Retro Game Walkthroughs For
"Halo 2"
(Xbox)

GENERAL TACTICS:

Don't get cocky – while your shield in Halo 2 may be more powerful than it was in Halo 1, be sure to duck behind cover when it gets below the halfway mark.

Don't forget you can whack foes with the butt of your gun – a good way to finish off a foe you've already hurt, saving yourself some ammo.

The Flood can now drive vehicles, so just because you see a vehicle from your side coming towards you, don't think it's friendly – there could be an infected Flood victim behind the wheel.

Stealth won't do you much good in this game – it's true you can use the Arbiter's cloak to take out one foe before he spots you, but once you shoot an enemy, all the enemies in the area become aware. No matter how silently you dispatched them.

There are no bots in Halo 2, but you can explore the multiplayer levels on your own in split-screen mode, to familiarize yourself with the placement all of the weapons.

WEAPONS:

There are several weapons in Halo – some are good, some are mediocre and some are plain rubbish. Here are some you should keep an eye out for:

Energy Sword (Covenant): The mother of all melee weapons, this sword can kill most enemies in two hits – one if you creep up on them unawares. But it wears out, so be sure to grab a new one whenever you come across one just lying around.

Shotgun (Human): This gun can take out an Elite with a single close-range blast. It's also handy for wiping out the Flood before they can tear you to shreds. But it's not much use at close range.

Magnum and Submachine Gun (Human): Neither of these weapons are great by themselves but double wielded together they work a treat. Use rather inaccurate submachine gun to rake your foes with bullets, bringing down their shields, then use the magnum to finish them off with a headshot.

Battle Rifle (Human): This rifle is only semi-automatic, unlike the submachine gun, but it's bursts are pretty powerful. It also has a zoom function allowing you to shoot enemies in the head, not unlike the sniper rifle.

Sniper Rifle/Beam Rifle(Human/Covenant): Both of these weapons are damaging but slow at close range (one requiring frequent reloads, the other having to cool down after two shots) but are superb when zoomed in. Use these to take out foes before they can see you. Just bear in mind that enemies armed with these weapons can snipe you back too.

Plasma Grenades (Covenant): These grenades are devastating enough on their own, but if you throw them at a foe, they'll attach themselves to the foe and almost always kill them outright. It's a shame you can only hold four at any one time.

Needlers (Covenant): The best all around weapon in the game if you're dual wielding, Needlers are fire and forget weapons. Get one in each hand, blast away at a foe till both are empty and you're guaranteed a kill. Rinse and repeat and you can take out most foes with ease.

ENEMIES:

Grunts: These guys are your basic cannon fodder. They'll run like hell if they so much as get a papercut, and ban be easily dispatched with a couple of shots from a decent weapon, or by whacking them in the face with your gun. Occasionally they do throw plasma grenades, in which case clear the area then come back and shoot them in the face a few moments later.

Elites: Elites each have their own personal rechargeable shields, like yours. So blast them quickly till their shields give out – when you no longer see blue electricity when you shoot them – and then blast them to kill them. If you see one with an energy blade, back off – an Elite with a blade can take you out in a couple of swipes. Don't expect these guys to run in terror like the grunts – though they will hide behind crates and the like. And they're a lot tougher than their smurf-sized counterparts, too, typically wielding energy weapons and attacking with a few grunts in tow.

Jackals: These aliens are tougher than the grunts, but weaker than the Elites. They carry around physical shields, but you can deal with them by smashing their shields with a melee attack or use the sniper or battle rifle to shoot around their shields.

Bugs: The bugs are pretty weak and poorly armed, but what the makes them a hazard is the fact that they attack in groups and can stick to walls and fire at you from the ceiling. The best way to deal with with them is to blast them with the sub machine gun or shotgun up close, or wait till they're perched on the ceiling and take them out with the battle or sniper rifle.

Brutes: The Brutes crop up later in the game, and they're pretty tougher, stronger than the Elites, but still weaker than the Hunters and not too hard to kill. Blast them with any weapon, just don't let them get close or they'll take you out with their fists.

Hunters: Run. Just run. These creatures are the big badasses of the game and will kick your head off if you get close to them. They also tote particularly nasty fuel rod guns that can obliterate you in a couple of hits. They can only be damaged or killed by hitting the exposed orange areas on their bodies – face, arms and waist. So the best way to deal with them is to use a battle rifle or sniper rifle to hit them there, or throw a few plasma grenades onto them.

End Boss: Tartarus – the leader of the Brutes can be dispatched in the same manner as his cohorts. Just stay back and blast away at him, keeping clear of his hammer attack and he'll be dead meat in no time.



