In Depth Guide To Endure

In Depth Guide To Endure and Firefight

In Depth Guide to Endure

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A few days ago I got Endure, one of the most annoying Vidmaster achievements to ever attain in ODST. In this guide I will give you the best way you could ever take to attain this achievement and be one more step closer to unlocking your Recon.

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1.Sets, Rounds, and Waves [SRW]

a.Difference between sets, rounds and waves.
b.Bonus rounds
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2.Skulls [SKS]

a.Minor Skulls​

i.Tough Luck
ii.Catch
iii.BlackEye
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b.Major Skulls​

i.Tilt
ii.Famine
iii.Mythic
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c.Bonus Skull

i.Iron
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d.Extra Skulls

i.Blind
ii.Cowbell
iii.Grunt Birthday Party
iv.IWHBYD
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3.Best Map [MAP]

a.ONI Alpha Site
b.Reason Why
c.Weapon List​

i.Weapon Drop
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1.Pistol
2.SMG
3.Sniper
4.Shotgun
5.Rockets
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ii.Covenant Weapons
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1.Plasma Pistol
2.Carbine
3. Brute Plasma Rifle
4.Spiker
5.Needler
6.Brute Shot
7.Mauler
8.Beam Rifle
9.Gravity Hammer
10.Fuel Rod
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iii.Grenades
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1.Frag Grenades
2.Plasma Grenades
3.Spike Grenades
4.Fire Bombs
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d.Enemies List​

i.Grunts
ii.Jackals
iii.Drones
iv.Hunters
v.Brutes
vi.Chieftains
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4.Enemy Strategies [ENS]

a.Weapon Information and Behavior​

i.Grunts
ii.Jackals
iii.Drones
iv.Hunters
v.Brutes
vi.Chieftains
vii.Engineers
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b.Vehicles

i.Ghosts
ii.Chopper
iii.Banshee
iv.Wraith
v.Phantom
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5.Strategies [STR]

a.Overall Strategy
b.Weapon Strategies and Tips
c.Enemy Kill Strategies and Weaknesses​

i.Grunts
ii.Jackals
iii.Drones
iv.Hunters
v.Brutes
vi.Chieftains
vii.Engineers
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d.Vehicle Strategies and Weaknesses

i.Ghost
ii.Chopper
iii.Banshee
iv.Wraith
v.Phantom
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6.Bonus Round Strategy [BRS]

a.Earning Enough Points
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7.End of Guide, Credits and Thanks. [EOG]

First Part. Sets, Rounds, and Waves [SRW]

Here is the basic information you need to know. There is a counter in the top left corner when you start Firefight. This denotes the amount of Sets, Rounds and Waves you have gone through and which one you are on now.

There are a total of five sets (four needed to complete this achievement), three rounds in a set, and five waves in each round. You start on set one, round one, wave one. As you progress through enemies, you will hear the announcer say “reinforcements” which means you completed that wave and are on to the next wave. After you complete five waves, you move to the next round. After you complete 3 rounds you move on to the next set. This process continues for each set.

Skulls turn on after every round and every set. The first round you start you have the skull “Tough Luck”. Round two includes the skull “Catch”. Round three includes the skull “BlackEye”. These skulls add each round as well, but they reset once you clear a set. This means when you reach set two, you will have Tough Luck on again, but the others will turn off.

When you complete a round, you will receive additional lives and a weapon drop. Additional lives consist of extra lives that are the exact amount of players you have. For instance, you have four players, you earn four lives. A weapon drop consists of additional ammo in your weapon caches which means more SMG ammo and pistol ammo, not to mention ammo and weapon replacement of heavy weapon on the map. Additionally, this consists of added grenades in the caches too. You also receive replacement med packs in the med pack areas.

When you complete a set, a new skull will be added to the skull count and will be permanent through all additional sets. There is more information on the skulls in the skull section.

After you complete a set, you are moved to the bonus round which consists of every skull being on and grunts will pour into the stage and attempt to kill you. Bonus rounds are very important because you can earn additional lives which also work for like finishing a round. In order to earn extra lives you must reach the amount of points shown. If you do not reach the amount of points shown, you will not gain additional lives. If you do then you will, it’s simple right? Not quite, a strategy on how to attain the amount of points needed is at the end of this guide.

Part Two, Skulls. [SKS]

Skulls are what make firefight dangerous, obviously. There are seven skulls in total, eleven with all extras turned on; an explanation of each follows this.

Minor skulls consist of Tough Luck, Catch, and BlackEye.

Tough Luck makes it so the enemies dodge danger more often. This consists of rolling away from grenades, moving out of the way of rockets and fuel rod, and dodging overcharged plasma shots.

