Introduction
In real life it is never cool to beat down your friends and family and then gloat about it, but it's perfectly acceptable and even encouraged while playing multiplayer Halo. Of course, no one really likes to lose and have their little brother rub it in, so the Halo team put this guide together especially for you. The next time you sit down with a group of friends you’ll be the one gloating... unless of course your friends all read this document too, in which case you will merely be a participant in one of the greatest games of multiplayer Halo ever. We’ve tried to break this document up into logical sections, so if you’re having trouble figuring out how to use that pesky rocket launcher, you can just hop down to the rocket launcher section. Bear in mind that while we can offer tips and strategies, it's up to you to learn and use them. The best way to get better is simply to practice; this document simply offers some suggestions on what to practice.
Part One : Weapons
The Pistol: The pistol is arguably the best overall weapon in the game. If you find a pistol lying around, pick it up and use it! Good in almost all situations, long range or short. Once you get those shields off your opponent he's as good as dead. Go for head shots! Practice keeping the pistol sight at opponent head level during game play, and head shots will become more natural. Remember, the pistol has a zoom, but it takes time! Try to keep a longer range on other players when using the pistol. Full auto is not as accurate as single fire, so "vid" the pistol: squeeze the trigger for each shot. You'll be much more accurate that way. The only downside of the pistol is the relatively slow melee attack, but don’t discard an empty pistol too quickly; ammo from dead players is often abundant. Assault Rifle: Because it's one of the weaker guns in the game, you might want to stay away from the assault rifle unless you're sure you need it. (There are those who would melee with an empty pistol rather than pick up the AR). If you must use this weapon, don’t use it at long range. If you HAVE to use it at long range, use burst firing for a slight increase in accuracy. The AR is only decent at a short to mid range unless you're just trying to scare someone. Go for full auto when in close range. It is weak against shields, but good to have in a combo with a plasma weapon (drop an enemy’s shield with plasma fire and flip to AR to finish them off). Melee attacks with the AR are relatively quick, and it can be a good close quarter weapon choice for full auto fire and melee attacks. Also, remember to reload at every quiet opportunity. Shotgun: Like the pistol, the shotgun is a choice weapon. Relax that itchy trigger-finger and hold off until you're close to your target, then go for the head. At close range a shotgun can kill in one blast. Don't waste your shotgun ammo on long-range targets, as the shotgun is so ineffective in these situations that you may as well be shooting them with marshmallows. For this reason, the shotgun is good to have in tandem with a scoped weapon (rocket launcher, pistol, or sniper rifle) so you can deal effectively with long- or short-range targets . The shotgun is also effective against vehicles – when they're in range. Melee attacks are slow with the shotgun, so be sure you have a shell in the chamber before approaching your enemy! Sniper Rifle: Take your time, aim for the head, and conserve ammo. Contrails will instantly give away your position if you miss your target, so keep a steady hand and a cool head. Use the 2X zoom to find a target, then zoom in with the 10X scope when you have it in your sight. If your target is moving, don't waste time and effort trying to track them; place the reticle in the target's path and let your enemy move into your sights. Keep moving when you have the sniper rifle; it's possible to concentrate so deeply on what you see in the scope that you lose track of what's going on around you. If you are playing with motion trackers, remember to glance at yours regularly. People will see your contrails and use them to figure out where you’re hiding. Melee with a sniper rifle is slow, and should only be done if you have no other choice. The shotgun and sniper rifle make a brutal combo. Even if you don't fire it at all, the sniper rifle is valuable as a spotting scope. It's very useful for watching an enemy base as you approach on foot, or for helping coordinate a team assault. This is true of any scoped weapon, but the sniper rifle is especially useful because you can also pick people off without being “in” the fight. When playing against snipers, moving laterally makes you a harder target to hit (running at them or jumping make you an easier shot). Keep track of rounds fired, and make your move while they reload. Rocket Launcher: Aim for the feet. Sometimes jumping will give you a better angle to hit your opponent’s feet and makes it more difficult to hit your feet if your opponent also has a rocket launcher. The more you are in the air the better; descending on someone from above with the rocket launcher is excellent, especially when playing Rockets in Multiplayer. The rocket launcher has good splash damage; shooting a low ceiling or wall next to an opponent can put him in a world of hurt. One shot will kill when used properly; make it a good one as the reload time is horrendous and the delay between shots feels like an eternity when your first shot misses and your opponents rush you with guns blazing. Rockets have a pretty slow velocity too so remember to lead your targets by quite a bit, especially if they are in a vehicle. Rockets are very good against vehicles as they will not only do a great deal of