Objective: Reach Cortana
You’ve got to reach Cortana if you’re to have any chance at reasoning with her, but the Warden stands in your way. Fortunately, Cortana intervenes and swiftly dismisses the Warden, then asks that you hurry and find her.
But before doing so, turn around and scan two Forerunner consoles for two pieces of intel.
Mission 14 Intel Acquired (1/5) (2/5) |
Despite Cortana’s insistence that the Warden leave you alone, the tyrant summons a host of Crawlers to assault you in the spacious area beyond the first hall 1 . Lay waste to these lowly foes, swapping your Assault Rifle for a Suppressor when its ammo runs low. Consider giving other Suppressors to your teammates.
Advance up the side ramps until the Warden spawns more Crawlers, along with several Soldiers and a few Watchers 2. Cut down the closest Crawlers, then fix your sights on the hovering Watchers. Destroy both Watchers before directing your fire at the Soldiers. Split up your team and attack from both sides of the area to flank the enemies in the middle.
More hostiles materialize as you near the far end of the room, including a Soldier Captain and two fearsome Knights 3. Hurl grenades down at them as you move to flank them, firing from all sides. Make use of the additional Suppressors and LightRifles found in three supply stations around the Knights’ spawning site. Stronger arms would be ideal against the Knights, but you have plenty of firepower to get the job done here, especially if you give Forerunner weaponry to your team.
Achievement: HarbingerIf you’re playing on Legendary difficulty, you can earn a special Achievement in this mission. The objective is simple, but far from easy: You must beat the mission on Legendary without ever allowing your whole team to die. It’s OK if a Spartan falls and is revived, but you forfeit your chances of earning this Achievement if Blue Team goes down, or if you choose to restart from a previous checkpoint. Should either occur, you’ll need to begin the mission anew and try again. Fortunately, the mission isn’t long, and Blue Team’s shields are quick to recover. Stick close together, be quick to revive fallen comrades, and use the Legendary Strategy tips found in this walkthrough to help you earn this arduous Achievement. |
Legendary StrategyAdvance slowly and cautiously in this battle during Legendary play, keeping close to cover at all times. Switch to Forerunner weaponry as soon as possible and be sure to give Forerunner weapons to your team as well. Cripple the constructs with a hails of Suppressor and Boltshot fire, then switch to a LightRifle or Chief’s starting Magnum to finish off the wounded with headshots. Be sure to collect the Incineration Cannons that the Knights leave behind. |
A nearby door opens after the Knights have been neutralized. Consider grabbing one of the Incineration Cannons dropped by the Knights, or give them both to your teammates and restock your LightRifle/Suppressor ammo. Take a moment to scan the nearby Forerunner console for new intel before proceeding through the door.
Mission 14 Intel Acquired (3/5) |
A large lift lies beyond the door 4. Move forward until the lift begins to transport you through the Gateway’s murky ether. Cortana contacts you again as you go, but she still can’t be reasoned with. You’ve got to find some way of gaining her undivided attention.
The lift delivers you to a new section of the Gateway, where the Warden spawns more constructs to challenge you 5. Snatch a Scattershot off the nearby weapon racks and annihilate the advancing Crawlers. Two Soldier Captains bombard you with Splinter Turret fire from the ramps farther ahead; blast the Captains with a LightRifle or Incineration Cannon to bring them down fast.
Pick up one of the Splinter turrets dropped by a Soldier Captain after the battle, then advance to find two Incineration Cannons stocked in weapon racks on either side of the room’s far ramp 6. Grab or give away the Incineration Cannons, then scale the ramp to reach the room’s second level, where more Crawlers spawn 7. Annihilate them with your Splinter Turret as you continue your ascent, but don’t advance afterward.
Instead, turn around and descend the ramp you’ve just scaled as if you were heading back to the Incineration Cannons. After descending the ramp, carefully climb onto the machinery in front of you to discover a hidden weapon called Didact’s Signet. Grab this mighty firearm, but try to save it for the mission’s final battle.
Two Beam Turrets and two Soldier Captains armed with Scattershots materialize as you near the door at the top of the area 8. Immediately take cover behind the Forerunner barricades and unleash your Suppressor or Scattershot against the advancing Captains (the Scattershot is ideal). Once they’re down, carefully pick shots at the Beam Turrets to destroy them as well. Try to destroy the turrets with smaller arms, conserving your Incineration Cannon ammo for the next battle, which occurs beyond the door ahead.
Legendary StrategyIf you’ve given your team Incineration Cannons, mark the Beam Turrets as priority targets so they’ll destroy them right away. If you’ve kept the Incineration Cannons for yourself, mark the Soldier Captains as priority targets and allow Blue Team to battle them while you blast the Beam Turrets with Incineration Cannon fire. |
Alternate ApproachIf sticking to the entry tunnel isn’t working for you, try rushing forward while the Warden is being dismissed by Cortana. You have just enough time to sprint to the area beneath the Warden’s platform 9, which gives you the drop on the Snipers and one of the Soldier Captains. Defend this position until you feel it’s safe to advance up one of the side ramps. |
Legendary StrategyThe Soldier Snipers are your greatest threats here on Legendary difficulty. Their Binary Rifles are lethal, and they leave nothing for your teammates to revive. Being deleted by a Binary Rifle ends your chances at earning the Harbinger Achievement, so look for those laser sights, and thrust or fall back whenever they mark you. Prioritize the Snipers, striving to eliminate both of them with LightRifle headshots or Incineration Cannon blasts before turning your focus to the Soldier Captains. |
Didact's Signet Made by the Didact’s own hand to reward his most elite Prometheans, this advanced Scattershot fires fast-moving, long-range projectiles with stronger homing behavior after ricochets. |
The Warden appears in the spacious area beyond the door 9, but Cortana dismisses the villain once again, leaving you to deal with the Soldiers and Crawlers that the Warden has spawned. Remain in the entry tunnel 10 to avoid being shelled by the three Soldier Captains armed with Splinter Turrets. Return fire with a LightRifle or Incineration Cannon, aiming to eliminate the two Soldier Snipers that sight you from behind the glowing shields beneath the Warden’s platform 9. Target the Watchers next, followed by the Soldier Captains.
Advance after dropping the Snipers and Captains, moving to secure the vicinity. Don’t scale the side ramps to reach higher ground just yet, but search the low area between the ramps to discover another Forerunner console tucked away in a nook. Scan it for more intel.
Mission 14 Intel Acquired (4/5) |
Move up the ramps after scanning the console, flanking the Soldiers on the higher ground. Fight until the last construct falls, then ammo up before following your objective to another lift platform. Move to its end, and Cortana will start the lift in motion, delivering you to another new area.
Skull 12 of 13: Famine This Skull is a gimme. Just check the area beneath the Warden’s platform 9 and behind the Forerunner console to discover the Famine Skull sitting there, waiting to be claimed.  |