The following is covered in Level 5 on www.halo3basics.com, and I have supplemented these topics with my own thoughts.

Level 5: Defensive fundamentals

1. Stay away from power weapons

• Know the distance you want to keep. Don’t get close to shotguns, swords, or hammers. Just walk backwards and fill them full of lead as they eagerly move closer to you hoping to see their cross hair turn red. Bull True! Get in close to a sniper, chances are that they are in scope and can’t see you on radar. Use cover against laser and rockets, make them waste valuable ammo.

2. Take a break

• Letting your shields recharge, waiting for fallen teammates to spawn, or picking up some plasma grenades before engaging an opponent can make all the difference in a firefight. What good is making 3 people weak without having a plasma grenade or teammate there to finish the job.

3. Don’t be lured by an opponent

• I love luring opponents. Players get so eager to get the kill that they will walk into grenades almost every time. This also plays into not overexposing yourself. Being close to cover allows you the opportunity to lure an opponent. They may get the jump on you and have you nearly dead but when they hear the ‘tink, tink’ of a frag grenade as they round the corner you ducked around, they know nothing good will come of it.
• When luring an opponent:
  • Be sure to keep moving after rounding the corner. If they see you stop after rounding the corner they may not fall for the trap.
  • Jump when you think they will round the corner so that your head is not in the spot they are aiming for.
  • Throw the nade to where they cannot see it. Seeing the nade they may get hurt but they may not round the corner. Hearing it is a lot more difficult especially if the player is in split screen.
• When chasing an opponent
  • Be sure to jump around the corner. This way you will be less effected by a nade and your head will not be in the place your opponent will expect it to be.
  • Let someone else on your team know where and who is weak, since they may be able to finish them off for you.
  • You don’t have to chase, use a wall nade to try to get the finish. A bouncing frag does major damage and can get to places without exposing yourself. It also makes for great bragging material when it works.

4. Keep your cool

• This one is difficult for me, I had a horrible habit of taking the previous match’s frustration into the next match. Often I would find myself yelling at teammates who are not performing or constantly pursuing an opponent who is better than me giving them kill after kill. I started taking five after matches that got me aggravated, this practice gives me time to not only cool down, but to get something else done as well. Do the dishes, take out the trash, start a load of laundry, or get a snack. This has made playing more enjoyable for me and made me more enjoyable for others.

• The way to keep your cool when an opponent tries to get under your skin by doing retarded things like tea bagging is to focus on team tactics like attacking with numbers, making them come to you, or becoming invisible on radar. If the opposing team is much better than your team and the game is already lost, then change gears mentally and view the rest of the game as training. Try to stick everyone you see, try to make hard to reach jumps, practice shooting the explosive fusion coils while on the move.

5. It’s ok to run

• I love running away. Mainly because of the opportunity it gives me to lure an opponent. Try to run towards teammates if you can and be sure to let them know the situation. “2 following, rockets and BR, neither weak”

Be sure to read up on the guide at www.halo3basics.com, and review my additions on the different levels.

• Level 1: Absolute Basics
• Level 2: Movement and your Environment
• Level 3: Basic weaponry
• Level 4: Offensive fundamentals
• Level 5: Defensive fundamentals
• Level 6: Advanced weaponry
• Level 7: Teamwork
• Level 8: Power-ups, Equipment, and Extras

The following is covered in Level 4 on www.halo3basics.com, and I have supplemented these topics with my own thoughts.

1. Wear down shields

• Each player has a energy shield that has the ability to regenerate if unharmed for an extended period of time. Once a players shield are down they are vulnerable, especially to projectile weapons. Try to wear shields down as fast as possible before before making your presence known.
• You easily lower a player’s shields by using splash damage from a rocket, grenade, or fusion coil (explosive canister) or by using a sniper rifle or a charged plasma pistol.
• Ensure that your cross hairs are red when firing the plasma pistol greatly increase the chances of the shot hitting you target.
• Remember that if you die to let your teammates know if the opponent is weak, tell them the 1) players name, 2) location, 3) weapon (if important, usually is)
  • “One Shot, dvs poet, rocket hallway, Sniper & BR”

2. Pick on weakened opponents

• “Clean up” sometimes will lead to frustration on the team. It is good to express whenever teammate “Cleans up” one of your kills to thank them for the “clean up”. If you steal kills from a teammate, then let them know that you got their “clean up.”
• The battle rifle is my favorite finishing weapon. A headshot with the battle rifle is an instant kill when someone’s shields are gone. Just aim for the head of the weak player and shoot.
• If death is imminent, then throw a grenade and pray.

