Halo 4 Mythic Difficulty Guide

Halo 4 Mythic (SLASO) Walkthrough by Daniel Morris

Halo 4 Mythic Difficulty Guide - MISSION 4: Infinity

The Tru7h about "Mythinity"

Deep inside the thick, lush jungles of Requiem lies a terrible horror... an entire legion of sadistic Prometheans who have managed to bring the Covenant into their ranks with a simple Didact hand wave. Considered to be one of the most challenging missions in the game, unlike Forerunner you won't be speedrunning your way through this one. You'll be forced into several sections of the jungle (as well as on the massive UNSC vessel) where waves upon waves of enemies will be thrown at you, and generally speaking, you'll need to kill most if not all of them before proceeding.

So what does this mean for you? Before proceeding you'll need to be a master of the Promethean Backsmack discussed in the previous mission. You'll also need to know how to quickly and safely get away in case it doesn't go according to plan. This will also require you to learn how to manage large numbers of Prometheans. Worse, you'll have to memorize several spawn points and key points in battle in order to stay ahead of the Promethean numbers.

This can be a demoralizing experience if you don't come prepared. This is why I HIGHLY recommend beating both Forerunner and Midnight before continuing. While they aren't quite as combat intensive, it does allow you to adjust to the Promethean threat in high-stress scenarios which will help you greatly on your quest to tackle the monster that lies before you.

This beast of a mission is divided into a whopping five parts...

Infinity
Reunited
The Gun Show
Shining Armor
Eviction Proceedings

The good news is that unlike its troublesome-challenge counterpart Composer, this mission allows you the chance to gain quite a bit of control over most of the scenarios you'll encounter. Even though the enemies can be devastatingly powerful, they can also be fairly predictable. So, sit down and get comfortable for quite possibly the longest and most challenging mission in the game.

Infinity

The vista before you is quite magnificent, with the impressive Infinity starship towering above the jungle trees and fleets of threatening Covenant vessels on the approach. Make a 180 and start heading down the path behind you. So far all seems quiet, right? Not for long! You'll enter a clearing and most likely have a near heart attack at the sight of three Promethean Knights standing above a fallen platoon of UNSC soldiers. Don't fret yet! These guys won't be sticking around for very long. Once they teleport away, go ahead and collect the DMR ammo laying on the ground, trading out your worthless Assault Rifle for a much more powerful and accurate DMR. You'll learn to love this weapon very quickly as it is definitely the most powerful UNSC midrange weapon on Mythic. For now, keep the Magnum as your secondary and collect the IFF tag to get rid of the waypoint.

Keep heading down the path and you'll soon hear the threatening screeches of fast approaching Crawlers. Instead of engaging them, though, use the tree on the right to climb up and over the battlefield. Not only will you be avoiding them, but you'll also be rushing past a ruthless Suppressor Knight lingering down below. Follow the branches until you notice the opening in the brush on the left. Jump down and use the Magnum to quickly take out the two Crawlers that will instantly spawn.

Slow down a bit before entering the next area which is currently occupied by several Crawlers, your newest enemy—a Binary Crawler, and a hovering Watcher protecting them all. The sniper is located over on the far right on the path you will soon be taking. On standard Legendary, these guys are almost as bad as old school Jackal Snipers with a one-hit kill no matter where that horrid Binary Rifle hits you. Luckily on Mythic you have the boost of the Mythic and Tilt skulls which will allow a full shielded Spartan to survive the first shot. Make this guy your top priority before moving on to the others. And while it is entirely possible just to rush up to his location once he's out of the picture, I find it to be much more effective to hang back and take out at least three of the Crawlers. This will coerce the Watcher into retreating back behind the tree and up your chances of success significantly. Curiously, this seems to be the only mission on Mythic where Alpha Crawlers are capable of wielding Bolt Shots, and they can be surprisingly effective against you, so don't stand out in the open for too long! And if you start running low on Magnum ammo (though you seriously shouldn't for just taking out three Crawlers), there's more in the small alcove behind you.

