Halo 3
Halo 3 is a faster-paced run than Halo 1 due to various launches you can do. Launching and slide jumping are the main movement tech in Halo 3. The addition of equipment makes for unique strats and tricks.
Halo 3 is timed via sum of theater films. There are no known version differences.
Halo Runs record page: http://www.haloruns.com/records?lb=300 (click the timestamps for video links)
Level Strategies
Movement Techniques
Box Launching
Halo 3/ODST game engine allow the same box launching methods, however results vary due to game specific differences e.g. jump height.
In Halo 3, box launches can be done on:
- Covenant/UNSC weapon crates
- large barrels on Sierra 117 and Crow's Nest
- grates on Crow's Nest and Cortana
- small boxes on The Storm/Floodgate
You can achieve increased power and distance by deploying a Trip Mine or Power Drain near the box before swinging. Similarily, box launches can be enhanced with grenades or nearby explosives, albeit to a lesser extent.
Butterflying
Butterflying is an exploitation of mechanics in Halo where a player negates a melee by manually reloading and vice versa while in melee range of an enemy. The resulting effect is the player constantly lunging at an enemy.
In order to do this, the player must have a partially filled clip; if not, the player can fire a round. Then, approach an enemy and spam Melee and Action/Reload to do the Butterfly.
The most noticeable use of butterflying is on Crow's Nest, where Drones fly down a hallway near the end of the level. The player can butterfly to move quickly to the next area as Drones fly horizontally faster than a player walks.
Deployable Cover (DC) Launching
DC Launching is a movement technique, and a variation of pressure launching. It works because the player model intersects with the geometry of the Deployable Cover. DC launches are best done with a close checkpoint.
rorcin's method: look down, jump (don't crouch), deploy at peak of jump, walk backwards a step, and release all buttons to their default position. If you don't release backwards, you can get a mini-launch instead.
SlidingGhost's method: look down, jump (don't crouch), deploy, crouch after landing, wait a second, walk forward
slYnki's method: look down, jump (don't crouch), deploy just as you are about to land, crouch before or as you hit the floor, inch forward twice
Equipment Jumping
Equipment Jumping allows you to get a "double jump" and gain extra height/distance.
Look down, jump, throw an equipment, and jump again. Most equipment jumps will only work with the Master Chief player, Power Drain and Trip Mine are exclusive to Elites.
For Auto Turrets, it works a bit differently, but bear in mind that you're better off using other equipment for the jump. As a Spartan (Master Chief), you have to look down, run forward, and throw the Auto Turret slightly in front of you, where you can crouch to jump instantly (at the peak of your jump), or you can delay the throw, where you have to wait until you land on it, then jump. You can use this to change the direction of your jump. As an Elite, you have to use the 2nd method. This trick speeds up the 343 Guilty Spark fight in Halo (Halo 3).
Enemies
Brutes
Brutes are the one of the main enemies encountered in Halo 3. They have Power Armor, which must be fully destroyed before killing the Brute, and it functions similarly to the player's shields. However, unlike the player's shields, once fully removed, the Power Armor will not recharge, leaving the Brute permanently vulnerable to a Headshot.
Brutes are one of the more dangerous enemies in the game, depending on what weapon they wield. Brutes with Spikers are fairly formidable but bearable; they shoot bursts of 8-14 Spikes on Legendary and give players a few seconds to find cover. Higher-ranking Brutes, especially Captains, often wield the Brute Shot, which is extremely dangerous as the Brute can fire a quick burst of 3 Grenades to kill the player in less than 1 second.
There are many ranks of Brutes, but most of them are similar. Brute Infantry are ranked Minor, Major and Ultra, each with Cyan, Blue, and Violet armor respectively. Brute Minors are the weakest but often drop Deployable Covers, which is valuable for Deployable Cover Launches. The other two ranks of Brute Infantry usually drop Bubble Shields when killed.