VEHICLES:

There are a variety of vehicles you can get your hands on, both Covenant and Human. Enemy vehicles can now be commandeered by climbing aboard them and knocking the enemy pilot out. Though beware - your foes can also yank you out of your vehicles, the Warthog in particular. Which means you should think carefully about mowing down foes instead of shooting them - if you miss, they're in the right position to pull you off your ride.


The cream of the crop are:

The Warthog (Human Jeep):
Everyone's favourite vehicle from Halo 1 is back, and it's a damn sight easier to control this time round, no longer handling like you're driving on ice. It can hold up to three people - one driving, one riding shotgun - firing and throwing grenades - and one manning the rear turret. The balance of speed and firepower makes it one of the most formidable vehicles in the game.

The Ghost (Covenant Bike):
This souped-up speeder bike is the fastest vehicle in the game and as such is worth grabbing whenever you see one. Use its cannons to strafe enemy vehicles and soldiers and use the 'ghost boost' function to zoom off when you're in trouble. Just remember it can be hijacked in two seconds flat if you let an enemy get too near to you.

The Scorpion (Human Tank)

This vehicle is slow, admittedly, but with machine guns and a main turret that can be operated by one person, which is capable of taking out any vehicle except another tank in a single turret shot. Human allies can also stand on the sides, so if you're using this in multiplayer mode, have someone standing there, ready to repel boarders. Also, if you've nicked the tank from someone by boarding it, bear in mind that the drivers side hatch will be broken off, leaving you vulnerable.

Don't even bother with:

The Phantom (Covenant Tank)

This vehicle wins the coveted Halo 2 wooden spoon award, because it's just so rubbish. Its slow, slower even than the heavy Scorpion, yet has weaker armour and a poor quality plasma ball weapon that flies in an arc. Don't even think about getting in this vehicle.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Have fun with Halo 2 but remember, it's not about how you play the game. It's about how many people you mow down with a tank.

Halo 2 characters, weapons, vehicles and general tips walkthrough.

By Silent Thunder.

This walkthrough will guide you through every single weapon and vehicle you will encounter in the game. Also I will go through the characters and enemies in the game that you will meet whilst you play. I have included some detailed uses of the weapons and when and how to use them efficiently through out the game. I also know that the Heads Up Display (HUD) that you view Halo 2 through can be confusing at first so I have included a guide of that also. I hope it helps!


Right, first up I’m going to go through all the characters and enemies you will meet throughout the game, both human and Covenant:

Human characters:

The Marines – Yep in Halo 2 these guys are still with you, they even seem tougher this time… These guys are highly trained and efficient at their jobs – what else would you expect from the best? More than often the marines are seriously out numbered. The Covenant has far superior weapons and has a few clever tactics up their sleeves so you’ll need to watch the marine’s backs. With all this against the marines it is starting to look like they are fighting a losing battle. But stop that negative thinking right now because these guys never loose and you will have to lead them. As you have a superior rank to them they will do as you say, but don’t let this go to your head, there is war going on out there. The marines are equipped with assault riffles; pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles and some even have rocket launchers on their backs. Also they all carry a few fragmented grenades on them at all times. They are all trained in an area of expedites and so use this to your advantage when you command them. Tip: Keep together and you will have a better chance of survival. Also if you board a vehicle like a Warthog and if there is room the marines will climb aboard. Something very new in Halo 2 now is the fact that you can now go up to a marine who has a weapon you want and take it off him simply by holding ‘X’ whilst facing him. Very useful if your weapon isn’t suited to the fight but theirs is.

Cortana – You couldn’t have thought Halo 2 wouldn’t have Cortana could you? She’s coming with you, again. Cortana is the highly advanced AI who was at the core of the Pillar of Autumn. She is equipped with all types of skills that are extremely useful out in the battlefield and when you are stuck behind a locked door. She will often give you tips on how to approach certain tasks and how to achieve your objectives in the most efficient way. Her design is unique; it allows her to be uploaded into a battle suit, just like yours. Often you will receive messages from marines through Cortana so listen out for them as they provide useful information. Some of her skills include hacking into the Covenant battle network which allows her to open sealed doors and pick up on communications between these alien creatures.

Covenant Characters:

Unggoy ~ Translated: Grunts – Laugh at them, go on. Look at them screaming and running through dirt, occasionally releasing an outburst of mere plasma pistol at you. Seriously though if two or more of these little guys catch you off guard and they’re holding Needler you best get out of there. Although weak in-groups they can cause heavy damage upon your armour. They can be heard long before you’ll actually see them. When they walk they sound like horses’ hoofs and you should also be able to hear their high pitch voices joking and talking in corridors. So what’s the best way of taking out these guys? Simple as they are so weak you can use the simplest weapons on them such as plasma pistol or Needler. Usually these guys hang around near an Elite or Brute so an idea would be to throw a plasma grenade onto one and then he will run up to the Elite screaming for help, but by the time he gets there he will take himself and the Elite out too. Also if you melee them it will kill them with two strong hits. Hitting one from behind will kill him in one, silently.

