There's aerial fuel rod fun aplenty here - and some amusing Ghost shunting too!

(6:38) Level 5 ('Assault on the Control Room') on Normal. Continuing with the cavern megabattle save used in BCM215, featuring four Shades on the bridge and two Ghosts beyond, here are three Banshee attacks. As before, there are 12 Marines in support against 38 covies.

Released January 29th 2017, gameplay recorded January 27th-29th 2017.

00:02 (Play 1) In this play I start by making the first Hunter leap off the platform and down onto the pipe, because it's fun to see and kill him there. It's pretty easy. After he jumps, I blast the first Shade so it splatters the other Hunter. Then I blast the second Shade and take care of the Hunter on the pipe, blasting and ramming him.

00:42 Rising back up above the bridge, I scatter four Grunts with a fuel rod blast. Nice! Elites are coming to the fore though and I'm a bit close, so I back off before unleashing my next shot, which takes out the third Shade. Further carnage ensues, and the fourth Shade is eliminated. Just after that, I'm off-target with a fuel rod shot at an isolated Elite, and I hit a stanchion instead. But the Marines finish him after he growls.

01:13 I start bombarding the covies on the far platform, but the Hunters are starting to get busy with fuel rod shots at the Marines, so I swoop down and manage to take out both. One leaps off the platform and the other gets splattered. Arcing back around, I attack further, crossing to the left where I take out some Grunts.

01:38 Heading back, I take the opportunity to ram the first Ghost. It lands upright the the pilot heads for the bridge, but doesn't have time to do much before I destroy his machine.

01:51 My own machine is down to only one health bar now, but at least there's not much opposition left. I blast a pair of Jackals then an Elite, and that just leaves the second Ghost. Ramming it while it's distracted by Marines, the pilot is ejected and I blast him. Looks like seven Marine survivors - not bad.

02:13 (Play 2) This time I start with the first Shade, giving it a direct blast before curving around a pipe to help the Marines with the first Hunter, who's quickly killed. As for the second, I manage to clip him just after he takes a fuel rod blast.

02:34 Work on the rest of the bridge begins with blasting the second Shade. After a bit more fire I attack from the right, killing a red Elite. He's still screaming as I head under the bridge, passing him quite closely. When I rise back up on the other side, my next blast takes out two more Elites. More carnage on the bridge follows, and I also start to pepper the far platform.

03:16 After blasting a growling Elite at the end of the bridge, I briefly retreat before heading back in. My Banshee's in pretty good shape; still five health bars left. I deliver a pleasing fuel rod blast around 3:37, wiping out an Elite and two Jackals, then I focus on the first Ghost, peppering it with plasma fire before accelerating in to blow it with a fuel rod shot. Most satisfying.

03:44 The Grunts in the darkness on the left are quickly eliminated, then I head back to help the Marines, delivering a nice fuel rod blast then splattering a Hunter. Climbing somewhat, I see the other Hunter tangling with Marines at close quarters. He's near a Marine and I try to carefully land a fuel rod blast behind him without hurting the Marine. Actually the Marine gets shunted by the blast, but at least that saves him from taking a swipe. After destroying the Ghost, it only takes a bit of plasma fire to finish the Hunter. Eight Marine survivors this time.

04:15 (Play 3) Ok, final battle. For this one I head straight for the first Hunter, blasting him then scything him down. My next blast targets the second Hunter but also sends the nearby Shade over the edge. The gunner gets ejected and you can see him falling - and you can just about hear him crying "Not again!"

04:32 The Hunter retreats but is soon killed, and meanwhile I've blasted the second Shade. The usual sort of carnage on the bridge ensues, and around 4:54 I send in a fuel rod shot which takes out four Elites - which I think is the meatiest wipeout of the movie.

05:00 Most of the bridge is clear now and I start looking for targets beyond. I try to splatter a Hunter but he jumps clear. But then I come back in for another go and manage to get both. Good news for the Marines!

05:23 A frag blast ejects the pilot of the first Ghost and I fire a fuel rod shot to try and finish him, but it hits the top of the block and didn't get him. Continuing my rightwards curve, I line up to shunt the other Ghost. Actually it ends up being a double shunt, taking it across to the broken bridge. I arc around expecting to see the pilot falling into the chasm, but there's nothing. Then I see that the Ghost has become lodged - and then I find the pilot, precariously balanced on a fin! A fine target for a fuel rod blast of course.

05:58 After climbing back up, I see the Marines approaching. Hey guys, wasted journey! Get back into battle! I head back to check out what's left, and spot two Jackals. I blast one, but it was poor flying to let myself get hit with his plasma ball. That takes my Banshee down to its last health bar. As I arc away I spot a Grunt in the darkness, and I swirl around intending to blast him. But then I'm alerted to a second Grunt who fires at me, so I switch targets, delaying my shot to score a nice hit, before using plasma fire to get the first one. I was pleased with that double kill.

06:12 That just leaves three Jackals. Two I blast, and the Marines get the other. Six Marines live to fight another day,, but Johnson isn't too happy: "We've gotta do better next time!"

Closing remarks Had plenty of fun doing plays for this movie. Shunting Ghosts off those blocks was a novelty. I haven't had Ghosts up there before, so I'd never done that.

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