Medals and Achievements

Appendices

In this section, you’ll find the breakdowns for scoring during Campaign and Firefight missions, all the medals you can obtain in Firefight missions and Halo 3 multiplayer mode, how unlockable characters and Firefight missions are awarded, and advice and information on every ODST Achievement.

Scoring and Multipliers

Scoring is automatically awarded during Campaign, Firefight, and Halo 3 multiplayer modes. The following tables show exactly what actions constitute points or multiplication of points. Points involving the defeat of Covenant enemies are not applicable to Halo 3 multiplayer. You can also refer to the “Know Your Enemies” chapter for additional enemy information.

General Multipliers

Skull Multipliers

Difficulty Multipliers

Time Multipliers (Campaign Only)

Multikill Multipliers

Set Multipliers (Firefight Only)

Style Multipliers

Multiple Kills (Spree) Points Awards

Regular Sprees

Custom Sprees

Point Values

Player Events

Enemies

Allies

Other

Vehicles

Medals

Medals are awarded in both Firefight and Halo 3 multiplayer modes after you complete certain tasks. The following data reveals all the medals in Firefight and in Halo 3 multiplayer, and how to obtain each one. Medals are simply worth more points than normal actions and are shown in the Postgame Carnage Report.

ODST Firefight Medals

Rank F1: Role Sprees

Rank F2: Standard Sprees

Rank F3: Multikills

Rank F4: Heorics of Circumstances

Rank F5: Kill Finesse

Halo 3 Multiplayer Medals

Rank MP0: Special

Rank MP1: Role Sprees

Rank MP2: Standard Sprees

Rank MP3: Multikills

Rank MP4: Objective Heroics

Rank MP5: Heroics of Circumstance

Rank MP6: Kill Finesse

Unlockables

This shows the unlockable Firefight characters and maps that are not initially available, and how to obtain them.

Firefight Character: UNSC Sergeant Avery Johnson

How to Obtain: Preorder Halo—ODST to receive token to unlock this character.

Firefight Character: Buck

How to Obtain: Complete “Mission 02: Tayari Plaza” on Normal difficulty or harder.

Firefight Character: Dutch

How to Obtain: Complete “Mission 03: Uplift Reserve” on Normal difficulty or harder.

Firefight Character: Mickey

How to Obtain: Complete “Mission 04: Kizingo Boulevard” on Normal difficulty or harder.

Firefight Character: Romeo

How to Obtain: Complete “Mission 06: NMPQ Headquarters” on Normal difficulty or harder.

Firefight Character: Dare

How to Obtain: Complete Campaign on Legendary difficulty.

Firefight Mission: Alpha Site

How to Obtain: Complete “Mission 05: ONI Alpha Site” on Normal difficulty or harder.

Firefight Mission: Chasm Ten

How to Obtain: Complete “Mission 08: Data Hive Site” on Normal difficulty or harder.

Firefight Mission: Last Exit

How to Obtain: Complete “Mission 09: Coastal Highway” on Normal difficulty or harder.

Achievements

There's a wide variety of Achievements available, ranging from the easily obtainable to the downright improbable. Use the following information to help you achieve some of these antics. Every Achievement is divided into categories based on how you unlock them. Within each category, the following information is provided: the Achievement’s name, the points it is worth, the difficulty of obtaining the Achievement (out of ten), the Achievement’s description, and notes on how to obtain it.

Campaign Achievements

(24 Achievements/675 Pts.)

The following are directly related to missions in the ODST Campaign. Tactics for completing them are shown, where applicable.

Campaign Complete - Normal

• Points: 100
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Description: Completed the Campaign on Normal difficulty.
• Notes: Play through the entire campaign on Normal. See the walkthrough for details on each mission.

Campaign Complete - Heroic

• Points: 100
• Difficulty: 7/10
• Description: Complete the Campaign on Heroic difficulty.
• Notes: Complete this Achievement, and you automatically receive the Campaign Complete: Normal Achievement as well. Play through the entire campaign on Heroic. See the walkthrough for details on each mission.

Campaign Complete - Legendary

• Points: 100
• Difficulty: 9/10
• Description: Complete the Campaign on Legendary difficulty.
• Notes: This unlocks the character Dare in Firefight missions. Complete this Achievement and you automatically receive the Campaign Complete: Normal and Campaign Complete: Heroic Achievements as well. Play through the entire campaign on Legendary. See the walkthrough for details on each mission.

