UNSC Leaders

Theme: Spirit of Fire Role: Attack and Growth Unique Units: Jerome-092 (Hero), ODSTs Unique Leader Powers UNSC Raid (I/II/III): Reduces capture times and increases infantry movement speed. Upgrading this Power also allows Jackrabbits to capture points. Battle Hardened (I/II): Allows units to gain veterancy faster. Archer Missiles (I/II/II): An aimed attack launches a series of missiles along a designated path. ODST Drop: Summons a squad of elite infantry to a targeted area. Cyclops Drop: Summons a veteran Cyclops to a targeted area. ODST Assault Group: Drops a collection of powerful units to a targeted area. Close Air Support: Calls in Pelican Gunships to sweep a targeted area.

A true hero of the UNSC, Captain James Cutter’s military career is long and distinguished. While his deeds have earned him more than a few opportunities to move up the ranks, he’s always chosen to remain with his crew. The men and women who serve on the Spirit of Fire also serve as his extended family.

The bond Cutter shares with his crew is reflected in his unique Leader Powers. Under his leadership, infantry can move faster and quickly capture strategically valuable points. Experienced units can gain bonuses at a faster rate, and he’s able to summon air strikes, Pelican Gunships, and a variety of powerful units. Of course, you’re free to spend your Leader Points elsewhere, but Captain Cutter’s greatest assets are the Spirit of Fire and her crew.

Tier 1 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	UNSC Raid I	Increases capture speeds for all units.Increases movement speed for infantry units.	PASSIVE POWER
	UNSC Raid II	Allows Jackrabbits to capture points.Improves UNSC Raid movement-speed bonus.	PASSIVE POWER
	Lotus Mine I	Drops a line of cloaked mines.Once armed, mines explode on contact.Does not damage air units.	—	25	100	105s

Tier 2 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Battle Hardened I	All units gain veterancy faster.	PASSIVE POWER
	Battle Hardened II	All units gain veterancy even faster.	PASSIVE POWER
	Restoration Drones I	Heals all buildings and units within a targeted area.	—	200	50	210s
	Restoration Drones II	Increases area, healing amount, and duration of Restoration Drones.	—	300	75	210s
	Restoration Drones III	Further increases area, healing amount, and duration of Restoration Drones.	—	400	100	210s

Tier 3 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Archer Missiles I	Fires staggered pairs of missiles in a lane.Damages all unit types and buildings.	—	175	175	195s
	Archer Missiles II	Increases damage and lane length of Archer Missiles.	—	300	300	195s
	Archer Missiles III	Further increases damage and lane length of Archer Missiles, and ignites drop area.	—	450	450	195s
	ODST Drop	Drops an ODST squad into battle.	12	600	—	180s

Tier 4 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Turret Drop I	Drops a temporary Turret into battle.	—	250	—	180s
	Turret Drop II	Increases Turret damage and duration of Turret Drop.	—	400	—	180s
	Cyclops Drop	Drops a veteran Cyclops into battle.	4	145	180	135s

Tier 5 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	ODST Assault Group	Drops a collection of veteran units: two Cyclops, two ODST squads, one Scorpion, one Wolverine.	27	1650	625	330s
	Close Air Support	Calls in four Pelican Gunships.The Pelicans temporarily guard a set area.	—	1500	—	330s

Cutter Basics

As a whole, Cutter’s leader abilities support early and repeated conflict with the enemy. This isn’t to say that Cutter players are obligated to rush, but he’s very good at keeping pressure on the enemy. Use frequent raids and attacks on standing armies to keep your opponent from expanding too quickly.

Battle Hardened may not be flashy, but investing two Leader Points into this passive Power helps ensure that close firefights tend to tip in your favor. The faster your units gain veterancy, the fewer resources are required to keep pace with your opponent’s army. Of course, this assumes the bulk of your units survive early encounters with the enemy. Play smart: avoid picking fights you know you can’t win, counter enemy tactics, focus your fire on vulnerable targets, and don’t be ashamed of ordering a strategic retreat.