Kig-yar ~ Translated: Jackals – These guys are even weaker than the grunts! But they are a lot more crafty and harder to kill, why so you may ask well because they use energy shields to reflect any attempt at their lives. They are very skinny and very fast as well as being a devil to kill. You will never find a solitary jackal they will always be together in quite large groups often split into formations. The best way to deal with such groups is to throw a fragmentation grenade at their feet. If you are up close to them use plasma weapons to take out that shield, it won’t last forever. Remember: Human weapons, bar the rocket launcher, will have no effect on the shields. Using the melee attack again is more than effective for bashing that shield from their grasp and killing them. Another thing to look out for from the Jackals is deadly sniping. When they are sniping they won’t have their shields so they are an easy target. Their weapon of choice is the beam rifle, basically the Covenant’s sniper rifle. When you attempt to snipe them always aim for their hand that holds their shield in place, they should lower in for a split second allowing you to go for their head.

Lekgolo ~ Translated: Hunters – You really couldn’t expect Halo 2 to be complete without Hunters! Yes, they’re back and better. After the Brutes these guys are definitely the toughest out there. They roam in pairs and are armed with two green fuel rod cannons, which are made for destruction only. You will often encounter Hunters in Halo 2; you’ll either fight them or fight along side of them. You can definitely hear them before you see them; they’ll be crashing around everywhere. Hunters struggle to fight in close combat though and when forced will use a powerful melee. The easiest and quickest way of dealing with them is to put a single shot into the orange spot on their back, courtesy of the magnum.

Sangheili ~ Translated: The Elite – Shocking I know, but the Elite are no longer the top dog, basically no longer Elite. The Brutes have moved in and taken over the show. Don’t worry they’re still in the game and will quite happily crush you like the bug they believe you to be. Not much is different about them from Halo 1. They look sleek, fast and cool. They are cunning, work in teams and still use the plasma rifle. Also they still look after the Grunts and Jackals. And Elite can still turn invisible too. Their main weapon, like I said, is still the plasma rifle but also they don’t mind laying their hands, or claws, on a Needler or two either. Yes, not only can you dual wield but so can the Elite too. Wonderful so now they’re even harder to kill! The main way to take them out is to have a long drawn out fire fight between you and them. It will take a while, but you should be victorious. But the easiest way to take out an Elite is to stick a plasma grenade right on him. It isn’t possible for an Elite to escape and will be killed as soon as it explodes, perhaps even taking out a couple of his friends too. If you want to snipe from a distance aim for their heads to get a chance for one shot, one kill.

Jiralhanae ~ Translated: Brutes – The first new guys out in Halo 2. As you have just read the Brutes have kicked the Elite out from the right hand man position and now the Elite work for them! And possibly with good cause, I don’t really think you’ll want to get in the way of these large and evil looking creatures. They are easy to spot: look for the red flag they hold above their heads. Their weapons aren’t too friendly either; they include the Brute plasma rifle and the Brute shot (read below for more information). Again like the Elite the Brutes can dual wield and use it effectively to take large numbers of marines and you out. Another thing the Brutes have taken from the Elite are their energy swords. The Brutes appear a lot more able to wield such a powerful weapon too, which can’t be a good thing. The best weapon against them is either the Brute shot, the Brute plasma rifles or good old Needler. Needler is far the most effective weapon against them as it sticks to their coats and they are dead before they can react. All other Covenant beings should respect the Brutes and they will command them in battles, a job that the Elite once had. The Elite can’t be too happy…

Yanme’e ~ Translated: Drones – and you thought the Grunts were annoying! These are basically bug like creatures armed with what ever the please and, oh yes, they can fly too. Admittedly though it was fun to shoot from the skies with a battle rifle, which is the most effect weapon on them. You will never find a single Drone on its own they will come in groups together from about ten up to twenty. Make sure you have plenty of cover and enough ammo in your battle rifle to take them out. The best place to hit them is in their chests; one burst from the rifle should be enough to bring them down. If you hide really well you will get them to land and investigate whether or not you’re dead. Let them walk right past you then melee the Drone on its head. Repeat this on all of them if you have no ammo and you want to be stealthy and silent.

Prophets – These are the leaders behind the whole Halo rings thing. They use what appears to be magic to defend themselves: but of course you won’t often be allowed to get that close to them without guards in your way. They sit in high chairs that float, as they are so old and obviously find it hard to move, but don’t feel sorry for them or pity them either; they will happily kill you. On one level you will have to fight one, using weapons is useless. You will have to jump on his chair by holding ‘X’ and then press ‘B’ repeatedly until he’s dead. Apart from that and videos you won’t get to meet many Prophets, just their many guards. Also these were the guys who hired the Brutes to replace the Elite.