Catch makes it so enemies throw grenades more often. A lot more often, I would have to say that this is one of the most dangerous skulls in firefight. Although the only enemies that can throw grenades are grunts and brutes, they will continuously throw them without stopping. This is when you must listen for when grunts and brutes announce they are throwing grenades. It’s important to be able to do this in order to dodge them. Most deaths in firefight are caused by grenades.

BlackEye works the same as it does in Halo 3 campaign. You will not recover stamina unless you melee an enemy. This is a very dangerous skull and you must be cautious when this skull is on. The best way to return your stamina back to yourself is to melee a Jackal that gets very close to you. Other ways are to melee a Drone or if you know how to, melee a Hunter. Hitting Grunts or Brutes are usually a bad idea. Grunts could stick you instantly if you try to melee them. Brutes could melee you back which would in turn take away your stamina recovery and damage you in turn.

Major skulls consist of Tilt, Famine, and Mythic.

Tilt makes it so bullet weapons are much less effective again enemy shields. This means that the magnum, SMG, shotgun, sniper, mauler, and spiker are much less effective against enemy shields and will rarely take down their shields. Plasma is also a tad less effective, but will still definitely do its job against their shields. This also makes frag grenades less effective too. Sticky grenades will still work just fine and will kill them when stuck, they may or may not kill if on the ground next to them or below them.

Famine makes it so weapons have less ammo. This does not count for weapons in the ammo caches. It only counts for weapons that the covenant drop, but this doesn’t seem to affect the amount of grenades dropped.

Mythic allows the covenant to have twice the amount of health than normal. This is another very dangerous skull. Not only do enemies have twice the amount of health, this also makes them harder to stun. For instance, when you shoot a Jackal with the pistol in the hand, they usually stun and reveal their body and head (vital spots), now if you try to do that, they will take the hit like it was nothing. I also believe this effects their shields too; it makes them more durable and twice as strong too. Plasma still works great against their shields though and plasma overcharges still takes down their shield in one hit. When this skull comes on be sure to headshot as much as possible against everything that can be shot in the head.

There is only one Bonus skull which is Iron. Iron makes it so if you die during the bonus round, you will not respawn. If you are playing alone, this means the round is over and ends with the amount of points you earned. If all players die in a multiple player game, that’s when the bonus round ends.

Extra Skulls Consist of Blind, Cowbell, Grunt Birthday Party, and IWHBYD.

Blind is a horrible skull to use. You have no crosshair, no ammo counter; technically your whole HUD disappears. Only use this if you want an ever worse challenge than what Endure is already. I advise you not to use this skull, ever.

Cowbell can work for you or against you. This makes explosives and the Gravity Hammer have more force and bigger range. Usually this is bad and is used against you because of the amount of grenades thrown from enemies. I suggest not using this skull either.

Grunt Birthday Party or GBP makes it so when you get a headshot on a Grunt, their head creates a small explosion, confetti bursts out, and you can hear little Spanish children yell “Yay!” This is useful at most times because Grunts like to stick close to each other, shooting one Grunt and kill the other or weaken other enemies close them. This makes it easier to get multikills. The only downside from this is that the explosion can cause dropped grenades to activate and explode. This includes grenades that drop off of the Grunt that was headshotted. I suggest using this, but being careful about shooting Grunts too close to you.

IWHBYD or I Would Have Been Your Daddy is a skull that doesn’t affect any of the game play at all. What it does is add hidden dialogs from enemies and character that wouldn’t have been said without it on. For instance if you’re playing as Buck, sometimes he will shout “THIS IS SPARTA!” Other characters will say different things and enemies, mostly Grunts, will have different and funny lines. I usually play with this on so I can get a laugh or two while playing.

Part Three, the Best Map. [MAP]

One of the most important thing for doing endure is choosing the best map. Most firefight maps contain enemies that use vehicles which can really destroy the party and steal your lives. Also, having enemies come from all ways can really turn the tides on you quickly. This is why most or all people choose ONI Alpha Site for their firefight map.

ONI Alpha Site is the best map for Endure. There are multiple reasons as to why. To start, there are no vehicles on the map to fight against. No ghosts, no Wraiths, no Banshees, the only vehicle there is, is the Phantom which still cannot shoot you if you are in the right area. Also, there are only two possible ways for the covenant to attack from, which are also very unprotected spots. You can kill most of them before they even reach attacking distance. Also, in the friendly spawn area, there is a lot of cover from gunfire and grenades. It’s quite open and the ammo and the health packs are in easy access areas. Another reason is because the Jetpack Brutes enjoy flying into the elevator shafts that have no bottom, it doesn’t count for points but it does kill them. Lastly, you are able to use your visor while inside which is helpful for easily spotting enemies that are cloaked or behind you.