Cutter’s UNSC Raid Leader Power is extremely useful in games of Domination, but it’s helpful in any Multiplayer mode. A faster infantry can make a big difference in controlling the map, and quickly capturing Resource Nodes is just as useful in Deathmatch as it is in Domination. Investing a second Leader Point in this Power allows Jackrabbits to capture points. Make no mistake: combining this Power with a fleet of fully upgraded Jackrabbits makes capturing and holding strategically important points much, much easier.

The bulk of Cutter’s Powers relate to summoning reinforcements directly to the battlefield. Embrace this. An ODST squad can change the course of a battle; a well-timed ODST Assault Group can determine the outcome of an entire match. Draw your opponent into a firefight, and then drop your reinforcements right on top of them. Use your new arrivals to down priority targets and impede any attempted retreats.

Theme: Advanced Tactics Role: Disruption and Growth Unique Units: Alice-130 (Hero) Unique Leader Powers Holographic Decoy (I/II): Clones existing targets to draw fire and confuse enemies. MAC Blast (I/II/III): An aimed attack fires a large kinetic slug at a designated target. The Best Offense: Improves upon the Canister Shell Scorpion upgrade. Ghost in the Machine: Allows you to take control of targeted vehicles or air units.

Isabel is a smart AI originally tasked with guiding the activation and direction of the Ark’s massive Retriever Sentinels. Between the Banished’s assault and the sudden loss of the portal to Earth, Isabel had given up all hope of leaving the Ark. However, the Spirit of Fire’s arrival has brought Isabel a chance to strike back. With the ship’s factories, a supply of blueprints, and her vast knowledge, Isabel has managed to make the Spirit of Fire’s outdated technology an even match for the Banished aggressors.

Isabel’s technological expertise gives her an edge in vehicle production and subterfuge. Available Leader Powers allow her to produce vehicles faster and cheaper than most leaders can, outfit Scorpions with enhanced canister shells, and instantly rebuild a defeated group of non-infantry units. She’s also able to generate decoy units, take control of hostile non-infantry units, and more. This makes Isabel a particularly good choice for players who want to keep their opponents guessing.

Tier 1 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Heavy Metal I	Targets own units.Affected units gain a defensive boost.Slows targeted units while active.	—	200	50	180s
	Heavy Metal II	Increases Heavy Metal’s target size, defense boost, and duration.	—	400	100	180s
	Holographic Decoy I	Targets own units.Creates decoys of affected units.Decoys can be used to scout and trick enemy Turrets and units.	—	450	—	150s
	Holographic Decoy II	Increases number of decoys that can be produced.Decoys last longer.	—	650	—	150s

Tier 2 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Turret Drop I	Drops a temporary Turret into battle.	—	250	—	180s
	Restoration Drones I	Heals all buildings and units within a targeted area.	—	200	50	210s
	Restoration Drones II	Increases area, healing amount, and duration of Restoration Drones.	—	300	75	210s
	Restoration Drones III	Further increases area, healing amount, and duration of Restoration Drones.	—	400	100	210s

Tier 3 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	MAC Blast I	Fires a large kinetic slug at the battlefield.Damages all unit types and buildings.	—	150	150	195s
	MAC Blast II	Increases MAC Blast impact size and damage.	—	250	250	195s
	MAC Blast III	Further increases MAC Blast impact size and damage.	—	350	350	195s
	Accelerated Assembly I	Reduces costs and build times for vehicle production.	PASSIVE POWER
	Accelerated Assembly II	Further reduces costs and build times for vehicle production.	PASSIVE POWER

Tier 4 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Lotus Mine I	Drops a line of cloaked mines.Once armed, mines explode on contact.Does not damage air units.	—	25	100	105s
	Lotus Mine II	Increases damage and explosion size of Lotus Mines.	—	50	200	105s
	The Best Offense	Scorpions and Nightingales gain shields and increased health.Increases Scorpion canister shot size.	PASSIVE POWER