Tayari Plaza

• Points: 30
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Description: Complete Tayari Plaza on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary to unlock a new Firefight character.
• Notes: This unlocks the character Buck in Firefight missions. You’ll get this Achievement during the Campaign. You will not receive this Achievement on Easy.

Uplift Reserve

• Points: 30
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Description: Complete “Mission 03: Uplift Reserve” on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary to unlock a new Firefight character.
• Notes: This unlocks the character Dutch in Firefight missions. You’ll get this Achievement during the Campaign. You will not receive this Achievement on Easy.

Kizingo Boulevard

• Points: 30
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Description: Complete Kizingo Boulevard on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary to unlock a new Firefight character.
• Notes: This unlocks the character Mickey in Firefight missions. You’ll get this Achievement during the Campaign. You will not receive this Achievement on Easy.

ONI Alpha Site

• Points: 30
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Description: Complete ONI Alpha Site on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary to unlock a new Firefight mission.
• Notes: This unlocks the Firefight Mission “Alpha Site.” You’ll get this Achievement during the Campaign. You will not receive this Achievement on Easy.

NMPD HQ

• Points: 30
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Description: Complete NMPD HQ on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary to unlock a new Firefight character.
• Notes: This unlocks the character Romeo in Firefight missions. You’ll get this Achievement during the Campaign. You will not receive this Achievement on Easy.

Kikowani Station

• Points: 30
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Description: Complete “Mission 09: Coastal Highway” on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary.
• Notes: You’ll get this Achievement during the Campaign. You will not receive this Achievement on Easy. There are no characters or Firefight missions to unlock when this is completed.

Data Hive

• Points: 50
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Description: Complete “Mission 08: Data Hive” on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary to unlock a new Firefight mission.
• Notes: This unlocks the Firefight mission “Chasm Ten.” You’ll get this Achievement during the Campaign. You will not receive this Achievement on Easy.

Coastal Highway

• Points: 50
• Difficulty: 5/10
• Description: Complete “Mission 09: Coastal Highway” on Normal, Heroic, or Legendary to unlock a new Firefight mission.
• Notes: This unlocks the Firefight mission “Last Exit.” You’ll get this Achievement during the Campaign. You will not receive this Achievement on Easy.

Wraith Killer

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: Kill all Wraiths in Uplift Reserve.
• Notes: During “Mission 03: Uplift Reserve,” you must destroy (at least partially) all six Wraiths instead of running past each one. If Marines are firing on the Wraiths, you must at least damage the Wraith for the Marine’s kill to be counted toward this Achievement. The same is true if playing on Cooperative mode; each player interested in this Achievement needs to hit the Wraith.

Laser Blaster

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: Get 10 Spartan Laser kills on ONI Alpha Site.
• Notes: In Campaign “Mission 05: ONI Alpha Site,” you begin with five shots with your starting Spartan Laser. An easy way to complete this is to aim at several enemies lined up behind each other on the bridge at the start of the mission. Each Wraith you hit (which takes only one direct shot) counts as three kills. If you run out of ammunition, a second Spartan Laser is available on a bench at the raised top end of the stepped courtyard.

Both Tubes

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: Get 10 Rocket kills on Kizingo Boulevard.
• Notes: In Campaign “Mission 04: Kizingo Boulevard,” you have a limited number of Rockets, so use them against large clusters of enemies. Better yet, give your Rocket Launcher to a UNSC Marine, and make sure he’s sitting on your Scorpion. Any kills he makes (with a Rocket Launcher that has infinite ammunition as long as the Marine holds it) are added to your total.

Dome Inspector

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: Get 15 headshot kills on NMPD HQ.
• Notes: During Campaign “Mission 06: NMPD HQ,” tagging any foe in the head with a Sniper Rifle, Beam Rifle, Magnum, or Carbine counts toward this Achievement. Take your time when picking targets with the Sniper Rifle. With the Magnum or Carbine, Grunts are the obvious and easy targets. Remember to work on the Boom, Headshot! Achievement at the same time.