Secondly of all I’m going to give you the basics of how to use the Heads Up Display or HUD effectively through out the game. The Heads Up Display (HUD) is your view of the world through your battle suit’s visor. You will encounter two HUDs in he game, one from Master Chief and the other from Arbiter, an Elite. Here’s a brief run through of what is on the two HUDs and how to respond to them:

The Master Chief’s and Arbiter’s HUD:

The Weapon Indicator – You can find this in the upper-right corner on both of the HUDs. It displays information about the weapon you are currently using. This clearly shows how many magazines you have left and how many rounds left in a magazine. Also look at this before entering a major battle and make sure your weapon is loaded. When you are low on ammo a symbol of a bullet in yellow will appear at the bottom of the screen in the centre. When you need to reload a blue symbol will appear with an arrow in the centre. When you are dual wielding you will have a separate weapon indicator for each gun. The second indicator will be where the grenade indicator would usually be. In Halo 2 you are now able to carry three weapons if you dual wield and have another weapon in reserve. A picture of it next to the weapon indicator will indicate the weapon in reserve.

The Grenade Indicator – Unlike Halo, Halo 2 has a separate grenade indicator to avoid confusion. You will find this in the top left of the HUD. Nearest the left is the number of plasma grenades you have and next to it are the number of fragmented grenades. The maximum numbers of grenades you can carry are four of each type. To cycle between the grenades press the black button. The type of grenade selected will be highlighted.

The Targeting Reticle – This is the aiming device that you use to get clear shots of enemies, when the reticle turns red it means there is a clear shot of an enemy. This reticle changes depending on what type of weapon it is. Pressing the right thumb-stick in will zoom the reticle in on different levels depending on the gun in hand.

Navigation Points – Often when you are completing objectives you will need to go to certain locations around Halo. It is quite difficult sometimes to find your way around the massive landscape and so to help you find your way a red Nav’ point will appear: follow this. When you get closer a number of kilometres will appear, this is how far away you are from your destination. So you can work out how long it will take. They will often lead you to other crew members and other areas of interest.

Flashlight Indicator (only available whilst playing as Master Chief) – In Halo 2 this no longer exists, which is a shame because you never know when your flashlight will go out. I can tell you it doesn’t last long though. Pressing the white button will turn it on and pressing it again will turn it off.

Invisibility Indicator (only available whilst playing as Arbiter) – As an Elite you are now able to become part of the wall next to you by going invisible. You can do this by pressing the white button. Invisibility is extremely handy when you need to escape fast as you can slip right past the enemy’s noses. Also you can use it for stealth kills, as the enemy won’t be able to find you after you have killed the opponent. The actual indicator is found next to the grenade indicator. It is a circle with an outline. Once you have activated invisibility the circle will deplete. This means how long you have got left until you are visible again. Once the circle is completely depleted you will be visible. Then the circle will start to rebuild and once it’s fully rebuilt, with an outline, you will be able to become invisible again.

Health and Shield Indicators – Again like the flashlight indicator the health bar also does not exist anymore, but the shield indicator does. This time you will find it above the motion tracker. When an enemy attacks you your shield will deplete and flash as you are getting attacked. When in critical mode the shield bar will flash red and will be completely depleted. Don’t worry, as it will charge up again by itself. And the bar will be coloured in blue once again. It should only take seconds to recharge as long as you are away from danger.

The Direction of Fire Indicators – When you are under fire large red arrows will appear at the top, bottom, left or right on your HUD to indicate where the enemy fire is coming from. The large red arrow being on your right meaning that the enemies fire is coming from your right and the left from your left, etc.

The Motion Tracker – Found in the bottom left corner of your HUD this radar is vital in how you approach what is around the corner and what is ahead. It shows enemy and allies on the radar and gives a rough view of how far away they are from you. The red dots are enemy troops and the yellow dots are allies. Look out for both.


Melee Fighting – Got a weapon in your hand but it has no ammo, or there is an enemy right in your face? Simply by pressing ‘B’ you will use the gun as a blunt instrument, hitting the attacker on his head, this will dish out a lot of pain and your enemy will be quite shocked that you hit him instead of shooting him. A key thing to remember is that the Covenant and Flood can also melee you as well. If you hit an enemy from behind it will kill them in one, whatever the creature or alien. Melee fighting is stealthy and silent, so nobody will be alerted to your presence when you melee. In Halo 2 you are able to wield an energy sword. Pressing ‘B’ whilst holding it will act the same as holding down the right trigger, just a lot less accurate, so I recommend sticking just to the trigger whilst using this weapon. Some weapons will be better or worse and more effective than others will. Also in the second game you can now dual wield, a great thing, but remember when you press ‘B’ to melee with dual weapons you will throw one down. Not a problem as long as you’re not suddenly thrown into battle with only one weapon in hand: keep it in mind.


