The Death-Throws Halo 2 Strategy Guide
So, whenever we get the opportunity to break from the internet chores, which are growing to be too numerous to fully list, me and my good friend Xavier take a break with a little Halo 2. We're starting to become fairly good FPS players, moreso in objective based games than in slayer, and Halo 2 is definitely where it's at with FPS today. You can argue all day that Half-Life 2/Counterstrike Source are superior games, and I honestly don't care. Halo 2 is beautiful, it doesn't kill my computer, and it's fun to play.
The Death-Throws, confusing the fuck outta superheroes since Captain America #317
The Death-Throws is a clan we put together compromising members from SP.net, Project Wonderboy and the Oratory. We have a rather lengthy thread going on in Project Wonderboy's forums, and between that and our personal gameplay, I think it's time to piece together our first strategy guide. This won't be like most strategy guides. This is more a common sense guide, not a uber-l33t secret trick page. In fact, it's the opposite of all such trick pages, since we don't tolerate that stupid bullshit on our team.
The Clan Motto: "We don't take shit from nobody, especially our stupid-ass teammates!"
I'll break it down into a few categories to cover a range of different topics, which will be broken into these categories: Weapons, Vehicles & Power-Ups, Levels, Cheating Motherfuckers, and Common Fucking Sense. I hope to say that the advice in this guide can be found nowhere else, and while much of it is common knowledge, some of it I hope some of you will look at and go "wait a minute, I've been so fucking stupid not to think of this". Most of it is counter-strategy to the popular player's various syndromes of idiocy on X-Box Live. If you've been playing with us to any extent you probably know a lot of this, and most of this applies to Big Team Battle but some applies to all the games. Let's begin.
Weapons, Vehicles & Power-Ups
Frankly, most of us have our own preferences with weapons, and I wouldn't have it any other way. However, there are a few things to remember about weapons: some of them kick ass, some of them do not. Where we take those ass kickings or where we get our asses kicked is the most important part of each game, so pay attention.
The Rocket Launcher
The rocket launcher is obviously the most potent killing weapon in the game. While some players love the sniper rifle (coming to that in a moment), the rocket launcher serves a variety of strategic purposes, aside from it's killing potential. In some levels each team gets one (for instance Waterworks, Headlong), in others there is only one (Zanzibar, Coagulation). There is an obvious advantage of grabbing it, but it's what you do with it that's important, and that depends a lot on what type of level you're in and what vehicles are there. In Headlong and Zanzibar, vehicles are not a huge problem as these levels are fairly broken up by obstacles. In these cases, view the rocket launcher as a tool to complete your objective, for instance, if you are on defense you definitely need to bring that rocket launcher back home and absolutely do NOT lose it to the enemy. If you are in defense playing assault, you need to be aware of the rocket launcher's unique capability of blowing the bomb far off the pedestal, in levels like Zanzibar and Headlong this can make all the difference in the world. In CTF, you need to beware blowing the flag too far, and even attempt to blow it into favorable locations if you can, although in both cases remember that the object will fall out of the enemy's hands in the direction they are facing. Sometimes letting them grab a stationary flag going the wrong way is the best thing you can do, as the rocket shot will shoot the flag into a safe corner or worse location and make defense for the rest of the team easier, other times you should shoot them before they get the opportunity to touch it.
In levels where vehicles are a problem, you should add on as a secondary objective to take out troublemakers (like the enemy Wraith tank or Banshee in Coagulation and Waterworks) before returning to base to defend or running out on offense. The Banshee is the only other practical vehicle-destruction tool, besides the rocket launcher, and sometimes it may rest in you to take out an enemy ghost, banshee, Wraith or warthog. The best place to have the rocket launcher in all cases is on defense (unless you are playing 1-flag, obviously), and the most important thing to remember is DO NOT LOSE IT. It's a surgical tool to clear out bases and destroy objective-makers, and it can easily be stolen and used against you.