Above Brute Infantry are Brute Captains, ranking from Brute Captain, Brute Captain Major, and Brute Captain Ultra with Purple, Gold, and Blue armor respectively. They have a bit of decoration on their helmets to differentiate them from Brute Infantry, and they have tougher shields. Brute Captains often have Brute Shots and carry various equipment, such like Regenerators, Flares, and Bubble Shields. The Noob Combo or Sniper weapons are recommended for dispatching Captains. There are also Brute Bodyguards, who accompany Chieftains sometimes, and they resemble Brute Captains. However, they have weaker shields and Pale Blue armor.
The highest ranks of Brutes are Chieftains and War Chieftains, who wear decorated Black/Red Armor and Dark Gold Armor respectively. Chieftains will always have a Gravity Hammer and either a Flare or Invincibility. They can be dispatched easily by dodging their lunging attack and assassinating them or by doing the Noob Combo with 3 Headshots. War Chieftains will wield either a Fuel Rod Cannon or a detached Turret and carry either a Flare or a Power Drain. They require quite a bit of effort to kill, though they will never carry an Invincibility, but they do regenerate health quite quickly.
In addition to the standard ranks of Brutes, there are specialist ranks, which have unique abilities. Jump-pack Brutes have the ability to jump far distances with their Jet Packs, though they are extremely vulnerable mid-air, and they have weak shields. In The Ark and The Covenant, there are Brute Stalkers, who sport camouflaged armor and wield Spikers or Plasma Rifles. They have weak shields and have a visible ripple while moving. Once killed, they will sometimes drop Incendiary Grenades and Cloaking equipment.
More information about Brutes can be found here
Grunts
Despite being one of the jokes of video game enemies, Grunts fare well as a support enemy against the player. While they, by themselves, do not excel at killing the player with their weapons, Grunts are actually competent in supporting other enemies, such as Brute Captains and Jackal Marksmen, by lowering the player's shields to dangerously low levels. Grunts commonly have shield-stripping weapons like the Plasma Pistol and Needler, and they throw Plasma Grenades frequently, especially while in a group.
If a Brute leading a pack of Grunt dies, the Grunts will tend to panic and run around in fear, making them harmless. However, they will often go in a fanatical kamikaze state where they run towards the player with two primed Plasma Grenades in their hands. Should they do this, it is strongly recommended to take them out quickly before they get too close.
While they are adept at a support role, Grunts are still weak compared to other enemies. Regardless of rank, one headshot will kill a Grunt, making the Battle Rifle and Carbine ideal choices against them. Explosives are also effective at taking out whole groups of Grunts as one explosion from a grenade, Rocket Launcher, or Fuel Rod Cannon is capable of taking out Grunts with splash damage. When up close, melee attacks are feasible as all Grunts will die from no more than 2 melee attacks regardless of weapons.
Grunts come in only 4 Ranks in Halo 3: Minor, Major, Spec-Ops, and Heavy. They wear Orange, Red, White/Grey and Green armor respectively. Grunt Minors are the weakest and die with very little effort; 3 BR body shots, 4 Carbine body shots or 1 Melee is enough to kill them. Grunt Majors are a bit more durable, but they are still fairly weak and have only slightly more health than a Grunt Minor. Spec Ops and Heavy Grunts are the most durable, having about twice as much health as a Grunt Minors. Also, Grunt Heavies will sometimes wield Fuel Rod Cannons, making them a high-level threat from range.
Jackals
Jackals are one of the most annoying enemies to deal with in Halo 3. They fight as either a support or specialist role in combat, and they can take down the player if they are not dealt with properly.
Jackals come in 3 ranks: Minor, Major, and Marksmen. Jackal Minor and Majors carry a shield in their right hand and a Plasma Pistol in their left hand. While the shield is very robust, there is a gap on in the shield that reveals their left hand. Shooting their hand will cause the Jackal to stagger, leaving it open for a headshot. Alternatively, Grenades are viable as the explosion will bypass their shield and damage their health directly.