I Like Fire

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: Kill 10 enemies with the Flamethrower on Data Hive.
• Notes: During “Mission 08: Data Hive,” look for the Flamethrower in the corner at the far end of a corridor encased in ice, just after the Brute Chieftain with the Plasma Turret but before you find Dare. This is the only mission in which you find the Flamethrower. Immediately use it on the next ten enemies, frying them in short, controlled bursts to conserve your ammunition, as there’s no other Flamethrowers or ammunition available.

Tourist

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 1/10
• Description: Access and download the city map to your VISR.
• Notes: The first time you open your PDA in Campaign or Firefight, you receive this Achievement. You have the opportunity to do this during “Mission 01: Prepare to Drop.”

Headcase

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 1/10
• Description: Finish any level with at least one Skull activated.
• Notes: Unlike Halo 3 , you immediately have access to all the Skulls from the Main menu. Simply activate one before beginning the Campaign to unlock this Achievement very quickly. The Skull you switch on doesn’t need to be Gold; you can turn on a “fun” skull (such as the always-entertaining Grunt Birthday Party) instead of a Difficult skull.

Junior Detective

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 2/10
• Description: Find the first clue unraveling the mystery.
• Notes: These are awarded automatically as the Campaign story line progresses, even on Easy difficulty.

Gumshoe

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 3/10
• Description: Find the third clue unraveling the mystery, alone or with another ODST .
• Notes: These are awarded automatically as the Campaign story line progresses, even on Easy difficulty.

Super Sleuth

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: Find the final clue unraveling the mystery, alone or with another ODST .
• Notes: These are awarded automatically as the Campaign story line progresses, even on Easy difficulty.

Trading Down

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 1/10
• Description: Trade weapons with a fellow character.
• Notes: During any Campaign mission, go up to a UNSC Marine or ODST squadmate and swap weapons with them. The first time you can try this is during “Mission 02: Tayari Plaza.”

Good Samaritan

• Points: 20
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Killing things that are new and different is bad, alone or with another ODST .
• Notes: During Rookie’s missions, do not kill any Engineers in the city at night, throughout the entire campaign. However, Engineers found on Kikowani Station do not count against this Achievement. Aside from simply ignoring Engineers, there are times when their protection makes combat with Brutes much more difficult, so use the Plasma Pistol overcharge on the Brute controlling the Engineer; it won’t affect this Achievement. In Cooperative games, you can shoot an Engineer, as long as a teammate finishes them. If they don’t or if you kill an Engineer, you need to play through the entire Campaign again, so work on the Naughty Naughty Achievement instead.

Naughty Naughty

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: Killing things that are new and different is good, alone or with another ODST.
• Notes: During Rookie’s missions, kill ten Engineers in the city throughout the entire Campaign. Engineers found on Kikowani Station do not count toward this Achievement. There are more than ten Engineers in the city, but they appear randomly, so this Achievement takes a while: Simply wander around the city until one appears. Note that any progress toward this Achievement prevents you from obtaining the Good Samaritan Achievement on this play-through. However, this doesn’t cross over in Cooperative games, so one player can obtain Naughty Naughty while the other attempts Good Samaritan.

COMM Terminal Audio Log Achievements (4 Achievements/125 Pts.)

The following can be completed only during Rookie’s Campaign missions. Tactics for completing them are shown, where applicable.

Listener

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 2/10
• Description: Find the first Audio Log.
• Notes: Access the first of the 29 terminals found throughout Mombasa Streets.

Tuned In

• Points: 15
• Difficulty: 2/10
• Description: Find 3 Audio Logs, alone or with another ODST .
• Notes: Access any three of the 29 terminals found throughout Mombasa Streets.

All Ears

• Points: 30
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: Find 15 Audio Logs, alone or with another ODST .
• Notes: Access any 15 of the 29 terminals found throughout Mombasa Streets.

Audiophile

• Points: 75
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Find all Audio Logs, alone or with another ODST .
• Notes: Access all 29 terminals found throughout Mombasa Streets (this can be done before or after you finish the Campaign the first time), plus the one extra terminal you can find in “Mission 08: Data Hive” after accessing all the others.

Firefight Achievements (9 Achievements/90 Pts.)

The following are directly related to missions in the ODST Firefight mode. Tactics for completing them are shown, where applicable.

Be Like Marty

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: In Firefight, finish a full round without killing a single enemy.
• Notes: This Achievement is impossible unless you are playing a Cooperative game. Simply sit back, away from combat and let your teammates handle all aggressive responsibilities. No friends? Then start a split-screen Firefight game; keep one player inside the spawning room, and use only one controller to get the job done.

