enemy presence all across the potential landing zone, including numerous Wraiths and high-ranking Covenant troops, so be prepared to fight for every inch of progress.

Map Location: Warrens

Shortly after your first encounter with the enemy, you are directed to a crashed Pelican that has left behind the ultimate weapon of choice for this mission: four Mantis combat mechs. So long as you remember that you are not invincible while piloting a Mantis and don’t try to tank Wraith plasma mortars or repeated shots from Fuel Rod Cannons, you can take a Mantis through the entire mission. If you’re stuck on foot, the enemy brings a lot of power weapons to the fight, like the Fuel Rod Cannon. Don’t neglect to take a Plasma Pistol to deal with vehicles on foot, if it comes down to it.

Objectives One and Two: Secure the Area, Investigate Downed Pelican

[1] A short distance from where you start the mission, a large group of Elites of various ranks lies in wait. You can help even the odds if you use the Binary Rifles found on the right ramp [2], or the Scattershots found on the left ramp [3]. During this initial encounter, until you whittle down the enemy numbers significantly, consider standing out in the open to be a death sentence. Once you cut a number of Elites down, they retreat deeper into the caverns. You’ll be told to go after them and investigate the site of a downed Pelican.

[4] The crash site is being protected by these Elites for a reason: Four Mantis mechs await Spartan drivers.

Objectives Three and Four: Clear Hostile Forces, Destroy Forerunner Power Sources

[5] A Drop Pod makes the poor choice of deploying troops just as you get inside a Mantis. You have both an elevated position and walking combat armor. This first group is just the beginning, though. A Phantom shows up shortly after the Drop Pod to deliver more Covenant to the fight. Meanwhile, it becomes apparent to Spartan Miller that your one way out is blocked off by a shield system [6]. Roland needs you to continue holding the area against waves of Covenant and Promethean reinforcements while he tries to figure out a solution. Eventually, a massive swarm of Watchers begins to flood into the Cavern. Take them out as quick as you can to prevent their setting up Beam Turrets or reviving fallen Knights and Crawlers.

Eventually, it’s discovered that the three power sources you activated during chapter two of this episode are running the shield system. You have to go to each one of the power sources and destroy them [7] [8] [9]. The first two can be easily destroyed from where you initially picked up the Mantis mech, but the third [9] will require you to climb up the series of ramps and cross the light bridges to reach it. Approaching it can be very dangerous, as you can expect Knight Lancers and Crawler Snipes to be among the Prometheans teleporting into the cavern, and their Binary Rifles are still exceedingly dangerous, even to a Mantis.

Objectives Five, Six, Seven, and Eight: Find Route Out of the Cave, Open Cavern Door, Clear Hostile Forces, Get to the Pelican

[10] The door to the outside is locked and has to be manually unlocked by a control panel. Before you do this, turn around to face the Crawler pack that teleports behind you and put them down, then open the door.

[11] Just outside of the cave, three Drop Pods deploy another large group of Elites. From this point on, prepare yourself to be on the receiving end of multiple Fuel Rod Cannon shots. Whether you are on foot or in a Mantis, advance cautiously and stay out of open terrain as much as possible.

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[12] A pair of Ghosts and a Wraith join more ground troops in trying to hold this choke point down.

[13] This gauntlet of troops is deployed via Drop Pod and is supported by more Ghosts and another Wraith. Once you’ve cleansed the area of the Covenant presence, an evac Pelican manages to slip into the area to pick you up. Things are looking up after the retrieval of the power core. You just have to get it installed into the Harvester, but as you know by now, both the Covenant and the Prometheans can be relied on to show a suicidal fervor when trying to stop you. It’s off to the final battle.

Chapter Five: One Last Time

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Requiem draws closer to its sun as Fireteam Crimson is deployed to the Harvester one more time. One last scuffle with Covenant and Prometheans stands between the Spartans and the artifact that will hopefully get the Infinity off the shield-world.

