Halo Wars Basic Tips

Here are a few basic principles to keep in mind when tackling the campaign:

• Left and Right Bumpers are you friends. Left bumper allows you to select all of the units on the map, while the right bumper selects what's visible on the screen; both are essential tools for selecting units because there's simply not enough time to select individuals in the heat of battle.

• Upgrades: most of the units at your disposal need to be upgraded in order to have any chance of survival; Marines, in particular, benefit greatly from upgrades that improve their numbers and strengthen their attack; always check your barracks, vehicle depots, and airpads for possible upgrades

• Tread carefully--don't hurriedly rush across a map; be methodical about how you proceed through each mission because rushing will get your units killed

• Use units wisely--dumping a bunch of units really doesn't work in Halo Wars; instead, you need to select the best units to get the job done, otherwise your foes will kill off your forces; don't send in Marines to combat a Ghost, use a Scorpion instead; simple things like this can save you minutes or perhaps the annoyance of failing a mission and having to start fresh

ACT 1 -----------------------------------------------------------------

Mission 01: Alpha Base

[Primary Objective: Fight your way to Alpha Base]

Your goal is to recapture the base, which has been seized by the Covenant. Using Sergeant Forge, you need to make your way to the base in order to launch an attack on the base. Have the Marines ahead join Forge and push through the ravine. Continue forward until you cross a short bridge and encounter a trio of Grunts. Move along the ravine to reach another Marine squad being harassed by Covenant forces. Lucky for you, they're Grunts that add to your kill score. Get rid of them and add the new units to your group. Take your growing army over the ridge behind the Covenant platforms to encounter another couple squads of Grunts. There's also a Covenant vehicle behind them, so destroy it too. Continue to the bridge to the west. Jump across and move up the ravine to locate the third squad of Marines. Concentrate on eliminating the turret before killing the Grunts since it does more damage. Have your new units join forces, then use them to kill two Grunts near a burning Warthog at the start of the bridge ahead. Go across the bridge to find the last group of Marines engaging a few Grunts. Clear them to complete the optional objective and to receive a new primary one.

[Primary Objective: Use Marines to destroy barrier power source]

Getting to Alpha Base requires blasting apart the Covenant barrier impeding your progress. Your Warthogs can't pass through the field, so direct your infantry to walk through and chuck grenades at the power generator. Don't worry about the Covenant forces. If you move fast to destroy the generator, you can have your Warthogs support you in killing the enemies in the area, which is your new objective.

[Primary Objective: Eliminate Covenant within Alpha Base]

Inside the base are a mess of Covenant forces including several squads of Grunts and Brutes. Hang back initially and let them come to you. There are some small squads entrenched on the eastern, western, and far northern sides of the base that you can ignore at the start of the battle. Instead, fight the big wave of Grunts and Brutes that assail you from the center of the base. With those forces gone, you won't have to worry about your back when you go to eliminate the entrenched units. When you clear the base of Covenant, you not only complete the optional Grunt killing objective but the mission as well.

Optional Objective: Find and rescue pinned Marines (4)

It's easy to get all four squads. Follow the ravine with Sergeant Forge as outlined in the walkthrough for the primary objectives and you join up with all four. You can't miss them.

Optional Objective: Kill 100 Grunts

As long as you kill every Grunt that you encounter in the mission, you can complete this objective--easy.

Black Box--Underneath the bridge near the Covenant shield close to the mission's end is a ramp. Use it to find the box.

Skull--The skull appears once you've completed the optional objective of killing 100 Grunts. Upon doing this, take Forge to the front gate of Alpha Base and collect it.

Mission 02: Relic Approach

[Primary Objective: Get Alpha Base online]

You begin the mission with Sergeant Forge and a couple squads of Marines. Before you can start pushing toward the Relic, you need to bulk up your forces which means constructing a base. Highlight the base build pad and construct a station. Once that's complete, you can proceed through the next set of objectives tasking you with the building of individual structures.

[Primary Objective: Build a Supply Pad]

Select the highlighted pad to bring up the building menu after the objective displays and select the supply pad to start construction.

[Primary Objective: Build a Barracks]

Once the supply pad is finished, follow the same order to construct a barracks on the highlighted pad.

[Primary Objective: Train 5 Marines]

With the barracks built, you can draft new units with which to push toward the Relic. Commission five squads of Marines by selecting the barracks and ordering five units. To play it safe, it's recommended that you draw up some back up units. While you wait for these units to appear, you can collect extra supplies littering the base site.

