Hectic battling at the top pass leading into the rockslide, with Sergeant Johnson making a lot of noise on the chain-gun…

(2:23) Level 2 ('Halo') on Heroic. This shows a rockslide megabattle against 34 covies using the top pass defence plan with chain-gun support from Sergeant Johnson. I use a pistol and needler.

Released August 2nd 2010, gameplay recorded July 24th 2010.

00:02 This movie starts right after my save checkpoint for the megabattle. I used a far area horde set-up for this save (it gives the most intense attack for the top pass defence), and I've got Johnson and another Marine waiting to be picked up if I choose. Today I want chain-gun support from Johnson, so I let the guys clamber aboard. In we go, encountering the edges of the covie horde right away. A Grunt dives clear and a plasma ball sails by. At the top pass I let the hog slide to a stop. No fancy parking today; I make the passenger dismount, and set myself the goal of defeating the horde and keeping my buddies alive. The enemy attack is going to be intense to begin with, so keeping the Marines alive is going to need some pretty aggressive action on my part, especially bearing in mind that they're both unarmoured.

00:24 I lob a plasma grenade to greet arriving Elites, then move off to the left and use my pistol to help bring down the first one, who's already getting peppered by Johnson. Pleasingly, the Marine on foot throws a frag. A second blue Elite is quickly down too, partly thanks to the frag which blows him forward a way. Suddenly there's some rapid-fire plasma coming from out of sight to my left, hurting the Marine on foot, and I know that a nasty red Elite has arrived. I quickly move in, firing a few shots in anticipation. It's a bit hasty and all I hit is the rock. Not good! But then I've got sight of the red and send a frag his way. Already raked by the chain-gun, the blast finishes him off and Johnson voices his approval: "Nice throw!". Sounds like a Jackal went flying too.

00:38 I've also started working on some Elites coming up around the outside of rockslide, and now I move across for a better angle and also to take the heat off the Marines. I fire a clip of needles but it's unfocused and not very effective. The Marine takes out a yellow-shielded Jackal with a frag ("Blam!"), which I'm grateful for because my shield is bleeping like crazy by now. I throw a few grenades and hope for the best as I back off around the hog. My frag blows one of the Elites away from the rockslide, putting him on the defensive, and Johnson brings him to his knees with the chain-gun. Now on the left of the hog, I fire another clip of needles. Initially I'm going for the Elite near the tree, but I see that he's using it well for cover so I divert the rest of the clip to the other Elites. The almost-dead one goes in rage mode and charges. I finish him off with zoomed pistol. The needles would've done it, but the sooner he was down the better - for Johnson's sake. Just as my shield's recharging I take fire from the Elite by the tree, so the bleeping continues. But I finish him off with the pistol and finally get recharged. Johnson appears to've settled into his work nicely now: "School is now in session!".

01:02 I move around to the right and lob a long-range plasma, basically because those glowing Jackal shields make such appealing targets. Then I see one of the Elites coming up the hill and I give him a dose of needles. This time they work very nicely and he goes out with a bang. I try needling the nearby retreating Jackal but it's a poor choice of attack, bearing in mind his direction and shielding. He ends up going down but I really should've switched to the pistol there or fragged him. While trying to get behind him I've wandered into a rather vulnerable position. I hear the sound of a plasma ball being fired from my left, and start to try and dodge, but I'm not sharp enough this time. I take the blast but at least I finish off the aggressor quick, plus two nearby Grunts.

01:18 Now behind the rock on the left, I move out and take down a Grunt at close range with a headshot before he can throw his plasma. Another Grunt gets the pistol treatment, and then I move back towards the right. But just as I'm going, there's a Grunt behind me firing a plasma pistol. I turn as I go, and lob a frag grenade back his way. I could've just shot him of course, but I just felt like using the frag. A grunty colleague appeals for "No more!", but I've got a little more to dish out yet - sorry fella!

01:25 Back on the right again, there's still an Elite down there. I do some more pistol work (shooting some more rocks in the process), and after taking down a blue-shielded Jackal I hop up onto the rock behind the tree for a brief vantage point over some remaining troops. A plasma grenade blasts a Jackal, and a stream of needles takes out a Grunt. Backing off again, I lob a plasma grenade near the Elite, keeping him back for a few seconds. But then I see him charging up the hill, and so does Johnson: "Over here!". I pile needles into him, and finally he's down.

01:59 Looks like there's only the one Jackal left, down in the little semicircle of rocks. I briefly look for needles with which to inflict a suitable degree of pain, but can't see any close so I forget about that. Hopping up onto the big rock again, I leap off and throw a plasma grenade, vaguely hoping for a tag through the hand-hole on his shield. It bounces off the shield though. I move safely clear as he gets blasted, and I'm expecting him to be dead. But then I see him running away minus shield. What a target. I smile and line up the shot. BAM! - and he sinks to the ground. Job done!

Closing remarks I probably ought to feel ashamed at how much of the scenery I shot up in this battle, but an intense attack like that can get a cyborg a bit trigger-happy you know! Some of the needling was ineffective too, but otherwise things went reasonably well and the Marine on foot was actually some decent help with his fragging. It's a pity he wasn't armoured, but I was using an old save from a time before I'd realized that armoured Marines are tougher. I've played that save countless times but I really ought to make a few new ones with armoured Marines, and with a few spare weapons near the top pass for more flexibility (you may have noticed the spare weapons in the far area defence shown in BCM2; you can likewise have spares ready near the top pass). I did a lot of plays for this movie, but the amusing ending was the deciding factor in choosing this one. Who'd be a Jackal eh?

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