Nightfall
"Move in behind enemy lines and evaluate the opposition."Beginner Goals:
Easy: ~ 3:30; Legendary: ~ 3:45
Intermediate Goals:
Easy: ~ 3:12; Legendary: ~ 3:22
World Class Goals:
Easy: ~ 3:04; Legendary: ~ 3:10
IL Records:
Easy: ~ 2:44; Legendary: ~ 2:55
Segmented Times:
Easy: ~ 1:55; Legendary: ~ 1:55
Nightfall is the third playable level in Halo: Reach. See Halopedia for general information.
HaloRuns record page: https://haloruns.com/leaderboards/reach/solo/nightfall/Easy (click the timestamps for video links)
Contents
Video Examples
Examples of every trick mentioned here can be found on either the Individual Level or the Full Game Records page. There are also multiple video tutorials for some specific tricks indicated on this page. Be sure to check #reach-links in the Haloruns discord.
Mission Start
Nightfall has a very simple route with quite a lot of important mechanics that will be used throughout the remainder of the full game run. These mechanics include: grenade jumps, slide jumps, and sprint cycle management. At the highest level, you will also be introduced to AI manipulations.
1st Grenade Jump
This first trick only saves about 1 second, and recommend that all runners learning this level learn this grenade jump.
Follow the linked video here, cut sprint while jumping and throw the grenade at about a 60-degree angle at the ground. Jump roughly around the time that the grenade blows up. Walk until your sprint fully fills back up.
Rock Slide
There are two methods to do this slide. They are the same speed and difficulty, and would suggest trying both to see what method works best for you.
Boulder Edge Method
Follow the sprint cycles mentioned in this [tutorial]. You will want to start sprinting once you crest the hill and are on the flat ground. Once you pass the bush on the ground, jump on the rock in front of you. Once you take a single step, jump straight forward. You will want to hit the very edge of the large boulder to get an edge slide, making sure to cancel sprint and crouch to not overshoot the rock. Jump and uncrouch as you hit the edge.
Flat Rock Method
Same as the boulder method, jump at the bush and take one step on the rock, however, there is no need to cut sprint for this slide. Simply [aim here] while in sprint, and jump once you hit the rock. If you are overshooting the rock and hitting the ground, take a half step instead of a full step after you jump past the bush.
2nd Grenade Jump
Approaching the building after the slide, there will be a large boulder in front of you to the left. The boulder will be slanted at a 45-degree angle. Throw a grenade as you jump on the rock straight on so the grenade bounces forwards, and as you get to the top of the rock, sprint and jump towards the edge of the building in front of you. Crouch as you land on the roof.
You can walk a tutorial on the jump [here].
Guta Area
This area includes the Guta monsters, the militia fight, and the alleyway to the final firefight. This segment of the run is where major time save can occur. Strats that are not necessary for beginners will be marked appropriately.
Guta Boost
The Gutas have a strong melee that can boost a player or enemy in any direction. For the Guta boost, we want to be hit by the guta and sent towards the cave opening to progress the level.
To get the Guta's attention, shoot a sniper shot into it. Continue to shoot the guta with magnum shots. When the guta is about to scream, run behind it, and jump when it melees. You will be sent in the correct directions, which you can see [here].
Blazit Launch
- World Class/IL Record Strategy
This is an optimization to the Guta Boost, but is quite a bit more difficult. You will want to delay the sniper shot much longer than the Guta boost, and shoot the Guta 3 times with the sniper total. For the timing of the jump, watch [this video] for examples.
Pebble Slide
Militia Slide
Additional Slides
Firefight
Forklift clip
Jun APL
Potential Strategies and Knowledge Base
Throughout the development of this level, there have been many strat discoveries that have either been lost with time or have been proven too difficult to be executed consistently across runs. The following sections is for maintaining a list of potential developments that may be referenced for a future date, and will be listed with:
- Who discovered the trick, date of discovery, and various notes
