Shake up your approach to the first ground battle with these two ideas!

(6:50) Level 5 ('Assault on the Control Room') on Legendary. The standard approach to tackling the first ground battle would surely be to head over to the Marines and take things from there. But there are other ways you can set about the job. This movie illustrates two such plans, which you might like to try out if they're new to you. The Ghost one in particular.

Released August 27th 2024, gameplay recorded August 24th 2024.

00:02 (Standard plan) The movie is really about non-standard approaches to the battle, but just to set the scene here's a quick illustration of the the standard approach, which is to head for the Marines.

When you get near you have multiple tactical options of course, but in this example I give the Marines a quick bit of help in regard to the nearest covies (it can be worth doing that if you're interested in saving them), before grabbing the sniper rifle and rocket launcher. I do like to have the launcher ready for taking out the Ghost. However, another good tactic in the skirmish area would be to fully lay into the covies with the weapons you arrived with. When the Ghost arrives, a tag is often quite easy as a method for dealing with it fast.

The footage also shows me taking out the Wraith and getting a double kill on distant Grunts. Of course, the battle still isn't over, but by this point I've finished the opening section, which was the main topic.

01:24 (Ghost plan) The first of my alternative plans is to go cross-field for a Ghost. You can attack some Grunts and Jackals on the way, but be prepared for the Elite who'll inevitably run for a Ghost too. There's the possibility of killing him with gunfire before he makes it, but I usually have a Ghost tag in mind. If he starts his run early the throw might need to be quite long-range, but otherwise a tag is usually quite easy. Sometimes you might even reach the Ghost area before he does.

Messed up my flashlight control here. Forgot to switch it off when exiting the passage. Then when I got to the Ghost area (which is in shadow) and pressed the button to turn it on, I actually turned it off. Doh!

I opted to take out both Shade gunners while running cross-field, but you may prefer to just leave them for later, giving you more time to focus on the Elite who's the main danger to you (aside from the Wraith that is).

After getting a Ghost you can help out the Marines at close range, then take things from there. In this play I also use the Ghost to tackle the Wraith, but there are other things you could do of course.

One other remark: going cross-field is a nice option even if you don't want a Ghost. I've often done that when tackling the level on foot. It's a good way of neutralising the Elite early on.

03:08 (Retreat trigger plan) Another plan is to advance up the field to trigger a covie retreat. That happens when you cross a certain line which goes across the battlefield around halfway past the ice patch (it's pictured here). The retreat takes pressure off the Marines (those that are still alive), but the covies will now come after you. The Wraith is likely to focus on you too, which will again be a help to the Marines.

It's a relatively dangerous plan, but it can be good fun. And as you see here, it's viable even on Legendary. In this particular play I initially retreat to a tree for some cover, but there are other things you could do. Explore for yourself!

A detail: notice the reinforcement Elite going for the vacated Ghost around 3:54. That usefully took a bit of pressure off me, and I was able to quite easily get him with a further Ghost tag (or I could've used weapon fire on it, which would've soon done the job as it was already badly damaged). That's a good tactic to keep in mind then, i.e. letting him go for the Ghost.

Incidentally, because of how long it takes to reach the trigger line on foot, I'm not sure this plan is the best one for saving the Marines. In this play though, it turned out that all three bozos survived. So hooray!

05:02 (Retreat trigger plan again) Here I again use the retreat trigger plan, but instead of backing off to use the cover of a tree, I go up the slope. Except for raging Elites, covies don't go up there, which makes it an attractive option I think - although I notice that in this example the Wraith's attention turns to the Marines as a more attractive target, which they might not be too happy about.

In the previous plays I had a plasma pistol as secondary, but here I've got a needler, which I deliberately placed near where I got my pre-battle save checkpoint (in the exit passage). Just thought I'd like a bit of needling in the movie. Things work out well for me and I even manage to steal a Ghost, which I then use to destroy the Wraith. Only one Marine survives though. Oh well.

Closing remarks This simple movie is one I've had in mind for ages. So, I can cross it off the list at last. I opted to use Legendary for the sake of getting the most hectic and entertaining action, but it also shows that the two novel plans are viable even on that difficulty.

A few bits of my fighting were a bit sub-par as I haven't played any Halo since the last movie and felt a bit rusty, but it was good enough I think.

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