damage to your enemies but often flip their vehicle as well. A super shield is no match for a well-aimed rocket ; and don’t melee with a rocket launcher, it isn’t worth your time (unless your opponent is facing the wrong way). A rocket launcher and shotgun combination is what Halo is all about. When playing Oddball games, a rocket launcher is surprisingly useful for quickly removing the ball from its current surroundings. If the enemy is closing and you really don’t think you'll survive, launch the skull and deny them the time. If you fire a rocket and miss, switch weapons, even if you have one shot still left. That final shot is your emergency shot. Also, if you miss that first time, you're probably not going to get another rocket shot off without killing yourself; by the time you're ready to fire again the target will be too close. Plasma Pistol: This gun reminds me of the Cricket in “Men In Black”. The uninitiated might think this weapon sucks, but it doesn’t. Charged shots are extremely important and brutal: they track their targets and will instantly drop shields. Don’t rely too much on the guidance, however, and bear in mind that charged shots won't track vehicles. One charged shot will bring down a 400% super shield on a guy in a tank (and try it against a tank with four passengers!). This is especially key when playing Iron CTF or other custom variants with extra health. You can kill someone in two shots by wiping out his shields with a charged shot, then switching to the pistol and ventilating his skull. The plasma pistol’s primary fire is also useful, as it stuns opponents and you can get a pretty good rate of fire if you twitch the trigger at the moment when the plasma shot fires. You can really hurt enemies by shooting them in the back rapidly. Even better, the melee on the pistol is incredibly fast. Try an overcharge shot as you are running full-bore at someone, keep hitting him with primary fire until the gun overheats, then melee attack as you are right on top of him. This is a good gun to carry in tandem with a weapon like the pistol or AR; wipe out your enemies' shields with the plasma pistol and then switch weapons to finish them off. Plasma Rifle: This is a well-rounded weapon, suitable for a variety of situations. The plasma rifle is good against shields, but watch that overheat meter to avoid what could be a fatal pause while your gun overheats. Once the shields are gone, aim for the head, as head shots do twice as much damage; as with the pistol, learning to keep the plasma rifle trained on the opponents noggin will always pay off. The plasma rifle also has a stun; very useful against the tank. Like the plasma pistol, it's a good weapon for shooting someone in the back or pinning him in place (if they are charging you with the shotgun, for example). Melee attacks with this weapon are pretty fast, and it's a great weapon to run and gun with (close quarters fire + melee). A great weapon to have at your hip, the plasma rifle complements almost any other weapon in your arsenal. Needler: Don’t use the needler in multiplayer unless you know what you are doing. A tight collection of needles in an enemy is your best friend - unless you are right next to him. Use more as a stealth weapon, or perhaps kamikaze style to take them with you. The melee attack speed is horrendous, and if you pick it up you had better make sure you have something short-range to complement it. The needler is most effective when used against an enemy who is unable to sidestep. Ladders, tight corridors, and narrow gangplanks are all good places to catch a person and put enough needles into them to seal their fate. Fragmentation Grenades: These have a short fuse so they're more useful in closer combat situations. They’re good to use when you have the drop on someone, and good for ambushes as they are more difficult to see and more difficult to avoid. Toss a frag grenade on the ground just as someone is coming around the corner, or throw one behind him as he's backing up. If you’re being chased, juke around a corner and drop a frag grenade at your feet, then turn around and finish off your pursuer. When you're about to die, squeeze the grenade trigger! The "suicide grenade" eventually becomes a reflex, and sometimes it injures or even kills your own killer. Plasma Grenades: Plasma grenades are good against the tank and somewhat less effective against other vehicles. Be aware of the longer fuse however! If you want to school someone, stick a plasma grenade to his head. Feel free to point and laugh at him; just watch that he doesn’t charge you and take you out with him. Use plasma grenades to get at hard-to-reach spots like high ledges by tossing them at a ceiling or wall near your target; the grenades will just fall straight to the floor and stay there, instead of bouncing about like frag grenades. Melee: You probably won't want to use melee attacks as your primary attack. However, they are good to finish off opponents, especially when you consider the humiliation factor! Run at someone and charge-shoot him, then melee attack on the run. Hit someone in the back of the head and you get a free taunt. When using plasma weapons, melee attacks are the perfect solution for those overheating incidents. Though all weapons do the same amount of melee damage, the plasma pistol has a superior melee attack in terms of speed. If you're running when you hit a person with a melee attack, you'll do about 50% more damage. If you're running and near the peak of a jump, you'll do about 75% more damage, almost enough to kill an opponent outright. Both the flag and the skull can be used as melee weapons - extra humiliation for killing someone with either!