Here is a list of weapons you can find on this map:

Human Weapons:

Pistol: found in the ammo cache next to the stairs in the spawn area.

SMG: found in the ammo cache next to the stairs in the spawn area.

Sniper: found in the middle section of the inside area, it is hosted on a wall that creates a triangular column inside the building.

Shotgun: also found on the triangular column on the opposite side of the Sniper.

Rockets: found outside the main building area up the stairs leading outside. If you head out the right stairs, turn left, if you head out the left stairs, turn right. It’s hosted on the wall above the bench.

Covenant Weapons:

Plasma Pistol: dropped often by Grunts, Jackals, and Drones.

Carbine: dropped often by Jackals and Brutes.

Brute Plasma Rifle: dropped often by Brutes and Drones.

Spiker: only dropped by Brutes.

Needler: dropped often by Drones, Grunts, and Jackals.

Brute Shot: only dropped by Brutes.

Mauler: only dropped by Brutes.

Beam Rifle: only dropped by Jackals.

Gravity Hammer: only dropped by Brute Chieftains.

Fuel Rod: only dropped by Grunts, Brutes and Brute Chieftains.

Grenades:

Frag Grenades: found in the SMG and pistol ammo weapons cache area.

Plasma Grenades: dropped by Grunts only.

Spike Grenades: dropped by Brutes only.

Fire Bombs: dropped by Brutes only.

There are a variety of enemies on this map too. Here is a list.

Grunts: Lower ranked to higher ranked Grunts appear often. Usually they appear every wave.

Jackals: Shield Jackals and the higher ranked sniper Jackals appear often. Usually they appear every wave.

Drones: Both low rank and higher rank drones appear at least during one wave each round, sometimes they appear in two waves in one round.

Hunters: Hunters both blue and gold usually appear only once during a round. Sometimes if unlucky, they can appear twice in a round.

Brutes: Brutes of all ranks appear often after the first wave. Chieftains though, only ever appear on the fifth wave.

Part Four, Enemy Strategies. [ENS]

Although they are computer enemies, they are more formidable than you think. They do have strategies, maybe not good ones, but they can kill you. I will be going in depth as to what weapons they have, what they do to take you out, and how defensive they can be.

Grunts are the most common enemy by far in firefight. Usually they carry a Plasma Pistol or a Needler. Although they have weak weapons, they can still deal large amounts damage to you and possibly kill you. The worst weapons for them to use are Plasma Grenades or Fuel Rod. They are extremely accurate with both and will kill you easily. They will throw endless amounts of grenades and shoot tons of Fuel Rod. Usually they are commanded by the Brutes to move in towards your position to overthrow you. If they can, they will get as close as possible to you which also can be dangerous when they use grenades. Also, not to forget they will go kamikaze when their Brute commander dies and will run at you with two Plasma Grenades in an attempt to kill you.

Jackals are also very common in firefight. Usually they are fitted with Plasma Pistols or Needler. They are dangerous in the fact that they have a shield which they use to cover their whole body and are still able to shoot while hiding behind them. Their shield easy deflects human bullets and other covenant weapons. They also are implemented with long range weapons like the Carbine and Beam Rifle. These snipers are dangerously accurate with their shots and can easily kill you if you stay out in the open for too long. They do not have shields, but they often stay back and keep away from close distance encounters unless necessary. Shield Jackals do come in close range, which technically is a weakness, but they are still highly effective if not dealt with correctly.

Drones are one of the most annoying enemies in firefight. Lower ranked Drones carry Plasma Pistols and Needler. They are quick when they fly and are able to easily dodge incoming fire. They can easily maneuver behind you and fire from unknown positions. This is the main reason they are annoying if they break through your defense. Higher ranked Drones have shields and carry Brute Plasma Rifles. Much more dangerous because they can shoot more rapidly and cannot be taken down as easily as lower ranks. They also move just as fast as the lower ranked Drones.

Hunters are very powerful enemies that are hard to defend against when they attack. Blue hunters which are lower ranked are fitted with special Fuel Rod weapons that they can fire in a stream for a short period of time. The attack is still explosive and just as damaging as getting hit by normal Fuel Rod. They are heavily armored and show very little amount of vital area. If encountered in close combat they will swing their shielded arms and hit you and they have an attack for each direction. They can easily cover every area around them and will often kill you in one punch or slam. The higher ranked Golden Hunters are also fitted with almost the same weapons and they are stronger than the lower ranked. They can also take more damage than the lower ranked.