Stealing the enemy's rocket launcher in levels with two rockets is also a very necessary objective. Since you will often be the only person doing this, you must sometimes take for granted that someone will be grabbing your own rocket launcher, but do not forget that often your own team may not. Having your team take both rocket launchers and getting yourself into safe positions to use them can often make or break the game. If you are in fear of dying with a rocket launcher on offense or defense, fire as many shots off as you can to empty the canister before you lose it to the enemy - if you live you can often get more ammo or find a new weapon easily, if you don't well, at least you emptied it against your foes before they could turn it against you. Also remember that as the game progresses, the enemy will often not remember to check for respawned rocket launchers, sometimes you have to take the initiative and look for yourself.
When in doubt, bring it home and play defense. One rocket launcher on defense can often do the work of several, meaning you have much more leeway with it at home than you do with it out in the field.
The Sniper Rifle
The most strategic purpose of the sniper rifle has absolutely nothing to do with it's ability to shoot people from afar. No, that is now how we at the Death-Throws think of sniper rifles. Sniper rifles are, to us, enemy magnets, players are always drawn to them, especially at the start of the level. Likewise they are often the most senseless weapons to use in objective-based games. They prevent a player from doing anything besides supporting his objective-bearer, and a sniper usually must work from a great distance for fear of reprisal. While you may rack up kills, often these kills are circumstantial to the objective. Sniping is important, but you must know where and when to be a considered worthy of having it.
Rule #1 of Sniper Rifles: Never let your stupid teammates have it.
Your teammates, unless you know otherwise, are total idiots. On XBL this is nearly an absolute truth. Team members will snipe the whole game and watch through 10x spectacles as you die slowly with the flag, or as the bomb carrier dies at the arm point seconds before scoring. They won't fight with you, unless you give them the incentive of having no long distance weapon to go snipe with. This is sad but true. Few levels are good sniping levels. Waterworks is considered one but often snipers on that level are little less than a nuisance, as the only players they kill are freshly respawned players who usually need to stay at home anyways. The quicker you snipe enemies at their base, the quicker you fill their base with defenders.
Rule #2 of Sniper Rifles: At the onset of every level, all enemies will flock to sniper rifle spawn points and to favorite sniper platforms, always.
Before completing the objective (which takes place in the enclosure of enemy bases, not out in the open sniping fields), you can rely on the fact that several enemies will flock to sniper locations just to possess the sniper rifles. You can often turn this knowledge against them, and meet them at these points to gun them down. Grenades are handy in this situation because you always know which direction they're coming from in this case, and several will continue on past the sniper point once they realize their precious sniper rifle is in the hands of another, and these people should always be intercepted before they can get too far. In levels like Zanzibar, do not let this distract you from defending the base. On defense there are few reasons not to be in the base, so come straight back once you're done interfering with the wave of attackers. Always let teammates know what you see.
Rule #3 of Sniper Rifles: COME HOME NOW.
Don't stay out in the field forever. Snipers have the unique opportunity to see far, sometimes across the whole map. If you see an enemy jeep packed to the brim, and cannot snipe them out of their seats before they get to your home base, bust your ass and get home to help your teammates. Absolutely do not wait thinking you are going to snipe them coming back home with the flag, unless you just want a good view of YOU LOSING. Likewise, always report what you see through those long distance lens of yours, sometimes the simple knowledge is the difference between your team scoring or not.
Rule #4 of Sniper Rifles: Sometimes one shot is all you need.
Sometimes the best time to use a sniper rifle is to prevent one thing from happening, a player from going to the top of the level (like in Headlong, the infamous rocket launcher perch above the arm point, clearing him out with a sniper rifle is sometimes mandatory), or to prevent a player from grabbing the weapon you need (again in Headlong, you got a good shot on the first couple of guys to go for the rocket launcher on their base, use those shots wisely). After that? Keep the sniper rifle so your team isn't compelled to stay home and snipe unnecessarily, find a good weapon to use on the second slot, and march forward. Don't stay and snipe all day when there is work to do.