Jackal Marksmen often carry either Carbines and occasionally wield a Beam Rifle and Plasma Pistol. Often, they are positioned in high areas where they can gun down the player, and they are very dangerous. Jackals with Carbines are capable of killing an unshielded player with a single headshot, and Jackals with Beam Rifles can kill a player with only a single shot, regardless of where the shot hits. However, they are still relatively simple to kill; a single headshot will kill them, though their heads are small so bullets may miss sometimes.
Hunters
Hunters are seldom encountered in Halo 3, and they are almost never fought during a speedrun. There are only three levels in which Hunters appear: The Storm, The Ark, and The Covenant. The ones on The Storm are occasionally fought, though they can be taken down with Rockets, and the ones on The Ark are typically taken down easily with a Tank. The pair of Hunters on The Covenant are almost always ignored.
However, despite their rarity, they are very dangerous. Hunters are beefy walking tanks with dangerous attacks. They are armed with a Fuel Rod Gun that fires a green beam and with a heavy metal shield for melee attacks. The Fuel Rod Gun will kill the player in less than a second on Legendary if the Hunter lands a direct hit. In melee combat, the Hunter's melee attacks are capable of killing a fully-shielded player in one hit, though it is slow and relatively easy to dodge.
Drones
Drones, like Hunters, are rarely encountered during speedruns of Halo 3, but whenever encountered, they come in large swarms of up to 16 Drones. However, they are each very weak and have no shields, making it easy to dispatch them with rapid-fire or explosive weapons.. However, due to their sheer numbers, it is possible to die in a few seconds on Legendary.
Despite the danger of their large numbers, dealing with them is can be easy with the right weapons. On Crow's Nest, a swarm of Drones come from a pipe and can be mowed down with a Turret in the area as they exit the pipe. On Covenant, the only other level in which they are encountered and fought, the whole swarm can be dispatched with a grenade and/or a few Brute Shot grenades.
Flood Combat Forms
Flood Combat Forms are one of the most common enemies on levels in which the Flood appear. They come in 3 variants: Human, Brute, and Elite. Like most Covenant enemies, Flood Combat Forms can be killed with a headshot, but doing so requires aiming at their chest, where an Infection Form is, rather than the head.
Human and Brute variants are very similar; they have no shields and are quite fragile. One melee or headshot will kill them easily. Elite variants, on the other hand, differ significantly since they often have shielding to protect them from headshots, and their shields are extremely robust. It takes a significant amount of ammunition in order to break their shields. Instead of ranged weaponry, it may be better to engage them in melee combat, especially with a Brute Shot. However, there is a glitch where an Elite Combat Form will become invulnerable to Melee attacks so Plasma, Spike, or Incendiary Grenades may be necessary should this happen.
Flood Carrier Forms
Flood Carrier forms are slow and pose no threat from ranged. Their only attack is to walk up to the player, drop dead, and explode. Doing so will release a swarm of Infection Forms. If the player happens to be close to a Flood Carrier form, the explosion can be very dangerous since the explosion will deplete the player's shields while the Infection Forms latch onto the player and kill him.
Flood Pure Form (Stalker)
Flood Stalker Forms are mobile enemies which usually move around or climb on a wall to turn into a Ranged Form. Sometimes, they will run towards the player and then mutate into a Flood Tank Form. They often do not participate in combat, but they do have melee attacks. Their melee attack is strong enough to deplete the player's shields, but they rarely attack. Defensively, Flood Stalker Forms have as much durability as a Grunt Spec Ops, dying to just two melee attacks.
Flood Pure Form (Ranged)
Flood Ranged Forms are one of the most frustrating enemies to deal with, especially on Cortana. They often stick themselves onto walls, shooting the player with Carbine-like projectiles. They are resiliant to ranged weapons and often stay out of melee range. The best way to deal with them is to try and engage them in melee combat as they are quite weak to melee attacks or to stick them with Plasma, Spike, or Incendiary Grenades. Like Carbine-wielding Jackals, they are capable of killing the player with a headshot.
