In this method you get a Hunter onto the near right ledge and use him to stop you from bouncing off when you fall from the V. From there you can move along and drop down at a safe spot of your choosing. Suitable only for PAL.

Full description

Eliminate all bridge enemies, then head into the second room and do enough killing to make things safe enough for you to then lead a Hunter out to the bridge, an easy process in which you barely need to do more than run along at slightly less that full speed with the Hunter close behind (see Hunter leading for more on the technique, and also see the commentary for BCM28).

Get him onto the lower deck. The best way to do that is to draw him over a glass panel then shatter it so he falls through. If you instead try and lead him down a ramp, there's a danger he'll end up going off the bridge through clumsiness.

At the end of the deck, dodge a swipe on the very edge of the corner so he heads off towards the chevron feature. If he hits the chevron there's a decent chance he'll just slide to a stop at or near the edge, especially if he hits at the apex.

Assuming that occurs, get down onto the V then run off almost parallel to the cliff, to drop down and bounce off the chevron and get stopped on the ledge by the Hunter. He makes a pretty big target, so the collision is relatively easy, especially if he's directly opposite the middle of the chevron as often occurs.

Now you're stopped on the ledge, get away from any potential swipe quick (he can be rather quick to swipe, especially if facing you as you arrive), and kill him if you want. From here you can move along and drop down at a safe spot of your choosing, as described elsewhere. If you want to get more fun out of things though, dodge a swipe somewhere so he goes off the edge, to then get into a fight down below.

Note: If you only take a glancing deflection off the Hunter and end up going off the ledge, you could still survive if you get sufficient cushioning from the cliff face, or possibly a rock. Another variation on things is that it's possible to end up stopped on the ledge by a direct collision with the Hunter, rather than bouncing against him via the chevron. He can provide enough cushioning. However, survival is quite fickle.

Checkpoint advice

Getting the Hunter onto the ledge is the hardest part and may take multiple tries, so it's good to get a checkpoint just beforehand. The routine I used at the start of BCM28 goes as follows. After killing all bridge enemies, head through into the second room but keep the exit passage checkpoint delayed for later. After leading your Hunter out and onto the lower deck, get clear of him at some point (e.g. dodge a swipe then head off up a ramp), so the game will finally give you the checkpoint.

You're now ready to make repeated attempts at getting him onto the ledge. Things will probably be easiest if he's a good way back from the end of the deck, giving you enough space to get him latched on close behind you then led along to the corner. That's different from what I had in BCM28, showing my first attempt. You'll be able to get good control of his departure angle if you end the pursuit like I did at around 3:24, where I curve right then left to line the Hunter up for the drop-off point.

When he's on the ledge, it would be nice to then get another delayed checkpoint on the V, but you can't. If you were to head back through the second room to trigger the lift checkpoint (at the start of the ramp leading up to the lift), the Hunter would vanish - which is to do with having taken him out of his loading zone.

If you'd prefer a checkpoint on the V (which would be better for having subsequent fun with the Hunter), you'll have to get the Hunter down onto the ledge in one go. Fortunately that's not too hard. I showed an efficient 'alternative routine' for this way of doing things in the second part of BCM28, starting at 2:18. Here's what to do.

Keep the exit passage checkpoint delayed as you head into the second room. Kill everyone except your chosen Hunter, then lead him to the room's entrance. Dodge a swipe to leave him standing there as you run off. Get the delayed checkpoint just before where the lift checkpoint gets triggered, and preferably save it so you'll always be able to restart from here if needed. This is where the footage in BCM28 starts from.

Trigger the lift checkpoint but keep it delayed. I used grenades so I could move fast and free, but jumping will do. Lead the Hunter out and onto the lower deck and make your attempt at getting him down. I recommend the technique seen in BCM28, in which I've got him close behind as I near the end of the lower deck, then I curve right then left, heading for the drop-off point at the correct angle, to then dodge. It gives good control. When he goes off, throw a grenade to make sure the delay continues. If he ends up on the ledge, you can then get to the bottom of the V and finally allow the game to give you the delayed lift checkpoint.

Note: If you're intending to have fun with the Hunter, you'll probably want him to be as strong as possible. See the end of the BCM28 commentary for advice on this.

Difficulty and system differences

In terms of difficulty this method is on a par with the similar patrolling Elite stop method, though it obviously takes more time. In both cases it's pretty easy to dodge the swipe at the edge of the deck (a bit harder with the Hunter), and you have a decent level of control in getting the enemy to go off the bridge at the correct angle to hit the ledge in the right area. Guiding the departure angle is probably a bit easier with a Hunter, because of how you can lead him up to the edge right behind you. On the downside, you can only take advantage of one checkpoint to help you. That would be best used for making attempts at getting him onto the ledge, which is certainly the hardest bit. The fall from the V is fairly easy.

Sadly, I suspect the method is impossible for NTSC and PC, with the Hunter dying before he hits the ledge.

History and links

I showed my original descent via Hunter in BCM28, released on February 10th 2011 and advertised in the HBO forum and also in the High Impact Halo forum. I'd done it on the 2nd, the day after getting down via gold Elite. It was a fairly obvious next step to try - and as it fortunately turned out, Hunters go off that ledge at just the right sort of speed to be able to land on the ledge.

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