Rule #5 of Sniper Rifles: Losing it is not always a bad thing.
Besides the huge open levels like Coagulation (which is really the only huge open level), losing a sniper rifle is not an awful thing, so don't get into a fit when they have both. If it becomes a problem dispatch a few guys to take care of one sniper. Do not allow yourself to become obsessed with sniping and snipers, as often telling a team to deal with a sniper or going out to snipe will split your team up into doing things that have nothing to do with the objective itself. When it's not a problem just let the opponents snipe, they can rarely affect good base defense as they usually have no clear shot into the base, likewise they can do little more than antagonize the objective-bearer.
Lots of kills and medals for headshots mean jack shit when your team loses, and when I see a player with 25 kills and 17 medals but zero flag/bomb carrier kills and zero objectives completed, I remind that player verbally that he sucks. Sniper rifles assist, they never complete, objectives.
The Banshee
"LOLZ DA BANCHEE GOES FLIEYING AHND EYE LIEK TO FLI IT LOLZ0R! LET'S FLI THE BANCHEE TO THE TOP OF THE LAVEL WIT DA BOMB0R HAHA BE PREPARED FOR LLLLLLLOOONNG GAME! NO NO NO LET ME GET IT EYE WANNAE SNYPEY!"
This is a diagram of the type of teammate you should kill viciously and relentlessly. In objective games, the biggest lesson to learn is that all vehicles and weapons are tools to complete your objective. The Banshee is no different. It is a quick vehicle that can often get you first to every item on the map. Likewise it's one of the few vehicles when flown properly that can destroy virtually all the enemy's weaponry. This is especially true in Waterworks, where a well flown Banshee can destroy all the vacant vehicles, the turrets, and all the snipers. It's invaluable.
When you must bail out of it, be prepared to destroy it first, as it respawns quickly and will likely be back home once you respawn. Do not trust other players who want the Banshee for sniping purposes, as they will just be fodder for the enemy banshee and lose your banshee at the top of some impossible to climb spire where it will not be available for you to use for the rest of the game. The rare exception to this rule is taking a rocket launcher to the top of the Headlong base, where you can get a good view in on the objective point, more useful in assault than in CTF, but still fairly useful. Be aware that most players are aware of this spot so be prepared to take cover. Knocking boxes down from up there is not very useful, while it can create walking restrictions, this usually blocks clear lines of fire in on approaching enemies, and it also blocks a ghost from entering the base from the top. Always ask before you start pushing boxes off the top of the Headlong base.
The Banshee is sometimes useful in levels to block pathways, flying it into the base in a game of CTF can be handy, but be wary that you do not want the area blocked off in a game of assault as often the bomb-bearer will hide behind whatever obstructions you place up and use it as partial cover, often getting him a lot of time if not letting him score.
If you take the Banshee, especially in Waterworks, let nothing besides perhaps stealing the enemy's rocket launcher prevent you from going straight to destroy the enemy Wraith tank. Banshees are the ultimate Wraith tank destroyers. Dogfights with Banshees can be difficult to win, especially when there is lag it becomes more a matter of chance than anything, so if you get the opportunity you may need to shoot down the enemy Banshee before you can do much else. Between the rocket launcher, the enemy banshee, and the enemy Wraith, you must pick your priorities so you can do as much as possible as quickly as possible. Remember that the enemy Banshee can easily destroy your home team's Wraith, and always try to prevent that from happening if you can. Dual Plasma Rifles in close quarters are very effective against the enemy Banshee and Wraith, always remember this when in a tight spot. Also remember that many Banshees fly just to park somewhere, like on top of your base, it's always a good idea to steal it or jam it into a useful part of the base, so the enemy cannot have it back.
