Path troops, snow troops and bridge troops, all in one big shooting jamboree!

Posted March 25th 2025 (initially as 'Pyramid base battle'), updated later

• Introduction
• Setting up quick in standard play
• Setting up using the anti-spawn door trick
• Further set-up options
• Enemy numbers
• Battle talk

The 'pyramid megabattle' takes place in the vicinity of the pyramid structure, not long after the start of the level. It features multiple covie groups, and basically provides you a big shooting jamboree to enjoy. With 27 covies on Normal and 24 on Heroic, it's relatively modest in terms of enemy numbers, but it has its own unique character and is particularly well suited to Banshee play.

The largest of the covie groups is the snow group, which spawns down on or near the snow and includes a Wraith (unless you care to disable it). But you also have two earlier groups plus a later group. The earlier groups spawned on the path that snakes down the pyramid. In the terminology of my pyramid descent fight article (see the breakdown section, which contains useful background information to know), they're namely 'path group 2' and 'path group 3'. The latter group actually gets triggered to head down towards the snow, and as such, they potentially join the snow troops. The one other covie group in the mix is the bridge group up high, which includes a couple of devilish fuel rod Grunts.

Initially I used the name 'pyramid base battle' for this affair, and you'll see that nomenclature in my opening movie, BCM561. But partly due to some further playing, in which I created a better provisioned new save which made me realize how glorious the ground combat can be (let alone the Banshee work), I decided that what we've got here really merits being classified as a megabattle. So I quickly decided to rename it as such (making it now the eighth megabattle), and to revise the article accordingly.

Contrasting with the pyramid descent fight

Prior to this article, I'd covered the aforementioned pyramid descent fight, in which the anti-spawn door trick can be used to engineer a customized battle experience in tackling the covies down the pyramid and out on the snow. As that scenario features some of the same covies as the megabattle does, most notably the snow troops, there's certainly some potential commonality in regard to the combat you can get. However, the descent fight is fundamentally a progressive affair and the covies aren't even all present at the start (the snow troops have yet to spawn), whereas the megabattle is more like a big set-piece focused around the lower area plus the bridge, and the covies involved are all present at the start.

There are some other differences too, which the megabattle benefits from. Among them is this very welcome aspect: the Banshee-associated checkpoint will already have been triggered in the set-up work, and therefore won't occur during or after the fighting. As such, you'll always be able to just revert to start a fresh round of hostilities. Also, on Normal and Easy, you'll never be subjected to the annoying action-freezing Banshee information panel associated with triggering that checkpoint.

Difficulty levels

Just to mention, I'd suggest using Normal for this megabattle, at least to begin with. Owing to the enemy numbers, things will feel harder than Normal usually does, believe me. At times it can be reminiscent of Legendary, especially when the gold Elite comes calling!

Heroic is certainly viable, and actually it was used in my opening movie (because I was adapting the pyramid descent fight save I'd recently been using). But you generally have to be more standoffish so the weight of enemy fire doesn't quickly overwhelm you. That's especially true for Banshee play. Your machine will smoke up a lot faster on Heroic, and that means less fun.

The serious way to set up a pyramid megabattle involves using the anti-spawn door trick so you can do some engineering work, adding weapons here and there for potential use in battle, and maybe moving or disabling the Wraith. Things that shape the battle potential. However, if you just want a quick no-frills set-up to get a taste of things, you can do it just with standard play as follows.

Without harming any covies who can take part in the battle, and without losing health, get to the Banshee. On Normal this is pretty easy, and on Heroic it's not too hard either. One way is to just skirt down the right (a route seen in BCM548), but if you want the rocket launcher you can instead skirt down the left to get it, after which I suggest you go through the tunnel to avoid an encounter with the very irritable gold Elite.

Fly up to the platform and kill the covies. Destroy the generator then without losing health along the way, get back to the outer door.

An exit checkpoint is triggered at the doorway, and this can serve as your battle start checkpoint, but you can delay it until in a more convenient spot, such as when you're airborne and a bit lower down (although, be careful not to get so near to covies that enemy threat continues the checkpoint delay). Incidentally, there was a fresh Banshee if you wanted it.

To set things up in a superior way, you need to use the anti-spawn door trick so you can do some engineering work to shape the battle potential. As well as possibly moving or disabling the Wraith, you can position spare weapons at suitable locations (perhaps according to specific attack plans you have in mind), and you could have a collection of weapons to choose from at a planned battle start location (one such collection being seen at the start of BCM562). This is just like in creating a custom pyramid descent fight set-up, so see that article for some ideas and advice. But you'll need to have the Banshee with you at the end.

Having done all that and basically got to the finishing point for a pyramid descent fight set-up, here's how to now progress/modify from that to get your megabattle set-up. You can see a demo of this at the start of BCM561.

Fly to the battlefield and get low enough to trigger the snow group, then head up to the platform and kill the covies there. Ambushing them with Banshee fire is a good option.

