Crater & Crater

Mission 01: Crater & Crater (Night)

Fight in Dare’s Sunken Crash Site

From one of two side corridors, you emerge in New Mombasa, overlooking a large sunken plaza known as the “crater.” On either side is an alcove from which foes periodically stream in, and there is an alcove on the lower level to the north, where the Rocket Launcher is housed. Expect incoming attacks from doorways here and from the upper street to the north. This is also where Phantoms drop their payload of foes. Nighttime sorties on this mission result in a lack of Jackal Snipers, but Engineers arrive intermittently.

DATA STREAM

EXPECTED ENEMIES

• Grunts
• Jackals
• Brutes
• Brute Chieftains
• Jump-Pack Brutes
• Brute Stalkers
• Drones
• Hunters

SPECIAL ENEMIES

• Jackal Snipers (Crater only)
• Engineers (Crater Night only)

EXPECTED VEHICLES

• Phantoms

OPTIMAL WEAPON COMBINATIONS

• Gravity Hammer - Magnum
• Magnum Plasma - Pistol*

*After Set 3, on Heroic and Legendary difficulty

PREFERRED WEAPON COMBINATIONS

• Carbine - Fuel Rod Cannon
• Carbine - Gravity Hammer
• Carbine - Plasma Pistol
• Carbine - Rocket Launcher
• Fuel Rod Cannon - Gravity Hammer
• Fuel Rod Cannon - Magnum
• Gravity Hammer - Rocket Launcher
• Magnum - Rocket Launcher

PAR SCORE

• 200,000 Points

Notable Offenses

Weapon: Fuel Rod Cannon Advantages

Usually, players race for the Rocket Launcher—an undeniably devastating weapon—in the northwest alcove under the upper street. However, the Fuel Rod Cannon (scavenged from Brutes, Chieftains, or even Grunts) is arguably a better weapon. Although it isn’t as damaging, it has greater and more accessible ammunition. For every round, you’re given only six rockets to use: four in the Launcher and two more in a Rocket Pack behind the Turret on the entrance wall. Compare this to the numerous enemies dropping this weapon, and you’ll see the Fuel Rod is a fine alternative. In four-player games, have one player use the Rocket Launcher constantly while others use the Fuel Rod.

Weapon: Hammer and Magnum Sprees

Your personal choice may vary, but ODST Troopers have had excellent luck with the Gravity Hammer and Magnum combination due to a very specific advantage: the accrual of all-important points. Maximize your points potential by dashing about with the Hammer, culling multiple Covenant at their spawning points; you’re awarded large kill chains and Hammer sprees in the process. While you’re running to Hammer the next group, bring out the Magnum and headshot a Grunt or Jackal to keep the kill chain continuous. When executed adeptly, performing kill chains through multiple enemy waves is difficult but possible.

General Plans

Tactic: Incursion Points—Phantom Drops

As the guide map indicates, there are three Phantom drop-off locations: two on the upper street and one within the Crater plaza. The upper-left (south) drop point deposits Covenant down through a hole in the Phantom’s superstructure. The north and Crater Phantoms have hatches on the sides, and enemies descend from both locations; these include Grunts, Jackals, Brutes, and even Hunters. Learning these two dropping methods allows you to camp at the Phantom drop points, then wade in and wallop with a Gravity Hammer or with multiple strikes using a Rocket or Grenades. This adds serious points to your team total.

Tactic: Incursion Points—“Monster Closets”

There are eight doorways you can’t enter (an energy wall prevents you), where Covenant forces pour out from. These are known as “monster closets.” There are two on the upper street level; two on each side alcove, near the steps down from the starting location; and a final two to the northwest, under the upper street in the alcove where the Rocket Launcher is located.

Tactic: Near and Far

If you’re attempting to keep your team’s deaths down, it is imperative you equip yourself with one of the recommended weapon pairings listed previously. However, it is preferable to keep one weapon for “heavy-hitting,” such as a Gravity Hammer or Rocket Launcher, while the other is scoped and excellent for headshots. The Covenant congregate in the lower plaza, as they stream out of doors, or as they drop down from Phantoms; this means a weapon with a large splash-damage radius is handy [1]. When playing Crater during daylight hours, at least two of your group should keep a lookout for Jackal Snipers appearing along the tops of the buildings [2], along the left (southwest) and far (northwest) sides of this map. They can wreak real havoc if they aren’t decapitated quickly, especially on Legendary, when one or two sniper shots is enough to kill a squadmate. For Crater (Night), make sure one or two of your team respond early and promptly to the periodic entrance of an Engineer or two.

Tactic: Turret’s Syndrome

The Turret on the fern planter outside your spawn point is exceptionally useful. During initial waves, you can simply operate the Turret and rake fire on the squads of Grunts and Jackals staggering out or dropping down from their entrance points. But it is wise to learn when and when not to operate the Turret:

• The best time to use a Turret is during a wave of Drones; the Turret’s infinite ammo and quick kills (only two or three shots per Drone) allow good kill-chain possibilities.
• The more dangerous time is when the Catch Skull is enabled; you won’t have time to dodge any incoming Grenades, especially if multiple ones are incoming at once.
• The Turret’s turning radius is about 180 degrees left and right and 160 degrees up and down. This means you can’t hit foes directly below you in the plaza or those advancing from the tops of the stairs to the left and right.
• Couple a Turret with another player’s attacks on the same toughened target to take out troublesome targets, such as Phantom Turret Gunners, Snipers (Day only), Engineers (Night only), and Brute Chieftains.
• Hunters cannot melee attack you when you’re operating a Turret attached to its base. This allows you to pepper the Hunter with bullets while a friend occupies the beast.