3. Aim at the head

• Aiming for the head most effective when a player’s shields are weakened.
• When using the BR do not stress about immediately aiming for the head (shots 1-3), but try to have your reticule on their head by the time their shields are down (usually shot 4).
• Even though a sniper rifle can kill a player with one head shot, a hit anywhere on the player will bring down there shields (so that you can finish with BR) or kill a player whose shields are already down.

4. Don’t attack until you’re ready

• Attacking too early can give away your position and the new spawn location for your team
• Always having a secondary weapon that is reloaded give you an advantage over a player with only one weapon. Once you have finished a clip you can switch weapon faster that your opponent can reload.
• Don’t attack while weak. After killing an opponent you want to let your shields regenerate. Use the time make sure you reload all weapons, get a feel for what the rest of your team is doing, and perhaps wait for teammates to spawn before going back into battle.
  • Be sure not to hover over your kill to long since the players teammates will see a red “x” where they died and the player will spawn soon with you on their mind.

5. Control the power weapons

• Power weapons can re-spawn while someone is holding it if the one they are holding is empty and, in some cases if enough time has gone by.
• Be sure to count the rockets and laser shots your enemies fire to be able to gauge how dangerous they are and when you should attack.
• Power weapons usually respawn on a relatively predictable schedule. If you are not aware of this you will be playing at a distinct disadvantage.
• Also if the game lags or a player quits can sometimes cause all weapons to spawn allowing 2 of all power weapons.
• There is usually a rush for power weapons at the start of a game. Be sure to have your team launch grenades to these locations to see if you can get lucky.

6. Camping

• Staying off radar waiting to pick off unsuspecting opponents around a corner or at the top of a lift is a legitimate strategy.
• While camping be sure not to reload, change weapons, walk, shoot, or do anything else that makes sound to avoid giving away your position.
• It is important to move to a new location after getting the easy kill, since there will be a red x, which appears over a fallen teammates body, right where you are standing. The opposing team will definitely know you are there if you get the kill by a beat down or assignation.
• You must also be aware of time.
  • If there is only 2 minutes left in the game and you are only down by one after making an impressive comeback, then the opposing team may attempt to camp out the rest of the game rather than risking a loss by engaging you.
  • I suggest staying in groups of twos when hunting a camping, or hiding, team.

Be sure to read up on the guide at www.halo3basics.com, and review my additions on the different levels.

• Level 1: Absolute Basics
• Level 2: Movement and your Environment
• Level 3: Basic weaponry
• Level 4: Offensive fundamentals
• Level 5: Defensive fundamentals
• Level 6: Advanced weaponry
• Level 7: Teamwork
• Level 8: Power-ups, Equipment, and Extras

The following is covered in Level 2 on www.halo3basics.com, and I have supplemented these topics with my own thoughts.

Level 3: Basic weaponry

1. Recognize the weapons

• You need to be able to identify weapons by both sight and sound. Being able to do so can save your life. Each weapon has both strong points and weak points. I is important to know how intend on using the weapons you have in order for them to be most effective.

2. Use the right weapon

• The site briefly describes weapon ranges in this section. I found it useful to test start a split screen custom game and get a feel for the best distance for each weapon and the maximum distance a weapon is still useful. A BR (Battle Rifle) can still can kill a weak player from long range.

3. Dual-Wielding

• When dual-wielding you are limiting need to be aware of the drawbacks. Depending on your button configuration you may not be able to throw grenades or melee opponents. Doing either will also cause you to drop your secondary weapon. You will not see a lot of players dual-wielding weapons, or expecting to face someone who is dual wielding, which can be used to your advantage if your team falls behind in a match. These weapons cannot kill in one shot though the Mauler can when you shoot both at the same time at close range.

4. Grenades

• Nade, nade, nade. Grenade first, ask questions later…
• Nade (verb – to nade – to throw a grenade at / noun – frag, plasma, or sticky – grenade).
• Throw grenades at opponents who are unaware of your location, groups of enemies, weak opponents, a fallen teammate’s ‘red x’ location, opponents on my tail, off walls into fences, before I die, and any other time I see fit to let one fly.
• Try to keep a full set of grenades at all times.