I’ll now explain which weapons are the best at melee fighting by going through the weapons guide I have created. I will also go through how to use them efficiently and everything else you’ll need to know to make you that much faster and more accurate with your weapon:

First up, the human weapons and vehicles:

Magnum (dual wield) – In Halo 1 you had your pistol, but now it’s been replaced by this slightly less accurate, but painful gun. The reason why it’s less accurate is because you no longer have a scope that allows you to zoom in great detail. There still is a zoom option (press the right thumb-stick) but it doesn’t zoom in very far, making head shots next to impossible. A major difference between the pistol and magnum is that the melee option of the gun has greatly improved. If you had never used the melee option on the pistol you weren’t missing much, instead of hitting the guy on his head the Chief would hit him then throw the gun in the air and about five minutes later catch it, not useful in fast battles at all. But now the magnum has greatly improved by simply cracking the guy on his head. Something else is new too, not only can this gun inflict serious pain upon enemies it can also be used as a dual wield weapon making you very tough to beat. You should be able to easily take out any Grunts or Jackals with this new gun. Tip: When faced by the ogre Hunters run round the back of them and shoot the orange spot on their back, this will kill them with one shot.

Battle Rifle – Another new gun and it looks very nice too. On this gun you have a scope that will allow you to zoom in up to 2X. This is extremely handy as you can get head shots on almost anything and you can be a nice distance away from the enemy at the same time. You should always try and carry this gun on you as it gives you something to fall back on because if you do run out of ammo you can run off and take up a sniping position with it and defend your post until it’s clear to leave. This gun doesn’t fire single shots but small bursts instead, spraying the enemy with strong bullets. You should easily be able to cause serious damage to any enemy and you should be able to kill Jackals and Grunts with one burst from this gun. On the melee front it’s pretty fine too. It delivers a mighty blow and crushes the opponent’s head.

M7/Caseless Sub Machine Gun (SMG) (dual wield) – You no longer have the Assault Rifle with you in Halo 2, that was left behind in Halo 1, instead you have this slightly less accurate, but equally deadly gun. In Halo 1 the Assault Rifle really didn’t act very realistic when you look back at it, but that’s not a problem because now you have the SMG that acts like it would in reality. When you fire using this gun in will pull back, admittedly it’s hard to be accurate with such a gun but it’s more realistic. OK, so that’s pretty much a con. But on the positive side of the scales you can now dual wield with it, extremely handy indeed. The guns will still pull back but you have a greater chance of hitting this time round with two guns. Dual wielding these guns is extremely effective against the Elite, Hunters and Brutes as they just shred through them, not to mention the way it tears through Jackals and Grunts too. Again on the melee front it’s does a good job and will leave the enemy with certainly a sore head.

52 AM Sniper Rifle – If anything this weapon has been down graded. It’s not a major thing, but it makes sniping in the dark definitely harder. Yep, unfortunately the night vision has now been removed. So when in a dark situation just make sure you aim for something that goes red on your HUD. This is your basic sniper rifle from Halo 1 and can contain up to 20 shots, firing for shots per magazine – 5 magazine obviously being the maximum number of magazines you are able to carry at one time. When taking out numerous targets make sure to reload as soon as you are able as normally some targets will take two shots and if you only have one shot left it’s likely the enemy will live. To make sure shot more accurate you have two levels of zoom, 2X and 10X. To activate zoom levels press the right thumb-stick, pressing it again will take you back to normal view, you may have to press it twice depending on the level on zoom you are on. This weapon is extremely useful for taking out targets in turrets and vehicles. Keep practising on moving targets and you will have mastered the sniper rifle. Remember to shoot in front of a moving target, as it will walk into the bullet, rather than skimming it.

M19 SSM Rocket Launcher – The heaviest and most damage inflicting infantry weapon out there. Again it’s exactly the same weapon as it was in Halo 1. The maximum number of rockets you can carry is six and only two can be fired at one time. Make sure to reload as soon as possible. The rocket should be used to take out large vehicles such as tanks as well as ghosts and turrets. Something that has improved with the rocket now is that it has a new lock on target sensor. Just hover the Reticle (see above in HUD section for more information) over the target whether it’s moving or not and follow it, then use the right trigger. Your target will flash in red, launch the rocket and make sure you guide the rocket to its target by following it with the Reticle. Also you can use it to disband large groups of enemy by firing it amongst them, most will be killed and the rest shocked and injured. Mop them up with another gun.

M90 Shotgun – This weapon is exactly the same as it was in Halo 1. Double barrelled and lethal to most enemies. This should be the main weapon you use against the Flood when you encounter them as it shreds through them. If you aim for the Flood’s arms and heads they should easily be removed. Also just as a normal gun it’s pretty good too. It will kill any Jackals or Grunts with one shot and easily blast through the Elite with about four hits. As a melee weapon its performance is very good too as it is used like a bat and hits the opponent around their head.