Tactic: Staying Put

The initial balcony near the starting chambers is an excellent place to hang out (at least one of you should remain here during four-player matches), as it gives you tactical advantages: You have easy access to the available Health Packs (there are four, two on either side of each starting door); additional ammunition, which is handy for those wanting continuous Magnum headshots; and the Turret for rapid-fire multikills. There are also plenty of crates and pillars to use as cover when you come under fire, and the Covenant can only physically reach you by ascending the steps at either side, meaning you aren’t likely to be overrun. The only exception are Drones or Jump-Pack Brutes who ignore the stairs, so kill them early to avoid being swarmed.

Tactic: From Pillar to Post

The alcoves, central crater plaza, and Rocket Launcher alcoves all have numerous pillars, planters, and posts to use as cover. This is highly recommended, ideally when Phantoms are descending to deposit foes and you don’t have multiple players firing on the nose Turret, which can peel through your armor and Stamina in seconds. Most enemy projectiles will hit pillars you’re lurking behind, so you’ll need to tactically move from pillar to pillar. The abundance of cover makes tactically moving from pillar to pillar an excellent plan.

Tactic: Exit the Engineer (Night Only)

Instead of Jackal Snipers, the Crater (Night) variant of this mission has two Engineers that periodically fly over the map, coming in from the far upper left and right sides. Engineers are troublesome, as they grant all enemies in a moderate radius below them an overshield, including other Engineers if they are close enough. Overshields give enemies much more resilience, and Engineers have one small advantage: Their power reveals any Brute Stalkers in the vicinity. Resilient against many Covenant and UNSC weaponry, they can be difficult to take down and should be a priority; otherwise, all other combat is harder. By far the best way to take down an Engineer is with a fully charged Plasma Pistol blast; the Engineer panics and explodes after a few seconds, after which the Covenants’ overshields are depleted. If you don’t have a Plasma Pistol, tag it with your Turret, Sniper Rifle, or a weapon without a “projectile arc,” as these foes float quite a distance away from you.

Cooperative Plans

Tactic: Four-Player Foresight

Competent team tactics should include variations on the following: One team member should stay at the Turret and be responsible for raking multiple foes, dealing with Drones, and tagging Snipers (Day) or Engineers (Night). Players two and three should choose a side and patrol the stairs down from the start, to the alcove where the two enemy doors are located. They can easily move to back up other teammates when their side is “quiet.” The fourth player, who is likely the most experienced, should be responsible for patrolling the upper street and the Rocket Launcher alcove underneath, calling on players two and three when a deluge of foes threaten to overwhelm.

Tactic: Other Plans

Typically, another good plan is to execute a roving patrol with two players responsible for each other and for the enemies they encounter along the way. However, in Crater, if you have less than four players or if you’re working in two teams of two, have one player tackle the right staircase side and stay there until called on for assistance. This usually prevents the Covenant from outflanking you.

Health is a precious commodity, cherished almost as much as Rocket ammunition. Be mindful of Health Packs and how many are left. If you’re taking a pack, tell your team which one and how many are left; they are only replenished at the start of each round, so unless instructed otherwise, take only one pack per round so your team can access health as well. And don’t take the Rocket ammunition if you’re not using the weapon in question!

Tactic: Cooperative Engineer Culling (Night Only)

During nighttime excursions into Crater, it is wise to designate one member of your team as the Engineer dispatcher, armed with the Plasma Pistol. This is preferable to having multiple teammates using this weapon and not being properly equipped—and therefore being susceptible to getting overrun or dying quickly. Pairing your Plasma Pistol with a Carbine or Magnum still allows this teammate to tackle Grunts, Shield Jackals, Brutes, and Drones without taking themselves out of the action between Engineer takedowns. Naturally, they won’t be adding much to the team score, but this isn’t an individual tournament. Picking a single team member to wield the Plasma Pistol becomes even more prevalent once the Famine Skull is permanently on, as ammunition for it can really sustain only one team member by that time. You can also dispatch Engineers by using the Turret.

Bonus Round Plans

Tactic: Headshot Kill Chains

Assuming you make it to the first and subsequent bonus rounds, your weapons of choice are the Magnum or Carbine (or both), plus enough ammunition for plenty of headshot kill chains. All foes are Grunts, but because all Skulls are active, expect a large number of enemy Plasma Grenades and Suicide Grunts. Keep moving so the enemies’ Grenades are less likely to hit. Run around the map and attempt as many headshots as possible, but don’t enter the central plaza area, as Grunts converge on this location from all directions. Instead, most of your team should stay near the Turret (but don’t operate it or you’ll be showered with Grenades; pick it up if you must); the height and cover allows for the largest score and survival time.