This needler challenge could be the death of me if I'm not careful…

(6:49) Level 2 ('Halo') on Heroic. In this further triple-play of my rockslide megabattle save featuring 11 Marines in a far area defence against 33 covies, I take on a new challenge, trying to prevail with just a needler and the usual grenades. I also try to be quite proactive like in BCM149, though I have to be more cautious this time, lacking the close-range power of a plasma pistol.

Released July 6th 2015, gameplay recorded February 26th 2015.

00:02 (Play 1) Swerving into the rockslide to release the dropship 4 troops, a blue Elite gets splattered. Some of these jokers really aren't paying enough attention! Six Elites to go.

00:25 Let the needling begin! I get two Jackals for starters, both of them going bang. I follow up with a plasma grenade, hoping an Elite would wander out into the blast, but nobody comes.

00:35 I send a few needles out to the right, plus a plasma grenade, and the blast gets an Elite. Another comes down the hill from the left and he evades my grenade and needles, so I switch attention to one on the right. I deliberately tag the hog, and the blast gets him. I'm now in a better location from which to needle that other guy - a red - and he's quickly toast.

00:57 Johnson dies early but I successfully needle a close blue Elite, then a more distant red who dives to avoid my frag. My next frag gets a marauding Jackal on the right, then I kill a few Grunts with needles and another frag.

01:21 The final Elite arrives, but after a bit of dodging around he gets shaken up by my last frag, then finished by a few needles. I do a bit of work on the left, then move over to the right where a Jackal is attacking the Marines. A few of my needles catch him as he rolls, and a moment later he's down.

01:54 After a bit more needling I spot a few loose plasmas and advance to pick them up. A Grunt flees across my path and gets tagged, then I tag a Jackal as he rolls. It doesn't take much more work to finish things off.

02:31 (Play 2) On my drive to the squad, only a Grunt got splattered, so there are still seven Elites out there - but I get two of them almost immediately with needles. After a bit of work on covies arriving from the right, I briefly switch my attention to the left to needle a fleeing Jackal.

02:49 A red Elite advances and I'm initially unsuccessful with a frag and needles. Backing off to the left, I throw a plasma grenade and then fire more needles, but the needles turn out to be redundant as the grenade blast gets him - which I didn't think it was going to. Starting to move back across, I try to get two blue Elites with needles, but I only get one bang out of it, and meanwhile my shield starts bleeping. Maybe I took too much friendly fire there?

03:14 Picking up a new needler, that other blue is growling now and quickly collapses from Marine fire. Another blue charges but runs straight into my needles. Only one Elite left now.

03:19 I send out two plasma grenades, the first of which gets a Jackal who'd just run into the rocky semicircle, and the second of which tags a Jackal on the right. It gets him on the foot and you can briefly see him running off. Meanwhile the final Elite has come forth, but he gets killed by my needles.

03:34 I start to work through the minor covies now, and a plasma grenade fortuitously tags a Grunt on the right ("Get it off!"). Over on the left I briefly advance, getting some more needles, but my shield starts bleeping so I back off.

03:59 Spotting three Jackals near the semicircle, I use my last frag and get the lot; very satisfying. There's not much to worry about now, and I soon clear things up.

04:37 (Play 3) No covies died during my drive, so we've got the full 33 left to deal with. Needles get the first Elite who starts to come through the central gap, and a following frag takes out a Jackal by the sound of it. Another Elite takes a peek out through the gap, and meets his end via needles as I back off to a safer distance.

04:56 Spotting a nice collection of Jackals on the right, I send out a careful plasma grenade. By chance it tags a Grunt, and I think at least two other covies are killed in the blast. It certainly impresses one of the Marines anyway! Meanwhile a blue Elite is advancing towards to the hog. I try a plasma throw but he comes well past it so I charge him with needles instead, sending him out with a bang. Then likewise with another blue on the left. Three Elites to go.

05:16 There's another Elite in the rocky semicircle and I try to get him with a stream of needles and a plasma grenade, but he dodges clear of most of that. Meanwhile a blue comes in from the left and provides easier prey. I shake him up with a frag, then my needles get him good.

05:27 Right after that I throw a plasma into the rocky semicircle but I'm not sure if it does any damage. I've switched my attention to the left where there's an Elite and a cluster of Jackals. Nice target for a grenade, so I throw a plasma. Seems like the Marines got the same idea, because two frags follow from them. My grenade gets at least two Jackals, and then the Elite goes bang from my needles. The Marine frags may've done some damage too.

05:40 Attacking the semicircle again, I finally get the Elite there with a frag which sets off some plasmas, though I'm not looking in that direction when the bang occurs. At the hog, Johnson is in a bad way and yells "Show me what you got!" to a fleeing Grunt. I jump over the bonnet in pursuit and get him with a short stream of needles. Continuing on, I hope to divert fire away from the suicidal Johnson, but as I close in on a Grunt and pick up some needles and a plasma, he dies anyway. Bah!

05:58 I kill the nearest Jackal with a plasma grenade, and as I back off towards the squad I throw a frag towards a couple of Jackals in the semicircle, killing one while the other manages to dive clear. However, I subsequently get him with a satisfying frag, and after a little more needling the battle's over.

Closing remarks As far as my movie series goes, I think I might be done with that 11-Marine save now. There are lots of other battle plans I need to cover, and I'll try to do some of that before long. Mind you, my next rockslide megabattle movies are likely to be set-up tutorials at last. Been planning those!

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