Before moving on, I should note that it is entirely possible to despawn all the enemies in Rally Point Alpha from here on out by using the Magnum alcove to scale the trees and make your way around the Watcher area. It does sound tempting, I'm sure, and I will be displaying this tactic in a video on mythictyrant.com (subscribe if you want to see!), but there are a few reasons I recommend against it. First off, the actual skip itself is a bit tedious. Knowing exactly where to go and where to drop down hasn't been nailed down to an exact science yet, and misjudging your steps can lead to a mission restart. Secondly, you'll miss the opportunity to grab a Light Rifle and Auto Sentry before Rally Point Bravo. Both of these tools are very effective right from the get-go, so I wouldn't recommend passing these things up. And finally, this is really the only opportunity you're going to get to use the Binary Rifle in the Mythic Campaign. Yes, I know that last point is a minor one, but it's a fun weapon. And to be quite honest, once you make it past the initial rush the rest of Rally Point Alpha is fairly routine. For those reasons, I recommend you sticking it out (*chuckles*), and fighting your way through. Trust me when I say there will be plenty of other opportunities to exploit this mission.

Back on track. Rush the Binary Crawler's locale once you have forced the Watcher into retreat, switch out the Magnum for the Binary Rifle and quickly rush the Knight up ahead. Word of advice here. If you're too slow, you'll be punished by taking part in a "Knightsplosion" thanks to the poor Marine he's strangling shoving a grenade into his chest. If you're too fast on the other hand, you may accidentally assassinate the Knight rather than back smack him. Speed here is important, so go for the back smack if you can and immediately turn your focus to the three Binary Crawlers dead ahead. Use the DMR to take them out as quickly as possible. Your goal is to do this before Cortana points out the Promethean Vision AA laying on the ground where the Knight was standing. Don't worry about picking it up. Normally the game will auto-equip this for you, but even if it doesn't, you don't really need it at this point.

After you've downed the snipers, rush down the right side of the drop and rush to the other side of the battle zone. If you killed the snipers quick enough, the Knight and Crawler reinforcements that would normally spawn won't be there to block your path. Keep rushing up the incline until Cortana highlights another tag. At this point you've managed to make it through what most people tend to consider the most frustrating part of Rally Point Alpha. As I mentioned earlier, you can take the rest of this section nice and slow.

Snag the tag and proceed forward. A group of Crawlers will run down into the little dip up ahead. If you have Promethean Vision, you can even activate it to see them gathering further ahead of time! Looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger has another cybernetic beast to fear...

Take your time and pop them with the DMR one by one. Advance to the root system on the left that will take you up and around a large tree. This will give you the advantage of elevation over the next wave of enemies composed of several Crawlers, a Watcher, and Knight Lancer. This Knight is the one who has the gold and the main reason why we decided to fight our way through Rally Point Alpha.

The first Crawler is usually dead ahead clinging to the side of one of the many trees while two of his buddies are latched on to the horizontal plant right behind him. Take them out. You can usually spot two more on the ground a bit further up. Pick them off if you can. At this point the Knight has probably seen you and will attempt to lob a grenade or two, but thanks to your position, they won't be able to reach your location. Usually after his attempts he'll teleport further back and won't bother you until later. This will give you the perfect opportunity to whip out that juicy Binary Rifle and deal with the Watcher. Even though he takes two shots to kill and will try and buzz off after the first one, his movements are very predictable. Getting off that second shot should be easy. There should only be two Crawlers left at this point (one directly below, and another hiding in a tree off to the left further up which you'll need to jump down to get). Take them out so you can have some alone time with the Knight.

And so it begins...

As stated previously, you'll need to be fairly proficient in the Promethean Backsmack if you want to emerge from "Infinity" victorious, and this is the perfect place to practice. Aside from the pair from Crawlers supervising in the far back, it's just you and the Knight with all the time in the world. If you're too far away, he'll attempt to use his Light Rifle, but if you're in mid to close range, he'll switch to his grenades. This is what we want. You'll need to get a good feel for when you can rush in while he's in mid-animation, circle around, and backsmack him into oblivion. Nail him, and you'll be rewarded with a Light Rifle and an Auto Sentry to use for Rally Point Bravo. You won't need the Binary Rifle from here on out, so swap it out for the Light Rifle, and at this point you should be equipped with the two most powerful mid-ranged weapons in the game.

Personally, I prefer to switch to the Light Rifle at this point and use un-scoped shots to dispatch the two Crawlers taking shelter ahead. Round the corner and you'll be confronted by another pair. Same methodology. Advance to their location and one last pair of Crawlers will be gripping the tree trunk dead ahead. Kill them and proceed to the tag near the door.