Part Two : Players
Basic team strategy: Talk to your teammates. Harass them when they screw up. A Team working together will almost always defeat an opponent made up of several individuals doing their own thing. Operate in pairs. Get a partner and stick with him like glue. If one of you dies, regroup. When people know who they are working with and who they are supporting, they know who to listen to and who to talk to. There is much less confusion and the two man squad becomes a killing machine greater than the sum of its parts. Don’t group too close together as you are good rocket fodder that way. Remember what color you are as those green triangles don’t show up well when you are close to each other. If you forget, you can quickly check your color by performing a melee attack and looking at your arm. How to support your teammates: Talk to them. Cover them. Watch their backs and don’t throw grenades at them. Shoot anyone who is shooting at them. One good team strategy is to have one guy sniping while the other goes on shock trooper duty. Players from opposing teams will see the second guy first and shoot at him; then the sniper blows their heads off. If you’re defending someone, use your body as a shield to take incoming fire (many a CTF match has been won this way). Give him room to move. Defend the door of the room or even the hallway outside, not the region beside him. That way, you are not only less vulnerable to a single rocket or grenade, but he has some advance warning should you fall. Basic FFA strategy: Grab any health pack you see. Use power-ups as much as you can. Most of the time, being afraid of being dead is worse than being dead. If you respawn quickly, you're back in the game, and you have another chance to do what you have to do, whether that is killing others in Slayer, getting to the hill in King of the Hill, or holding the skull on Oddball. Every second you waste looking for a certain weapon or a shield power-up is a second someone else is winning. The motion tracker only shows where you are when you're moving. Use it, love it. Get to know the levels well and you will be able to read your opponent's location on the motion tracker like a map. One tricky technique I sometimes use is when someone throws a grenade at me and I can’t get away but am out of their sight: I just stand still. Many times they think they have killed me. They come around the corner and I stuff a shotgun in their mouths. If you have a designated target, don't go out of your way to kill people other than that target unless they are trying to kill you. Most often it will only weaken you before you find your target. That said, don't be the last person to backstab your impromptu allies...
Part Three : Vehicles
The Warthog: Driver: the warthog driver has only one offensive weapon: the jeep itself. The jeep is a very powerful weapon when used correctly. I find sliding sideways into people can sometimes get better results than gunning straight at them. A good counter to this is sidestepping a lot when you are on foot so keep an eye out for that. Get in the jeep with the weapon you want to take out of the jeep. I like to use the rocket launcher to surprise other jeeps. Jumping out of the driver seat can sometimes be a good thing. Plasma grenades bounce off the jeep windshield, but work wonders everywhere else. Gunner: The 50 cal. is a very powerful gun but not very accurate. Just keep the trigger down as you have a never-ending ammo pail. However, if no one is driving you'll quickly become a sitting duck. Passenger: Don’t ride in this seat unless you have to; it's very hard to aim and you don’t have full range. Strategically speaking, this seat is only good for transporting that extra person. The passenger should probably be the first to jump off if any ground resistance comes up. If you ride in the passenger seat and want to make a little difference, use a rocket launcher. Remember you can throw grenades from the passenger seat also. In general, never stop moving. If you do, the driver is helpless, the gunner is vulnerable to snipers, and the guy in the shotgun seat has a limited field of fire. Plus, you're more vulnerable to that bane of Warthogs, the