Halo 3 Mythic (SLASO) Walkthrough

Halo 3 Mythic Walkthrough by Daniel Morris

The Storm

    Split between vehicular and on-foot combat, this mission will give you a nice variety of battle tactics to use. It's also considered to be the easiest Covenant-based mission in the game. Truth be told, your main concern will be surviving the first half of the level. If you can do that, then consider your victory just right around the corner.
    The flip side is that until you reach that point, you'll be dealing with wave after wave of Covenant troops, Ghosts, Choppers, Phantoms, Wraiths, and the new Anti-Air Wraith. There's also a big surprise for you waiting in the second lake bed. All of these alien baddies have their eyes set on the Chief and are ready to knock him out of commission.
    One other major item I've noticed is that with this level in particular, the Marines are a force to fear. I can safely say that most of my deaths on this mission were somehow Marine related. I've been shot, splattered, rocketed, missiled, fragged, pushed off a cliff, and even randomly gunned down by a reckless Hornet. To this day I still run for cover if a rocket-wielding Marine so much as glances in my general direction. My advice? Don't ever, EVER stand in their way.
    Thankfully there are also several shortcuts and workarounds we'll be using in order to make this mission a LOT simpler. On that note, let's head to the town of Voi!

Ghost Town

    A colorful play on words while foreshadowing the vehicular terror to come? Bravo, Bungie! You'll start this mission out in the last place you want to be. That's right... the passenger seat of a Marine-driven Warthog. At least it's scripted and will drop you off in a matter of seconds.
    Yet again you start out with the two weakest weapons in the game. At least this time they are readily replaceable. Over by the barricades near the cliff you'll see a few dead Grunts and their shiny new 100 percent charged plasma pistols.
    Turn left and head on over to the barricades where you can trade out your worthless pistol for a much more suitable battle rifle (without killing Johnson!). At this point you should have a BR and a 100% plasma pistol. Flip the switch and head on through the first door. If you turn to your immediate right and enter the small sliding door, you can find additional BR ammo just up the stairs and through the door on the left. There are also a few frag grenades lying around, but with so many Marines backing you up, they aren't really necessary.
    Approach the second floor doorway, switch to plasma grenades, and sticky one of the Grunts down below. The blast should kill at least one or two more. If you're feeling brave, try and see how many headshots you can get off. It's only the beginning of the mission, so you don't have to worry about being overly uptight about your survival.
    Back off and let your Marines take it from there. A grenade party will shortly follow and you don't want an invitation. Both your Marines and Grunts will be chucking explosive pain at one another. Typically your Marines will win. While they're pwning the Grunts. A few Jackals will make an appearance on the catwalk near the switch. Stay against the currently locked blast door to avoid plasma barrages and let your Marines deal with them by using the Hog's chain gun.
    Wait until the explosions die down before heading up to the second floor again. Go through the door and check to your left for any stragglers. Once all Grunts in the area are dead, three more will emerge from the back area on the other side of the room. Take them out one at a time, then collect some BR ammo located just to the left of the second blast door.
    Only after all aliens are down in this first area should you flip the switch on the first blast door. Doing so any sooner will end the life of your precious Warthog in no time. The same principle applies to the next area. Move ahead of your Marines by heading in the direction from which the last three Grunts came.
    The key to winning the battle in the tunnel ahead is killing the Grunts first and then letting the Marines handle the rest. Stay along the right side when you enter and target the Grunts. Sometimes the Brutes will attempt to climb up after you. If this happens, stick them with a plasma. While you could use the BR/PP combo, you'll want to try and keep your battle rifle handy since the Grunts will also jump up on the ledge from time to time. Below is an example of how to handle this area.

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Yes, it does require decent reaction time, but again, you're still at the beginning of the level, so feel comfortable to experiment with strategies and find what works best for you. I have personally found that the above method works best.
With the Grunts down, you have options available. At this point, you can choose to open the blast door and allow your Marines to clean up the remaining Covenant troops or just finish the rest off if you'd prefer. I'd recommend Option A due to the Carbine Captain patrolling the back area near the two Ghosts. The following video will show you what typically happens if you let the Marines handle it.