M9 HE-DP Fragmentation Grenade – Pretty much nothing has changed about these grenades except that they no longer look like pineapples they once were! The best way of using these grenades is by throwing them at vehicles or rolling them underneath them, there should be enough power to cause noticeable damage and/or flip the vehicle over. Now against Covenant units you should only use them when there are large groups of them near by or there is an Elite who is around a corner but won’t come out. It should be enough to take out a large group and kill any Elite. If it isn’t they should be severely injured, so finish them off with a blast of a gun.

Vehicles, you will encounter many different ways of travelling around the many levels of Halo 2. Here are the vehicles the humans use (on most of the following vehicles by standing next to them and holding ‘X’ you will be able to board them, even if they have someone in them. You’re now able to fling the pilot from their seat. But remember, so can the Covenant):

Warthog – In Halo 2 the terrain can get pretty rough and quite in closed. This the all purpose vehicle allows you drive through the roughest beaches into the smallest sewers. It’s an extremely sturdy vehicle that will allow you to flip over and often flip right back up again. Driving over rocks is no problem either or you could avoid them with the easy steering. What’s new? Not much. You can still have one driver and one passenger and one guy in the back controlling the turret. The turret itself is a portable machine gun basically and has unlimited ammo. It will shred through everything, from Covenant infantry to Covenant vehicles. So what is new? Prepare yourselves, a horn! Yes it may seem strange but there is now a horn. Use the right trigger to activate it. In multi-player maps it’s quite a frightening sound as a Warthog roars over the terrain! As a vehicle you can obviously run over enemy too and with the said easy steering it’s quite easy to knock any enemies down.

Gauss Warthog – Everything is exactly the same as the previous Warthog, yes, even the horn. The only difference is that the turret is no longer a portable machine gun it is now a mortar launcher. You honestly don’t want to mess with one of these turrets. Luckily you’ll be the one driving. Again the turret has unlimited ammo and almost makes the Gauss Warthog invincible. The turret can be used for any enemy units such as their vehicles and themselves. A single hit on a Ghost will leave it unusable and the pilot either dead or throw out into the dirt. As for a mortar hitting an enemy it should kill them in one. Against other Covenant vehicles such as the Wraith tank you will need a good driver to circle the vehicle whilst having a man on the turret, doing this you should be able to survive and take out the tank.

Scorpion Tank – This has greatly improved since Halo 1 and only a simple thing has been upgraded: the speed of which the main turret fires. This makes it a lot easier to take out any enemy. Like the Gauss Warthog one hit of the main turret will disable almost any enemy with one hit. When fighting a Wraith tank you should know you are quite safe as long as you make a slight effort to avoid at least one of its plasma balls of energy. Yes, the armour of the tank is extremely strong and almost every single type of weapon used against it will be ineffective. On the other hand if you want to take one out the best weapon to use is the rocket launcher. Surprisingly another good weapon to use is the sniper rifle. Just aim for the main hole on the front of the tank and fire at it, this should kill the driver immediately. The tank also has two machine gun turrets placed on the front of it too. They are also unlimited and spray your enemy with bullets that they won’t be able to escape from. You should easily be able to take out anything with the machine gun turrets and they’re a nice back up if your main turret needs to be reloaded. This powerful vehicle will only be found in large combat zones, look out for it.


Now the Covenant’s weapons:

Plasma Pistol (dual wield) – I’m afraid I believe this gun has become worse. It’s a pity because surprisingly it did actually used to have a use in Halo 1. It was great for taking out annoying Grunts without wasting any more valuable ammo. You can still do it but it’s more of a challenge because it no longer has the ability to be able to heat seek enemies out. So now you actually have to be within spitting distance of the enemy to fight them, not giving you the surprise entrance you once could create. It fires plasma, obviously. To charge it up hold the right trigger and, if you are dual wielding, hold the left trigger too. When you release the trigger(s) you will release one or two plasma energy balls that will kill Grunts and Jackals with one hit. As a melee weapon though it’s still very nice, delivering a neat punch into the side of the enemy’s head.