SPNKr. If you have the flag, drive. The flag is not visible when the driver has it, but opponents can see when the passenger has it. The gunner is the most vulnerable of the riders, and is usually the first to die. The best use for the jeep on many maps is to drive in a wide circle around your target while the gunner fires continuously on it. This keeps your gunner from having to aim too much, and keeps you a little bit safer from enemy fire. When possible, drive clockwise--that way, the driver is not directly exposed to enemy fire. The Scorpion: Driver: remember you have a secondary fire of an AR on the tank. Comes in very handy for shooting at ground targets while you wait for your mortar to reload. If you decide to “shell” with the tank by sticking in one spot you should consider turning the turret 180 degrees around so that your body isn’t as exposed; otherwise you can easily be sniped out of the tank. Side Seat: Use the side seat on the tank for personnel transport. If combat begins, get off the tank as it is a huge target and easy to hit. The combination of side passengers assaulting a base with tank support can be very effective. A great co-op strategy is for a sniper to hop on a tank, and use his scope to call in long-range tank fire. In general, the coaxial machine gun is not a terrific weapon, but it's useful against snipers because it will knock them out of zoom if it hits them. Between cannon rounds, hold that second trigger. Aim at the feet of your target with the primary cannon. Often, the Scorpion's cannon fires a bit higher than you expect, and the splash damage from a ground impact is almost as good as a direct hit. Possibly the best use for one or more Scorpions is shelling an enemy base from long range, keeping them pinned down while your teammates move in. It helps to have a sniper playing split screen with you, to help you direct your shots. The Ghost: A very maneuverable vehicle. Remember it can strafe. The guns stun also, so it can be very effective against tanks if you sneak up behind them. You can also stun an opponent and then run him over. Press A while driving the ghost to lift the nose a little, which can be useful if you start to nose dive while in a long drop or if you want to catch a little extra air off a jump. The ghost is the quickest vehicle in the game and is good for delivering flags (it fits through many openings!) The Ghost is the ultimate assault vehicle: it's fast enough to slip into a base, well armed, and provides excellent defense from the front. When approaching a victim who is on foot, zigzag a bit to throw off their aim and spread your fire out. A glancing blow with a wingtip is as good as a direct hit (albeit less satisfying). Be careful about clipping things other than players with your wingtips. The Ghost spins around very easily when you do so, and it can be difficult to maneuver in tight spaces.
Part Four : Power-Ups
Over Shield: The over shield can be useful, but it slowly drains away in multiplayer, so always be mindful of your shield strength. You can surprise people sometimes with the over shield, as you don't appear any different to them. Beware of the plasma pistol over change however, as the over shield is no protection from it. Also remember that at close range the shotgun will still tear through it. The over shield can also be useful when you need to fall from extreme heights. Health Pack: Know where these are on each map and use them when you need to, as they will allow you to survive another fight. Make sure you have full health before committing to a face to face battle with another player, otherwise, chances are you’ll die first. Active Camouflage: Active camouflage with a sniper rifle is very good, as invisible players cannot be seen from a distance. Therefore, you are protected somewhat from other snipers -but be careful that you don’t unknowingly let your active camo drain out while you are zoomed in and can’t see your hands. People can see you on their motion trackers even with an invisibility, so try to move slowly, since you only appear on motion trackers at about 50% speed or faster. Shooting makes you visible again (but each weapon does this a little differently).
