How to Quickly Kill Elites in Halo: Reach

Those annoying Elites on Halo can cause plenty of problems, especially on Legendary difficulty. Here are some quick tips to quickly dispose of them.

Sangheili, or better known as Elites, are annoying Covenant aliens that are both strong and difficult to kill. Equipped with armor shielding, they can take plenty of bullets or punches before going out. On top of that, are physically stronger than humans.

Sangheili Minors have very
little shields.

So what do you do when you see an Elite?

The first thing to do is to recognize what rank the Elite is. Their rank can be recognized by the color and armor that the Elite is wearing. Knowing their rank is very important, as it shows how much shields that Elite has.

Similar to the Elite on the right, these blue armored Elites have very little shields, and can be killed relatively easily with a few shots from a precision weapon. Sangheili Generals can be identified by their golden armor and large headgear. Such high ranking Elites have much shielding and will take a much more effort to kill. The Elite hierarchy structure can be identified on Halo's Wikia page. The higher an Elite is on the table, the stronger it is (note that not all these Elite ranks can be seen in Halo: Reach).

When you encounter a group of Elites, it is important to first kill the lower ranking Elites. Simply having less Elites to deal with at one time will be a major benefit to destroying the whole unit. There are several ways to kill Elites. Below are several effective ways to dispatch them.

1. Pick them off with precision weapons. Target low ranking Elites first. High ranking Elites have high shielding, and would take plenty of valuable to kill.
2. Grenade and spray. A well thrown frag grenade will do significant damage and will throw the Elite in the air for about one second, giving you time to shoot at it with an automatic (relatively close-range).
3. Stick Elites from a distance. If you catch an Elite who isn't moving very much, you can stick them with a good plasma grenade. Be sure to stick them from a distance or else they'll charge you before blowing up.
4. Attack fast and assassinate. Do some quick damage, either by spraying close range or a quick melee. The Elite would stand immobile and roar, giving you an opportunity to go behind him and assassinate. Beware to not get kicked instead, as it would do heavy damage to you, and possibly lead to death.

There are a few points you should keep in mind when engaging Elites. They are faster and stronger than you. If you're backing up, they can catch up to you. If you're trying to punch one, remember that they can kick you which does much more damage.

They only real advantage you have over Elites is that you're smarter than them. They'll do stupid things that'll leave them vulnerable. As long as you don't leave yourself vulnerable, you'll win any encounter.

7 Easy Tips for Using Warthogs in Halo: Reach

The warthog is the UNSC's backbone in military land operations. Although being very versatile and powerful, it can easily be destroyed if improperly used. Here are 7 tips on how to use a warthog to the best of its capabilities.

1. Distance is key. The closer you are to the enemy, the more damage they could cause. Hijacking and sticking is much too easy when a warthog is in close proximity. Keep your distance!
2. Avoid enclosed areas. Rookie drivers often just dive straight into the enemy base and hope to mow down anyone there. Firstly, without space to maneuver, grenades would surround you within seconds. Secondly, with the usual amount of players guarding their base, expect to be shot at more times than to shoot back.
3. The passenger seat is reserved for VIPs. Gametypes that include flags or bombs would often require the passenger seat to be reserved for transporting objectives. Otherwise, the passenger seat is useless. It is an ineffective platform for players to shoot from as it lowers the players maneuverability, their accuracy, and it doesn't increase the amount of damage your weapons can do. You would be a sitting duck and very vulnerable, so stay away from the comfy chair!
4. Continuous gunning is a no-no. Unlike Halo 3, turrets now have a limit on how many bullets it can spray until it overheats and has to cooldown. Overheating a turret temporarily disables it, leaving the warthog and its passengers vulnerable. Shoot only when you need to, and don't randomly shoot at pointless things. It's annoying.
5. Know when to break off. Just because you're in a vehicle, it does not mean that you're impervious to damage. This goes especially for the gunner with almost no protection. If you're biting off more than you can chew, then drive away. Recharge your shields, and continue the fight.
6. Be a smart gunner. Don't try to shoot someone across the map. Your turret won't be accurate enough. Don't try to shoot a tank. A little machine gun won't match a tank barrel! Be smart and don't shoot everything on sight.
7. Know your capabilities. A warthog can easily mow down two players in the open but any more than that could swarm your warthog, ultimately resulting in loss.