Tier 5 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Combat Salvage	Causes the next eight non-infantry units to respawn at home base.Units must die within the Power’s set time frame.	—	1000	500	330s
	Ghost in the Machine	Temporarily takes control of enemy vehicles and aircraft.	—	1200	300	330s

Isabel Basics

Isabel’s Leader Powers offer a good balance of offense and defense, but their comparatively high costs support more conservative strategies early in a match (especially if you have an ally or two willing to help fend off aggressive opponents). Once you’ve produced a reasonably effective army, spend the bulk of your resources in expansion and research. As the match progresses, invest more of your resources into unit production, assemble your army, and adopt a more aggressive strategy.

Accelerated Assembly certainly gives Isabel a late-game advantage in vehicle production, but it can take a significant amount of time to unlock and upgrade this Tier 3 Leader Power. Develop a well-rounded army during the early stages of a match, and then focus on growing your economy, establishing production buildings, and researching upgrades. Train whatever units might best serve to keep enemy forces at bay, and use expansion bases to construct additional Garages. Once you’ve invested in Accelerated Assembly, shift your focus to vehicle production: assemble a formidable ground force and take the fight to your opponent.

Holographic Decoy is a surprisingly versatile Power and can be a big help in the early stages of a match. Even the Power’s first rank carries a heavy activation cost (450 Supply per use), but a properly timed decoy can salvage battles that would otherwise result in far greater losses. Use it to (seemingly) bolster your forces when an opponent attempts to raid your base; the holographic units don’t deal damage, but they should serve to distract hostile forces. In many cases, this buys you enough time to reassign or supplement your existing forces. Remember that holographic units make ideal (albeit temporary) scouts—when the firefight ends, send any surviving decoys into enemy territory for a bit of reconnaissance.

Combat Salvage stands as one of the UNSC’s best counters to direct-damage Leader Powers. It’s also quite costly, and it carries a long cooldown. Save this Power for your most expensive vehicles and aircraft—and only when you believe there’s a high chance of losing them. The Power’s effect is temporary, so proper timing is essential.

Theme: Ark Tech Role: Economy and Battle Control Unique Units: JDouglas-042 (Hero), Protector Sentinel, Retriever Sentinel Unique Leader Powers UNSC Raid (I/II/III): Reduces capture times and increases infantry movement speed. Upgrading this Power also allows Jackrabbits to capture points. R&D (I/II/III): Adds shields to Turrets while reducing the costs and build times of global infantry, vehicle, and air upgrades. Protector Sentinel: Allows Anders-exclusive air units to be produced in base structures. Ark Defense (I/II/III): Summons a group of Aggressor Sentinels to temporarily guard a targeted area. Sentinel Beacon: Summons Aggressor Sentinels whenever a Kodiak or Siege Turret attacks a target. Sentinel Synergy: Boosts Protector Sentinel damage and durability, and increases the number of Sentinels that appear whenever Aggressors are summoned. Sentinel Network: Calls in three waves of Protector Sentinels that automatically sweep across the map. Retriever Sentinel: Summons a massive Forerunner drone to serve as an Ultimate unit.

Officially designated as a consultant, Professor Anders has proven to be one of the Spirit of Fire’s most valuable assets. She’s a brilliant scientist with an exceptional understanding of Forerunner technology—a quality that impresses even the tech-savvy Isabel. Anders has become Captain Cutter’s de facto right hand, and she’s managed to foster a mutual trust and respect with the troops in the field.

Anders’ ability to manipulate Forerunner technology is her greatest strength. From her versatile Protector Sentinels to the devastating Retriever, she has access to units no other leader can utilize.