The Wraith Tank
The only thing I can say about the Wraith tank is that it is far too easy to steal to take on offense. Only take it on offense if the team is thoroughly battered, and even then beware, as many enemies may respawn near you or behind you, and once you realize that they are on you, it's often too late. Force them to blow you up sooner than let yourself be taken, however the Wraith on defense is not only difficult to fight but often impossible to steal due to the ground support that is free to come by. In Waterworks it's necessary to quickly block up the back of the base (the front isn't so important) and to destroy enemy ghosts and warthogs quickly. Bombard areas where you know enemies come from, Wraiths are surprisingly useful against snipers as snipers often pick the same spots to aim from (in Coagulation, for instance, the caves from the Blue base or the bright mountains from the Red base are two spots you can almost guarantee snipers or players will pass by or camp at). Learn these spots and remember to beware approaching enemies on foot. The Banshee is the Wraith's worst enemy but stay calm and be steady with your aim because a if good shot or two connects you will destroy the Banshee attacker easily.
Invisibility & Overshield
This guide is more towards objective players than slayer players, Invisibility & Overshield have their obvious advantages in slayer. In 1-Flag games on defense, it's important to remember that you can usurp these powerups from your enemies (in Zanzibar and Headlong you can get beat most opponents to both fairly easily), but always return home to defend with it. If on offense use each wisely, and remember that there will usually be an enemy or two looking to steal the powerup from you coming by soon (they may even catch you as you are grabbing it), so be on the lookout once you get close to the powerup area.
Levels
Video tutorials are very helpful for learning the levels and their unique features. HighImpactHalo.org has a full listing (scroll down some to get the Multiplayer videos) of trick/glitch videos in their forum, be sure to pan through it for the various Jumping guides and to view some of the more absurd game glitches. These videos sometimes teach players how to cheat or goof around, and often opponents who think they're l33t will spend their whole game trying to emulate these tactics. If you see idiots (those on your team or those off your team) trying to perform such glitches keep in mind that they may try to do the exact way you see here, giving you a rare opportunity to stop such tactics, although we'll cover that more in the "Cheaters Motherfuckers" section. The jump guides show a variety of handy places. Here I discuss a few things about each of the levels we frequently see on Big Team Battle objective-based games... Waterworks, Coagulation, Headlong and Zanzibar. There are a few others which appear but I don't forsee any outside those four becoming staples of the Big Team Battle playlists, so I'll leave those out for now.
Waterworks
Sniping is not as effective as it may seem in Waterworks. Stop snipers from wasting their time on top of the huge structure in the middle by stealing their sniper rifles or taking the Banshee from them. The Wraith tanks are defensive tools and will fairly easily be stolen or destroyed if taken on offense, a good place to take it is behind your home base, as almost all approaching vehicles sweep through the rear on their approach. When you're in a packed warthog, and go zooming by the side of the enemy base unseen, and turn that corner and instead of an exposed rear you see a blocked door and a Wraith tank staring you down, you will in that instant wish you never went on offense in the first place before it mows you down and kills all your teammates. Remember that blocking up the back is getting more popular, and in some cases even the front, so look for alternate ways into the base whether you are returning from an objective or raiding the enemy base. Don't rely on that back door being open, especially if you are returning home with the flag to score, as you will often be disappointed and perhaps even be gunned down for your troubles. Getting both rocket launchers is useful, stealing or destroying the enemy Wraith and Banshee is also very vital. Unless you have the back still exposed, ignore the warthogs. They are fairly easy for teammates to grenade once they've been parked in the front of the base, and will often be parked and abandoned out back up the second back path through to the top of the bases, where it is hard to return to it with teammates to drive it back. Expect more people to teleport with the flag than to drive off. Blocking the back is the easiest way to prevent Warthogs from successfully driving off, and a Wraith on defense is the most trouble a Warthog can have. Once going on offense yourself, doing gimmicky shit like throwing it to the window and having a teammate grab it through the window is more trouble than it's worth. Go through the top or out through the front through the center bridge. Don't rely on Warthogs in this game too much, as the terrain is too bumpy and enclosed to get a very good shot at a breakaway. The only problem running with the flag is on this level is to go back through the same cave your team teleports and travels through, as the enemy team will always be watching that cave for emerging opponents, and will usually have heavy fire on it at all times. The best thing to do is confuse your foes by taking it different directions, but this is good advice for all levels. On assault, clearing the enemy base of enemy vehicles is vital to getting a group of players in with the bomb.