DO NOT retrieve the tag before picking up additional DMR ammo from the nearby rifle. Once you grab the tag, it will respawn and allow you to fill your DMR ammo to the brim! That's two drops from the same rifle. Now it's safe to activate the cutscene and meet up with a long lost friend...

Reunited

Spartan IVs? Huh. Let's hope they outperform the Spartan III's from Halo Reach... And to be frank, Rally Point Bravo gave me more trouble than any other part of the mission, so don't feel too bad if it gives you the same amount of grief. The key to success is knowing the battles more so than being a badass player. Especially since you're Spartan IV allies decide to stay safe and hidden while kicking the Chief and a squad of under-armed Marines out into the fray. Off to a good start with the rookies I see...

Upon exiting the stronghold, your priority is the pair of Crawlers dead ahead. One will be sitting on a ledge, and the other will be gripping a tree slightly off to the right. Headshot them with the DMR and move towards the tree for cover before the second pair advances. At this point, I recommend switching to your Light Rifle to take advantage of the spread. Further up, a few additional Crawlers will spread out while moving up to protect the Knight in the middle. Even if he gets close, wait until you've dealt with all of the Crawlers before going after him. One also usually stays clutched to the base of the tree near the rear, so be aware. Also, a second Knight and his Watcher buddy are currently hiding out in the back out of view. If you advance too far, Knight #2 tends to get a bit antsy and emerges to aid his buddy, so hang back and deal with Knight #1 first.

Both of these guys have Light Rifles and Auto Sentries, so if you decided to either skip Rally Point Alpha or just could manage to get either one of those items beforehand, now is your chance. However, you'll notice here how handy having that Light Rifle comes in. All the more reason why you should have fought it out to begin with.

When you have the Knight alone, repeat the same process you did back in Rally Point Alpha while also keeping a watchful eye for Knight #2 in case he decides to come out and play before it's his turn. Once you've successfully managed to down the first Knight, Sprint back to the sandbags to avoid getting whacked by #2. Rinse and repeat. With both Knights down, it's now safe to take on the Watcher. In the absence of the Binary Rifle, I find it best to use the scoped Light Rifle rounds to lower their shields, then instead of reloading, quickly switch to the DMR and finish them off. Sometimes one Light Rifle clip is enough, but in case it isn't, it will be at least enough to lower their barely-noticeable shields so you can finish them off with the DMR. Stopping to reload only gives them more time to get away and allow their shields to recharge.

I'm also going to throw in there as a side note to let the Marines DIE before going in for the Knights. Yes, I know it may plague your conscience, but they tend to be a distraction for the Knights when moving in for an assassination, often causing them to jump away as you're moving in for the kill.

Use the rocks back behind where the Watcher was to scale the wall. This will allow you to skip the next Knight/Crawler spawn and move forward into the next battle...

The Holdout.

This section of the mission can be quite grueling and unmerciful if not handled properly. It's divided into three main parts—the offensive wave, the defensive wave, and the spawn-killing wave.

As soon as you make your approach, you'll immediately come across a group of Marines being pinned down behind sandbags by a pack of vicious Crawlers, a Watcher, and a Knight. Further back you might be taken off guard by the Binary Crawler that seems lodged in the fallen tree spanning the battlefield, but don't worry. As best as I can tell, he can't actually shoot you for some odd reason. And towards the back there will be three additional Crawlers. Ignore them for now and focus on the ones charging your Marines.

For the most part, the Marines seem to be surprisingly effective against the Crawlers that wander too close, but they'll easily be brought down by the 'nade-lobbing Knight and his Watcher friend. Again, let them die, but not before making it at least look like you're trying to save the day by dome-shotting the Crawlers as they run down the hill. Generally speaking, my typical order of execution here is Crawlers first, Watcher second, Knight third, and back Crawlers last. If you've been following my guide closely so far (and checking out the nifty little video at the base of the page), you should be fairly well seasoned at this point for single Knight battles, so this portion of the fight should be a relative walk in the park compared to what's around the corner.

After clearing out the area, there are a few DMRs lying around that will respawn more ammo during certain points of the battle. Take note of them without advancing past the fallen tree. Once you have, go ahead and begin running up the tree. At roughly the halfway point, the defensive wave will spawn. This is your signal to run back behind the sandbags. Don't worry. They won't rush you. However the two Watchers that spawn will each spawn a Stationary Gun, and those suckers back quite a bit of range. Another Knight will also spawn along with more Crawlers. Time to go at it again but this time at a much slower pace.