5. Melee attacks

• Pistol whipping. Many opponents will count on being able to finish a charge with a melee attack, which can often end with both players dying from exchanging melee attacks. Use this to your advantage , face your opponent, walk backwards, aim down slightly and go for a stick.
• When you and an opponent melee each other at the beginning of an encounter, you may want to step back for a head shot if you have a carbine, BR, or human pistol to avoid letting them get a second melee.
• You also want to be aware of the weapon you are holding. Different weapons have different animation time lengths for the melee attack.
• An assassination is when you melee someone from behind, and it will instantly kill them, even if they have the over shield.

6. Plasma vs. Projectile weapons

• I will pick up plasma weapons when I find that the opposing team is controlling the maps power weapons, or if the opposing team has a stand alone ‘all star’. A plasma pistol, yes a plasma pistol, is the last thing that player is expecting. Trust me.
• The small green plasma pistol can charge a single shot when you hold down the trigger and fire when you let go. If hit with this blast your shields are completely down leaving you vulnerable to projectile weapons. Switch to a BR (Battle Rifle) and aim for the head.

7. Splash damage

• When you inflict splash damage on an opponent with a rocket, it is good to finish the player off with the weapon you have in your pocket (secondary weapon). This way once the players teammates show up seeking revenge, you don’t have wait for the rocket reload animation to fire another rocket.

Be sure to read up on the guide at www.halo3basics.com, and review my additions on the different levels.

• Level 1: Absolute Basics
• Level 2: Movement and your Environment
• Level 3: Basic weaponry
• Level 4: Offensive fundamentals
• Level 5: Defensive fundamentals
• Level 6: Advanced weaponry
• Level 7: Teamwork
• Level 8: Power-ups, Equipment, and Extras

The following is covered in Level 2 on www.halo3basics.com, and I have supplemented these topics with my own thoughts.

Level 2: Movement and your Environment

1. Keep moving, and don’t stop unless you have to.

• You don’t want to be target practice for your opponents, especially when snipers, lasers, or rocket are involved. Staying on the move will keep the enemy from having an easy shot, which may stop them from risking ammo on you.

2. Learn how to strafe (move side-to-side)

• Being able to walk in the direction your want to go without having to look that direction will allow you to see where your teammates are on the map and if there are any weapons or equipment around that you may want to pick up. You may see an teammate who is about to be attacked and be able to both warn them and change course to help them.

3. Be a difficult target to hit

• Quick side-to-side movements will bring your game to another level when facing a BR or Sniper Rifle. Jumping while rounding corners is also a useful tool.

4. Shoot while you move

• You can make it even more difficult for your enemies to get a good shot on you if you deliver some damage to them. Shooting a person while they are “zoomed in” on there scope will cause them to come out of zoom immediately. This is important because the aim sensitivity is different at different levels of zoom. If you are moving, then they are slightly moving there aim with you. If they are zoomed in and you shoot them they will have an exaggerated over aim and you may see a sniper bullet or laser blast a few feet in front of you as a result.

5. Listen to sounds

• By listening attentively I can gather much more information.
  • You need to know the sound of a nearby grenade so you can jump out of the way or toward your opponent if you are stuck
  • Man Cannons, grav lift, and vertical lifts not only let you know the location of a player, but more importantly they let you know the future location of a player. Throw a grenade to the landing zone to give them a nice surprise when they land.
  • When a player is close you can hear them change weapons and reload. These sounds are distinct for each weapon. If you hear them pull a energy sword out around the corner you know to create some distance.
  • Equipments and weapons also make a subtle unique sound when they spawn.

6. Teleporters

• Teleporters are a good way to escape danger and get around a map more quickly though you do not know what is on the other side and some players will camp at the other end of a teleporter in order to get easy kills on unsuspecting or weak players.

7. Use your motion sensor

• Your motion sensor, often called radar, can help keep track of where an emeny goes once you lose sight of them. You can track the player who picked up rockets on radar and let the rest of your team know where they are headed.
• Do not trust your motion sensor completely, just because it says all clear could mean a close player is just moving slowly or crouched.
  • Some advanved strategies use radar to bait players into and ambush.

8. Become invisible

• The motion sensor will not show you players who are standing still, crouching, or moving slowly without crouching… I find this most effective when holding a detached turret or any other large weapon. I find that since you are forced to move slowly anyway, why not slow down a little more to use it as an advantage by becoming invisible on radar. (You will show up once you start shooting the large weapon though even when standing still.