Brutes have a diverse amount of weapons and abilities and are very dangerous enemies. They come in multiple ranks and carry many different weapons. Most have special tactics and use Grunts to push you out of hiding before they attack. They are extremely skilled with the weapons they use and they will kill you without hesitation. They easily dodge grenades and will get out of the way of incoming fire. Not only are they strong, they also are fitted with shields like what Elites use. The most common weapons for low ranked Brutes to carry are Brute Plasma Rifles, Spikers, and Carbine. They aren’t as strong as higher ranked but will try to flush you out of position with multiple grenades. They usually have armor that doesn’t fully cover their body. Jetpack Brutes are, well Brutes with jetpacks. They have limited flight distance and are usually fitted with the same weapons as other low ranked Brutes. Although they have limited flight distance, they are still able to move out of danger and can easily maneuver behind your defense and tear your team apart. They also use multiple grenades when possible. Spec Op Brutes have a unique camouflage which makes them dangerous. They are invisible to the naked eye and are hard to spot, even when using the ODST visor. They like to move undetected to your position and attack you at close range with Maulers. They also carry Fire Bombs and are extremely effective when using them. They can also remain invisible for an unlimited amount of time, until their armor is rendered ineffective or is destroyed. These Minor Brutes often carry Flares which they use to distract and temporary blind you while they move in on your position. They are usually effective when used by Spec Ops Brutes.

Brute Captains are decked out in full body armor and usually wear dark blue or gold armor. They usually carry any brute weapon except for the Mauler. They favor using the Brute Shot, Fuel Rod, Carbine and Brute Plasma Rifle. They are much stronger than Minor Brutes and will often move with the group they are commanding. Their behavior is about the same as Minor Brutes, but they are usually better at dodging incoming fire and grenades. They are also a bit more accurate with their weapons and have better shields. Captains also use Bubble Shields and Power Drainers which can turn the tides of battle easily in their favor.

One unique characteristic of Brutes is that they like to go into Berserker mode. Berserker mode enables when their shields are depleted and their armor is destroyed. They well crouch down and growl at you and begin running at you. Though they are vulnerable in this state, they will charge at you and try as hard as possible to beat you down. They’re quick, and can jump really high. They can do a lot of damage if they get close enough to you so it’s better if you don’t let them get within reach. I would have to say that eighty percent of Minor and Major Brutes will go into this mode of attack when their shields are depleted. Some will still have their normal behavior and will be able to keep their temper under control. Just to note, Brute Chieftains do not go into Berserker mode when their shields are depleted.

Brute Chieftains are the most destructive enemy in firefight. If not dealt with correctly they will incapacitate your whole group and will steal many of your lives. They are more decorated than other Brutes and can be easily spotted in a group. Chieftains are well trained, very powerful Brutes that will come to your position rapidly and wreak havoc on your squad. Their behavior is much more different than their other Brute counterparts. They will charge straight into battle without hesitation. They have strong shields and they can take at least twice as much damage than other Brutes. Chieftains will use either the Gravity Hammer or Fuel rod.

Gravity Hammer Chieftains wear dark colored armor with an orange looking headdress. Hammer Chieftains will leap and attack at you. Their radius on their Hammer is enormous and will do tons of damage to all surrounding squad mates. They’re much quicker than and ODST and will catch up to you quickly even if you’re running away. One hit from their Hammer can kill a person, even if they don’t make contact with it. Facing one in close combat is a terrible idea. Gravity Hammer Chieftains can also use the Invincibility equipment and each Hammer Chieftain carries one. This means that they can easily use that and charge after your whole group without being harmed for a short amount of time, this makes them even more dangerous.

Fuel Rod Chieftains wear golden colored armor and a much different headdress than others (personally, I think it’s really ugly armor). They use the Fuel Rod like it’s going out of style. Very accurate and hard to counter, they avoid confrontation at close range but will blow you down with long range fire. Their Fuel Rod is like every other, same explosion radius and power, but they shoot it much more often and have better accuracy. They don’t use any extra equipment and they don’t have Invincibility either. Sometimes they’ll get closer to you and that’s when it gets very dangerous. The Fuel Rod is very fast and can hit you before you even know it happened. Staying away or getting up close, you’ll be in danger either way.

Engineers are enemies that aren't able to cause any actual damage to you (while alive), but they will strengthen their allies. They give extra shields to every ally around them, this does include Grunts, Jackals, Hunters, Drones, Brutes, etc. These shields are strong and hard to take down because they recover quickly. They also give shields to their selves, which makes it very hard to kill them. Although when they die, they self destruct into multiple grenade like bombs, like a cluster bomb, which can spread to several areas. They're not extremely strong, but they will do quite a bit of damage.

