Major Firefight: Covenant Camp

More Covenant forces have set up camp just beyond the crash site. Approaching from the main trail is disastrous; flank the enemy by scaling the rocks on the right to reach a sniper’s ledge 8 or by smashing into the left-side trail with a Spartan Charge 10.

Recommended Loadout

A Carbine and a Plasma Pistol or Storm Rifle are solid weapons to bring into this battle. Use a Carbine to pick off the Grunts and Jackals, and the Plasma Pistol or Storm Rifle to break the Elites’ shields. The powerful weapons that can be found in the high cave 7 en route to the sniper’s ledge 8 are also extremely effective, as are the Fuel Rod Cannons on the sniper’s ledge itself.

The main trail leads to a Covenant encampment. Rather than approaching the hot spot head on, get the drop on the Covies by climbing the rocks on the right 6.

When you reach a glowing patch of orange-ish flora on your right, turn to face it and then look up to spy a high cave 7. Jump up and climb into the cave, which is easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it.

The cave serves as the final resting place of a Meridian miner. Could the Guardian have brought him here somehow? Scan the data pad dropped by the unfortunate man for intel, then grab or give away the Rocket Launcher and Railgun he also left behind.

Exit the cave and continue scaling the rocks on the right to reach an excellent sniper’s ledge 8. Here, you can put your newfound weaponry to good use against the Covenant below, along with the Fuel Rod Cannons you find in the nearby Covenant supply crate. Prioritize the Jackal Sniper on the rocky perch across from you 9 and the Grunt Heavy that’s moving around with a Fuel Rod Cannon down below. A Carbine is a good backup when you run out of heavy ordnance.

A special Needler called Talon of the Lost is also hidden on the sniper’s ledge—look for it in the cracks of the lower ledges just below the Fuel Rod Cannons. In addition, if you keep inching along the ledge to its farthest end, you’ll discover a mighty Beam Rifle that can help you finish off those pesky Elites.

Talon of the Lost Sangheili miners and engineers continue to discover amazing new properties of the Subanese crystals used in Needler ammunition. Talon of the Lost is an advanced Needler that fires carefully calibrated shards that can embed themselves in armor.

Achievement: No Witnesses Grab the Rocket Launcher and Railgun from the cave at 7, then race to the sniper’s ledge 8 and use them to bring down the Phantom that flies off shortly after you reach the Covenant camp. You’ll earn an Achievement if you succeed, but the Phantom flies away fast, so you’ve got to be quick! You’ll need both weapons to bring down the Phantom. If it escapes, restart from the previous checkpoint and try again.

Alternate Approach Instead of heading to the sniper ledge 8, turn left when you reach the Covenant camp and follow a side passage to a weak wall 10. Smash through the wall with a Spartan Charge to reach a Covenant supply crate that’s stocked with Carbines. Put these to use as you unload on the Covies from here. Scale the nearby rocks on the left to reach the Jackal Sniper’s perch 9, where you have access to another Carbine and the Beam Rifle that the Jackal drops.

Ammo up after securing the campsite. The path ahead briefly splits before rejoining at a choke point where more Covenant forces have set up a Plasma Cannon Turret 11. Avoid the low middle tunnel, either taking the left path or scaling the right slope to reach higher ground. Pick shots at the Covies with a Carbine or Beam Rifle from these vantages, or simply annihilate them with a few blasts from a Fuel Rod Cannon.

After the battle, take the left trail and smash through a weak wall 12 to get the drop on the next group of foes ahead. Alternatively, detach the Plasma Cannon and unload on the Covies from the high vantage on the right 13.