Hectic action with three bridge assaults and three weapon combos - and a dozen Marines!

(5:56) Level 5 ('Assault on the Control Room') on Normal. After recent movies I wanted to get back to some hectic combat, so here are three plays of a cavern megabattle save using the bridge assault plan, with three different weapon combos. I have 12 Marines in support against the 38 covies. This save was used in my last four cavern megabattle movies and features a few covies at the start of the bridge, which makes for some fun possibilities.

Released November 22nd 2015, gameplay recorded November 18th-19th 2015.

00:02 (Play 1 - Needler and rocket launcher) I get Johnson and some other bozo out of the hog then blow the Ghost blockade to let my squad of 12 follow me into action. I'm not interested in waiting around; I'll ease the way for them. Besides which, I don't want them to wake up the Grunts prematurely!

00:14 The two Grunts dozing at the bridge entrance make great targets for an explosive pink start. The second guy doesn't even wake up until the first goes bang; and as soon as he's on his feet, needles are piling into him. Well, it was a silly place to doze, let's face it. The next pair go bang in similar fashion, and a rocket takes out the Hunter. So that's the advance contingent dealt with.

00:26 Now for the main bridge action, typically involving a lot of Elites. Good use of the launcher helps me plough through them, and the rocket at about 0:47 is especially satisfying - after which I take cover behind another stanchion. I've lost three health bars by now, and I really don't want to lose any more before the final push, because it's the most dangerous time. So I let my shield recharge, also taking the opportunity to reload both weapons.

00:56 When I step out, a blue Elite is advancing. I give him a dose of needles but let the Marines finish him while I endeavour to soften up the waiting horde with two carefully aimed frags, the second of which is intended to bounce off the pipe. As I advance, I use rockets to take out more of the opposition. I'm basically going for the best targets I can see.

01:12 A blue-shielded Jackal is about to flee but I give him a smack on the head with my launcher as I head left to take care of a few Grunts. It doesn't take long, but when I'm down to the last Grunt there's some kind of cataclysm near the end of the bridge. You can hear assorted screams. Probably some loose grenades went off.

01:27 When I go around the block, I do a neat tag on a yellow-shielded Jackal as he rolls, then I back off from a Hunter and Grunt so I can safely use a rocket. Another rocket stops the second Hunter from firing, then a whack finishes him off. That just leaves one Grunt, and I launch him for fun.

01:49 (Play 2 - Pistol and plasma rifle) This play involves the same method of releasing the Marines, so to avoid repetition I've cut that bit; same for play 3 too. The first Grunt gets a smack on the head, and I kill the Hunter with a pistol shot in the back (sometimes he's facing my way, but not this time). I try to get the next two Grunts with headshots but I only get the first, then things get messy. I throw a plasma grenade towards the Elites then duck into cover on the right, but then switch to the left, shooting a panicking Grunt as I go.

02:03 With the Marines finally arriving, I see the two plasmas dropped by that last Grunt, and briefly step out to pick them up and also throw one at the covies. They were focused on the Marines, so I don't take any fire, and my shield is soon recharged. The grenade goes off while I'm hopping onto a stanchion, and I think it killed two Elites and a Grunt.

02:11 From up on my perch, the first thing I do is throw a quick frag. I'm especially keen to prevent any Jackal from annoyingly sending a plasma ball my way, but actually the nearest Jackal turns to flee. He's caught by the blast though. Plasma fire plus further grenades do good work on the Elites, and they get almost finished by my second frag. One Elite survives (he's almost out of sight after a leap) but he soon goes down under Marine fire. By that time I've switched to the pistol and I'm working on a Hunter. When I throw a plasma grenade he turns around, and one of my shots gets him in the back.

02:40 Time to advance now. I throw a long plasma before hopping down to pick up another, and to get a fresh rifle. I get another few plasmas just after zapping a Grunt on the left, then I dodge into cover, avoiding a plasma ball just in time. I throw a few plasmas to soften up the danger zone, electing to let the Marines take care of an advancing Grunt. Maybe not the best idea, because the Grunt manages to lob a plasma before going down. I don't hear any Marine death cries though, so I guess they got lucky somehow.

02:57 Ok, now the final push across the bridge. Just as I'm going for it, I hear a Marine yell "Frag out!", which is a bit of a worry. But I'm expecting that frag to go to the right, and it does; so I'm well clear of the blast, which does good damage but which also sends one of my plasma grenades flying off. I head to the right this time. A Hunter fails to take the cyborg bait and goes for the Marines instead, but I get him with a pistol shot in the back before things get too messy.

03:09 Rounding the pillar-like pipe, I quickly spot a red Elite. I'm currently holding my pistol which isn't ideal, and switching to the plasma rifle would take a while, so instead I charge him to do a close tag and then dodge his whack. A handy move to know, which makes him look like a right chump. My pistol then makes short work of the second Hunter plus two Jackals. It's fun seeing that yellow-shielded guy reel huh? Great animation.

03:24 When rounding the pipe earlier, I heard firing from my right, so I knew some covie was down on a pipe sticking out of the wall there. Turns out to be a Jackal, and I have a moment of fun with a frag grenade. That just leaves a few Grunts to easily deal with.

03:52 (Play 3 - Plasma pistol and AR) For the start of this play I whack the first Grunt then jump over the Hunter, lining up a throw to tag the red Elite on the head. Pausing at the next dozy Grunt, I step aside so he gets amusingly whacked by the chasing Hunter. Meanwhile I throw a frag further up the bridge, clearing a load of minor covies. Then I throw another frag as I back off, using fire from both weapons to bring down the Hunter - by which time the Marines have arrived.

04:14 Next, there's a hectic 45 seconds of attacking covies on the bridge, mostly using grenades, long-range plasma balls, and a few satisfying AR charges (on a red Elite, then later a Hunter). My plasma throw at 4:50 is too long - I realize that it's going beyond the raised block - so I quickly throw another. A few seconds later I pick up two frags from a Marine who's just died. Extra frags are one thing Marines are definitely good for!

05:00 Although my shield is depleted, it's not too bad, and there don't look to be too many covies at the far end, so I elect to make the final push without further ado, aside from lobbing a plasma grenade towards a bunch of Jackals in disarray. As I get across the bridge, I zap a blue Elite then whack him before turning to deposit a frag to the right. The blast isn't seen but it must've done good damage. Meanwhile that blue Elite got finished by the Marines and I head left, partly because the opposition there is softer and my shield is in a bad way by now. A fleeing Grunt gets a plasma ball in the back, then I let a Jackal get fragged while I go around the other side of the pipe (I enjoyed that move), subsequently drilling four Grunts with AR fire.

05:21 A Hunter comes into view and I deliver a plasma ball and plasma grenade, before going around the other side of the block. An attempted whack on a Jackal fails to connect, so I just leave him with a plasma grenade and continue on to see what else needs my attention. Another Hunter - who seems to be clumsily blasting away at a pipe. He's so into it that he doesn't seem to notice my AR fire, but when I tag him that gets his attention and he comes after me. Of course, I'm careful to keep my distance until that thing goes bang! A spot of weapon fire finishes the job, and then there's just that other Hunter to deal with. Apparently he was too much for the Marines. Two of them get killed by a whack before I bring him down.

Closing remarks It's been more than a hundred movies since my last bridge assault action, so it was definitely time I showed some more. Actually I want to do still more already; it's pretty addictive stuff! Maybe soon. But I've got another type of cavern megabattle planned for my next movie, coming soon.

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