[Primary Objective: Fight your way to the structure in the ice]

Now that the doors have opened, you can begin your assault on the Covenant. The units you have--Forge and the seven Marine squads--is a bit small for the job, but it's possible to complete the mission with them. It's better to draft some vehicles for firepower. To do that, you want to upgrade your supply pad to increase your haul in supplies. Use the extra supplies to build two reactors necessary for constructing a vehicle depot. When it's up and running, order a couple of Scorpion tanks. They're expensive (500 supplies apiece), so you may need to save up first. Moving out of the base through the doors, you immediately face a couple squads of Grunts. Your Marines can easily wipe them out. Heading to the right forces a confrontation with a trio of Ghosts; use grenades to blow them to bits. Further ahead in the center of the map are a couple of towers. Issue a command to your Marines to throw grenades to kill the Jackal snipers inside. More Grunts will appear as you fight the Jackals. Head further up the center of the map you can eliminate another Jackal sniper and stumble onto a Covenant base. You can either ignore it and continue toward the Covenant Relic or destroy it for extra points. Further up and slightly to the right of the Covenant base is a force field blocking your advance. After killing an Covenant in the area including the Jackal sniper to the right of the shield, send a Marine through to destroy the power generator attached to the shield.

[Primary Objective: Enter the structure]

As soon as the force field goes down, a Covenant dropship dumps a load of enemies right ahead of you. If you created some back up units, now is a good time to call them to the front. A bunch of Grunts are joined by Hunters than need to be taken out before you can move to the structure itself.

[Primary Objective: Destroy the detonator]

Upon reaching the structure's entrance, you're told to destroy the detonator placed by the Covenant intending to blow the place up. It's as easy as targeting the device sitting in the middle of the corridor. Grunts, a Jackal, and a Ghost will harass you; eliminate them before firing on the detonator. When the thing explodes, the mission is complete.

Optional Objective: Kill 20 Jackal Snipers

Much like the optional objective in the first mission tasking you with killing a certain number of Grunts, you're likely yo complete this by simply running through the primary objectives. You may need to seek out a couple of other Jackal sniping spot before reaching the entrance, though. Explore the western and eastern edges of the map between your UNSC base and the Covenant relic structure. There's plenty of Jackals to take out.

Optional Objective: Destroy the Covenant base

The Covenant base is near the center of the map. Moving from the UNSC base up to the structure, you should run into it. It's very much recommended that you take it out not so much to complete the objective, but because it keeps Covenant forces from spawning out of the base and provides an spot for you to build a second one of your own.

Optional Objective: Destroy the Covenant methane refinery

Along the western edge of the map are a series of methane processors that need to be destroyed to complete this objective. Take your units over to this side of the map and clear out all of the buildings to complete it. Additionally, if you destroy all of the methane containers you earn an achievement.

Optional Objective: Rescue all trapped Warthogs (2)

The first pair of trapped Warthogs are located to the west of Alpha Base. Head out of the base north, then turn westward and follow the icy path south to reach them behind a force field. You can rescue the second set on the opposite side of the map from the first. From where you spot the Covenant base at the center of the map, head southeast to locate the final two Warthogs behind another force field.

Black Box--Located in the methane refinery, northwest section. Deactivate a force field to find the black box near methane tanks.

Skull--After you've killed 20 Jackals, take Forge back to Alpha Base to collect the skull that appears in the south end of the complex.

Mission 03: Relic Interior

[Primary Objective: Fight your way to Forge and Anders' position]

The goal is simple: use the Grizzlies to plow through Covenant in order to save Sergeant Forge and Professor Anders. Move to the structure's entrance and meet up with four squads of Marines garrisoned at the sides of the door. You can't grab them right now, so continue into the structure and engage the Hunters congregating near the entrance. Proceed forward, taking out more Hunters, Grunts, and a Jackal at the T-junction. Turn left here, following the path until you reach another group of Covenant. Only a couple of Hunters and some Grunts to deal with before heading over the energy bridge to the other side of the complex. When you reach the other side of the bridge, you immediately need to eliminate the enemies pressing Forge and Anders. A raised platform populated with Grunts should be your primary focus, followed by the need to clear out the Hunters. Lastly, turrets will whittle away at the Grizzles, so use their special attack to quickly destroy them.

[Primary Objective: Escape the chamber with Forge and Anders]

With the Covenant off your back for the time being, order Anders to repair your Grizzlies. Select her, then hit Y over the tanks. Back track with all of your units to the bridge.