Sandtrap

Sandtrap

Although the Brute occupiers have been driven from this ancient structure, they left plenty to remember them by.

DATA STREAM

Recommended Game Variants:

• Big Team Slayer
• Capture the Flag
• Team Snipers
• Land Grab

Number of Players:

• Recommended: 8
• Maximum: 16

Advantageous Equipment:

• Rocket Launcher
• Missile Pod
• Spartan Laser
• Banshee
• Warthog
• Power Drain

Available Equipment & Gear Respawn Times

Weapons

Vehicles

Equipment

Call-out Locations

Red Base

Other Names: N/A
You start out in the back of Red Base, standing near/under a large golden archway. In front of the arch are two smaller broken pillars. There are two Warthogs, a Chopper, and a Mongoose in Red Base. The edges of the base are surrounded with barricades and sandbags you can use as cover.

Elephant

Other Names: Red Elephant, Behemoth
Behind you is the Behemoth, also known as the Red Elephant. The Elephant is a large mobile base that can hold vehicles and teammates. Its sloped ramp allows any vehicle to board. One Elephant can house every vehicle spawned at each base, plus your entire team. In Capture the Flag, each Elephant acts as a base, and your flag will spawn here.

Pelican

Other names: N/A
To the left of the Red Base is the downed Pelican. Here you will find a Missile Pod and a Regenerator.

Red Drive

Other names: N/A
The path that stretches across Red Base to the Pelican is known as Red Drive. The Red Drive begins at Long Base and ends where Rocket Street begins (at Pelican).

Long Base

Other names: N/A
In front of Red Base are a few broken rocks; one is buried in the sand, and one is leaning against a building. This building is Long Base. Climb the leaning rock to access the top of Long Base, where you’ll find an entry point to the area known as Long Hall.

Long Hall

Other names: N/A
Long Hall contains three corridors to the right or left that you can take to exit. All exits left lead you to Underpass; any exits right take you to Long Walk.

Underpass

Other names: N/A
Underpass is the open path between Long Base and a series of bridges. The parallel bridge is known as Rocket Bridge. The two bridges connecting Long Base and Rocket Bridge are Bubble Bridge and Red Bridge. Red Bridge is closest to Red Base, while Bubble Bridge is closer to Open Street.

Red Jet and Mid Jet

Other names: N/A
If you move across Underpass to the bottom side of Rocket Bridge, you’ll notice two air shafts. You can take either to access the top of the bridge. The air shaft closest to Red Base is Red Jet; the other is Mid Jet.

Blue Base

Other names: N/A
Blue Base is marked by the vast archways much like Red Base. It is located behind Small Base.

Small Base

Other names: N/A
Standing on top of Plasma Bunker with your back to Rocket Street, you’ll face Small Base, which is also connected to Blue Base. Much like Red Base, Blue Base is marked by vast archways.

Side Door

Other names: N/A
Moving toward the end of Rocket Street, you’ll notice a small door on your right. This is a side entrance to Blue Base and is known as Side Door.

Elephant

Other names: Blue Elephant, Leviathan
At the rear of Blue Base are a series of three underground doorways. All lead you to Blue Base. Also in front of you will be the Leviathan, or the Blue Elephant. The small mound in the Blue Base is an objective field. The rear of Blue Base is sloped at a climbable angle. The topside of Blue Base and Small Base is easily accessible from this area.

Blue Driveway

Other names : N/A
Along the top of Blue Base is a barricade. If you look down to your right, you’ll see Plasma Bunker. To your left is another spawn point for vehicles. This area is known as Blue Driveway. Red Base and Blue Base have the same amount of spawning vehicles.

Shortcut

Other names: N/A
Looking down toward Blue Driveway from Blue Base, you’ll see a small patch of darkened sand next to a Warthog. This marks an additional entrance to the Blue Base known as Shortcut.

Front Door

Other names: N/A
When entering Shortcut, you’ll see a small room with a single golden pillar; this is known as Small Base. On your left is a walkway leading you out to Open Street. This is known as Front Door. To your right, a small doorway leads you back into Blue Base.

Mid Street

Other names: Open Mid, Mid Map, Open or Mid
Mid Street is the large sandy avenue separating the Small Base from the Long Base and stretches from Rocket Street to Missile Street.

Long Walk

Other names: N/A
From Banshee, you’ll see Missile Street wrap around to Red Drive and a plateau of sand that has covered a bunker. The plateau is known as Long Walk, as taking this route is very time-consuming without a vehicle.