Backtrack to the Rail Gun leaning up against the sandbags, and use this to take out the Stationary Guns. One RG round plus three DMR rounds is enough to take out each Stationary Gun. This is far better than using the alternative of 10 DMR rounds each as it will help to conserve ammo down the road. It only comes equipped with two rounds total, though, so don't miss the targets that are...you know...not moving. Ignore the Crawlers for now (not doing so will spawn in a second Knight), and retrieve your Light Rifle to use against the two Watchers.

You should only have the single Knight and the Crawlers left at this point. Use the fallen tree to get to the high ground and rush the door at the back of the area. Reaching it will spawn in a second Knight, but his back will be to you. Take this opportunity to teach him a chiropractic lesson. This will usually trigger the remaining Knight to teleport up to your location. If he's within good range and the Crawlers haven't caught up yet, go ahead and circle-strafe him. Otherwise retreat back to the sandbags and mop up the Crawlers.

Get the Knight alone. I've found that this particular a-hole appears to be a bit of a rebel. His grenade lobs are a bit harder to predict since he tends to be a bit dodgier than the other Knights in the mission. Judge his movements carefully. If you move in for the kill and he attempts to do the same at the last second, I've found that running to his left typically will allow you to avoid is powerful melee attack. Recover and try again until you've successfully managed to land the kill-smack.

Take this opportunity to collect yourself. The spawn-kill wave won't begin until after you've activate the switch at the top of the hill near the door. Again, scavenge around for DMR ammo (and Light Rifle ammo from the downed Knights). There are additional DMRs behind the sandbags near the Stationary Turrets as well. When you're ready, activate the switch and let the games begin!

The goal here is simple. Beat the Knights to their spawns and chisel away at the remaining enemies in between rounds. The descriptions here can get a little bit rough so definitely study the video at the bottom of the page. Unfortunately, the only real way to conquer this part of the mission successfully is to know exactly where every enemy is going to be and when they're going to be there.

First you'll want to head down to the left until you end up on the main path directly under the fallen tree. If you look carefully, you'll see a bit of sunlight poking through in the shape of an arrow. Stand on it and turn towards the door. Knight #1 will spawn. Assassinate him rather than backsmack him to delay the spawn of the next Knight. Don't fret if you accidentally backsmack, though. If this occurs, Knight #2 seems to get a temporary case of ADD giving you time to still land the kill.

After killing the first Knight, turn 90 degrees to your left and rush toward the boulder near the jungle wall. Turn 90 degrees to your right and Knight #2 will spawn. From this point on, always kill via the backsmack rather than assassination.

Crawlers will be entering the scene at this point near the top of the hill. Don't start shooting yet! Sprint directly ahead of you to a small incline with a crate sitting on top. Stay at the base of the incline and kill ONE Crawler. Then look up in the direction of the incline. Knight #3 will spawn. Be quick to kill him! If you delay at all, he'll immediately spawn a Watcher which will in turn attempt to revive him. I've found that jumping up to land the backsmack while in mid-spawn seems to be the most effective. If you miss and the Watcher does spawn, immediately whip out your Light Rifle and wreck the little thing's face before he succeeds. Keep in mind that you should really only use the Light Rifle against Watchers and Crawlers that are in close proximity. Otherwise stick to your DMR.

Run down to the base of the fallen tree and use it to make your way to the leftmost elevated side of the battlefield (the side where the UNSC turret is located). You'll want to Sprint since another group of Crawlers will be emerging from the initial sandbag location. Safely to the other side? Good. Now you can start picking off the Crawlers. Most of them will rush the space in front of the door allowing you to line up your shots rather easily. If they start shooting back, now would be a good time to deploy your Auto Sentry. You'll want to kill all but three of these Crawlers. Once you're down to three, head back down the fallen tree and move around the right side of the open area until you approach a small valley between two large rocks/mounds over on your left. Take out one more Crawler which will trigger Knight #4. I've found that this guy can be tricky since his exact spawn point and angle can be tough to judge. But even if you miss the first hit, you can run around him for an additional second or two trying to get behind him to finish him off. Wait too long and he too will spawn a Watcher.

Head back down to the base of the fallen tree. Another group of Crawlers will emerge from the same location as the previous group. Wait for them to gather near the top of the hill. You'll need to kill anywhere from 1-3 to trigger the Watcher, so look back from where the Crawlers came from after each kill. When he shows up, take out your Light Rifle and aim for the face. Two to three faceshots should be enough to finish him off before he spawns even more Crawlers. This will make your life a bit easier.