9. Use the map terrain wisely

• Having high ground or only exposing yourself to shoot can be made possible if you know where to be on the map.
  • Standing on a large rock so that only your head is showing makes you a very small target while still being able to shoot.
• I like to stay close to cover at all times so that I am less vulnerable to attacks.
  • When crossing the map you need to know where everything is in case you need to take cover.

Be sure to read up on the guide at www.halo3basics.com, and review my additions on the different levels.

• Level 1: Absolute Basics
• Level 2: Movement and your Environment
• Level 3: Basic weaponry
• Level 4: Offensive fundamentals
• Level 5: Defensive fundamentals
• Level 6: Advanced weaponry
• Level 7: Teamwork
• Level 8: Power-ups, Equipment, and Extras

Here is post 1 of a series of posts discussing the topics covered on www.halo3basics.com, which any self respecting team slayer player should know. I have supplemented these topics with my own thoughts.

Level 1: Absolute Basics

1. Know the controls

• Knowing the controls is very important, and so is knowing that there are different button configurations. I personally use the ‘Boxer’ configuration, and my brother uses ‘Green Thumb’. Try out different ones and see which works best for you.

2. Play the campaign

• This is a great chance to involve a family member in the fun. My son and I beat the campaign on easy together, which gave us a couple of hours together having fun. Soon I plan to play through the campaign using online co-op with my mother. You should try to convince a loved one you want to stay in touch with to get xbox live.

3. Know the multiplayer maps

• Map knowledge is extremely important. Being able to navigate a map without needing to look where you are going is valuable. You can learn knew ways to get around a map try playing ‘follow the leader’ in a custom game. See if you can lose your friend in a game of cat and mouse and then see if they can lose you. Try jumps you never thought of trying before and don’t forget to watch game videos when you see someone in a hard to reach spot on a map to see how they got there.
• You also want to know spawn locations of players, grenades, weapons, and equipment.

Be sure to read up on the guide at www.halo3basics.com, and review my additions on the different levels.

• Level 1: Absolute Basics
• Level 2: Movement and your Environment
• Level 3: Basic weaponry
• Level 4: Offensive fundamentals
• Level 5: Defensive fundamentals
• Level 6: Advanced weaponry
• Level 7: Teamwork
• Level 8: Power-ups, Equipment, and Extras

This post is in response to the very first comment on MasterHalo.com.

Hi I am a new Halo 3 player and I suck.
I need all the advice you can give me
Thanks,
lcdmarie

1) Being a newb (newbie)

When teammates find that they are playing with a newb, you will usually get laughed at, cursed, ignored, told to crouch in the corner, or worse. You will not have the respect of your teammates for the game and you will have a hard time finding people who are willing to join your party and play multiple games with you. Newb abuse.

I suggest sticking to unranked games until you can add value to the team. This way you are more likely to find players that would be less annoyed by having a newbie on their team. If you are going to play in ranked matched, then you should let the other players know at the start of the game as opposed to when the other team has twice you score and you betrayed 2 of your teammates with a poorly aimed rocket. Communication is key.

2) Lacking experience

Halo 3 is very similar to both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, and most players find it easy to intuitively switch to Halo 3. Being new to Halo puts you in a disadvantage because you are open to making the same mistakes these players made years ago. You may accidentally stick a teammate with a plasma grenade when trying to jump. (Good luck explaining that one.)

I suggest you use your inexperience to your advantage. If you learn the correct way to play first, then it will keep you from making those repetitive mistakes turn into habits. Like shooting an opponent who is unaware of your position instead of throwing a grenade first. Perfect practice makes perfect.

3) Lacking knowledge

What is a ghost? What does spawn mean? How did he kill me so fast? If you find yourself asking these questions you have a lot to learn about Halo. You can do what most players do and play the game over and over again picking up things here and there that make you a better player over several years, so that you can have the right to verbally assault any newb that happens to make it on your team. That is one way you can do it.

I suggest you take advantage of the resources available to you, so that you can gather years worth of information without the anger and demoralizing defeat. Be prepared you may get lucky.

Hey Everyone… Posts are coming soon. I will try to post at least 2 a week.

Please add comments to let me know:

• Topics that interest you…Equipment Usage, Power Weapons, Weapon Spawn Times…
  

• If you are interested in writing posts… Comment with “I think I got something here!” and I will be in touch.
• Any questions you have about the focus of this site… Will you be covering campaign tactics?
  

No, I will be focused primarily on Team Slayer, but then I may branch of into other game types in the future.

Hope to hear from you all soon! Take care.