Introduction

Welcome to This Guide

How to Utilize This Guide

Welcome to the official guide to Halo 3: ODST . Months in the making and involving copious and meticulous tactical advisement from both Microsoft and Bungie, this guide has many aspects that can help your battles through New Mombasa and beyond. The following breakdown of each chapter showcases what to expect.

Basic Training

The chapter you’re currently reading. After you meet the ODST strike team selected for Campaign and Firefight missions, a basic primer (covering different elements of this game compared to Halo 3 ) is revealed, as well as some general tactical knowledge.

Arms and Equipment

Every available piece of UNSC or Covenant machinery, whether a weapon, Turret, Grenade, vehicle, or other piece of equipment, is inspected. Notes on availability and overall takedown tactics, where appropriate, are shown, along with a visual reference.

Know Your Enemy

The Covenant is amassing forces in the vicinity of New Mombasa. Knowing what they are and how to effectively fight them is your key to success. Tried-and-tested tactics for defeating Grunts, Jackals, Brutes of all types, Hunters, Drones, and Engineers are revealed here.
Campaign Missions
Chronicling the campaign undertaken by your ODST squadmates, this chapter features a walkthrough of every mission. Preferred weapon combos, maps, and every choke point is revealed, and strategies to survive are showcased, no matter what difficulty you’re playing on.

Firefight Missions

Engaging countless Covenant squads with up to four players presents can be a fearsome proposition. This takes you through all ten of the available Firefight Maps, giving thorough and tailored tactics to each of them. Need to survive longer? Digest this chapter.
Halo 3 Multiplayer Maps
Employing the talents of an infamous clan filled with Tournament-level players, all 24 Halo 3 multiplayer maps offer masses of tactical information, including full item placement, gameplay strategies, and many sniping and ambush spots.

Appendices

Whether you need to know the Skull or score multipliers, medals, or game unlockables, this chapter has everything you need, all in one place. Every Achievement is also detailed, with tactical advice on obtaining every one, including the infamous Vidmaster Challenges.

ODST Uniform Capabilities

Navigating the menu system and learning how to control your ODST squadmates are succinctly covered in your instruction manual. For advice on settings, sharing files, Theater mode, and other elements, check this section before continuing. The following is an enhanced view of the advice you garner during your Campaign sorties.

ODST Heads-Up Display

By now, you may have realized that you’re not invincible and are actually susceptible to sharp projectiles—or even to blunt ones. However, the UNSC have crafted a uniform that helps you overcome the inherent design flaws of the human body—namely, your soft and squishy skin—as much as possible. Here’s a little more knowledge on the HUDs and some advice on basic survival.

This is an example of in-game action during the Campaign (a Firefight variation is shown at the beginning of that chapter). Here’s how all the information is fed into your brain, and how it can help you:

1. Compass readout: When this guide refers to a compass direction, check this compass. It also displays objective navigation marker waypoints (blue diamonds) and waypoints you or your friends have flagged (green pointers).

2. VISR readout: Underneath the compass is your health, represented by a horizontal yellow strip. This gradually turns red the more you’re wounded, so be ever vigilant and locate a Health Pack before this is completely diminished. Underneath that is an area that appears only to inform you of new objectives when they are triggered, so you don’t have to access your VISR database.

3. Friends and foes: Turn on your VISR Enhanced Vision (recommended in all low-light situations). Enemies are outlined in red, friends are outlined in green, and clues and Data Terminals are outlined in yellow. This is excellent for finding snipers at long range or watching (and counting) foes to plan an attack before you engage them. The general rule is, don’t fire at anything green!

4. Grenade inventory: Don't simply use up the Frag Grenades, which are first on your inventory list of four Grenade types; cycle through them using (LB) to select the best Grenade for a particular situation. Frag Grenades bounce on impact. Plasma and Sticky Grenades stick to most targets. Flame Grenades set a target on fire. All Grenades are found via scavenging.