Headlong
Headlong is perhaps my favorite level, but there are some things that totally ruin it. If you are the bomber, the safest way to go is to the invisibility. Make sure someone comes with you so you can fight a ghost or enemy trying to go that way for the sniper rifle/invisibility. If you get someone on you, jump out the windows of the invisibility area, go beneath the broken bridge and either go through the front of the enemy base or go up the air lift on your right back up to the invisibility route into their base. The most important thing in assault on Headlong is to get the bomb to the arm point, and not to stop moving until that bomb is there. Don't be predictable by going the same path each time, sometimes teleporting and then jumping off the side to the front of the base is the best thing you can do, but if you do this you must do your best to get that bomb upstairs to the arming area, or you may screw the carry.
Getting both rocket launchers on Headlong is vital. Someone should always take a ghost to the right to get the enemy rocket launcher, and someone else should try either to get the home rocket launcher with the Banshee or to grab it on foot and take it inside. With both it'll make the opponent's tasks much harder. Taking the overshield near the rocket launcher or the invisibility and if done right, your team can have all the powerups short of the sniper rifles... and if you're on defense you should be inside the base where the sniper rifle can do little damage anyways.
Getting a ghost inside the defensive base is also handy. To get it upstairs, roll up over the stumps blocking your path by driving the ghost backwards over it, this will give you access to the full base. Be wary of rocket launcher shots or enemies getting two close.
The glass in the defensive base that bars the window is very handy or obstructive depending on the game type. In assault, you want that glass gone so the bomb may fall from the arming point downstairs. In CTF, you want to keep that glass intact to create an obstacle for the first few flag runners to prevent them from simply jumping down. On offense you want the opposite.
Last but most definitely not least, when on offense never let your objective (bomb or flag) get stuck downstairs or behind the enemy base. These are easy points to defend, and will screw you out of a lot of time. The worst spot for an objective to fall is in the stairwell, so if you are carrying the flag/bomb, avoid the stairwell like the plague. Likewise, absolutely do not take the flag out the back of the base. The warthog is not an easy or worthwhile tool in Headlong for carrying a flag home, with two rocket launchers and two ghosts, it's a sitting duck at most corners and will probably be destroyed the moment it stops to pick up someone. Always come out the front of the base with the flag, where a coordinated team can force the flag across the field by teleporting and jumping on it or jumping off the ramp and jumping down on it. Keep it coming across the field, do not take it around the corner following the path of the road, as that is also an easy place to lose control of the flag. There is a door into your home base right by the gun turret that looks over the field. When the whole team is trying to take the flag from the front door of the enemy base across that field to the door by the turret, it can be virtually impossible to be stopped short of a player taking it the wrong way or the enemy gaining control of the turret, even if the whole team kills no enemy, the enemy simply cannot stop it from being inched across. The earlier the start the better, of course, but it should always come out the front. When running the flag on this level, it's more handy just to jump onto it and keep it touching. This game is not team slayer and the player who keeps the flag moving is the most worthwhile one. I've had the entire enemy team swarm on the flag and not be able to stop two of us from scoring on them, merely because we just jumped and kept it moving. Absolutely do not run the warthog out into the open field to try to pick up the teammate with the flag, this causes an obstruction for your teammates and does nothing, and if the warthog isn't destroyed it will be a mobile turret for the enemies to prevent the flag from crossing the field. Simply put, if you take the flag home the old fashioned way, the other team usually cannot stop you, just make sure you carry it straight home and not around the long bend or other worthless ways. Be sure to curse out any teammates that do not follow this vital Headlong advice.