Banshee

Other names: N/A
In front of the Phantom, running along Missile Street, is a small ledge with two supply cases and two Plasma Batteries perched around it. To the ledge’s left is the Banshee. This small area has only one feature—the Banshee—and is very active.

Phantom

Other names: N/A
Cross Missile Street into a purple, destroyed craft. This mangled piece of metal was once a Phantom. It still has its uses as one of the few carney holes in Sandtrap.

Missile Street

Other names: N/A
Taking Shortcut back toward Blue Drive, you’ll pass the Missile Bunker and see another pathway that stretches back around to Red Base. This is known as Missile Street, because it begins at Missile Bunker.

Shotty Bunker

Other names: N/A
To the left of Blue Driveway are two more bunkers. The first is known as Missile Bunker; the second (across Open Street) is Shotty Bunker. Both are named for the main spawning weapons on each.

Missile Bunker

Other names: N/A
To the left of Blue Driveway are two more bunkers. The first is known as Missile Bunker; the second (across Open Street) is Shotty Bunker. Both are named for the main spawning weapons on each.

The Dune

Other names: N/A
There’s a large wall of sand running along the left of Rocket Street. You can climb up the wall from an entrance point in front of Open Street. This top area is known as the Dune, as it’s simply a large sand dune.

Plasma Bunker

Other names: N/A
Rocket Street stretches across the middle of the map (Mid Street) to Blue Base. After crossing the Open, you’ll approach a single bunker. The bunkers resemble smaller pyramids with entries on all sides and from the top. This bunker is known as the Plasma Bunker. Every bunker, including this one, has a Brute Shot on top, but Plasma Bunker also has Plasma Grenades.

Rocket Street

Other names: N/A
The vast area to the left of Rocket Bridge is known as Rocket Street and is a very active path for vehicles.

Enhanced Knowledge

Big Team Slayer and Objective

One of the main game variants played on Sandtrap is Big Team Slayer. This map is designed with heavy Slayer options, which is fruitfully supported with Warthogs, Choppers, and a Banshee. Regardless of which base your team spawns at, you want to first determine which teammates will control the vehicles and which will run for power weapons.

With rampaging vehicles stalking every avenue, it’s difficult to get a sniper in position to put up the big kills. While equipped with the Sniper Rifle, take a Mongoose and try to reach the Dune. This area is high on the map, giving the sniper a vast view of the battle. You’ll also remain practically unnoticed as long as you don’t create a ruckus getting up there. From the Red Base, you can walk up from the beginning of the Dune and creep all the way across.

The team spawning at Blue Base doesn’t have this advantage, because the only other entrance to the top of the Dune is in the middle of the map at Rocket Street. They’ll have to avoid many vehicular attacks before reaching the Dune.

You do have the option of posting your sniper on top of Long Base/Small Base, but their view will be limited. Vehicles can drive to the top of both and easily splatter a sniper who is stuck in their scope, unaware of the enemy’s approach.

Although it seems the Warthog would be first to achieve quick kills, your opponents are securing the same items as well. Grabbing the Missile Pod and blasting away at their Warthog can clear the field for your team to push an assault through.

You can also set up with the Spartan Laser on any of the bunkers. Make sure you have a Battle Rifle equipped along with laser; that way if you’re fired upon, you can drop into the bunker and let your shields regenerate. When setting up, keep in mind the Missile Bunker has a Regenerator.

Many players will want to pilot the Banshee. Consider one or two players only when using the Banshee to your advantage. A skilled pilot can easily maneuver around missiles and bombarding rockets. They can also support any teammates on foot who need cover fire. In extreme situations, the Banshee can hover low enough to the ground and Boost to splatter an opponent.

The distance to the Banshee from each base is pretty much the same. Since the Mongoose is the fastest vehicle in the game, use this reach the Banshee. Although the Chopper is fast, it’s an assault vehicle and shouldn’t be burned just to acquire another assault craft. Save the Chopper for another teammate; the Mongoose isn’t considered a big loss.

The Warthog is one of the most useful vehicles because it can steal kills without requiring much skill. The mounted Turrets are easy point-and-shoot weapons that don’t need to be reloaded and don’t ever run out of ammunition. This saves time and leaves opponents frantic to escape your path. Having a skilled driver will achieve more kills, as they can smoothly operate the Hog and keep it from rolling out of control while driving rugged terrain. The less time you spend flipping an overturned Warthog the better. When flipping a Warthog, you are blind to rushing attacks, as you are focusing your attention on getting it back to its feet and on the road.

