Combat Fundamentals

While moving about the battlefield is a major part of gameplay, the sole purpose of movement is to place you in a position where you can deploy your weapons, engaging and eliminating the enemy. And when it comes to weapons, Halo 5: Guardians has you covered.

Weapons

Regardless of game mode, you always have two weapons in your possession, shown in the upper right corner of the HUD. The reticle in the center of the screen is the aiming point for the equipped weapon. Simply place the reticle directly over the target and then squeeze the trigger. This is called firing from the hip. In some games, firing from the hip is penalized with a noticeable reduction in accuracy. But in Halo’s fast-paced matches, firing from the hip is recommended. The Smart-Link system guarantees reasonable accuracy, even while running and jumping. However, when precision counts, aim down the weapon’s sights for greater magnification, which is ideal for scoring headshots once an opponent’s shields have been popped. The magnification offered by Smart-Link varies from weapon to weapon, but you can usually expect a 1.5x to 4x zoom level.

Recoil Management

In Halo, most weapons exhibit some form of recoil, ranging from mild to harsh. Each shot fired usually causes the muzzle to climb. As the muzzle climbs, follow-up shots may miss the intended target completely. When you’re firing automatic weapons, the longer the burst, the less accurate your fire. Therefore, to maintain greater accuracy and still put a lot of shots on target, fire in short bursts. You are more likely to kill your target, especially at medium to long range, with a few accurate rounds rather than spraying an entire magazine over a wide area. As you get more comfortable with the weapons, compensate for muzzle climb by applying slight downward pressure on the right thumbstick. This allows you to fight the recoil, helping keep the weapon on target.

Reloading

At some point you’ll need to reload your weapons. While reloading, you’re very vulnerable, so make an effort to find cover or have a teammate watch your back. For most weapons, rounds are loaded in detachable box magazines that are then inserted into the firearm. The capacity of magazines differs greatly based on the type of weapon you’re using—the Sniper Rifle’s magazines only hold four rounds, while the SAW’s drum magazines can hold 72 rounds.

It’s best to reload your weapon after each major engagement, when you have a few rounds left in a magazine. This means a round is already chambered in the weapon, reducing the duration of the reload animation. If you fire a weapon until it runs dry, a reload animation automatically begins. But this time, the weapon’s chamber is empty, requiring your Spartan to chamber a fresh round after seating a new magazine. While this extra action may only take a second longer, one second can make all the difference during a heated firefight.

Reloading should be a conscious decision and not a reaction. Many players get in the bad habit of reloading after each kill, leaving them open to retaliation by their victim’s teammates—who are usually lurking around the next corner. So quickly analyze the situation before initiating a reload, ensuring you’re in a relatively safe, covered location. If in the middle of a firefight, it’s always faster to swap weapons than it is to complete a reload.

Melee Combat

Halo’s chaotic close-quarter battles provide many melee opportunities. Instead of reloading or switching to another weapon, it’s often more beneficial to finish off a weak opponent with a quick melee strike—or thrust toward them and perform a Spartan Charge. Don’t be afraid to play aggressively, particularly at close range. The first Spartan to land a melee strike is usually the one to win a point-blank duel. Or if you’ve managed to flank an unsuspecting opponent, melee them from behind to perform a satisfying assassination. You can customize the assassination your Spartan performs by acquiring new REQ Cards.

Grenades

Grenades have always played a big role in Halo, and the tradition continues in Guardians. Each Spartan can carry up to six grenades, two of each type. Use the directional pad to cycle through the grenades in your inventory. Grenade deployment is as easy as ever—press the Throw Grenade button to toss a grenade forward, using the reticle as a rough aiming indicator. Grenades have limited range, so you may need to aim high to get them near your intended target—the farther your target, the higher you should aim your throw. But before throwing a grenade, understand how each one functions. The standard-issue Fragmentation Grenades utilize a timed fuse, allowing them bounce around before exploding—try bouncing them around corners or skipping them across surfaces for increased range. Plasma Grenades stick to surfaces before detonating, while Splinter Grenades create impassable barriers consisting of proximity-triggered explosives.

Power-Ups

During Arena matches, there are two key power-ups available: Active Camo and Overshield. Equipping Active Camo renders your Spartan invisible for a limited time, allowing you to sneak around a map and attack unsuspecting opponents. But the cloaking effects of Active Camo are disabled when sprinting or firing a weapon. So be careful to not expose your location. Overshield gives your Spartan an extra layer of shields, tripling their durability. While it’s equipped, your Spartan emits a very noticeable green glow, instantly communicating your durable status to opponents. While Overshield can absorb a lot of damage, it does not recharge. So keep an eye on the green shield bar at the top of the HUD—once it’s gone, consider dialing back any aggressive plays. Power-ups take the form of REQ Cards in Warzone matches, activated from a player’s collection of cards. In addition to Active Camo and Overshield, Warzone players can choose from Speed Boost and Damage Boost options.

Vehicles

The new Warzone game mode allows players to activate vehicle REQ Cards, adding to the intensity of these battles. Each vehicle has its strengths and weaknesses. As the operator of a vehicle, it’s up to you to exploit each vehicle’s strengths while guarding its weaknesses. No matter what vehicle you’re in, there are always threats you need to prepare for. For example, if driving a hulking Scorpion or Wraith, you can blast most ground vehicles with impunity, but you still need to watch out for Banshees and Phaetons, not to mention enemy Spartans equipped with heavy weapons. Thus is the balance of vehicular combat in Warzone. No matter how invincible you may feel, there’s at least one threat waiting to take you out. And given the rarity of some of these REQ Cards, it’s a good idea to play conservatively, leveraging a vehicle’s long-range weapons to attack threats from a safe distance.