Plasma Rifle and Brute Plasma Rifle (dual wield) – Again this is another weapon that is exactly the same as it was in Halo 1, the only new thing is that you can dual wield with it, making you almost an invincible killing machine. Like the plasma pistol this obviously fires plasma shots at the enemy. If you hold down the right trigger for too long the gun will over heat meaning you won’t be able to use it until it cools off, in a battle this can be dangerous so fire short bursts rather than rapid fire. It’s still a very effective weapon. As a melee weapon the plasma rifle is another extremely great weapon to use, instead of punching it swipes, causing fatal blows to the enemy’ s face. If the Elite run out of ammo they also will not be afraid to use it as a melee weapon so stay clear: it hurts. So the Elite use the plasma rifle so uses the Brute plasma rifle? You must have guessed it, the new guys in Halo 2, the Brutes. Instead of blue plasma being fired at you, you will now have red fired upon your body. It’s a lot more painful especially when the Brute decide to go for a bit of dual wielding themselves. If you can get your hands on one do so, as I said it’s very painful, but like the plasma rifle it can over heat so let it cool off often.

Needler (dual wield) – A personal favourite of mine and a very effective weapon on enemy infantry, not so on vehicles of any kind though. It fires pink needles that stick in the skin of the enemy and then explode seconds later. And now that you can dual wield with them it could be one of the best weapons to use against any Covenant infantry. Another great thing about the Needler is because it explodes when attached it may trigger a plasma grenade to go off near it causing any other enemies in the area to be truly finished off. The Brutes in the game may be one of the toughest guys out there but maybe surprisingly the Needler is the best way of taking them out, just by emptying one full round of Needler onto them it will kill them. Finally as a melee weapon it’s not too bad either as it goes for under the enemy’s chin and causes nasty damage to them.

Covenant Carbine – A new weapon on the battlefield. This gun is like a slightly more accurate version of the human battle rifle. It uses small amounts of radiation in its bullets to inflict pain upon its enemies when fired. I say it’s more accurate because it only fires a single shot and with a scope you can easily get head shots on Jackals and Grunts and take them out in one. Also in close combat its still pretty fine too, as it will allow you to fire rapidly upon an enemy if you wish. The reloading time is slightly slower then any other gun, but overall it’s a pretty good gun. Also as a melee weapon it can improve handy too as it simply hits the enemy on their heads and inflicts more pain.

Particle Beam Rifle – Another new weapon to make an appearance in Halo 2. Finally the Covenant get their dirty little mitts on a sniper rifle. Is it better, I’ll let you decide. First of all instead of being fed ammo like the human version it fires high density plasma beams using a battery in the gun, once the battery is out the gun is useless. The scope and zoom options are the same, use the right thumb-stick to activate, it goes up to 10X with 2X as well. Like all battery powered guns it can over heat if used constantly without breaks so let it cool off now and then. It’s pretty easy to get a head shot with this gun as it will just slice through the enemy’s head and their mates won’t be alerted to your position either.

Brute Shot – This new gun that Brutes use is basically a grenade launcher, but less damaging. It still inflicts some pain but not as much as you would expect. You get up to 12 shots on a full gun, 4 shots per magazine. Unlike usual grenade launchers you don’t have to fire looking up you can fire directly across terrain, as it’s so powerful it won’t start to fall until the very end. It basically gives you a nasty little punch on the receiving end. Against Grunts and Jackals it’s very effective, likewise for Brutes, who don’t like the taste of their own medicine. Against vehicles it’s less than average and will often bounce off of the target. Finally as a melee weapon it’s great as it has a hook on the end of it and punches your face and jabs you courtesy of the hook.

Covenant Energy Sword – In Halo 1 you sometimes saw this weapon and were often on the receiving of it, but you could never play using it. Well now in Halo 2 you can. Only Elite carry the sword so when you become the Arbiter you can use it. You would have thought it would be unlimited but it isn't the energy will run out eventually. Keep trying to replace as soon as possible. You can either use the normal attack by using the right trigger or you can use the normal melee attack by pressing the ‘B’ button. Either way this weapon remains highly dangerous. To get a direct strike and to kill the enemy in one wait for the targeting reticle (see above in the HUD section for more details) to go red then hold the right trigger, you will dive straight for the target’s heart, and hopefully will kill him in one.

Fuel Rod Gun – Another new gun to grace the battlefield and again finally the Covenant get their hands or claws on something that you have had all the time, a rocket launcher. This rocket launcher has a slight twist though because what it fires is quite potent this is another weapon that uses radioactive materials. In Halo 1 you may have seen Grunts running around with one and when you killed them they would drop it to the floor, but when ever you went to pick it up it would dissolve away. Well now you finally get to use it. It may be more powerful that the human launcher but it’s less accurate as it doesn’t have that handy lock on feature, instead it’s more guesswork. Its main uses should be for taking out vehicles and large groups of enemies, and it does so well. The Covenant who carry it are once again the Grunts and so are easy to take out if you can get close enough without being hit to do so. It’s a very rare gun in the game so use the ammo wisely, but don’t be afraid to use it, especially against the tough Brutes.