Covenant vehicles can be devastating on a firefight squad. Used against you it could wipe out your whole team extremely quickly. Although when you're using them, they can be just as effective against the Covenant too. Here are the vehicles they use.

Ghosts are pesky little things. Able to shoot and quickly speed away, this can make these really annoying vehicles to fight against. They don't have many defensive capabilities, which makes them an easy target, but their speed is what gets the best of people. When you're dealing with enemies and are focused on a group, a Ghost can easily speed into you for a deadly surprise, something Brutes like to favor. Getting out of the way without knowing it's heading towards you is the real problem. They are also able to deflect and diminish the damage from physical ammo weapons. They also cover most of the driver's body when looking at you. Beware of this small and quick beast.

Choppers are deadly to say the least. Explosive rounds used for their main weapons can be shot while they boost towards you making dodging them difficult. They're accurate to say the least, and the rounds are still damaging even if you're in a vehicle. Speaking of being in a vehicle, these things are able to destroy them easily. Their front wheels are designed to be extremely destructible, even when they're not boosting. Never try to go head on against a Chopper, even if you have one yourself. Also, the sheer size of the front of a Chopper almost completely covers the entire enemy's body from getting hit from the front. This vehicle is also good at reducing the damage it takes from physical ammo weapons. Try to keep alert and know their position if they're on the map.

Banshees are the Covenant's small air force defense. They work like a Ghost in the air, able to boost to quickly escape, but cannot fire while doing so. They're accurate and hard to take out of the sky. Physical ammo weapons do very little damage to them, if any at all. The damage thrown at them also does little to the driver. They're also equipped with a powerful Fuel Rod cannon. Brutes are the only enemies that pilot Banshees.

Wraiths are the Covenant version of the tank. Packed to the top with power. Not only do their explosive shots arc, they've got quite the range on them and can reach places that a normal straight shot couldn't. Another piece of power it has is a turret with a little over 180 degrees of turning ability. Both the plasma arc and turret are packed with power, they can easily take out anything that comes close to them. They're also great against vehicles, anything that comes close to them.

Phantoms are used to drop off the Covenant at hot spots during battle. Armed with a large caliber plasma turret on the front with two plasma turrets on the left and right sides. They're able to completely destroy vehicles, infantry, etc. They're also extremely strong and hard to destroy.

Part Five, Strategies [STR]

The overall strategy for this map is to stay in the back area above the stairs where it’s safe. Teamwork is a necessity during this achievement. Your squad can split up and have two mates on one side and two on the others, or you can keep your squad tight and stay in the same area to better control the outcome. I suggest in the beginning splitting up with two on each side will make the first set go faster. If you have any trouble during the set, group up and stick together and watch each other’s backs. For the second set, two people on your team should be carrying plasma weapons and pistols for quick headshots. Another should be holding a heavy weapon like the Rockets or Fuel Rod now that you can have it. The last person can hold whatever they would like; this makes it easy for someone to quickly switch out weapons for any problems or situations that could arise. Since Tilt will be on during the second set, it’s important you don’t waste your non plasma weapons on trying to take shields down. Let one of your teammates take down shields while you pump them full of lead. Save the heavy weapon for the Chieftains at the end of each round. Continue this process in the third set, but be weary of the Famine skull as you’ll be scrounging for ammo and conserving as many shots as possible. Although this doesn’t affect weapon drops, other weapons will have little ammo. Come the fourth set, you can feel your heart beating, your palms sweating; you’re so close and nervous. Mythic is a very, very mean skull. Shields have twice the strength, and it’s coupled with Tilt meaning that you will be extremely lucky if you get through anything’s shield with a SMG. Plasma Pistol is STILL the way to go, with a pistol for headshots. Also, talked about earlier, it’s harder to stun enemies like the Jackals and Grunts. When you reach the end of each round, be happy you’re still alive. Save as many lives as possible for the final set, I promise that you’ll need them.

Also, the time to be afraid is every third round of each set and the entire fourth set. BlackEye is a nasty skull and coupled with Catch it’s even more dangerous, so be alert and pay attention and listen for Grunts and Brutes when they throw grenades. During the whole fourth set I would also be alert. Enemies are stronger and your style for kills will have to change in an instant when you use your last bullet and miss.

Choosing the right weapon can either make your break your achievement. There are some good choices and some good weapons to keep throughout the whole time you’re playing. Here is my opinion about each weapon and the uses of each. Minor power weapons consist of the Pistol, SMG, Plasma Pistol, Brute Plasma Rifle, Carbine, Spiker, Brute Shot, Needler and Mauler. Major power weapons consist of the Shotgun, Sniper, Beam Rifle, Gravity Hammer, Rockets, and Fuel Rod.

