Halo 3 Mythic (SLASO) Walkthrough

Halo 3 Mythic Walkthrough by Daniel Morris

Tsavo Highway

If you weren't too keen on the decaying dungeons and tunnels of Crow's Nest, then you are going to love Tsavo Highway. Roughly 90% of this level is based around vehicular combat and gives the player vast, open areas to explore and to do with as they see fit. But you aren't the only one who's getting an arsenal upgrade. The Brutes will be introducing Wraiths and their brand new Choppers into the picture, obviously realizing that on foot, they stand no chance against the Chief.
Unlike the last two levels, this one will also give you some options and will literally allow you to pick your battles. Some we'll fight, and others we'll skip. If at any time you find yourself compelled to stray from the walkthrough and unleash your own can of whoop-ass on the Covenant forces, by all means feel free to indulge yourself. This may be one of the few levels where you have that option.

Full Contact Safari

    It's obvious you're picking up right where Crow's Nest left off. You'll hear the Commander say something about finding transport to a town called Voi. Well I don't know about you, but I'm ready to speed as far away from the Crow's Nest as possible.
    Take a right as you step out of the elevator, then another right. You'll be given a choice between driving the classic Warthog or the new Transport Warthog. I know it's tempting to drive the new vehicle, but for now I highly recommend selecting the classic variation. At this point in the game, the Warthog's heavy chain gun will easily outdo the pea-shooting assault rifles being used by the Marines. Make your selection and head out the gigantic blast door. Traverse through the caves until you reach the opening. Pancake the Covenant infantry that stand before you and head out into the wide open savannas of East Africa.
    Smash the Covenant as they flee, then circle around and finish them off with the chain gun. Clearing the area will allow the Transport Warthog to join your efforts. With the other hog by your side, steer through the space elevator wreckage and into the second large, open clearing. Two Jackal Snipers will be there to greet you. Sometimes they'll be on opposite sides of the gravity lift. In this case, run down the one on the left while your gunner rips apart the one on the right. This way you don't need to worry about getting sniped on the driver side. Other times they spawn on the same side. In this situation, just run them both down for an easy double-splatter.
    Your next move should be obvious. Hook your passenger up with a beam rifle and follow the left path. The sniper tower up ahead will be occupied, but your passenger and gunner should make short work of him. You should now see a crashed Phantom up ahead. Don't speed forward too quickly. Three armed plasma cannons, a Brute Captain wielding a fuel rod cannon, and a squad a grenade-happy Grunts will be waiting.

Download: QuickTime (14.9 mb) | WMP9 (14.6 mb)
(Right-click, Save As)

    The transport hog should be doing a fair job of distracting them. If this is the case, drive close enough to give both your gunner and sniper a clean chance at bringing down the Brute. He's your top priority. If he spots you and starts pouring on the fuel rods, move your hog back and forth as they approach. They have slight homing capabilities, so don't move too soon, or else they'll follow you.
    You'll want to park the warthog at a safe distance once you've eliminated the Brute. Then hop out, switch to the battle rifle, and clean up the Grunts. When the area is safe, collect the fuel rod gun and hand it off to your passenger.
    Park the hog just short of the drop leading into the next area and whip out your BR. A few Grunts will emerge from the left. Headshot them accordingly. When the Brute Captain shows up, your gunner and passenger will be able to bring him to quick justice. Sometimes he'll retreat to the other side if he takes too much damage, but he'll be just as screwed later.

Download: QuickTime (22.7 mb) | WMP9 (23.4 mb)
(Right-click, Save As)

    The next step is to concentrate on the snipers. You should now be in possession of your Marine's beam rifle, so this should be a piece of cake. There are four total. The first is dead ahead clear on the other side bunkering up in a sniper tower. The second is in a sniper tower just to the right of your position. The last two are stationed on top of the far wall. Take them out, then head back to the hog.
    Your next priority will be the Shade turrets. There's one just off to the right and another one near the far side sniper tower, stationed out of view from your current location. Drive the Warthog into the clearing and hop out. Your passenger will start lobbing fuel rods at the turret. While it may retaliate, your being out of the hog prevents you from taking damage (duh!). One down. One to go.
    Drive the hog up on top of that giant boulder right in front of you. Once again, hop out and let your Marines handle the last turret. They'll also do a fine job of mopping up all other adversaries in the area, but I enjoy sitting back and picking off the Grunts with the battle rifle. Ammo isn't as scarce in this area so don't be afraid to join in on the fun! Your main concern here should be the Brute Shot-wielding captains. They're the ones who can flip your hog on the fly.
    A few of the remaining enemies may retreat back behind the wall; don't worry about it too much. We're just going to drive right past them anyway. Before you go riding off into the sunset, swap out your drained beam rifle for one of the many plasma pistols laying around. Now proceed forward. Follow the path on the left through the wall. Don't worry too much about any Covenant baddies that might be waiting on the other side. As long as the Captains are down, you should be just fine.
    Keep driving. You'll hear a distress call then race into the next area, presumably where the friendly convoy was ambushed. Keep to the right and continue to circle around that hill. Right now that War Chieftain packing a fuel rod cannon is your biggest threat. Allow your passenger to shoot off a few rounds from his fuel rod gun, then circle around before the Chieftain's shots manage to strike your vehicle. It may take a few minutes, but he'll eventually drop.
    Take a second to examine the terrain. You'll notice a few bunker-type structures that the surviving Marines are using as cover. The one on the right closest to you contains a crate full of battle rifle ammo and a gravity lift. We'll be needing the lift later, so pocket it for now, collect your BR ammo, and use the hog to travel over to the closest bunker on the opposite side.
    BEWARE! There are two Brute Snipers in this area. A rare find indeed, but they're more than ready to show the Chief that Jackals aren't the only sharpshooters in the Covenant. Obviously trying to range-shoot these guys would be nothing short of idiotic and heartbreaking, so hop out of the hog and let your Marines deal with them while you deal with the Grunts. Note that one of the Brute Snipers may retreat back behind the tunnel's shield door. Clearing out the infantry in the immediate area will make your life much easier when dealing with the Choppers.
    The shade turret up on the hill is next. You may have noticed those generator-looking things just to the right of the other bunkers. Park the hog between them, and your passenger will open fire on the turret. Easy enough, right?
    So now things get interesting. You've certainly noticed the two brutal-looking vehicles driving in circles up on the hill. Allow me to introduce you to the Brute Chopper, making its first début in the Halo series. I have to admit, as a motorcyclist myself I've always wanted one of these things. Imagine a state trooper trying to pull one of those over!