5. Primary and reserve weapon (“weapon combo”): This shows the weapon you’re using (top), the remaining ammunition, and your other weapon (bottom); swap between the two using (Y). Consult the “Arms and Equipment,” “Campaign Missions,” and “Firefight”  chapters for tactics on preferred weapons and weapon combos.

6. Target reticle: This changes from yellow to red when an enemy is in your crosshairs. Remember that some weapons are instant-hit (and you should fire when the reticle is red) and some weapons arc into their targets, meaning you should fire at where you think your foe will be, not where they are now.

7. Stamina risk assessment: The tinge of red around your screen that gradually becomes more pronounced appears when you’re low on Stamina. Simply locate cover and rest to restore your Stamina, or find a Health Pack to restore your Health and Stamina.

Your VISR database is a wealth of topographical knowledge, and after reading up on it in the instructions manual, you’ll soon understand how best to utilize it. One of the most useful features is the waypoint (pictured) that you can flag yourself. This appears on your compass (in green) and on your map (as a green reticle). This is the most useful of your NAV system’s inventory because you can use it (especially in Mombasa Streets) to flag a place you’ve already been, so you don’t get lost in the maze of sloping sidewalks and mezzanines. Even better, human teammates can flag areas for you to explore, which may have a particular enemy you want to face, a terminal you wish to interact with, or a cache of weapons to find.

VISR onscreen prompts (such as in the example shown) are a vital help to your cause, so don’t ignore them. When a weapon prompt appears in the middle of your screen, it means you’re standing near a weapon you can swap. Do so depending on the situation. When your VISR updates an objective, that appears, too, but you don’t need to enter your Database menu immediately; the objective appears under your compass a second later. Always look for your HUD to display when you’ve reached a check point so you know that when you die, you return to this location. Finally, your sense of hearing is important; from the hiss of a primed Plasma Grenade to the chatter of Grunts, you really need to listen more; it adds to your tactical knowledge of a particular choke point.

Differences in Control

As you’ll discover on page 24 of your instruction manual, when playing as an ODST , much of the controller functionality is identical to that of previous Halo games played as a Spartan. However, there are a few differences you should be aware of:

VISR mode (X): Instead of deploying equipment (Spartan), you engage the VISR; think of this as an enhanced flashlight.

Throwing Grenades (LT): ODST s do not have the skill to dual-wield, so this control is taken up by Grenade Throwing, which allows immediate lobbing of your selected projectile.

Select Grenade Type (LB): Instead of swapping weapons or reloading, P now cycles through your Grenades. Swapping between your two main weapons is achieved by pressing Y now.

VISR Database (BACK): Also a Carnage Report in ODST Firefight mode, this database (Map menu) in the Campaign allows you to check where you are, where your goal is, waypoints you or your teammates have flagged, what your objectives are, and what information you’ve collected from terminals.

View Waypoints (DIRECTIONAL PAD): Your VISR negates the need for a Flashlight, so this allows you to bring up waypoints as a visual, onscreen reference complete with distance-to-target data. If you’re lost, simply bring this up and you won’t be.

User Preview and Preamble

Moving and Stamina

Facing down a foe at this range is usually frowned upon; no unnecessary risks, trooper!

The basics you’ve learned before apply when traversing New Mombasa; you should keep moving to avoid becoming prone and targeted by multiple foes. You should seek cover opportunities and tactical hiding spots if you’re low on Stamina. In addition, you should seek higher ground, as it is easier to target foes looking down on them than peering up. Also, learn to sidestep and strafe, moving from left to right while keeping your target reticle pinned on a particular enemy. Step this up with circle-strafing (moving around a foe at a constant distance while aiming at them). Finally, it is worth backing up if you’re badly wounded and returning to the last Health Pack you didn’t use. A methodical approach to alien takedowns is better than a reckless and ultimately suicidal one.

There are no medics here; that increasingly red glow around your helmet vision is telling you something....