Pistol is a must for at least three people in your team. Easily the most versatile weapon during firefight, they are able to take out every enemy with ease, except for Hunters. Conserving ammo by getting headshots is a must in later sets, so if you’re not great at getting headshots, practice up or switch it out for the SMG and allow other players to take your ammo.

The Plasma Pistol is another favorite and the quickest way you can take down enemy shields. There are hundreds of them in firefight and should easily be found if they aren’t despawned. This is my favorite choice or taking down enemy shields.

The Brute Plasma Rifle is also good for this, obviously. If you cannot find a Plasma Pistol in your area, it’s best to keep this by your side. It may take longer to get through shields, but it’s also good for killing Drones without shields. This is my other favorite shield drain choice.

Then you’ve got the Carbine that when accurately shot, can wipe out a Brute’s shield and kill him within seconds. As a note for Carbine, when Tilt is on, it still acts like a plasma weapon and will still take their shields down, just not as quickly as before. They’re also great for headshotting at long distances and can take down Drones pretty quickly too, even the major Drone that have shields.

SMG is the go to gun for enemies if you run out of pistol, but beware, with the Mythic skull on you’ll use up a lot of ammo trying to kill with without getting a headshot. It’s best to keep this weapon for killing Hunters and Drones. It’s extremely effective against both when used correctly.

The Sniper is only useful in the first set. It will not go through shields when Tilt is activated so it’s better to leave it alone after the first set, you’ll be much more productive with a Pistol. In the first set, this will take out
anything with ease. It also helps with Chieftains when used for headshots.

That being said, the Shotgun also has trouble going through enemy shields. It’s a waste to use it on Grunts or Jackals too so if possible save it for the Hunters when they appear. It will destroy them quickly which makes one less problem during that wave.

Needler is an effective weapon when you can’t find a plasma weapon around you. They do kill Brutes when Tilt is activated, but they will not even take shields down when you reach the fourth set which renders this obsolete later in the fight. Your main target when using this weapon are Brutes. As a note, Needler DOES NOT work against Chieftains, their armor deflects it.

Beam Rifle is also considered a plasma weapon and will still rip through enemy shields with Tilt and Mythic activated. The only problem is that it’s rare for any Jackals to carry this seeing how they enjoy the Carbine much more often. If you do get this weapon, save it for when Brutes come out, it’s very effective when used for headshotting.

Spikers are useless when Tilt is on. They use physical ammo which makes it much less effective against shields. I would only use this weapon if you run out of SMG which is unlikely. It will work well on Brutes without shields, Hunters, and Drones. Otherwise, I would leave this weapon alone.

Mauler is effective in the first set. Only used by Spec Ops Brutes, they will deplete their quickly and will take them down just as fast. This is useful for Brutes without shields, Jackals in the fourth set, Drones that are close and Hunters. I wouldn’t use this on Grunts because if you get too close they could stick you.

Brute Shot is rarely used other than a lesser power weapon. They do take out Grunt and Jackals quickly, Drones too and can be used effectively against Hunters, but this is a physical weapon and will not take down shields when Tilt is on. It’s also rendered less effective with Mythic activated as well, not to mention ammo is usually scarce because of Famine. I would only use this in situations where you don’t have a power weapon for killing Chieftains, or if you want to quickly dispatch Grunts or Jackals.

Rockets are extremely useful for taking out Chieftains and large groups of enemies. Although beware, they are able to effectively dodge rockets if shot from too far of a distance. Most will dive for cover; some will be less intelligent and take the hit head on. Remember that if you do grab the Rockets early in the round, that if you drop them and leave it alone for too long it WILL despawn and you will be out of Rockets for when the Chieftains arrive. I suggest keeping this to easily dispatch the troublesome Chieftains at the end of each round.

Gravity Hammer can be useful at times, but later on I suggest keeping ranged weapons than this melee weapon. If you get too close to a Hammer Chieftain, you WILL die to him if you fight head on with this weapon. Also you can easily team kill if there is someone close to whatever enemy you are hammering. I suggest you try to use this early on in the first few sets if possible. It’s good for taking out Brutes in the final wave of each round because they like to go straight to your position and they’re one hit kill with it. I wouldn’t advise on using this on Chieftains. It’s usually a bad idea.

Fuel Rod is one of the most important weapons in firefight. It’s explosive, can be quickly shot, fast and it’s got a large round, this weapon is my favorite choice out of the major power weapons. This can easily take out tons of covenant baddies in firefight and is useful even in the most daunting situations. I suggest someone carry this weapon at all times after you first encounter it. I also recommend using this sparingly as you can easily run out of ammo for it in later sets. This is the designated Chieftain killer; it can easily rip them apart when they don’t have shields.