Tier 1 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	R&D I	Reduces costs and build times for global infantry, vehicle, and aircraft upgrades.Turrets gain shields.	PASSIVE POWER
	R&D II	Further improves all currently provided bonuses.Turrets gain improved shields.	PASSIVE POWER
	R&D III	Further improves all currently provided bonuses.Turrets gain further improved shields.	PASSIVE POWER
	Restoration Drones I	Heals all buildings and units within a targeted area.	—	200	50	210s
	Restoration Drones II	Increases area, healing amount, and duration of Restoration Drones.	—	300	75	210s
	Restoration Drones III	Further increases area, healing amount, and duration of Restoration Drones.	—	400	100	210s

Tier 2 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Turret Drop I	Drops a temporary Turret into battle.	—	250	—	180s
	Protector Sentinel	Unlocks the Protector Sentinel for purchase at base.	PASSIVE POWER

Tier 3 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Ark Defense I	Calls in six Aggressor Sentinels.The Sentinels temporarily guard a set area.	—	150	150	165s
	Ark Defense II	Increases Ark Defense duration and area.Adds two more (eight total) Aggressor Sentinels.	—	250	250	165s
	Ark Defense III	Further increases Ark Defense duration and area.Adds another two (10 total) Aggressor Sentinels.	—	350	350	165s
	Lotus Mine I	Drops a line of cloaked mines.Once armed, mines explode on contact.Does not damage air units.	—	25	100	105s
	Lotus Mine II	Increases damage and explosion size of Lotus Mines.	—	50	200	105s

Tier 4 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Sentinel Beacon	Kodiak and Siege Turret attacks summon friendly Aggressor Sentinels.	PASSIVE POWER
	Sentinel Synergy	Adds more Sentinels to Sentinel Beacon and Ark Defense.Upgrades all Protector Sentinels with a small shield, increased health, and greater damage.	PASSIVE POWER

Tier 5 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Sentinel Network	Calls in three waves of Protector Sentinels.The Sentinels sweep out across the map wave by wave.	—	900	900	—
	Retriever Sentinel	Summons a powerful controllable Retriever Sentinel.	24	1400	1400	—

Anders Basics

Although any leader can mount an effective rush, Anders’ Powers support an early focus on economic growth and aggressive research. Instead of outpacing your opponent’s unit production, keep your army as efficient as possible—make the most of versatile (and inexpensive) core units. Perform frequent scouting runs to avoid producing more counter-units than your opponent’s forces warrant, and prioritize research to maximize the effectiveness of your existing army. As the match progresses, switch focus to unit production and employ more offensive strategies.

The R&D Leader Power (Tier 1) not only reduces the time and resources necessary to research various global upgrades, it also adds shields to any Turrets you build. Purchasing (and upgrading) this Leader Power makes it much easier to fend off early raids as you focus on researching upgrades.

Anders’ Protector Sentinel Leader Power allows you to produce versatile air units at any base you control. This is one of her defining Powers, and it’s a worthy use of your second Leader Point. The Protector Sentinel isn’t as durable as the Hornet, but it’s faster and has better range. Most importantly, it can be produced in any base structure, allowing you to assemble and maintain a sizable air force without the need for multiple Airpads.

The Retriever Sentinel serves as the UNSC’s only Ultimate unit, and it can be a devastating weapon in the later stages of a match. It can engage multiple targets at once, and its powerful Sterilization Beam deals heavy damage across a significant area. However, that doesn’t mean an Anders player is obliged to invest in this Tier 5 Leader Power. Anders offers a variety of intriguing Powers that support a variety of play styles. Use the Leader Points you earn to reinforce whatever tactics you feel are effective against a given opponent.

Theme: Impenetrable Role: Battle Control and Growth Unique Units: Forge’s Warthog (Hero), Grizzly Unique Leader Powers Rolling Economy (I/II/III): Reduces the cost and build times for Supply Pads, Generators, and their upgrades. Pelican Transport: Moves your units to a targeted area. Scatter Bomb (I/II): Drops a scattered salvo of bombs onto a targeted area. Vehicle Drop (I/II): Calls a Pelican to drop a veteran Kodiak on a targeted area. Grizzly Battalion: Calls a Pelican to drop three veteran Grizzly tanks.