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By parking the Warthog behind the Marines, you ensure it won't carelessly be driven into the crossfire. Your Marines on the frontline will be able to bomb the heck out of most of the remaining enemies forces while the 50 cal on the back of the Warthog will supply them with plenty of backup. Once the baddies have been cleared, load up the Warthog, open the next blast door, and drive forward into battle. This next video will show you how to set yourself up for an easy win in the first lake bed.

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    Drive the Hog along the left hand side and run down your enemies as they scramble to dodge from your destructive path. Then park it behind the column to avoid getting shredded by the Phantom to your right. Hop out and try knocking off the armor of the Captain now stationed on top of the small building at the dock's end. You may also be able to land a headshot. Speed is of the essence here, though, so don't waste too much time trying to kill him. If you miss twice, just keep going and deal with him later. If you get him the first time, however, try headshotting a few Grunts while you have the chance and spare the lives of your Marines.
    Now hug the left wall and continue heading towards the opposite end of the lakebed. A Phantom will be showing up momentarily to drop off a Wraith. Making good time here will allow you to hide in the large Traxus crate. When the Phantom drops the Wraith, it will have its back to you. Board it from the rear (yeah haha) and wait for the Phantom to leave. Bash it once to regain your shields if you need to.
    When it's safe, hop off, then jump on top of it. From there the secondary gunner won't be able to attack you. Now BR/PP combo the gunner and take your time with the driver. Board and bash the tank until the hatch flies off, then shoot the driver to avoid further damaging the tank. Destroying the Ghosts at this point should be relatively simple. It won't usually be this easy, so my advice is to take advantage of it while you can.
    Though small, Ghosts present themselves as being the most lethal vehicles in the game when they're being used against you. They always attack in groups, drain your shields rapidly, can easily strafe to avoid your grenades, rockets, etc., and can boost away when threatened.
    If you feel like using the tank is an injustice, feel free to track back to the dock, grab the missile pod on top of the small building (if it's still there), and place two direct hits into each Ghost. When you run out of ammo, there'd also a sniper rifle hidden inside. Four body hits will kill the Grunt drivers of the Ghosts. There's also additional battle rifle ammo inside as well.
    Assuming you decided to take the easier route with the tank, start mortaring the Ghosts. If you didn't kill the Brute on the dock, or the Marines weren't able to repel the remaining Covenant forces, they will follow you over to the Wraith's drop-off point. If you did, focus on the Ghosts. Once two have been destroyed, yet another Phantom will swoop in and drop off two more. When it does, jump out and hide behind the tank to avoid the Phantom's heavy plasma cannon. Then resume your Covenant annihilation.
    Save the Anti-Air Wraith for last. In case you haven't already noticed, the AA Wraith is the spittin' image of its purple cousin, only it's red and has twin auto-fuel rod cannons mounted on top. Wow, with that kind of firepower, you'd think the mortar Wraiths would be obsolete. Obviously leaving the Brutes in charge wasn't one of Truth's better decisions.
    My recommendation for dealing with the Wraith is killing the secondary gunner, then boarding the back and bashing once for shield regeneration. Last, head back to your tank and finish it off. Destroying the AA Wraith will trigger two Banshees to spawn and dive bomb the area, but as soon as you reach the blast door on the exit side, they'll blow up in mid-air.
    Before proceeding into the next area, take the opportunity to fill up on BR ammo compliments of the crate on the dock, get a fresh plasma pistol if you need one, and grab a bubble shield from one of the Brutes you killed.
    Once you've stocked up, open the blast door and step back. The small linkage between the lakebeds has the potential of being a disaster area. The floor in front of you is littered with lots of grenade-happy Grunts, shielded Jackals to provide them cover, and there's also a Brute Captain. On the upper floor are addition Brutes, Jackals, Grunts, and a menacing War Chieftain hefting around a plasma cannon. To make matters worse, a swarm of Drones awaits your arrival just beyond the next blast door. The next video shows how I typically like to deal with this area.

