Kizingo Boulevard

Mission 04: Kizingo Boulevard

Kizingo Boulevard: Scorpion Tank acquisition point to ONI Building Rally Point

MICKEY • 90m after drop • Kizingo Boulevard

After landing in New Mombasa’s maze of streets, Mickey is fortunate enough to encounter a group of Marines. This fortune changes as a Covenant Wraith hovers into view. It is part of a mechanized division the Covenant has sent to shore up the city and wipe out any remaining defenses. You must locate one of two UNSC Scorpion Main Battle Tanks. Once you have it powered up (with optional Marines hitching a ride), you must carefully and methodically roll through the streets, engaging heavy Covenant forces at numerous plazas throughout Districts 3 and 4. You then meet up with Dutch, holding off two final waves of foes in District 10 and gaining entrance to the ONI Building.

DATA STREAM

Data Hive VISR Target Acquisition Mode Ratio: 15 percent*

*COMM Data Terminals are available only during Rookie missions.

Preferred Weapons

• Rocket Launcher
• Scorpion Tank (Vehicle)
• Plasma Pistol
• Magnum
• Carbine
• Rocket Launcher or Fuel Rod*

*When handed to Marines, with them positioned on the side of your Scorpion

Par Score

• 75,000

Level-Specific Achievements

• Kizingo Boulevard:  Complete this mission to unlock Mickey in Firefight.
• Both Tubes:  Get 10 Rocket Launcher kills on Kizingo Boulevard
• Kizingo Boulevard: Scorpion Tank acquisition point to ONI Building Rally Point

Mission Objectives

• KIZINGO BOULEVARD Save Marines and Scorpion Tank
• KIZINGO BOULEVARD Drive tank to Rally Point
• KIZINGO BOULEVARD Rescue Dutch
• KIZINGO BOULEVARD Help Dutch defend Rally Point

Choke Point 1: Covered Plaza and Scorpion Acquisition

Objective

• KIZINGO BOULEVARD Save Marines and Scorpion Tank

You begin under heavy fire from a Covenant Wraith grav-tank [1A] to the south of you. Being struck by its mortar fire seriously damages you, so use the cover and quickly switch to your Rocket Launcher. A single shot is occasionally enough to destroy it, so fire more than one shot and ensure the Wraith explodes; then switch to your Silenced SMG, and charge the Wraith’s smoking husk—there are two Jackals to kill off here. Keep one Rocket remaining in your Launcher; it’s a gift for a Marine you’ll soon meet. From here, there’s one foolish and one recommended tactic to try.

Tactic: On Foot and Outgunned

Stay close to the left wall where you spawned. You can move in a general northwest direction into a large overhanging plaza [1B]. Here you face several Grunts, Jackals, and armored Brutes on foot. Of particular importance are Brutes with Brute Shot weapons. Expect Brutes to activate their bubble shields, further complicating your attacks. With a Ghost to face and a large population of foes milling about this area, confronting these enemies on foot is an unwise proposition. You can hijack and board the Ghost, but there’s a much better vehicle to take command of....

Tactic: On Board and Awesome

There are two vehicles to take command of! Check your NAV (or guide) map for the locations of two Scorpion Tanks [1C], both fueled and ready for you to take control. Both have a Marine driving it (he’ll hop out once he knows you’re going to control the vehicle). Choose either of the tanks, and wait for any UNSC forces to move alongside your Scorpion; have a Marine sit on the tank’s side to provide fire support, especially if you give him your Rocket Launcher or allow him to man your tank’s machine-gun turret. Giving him the Rocket Launcher is important to an Achievement, while allowing him to man the turret allows you to shrug off any Brutes that attempt to assault the tank physically.

Tactic: Bringing Down Brutes

This tactic applies throughout this mission; aside from Wraiths and other large targets, Brutes should be your primary focus. Not only do they tend to leap onto your Scorpion, but also they carry an antitank weapon, the Brute Shot. This damages your vehicle more than any other infantry weapon, so react immediately if you see Brutes, whether they’re carrying Brute Shots or not!

With only a limited amount of ammunition, it may seem tricky to complete the “Both Tubes” Achievement, which is available only on this mission. There are two methods for obtaining this Achievement. The first is to target large clusters of enemies, so each Rocket kills multiple enemies at once. Wraiths count as three enemies. There’s additional Rocket ammo at the inactive Gauss Turret at Choke Point 4 (which you should access first) and at the Rally Point. Better yet, give the Rocket Launcher to a Marine who sits on your tank and blasts away; any kills he makes are added to your Achievement total, too!

