Hidey-hole defence
Posted July 24th 2005
Setting up
The best way to set this up is to start with a modified far area horde set-up. Heading in from the left entrance, drive around the right side of the rockslide, heading for the narrow gap at the far end which you'd normally pass through when heading up to the plateau from the right. You're liable to take a nasty pounding as you drive through the mass of enemy, but on Heroic you should make it with decent health. At the far end, squeeze through the gap and park up in the confined little hidey-hole area you now find yourself in, then try to hold off the enemy from there. Most of them will have trailed after you across the long plain, so you can expect quite a wave of alien aggression coming your way!
You could also set things up just using any rockslide megabattle save, but the battling is unlikely to be as intense, with enemies filtering your way more gradually. At least try to make sure you get everyone's attention, so they'll hopefully come after you.
Tactics
If you used a horde set-up as recommended, the enemy will be quite a way off to begin with and it'll probably take a few seconds for them to come into view. You've got the chance to do quite a bit of damage even before they get close up, depending on the weapons you're packing. One thing I like to do is lob a grenade near a protruding rock that the as yet unseen enemy will be coming around, to give them a nasty surprise. You'll soon find out which rock I mean. Every once in a while I'll get lucky and land a plasma grenade on an arriving Elite's head or suchlike, which is always good for a laugh. After that, typically I'll lay into a few Elites with my trusty pistol, hopefully getting at least one before the incoming plasma fire becomes too hot.
More weaponry please
Enemies often cluster around the entrance for a while before trying to come through. It's here that a well placed grenade can do the most damage, so make sure you've held a few back. Another good thing about grenade work here is that it often causes weapons to be blown back into your hidey-hole where you can pick them up. However, if you're running short of grenades or ammo, you could let an enemy come through the gap before killing him and picking up anything he drops. There are plenty of foolhardy Grunts that will be only too happy to oblige with donations. Aw, that's sweet.
Watch those flanks
A few covies will probably try to sneak in from your left, but if you wish, you can block that approach with the hog. Also keep an eye on your motion tracker for enemies that circle around the long cliffside passage behind you.
Chain-gun, anyone?
Usually I make any Warthog buddies dismount to maximize the challenge, but once in a while I'll leave them in the hog and face it towards the entrance so they've got a good line of fire. The chain-gun rips into the enemy and a fine dose of carnage and mayhem ensues.
Invaders
If enemies start trying to push through the gap, the ideal weapon to have is a plasma pistol. You just can't beat it for the really close-up stuff. You can stun an Elite with a plasma ball, and finish him off with a few whacks or with a quick burst of rapid-fire shooting. If you care for a challenge, see if you can get through the entire battle with just a plasma pistol (with or without grenades).
Needler tactic
The needler is far from ideal as a close-up weapon, but in an emergency you can use the following technique to take down a nasty Elite as he comes through the gap. Step into his path to tempt him into a swipe. As he swings, backstep while firing a stream of needles into him, and BOOM! Bye-bye Mr Elite. Just make sure you're well clear of the bang!
Retreat!
If you get too pressured, you can always retreat along the narrow cliffside passage. Preferably keep at least one grenade back to help you buy time if you need it. You could potentially retreat up towards the Marine plateau, or maybe you'd like to try and make a stand in the passage. Being so narrow it's pretty good for defending from, much like the hidey-hole's bottleneck entrance.
Blocked entrance
For a sneaky variation of this plan, use the hog to block the hidey-hole's entrance. It'll actually wedge in quite nicely if you drive it halfway through then let it get stuck (although your gunner might not appreciate being left on the hazardous side, if he's with you). The enemy will tend to gather on the far side. When the time is right, lob in a grenade or two and stand well back for a big bang, being careful not to let the hog land on your head.