Firefight—Crater

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Score over 200,000 points in Firefight mission “Crater.”
• Notes: Simply continue to play Firefight on this mission map until you have accumulated 200,000 points. Use combo-kill bonuses (the points and multipliers are listed earlier in this chapter) for rapid point gains. This is a team score; it is much easier in a Cooperative, four-player game.

Firefight—Lost Platoon

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Score over 200,000 points in Firefight mission “Lost Platoon.”
• Notes: Simply continue to play Firefight on this mission map until you have accumulated 200,000 points. Use combo-kill bonuses (the points and multipliers are listed earlier in this chapter) for rapid point gains. This is a team score; it is much easier in a Cooperative, four-player game.

Firefight—Rally Point

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Score over 200,000 points in Firefight mission “Rally Point.”
• Notes: Simply continue to play Firefight on this mission map until you have accumulated 200,000 points. Use combo-kill bonuses (the points and multipliers are listed earlier in this chapter) for rapid point gains. This is a team score; it is much easier in a Cooperative, four-player game.

Firefight—Security Zone

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Score over 200,000 points in Firefight mission “Security Zone.”
• Notes: Simply continue to play Firefight on this mission map until you have accumulated 200,000 points. Use combo-kill bonuses (the points and multipliers are listed earlier in this chapter) for rapid point gains. This is a team score; it is much easier in a Cooperative, four-player game.

Firefight—Alpha Site

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Score over 200,000 points in Firefight mission “Alpha Site.”
• Notes: Simply continue to play Firefight on this mission map until you have accumulated 200,000 points. Use combo-kill bonuses (the points and multipliers are listed earlier in this chapter) for rapid point gains. This is a team score; it is much easier in a Cooperative, four-player game.

Firefight—Windward

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Score over 200,000 points in Firefight mission “Windward.”
• Notes: Simply continue to play Firefight on this mission map until you have accumulated 200,000 points. Use combo-kill bonuses (the points and multipliers are listed earlier in this chapter) for rapid point gains. This is a team score; it is much easier in a Cooperative, four-player game.

Firefight—Chasm Ten

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Score over 200,000 points in Firefight mission “Chasm Ten.”
• Notes: Simply continue to play Firefight on this mission map until you have accumulated 200,000 points. Use combo-kill bonuses (the points and multipliers are listed earlier in this chapter) for rapid point gains. This is a team score; it is much easier in a Cooperative, four-player game.

Firefight—Last Exit

• Points: 10
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Score over 200,000 points in Firefight mission “Last Exit.”
• Notes: Simply continue to play Firefight on this mission map until you have accumulated 200,000 points. Use combo-kill bonuses (the points and multipliers are listed earlier in this chapter) for rapid point gains. This is a team score; it is much easier in a Cooperative, four-player game.

Campaign or Firefight Achievements (7 Achievements/35 Pts.)

The following can be completed in either ODST Firefight or Campaign modes. Tactics for completing them are shown, where applicable.

Boom, Headshot

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 3/10
• Description: Get 10 Magnum headshot kills in any level.
• Notes: Despite the description, you can gain this Achievement using the Sniper Rifle, Beam Rifle, or Carbine. Bullets to the head are mandatory, so target Grunts, as they are slow-moving and don’t have shields. If Campaign mode is presenting a challenge to you, switch to Firefight instead, where you’ll have more time and an infinite number of foes to target.

Stunning!

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 3/10
• Description: Stun a vehicle with an overcharged Plasma Pistol and quickly kill the driver.
• Notes: Find a Plasma Pistol near the corpse of a fallen Covenant, and in either Campaign or Firefight, approach a vehicle and shoot it with an overcharged Plasma Pistol shot. There’s no need to fiddle with small arms afterward; simply lob a Grenade (or a highly damaging weapon shot) at it immediately afterward. Try this out in “Mission 02: Uplift Reserve”; kill the Grunts at the start of the mission, picking up a Plasma Pistol, then shoot the nearby Wraith before quickly destroying it with your Spartan Laser.