Now that you’re controlling a deadly piece of UNSC hardware, it’s time to use it effectively: Head west, watching a Phantom deposit a Wraith in the distance. Optionally blast the Phantom out of the sky [1D], tracking it with your Turret as you rumble forward; then quickly launch Cannon strikes on a pesky Ghost and any Brutes to your left (southwest) in the covered plaza. Maintain your speed as you head up the ramp [1E]. Destroy the Wraith on the road ahead, tagging it before it hits you with a mortar. Keep moving so the mortar passes overhead as you close. After you deal with the Wraith, check the dead-end road to the north, and blast the Brute up there. Your objective updates.

Objective

• KIZINGO BOULEVARD Drive tank to Rally Point

Tactic: A Scorpion’s Sting Operation

With two or four players, having two Scorpions rumbling through New Mombasa is always an excellent idea, as long as one of the tanks doesn’t block the path of the other. However, on more savage difficulty levels, it is wise to split up your team, with one player rushing for the tank while the other engages the enemy, keeping them occupied (especially Brutes with Brute Shots, which can make it difficult to reach a tank) until the tank can pick them up.

Choke Point 2: Stepped Plaza

Continue along the city street, blasting a pack of Jackals under a building overhang to your right (northwest) until the road bends to the left (south). Blast the open window across from you (next to the “355” on the wall), and immediately launch a second Cannon strike on an incoming Ghost [2A]. Remember, hit the Ghost, not the lampposts! Continue along the winding road as it slopes up to a Y-junction [2B], keeping close to the left wall. Pivot your Cannon right, dropping a Brute on the rooftop next to a beacon; then edge into the Y-junction and fire on the open skywalk, where you must defeat some Brutes. Shrug off any Grenades that are thrown. Deal with a Ghost immediately afterward. An energy wall blocks the right fork, so head left (southeast). This road leads to a stepped plaza and a cluster of enemies that threaten to destroy your vehicle if you don’t employ caution.

The stepped plaza has two Shade Turrets, a Covenant Watchtower, and a cluster of foes to the left, the right, and at the base of the stairs to your right. There is also a Shade Turret on a building balcony to your right. In addition, a Phantom descends above the top of the stepped area directly ahead of you [2C] and drops infantry out of its right-side Pod door. Obviously, a measured approach is called for here. Learn which enemies are likely to destroy your tank in the fastest time and make them your primary targets: Take down the Shade Turret located on the left-side building ahead of you [2D] from the safety of the road entrance with the buildings on each side; those buildings are your cover. Then bombard the Phantom with three direct Cannon strikes (aim for one of the engines) until it explodes.

As you fire your main Cannon into the building alcove at ground level to your left (culling multiple infantry), edge into the plaza so your right flank is exposed; this allows the enemies at the base of the stepped area, the Shade Turret on the building balcony to the southwest [2E], and a sniper on the southeast building roof to attack you. Quick aiming is needed here. Demolish the Shade Turret first, blast the Watchtower, fire at the sniper, and then pick off remaining infantry that are milling around.

This area has taken a pounding from the fallen space elevator, and massive skeletal sections of it drape from the half-crushed building on which the second Shade Turret sat. Progress southeast in your tank. There are two exits: one at the bottom of the steps that lead to a secondary entrance to Choke Point 3, with a barrier with a Health Pack on the road before you reach the next plaza. However, it makes more tactical sense to stay in the Scorpion and head along the road from the top of the steps to the nearer exit; you won’t need to rumble through the wreckage of the Watchtower, which takes longer.

Choke Point 3: Roundabout Plaza

Drive southeast along the road from the top of the stepped plaza, following the road east and immediately halting at the junction [3A]. Swing your Cannon around to the right. Ideally, halt before you reach the junction itself, or face bombardment from three Shade Turrets in the center of a roundabout plaza with a gazebo in the middle of it. These Turrets are extremely nasty; it is better to peek out and take down the one on the left, then the middle one, and finally the one on the right, edging farther out each time so only one Shade Turret can fire on you. The threats don’t end there, however!