Packing Health

Unlike Spartans, ODST s do not carry additional equipment with them, aside from Turrets, but they do access a new type of item: the Health Pack (aka the Medikit). Dispensed by Optican Medigel Dispensary Kiosks controlled by a friendly Superintendent throughout New Mombasa or found scattered on the ground, Health Packs restore lost Health and Stamina so you don’t die. However, your Stamina (a regenerating attribute that acts as a buffer between taking damage and losing Health) replenishes if you wait a few moments (unless the Black Eye Skull is active); this offers the same modicum of protection as it did previously, despite your lower Health, as Health does not regenerate like Stamina does. Therefore, you may continue fighting, returning to claim a Health Pack after a subsequent bout of violence, as Health Packs are a finite resource. Health Pack etiquette is a key tenet of Firefight missions, too.

Know Your Environment

Certain areas have unused Turrets that may be advantageous to use instead of depleting your inventory. Learn which plazas are likely to be more active with snipers. Remember that stepping near Grenades that are about to explode is the best way to achieve an unwanted death. Note that you can enter some buildings and access upper balconies; this is better than struggling on the ground. New Mombasa has secret weapon caches, filled with UNSC-approved hardware.

Enemy Scum and Difficulty Levels

The Covenant scum you’ll be cutting down in a blaze of high-velocity culling are numerous and unrelenting, but there is a method to their madness. Consult the “Know Your Enemy” chapter for specifics on taking down each enemy type, but know the following general tactics:

ENEMY ICON During Rookie missions (which take place primarily in Mombasa Streets), enemy placement is somewhat randomized and usually takes place in the form of a Covenant Patrol (Grunts or Jackals and a Brute or two), Jackal Snipers (embedded on a balcony or rooftop, which are sometimes inaccessible), roaming Hunters, or airdrops by Phantoms. During “Flashback” missions (which take place in a variety of locales), enemy placement is in the locations detailed in this guide’s walkthrough.

LEGENDARY ICON The difficulty level you choose should reflect your competence and desire for completing Achievements. Experienced soldiers should attempt the Campaign mode on Heroic and Firefight on Normal to begin with. The differences between Easy, Normal, Heroic, and Legendary all lie in the damage enemies and yourself take, how accurate your foes are, how prone they are to making mistakes, and available ammunition and items. Legendary difficulty is almost mind-snappingly hard: In order to even partially complete a mission on this setting, you must heed the following advice:

• Utilize cover almost constantly, meaning you need an adept knowledge of an area after numerous previous playthroughs.
• You must keep calm and be patient, waiting for an opportunity to strike. If you’re dying, you’re not waiting for a correct opportunity.
• Check points play a key here, too. Knowing when they are triggered allows you to reach one, and even if you die, you’re resurrected there instead of earlier in the mission.
• Stealth is advisable. Attacking from the sides is better than from the front, as you won’t be caught by as many bullets and die.
• Headshots are a necessity in order to conserve ammunition and remove threats as quickly as possible. Throughout the Campaign chapters, we’ve flagged preferred weapon combinations to help you achieve this goal.
• The correct weapon combo is a must, and it is usually a variation on the Plasma Pistol (for taking out enemy shields) and the Magnum (for ending an unshielded Covenant’s life with a headshot).
• Finally, guidance is golden; the tactics presented in this book have been play-tested and where flagged are preferable during playthroughs on Legendary.

Weapons and Grenades

Choosing the correct weapon for the job is incredibly important, which is why this guide showcases every available weapon’s strengths and weaknesses, and the walkthrough lists preferred weapons for each specific mission. Generally, ODST s are not as skilled as Spartans. ODST s cannot dual-wield weapons (one in each hand). An ODST can theoretically carry up to three weapons at once: two regular weapons and one classified as “Support,” which slows you down and must be dropped in order to use either of the other weapons. Throughout the Campaign and Firefight chapters of this guide, we refer to “weapon combos”; these simply mean pairs of weapons that work well together, such as the Plasma Pistol and Magnum. Consult the “Arms and Equipment” chapter for further knowledge.