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Taking out the ones on ground level, as you can see, will reduce much of the risk. When the way is clear, head on over to the small transport vehicle to the left of the blast door. Drop your bubble shield in the middle of the room to avoid getting plowed by the War Chieftain, and use the vehicle to jump up to the catwalk. If the vehicle was destroyed, use the Warthog as your stepping stool. Rush through the door into the next area. Take the same route you did in the area previous to the first lakebed. In turn, you won't have to deal with the Drones that would otherwise smash through the ceiling rain down the plasma. At this point, the blast doors may open automatically. Otherwise, flip the switch located near the first door on the right. Both doors will rise simultaneously. Switch out your battle rifle for a rocket launcher (keep your plasma pistol), hop on a mongoose, and proceed into the second lakebed.

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Just like in the video, rush to the interior structure between the grated ramps and take shelter while the Marines deal with all the opposition in the area. It may take a minute or two, but they seem to be able to hold their own here quite nicely. Soon you'll hear Johnson give you a heads up on the nightmare machine that's about to ruin your day. Stay put. You don't want to leave the safety of the small room quite yet.

Judgment

It won't be too long before the Scarab drops down from the roof and sends your troops into disarray. Man one of the attached missile pods and start bombing the weak spot on its back. Once it reaches the land closer to the cliff side, strafe inside and out using the door on the right. This will cause the scarab to walk in circles giving you more opportunities to nail its weak spot with missiles.
Unlike in Halo 2, these Scarabs are well aware of your presence and will stop at nothing to hunt you done and transform you into an armored casket. Their main cannon is significantly weaker than the H2 counterpart, but the AA gun crowned on top is quick on the draw and can send you back to the beginning in a flash. If you ever catch it looking your way, jump back behind one of the columns rather then into the building. I have found out the hard way a number of times that the AA gun can actually penetrate the walls of that structure.

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    The video demonstrates some of the techniques you'll be using in this battle. Boarding is NOT recommended at this point since the Scarab tends to conveniently back away at just the right moment if you try to jump onboard from one of the cranes. Just keep using the missile pod and eventually it will fall. And as a nifty little reward, upon killing the beast, your shields will be fully restored.
    A Pelican will arrive shortly after to drop off the Arbiter. The rest of the mission should be a breeze from here on out due to two things. First off, you're about to give an invincible AI a very unforgiving weapon. Second, Marines will continuously respawn from here to the Anti-Air gun in the next area.
    Your first priority is to arm the Arbiter with the rocket launcher as shown in the next video.

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    First, trade up your plasma pistol for a battle rifle via one of the Marines. Then bash the Arbiter until his shields drop. Five melees should do. Then shoot him once in the head with the BR. Quickly switch to your rocket launcher and swap it for the plasma rifle dropped by the Arbiter. When he revives, he'll be holding a hundred pounds of pure badass. Lastly, trade out the plasma rifle for the plasma pistol you left behind, and proceed to the next area.
    There really isn't much to say here except sit back and enjoy the fireworks! Obviously you want to stay as far back from the combat as you can, but provide adequate cover fire where possible. Every time Arbiter takes out the armor of a Brute, down the beast with a headshot. Your Marines will also be providing plenty of support using frag grenades. As you can imagine, this warehouse will be filling up with explosions in no time, so keep your distance. The key here is to keep Arbiter armed with the rocket launcher. You don't want him pulling out his Sword. Doing so will cause him to charge and increases his chances of getting stuck. Particularly with the challenges ahead, the last thing you want is for Arbiter to be out of commission.
    Some people may consider this method to be cheap, but realistically, there aren't enough plasma weapons to deal with the insane number of Brutes in this area on your own without putting yourself at considerable risk.
    Now lets talk about the enemies themselves. When you first enter the warehouse, your Marines will already be in the heart of combat against a pack of Brutes. Killing enough of them will cause the survivors to retreat temporarily then return with reinforcements. It's easy to allow Arbiter and the Marines to deal with the first two waves as long as you're ready to deal with any that suddenly lose their armor. If you need additional ammo, there's a BR crate towards the back of the room where you entered and an additional crate on the catwalk near the "white room" up on the right. You should also still have your plasma pistol in the event that Arbiter and the Marines become overwhelmed.