Part Five : Maps
When playing any first person shooter against other people, the one key to gaining the advantage is knowing the maps. Hearing your dead opponent scream in anguish, "HEY! WHERE'D YOU FIND THE ROCKET LAUNCHER?!" can add a satisfying grin to your smugly tight lips. Conversely, there are few things more frustrating than running circles in the tunnels of 'Sidewinder' trying to figure out where to return the "#@*&!%" flag. Its all about the maps, baby. You can't head your opponent off at the pass if you don't know where it is. Know the map and own the map. This next part of Bungie's multiplayer strategy guide contains basic map strategy along with an overhead view of each map. Levels with more than one basic structural layout have overhead maps for both areas. A. Small Maps Battle Creek: A small pocket canyon where two fortresses face each other, separated by only a natural arch and creek. The key to fort penetration and defense is to control access to the back. There are 4 ways into each fort, so keep moving and watch your motion tracker. In addition, Battle Creek provides many opportunities to snipe from height. Use the ladder and side caves to pick up a sniper rifle and then do one of the following. On the side with the arch, jump diagonally onto the ledge which projects from the arch. This will lead you up to the top of the arch and the rocket launcher. You can also run up the arch, but there is nothing quite as inviting to your opponents as you exposing your backside for 10 seconds. On the side without the arch, walk out of the far cave exit (opposite the ladder) and look for higher ledge off to the upper left of the cliff face. This also leads to a deadly sniper perch. Use this position to cover both bases and to prevent anyone from grabbing the rocket launcher. In addition, the roofs of both bases can be accessed by the rocks and demolished walls on the structure’s sides. So use the roofs for defense and easy flag base access. Check for power-ups in out of the way places. Explore every nook and cranny. There’s enough packed into this small map to keep things very interesting. In the sniper towers, you're still vulnerable to grenades. Jump down on trees and such to break your fall if you jump out of the sniper towers. Getting on top of the two bases is an effective way of attacking those within or hiding from those seeking you. If you face either base from the opposite base, the route to the top will be on the left side of the building. Damnation: A covenant structure that was used to control water flow into a section of HALO. Damnation is one of the few non-symmetrical maps in HALO, and it incorporates both a high and low flag base. During CTF events stay close to the flag locations and snipe across the high teleport road and the low damn crossing. Communicate well and the flag is yours, as it is easy to attack the flag bases from multiple sides at once. The rocket launcher is located in the middle of the lower corridor below ‘shotgun alley’, so be sure to pick it up during your travels. In addition, use the two sniper rifles to surprise and effective suppress opponents. There's a good hiding place near the uplink crate. Watch your step! There are a lot of areas on Damnation where you can walk off a ledge and die. Pipes, on the other hand, can be fun places to hang out and get the drop on someone. You can’t hop to the pit area from the falls bridge area, but you can do it the other way. Rat Race: An asymmetrical map which involves some human mining into one of Halo's hallway system. As with all multiplayer maps, keep moving to stay alive. To attack the high flag base during CTF, use the teleporter located near the lower flag base and attack through the cave system (you can also pick up a shotgun on the way). To attack the lower flag base, use the same cave system, but drop down on the defenders using the ‘murder holes’. You can shoot the power-ups down from their roosts! Shotgun + over shield = dishes of pain. Find out where those teleporters lead; they can come in handy. Prisoner: A four story corridor of destruction. Most of the spawn points are on the first level, so climb high as fast as possible to escape the chaos. Sniper rifles are located in the two 4th floor platforms and can effectively cover the central corridor, although from highly exposed positions. Respawn generators are located in the openings behind these so be wary that opponents may pop in behind you at any given time. Grab the rocket launcher and invisibility (below) from the central platform on level two and work your way up. However, watch your tail. During CTF games, try to stay on the highest level as much as possible. Falling down leads to a long walk up, and plenty of exposure to the respawned below, so be careful. There are two ways up to each level. Practice your jumping skills for this map. Needles can force players to either sidestep off a ledge or become a popping pincushion. Hang 'em High: A large storage facility on the Halo which provides an excellent location for all sorts of scenarios. The sniper rifle and rocket launcher are located on the catwalks above, and are well worth the risk. Meanwhile, the shotguns tend to spawn in the shelters on either side of the maps, so spin through these areas occasionally during your exploration. For ball games, try controlling the areas around the ‘shotgun gallery’, as there are only two ways in and out. The pistol rules this level. There are two ways onto the middle platform, but you can't get off without taking some