A career soldier who served during the Human-Covenant War, Sergeant John Forge gave his life to save the Spirit of Fire. In life, Forge was a veteran NCO with a clear preference for vehicle-oriented combat. In death, Forge is a celebrated hero whose presence can still be felt on the battlefield.

Due to his affinity for vehicles, Forge has access to many of the same Leader Powers Isabel offers. However, this DLC-exclusive leader offers an additional rank of Heavy Metal, multiple heavy vehicle drops, and more. Forge’s Warthog is currently the UNSC’s only available non-Spartan Hero unit, and his powerful Grizzly—which replaces the Scorpion in the Garage—is the most heavily armored tank available for production.

Tier 1 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Rolling Economy I	Reduces costs and build times for Supply Pads, Generators, and their upgrades.	—	—	—	—
	Rolling Economy II	Improves all Rolling Economy bonuses.	—	—	—	—
	Heavy Metal I	Targets own units.Affected units gain a defensive boost.Slows targeted units while active.	—	200	50	180s
	Heavy Metal II	Increases Heavy Metal’s target size, defense boost, and duration.	—	400	100	180s
	Heavy Metal III	Further increases Heavy Metal’s target size, defense boost, and duration.	—	600	150	180s

Tier 2 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Accelerated Assembly I	Reduces costs and build times for vehicle production.	PASSIVE POWER
	Accelerated Assembly II	Further reduces costs and build times for vehicle production.	PASSIVE POWER
	Pelican Transport	Transports own units anywhere in range.	—	—	200	150s

Tier 3 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Scatter Bomb I	Drops a scattered salvo of bombs.Damages all unit types and buildings.	—	175	175	195s
	Scatter Bomb II	Increases damage and number of bombs fired by Scatter Bomb.	—	300	300	195s
	Restoration Drones I	Heals all buildings and units within a targeted area.	—	200	50	210s
	Restoration Drones II	Increases area, healing amount, and duration of Restoration Drones.	—	300	75	210s
	Restoration Drones III	Further increases area, healing amount, and duration of Restoration Drones.	—	400	100	210s

Tier 4 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Vehicle Drop I	Deploys a veteran Kodiak.	6	625	—	180s
	Vehicle Drop II	Adds a veteran Warthog to Vehicle Drop.Transport Pelican is upgraded to a gunship.	10	925	—	180s
	Lotus Mine I	Drops a line of cloaked mines.Once armed, mines explode on contact.Does not damage air units.	—	25	100	105s

Tier 5 Leader Powers

Icon	Name	Description	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cost Per Use	Cooldown
	Combat Salvage	Causes the next eight non-infantry units to respawn at home base.Units must die within the Power’s set time frame.	—	1000	500	330s
	Grizzly Battalion	Pelican Gunship drops off three veteran Grizzlies.	33	2000	400	330s

Forge Basics

Forge’s Leader Powers heavily favor vehicle units, and his signature Grizzly is one of the most powerful vehicles found in the field. That being said, it takes significant resources to assemble a fleet of tanks, and your opponents are bound to expect vehicle-heavy assaults from a Forge player. Unless you’re planning an early rush, invest in the Rolling Economy Power as soon as possible. Don’t shy away from vehicle production, but make sure you diversify your army early in the match.

The Grizzly has powerful attacks and very heavy armor. It’s an excellent assault vehicle, but it’s also an effective deterrent for hostile ground forces. If you need to hold a strategically important point, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better solution than the Heavy Metal Leader Power combined with a group of Grizzly tanks.

The Pelican Transport Power is a great way to get your units out of danger, but it’s also handy for dropping behind enemy lines—especially when you need to get a group of heavy vehicles within range of an opponent’s base.

Again, Combat Salvage serves as one of your best counters to direct-damage Leader Powers, but any units you save during an offensive strike redeploy away from the action. If you’re planning a push into enemy territory, the Grizzly Battalion Leader Power may be a better investment. The sudden arrival of three veteran Grizzly tanks can make a big difference in a close fight.