Turn the corner so your Scorpion is facing the center of the plaza, and blast away at the Covenant’s ground defenses and Brutes in front of you, to the right. Then pick off a Ghost before checking the skies for an incoming Phantom [3B]. Even if you destroy it (with three, well-placed shots to one of the Phantom’s engines), it still has time to drop in a second Ghost. This isn’t the biggest threat; there are a couple of Grunts on the balcony just right of the rooftop Watchtower, and they’re armed with Fuel Rod Cannons [3C]. There are also a couple of other foes on the skywalks up there. Back up from that highly damaging green plasma, and target them immediately. There are two more Jackal Snipers: One is sniping you from the northeast roof [3D] just left of a parked Scorpion, and the other is on a rooftop on the west side. Make a circle, tagging any remaining foes, before parking. You may find the odd Grunt straggler as you inspect the area.

Tactic: Outflanked and Outgunned

With two or four players attempting to secure this plaza, you have the additional help of a second Scorpion Tank. Even better, the southern road at the base of the stepped plaza (Choke Point 2) accesses this area. Radio each other to time your attack precisely. Aim at the forces in the order presented previously, but attack from two directions, causing confusion among the Covenant.

The area is suspiciously quiet but isn’t secured yet: Investigate the undamaged Scorpion [3E], parked on a road to the northeast, and use it as cover as you engage a squad of Grunts behind some defenses between the Scorpion and the dead-end energy wall. One of these enemies has a Fuel Rod Cannon—the perfect gift to any surviving Marines riding with you. You can gather a variety of ammunition from this area or from the scattered bodies of Covenant in the plaza. You’re picking up Dutch’s signal from the south. Exit the plaza, traveling in this direction and heading through from District 3 to 4. Your objective updates.

Objective

• KIZINGO BOULEVARD Rescue Dutch

Choke Point 4: Kizingo Plaza

Trundle through the door, and turn your tank left (southeast) so it faces down the road. Ahead of you and out of sight, Dutch and a squad of Marines are attempting to ambush a Covenant patrol consisting of two Wraiths and a Ghost. Don’t rush to help them; you have closer enemies to worry about. A Marine with Dutch prematurely engages the patrol, and two Banshees swoop down to help their forces. Remain inside your Scorpion, and track the two Banshees [4A] as they head your way. Blow them apart with your Cannon. Trundle down the street, firing at the infantry behind cover on your left as the road turns right; then immediately swing your Turret around to the right (southwest). A Phantom is about to deposit Jackals and Brutes on the raised concrete balconies [4B] near a Gauss Turret; target the Phantom as it swoops down, and blast the ship out of the sky before the foes can disembark. If you’re too slow, stop and blast at the infantry before continuing to the base of the sloped road.

Quickly move down to the junction and roundabout area, where two Wraiths approach you from the south [4C], and a Phantom drops off a Ghost. There’s no need to blast the Phantom; concentrate your firepower on the Wraith that is moving toward you. In the distance to the south, you can make out Dutch’s HUD insignia and a large “4”; the second Wraith is attacking Dutch and his Marines, but they can handle the attack. There’s no need to rush to their aid. Instead, take out the Ghost and a possible second Ghost that another Phantom drops off at the junction. Then slowly take out any Jackals or Brutes lurking behind building pillars dotted around the perimeter of the roundabout. Move in and tag the second Wraith [4D] with a cannon shot, coaxing it away from Dutch and into the roundabout area, where you should finish it off. This allows you to easily aim at a final Phantom that tries dropping infantry where you defeated the first one, by the concrete balconies. This concludes the portion of this battle that you’ll fight in a Scorpion.

Tactic: Superior Firepower

When assaulting with a teammate, it is wise to approach along the road in two separate Scorpion Tanks. When the Banshees swoop in, fire at them in tandem so they never reach you to execute a bombing run. With the Banshees defeated, have one player move their Scorpion into the roundabout (as described previously) to challenge the Wraiths and Ghosts while the other (or another player) stays in the tank, by the building with the Gauss Turret, to blast away at incoming Phantoms and any troops escaping. If your team has three or four members, make sure each teammate knows their role; the third player can bring in another Scorpion for additional firepower, while the fourth mans the Gauss Turret and gathers Rocket Launcher ammunition for combat in Choke Point 5.