It's time for Knight #5. Head back to the same place you took out #4 and start picking off the Crawlers. I'd also recommend deploying another Auto Sentry here to keep the Crawlers at the top of the hill from taking shots at you. Taking out about two Crawlers should trigger Knight #5 who spawns just a tad bit further into the mini-valley than #4. Again, take him out quick before he spawns a Watcher.

The worst of it is down. With Knight #5 out of the equation, head to the jagged incline dead ahead, walk to the top, and face out and down over the edge. Knight #6 will spawn directly in front of it. Kill him and mop up the remaining Crawlers. Three additional Crawlers will race out from the origin area, but they shouldn't give you any real trouble.

Whew! I'd definitely say at this point that the most stressful part of the mission is done and over with! Again, you'll want to practice this a few times and really nail down spawns and times before attempting this on a full Mythic run.

Gather up all the DMR and Light Rifle ammo you can find and retrieve Cortana from the panel to finally head through those locked doors. If only those poor Marines had an advanced yet crippled AI working for them too...

You're finally heading for the Landing Zone. You know, that one you're supposed to clear but for some reason the Spartan IVs got to take a sick day? Though this battle can be slower paced than the whirlwind you just encountered, I personally find this one to be slightly more frustrating since spawn camping isn't really an option here. Meaning that you'll be resorting to the good ol' Promethean Backsmack to get you through. Worse, these aren't just any Knights. These are Battlewagon Knights.

The mouth of the cave will reveal a Lancer having a friendly chat with his new Covenant friends. Yup. It looks like they're working together now! For the most part, whenever you encounter both Covenant and Prometheans in the same battle, the Knights will be filling the role of the Elites. I have yet to see the two species work together. I guess only one split-jawed species is allowed to lead at a time...

While you could toss a pulse grenade out to stun him and go in for the assassination, it really isn't worth the risk. Not only will you find yourself surrounded by Covies, but you may not even need to kill this guy at all! Instead, wait for him to teleport away (which he will once you're close enough), and the Covenant will begin splitting off and heading to the other side of the landing zone.

Whip out your DMR and keep your focus mainly on the right side of the natural pillar. The Covenant are going to start making their way up to you one by one. The main ones you'll need to down quickly are any wielding overcharges and also a very aggressive Grunt packing a Needler. Start picking them off one by one. If one of the Knights spawns a Watcher, so long as the immediately area remains threat-free, go ahead and use your Light Rifle to take him down.

Usually once I've offed the offensive foes, I prefer heading over to the little break in the cave further back where a Jackal Marksman resides. Deploy an Auto Sentry just before you reach the bend, and he'll start taking shots at it instead of you. An easy headshot will follow. Now you can move freely back and forth from one exit to the other. Not only does this come in hand for gaining multiple vantage points for finishing off the Covenant, but you may also find this very useful for dealing with the upcoming Knights.

When you're only down to two Covies (who've probably pissed their invisible pants at this point), a Phantom will drop in to crash the party. Duck back into the cave to avoid the main gun and keep an eye on the left side for the Grunt trio it drops to the ground. Three Jackals will simultaneously be taking the plunge on the other side (and no, I don't mean they're getting married). If you pick off the Grunts first, the Jackals will usually strafe over to their downed comrades. Yes, they're a smart bunch. If my buddies were just shot from a dark cave, the first thing I would want to do is stand in the same spot. It's like lightning, right? It can't hit the same place twice! Prove them wrong.

Right around this point, a pair of Battlewagon Knights will magically warp in to help out their two Lancer buddies. Careful with these guys. Unlike the Lancers, they're packing the painful Scattershot (the Promethean answer to the shotgun). Plus they tend to be a bit more dodgy when you move in for the backsmack. You can easily identify them by their black armor and the luminescent crystals growing out of their upper backs. You'll need to kill all the Covenant before you can get this to advance, and this really is what you want. They will either run up to the mouth of the cave one or two at a time, OR the more favorable approach is if they teleport. Why? Because if they do, it's fairly simple just to run out and do your circle strafe technique. They almost always launch a grenade as soon as they exit the animation as long as you're close enough, and the distance is usually right on par. You will, however, want to be wary of any backup they may bring. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally assassinated the first Knight only to have the second one launch a grenade while I was in mid-animation. Bull@#%&!