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    The final wave of Brutes will be just around the corner behind a stack of Traxus crates. You won't have the luxury of having them come to you, and Arbiter tends to hang back for this one, so it's largely up to you and the Marines. The stack on the left has a smaller crate you can jump on and peek over the top to view the enemy. We'll be using this. Still got your plasma pistol? Awesome. Start picking them off one at a time. Be careful not to hang out in the open too long, however, since a couple of them are armed with Brute Shots. Assaulting the Brutes is also a good way to encourage Arbiter to poke his head out and take a shot every now and them.
    Now things are about to get interesting. With the Brutes out of the way you only have one more obstacle to deal with in the warehouse. Turn the next corner and the blast doors at the far end will open. You're about to meet up with Hunters for the first time in Halo 3.
    It seems like the Hunters become more invincible in every game. In Combat Evolved, a simple snipe to the back would do the trick. In Halo 2, two meaty shots from the sniper rifle would bring one down. In Halo 3, you have your work cut out for you. Their 180 degree melee makes close range rear attacks insanely complicated, and of course dealing with them from a distance triggers them to use their assault cannons. Sticking them will get you nowhere and it will take several shots with just about any weapon to bring one down. Even worse, they always come in pairs.
    Arbiter is the key here, and it just so happens you have a spot where you can watch. The back right corner has a room you can jump into where the Hunters can't reach you. You'll need to hop on a crate to gain access. From there, you can watch the Arbiter dish out unlimited rockets while the Marines (who again respawn continuously) lob grenades from afar. I'd highly recommend sitting this one out and letting the AI handle it.
    Venture ahead once the Hunters are down and you'll see a Brute Chieftain guarded by a group of Grunts, shielded Jackals, and Brutes. Kill the Grunts first. Then use the room on the left to start advancing forward. This will trigger Arbiter and the Marines to join in on the fun. Again, they should be able to do all the work for you here. Just hang back and focus on any Grunts that may show.
    After a certain number of Covenant have been killed, they'll retreat back to the area on the right where more Brutes (two with Carbines) and a squad of Grunts will be backing them up. If you feel that making the AI do all the work is somehow an injustice, go ahead and use the plasma pistols dropped by the dead Grunts and Jackals to lend a helping hand. You may or may not be able to range shoot depending on the intensity of the battle between your allies and the Brutes, but if need be, you can sneak up behind the debris over on the right side close enough to home your plasma charges.
    Upon clearing the area, you'll be left with one task; destroying that giant Covenant cannon streaking enormous energy shells into the sky. It's funny how that thing only shoots in one direction and has no homing capabilities at all, yet still manages to be such a huge threat against the UNSC. Furthermore, couldn't they just take it out by using MAC cannons from a distance? Well, I suppose Spartans weren't bred for asking questions, so let's do the Admiral's dirty work for him.
    A rather large group of enemy forces is stationed just below the cannon. Most are hidden behind protective boulders. There will mostly be Brutes and Grunts here, but also a few shielded Jackals and a War Chieftain packing a fuel rod cannon will be providing support as well. Additionally, they'll have a plasma cannon set up at the area's entrance. Killing enough of the visible enemies will force the rest to retreat back to the AA Gun.
    From here, there are two ways to conquer this area. The most obvious would be to let Arbiter lay down the hurt on everything that moves. However, I've found that it's easy for him to get taken off guard by the Grunts emerging from the side. The best way to do it is shown below.

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I bet you didn't even realize that turret was there did ya? As you can see, you have a clear shot into the AA Gun's core from where the chain gun is stationed. Yes it will take you a tedious few minutes before it finally takes enough damage to destroy the gun, but at least it works, and best of all, you won't have to worry about confronting that last War Chieftain. Now sit back and enjoy the UNSC fail anyway despite all your hard work.