Zanzibar
Zanzibar has plenty of points of distraction for your opponents, try not to get too distracted yourself. If running the bomb, get in the jeep but do not wait for the gate to open, simply put it's not worth relying on. The bomb must go inside the base to start the arming process as soon as possible, the left door or the right in the front bottom are both great spots to enter, and if you go quick enough, many opponents will be out sniping and doing other ineffective things. If this doesn't work (you can rely on yourself to go in the right way, but can usually never rely on your driver to go the right way, even if you tell him which way you want to go), going through the invisibility path is only safe once the invisibility is taken. The start of the level, this pathway is not safe as people go there to get the shotgun, sniper rifle and invisibility. More often than not carrying the bomb through that path on the first attempt is suicide. If you must walk it on the first attempt, go straight out to the middle, approach the fan and go up it's left side (the less watched side) and walk close to the middle to enter either of the front doors.
With CTF, a good strategy is to go inside, go upstairs and activate the gate, and then grab the flag and go out the front doors instead. As the gate opens, most players who did not see you grab the flag will think you are headed that way, it creates a timely distraction. Usually the door on the offense's right side, you will be led out into a mostly covered area going straight to the fan. Once past the fan basically it becomes a one-sided battle, just so long as you keep touching it. Definitely do not try to take the flag upstairs through the walkway unless you have teammates who have the area covered. There is an area up there where the flag can be grabbed through the wall, but more often than not players will start to go up that way thinking they're slick and get killed, and bam, lost flag capture.
As for defense, getting the rocket launcher and coming right back inside with it is very vital, especially with assault, as it lets the bomb get blown far. Too many players leave the Zanzibar base in the opening moments of the game to go out and fight, only a few items are really needed (getting the invisibility can prevent some troubles on CTF), good opponents know this and ignore outside fighting and storm the base, often with too much success. Stay inside at all times to work as hard as possible to prevent the bomb from being armed or the flag from leaving the base.
The sword is a useful weapon on this map for defense, but on offense it may be more trouble than it's worth. In the enclosed space of the enemy base, there is a good chance you will die and lose your sword to the enemy. This will ensure that they have it as a defensive tool for the rest of the match, so it might be better just to ignore it while on offense, and only steal it when you think you can prevent them from getting it back.
One thing that must be remembered on Zanzibar assault is that while you hold the bomb in the narrow arming point, you absolutely must face the destructible pillars to each side of the arming point, and look low. If you stand straight and look to the opposite sides, a rocket blast or melee attack can easily knock the bomb far out of your hands, way out of the circle, and you will lose all arming time on it as well as put it in a harder place to arm. This and leaving the base are the most common reasons for losing at Zanzibar, that I have seen.
Coagulation
Blood Gulch ver. 2.0 is very frustrating because not only is it considerably bigger in scope than before, but scores in this game are rare. A tie helps your score, but a tie is no fun whatsoever. In a game of CTF Wraiths, be sure to dispatch a Banshee to destroy the enemy Wraith, and like on Waterworks, keep the home Wraith on defense so it isn't stolen. Again the Wraith is an invaluable defensive tool and an easy target while out on offense, so keep it home. One of the first things a Banshee flyer should do is destroy the other Banshee to prevent that Banshee from completing it's objectives. If playing 1-Flag, grabbing the rocket launcher via ghost and bringing it home (for defense) or hanging back for backup (on offense) is handy. It's always a good thing to grab the rocket, get some refills and one of the powerups on either side, before going on an offensive run, which is a good way to kill a few moments while your team makes it's first run at the enemy base. Be wary of the warthogs and ghosts, and stay home if there are no vehicles. Destroy idle Warthogs nearby the base, unless you know the base has been cleared. Ghosts are a powerful destructive tool on this level, so try to steal both if at all possible.
Sniping plays a bigger role in Coagulation but it is definitely not needed. In multi-flag play a lot of defense, as if you do lose this game, it's usually only by one flag score, as scoring in this big level with big teams is difficult. When in doubt, sit it out - at the base.