damage. Don’t get stuck in the trench; it isn’t easy to get out. The invisible power-up is your friend on Hang 'em High. Beneath the corner with the tall tower is a long tunnel. This is easily defended in team Oddball games. Another benefit: it is situated beneath several spawn locations, where your teammates will reappear when they die. Chill out: A Covenant research facility on HALO, used to analyze Halo's material. This environment is a series of connected rooms, with several changes in elevation. The rocket launcher is located on one of the two horizontal beams, but use with extreme caution. The confines of this map are tight. Grab the shotgun and the super-shield power up in the cooling room, and go say “Hi” up close and personal. In addition, use the geometry of the map for different points of cover. Find that rocket launcher and you could be sitting pretty. This map is really small and getting from one end to the other is easy, especially if you know where all the teleporters go. Be sure to watch your motion tracker on this one; there are a lot of turns so it's hard to see people coming. Chiron TL-34: An intense training facility for SPARTANs. Keep moving, grabbing whatever weapons are in front of you. Also, check out all of the rooms in the structure, as several strategic opportunities exist in their positioning. If you can figure out the layout of this map and where all the teleporters go, you will have the jump on many of your opponents. The motion tracker is still useful through the teleporters as they lead where you would expect. That is, if you see a red dot on your motion tracker pointing to the teleporter, throw a grenade at the teleporter because there is probably someone coming through. Similarly, if you're playing a game with nav points to guide you, trust the teleporters and follow the nav point. Shooting rockets through the slits in the central, maze-like room is very satisfying. You can get some good angles at teleporters with them. The shotgun is very useful on this map. There’s a health pack in every room, though sometimes you need to look for it. Longest: It is advantageous to take the higher ground, especially on offense. If playing defensively, stay in the lower corridors, near the ends of the hallways. Power-ups are especially good to have on this map. Learn to jump well over the ridges and you can jump between halls easily. Grenades are fun to chuck down the halls. A great environment for large or small teams. Use the ladders towards the middle to get the shotgun and power-ups. In addition, the pistol (located in the bunkers) is also quite effective. During CTF, guard the flag well, as once it is gone… its gone. B. Arena Maps Wizard: The middle platform is a quick way to each of the four side platforms. Don’t hide next to the teleporter; it's a dead end. In more ways than one. Get those power-ups and health packs whenever you can. Another human training facility. Pick up grenades in the short lower hallways and use plasma grenades for close confrontations. The pistol also does well in this environment, although plasma weapons and the needler are equally effective. Derelict: The second level is the key to this long unused part of the Halo. Power-ups appear in the walkways around the edge of the second floor, and the rocket launcher lies in one of the transition hallways. Use this second level to rain hell down on the folks below, or to escape with the ball. Teleporters are the only way up. Figure out where each goes so you can track players through them. Each teleporter goes 30 degrees counter clockwise. The side hallways are good to hide in. Keep moving. C. Large Maps Boarding Action: Getting to know how to get from one level to the next and from one end of the ship to the next is very important. Sniper rifle rocks on this level; there are two emplacements, up high. When sniper rifles are involved, never assume that nobody can see where you're hiding... There are some good shortcuts you can take on your way down. Look for ledges and platforms off the regular hallways. If a player is heading toward a ladder, wait for him to start climbing, then snipe him. Two human starships face each other in an epic confrontation. A great environment for sniping, and use the sniper rifles in the far corners of level 5 (on the left side, if you are facing the specific ship). In addition, invisibility sits on floor 1 (on the right side), so pick up what you can and keep moving. Otherwise, it can turn into a shooting gallery at the state fair. For CTF maps, attack from levels above, as the flag bases are rather exposed. Of course, this strategy becomes rather obvious, so defenders can use this to their advantage and rocket the flag-carrier and flag into space The numbers on the sides of the walls will tell you where you are, and where your opponents are as well... There are teleporters to the other ship on the top and bottom floors. Blood Gulch: There is a good sniper spot behind the red base, up on a hill in the shadows. Use those teleporters to get across the map quickly without a vehicle. Caves can provide good cover to get you across the map. Parking a vehicle on top of your enemy's teleporter location is an effective (if low and dirty) way of controlling the middle of the map. The rocket launcher, which appears in the middle near a small bush, is a precious commodity. When playing with vehicles, try to only use your rockets on a vehicle. Rocket ammo is in short supply, especially if a lot of people are playing, and snipers like to pick off people