I'll also throw in here that while I've seen other Mythic Conquerors try to lure them straight to the mouth of the cave, you're setting yourself up for disaster since you have very limited dodging capability other than running forward or backward. Personally, I prefer to fight them out in the open since it's easier to get away if I either miss or get taken off guard by a second Knight. Additionally, you only need to kill the two Battlewagons to have the Pelican drop in for a landing. You can get away clean without having to even touch the Lancers! Just be aware that the ground here in on an incline. So depending on where you are in relevance to the Knight, you may need to aim slightly higher or lower in order to land the assassination perfectly.

On the other hand, if you do end up running back into the cave and getting cornered by two Knights, you can utilize the top entrances by moving back and forth and trying to lure one of them to you by making use of your Auto Sentry.

Either way, once there are only two Knights or less left, you'll hear your COMM radio buzzing with chatter shortly followed by the Pelican swooping in for an epic landing. Don't worry about loading up on ammo before climbing aboard. Your weapons will reset in Rally Point Charlie anyway. And if there are any Knights remaining, simply getting close to the Pelican's ramp is enough to trigger the end of the Rally Point. I say this so you aren't a sitting duck to grenades and Light Rifle pegs from the remaining Knights.

Nicely done. You've just made it through the most stressful part of the mission! But we aren't quite done yet.

The Gun Show

The music ramps up and tells you that something awesome is inbound. You'll find yourself immediately in the middle of a firefight with the Covenant, and your Spartan IVs have finally decided to join the fray!

No matter what you were armed with in Rally Point Bravo, you'll start this section off with a full DMR, an Assault Rifle, and Promethean Vision—which does surprisingly come in handy a bit down the road.

I know what you're thinking. That Scorpion Tank looks awful tempting, doesn't it. Stand down, soldier! Don't fall for it! It's a trap! What you aren't seeing is the enemy Wraith that's about to round the corner in the trench ahead. He's a slippery fella—quick to advance and always seems dead-on with his shots. It really only takes two direct hits to bring down your tank, and with all of the overcharge-wielding enemies around, getting away is a bit of a coin toss. You really do have to ask yourself here, considering everything you've just been through, do you really want to tell all of your friends that you died in the Scorpion Tank? Yeah. Didn't think so.

Instead head to the left side of the open area until you see a branch dipping down slightly. You can crouch jump to this branch, turn left, walk along the VERY THIN piece of geometry, and follow the rocks until you end up jumping down behind the Wraith and into the trench itself, leaving your Spartans behind to deal with the Covenant. That's what they get for spending Rally Point Bravo painting each other's toenails back in the "safe house"...

For more clarity on how to do this, reference the video at the base of the page. And it does come quite in handy. Although you're leaving the Scorpion Tank behind to get demolished by the Covenant, you've just skipped a trigger that in turn despawned most of the enemies between here and Infinity. Most. Not all.

Continue on your way until you come across an abandoned Wraith. This will be your main tool from here to Infinity's entrance. Personally, I prefer the Wraith to the Scorpion in this section. Not only does it come in handy with the close enemies once you're inside the ship, but because the shots arch downward, it's a much better matchup to what you're used to with the Blind Skull on. Keep in mind that when you're in a vehicle, the reticule is in the dead center of the screen, whereas on foot, it's about an inch or so below the center.

Boost forward once you're in the Wraith. Eventually a Phantom will arrive and drop off two of his Ghost buddies for your Wraith's deadly plasma to munch on. One direct hit is all it takes. Strangely enough, it's easier to kill Elites when they're piloting something rather than when they're on foot. Go figure...

Continue onward until you reach the ship's entrance. Your Marines will be in the middle of a standoff with an enemy Wraith, a pair of Ghosts, and a few Covenant infantry which includes two Elites, and several Grunts and Jackals. Keep your distance and focus on the Wraith first. Another pro to the Wraith is that you can use it to easily strafe from side to side behind large boulders to shield yourself from enemy fire.

Target the two Ghosts once the Wraith has been brought to justice. Next focus on the Elites. If you get too close, they'll start lobbing grenades, but if you're too far away, they get a bit difficult to hit with the Wraith's slower rounds. Just take your time and clear the area. If you're lucky enough to have one of your allies survive, they'll repay you by jumping in the Wraith's secondary gunner seat.