Choke Point 5: ONI Building Rally Point

Objective

• KIZINGO BOULEVARD Help Dutch defend Rally Point

The ramp on which Dutch is standing [5A] leads to the Rally Point and cannot be accessed by vehicle.  Head up the ramp to meet Dutch, but there’s little time for pleasantries; as you reach the ONI facility entrance door, it opens and a group of Covenant infantry rush you. React with a single rocket attack before they disperse. You can take out most of them with this attack and hopefully complete the Both Tubes Achievement in the process. If not, a mixture of sniping and Grenades removes the threats from the street. Head south down the street, with Dutch running with you or ahead of you. Quickly sprint up the sloped ramp to a group of Marines behind some UNSC barricades [5B]. Save your Rockets and assist the Marines, checking near the building entrance (east of you) and the barricades for Grenades, Health Packs, and supplies.

A Phantom appears from the north, flying down to deposit a Wraith and a group of infantry (usually Jackals and Brutes) with quick efficiency. It lands in the center of the lower road [5C], and the enemies stream out. Some foes begin attacking you by heading up the sloping road on either side of the central concrete stepped area, but others are more cunning and attempt to outflank you by heading up the stairs in the southwest and northeast corners of this locale and over the narrow footbridges. They try to tag you from the upper balcony above which the Marines are dug in. You can try the following tactics no matter where the enemies are.

Tactic: Early Execution

Load up both tubes of your Rocket Launcher, and move to a position (such as the top of the stepped area or one of the footbridges overlooking the middle of the road) as the Phantom descends. You must be quick to react, or you don’t have time to complete this mass execution. As the Phantom deploys its troops, throw Grenades (or fire Rockets) at the ground where the foes are landing; the ensuing explosion severely thins their numbers. Then finish off any stragglers with your Rocket Launcher, which can also take out multiple foes. Any other weapon is decent for picking off fleeing foes, too.

Tactic: Better Late Than Never

If the Phantom arrives, deposits its infantry, and then leaves, you have a more prolonged and tactical battle to plan. Stay on higher ground. You can retreat to the upper balconies on either side of the area and fire sniped shots at the Jackals and Brutes as they roam the streets. On higher difficulties, use a mixture of a Plasma Pistol (to wear down any shielded foe’s protection) and a Magnum, a Carbine, or a Sniper Rifle (to finish the foe with a headshot) for most of your kills, or use any other weaponry you find lying about. This is a good time to pick up a Needler and attempt to complete the Pink and Deadly Achievement.

Tactic: Rocket Wrath for the Wraith

While you’re grenading the ground under the Phantom’s drop point, the Wraith is deposited on the ground [5D]. However, assuming you’ve armed yourself with a Rocket Launcher, you can simply fire on it as soon as the Phantom drops it, so it explodes a few moments after touching down on the road below. This offers an easy victory and one that helps net your Both Tubes Achievement.

Tactic: Manual Hijacking

If you don’t have Rockets or aren’t fast enough to quickly destroy the Wraith when it drops into play, you can always lob Grenades at its structure, ideally from the balconies behind and above the vehicle. However, a better plan is to approach the Wraith from the side so you aren’t destroyed by its weapons or ramming, and leap onto the Wraith, boarding it [5D] and then wedging a Grenade into it, so it explodes.

Tactic: Sniping and Savagery

Note the Sniper Rifle and Health Packs by the stationed Marines. Have one of your team grab the Rifle and move to a covered area, such as the balconies above the action. Your teammate can access these via the sloped roads behind the Marine’s barricades. This sniper can then tag enemies from afar and pick up any foes trying to outflank you by heading up onto these balconies or up the sloping road below. With three players, have a second sniper on the opposite balcony. The other player (or players, if you have four) should head straight for closer combat, leading with the enemies encroaching via the central steps and using Grenades to weaken them as these foes fall from their Phantoms.

After the first Phantom has deposited its troops, heal up, grab ammunition and Grenades, and be ready for a second ship to hover into view. Just like before, don’t waste time targeting the Phantom’s hull; the problems lie with the Wraith, as well as a squad of Brutes [5E] and the usual Jackals and Grunts. With this second wave, use the same techniques previously outlined, lobbing well-placed Grenades at the drop-off points, and launch another single rocket at the Wraith. More importantly, a carefully fired rocket can destroy most, if not all, of the Brute squad as they exit the Phantom. Then finish off any stragglers before linking up with Dutch and gaining entry to the ONI Building.