Grenade usage is a must throughout this whole achievement. Brutes are slow when throwing grenades over handed and can usually be stuck before they even release it out of their hands. Grunts are also slow then throwing, but they do throw faster than Brutes. Frag grenades are good for clearing out a large group of Grunts and Jackals. They rarely take down Brute shields so I suggest not using them for that. Both Plasma Grenades and Spike Grenades and instant kills until Mythic is activated. This is another reason this skull is deadly. Usually when you stick a Brute they will go into Berserker mode, they still do, but they will have shields when doing so, which means no easy headshot when they’re chasing you down trying to pummel you to death. It’s best to throw two sticky grenades to close the deal and ensure the kill. Fire Bombs are the most useful and deadly grenades. They can easily save your life, or burn you to death, even when being used by you. Be very cautious when dealing when these grenades and when using them.

Now I’m going to go over the enemies, their flaws in their strategies, and their general weapon weaknesses. Most of this will be stuff you already know if you’ve already played ODST quite a bit, so use this to brush up on your enemy’s weaknesses and maybe learn some stuff you didn’t know before.

First up are Grunts. If you seriously have problems with them, I have no clue what to say to you. Their grenades have to be the most annoying part about them, and the fact that they’re able to sneak up on you if you’re not watching all sides. The grenades are easily dodged, strafing right and left and backing away and jumping away from any grenades thrown is a must have skill. Obviously their head is completely unprotected, so Pistol or Carbine is the way to go. I don’t have much more to say about Grunts, everyone should know how to deal with them.

Jackals are usually pains in the asses in the fourth set. They cannot be stunned by getting shot in the hand and will generally rush to your position and drain your health fast. Usually though that’s a good thing because when BlackEye is activated you can easily melee them to return your stamina. The Carbine Jackals have to be the most annoying on the map. They’re accurate, like to hide and will kill you with four to six shots. Same goes with the Beam Rifle Jackals. They’re vulnerable for headshots when they’re not hiding behind their shields, are stunned or are running at you. Usually moving to the right side of them and trying to headshot or melee is the most effective way to take care of them when they’re close to you. They’re weak to pretty much every weapon, Needler is the hardest to use against them. I usually use the Brute Plasma Rifle, Mauler, or SMG when they get too close.

Drones are extremely annoying throughout the whole achievement. They’re fast, but weak so usually using an SMG will do the job, but wait! The major Drones have shields. This makes them twice as annoying as before, and with Tilt on, SMG is useless against them! This is where the Brute Plasma Rifle comes in, not only does it take down their shields, but it’s also effective at killing them in the process. Still, if possible I suggest using SMG once they’re shields are down because you can kill them much faster. You can also headshot them with Pistol and Carbine if accurate enough, but usually you end up using most of your pistol ammo. Carbine is also effective at taking them down and piercing their shields. Also, if they land on the ground Drones are one hit Melee unless the Mythic skull is turned on. This makes them useful when BlackEye is activated and they’re close enough to you.

Hunters aren’t as troublesome as most people make them out to be. If you’ve practiced on how to maneuver behind them, then you shouldn’t have any problem with it. I’ve developed a strategy on how to get behind them and still be safe while trying to kill them. Seeing how their back is their vital spot, knowing how to maneuver behind them is a must and I will later include either a picture guide or video reference on how to do so. Anyways, back to the point, usually to conserve ammo I melee them to death in lower sets. When you reach set four you should exercise extremely caution when in melee range of Hunters. The SMG, Shotgun, Spiker, Sniper, and explosive weapons are useful against them. I suggest not using the Gravity Hammer although people have been successful at times with it. Just remember, the main objective with the Hunters are to get behind them and try to stay out of shooting distance and melee range at the same time.

Brutes are the worst enemy out of them all. Varied weapons make them effective in all situations. Luckily, there is an easy solution to your infestation. Plasma weapons to take down their shield, physical weapons to finish them off. My favorite combination for these guys is to use a Plasma Pistol and Pistol. It’s efficient, ammo saving, and quick. You also score more points by doing so. You shouldn’t have problems killing Brutes if you use plasma weapons.

The real problems here are the Brute Chieftains. The same strategy partially works on them, meaning taking down their shields first is a must.