going for the launcher. So pick your targets wisely. When shooting a warthog, you want to hit it so that you kill at least one of the passengers while flipping it so it tosses everyone else. Try and nail the front of the warthog. This will usually kill everyone except the gunner, and he'll be tossed out with a lot of damage done to him. Unless you have a good shot (and time to reload), toss a grenade in or finish the other guy off with your other weapon. Eventually you'll be brazenly standing in the path of oncoming traffic with a rocket launcher. Flying vehicles will kill you, so remember your basic laws of physics. Just for kicks though, try standing in a valley in the middle of Blood Gulch and get a jeep to ramp up a hill and jump over you. Then fire a rocket at the jeep as it flies directly over you. It will be a while before your opponents hit the ground. When traveling across the map in the warthog, try to avoid taking big, flashy jumps & instead weave around through the valleys: you’re less of a target this way. Sidewinder: A giant, horseshoe, snow-covered canyon of death and destruction. Use the vehicles for quick access to the other base, but careful of the warthog on ice and for snipers on the higher levels. In addition, you can use the outer teleport route to pick up the rocket launcher and to work your way around the outside of the canyon. However, the teleporter between the bases and first teleporter station is one way, so be prepared for a bit of a walk. In addition, a central base connects the two sides of the horseshoe, and also contains grenades, power-ups, and pistols. For a quick CTF capture, try grabbing the flag, running through this central base structure, and throwing the flag (to a waiting teammate) through the power-up gate. In addition, ghosts can be used effectively to either guard the flag or ram it home, however visibility can sometimes become occluded by the structure. Use the teleporters to get across the map quickly, but remember: once you leave the base you've got a long walk back. Parking vehicles on teleporter delivery areas can block the teleporter. The most effective attack route on Sidewinder is up through the tunnels leading from one base to another. Get the dual power-ups on your way to the opponent's base, not on the way up the ramp to the middle. That way they will last long enough for you to use them near the enemies (mostly applicable to team games). Once past the middle of the tunnel route, you have two choices for attacking - down through their tunnel, or right off the edge of the cliff. When defending, keep this in mind - the enemy is far more likely to come in the door on the tunnel side of your base. It’s easy to defend the base as there are only two ways into the base and only one way to the flag. Note that there are only two ways up to the tower, but three ways out. Don’t drive the jeep on the ice; you will be a sitting duck. Conversely, keep an eye out for warthogs on the ice; they're easy targets. The sniper rifle can be your friend or your worst enemy on Sidewinder. Try to take your vehicle to strange and interesting places. Sometimes a vehicle is best used blocking a doorway on this map. If someone is camping near your teleporter outlet points with a shotgun or some other death-dealing doodad, try running through the teleporter backwards - often you'll be face to face with the ambusher and in a better position to deal with him. When Scorpions are available, a horrifyingly effective tactic is to shell the enemy base from a distance, hitting the second floor and the front doors constantly. If you find yourself the victim of this, the teleporter on the second floor is often your best hope, since it will get you clear of the bombardment, near a rocket launcher, and often behind the enemy tanks. When playing CTF, a favorite tactic is to get the flag and then run into the tunnels. Instead of turning and running up the tunnels, turn and run down the other side, where the over shield and invisibility power-ups can be found. Once you arrive, throw the flag through the bars (preferably to an ally on the far side). Not only is this faster, but it's almost impossible for the enemy to recover their flag once it's through the bars.
Part Six : Gametypes
Race Games: Race: If you want to win, don’t try killing people unless they are really in your way; it just wastes time, and sometimes respawns people closer to their waypoint. Know the map and know the track so you can easily and quickly get from one waypoint to the next. If you get ahead of the pack early on you have a better chance of winning. I find adding respawn time growth of 10 seconds or 5 seconds makes race games more violent, if you go for that sort of thing; people have more of a motivation to kill each other that way. Good race maps are Blood Gulch, Wizard, Rat Race, Battle Creek, Damnation and maybe Derelict. Team Race: Remember everyone on your team has to complete the laps. If you complete them early on it may be a good idea to either camp at a waypoint or escort the players who don’t have any waypoints. Sticking together is sometimes a good idea for team mates but usually very hard to do. Splitting up and getting a player to complete a lap early on so they can help later is a better strategy. Rally: Don’t go chasing after every single rally point; you’ll probably get stuck in the middle of them. I find camping in an area with a few nearby waypoints can win the game (of course that depends a little on luck too). Team Rally: Again remember that all the