Download: QuickTime (7.4 mb) | WMP9 (8.1 mb)
(Right-click, Save As)

    All right. Fun and games aside, this will serve as an extremely useful tool throughout the rest of the mission, so try to keep your Marine from lobbing balls of green punishment their way. Instead, take them one at a time and disable them via the plasma pistol. Use the convoy for cover. Then destroy the Brute's armor with another charged shot. From there, you're just an easy shot away from pwning the Brutes with their own technology.
    At least one chopper will automatically explode upon the death of its driver, so be careful to keep your distance.
    After you've disabled the second driver's armor, I highly recommend hijacking his chopper to regain any lost shields and to take control of the galaxy's most badass bike. Then of course you'll want to kill the now stunned and armor-less driver, and from here just sit back and let the chopper's glorious auto cannons do all the work. You'll want to be sure to blow up the shade turret guarding the tunnel's entrance. It tends to spawn on different sides but should be relatively easy to destroy from a distance. In addition, pulsing the trigger rather than just holding it down will allow the chopper's auto cannons to fire at a much higher rate. The spikes themselves also seem to have a "push" effect against moveable objects.
    There will come a point where the Brute survivors will retreat back behind the shield door. Use the Chopper to drive around the sniper tower near the tunnel at this point, and you'll trigger some rather catchy techno music. This means the Drones are about to pour through that energy barrier, so head over to the bunkers, turn the bike to face the tunnels, and starting hosing down the Drones using the auto cannons. Don't let them get too close or else they'll actually board the chopper. This machine is by far the most efficient Drone killer out there.
    Now that you've gone all Men In Black on the alien bugs, drive the chopper over to the debris to the left of the tunnel door. Hop out and toss a frag grenade over to the base of the energy barrier and the thing should explode. For some odd reason plasma grenades don't seem to work nearly as well. Finally, finish off the remaining Brutes hiding out in the tunnel.
    Okay so the area should now be clear of all enemies. Pick up a fresh plasma pistol, stock up on battle rifle ammo, and if you haven't already, grab the gravity lift in the same bunker containing the ammo crate.

Download: QuickTime (2.1 mb) | WMP9 (2 mb)
(Right-click, Save As)

The Broken Path

    Ready to move out? You're finally getting to travel on Tsavo Highway, but thanks to the Covenant scum, it'll be a short trip. Up ahead the road will buckle and split apart. Concrete barricades and a chasm block access to the other side. You came prepared though, so deploy your gravity lift between the barriers and use it to lift the chopper to the other side. You have no idea just how much easier you made the next area.
    A pair of Marines are being pinned down up ahead by a Brute Captain and two Grunts. Use the chopper to take out the Grunts first, then mow down the Brute. Killing off the Grunts before the Brute will decrease the chance of the Captain's bubble shield being used. This way, you can collect it later if you choose.
    While you've got a moment, hop off the chopper and head up to the bridge above where you can trade your slightly used plasma pistol for a full 100 percent charged plasma pistol. Now head back down to your vehicle, stay back behind the convoy and barriers, and use the auto cannons to plow through your Covenant foes. Alternatively, you can head up to the bridge again and range-shoot the armored monkeys. There's a sniper rifle up there too, so you shouldn't have too much trouble. Focus on the Brute wielding a fuel rod cannon as he's your biggest threat. You'll see why in a minute.
    Once you've destroyed at least most of the current Covenant forces, grab another fresh plasma pistol from the bridge, make sure your second weapon is a battle rifle, return to the chopper, and speed on through. I usually like to travel either through the concrete pipes or just to the right of them to avoid any stragglers. Waiting too long to do this will result in Jump-Jet Brute reinforcements followed by a Phantom full of Brutes plus a War Chieftain, so by blasting through, you'll avoid 2-3 additional waves of enemies.
    Ahead will be another sniper tower. The Brute occupying the space will either be using a carbine or beam rifle. You should know by now to always assume worst case scenario. Ignore it completely and head to the left of the mound of rocks ahead. Brace yourself, because you're about to go head to head with two Choppers and a Wraith. The video below shows how I like to deal with the enemies here.