Neutral bomb is a game popping up often with Coagulation, the rocket launcher and destroying the first wave of enemy vehicles should be the first priority, before anyone worries about the bomb. Communication is necessary when the bomb is in enemy hands, but stay at home otherwise, especially if they have vehicles. Do not snipe for long if you do not know where the bomb is, as they will likely need you more at home defending the arm point.
Cheating Motherfuckers
Cheating is something I personally hate so much that I will relentlessly kill teammates to prevent them from cheating, get booted, I don't care. I hope all the Death-Throws members and Halo players reading this feel the same way. My definition of cheating is broad, I include the vast majority of glitches, besides perhaps grabbing the flag through barriers, anything messing with the XBL network, and any attempt to win a game without completing the game objectives. For instance, flying a bomb carrier to the top of the level and waiting there for your opponents to quit is unsportsmanlike cheating, and I will kill teammates attempting it. Here are some things to look out for.
The Standby Problem
Standby is when one X-Box, knowing it's the host, presses standby to temporarily freeze the other players out of the game. During this time the host can move unhindered while all other players receive a game reconnect blue screen. Usually, when the game comes back, the opponent has scored. Leaving bad feedback for all players who score, all players who are a part of his clan in that game, is vital, but doesn't stop the problem. For now, there is no clearcut way to fight this, besides fighting during offensive periods to score the amount of times needed to tie the game. If the cheater is on your team and you are aware of it, the best thing to do is find him and force him into a brawl with you. Once he's killed you, you may get the opportunity to boot him from the game. This is pretty much all that can be done for now to keep the game level on standby, few people have the hosting credit built up to reliably host the game and exploit it. There are also laggers, individuals pressing standby or creating lag intentionally. This can be used against them, as these players are definitely not good, and a laggy game is laggy for pretty much all the players, in which case going out on offense a lot is not a bad idea. Ignore commonly defended areas as you may be able to walk right past them. Give the opponents a taste of their own medicine.
Dummy Glitchers
Using a variety of obscure and messed up tactics, a player can have something of an out-of-body experience, where he can navigate the level on his box but still only be in one physical location for the game. This means he can often dummy himself, grab the flag, and end the dummy sequence and his real body will be holding the captured flag, making for an easy, often invisible, score. There are ways to fight this. First you should visit sites claiming to have video of this and watch the videos, as this will reveal common misconceptions about how the trick is carried out. For instance, that it must be done at a specific location, or that you must be an Elite to do it. Many use Warthogs to dummy glitch, find the Warthog and you will likely find the glitcher. Destroy the Warthogs and he won't be able to do it anymore.
If you can kill the dummy glitcher while he is out of body, he will die. This often means teams that defend dummy glitching will defend their home base while on offense instead of going out to fight. Raiding the enemy base then is a smart idea. If he is on your team, definitely try to have him kill you so you can boot him. A good way to do this, that I haven't covered, is getting into a grenade fight. Throw some at him but miss intentionally. These players are jovial and will probably start throwing some at you in return, in which case you make sure they hit their mark. Shoot low but pop their shield. Few players can resist fighting back. If you have a coordinated team, have each player kill him once, if not just to make him quit out. I don't accept such cheating and will do everything in my power to kill or boot any player attempting it.
Other Cheats/Exploits/Dumb Tricks
If your team is not moving towards the objective of the game, this is a sign that they are either cheating or doing something mind-bogglingly stupid. Waiting for your teammates to steal the Banshee so you can fly the bomb up to the top of the level is stupid, it has nothing to do with the real objective of the game and only achieves victory through making the opponents quit. I've seen players attempt this and simply sniped them off the Banshee as it slowly advertised him to everyone, once a teammate did this and we got two of their clan members booted after a war, we lost the game but that's a loss that extends to the idiots trying to do what amounts to cheating (winning the game without accomplishing the objective). You must act to prevent your team from doing stupid things like this, not only because it's a dishonorable way to play, but because it's the first sign of outright cheating. Good tips are to keep the bomb moving in assault, and to berate anyone who stops to wait for any reason, which is good advice just in general to scoring. On CTF this means people need to defend the flag, and when it disappears, players need to communicate to know what to do to stop further cheating and salvage the match. In a game where players do these things, the game is often impossible or nearly impossible to win, but ties are not that uncommon. Whatever the case, any player trying this likely sucks at playing the game using the real objectives, so be prepared to go full throttle at them in their bases once you notice the cheating begin, as that will ensure you keep the momentum in your favor.
