It's back to creeping up on covies again - but faster!

(5:55) Level 5 ('Assault on the Control Room') on Legendary. Returning to the stealth challenge demonstrated in BCM397, I now go for speed, which is actually quite an enjoyable activity. There's a two-minute montage first, then my fastest play - which is a good bit quicker than that earlier 19-minute job! The clock starts when I move or rotate, and ends when the last covie is dead; and the time is rounded up to the nearest second.

Released January 18th 2020, gameplay recorded January 13th-14th 2020.

00:02 (Clip montage) In working on this I did quite a lot of play, from which these fifteen clips are taken. Most of them are from plays prior to my fastest, but two of them are from afterwards, when I was briefly trying to get an even faster time. I'll comment on some of the clips.

00:35 A blue Elite comes leaping down the ramp, and I circle around and whack him from the side. He'd become suspicious when I picked off a first glasshouse Elite. Sometimes they start running around like this.

00:42 This Jackal kill was from a 4:26 play, my best at the time, and which I thought might well be the fastest I was going to get. But I kept working at it, and eventually beat this with my fastest time.

00:47 On my plays there were many times when I'd jump through the window like this, to kill a patrolling Elite (there's also one in my fastest play, but not as stylishly executed). I'd been lurking at the bottom of the front glasshouse ramp hoping to clear out the glasshouse early. He could've spotted me through the window if I'd ignored him.

00:52 Here's an amusing case where I accidentally brushed against a Grunt. He wakes up in shock but I immediately silence him. The one remaining glasshouse Elite gets suspicious but I manage to get him. You might ask, does it still count as stealth, the way I killed that Grunt? In this case I consider that stealth was maintained, although it obviously wasn't perfect.

01:13 Somewhere along the line, I started using the occasional side hit on patrolling Elites. It's risky though, sometimes failing because they catch sight of you. But it looks amusing. This example was from my 4:26 play. The blue Elite was close behind him, and I subsequently moved around the pillar and got him.

01:24 Another example of a side hit. This time it was my only option, after I'd got myself into a tough spot, unable to safely retreat to the pillar.

01:34 A rather nice triple Jackal finish! This gave me a time of 5:28, beating the 6:10 which had been my first speedy time.

01:45 As I pause to consider rushing the glasshouse (much like in my fastest play, coming up next), a patrolling Elite comes wandering into the inner area at just the wrong time. I'm forced to try a side hit, and luckily it works. But then one of his glasshouse buddies comes leaping down and I know I'm going to get spotted, so I attack for fun. Unfortunately we both go out with a bang!

02:03 (Fastest play) My strategy in this play - and in most of the plays I did - was to go for the tricky glasshouse first, hoping for a quick clearance. I get a slightly stuck red Elite early on, and turn left hoping to get the blue Elite too. But I turn too early and get blocked by the prong, losing that opportunity; so I'm forced to retreat.

02:27 I now see that the blue has got impeded at the same place that red was. But meanwhile a red patroller has been coming my way - a threat because he might spot me through the window - and I finally break off to get him.

02:36 While out there on the right I opt for some quick Grunt slaying, but I also manage to get an early Jackal. Very handy! If I can now clear the glasshouse quick, I'll have a good chance of a fast time.

03:07 That blue is still stuck, and now his red buddy is acting suspicious with weapon raised. I go around the other side so I'll be behind the blue. After briefly taking cover in fear that a patrolling Elite might be coming my way (false alarm), I see that the red has turned, so I rush in and whack him (note: I turned my flashlight off because of past experience; I think it may've given me away). The blue turns but his vision is impeded by the prong, which possibly saved me from being spotted. Anyway, I whack him, and then it's an easy job to kill the six Grunts. Glasshouse cleared!

03:46 Emerging, I hear the final Elite to the left, and go in pursuit. Initially he's coming my way so I take cover, but then I hear him turn, so I head back out and get him.

04:10 After lurking around the end of the right to see if I can get a Jackal, I opt to change position, moving to the exit of the inner area. Things look promising as the Jackals all saunter rightwards; and sure enough, I'm able to safely pick one off at the back.

04:52 From there my plan is to quickly jump through a window and kill the remaining Grunts, but my window jumping skills let me down. I fluff the melee, and by the time I smash the window it's feeling risky to jump through in case a Jackal sees me. I pause and check the Jackal situation, and indeed they're coming my way. I think my decision not to jump was probably good.

05:15 Listening to the Jackals, it sounds like they're now heading away, so I drop through the window. And yes they are heading away, so I take my chance, rushing in and getting both. Phew!

05:30 That just leaves the Grunts around the left. No trouble at all, of course. Six whacks later it's all over, giving me a time of 3:38, shattering my previous best of 4:26.

Closing remarks Doing the stealth challenge fast was something I'd been planning to attempt since releasing BCM397, and it's turned out to be good fun. I messed up a whole lot of times (often getting spotted by a glasshouse Elite, which frequently leads to all the Grunts waking up), but it was nice to see how viable it was to go fast. I was using the same set-up as before, by the way.

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