Move into the lift and you'll be brought up into the gargantuan ship itself. Immediately you'll find yourself facing two Hunters, two Elites, and several Jackals and Grunts. A few of the latter are toting Fuel Rod Cannons, so make them a priority. Meanwhile, your Marines will be trying their damnedest to hold them off. I have to admit, if I had been in that position and suddenly a Wraith popped up behind me, I'd need a serious hose down afterward.

Shell the Covenant with your awesome, pink fury prioritizing Hunters and FRG Grunts first, the two Elites second, and all remaining enemies last. Some do tend to hide under the stairs, but once you've cleared the room, Captain Del Rio chimes in about the ship's outside defenses and how you'll be commandeering a brand new vehicle to the Halo series to get there!

Shining Armor

A small side passage will become available to you. Hit the activation switch on the other side, then stand in the shadow of fear as a towering mech coded "the Mantis" enters the scene. Even I have to admit this vehicle impresses me and is probably one of my favorite ones in the game. Not only is the left arm loaded with rockets and the right armed with a powerful Vulcan Cannon, but you also have the ability to use the nifty little hydraulic "stomp" for enemies that get too close—though admittedly on Mythic it's usually better simply just shoving enemies into a corner.

Be sure to grab the rockets in place of your Assault Rifle from a bit further down next to the Mongoose (four rounds total), and jump on in! The Captain notes the jammed door in front of you. It's no match for the Mantis's weapons, so plow right through it and laugh as your enemies flee in fear of this towering monstrosity. Mow them down without mercy and continue on your rampage.

You are fairly resilient while inside the Mantis. It has a shield system of its own that is completely unaffected by the Black Eye Skull. When your health is low, just like with most other vehicles in the game, you'll first start to see smoke followed by smoldering flames. When this occurs, it's your cue to find another ride.

There are two main routes you can take here. You can either take the suggested route of plowing through waves upon waves of enemies with your newfound friend, or you can use the upper walkways to scooch around nearly all the enemies between here and your destination. While the latter is definitely faster, most Conquerors will admit that it does add an element of risk that most first-timers shouldn't take this late into the mission. Stick with the Mantis for now, but I do recommend you hopping out and taking out the two sets of FRG Grunts and Stationary Guns from the upper levels. This allows you to finally utilize your Promethean Vision to see targets before they see you, PLUS you can easily regain any lost shields by meleeing the first Stationary Gun you come across—that is, after you eliminate the total of four FRG Grunts guarding the two bridges (which are also destructible might I add). Then backtrack to your Mantis and continue on your killing spree.

Try and keep your distance from any Shielded Jackals you come across. Not only can they EMP your Mantis, but it also instantly drains you of shields and leaves you extremely vulnerable. Several Knights will also warp in from seemingly nowhere—armed with either Light Rifles or Suppressors—and won't hesitate to charge you. Fortunately, you're currently commandeering one of the only weapons in the game capable of actually killing them. Pulse your Vulcan Cannon and launch a few rockets after popping their shields. Occasionally you'll have a Knight spawn in behind you. Relax. Their melee attacks are relatively useless against the Mantis, and you can easily push them away with the hydraulic stomp.

Entering the main room, you'll have a few enemies charging down the incline while three Stationary Guns will spawn to heed your progress. Go for the guns first. Then focus on the remaining enemies. If a Knight spawns a watcher—and quite often they will—make that a priority. Otherwise killing a Knight will just be a waste of time.

Watch out for the FRG Grunts as you approach the top of the incline. They can be difficult to see in the dim lighting. If you need to, you can always retreat back down and use the incline for cover while luring the charging enemies straight to you.

Make a left and begin marching down the final tunnel. More Knights will spawn and they'll be backed by a few FRG Grunts and Jackals. Additional Stationary Guns will spawn as well. Use the giant crates as cover as you weave your way to the finish line, completely decimating everything in your path. The doors at the far end will open and reveal several surprised Grunts. These guys are surprisingly weak, and on foot, they can often be taken down with a single melee! However they do have a tendency to lob grenades, to play it safe and use the Mantis to your advantage. Finally, enter the lift and begin your ascension. We're almost home free.

Eviction Proceedings

By the sound of it, it looks like we're about to "evict" the Covenant from Infinity! Head through the giant double doors and you'll now find yourself on top of the colossal vessel crowned with twin missile launchers sandwiching a large MAC weapon. Unfortunately, the Covenant has taken the time to set up three jammers keeping these weapons from becoming operational. And looming off in the distance you'll see the dreaded Didact Cryptum hovering in the air like a strange, mechanical moon.