Download: QuickTime (7.9 mb) | WMP9 (8 mb)
(Right-click, Save As)

    As you can see, it's better to play Toro with them and disable them using the plasma pistol/battle rifle combo. You are far less likely to take extensive damage when dealing with them on foot. Also from this position you should be safe from the Brute Sniper you just passed. An additional advantage is that the Wraith (hiding on the other side) will usually get bored and move on towards the previous area with the bridge while you're battling the Choppers. Of course, you should jack the second chopper to regain any lost shields and speed through the tunnel into the next area.
    Again, you'll find a pair of Marines under heavy Brute fire. Use the Chopper to take out the Brutes and grab one of the parked ones afterward if you deem it necessary. You really won't be needing a fresh one for the upcoming skirmish, but it never hurts to have a new vehicle.
    This next area is by far the most complicated in the mission. I'll give you a quick rundown before proceeding. Your biggest threat here will be the Wraiths. There are two at the moment. One is parked on the overpass, and the other is just down the hill behind it, out of view. Once one is destroyed, a Phantom will drop off the third Wraith. Circling the area will be a pair of Brute Choppers. Taking them out is pointless, because every time you destroy a pair, a Phantom will swoop in to drop off two more. Finally, there are two Shade turrets stationed on the hill, but only one we need to worry about.
    The video below shows you how I typically deal with things here.

Download: QuickTime (35.9 mb) | WMP9 (35.5 mb)
(Right-click, Save As)

Use the Chopper to speed forward and up the hill about half way. Then get off and temporarily trade out your plasma pistol for the fuel rod cannon below at the base of the hill. There's also another full 100 percent plasma pistol near the other Grunt body. Your Marines should be doing a fine job of distracting the enemy Choppers in the meantime, and they also continuously respawn from the tunnel, so you shouldn't have too much to fear from them. Just be aware.
Now, while avoiding the hulking Wraith tank, head up the hill by taking the route on the right hand side of the bridge. Edge along the side and keep your eyes on the "crater" where Truth's dreadnaught is parked until you lay eyes on the first Shade. Two rounds from the fuel rod cannon will sever you from this threat. Head back down the hill and grab a plasma pistol. This time, head up the left side, which gives you a better shot at the Wraith while being able to avoid the secondary gunner.

Wraith Killing 101

    Use the plasma pistol to take out the shields of the secondary gunner. You'll disable the vehicle at the same time, but it'll still be fully capable of firing on you. Then take him out with a BR headshot. Now continuously strike the Wraith with charged plasma shots, and approach it from the side. This prevents it from suddenly turning towards you while you're approaching. Now board it and bash it to pieces. This method works well for both Wraith vari--oops! Spoiler alert!
    Back on topic. The destruction of the first Wraith will grab the attention of the second, and it will start chasing you up the hill. At the same time, a Phantom will conveniently arrive to send in a third. Retreat back to your area under the bridge and wait for both of them to take the place of the first. It's essentially rinse and repeat at this point, though when you're charging the second Wraith (after killing both secondary gunners!) try to keep it between you and the third as much as possible. Destroy Wraith #2, then head to the third. Bash it until the driver falls out, then commandeer your new tank and start boosting towards the Brute welcoming party at the other end of the bridge.
    Why was it important to take out all three? While it's certainly possible to hijack the first and race to the other side, you have two major issues you might encounter. First, if Wraith #2 spots you at all, as soon as you destroy the first one, it'll start lobbing mortar at the bridge, usually sending you back to the start of the mission. The second problem is that even if you manage to get away, both Wraiths will eventually end up on the bridge behind you lobbing mortars while you are trying to deal with the blockade. In short, by dealing with the Wraiths ahead of time, you're pretty much sealing your victory from here on out.
    You really shouldn't need a video on how to smash Brute blockades to pieces using destructive balls of intense blue energy, but I will offer some friendly advice. Your biggest threats will be Brute Shots. They can still damage your tank. Carbines and Spikers will have barely, if any, effect on you at all while you're in the Wraith. Additionally, Jump-Jet Brutes and berserking Brutes will make every attempt to board your tank, so make them priority in addition to any wielding Brute Shots. Keep these things in mind as you demolish the first section of the first Brute blockade. Having no opposition behind you allows you to keep your distance. Just take your time and keep your eyes open.
    When moving on to the second section, focus your initial attention on the Shade turret located on the elevated platform immediately to the left of the tunnel entrance. It's really the only enemy capable of dealing damage from a great distance at this point. Once the turret is out of commission, start killing the Brutes, but remember to keep plenty of distance. Once you destroy the energy barrier in the back along with the plasma cannon-wielding War Chieftain, the mission will end with Lord Hood plotting Truth's major ass-kicking.