Common Fucking Sense
The last few tips from our strategy guide are just common sense issues, which may be repeating a little from before, but bear repeating.
On Defense, do not leave the base.
Getting the rocket launcher or other valuable defensive weapons is fine, but leaving the base for any other reason is pure idiocy.
On Offensive Assault, do not let the bomb stop moving.
Getting it to the arming point as early and as quickly as possible is very important. Keeping it there is even more important. Stopping for any reason is idiocy and just the sign of players fucking around. Don't tolerate it, verbally berate any bomber you see stopping for anything other than a damn good reason. Hesitation is one of the primary causes of failing to arm the bomb, even if you know you will die with it jumping into the fray, the very least you can do is get it in there and hope the teammates behind you can get the rebound. They often will.
On Offensive CTF, just keep the flag moving.
Don't take the flag to obscure locations for a Warthog pickup, that'll ensure that you die there and give the opponent an easy place to defend the flag. Go the shortest path of least resistance and even if you die repeatedly you should still be able to keep it in play by having opponents touch it.
On Neutral Bomb, if you lose the bomb and don't know where it is, go home.
Defense is more important than offense, you still gain ranks if you tie, and you will feel damn stupid if you think the bomb is someplace only to have it merely be a diversion. Without visual confirmation of the bomb's location, stay home.
Lie out your ass.
The enemy can hear you, and 99% of the time they think they hear you because you have your mic open and don't know they are listening. Well, when you are in a place where you DO know they are listening (especially if they are above you) lie out your ass. Make forward, outlandish lies. Chances are, they will think what you are saying is in confidence with your team and instruct their team to respond. Lying is kinda low, but it is fair, and necessary for a diversion. For instance, lying about the location of the bomber in neutral bomb, screaming "Stay behind that rock! They're coming! Just stay behind those rocks by the teleporter and we'll bring the hog forward!" when you know full well that the bomber is invisible walking towards the front of the enemy base may be just what you need to score. The enemy team comes flooding out to the rocks behind the teleporter to only find that the bomber is arming the bomb. Even when diversions don't work, they are good at making a lot of progress. Grab the flag then say "he's running out the back!", then walk out the front. If even one opponent is confused by your comment, you have done your job. Open your mouth and lie like the lying liars you know you all are. It'll help the game out, in a way far more "honest" than using cheats or exploits to win. Plus, it's incredibly fun.
Play defensively, it's better to tie than lose.
And if you tie, shut up any shittalkers in the postgame lobby. They didn't win, so they have no room to brag about anything. You still gain points via a tie.
Never quit.
There is no reason to quit. You lose points if your team loses because you quit. There is plenty of loading time before each game to know whether you have the time to play or have other things to do. Either go play custom games, go to training where it doesn't matter, or don't play at all. You know the playlists, they're all available online, there is no excuse to quit a game, short of your teammates booting you or someone cheating. If you see a quitter, leave him negative feedback.
Thanks for reading and I hope we continue playing enough for me to justify writing another Halo 2 strategy guide. This is courtesy clan Death-Throws and myself. My gamertag is Good Ol PA and Xavier's is XavierPDX. Be sure to join us sometime and if you follow these rules religiously we'll be more than welcome to invite you into our clan. Remember the clan motto:
"We don't take shit from nobody, especially our stupid-ass teammates!"
You're damn right.
- Good ol' PA