In addition to being an armored killing machine, the Warthog can carry an extra person in the passenger seat. When playing Objective games, this vehicle is crucial. Although it isn’t the fastest passenger craft, it’s hard to take down and supplies endless cover fire. Throwing your flag carrier in and heading back to your base is the ultimate strategy for any Objective game.

If your team succeeds in controlling the attack in an Objective game, push a few teammates forward to the opposing team’s Elephant. These are considered moving bases during flag games. Have two players drive their Elephant back around your base and push it into yours. To win the game from here on out, your team simply provides the cover fire needed to keep rushing opponents from taking back their Elephant while your team grabs their flag and scores easily.

The Elephant isn’t often used in attack, because it’s slow and awkward to operate. It’s also easy to board, since you can walk faster than it moves. Keep that in mind when sneaking to your opponent’s base to steal it. You’ll succeed more easily if you send a small group, as the nondriving teammates can use the Turrets to wipe out the approaching team.

Team Snipers

While the Dune is a great sniping position during Objective and Slayer games, it is a little too obvious and leaves you wide open during Team Snipers. This map is large, so the approach on Sandtrap is to sit and wait. Minimize your time spent in the open. You may spawn here, so remember to advance to cover as quickly as possible.

Acquiring sniping position is normally difficult. Try to be patient, because this game may actually end by the time clock. While camping it out, if you aren’t getting any kills, reconsider your position. The opposing team may be settled and waiting for your team’s movement. Try to use the bases to keep from getting picked off. Basically, any position in which you have cover and can see a broad range of the map is where you want to be.

Here are some ideal positions for your team:

The Phantom: This is a great carney hole. You can move in and out of it as needed without much effort.

The ridge between Long Walk and Missile Street: You’ll have a view of any movement between Red Base and in and out of Long Base, and you’ll have a partial view of Open Street, Shotgun and Missile Bunkers, Shortcut, and the back of Blue Base. Use the ridge separating Long Walk and Missile Street as cover.

Small Base: Utilizing Shortcut and Side Door, you can peek out to two different sides of the map with cover. From Shortcut, you can view Blue Driveway, the Missile and Shotgun Bunkers, the Phantom, the Banshee, and Missile Street. From Side Door, you can see Plasma Bunker, a partial view of Open Street, and Rocket Street. You can also see the topside of Mid Jet, with a partial view of the topside Rocket Bridge and Bubble Bridge.

Sniper/Ambush Locations

Dune

You can use the Dune’s distance from the bases as a disguise when sniping.

Phantom

This is a great carney hole. You can move in and out of it as needed without much effort. The Phantom has many nooks and hiding spaces to snipe from.

Pillars

Use the pillars atop Long Base to give you a height advantage on moving players and cover from return fire.

Small Base

Shortcut and Side Door give you cover while you peek out to two different sides of the map. From Shortcut, you can view the Blue Driveway, the Missile and Shotgun Bunkers, the Phantom, the Banshee, and Missile Street. From Side Door, you can see Plasma Bunker, a partial view of Open Street, and Rocket Street. You can also see the topside of Mid Jet, with a partial view of the topside of Rocket Bridge and Bubble Bridge.

The Ridge

This is the ridge between Long Walk and Missile Street. From here, you can see any movement between Red Base and in and out of Long Base, and you have a partial view of Open Street, Shotgun and Missile Bunkers, Shortcut, and the rear of Blue Base. Use the ridge separating Long Walk and Missile Street as cover.

Weapons Tactics

Sandtrap is one of the largest maps in the game, making it a perfect place to wage an all-out vehicular war. With that in mind, most weapons have been created to destroy vehicles and shoot with accuracy at a long range.

Although the Rocket Launcher is not the heat-seeking round it was in Halo 2, it still has the ability to destroy any ground vehicles in one shot. You can use the Rocket Launcher to destroy a Banshee, but it must be low flying and at a closer range.

Use the Missile Pod to destroy any vehicle, land- or sky-based. The heat-seeking round means that you have to aim only in a general area of a boarded opponent and fire. Be careful when firing, because the Missile Pod alerts your opponent’s radar, which gives them opportunity to escape. The missile will not bend corners at steep angles. The only downsides are it may take two missiles to destroy vehicles, and it has poor accuracy on people.

The Spartan Laser is one of the ultimate power weapons because it can take out any vehicle with a single shot. The only real downside to the Laser is charge time and accuracy. You need to allow yourself enough time to fire while keeping steady aim.