The plan is simple: Shoot every last Covenant or Promethean until they stop moving, get the Harvester back online, blast open the stone wall that blocks access to the artifact, and get off Requiem. Failure has never been an option for Fireteam Crimson, and it would be an exceedingly poor choice to make it one today.

Map Location: Harvester

No vehicles for this final mission, just some good old-fashioned ground combat on foot. By now you know what weapons work best for you and how to apply them in the situations you encounter. It should be noted that UNSC weapons and ammo crates aren’t exactly plentiful here, so your loadouts may be better off with Covenant weapons like the Covenant Carbine.

Objectives One, Two, and Three: Advance to Harvester, Install Power Supply, Fire the Plasma Drill

Deployment goes surprisingly smooth, which gives you a chance to actually get into a good position [1] that overlooks the first set of Covenant troops [2]. Watch out for Jackal Snipers that hang out in the caves [3] as you work your way through this group.

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[4] Some Covenant will fall back down the hill a short ways to meet up with some comrades before counterattacking. Don’t be caught off guard by these tactics!

[5] The field in front of the Harvester has once again been fortified by the Covenant. Expect Shade Turrets, mounted Plasma Cannons, and a lot of ground troops to be scattered throughout the area in front of the Harvester entrance.

[6] As soon as you enter the Harvester, you’re attacked by more Covenant, with a pair of Hunters at the forefront of their defense. Be careful as you advance down the corridors leading to the control room, as more Jackal Snipers guard the passages beyond the Hunters. The room where the power core must be installed is protected by another squad of Elites [7].

[8] After installing the core, proceed into the control room to fire the Harvester’s Plasma Drill.

Objectives Four and Five: Investigate the Interior, Eliminate Promethean Defenders

[9] The Plasma Drill bored a massive hole in the rock face, giving you access to the interior. Surprisingly, no Covenant reinforcements show up to stop you. However, once you get past the bore hole, a squad of Promethean Knights teleport into the cave and engage you.

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Farther beyond the Knight ambush, a Crawler pack rushes at you.

The cave opens up into a larger chamber with a Forerunner construction at its end. More Prometheans teleport into the area to combat you. As always, don’t press the attack immediately—you’ll just get chewed up by the sheer number of Crawlers that make up the bulk of the enemy force. Crawler Snipes and Knight Lancers with Binary Rifles once again rear their heads to terrorize you with their one-shot-one-kill capability. At the top of the structure, protecting a sealed door, is a Knight Commander armed with an Incineration Cannon. If at all possible, we recommend that you recover this weapon for later use.

Objectives Six, Seven, and Eight: Locate Artifact, Activate Door, Retrieve the Artifact

After cutting through the Prometheans to reach the door, you find that it is sealed tight and without power. Roland locates the power source necessary to open the door. You’ll have to enter a passage located underneath the platform with the sealed door. Once you reach the indicated room, a pair of Knights teleport into the chamber. Put them down, then activate the power system to the sealed door.

With the door to the artifact opened, use the control panel at the top of the ramp to retrieve the artifact.

Objectives Nine and Ten: Eliminate Remaining Covenant, Get Off Requiem

You’ve successfully retrieved the artifact, but the quakes rocking all of Requiem are getting worse the closer it gets to its sun. The gravity of the area starts going berserk, and you are thrown into the air and into hard surfaces, which strips away your shields. Work your way back, despite these shifts in the gravity, until you reach the chamber you first entered after the Harvester’s Plasma Drill opened the path for you.

One last Covenant squad guards this exit, intending to give their lives to ensure that you accompany them into Requiem’s sun. This can be a brutal final showdown. Elites hold the high ground and a trio of cloaked Elite Zealots hold the lower level. Inside the final tunnel, one last pair of Elites do their best to hold the line against you.

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Once you defeat this last group of Covenant, it’s well past time to leave Requiem behind. The Pelican Dropship flies into position for evac, and once you climb aboard you’ll have come to the end of the first season of Spartan Ops!