You might like to send your Banshee down to the ground for potential use in battle later, bearing in mind that a fresh one will be appearing on the platform for you shortly. You could either blast it down with a grenade (you can likely get a replacement plasma from the platform covies), or give it a shot of speed before safely bailing onto the platform.

Destroy the generator, then without losing health along the way, get back to the outer door.

Before going through the doorway, I suggest pausing to let Cortana start saying "The second pulse generator is located in the adjacent canyon. Move out, and I'll mark the target with a nav-point when we get closer." The pause is just to get done with that dialogue (you don't need to wait for her to finish), so you won't hear it every time you battle. You don't have to pause here though; just make sure she's started that dialogue by the time you get your final checkpoint.

As for that, go through the doorway. An exit checkpoint is triggered, which you can keep delayed until you want it; e.g. when you're airborne and a bit lower down (as seen in BCM561), or perhaps when you're down on the ground and near a collection of weapons to choose from. When you get the checkpoint, you're done!

Note: there was another bit of Cortana dialogue that got finished with during the procedure, namely a belated "Wait. We should commandeer one of those Banshees; we'll need it to reach the pulse generator in time." Sometimes it occurs on your way to the generator, other times on your way back out.

Checkpointing if the Wraith is firing

If you find yourself in a situation where you're wanting to end the checkpoint delay but you can't because the Wraith is firing shot after shot, the thing to do is get out of its sight; e.g. by climbing to around the height of the second ledge or by settling on the platform. After a while it should stop, and then you'll be able to checkpoint. The same remedy applies to fuel rod Grunts firing shot after shot, another potential trouble.

Here are some options you might like to include in your set-up work, however you're doing it.

Additional weapon sources

Via the anti-spawn door trick you have scope for arranging spare weapons prior to the outside area becoming populated of course. But there's also the possibility of adding some other weapons later if desired. Namely, weapons from (a) the covie groups due to vanish when the snow group spawns (the forecourt group and path group 1) and (b) from the platform covies (see pic). Such weapons can be blasted onto the battlefield, or in the case of the platform, perhaps thrown down. It'll be a bit haphazard as to where they land, but some might end up in handy spots. And actually there's some possibility of adjusting positions if you care to put in the work (although it could be hazardous due to the Wraith and also the fuel rod Grunts on the bridge).

In making this suggestion I'm especially thinking of the needlers used by the forecourt Grunts and platform Grunts. As far as I'm concerned, the more needlers there are on the battlefield, the better!

Of course, you could also arm yourself from some of these covies. For example, needlers available on the forecourt or on the platform could give you a full needler, in exchange for some less desirable weapon you were carrying with this swap in mind.

Eliminating the nav-point

If, prior to checkpointing, you want to be rid of the nav-point indicating the way to the next canyon, you can do that (it also eliminates a bit of Cortana dialogue). Keeping your checkpoint delayed, fly past the door low down and very close (see pic), then get clear. But to avoid Banshee damage from the Elites, draw them away from the door beforehand.

Eliminating the music

If you want your set-up to be music-free, it's just a matter of doing some waiting, bearing in mind that the music is limited to just over six minutes. I suggest doing it prior to triggering your checkpoint. Go have a cup of tea or something. (Reminder: the other way the music can end is via the death of the Wraith pilot.)

Spare weapons on the bridge

Let me mention, it's possible to get spare weapons onto the bridge by blasting them across from the pyramid structure. I found a good place for doing that. There's some ramp-like surfacing just past the forecourt, below the spine. Putting a weapon there, I was able to launch it across with a Banshee blast. However, it's liable to take multiple tries, so you should get a handy delayed checkpoint first.

On Normal and Easy the enemy breakdown is as follows:

Two of the bridge Grunts have fuel rod guns however, so they're not just any old grunty jokers!

On Heroic there's one less Jackal in path group 2, and one less Jackal and Grunt in the snow group, making a reduced total of 24. As for Legendary if you're crazy enough to try that, the counts are as for Heroic except that you get an extra Elite in the snow group, and two extra fuel rod Grunts on the bridge (yikes!), making a total of 27.

NOTE: I expect to expand this section in due course, once I've done more playing.

The battle is well suited to Banshee use as already mentioned, but you can also tackle things on foot if desired, either fully or in part. And with foot soldiering, that's where some customization can come in handy in regard to the provision of spare weapons for pick-up.

For a first set-up, let me recommend creating something like the one seen in BCM562, with the Wraith moved up onto the pyramid structure, to the left of the tunnel as seen from the snow. That Wraith position turned out to be excellent, and you can have a lot of fun attacking on that side of the structure, as seen in the first part of that movie.

It's relatively easy to make Elites dive off the bridge by flying at them along the bridge. Surprisingly, they're quite able to survive the impact below, if in good shape. However, they don't seem to have proper movement AI there. They just stand around, rather than joining any of the snow troops.

Bear in mind, you don't have to use a Banshee to get the bridge troops. One way to get them on foot would be to go up the spine to shoot at them. A sniper rifle could do very nicely there!

See also my battle talk for the pyramid descent fight. Some of it can also apply here.

© 2004-2025 by Rockslider