Be smart. Be conscious of your surroundings, and don't drink and drive.

9 Tips for Doing Well in a Matchmade Splockets Game in Halo: Reach

The good ‘ol Splockets game type is back in Halo: Reach! Here are 9 tips to help you get the most out of your rocket launcher and Spartan laser.

1. Don’t run. The sprinting armor ability is useless in the Splockets game type. You can’t outrun a rocket, and most definitely not a laser.
2. Fly like an angel and rain down red beams. The jet-pack is a very useful armor ability. Not only does it give players a high vantage point, it can also be used to shoot down on your opponents as well. Enemies will have a hard time hitting you if you are floating in mid-air with no objects close to you. Just be sure to shoot them before they shoot you!
3. Don’t forget about Armor Lock! Armor lock allows your player to become temporarily invincible. If used properly, it can be used up to three times before having need to recharge again. This is incredibly useful for taking rockets and lasers head on. As well, since both weapons have relatively long delays in between reload, you can easily hit them while they’re recharging or reloading
4. Half charge the Spartan Laser. The Spartan laser takes approximately three seconds to generate a laser blast. While moving with the Spartan laser, half charge it, release, and repeat. This way, it will only take a second and half to fire at an opponent.
5. Avoid walls. Unless they’re separating you and your opponent, attempt to stay away from them. A rocket could explode off a wall and easily kill you.
6. Don’t try to rocket flying enemies. As mentioned in tip 2, flying targets are difficult targets (unless close to an object, like a wall). If you’re planning on taking out airborne enemies, use your Spartan laser
7. Stealth is key. Have a spot you can quickly hide at. This way, after taking down enemies, they won’t be able to see you until you decide to fire again.
8. Stay away from teammates. Two heads are better than one, but two heads are a better prize than one. Staying in close proximity with a teammate puts both of you at risk. If you can manage to stay distanced from your teammates, you can find your team being able to hit the enemy from several angles, giving many opportunities to hit your opponents’ blind spots.
9. Find a spot where you don’t need to worry about your back. Although walls are dangerous to be close to, they can be used to close off your back. If you are using armor lock, you can take advantage of corners and walls by looking at one general direction. This way, you don’t need to turn 360 degrees every few seconds to be sure no rockets are coming your direction and you will be able to see the enemy fire much earlier, giving you more time to get into armor lock.

Jump into Action Sack now and start playing some Splockets!

6 Tips on How to Survive the Halo: Reach Campaign on Legendary

Legends must be strong. Here are 6 tips on surviving the brutal Halo: Reach campaign on Legendary difficulty.

1. Take one step at a time. Reach is infested with Covenant invaders. Take your time to explore and acknowledge your surroundings.
2. Do not pick up the Armor Lock ability. Armor Lock is one of the most useful equipment that can be used in Matchmaking mode, but is the opposite in campaign. If you were to go into armor lock, the enemies would simply surround you and barrage you with energy blasts the moment you exit armor lock.
3. Big guns are good friends. If you ever see a sniper rifle or rocket launcher, or some other gun that looks big and dangerous, take it! Even if you are not familiar with the weapon, you should at least be able to neutralize one or more Elites. Such guns should be sought after and taken at every opportunity.
4. Take advantage of your allies. Understand this. You are a Spartan, the commandos of the human forces. UNSC marines are cannon fodder of the human forces. Get this through your head. Let your marines soak up damage (hence the name cannon fodder) and just shoot past them. Don’t forget your Spartan buddies are invincible too, so let them distract the Covenent and then take your chance to fire.
5. Semi-automatic guns are valuable. Designated marksman rifles (DMR) and needle rifles should be highly sought after. It’s true that automatic guns are in abundance and can suppress the enemy, but the semi-automatics are the key killers in the game since they have the ability to do instant kills on enemies when shot in the head. Try to conserve your semi-automatic ammo and pick any up when you see some.
6. Kat can’t drive. Neither can any of your NPC buddies. If you plan on using a vehicle, it would be wise to man the driver’s seat and let your allies man the turret. NPCs do not have the capabilities to recognize threats fast enough to maneuver around them.

