Make no mistake—combat in Halo is chaotic and can be somewhat overwhelming, particularly for new players. But the flow of the battle is never completely out of your control. Choosing when and where to engage opponents is one of the most important aspects of taking control of your game. So instead of shooting everything that moves, take a more analytic approach to determine the best time to attack—and never be afraid to back away from a fight that you can’t win.
Identify Advantages
Before opening fire on an opponent, make sure you have an advantage. Skill plays such a big role during one-on-one encounters, so you need to stack the deck in your favor, particularly when trying to take down a more experienced player. Getting off the first shot is a surefire way to gain an advantage—so feel free to fire if you’ve managed to flank an unsuspecting opponent. However, if the tables have turned, and your opponent shoots (and hits) first, waste no time retreating, allowing your shields to recharge. Remember; each life counts, particularly in Slayer mode, so don’t get trapped in a duel you can’t win. Hitting opponents with grenades is another way to get an early advantage during firefights. Here are a few other advantages to consider before engagements:
» Cover offered by walls, structures, and natural scenery is particularly useful because it lets you choose when to fight and when to back down, allowing your shields to recharge.
» Stay alive and let your shields recharge; this gives you another chance to resume a fight or wait for a teammate to help you.
» Find a structure or piece of scenery (such as a rock) that covers your body and exposes only the head of your Spartan. This makes it more difficult for your foe to hit you, as they have just your head to shoot at, whereas you have their entire body to aim for.
» Avoid open areas because you’re more vulnerable to being shot from multiple angles. Furthermore, you’re unable to see a foe’s entire body when you’re looking up, trying to find where the shots are coming from. The low ground is a death trap!
» If you can master the technique of peek shooting, timing your shots and movement correctly, you can peek out, fire at your foe, and drop back into cover before the enemy can return fire.
Don’t Get Greedy
Surviving firefights in Halo requires a tremendous amount of discipline, even if you have a clear advantage. If you’ve landed several shots on an opponent, it’s very easy to be lured into a pursuit—after all, you don’t want that opponent to get away! But pursuing a weak player puts you at peril—what if that opponent leads you into an ambush? So if you’re already attacking from an advantageous position, don’t give it up to hunt down injured opponents. Instead, call out the position of the weak opponent to your teammates and let them score the clean-up kill.
Practice and Patience
Halo is a relatively easy game to learn, but don’t expect to master it anytime soon. Even professional players, with more than a decade of experience, must continually practice to maintain a high level of skill. Add new maps, abilities, and weapons to the mix, and it’s like starting over. As Halo evolves, so do the techniques, tactics, and strategies. So if you’re not playing in top form, don’t worry—everyone’s in the same boat. First, play as often as possible and learn the maps inside-out, including the location call-outs. Secondly, approach each match as a learning experience—don’t get frustrated by deaths or tricky plays executed by the opposing team. Finally, exercise patience. Don’t force plays or try to be the hero. If you’re outgunned or outnumbered, retreat and live—play defensively and let the enemy come to you.
Take the High Ground
Given Halo 5: Guardians’greater emphasis on vertical gameplay, taking control of the high ground is more important than ever. Using the new clamber ability it’s possible to reach the highest perches with relative ease. Height advantages allow you to spot and engage enemies while occupying positions that are difficult for opponents to counter. In addition to taking shots at opponents, don’t forget to call out enemy positions to your teammates. Looking down on the map, you usually have lines of sight on multiple locations, giving you the responsibility of keeping tabs on enemy movement. In some regards, your role as a spotter is more effective than your role as a sniper. The lure of initiating devastating Ground Pound attacks is another incentive for taking the high ground. Remember; the higher you are, the more damage a Ground Pound will inflict.
Ascend to new heights, then drop on unsuspecting opponents with a devastating Ground Pound.
Strength in Numbers
While individual skill is always a factor, Halo’s fast time-to-kill rewards teamwork, particularly during 2v1 encounters. By utilizing the buddy system you can greatly increase your survivability. But in addition to 2v1 battles, look for other opportunities where you can leverage numbers to gain an advantage. Pay close attention to when opponents die. If two opponents die in quick succession, take the opportunity to make a push toward an objective before they can respawn. It will take a few seconds before the fallen opponents can return to the game, giving your team a brief 4v2 advantage—all it takes is a few seconds to run some game-changing plays. With these numbers, it’s much easier to run a flag or secure an objective. But you must act quickly, coordinating with your team to make a successful push.
Weapon Proficiency
While most players gravitate to one weapon or another, make a concerted effort to play with every weapon in an effort to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Whether playing in Warzone or Arena, there is a variety of weapons available, some as pickups and others as REQ Cards. Passing up on a weapon because you’re not proficient with it puts you and your team at a disadvantage. The more proficient you are with each weapon, the bigger of a threat you become, capable of freely roaming the map and leveraging any implement to take the fight to the enemy. As your confidence and skill grow, combine your weapon proficiency with knowledge of each map to devise your own tactics, using the high ground and other terrain and structural features to gain a unique advantage.
Get familiar with new weapons like the Hydra Launcher—it can lock on to enemy infantry and vehicles.
Opponent Prediction
The more familiar you are with your opponents, the easier it is predict their actions. Casual players often utilize the same tactics, routes, and positions over and over. So in addition to helping your team, keep tabs of where opponents are moving. If you’ve killed an opponent twice in the same location, there’s a good chance they’ll return, giving you the opportunity for a hat trick. In addition to studying their routes, take note of their demeanor—are they passive or aggressive? By understanding the habits and tendencies of your opponents, it’s much easier to counter them.
Plan B
Before you attack an opponent, make sure you have already devised an escape route. This is particularly important if you’re engaging an opponent from a position of disadvantage. Are there any pieces of cover you can hide behind? Are there any ledges you can clamber onto or drop off? Is there a nearby spot you can hide and launch an ambush from? Knowing your escape route before you need it makes it much easier to retreat if the engagement goes poorly. It’s been said but bears repeating—don’t hesitate to disengage. It’s better to fail at an attack than it is to die.
Tactical Awareness
As part of your effort to maintain tactical awareness, make note of potentially hazardous situations and work with your team to counter them. In Arena matches, pay attention to when opponents acquire Active Camo, Overshield, and power weapons. In Warzone, make note of Bosses and enemy vehicles rushing onto the battlefield. Dealing with these threats often requires the cooperation of multiple teammates. So keep the lines of communication open and devise plans to deal with threats before they become more than a nuisance. But don’t just prioritize threats. Look for weaknesses and act quickly to exploit them. Is there a Spartan who just lost their shields? Or in Warzone, is the opposing team’s Core exposed? There’s a lot going on in every battle, but the more aware you and your team are, the better prepared you’ll be to take advantage of these opportunities.
During Arena matches, note when power-ups and power weapons spawn—controlling these items can give your team a huge advantage.