Priority One is to quickly grab a new Mantis (one is located on either side of the starting area) and to take note of the enemies surrounding the jammers. Before you start going all Jack the Ripper on the jammers themselves, target the enemies around them so they can't gang up on you later. Don't worry, reinforcements won't start showing up until you start destroying the jammers, and taking these guys out now will definitely make the coming waves easier to contend with.

For now you can move fairly freely around the platform dealing with the infantry—the Knights in which have been replaced once again by the Elites, both Warriors and Rangers. However always keep one eye on the sky. While I haven't been attacked by Banshees this early on, a direct hit from a Fuel Rod Cannon (which some of the Grunts also have) can lead to devastating results.

After you turn the platform into a graveyard, you can now work on the jammers while making your way over to our safe spot—the right side of the right most missile pod. Oddly enough this particular location appears to serve as a blind spot for the Banshees along with providing adequate cover against land foes as well. Destroying the jammers will trigger multiple waves of Phantoms dropping off large numbers of Covenant, but fortunately, their destruction will also bring the missile pods to life! They to tend to prove themselves quite useful at times when there aren't any aerial enemies lingering about by turning their attention towards the ground forces.

Generally the Phantoms will arrive in pairs—one on each side of the platform. The first one that arrives on your side tends to be the most troublesome as it flies directly over you and lands closer to the center. It sticks around for a number of seconds before backtracking and taking shots at you again using its main cannon. But after that, the two Phantoms that follow stop close to the no-man's land and line themselves up for easy hits from your Mantis missiles. Take out the main guns to render them powerless while keeping an eye out on both sides of the missile pod for approaching enemies. Take it slow. They'll rarely try to Rambo you. You'll want to focus on the FRG Grunts and any overcharge enemies first and foremost since not only do they pose the biggest threat, but they also go down relatively quickly. Get the Elites alone and give them everything you've got!

If you're feeling brave, you can even venture out to the left side of the missile pod which for some odd reason tends to despawn a grand total of three Phantoms from the battle, however this also puts you at heavy risk of being attacked by Banshees. That is a tactic which tends to be more useful on standard Legendary. Otherwise, you'll mainly be dealing with three waves of enemies. Stand your ground and retreat back behind the missile pod when you need to recharge your shields. Don't get too anxious. At this point, trading your Mantis for the last remaining one really isn't the best idea. It takes an agonizing amount of time to enter and exit, and for each second you're in the animation, you're a sitting duck for the surrounding Banshees.

As the battle intensifies and you starting culling through the waves of enemies, the end of each wave will usually generate a short message from Cortana updating you on your status. Killing all but a few of the ground enemies will light up the panel near the entrance allowing you to activate the powerful MAC to use against the Cryptum. Now is the time to venture from your safe zone and mop up the remaining enemies. Keep in mind that since you've been avoiding the Banshees this entire time there will likely be two or three zipping around in the air. Take them out as soon as they make their move. Your missiles will zero in on their location in the sky, so using them in conjunction with the Vulcan Cannon is a must to bring them down quickly.

Before activating the switch at the top of the platform, perform a very thorough scan of the skies to make sure there are no Banshees flying around. At this point the likelihood of you having shields is extremely slim, and it won't take much to take you out.

I'd like to take a second to state how much I hate this bit and further emphasize that animations are way overdone in Halo. This is almost as bad as the MAC sequence in the last mission of Halo Reach. It's a coin toss. If a Banshee just happens to come into the picture at the last second while you're activating the switch, there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. You're trapped. There's virtually no cover from where you're currently standing and no way to get your shields back either. Dying at this point of the longest and one of the most difficult missions in the game would be enough to send some players sending their Xbox flying through their LCD televisions. It's soul crushing to say the least.

Again, this is why I emphasize checking and double-checking the status of the skies before you exit the vehicle. Quickly hit the switch and jump back into the Mantis while still keeping an eye on the skies. It's also entirely possible for a Banshee to somehow end up behind you, forcing the missile pods to fire in your direction! Honestly, UNSC...

Assuming you survive, you'll be treated to the sight of all platforms opening fire on the Didact's Cryptum, forcing him to pull up stakes and speed off away from the now crippled Covenant fleet. Take a moment and breathe, Spartan. You've just made it through the longest and one of the most challenging missions in the game!