team members have to get 3 flags. You may be better off letting one player at a time get the rally point. Defend the position until they can get there and get the flag if you can. Don’t be too greedy; if a players ends first, they can camp waypoints better later. Flag Games: Good maps for CTF are Blood Gulch, Sidewinder, Battle creek, Damnation, Longest, Prisoner, and perhaps Hang 'em High. CTF: Remember you can melee attack with the flag. You can drive and gun the vehicles with the flag; this is your best bet as you will have the flag and an offensive weapon. Move in packs. If you push your opponents too hard they might hole up in a defensive stance. In that case, take a defensive stand yourself; otherwise it stalemates until the other team sends out one team member to sneak up on you when everyone is away from the base. Make use of fast vehicles for speedy getaways. Again, work as a team; divvy up responsibilities and weapons (ex. Defense = rockets) Iron CTF: If a teammate has the flag, help him out because the other team can’t return the flag if the flag gets dropped. You only have a short time before it gets returned. See tank strategies too. Generally this variant can be played much like regular CTF; just keep an eye on your ammo. CTF Pro: You must defend your flag much more in this variant. Many times you will find yourself at your base with the enemy's flag but unable to score because your flag has been taken also. In this case you must hunt down the other flag carrier as quickly as possible. Defend the flag carrier on your side as the other team will be doing the same; you may want to hide the flag carrier outside your base but close by. Invasion: Knowing a quick way to the enemy's base can be very useful during Invasion games. You may not want to return an enemy's flag if it isn’t near your base; otherwise they will have it right away again. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. King of the Hill Games: The best maps for hill games are Blood Gulch, Battle creek, Wizard, Chiron, Longest, Damnation, Chill Out, and Rat Race. King of the Hill: You may want to let your opponents duke it out before getting on the hill (unless they are ahead). Get to the hill quickly. Remember that you can still accrue hill time while in a vehicle. Sometimes it's helpful to get off the hill to ambush an opponent. Get grenades if at all possible before going to the hill; they are quite handy. Team King: You only need one team member on the hill to score and having more doesn’t help your score. Having some players roam and intercept incoming players can alleviate a lot of stress at the hill. King Pro Crazy King: Some hills can be easier to defend than others. Hills spawn in different spots every minute. Ball Games: Good oddball maps: Chill Out, Damnation, Wizard, Derelict Oddball: Find a defensive position and take the ball there. Use explosions to move the ball around quickly; this can be useful to get the ball down from high places, or to punt the ball away from opponents or towards yourself. Throwing the ball at your opponent can sometimes be good; they have to fumble a little to shoot at you, and in the meantime you pump them full of lead. The weapon you're carrying when you pick up the ball is the weapon you'll grab when you drop it, so choose your weapon carefully. Remember you can melee with the ball; two hits will kill an opponent. You won’t score time while driving or gunning vehicles when you have the ball, but it's still sometimes useful. Team Ball: Ball control is important; if your team has the ball you spawn close to your teammates. Reverse Tag Accumulate: Get several kills in a row, then camp - your time counts faster the more kills you get in a row. Juggernaut: Can be good on Boarding Action. Make sure you are well armed when you become the juggernaut. Stalker Slayer Games: Good slayer maps: The smaller maps and arena maps are better slayer maps, but all are pretty good. The best are Chill Out and Damnation I think. Slayer Team Slayer Slayer Pro Elimination Phantoms Endurance Rockets: Good on Derelict and Longest Snipers: Good on Hang 'em High, Sidewinder and Prisoner. Settings: Here’s some good multiplayer settings that I like and others may want to try: No shields, 50% health, pistols Slayer game. If you like one-shot/one-kill and fast-paced games, give this a try. Play to at least 25 kills probably. Single flag CTF. Very different strategies than regular CTF games. Moving hill, hill in motion tracker. Kind of a scavenger hunt. Can be fun on the larger maps with vehicles. Might want to make time to win 5 minutes. Try out the different vehicle sets on the vehicle maps. Ghost race on Blood Gulch, repsawn time 10 seconds, respawn time growth 5 seconds. No shields 200% health: Same amount of overall health, different ballgame all together. Multi-ball juggernaut ball: The player who kills the most juggernauts can corner all the balls on the map. The oddball settings are the deepest and most versatile; play around with different traits with and without the ball. Try some team race; that way not all team members have to perform laps and some can play more defensively. Weapon sets will replace weapons; this includes your starting equipment. Different weapon sets can really change a game's strategy. Try playing some games without the motion tracker; just set the other players on radar to no. If you want something a little silly try an invisible players team game without friendly indicators. If you really want to see chaos, try this with 50% health.