Reloading your weapon prior to finishing a magazine or clip is a straightforward but often overlooked tactic that simply lets you live longer. Reloading with + when there’s a temporal lull in the action allows you to start your subsequent attack with as many bullets as possible. Failure to complete this results in you automatically reloading, usually while you’re being cut to ribbons.

Accuracy is a key tactic, too, especially on harder difficulties. Unless you’re firing a mounted turret, the “spray and pray” method of raking the general area where you saw a foe and hoping some of your bullets hit is an incredibly poor way to play. Short, quick, targeted bursts conserve your ammunition, make you more accurate, and don’t result in an embarrassing death gurgle. Also, it is sometimes difficult to discern when to utilize a powerful weapon (such as a Rocket Launcher). Many players have ended their days as a twitching corpse still hanging on to a fully loaded Spartan Laser, so don’t be afraid to fire. Heed the specific mission advice for the best times to do so.

Staggering around with a heavy Turret sacrifices speed and agility in favor of massive firepower.

Where there's something on your target viewfinder as big as this, targeted shots are preferred over inaccurate spraying.

Grenades and weapons with splash damage—those that cause destruction in a wider radius—are also key to your ongoing quest to stay alive. You can carry up to 12 Grenades (three of each type), and all are found when you scavenge enemy bodies or locate UNSC equipment. Note that some Grenades (Frag) bounce off foes, while others (Plasma) stick to them. Some foes (Brute Chieftains) are immune to being “stuck,” so use these weapons wisely. Grenades and rockets are fantastic for killing clusters of foes, such as those just landing from a Phantom drop, and larger entities, such as Hunters or Wraiths. They are a great addition to your regular gunfire and for stopping enemies chasing you.

Incoming! Cycle through your Grenades so you're using projectiles most suitable for a certain situation.

Allies and Vehicles

Meet up with a team of friendly Marines and they’re ready and willing to follow you, even into certain death!

Friends with Benefits

Non-human-controlled Allies are a key advantage during frantic, street-by-street combat sorties. Marines offer help periodically, and although they tend to die easily, when fighting alongside you in a vehicle, they are worth their weight in Plasma Grenades. Depending on the storyline, ODST s are even better friends, as technically they don’t die, allowing you to step back and let them absorb all the enemy fire—if your pride and points accumulation can handle it, of course.

Friends with Pulses

Actual human friends can be an even more vital source of help. Key cooperative tactics are displayed prominently throughout all gameplay modes contained in this guide. Completing a Campaign with one or more friends unlocks specific Achievements and essentially halves the work you have to do, enables you to outflank (attack from two or more angles) enemies so they split their fire, and makes finishing the Campaign (even on Legendary) much easier. They can also flag areas with their own waypoints, allowing you to, for example, find weapon caches they may have discovered.

Knowing who’s facing down a Brute Chieftain and who’s behind them firing a Turret is the key to effective combat.

Vehicular Manslaughter

At numerous points during the Campaign and in certain Firefight situations, accessing a vehicle becomes important, if not vital. Aside from enabling you to travel at speed and offering protection, vehicles are incredibly useful, as their weapons have infinite ammunition. Obviously, larger Scorpion Tanks sometimes need to be left behind due to road blockages, but smaller vehicles such as the Mongoose are ideal for driving around Mombasa Streets—if you can find one!

In general, there are three maneuvers, aside from firing, you need to know when in a vehicle: steering, which occurs using one thumbstick; accelerating and reversing, which occurs using the other thumbstick; and Boosting, which some vehicles have, and this allows you to ram foes with even more force. Note that grav vehicles such as the Ghost strafe instead of turn.

A Wraith falls to a mixture of dogged determination and well-placed Plasma Grenades.

Preparation Complete

You are now ready to meet your combat brethren for the drop over New Mombasa. Study up on the weapons, equipment, and enemies you face before your Campaign begins. Good luck out there, trooper.