Dark Times

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 2/10
• Description: Kill 5 enemies while using VISR mode.
• Notes: Press 3 to activate your VISR in a dark area (or a light one, although the glare causes problems with your vision) and kill any five enemies in either Campaign or Firefight. This is almost always obtained during “Mission 01: Prepare to Drop.”

Ewww, Sticky

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 3/10
• Description: Get five Sticky Grenade kills in any level.
• Notes: Use either Plasma or Spike Grenades to do the job; if you’re having problems with enemies dodging your Grenades, locate a Plasma Pistol: Shoot Brutes with an overcharged Plasma shot to bring down their shields, and stun them for a few moments. This gives you the perfect opportunity to lob a Sticky Grenade. Not enough Grenades? Then switch from Campaign to Firefight, where there’s an almost infinite number of Grenades to scavenge.

My Clothes!

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 4/10
• Description: Plasma Pistol overcharge and quickly kill 10 Brutes.
• Notes: By now, you should be consistently using the combination of the Plasma Pistol and Magnum; hit a Brute with an overcharged Plasma shot before switching to the Magnum to tag it with a headshot while it is stunned. This is the way to complete this Achievement, although you can have a friend assist you; let them strike the Brute with the overcharged Plasma shot, then take the headshot yourself (this still counts!). Also make sure you complete the Boom, Headshot! Achievement while working on this one.

Pink and Deadly

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 3/10
• Description: Get 10 Needler supercombine kills on any Covenant.
• Notes: This attack simply means you arm yourself with a Needler and rapidly unload it on a single enemy until the needles explode. Preferred targets are Brutes, as they are tougher than Grunts or Jackals, who can die before you can supercombine them. If you’re having problems locating ammunition in Campaign, switch to Firefight, as there are far more enemies that drop Needlers.

Heal Up

• Points: 5
• Difficulty: 1/10
• Description: Find the first Optican Kiosk and heal yourself.
• Notes: Simply pick up any Health Pack in Campaign or Firefight. There’s one at the very start of “Mission 01: Prepare to Drop.” If you start Firefight, you’ll need to take some damage first, but the Health Packs are usually in the spawning area.

Vidmaster Achievements (3 Achievements/75 Pts.)

The following are extremely difficult Achievements for the professional Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. Tactics for completing them are shown.

Vidmaster Challenge—Classic

• Points: 25
• Difficulty: 6/10
• Description: Finish any level solo on Legendary, on LIVE, with no shots fired or Grenades thrown.
• Notes: You can attempt this on any Campaign mission, but “Mission 03: Uplift Reserve” is the easiest by far. Simply obtain a Warthog at the start of the mission, and allow the UNSC Marines to board your vehicle and do the fighting for you. Retreat whenever your Stamina is compromised; this allows you to rest until it is restored. Note that “shots fired” also includes e-braking (whether into foes or not) and honking your horn, so refrain from these actions, too.

Vidmaster Challenge—Endure

• Points: 25
• Difficulty: 9/10
• Description: In any Firefight mission, pass the fourth set on four-player Heroic LIVE co-op.
• Notes: Even Heroic difficulty is a real challenge, and surviving to the fifth set can be a problem. It is wise to choose either “Mission 02: Lost Platoon” or “Mission 06: Windward,” which are the two Firefight maps you can most easily accomplish this Achievement on.

  For “Lost Platoon,” the wide-open spaces can be initially difficult to master, which leaves players exposed to fire from multiple directions. Two players should stay in or on the central building, using the Spartan Laser to eliminate Wraiths quickly and using Sniper Rifles to tag all other foes. The other two teammates should man vehicles (ideally Brute Choppers), and use this machine’s superior firepower and ramming ability to cut down or splatter any remaining foes.

  For “Windward,” you should stay inside the spawning lobby building as often as possible throughout the mission, and simply have all your team cover the doors. This forces the enemies to enter from one of only three locations and lessens the chance of your team being outflanked or hit from a direction they aren’t aware enemies are in. Conserve your ammunition by picking up Plasma Pistols and comboing them with Magnums. Conserving lives is far more important than gaining points, so abandon reckless tactics and pull back, getting assistance from teammates if the action heats up.

Vidmaster Challenge—Déjà Vu

• Points: 25
• Difficulty: 9/10
• Description: Complete “Mission 09: Coastal Highway” on four-player Legendary LIVE co-op, with Iron Skull active, and no Warthog or Scorpion.

ODST Achievement Totals