12: Repairs

Having escaped the tunnel through the shell of the Shield World, the Spirit of Fire collides with a Covenant Destroyer. Head back onto the hull with the units you utilized previously and repair the Spirit of Fire’s damaged Power Core, while fending off attacks the Destroyer is jettisoning.

Objectives

Win Condition: Power Core reaches 100 percent Health Points.

Loss Condition: Power Core reaches 0 percent Health Points.

Par Time: 10:00–20:00

Primary OBJECTIVES

Repair the Power Core

Completion Score: 1,500 Points

Spirit of Fire was heavily damaged in the collision. The power center must be repaired and brought back online before the ship can disengage.

OPTIONAL OBJECTIVES

Keep at Least One Deck Gun Alive

Completion Score: 500 Points

The Deck Guns are helping to hold back the Covenant assault. Keep as many as possible intact.

Kill 12 Spirit Transports [12]

Completion Score: 1,000 Points

A Spirit is the Covenant dropship, used for transporting infantry and support troops. Spirits carry groups of Covenant units to battle.

Spirit of Fire: Hull Structures, Part 2

Like your previous Mission, there are the same number of Infantry and Vehicle Airlocks on the Spirit of Fire’s super-structure. Below are the recommended units to use from each. All troops come already upgraded.

Infantry Airlock

Firstly, use the Rally Point to send Cyclopes to the Power Core. Cyclopes play a vital role in this Mission, so train at least three additional ones to Repair the Core. Marines aren’t needed, and although Flamethrowers are excellent at blazing through Hunters, they are lightly-armored and slow. Place them atop ramps, near Turrets that give supporting fire.

Vehicle Airlock

Thanks to Anders, you have the incredible Hawk aircraft; these are recommended and should make up at least half of your forces. They have a devastating attack and move quickly across the hull. As the vast majority of Covenant troops are dropped in by Spirits, build a number of Wolverines to patrol the western decks. Don’t overly rely on Wolverines as some Covenant must be faced on the hull itself.

Spirit of Fire Hull

There are 15 Turret Sockets on the Spirt of Fire’s hull locale. When built, the Turrets provide an exceptionally helpful (and automated) method of tackling foes both on and off the ship. Remember to augment the Turrets with add-ons (Mortar, Rail Guns and Missiles).

The gargantuan Deck Guns planted on the superstructure are not designed to blast entities so small as the ones on the ship’s hull. However, it is worth Repairing the ones close to the Power Core, so they can help defend against Banshee attack.

Located at the southwest end of the Spirit of Fire, the ship is crippled until the Power Core is repaired. For this reason, send all available Cyclopes engineers to this location to mend this structure, and don’t forget to protect it, and them!

Mission Commencement

You begin with a Covenant attack under way and your Power Core approaching critical. React swiftly and deftly to this problem by immediately selecting all your troops and subselecting all your Cyclopes before ordering them to the Power Core (Waypoint 1). While your troops mill about in the initial starting area, construct both Turrets close by, and build the Missile Launcher add-on to help repel the annoying Banshees flying about this area.

As you continue into this mission, train a few more Cyclopes and send them over to the Power Core. The more you have here, the quicker you complete the mission. Remember you can also utilize your Heal & Repair Leader Power at the Power Core, repairing it at an even faster rate. This is excellent when attempting a proficient Time Bonus but is not recommended if you want to finish the Kill objective and find the Skull. While your Cyclopes are in training, construct three or four Wolverines at the upper deck’s Vehicle Air Lock, and place the Base Rally Flag near the Power Core. Once the Wolverines are established near the Core, they usually eliminate your Banshee problem.

[ and ] As the battle begins, you should shift your attention to the upper deck (Waypoint 4), as the sides of the lower deck near the Power Core are relatively quiet. As the battle progresses, expect a few Hunters and dropped-in Covenant troops from Spirits to appear between Waypoints 2 and 3. Counteract these problems by constructing both Turrets and adding Missile Launchers to them both, and then packing a few Wolverines in to demolish Spirits before they can land. Patrol this area using Hawks when you’re not embroiled in the more ferocious combat around Waypoint 7.

Black Box 12 The Black Box located on this mission is pinned to the superstructure of the Spirit of Fire, over the side of the railings south of Waypoint 2. As soon as you construct a Hawk unit, you can retrieve Black Box 12. Attempt this during a lull in the fighting.

You encounter Covenant forces en masse at this location, and it is a favored spot for single Spirit dropships and their Covenant landing troops. React accordingly by immediately building several Hawks. These aircraft are spectacularly powerful and can move quickly from Waypoints 4 to 7, blasting the foes that attempt to head toward the Power Core to destroy your air locks. As these two building types are under constant threat, build Turrets near them.

As the battle rages on, make sure all four Turrets are built. Arm the southern two (nearest the Start position) with Missile Launchers, and arm the front two, pointing at the ramps (Waypoints 5 and 6), with Flame Mortars to strike the infantry, especially the Hunters. With two Infantry Air Locks and a Vehicle Air Lock, you can pull back and hold this location if the battle is going badly for you. This isn’t recommended, though; you need to push north and contain both decks!

[ and ] The main ramps between the upper and lower decks are between the two main Covenant drop points, and it is easy to get swamped from both angles if you don’t have Waypoint 4 contained. Bolster your defenses here, and then move your Spartans to Waypoints 5 and 6. Have each of them run down toward Waypoint 7 as soon as you see a Wraith or Locust appear. Locusts are particularly problematic, as they easily wipe out your air locks, so Jack them quickly, retreat to the ramps, and use the Covenant vehicles to block the advancing enemies. Wraiths are good to keep and repair, while Spartan-controlled Locusts can be left prone so your Spartan can exit and find another machine to take over.

This is the one area where the Covenant can get a good hold. You must prevent this from occurring by sending in your Hawks to devastate the area, backing them up with additional troops at the ramps and constructing Turrets in this area (first to the west, in order to damage the incoming Spirits). Of particular concern are the two Infantry Air Locks, which are easily destroyed by Covenant forces landing from Spirits. Prevent this by sending in Hawks to try and take down the Spirits.

The battle is only stopped by the completion of the Power Core repair, so send in Cyclopes accordingly (and Heal & Repair the Core). However, to safely contain the Covenant, position Wolverines along the side of the deck at Waypoint 8, so they completely demolish any Spirits that try to land. Help out the Wolverines using Hawks and Missile Launcher Turrets. Keep this up, and you’ll receive a quick Time Bonus and finish the Kill objective without delay. Continue the fight until the Power Core is back online, and the mission is over.

Boomstick With Wolverines and Turrets bombarding Spirits as they land, the Boomstick Skull is easily accessed once you down 12 Spirits. Once the Spirits deposit their forces, you can’t finish them off, so be sure they explode prior to delivering their troop payload. Then head north to the sloping ramps where the Skull appears on an upper structure, and use Hawks to obtain it.

Awards and Summary