A friend or two can make all the difference in surviving through the campaign as well. If you’re not going for the achievement, try inviting a friend into your game or go matchmake a campaign game.

Using a Sniper Rifle in a Halo: Reach Matchmade Game

Halo: Reach’s sniper rifle is the most deadly weapon in the game. If used correctly. This article will explain how to use the sniper rifle to its maximum capabilities.

The sniper rifle, like Halo 3 has a clip size of four bullets. A regular sniper rifle will generally have twelve bullets in total. This means that if you use this powerful weapon properly, you should be able to score at least twelve kills.

One sniper shot to the body will completely take out a player’s shields. Two body shots will kill. A shot to the head is an instant kill. Already you can see how little effort is needed to kill or at least damage a player.

Like any sniper, a good vantage point is always appreciated. This means getting to a high, preferably hard to see spot where you can rain bullets without too much fear of getting shot back. To make this more effective, many players choose to also bring a secondary long-ranged weapon such as a needle rifle or DMR. By bringing one, a marksman can conserve ammo by hitting the body with a sniper shot, and finishing off with a secondary to the head. This way, a sniper can easily score a full twelve kills before running out of ammo.

Unlike other first-person shooter games, the sniper rifle in Halo: Reach has a definite crosshair. Instead of zooming in to line up an accurate shot, the sniper in Halo has a small circle that defines where the bullet where go. This means that when you’re shooting a sniper rifle without scoping in, the bullet will still fly straight, meaning you do not have to zoom with a sniper to score a headshot or body shot. If used properly, this could also make the sniper rifle stronger than the shotgun in close quarter combat since a headshot is an instant kill. Alternatively, a shot to the body and a melee attack will do in the player as well.

A huge difference between the sniper rifles in Halo: Reach and Halo 3 is that Reach’s sniper rifle can completely wreck vehicles. Two or three shots can easily take down a Banshee, and about a clip can take out Covenant Wraith. By simply possessing a sniper rifle, any enemy vehicle is in danger from sniper shots.

In conclusion, the sniper rifle is pretty beast. If you find it, take it. If the other team has it, hide. Practice using the sniper whenever you can, because if you put enough effort into using the long-barreled gun, you can become the most dangerous player in the game.

7 Easy Ways to Not Die in Halo: Reach Matchmaking

Spartans and Elites are deadly fighting machines. Here are 7 easy ways to die less from Halo: Reach matchmade games.

1. Do not weapon switch while you’re bored. It’s a bad habit for gamers to rapidly switch weapons when they’re bored. When an enemy comes within firing range happens to shoot you first, you’re dead. Just missing the first shot can be fatal, and weapon switching is a major cause of this.
2. Reload when no one is around. It takes almost one full clip of assault rifle bullets to take down a super-soldier. You need the ammunition to kill it, and enough ammunition to let you still kill even if you miss. If you have full gun, a half-kill won’t award you with a kill.
3. Actually using your radar. In most game types, your radar will be available to glance at every couple seconds. Make sure that when you have radar available, actually look at it. Radars can easily identify a person around the corner or someone that’s sneaking behind you.
4. Crouch walking saves lives. Even if you don’t use your radar, other players might. If you’re running around the map, you might as well be screaming “I’m here!” to the world. Crouch walking hides your player from enemy radars, which makes great setups for ambushing. On top of that, crouching makes your accuracy greater.
5. Be a team player. Travel with your team-mates. Like the old saying goes, two heads are better than one, and two guns are definitely better than one.
6. Mongooses equal death. Do mongooses carry weapons? Are mongooses manoeuvrable? Can mongooses efficiently ram players? The answers are no, no, and no. Unless you’re playing an objective-based game, mongooses are not a weapons platform!
7. Know when to run. Every good soldier knows when to quit. If you get in a firefight and you know you won’t live long enough to contribute, run while you still can. It’s better to live and redeem yourself than to die in shame.

Every death is a loss. Staying alive is a huge contribution, not only to your team, but also with your overall score. Follow these easy steps to live longer.