Plasma Grenade – Like the human fragmentation grenade absolutely nothing has changed. They are still powerful and very dangerous. The technology behind the plasma grenade allows it to determine whether or not the thing it has been thrown at it is living or not. If it is a living thing the grenade will stick and will give you five seconds to get well clear. The explosion is very powerful and what ever it’s stuck to won’t be able to survive such a blast. You should use this on Grunts who will run to the Elite for help but will then blow themselves and the Elite up. Also try just sticking it straight on the Elite, it will kill them in one. Another target that you should aim for is moving or stationary vehicles that have a pilot in them, it will certainly kill the pilot and damage, or destroy, the vehicle. You can only carry four plasma grenades at a time, but you will find them on nearly every Covenant dead body you find.

And now the Covenant’s way of transport, their vehicles (on most of the following vehicles by standing next to them and holding ‘X’ you will be able to board them, even if they have someone in them. You’re now able to fling the pilot from their seat. But remember, so can the Covenant):

Ghosts – These have greatly improved since Halo 1. It’s basically down to the speeds you can get up to now by using the left trigger, hold it down and you will be able to travel any where fast. Everything else is basically the same though. It has two plasma cannons attached to the front and can fire rapidly. Remember: The energy you use using on the plasma propulsion won’t allow you to shoot at the same time. The pilot you will more than often find in a Ghost is an Elite so when you hold ‘X’ next to a piloted Ghost remember to deal with the strong Elite as well. But stay clear of him as he could easily jump back aboard and drive off with your Ghost. Finally one last thing to say is that you can run over people in a Ghost too by simply travelling at fast speeds at them and like the Spectre (below) the enemy will find it hard to avoid.

Banshees – Again this is another vehicle that has greatly improved since Halo 1. And again it’s mainly down to the speeds this vehicle can reach by holding down the left trigger. This is a great advantage because you will no longer be travelling slowly to places and often being caught up by other Banshees, instead you can flee and then turn and fight head on. Again remember: The energy you use using on the plasma propulsion won’t allow you to shoot at the same time. Like usual the weapons are two plasma cannons attached to the front of the Banshee and can be fired rapidly or shot it small, controlled bursts. The Banshee should easily be able to tear through enemy’s and other vehicle’s armour. To get aboard whilst there’s a pilot flying the Banshee you could either just hold ‘X’ when it comes close enough or get to some place really high. Then jump down onto the Banshee and hold ‘X’ you will knock the pilot out to his death below.

Wraiths – The Covenant’s tanks, and they’re pretty tough too. They have thick armour and fire large blue plasma energy balls at you. These plasma balls can easily kill you with one hit and totally destroy any vehicle you had. Like the other Covenant vehicles these tanks also have plasma propulsion, but as it’s a heavy vehicle it doesn’t last constantly and will cut out. Activate the propulsion using the left trigger. The way to destroy the Wraith tanks is to either fire rockets at them or jump aboard and melee the pilot to death. To jump aboard walk up to a tank and hold ‘X’ you will climb aboard you can then either place a grenade or melee the driver. To place plasma grenades use the left trigger and to place fragmentation grenades use the right. To melee the driver press ‘B’ constantly. It will kill him and leave the vehicle almost in perfect health. To get off the vehicle afterwards press ‘X’ again and to get aboard hold ‘X’.

Spectres – The Covenant finally get their hands on a Warthog of some sort, admittedly theirs is better, but we had the first Warthog! That’s right they have a new flash, sleek red warthog and they plan to crush you with it, like you did with your Warthog on Halo 1. The major differences are that it has a greater seating capacity, it’s a lot faster and the turret on the back is a lot more powerful. Firstly the seating: it can carry one pilot and up to 2 passengers and one guy on the turret. Next the speed, this is extremely handy to escape tricky situations. To activate the plasma propulsion hold the left trigger down, this also allows you to run people over without giving them a chance to dive out of the way. And finally the turret on the back: Instead of unlimited machine gun bullets, meet unlimited plasma balls of energy being fired at you. They’re extremely effective against all armour, alien and human and can easily pierce through any vehicles within seconds. Top marks for the Covenant Warthog I’m afraid.

Shadow – Although you don’t get to drive this Covenant vehicle you will certainly encounter it when you go down to Earth. In the sewers you will meet a convoy of them, each one armed with a plasma cannon and pretty dangerous. They are basically troop transport vehicles. The Covenant can fit many Elite or Grunts in there. The main priority when you meet them is to take out that plasma canon on the top of the vehicle, once that’s gone it’s pretty easy to destroy. One last trick up the Covenant’s sleeve is to attach a nice Ghost in the Shadow so when the Elite have to bail they can simply hop in and get away or fight you. It’s a good thing to remember though as once you have blown the Shadow and its crew up you can also steal the Ghost.


Well that is every single character, weapon and vehicle in the game, I hope this helped you get a clearer understanding of Halo 2 and all that is in it. I hope you enjoy the game as much as I am! :-)

By Silent Thunder.