UNSC Hero Units — Halo Wars 2 eGuide

Cutter, Isabel, and Anders all have access to Spartan Heroes. Although each of these UNSC Hero units features a unique weapon upgrade, all Spartans share a core set of proficiencies, abilities, and recommended tactics.

Basic Tactics: Spartan Heroes

Spartans benefit from the global infantry upgrades found in the Barracks. Invest in this research if you want to make the most of your Hero.

Spartans are effective against all unit types, but their standard-issue Magnums make them strong against infantry early in the game. Weapon upgrades vary between Spartans, but all weapon upgrades grant significant boosts to damage against vehicles and air units.

Spartans are vulnerable to focused fire—even with their personal shields—and redeploying a Hero can be a serious drain on your resources. Unless your Spartan has suitable backup, stick with hit-and-run tactics.

All Spartans possess the Ground Pound ability. This active ability allows a Spartan to leap into the air and come crashing to the ground, delivering heavy area-of-effect damage near the point of impact. A well-placed Ground Pound can also be used to jump directly to higher ground, making for an especially useful tool when your Spartan needs to negate a terrain advantage or evade enemy ground units.

The Hijack ability allows a Spartan to take control of most vehicles and air units (friendly or hostile), granting the target enhanced speed, damage, and durability in the process. Use it to neutralize high-damage units, fortify a vulnerable ally, or make a hasty retreat from a losing battle. You can also use this ability to commandeer a unit your bases aren’t able to produce. Hijacking a Shroud, for example, presents a UNSC army with a variety of new tactical options.

The Hijack ability cannot be used against infantry, Engineers, Protector Sentinels, Hero units, Super units, Ultimate units, or any units that have already been hijacked. Attempting to hijack one of these units causes your Spartan to perform a Ground Pound.

In addition to their primary effects, all three of a Spartan’s unit-specific upgrades serve to boost their damage and durability. Whether or not you intend to utilize the Hijack ability (and it’s recommended that you do), fully upgrading your Spartan is a worthy investment.

All UNSC Heroes (and their unit-specific upgrades) can be accessed via the Armory.

Jerome-092

Unit Class: Hero

Accessed Via: Armory

Strengths/Weaknesses:

Ranged Hero
Only available to Cutter
Ground Pound area attack (active ability)
Limited to one active Hero (per army)

Training Requirements

Tech Level				Time
1	—	500	400	40s

Available Research

Name	Description	Tech Level	Requirements	Requirements	Requirements	Time
Hijack	(New ability) Hijacks vehicles. Health boost. Damage boost.	1	—	—	400	25s
Spartan Laser	(Unit upgrade) Equips a Spartan laser. Health boost. Damage boost. Requires Hijack.	2	—	—	600	30s
Neural Implant	(Ability upgrade) Increases Hijack speed. Health boost. Damage boost. Requires Spartan Laser.	3	—	—	800	35s

Unit Details

Senior Chief Petty Officer Jerome-092 was born into poverty in the infamous Palaikos borderlands—a rough start that forced him into an early childhood of crime and violence. He was later abducted and indoctrinated into the SPARTAN-II program. After a series of unsuccessful escape attempts, he was transformed from a self-centered survivalist to a true leader.

Alice-130

Unit Class: Hero

Accessed Via: Armory

Strengths/Weaknesses:

Ranged Hero
Only available to Isabel
Ground Pound area attack (active ability)
Limited to one active Hero (per army)

Training Requirements

Tech Level				Time
1	—	500	400	40s

Available Research

Name	Description	Tech Level	Requirements	Requirements	Requirements	Time
Hijack	(New ability) Hijacks vehicles. Health boost. Damage boost.	1	—	—	400	25s
Heavy Machine Gun	(Unit upgrade) Equips a machine gun. Health boost. Damage boost. Requires Hijack.	2	—	—	600	30s
Neural Implant	(Ability upgrade) Increases Hijack speed. Health boost. Damage boost. Requires Heavy Machine Gun.	3	—	—	800	35s

Unit Details

As a child, Alice-130 showed an exceptional aptitude for engineering—a quality that got her flagged as a potential candidate for the SPARTAN-II program. And like all candidates, she was abducted from her family for secret training. Rather than being traumatized, however, Alice thrived on the challenges she faced. Despite her eagerness to embrace her future as a Spartan, Alice’s body initially rejected the augmentation process. As a result, she had to be retrained, during which time she met similar “washouts,” Douglas-042 and Jerome-092.

Douglas-042

Unit Class: Hero

Accessed Via: Armory

Strengths/Weaknesses:

Ranged Hero
Only available to Anders
Ground Pound area attack (active ability)
Limited to one active Hero (per army)

Training Requirements

Tech Level				Time
1	—	500	400	40s

Available Research

Name	Description	Tech Level	Requirements	Requirements	Requirements	Time
Hijack	(New ability) Hijacks vehicles. Health boost. Damage boost.	1	—	—	400	25s
Rocket Launcher	(Unit upgrade) Equips a rocket launcher. Health boost. Damage boost. Requires Hijack.	2	—	—	600	30s
Neural Implant	(Ability upgrade) Increases Hijack speed. Health boost. Damage boost. Requires Rocket Launcher.	3	—	—	800	35s

Unit Details

Hailing from an affluent family of the Asphodel colony, Douglas-042 had a tough time adjusting to the SPARTAN-II program. However, after an initial bout of culture shock, his anger gave way to a quiet confidence. Even among other Spartans, Douglas is considered something of a giant, and he soon came to believe he’d found a purpose in life. This faith in his destiny marks Douglas as an optimist by Spartan standards, and his hopefulness often lifts the spirits of his more cynical comrades.

DLC Unit: Forge’s Warthog

Unit Class: Hero

Accessed Via: Garage

Strengths/Weaknesses:

Improved Warthog
Only available to Forge
Protection nanobots
Limited to one active Hero (per army)

Training Requirements

Tech Level				Time
1	—	500	400	45s

Available Research

Name	Description	Tech Level	Requirements	Requirements	Requirements	Time
Anvil Round	(New ability) Fires an EMP round. Slows enemy vehicles.	1	—	—	450	25s
Defensive Aura	(Unit upgrade) Improves nanobots. Increases speed of nearby allies. Requires Anvil Round.	2	—	—	650	30s
Gauss Overcharge	(Weapon upgrade) Equips Gauss Cannon. Upgrades Anvil Round ability.	3	—	—	850	35s

Unit Details

Forge’s Warthog is the UNSC’s first available non-Spartan Hero unit.

The late Sergeant Forge spent countless hours in the Spirit of Fire’s hangar customizing this Warthog with numerous modifications. Always wanting to be in the thick of the action, Forge outfitted his vehicle with a defensive aura of nanobots to repair the Warthog in the midst of battle.

Basic Tactics

Thanks in part to its protective nanobots, Forge’s Warthog is well-suited to quick raids on enemy bases. Speed in, destroy a key structure or a few enemy units, and then race off as the nanobots automatically repair any damage the vehicle suffered. Once repairs are complete, circle back for another pass, or engage any units that have given chase.

The Defensive Aura upgrade makes Forge’s Warthog a particularly useful support unit. Group it with slower units when you need to get them across the battlefield as quickly as possible.

Forge’s Warthog deals reliable damage to all unit types, but the Gauss Overcharge upgrade makes it much more effective against vehicles. Combined with its nanobots and impressive speed, the fully upgraded model of Forge’s Warthog serves as a surprisingly effective tank-killer.