Gravity Hammer Chieftains or Hammertains as I like to call them are easy to take down if you know how to do it. An overcharged shot or Brute Plasma Rifle will do the job, but they cannot be as easily headshotted due to their headdress or helm. Luckily Bungie was nice enough to include that they can be shot off which when done will reveal their bare head and an easy kill to follow. You can run backwards and shoot at his head with your pistol and quickly get a headshot once the helm falls off. If you damage him too much, they’ll turn on their invincibility and they will be much harder to kill and much more annoying. I suggest not letting them do that. One little trick to killing them while they’re invincible is a simple assassination. It’s an instant kill, which is also kind of Bungie to include. This is also dangerous to attempt because they can easily and quickly turn around and hammer you before you reach them. Only try this if you have enough lives to spare. If you do not then wait for their invincibility to run out and use the Fuel Rod, Rockets, or whichever weapon you’re using at the time.

Fuel Rod Chieftains are different in a way. You still have to take down their shields, but they do not have invincibility which is their number one weakness. Once their shield is depleted do not hesitate to fire at will. They can easily be taken out with Rockets or a few hits with the Fuel Rod. If you do not have those, use whatever physical weapon you can find, SMG usually is my choice. Also another trick is to try to get close to them, melee distance. They won’t shoot when you’re too close, they try to melee instead so if you can maneuver behind them and assassinate them, that is great, but remember to be cautious when approaching them because they’re accurate and the Fuel Rod fires extremely fast.

Engineers are strange enemies. They have no offensive capabilities other than when they explode and create a cluster bomb. They do have great defensive abilities. They give over-shields to every type of enemy within their proximity. Easily dispatched from one, that's right, ONE overcharged Plasma Pistol shot. They will screech and start floating higher, after that, they explode and create a cluster bomb explosion. The bombs are easy to dodge, just get out of the area before it explodes. Simple to deal with, but be sure to take care of them before you try to kill anything else.

Vehicles are also a large part of Firefight because most maps have vehicles you have to destroy in order to survive and get good point amounts.

Ghosts are usually simple. Stay away from them so they don't splatter you, stick them with a grenade. Use an explosive weapon on them, whichever you want. Since it's usually Brutes that pilot them, their head stick out so if they're stationary you can headshot them if possible. Also, lets not forget the magic Plasma Pistol. Overcharge a shot into them and they'll be immobile for a short period of time and very vulnerable too.

Choppers are stronger than most vehicles, their fault is that their operator is left completely uncovered at the sides and back. A Plasma Pistol overcharge shot will also render this vehicle immobile. Explosive weapons and sticky grenades work great against them. Be wary though, they can boost into any vehicle you're driving and completely destroy them. Also their turrets are much stronger and are explosive. This could be used against them though, it's worth it to get it.

Banshees are the Covenants answer to Hornets... Although it could be the other way around. Banshees are able to boost, dodge, maneuver, etc. Regular plasma turret is powerful. Easy way to take them out is to use an overcharged Plasma Pistol shot to make them land on the ground, then stick them when their immobile. If not able to do that you can try to stick them in mid air or use explosive weapons. I believe it's faster to just use the Plasma Pistol though.

Wraiths are very powerful and very accurate. It's best to try to keep your distance and shoot them with power weapons if possible. They can boost, and maneuver to avoid them though. Your best bet is to once again use an overcharged shot and render them useless. They will not be able to fire their explosive plasma round while they're being overcharged. However the turret will work unless you kill the Brute controlling it. If you're able to get close you can "board" it and melee it to death or use a grenade to quickly destroy it. Try to avoid their fire as much as possible, jump if their shots are close to you and get into cover that has a roof if possible.

Phantoms, technically indestructible in firefight, but can be destroyed during the campaign. You can take them out with a large amount of missile pod or with the Scorpion tank. Although they're indestructible, their main plasma turret is destructible and can be taken off with Brute Shot, Missile Pod, etc. Using Rockets or Fuel Rod would be a waste, in my opinion. Avoid confrontation during firefight if possible seeing how their turrets are incredibly powerful.

Bonus Round Strategy [BRS]

The bonus round is important for attaining bonus lives. If you haven’t figured out by now, lives are very important, and bonus lives are just the same. If you reach the amount of points necessary you will get bonus lives as if you completed a full round. The Bonus Round consists of a limited number of Grunts coming in from a designated area, in the map ONI Alpha Site, they will come in from the windows above the elevator shafts. They will then drop out of the windows on to the inactive elevators above the shaft, then finally onto the ground. Also during this, every skull will be turned on, including the Iron skull. Grunts will mostly throw grenades, and some will be fitted with Fuel Rod which is very dangerous. You don’t have to survive the round in order to attain the bonus lives, all you have to do is reach the point threshold or pass it.

Points are easily attainable. Keep your pistol and go for headshots. Also getting multikills (triple kill, overkill, etc.) can quickly get you to that point threshold. Use as many grenades as possible, headshot as much as possible. If you do not reach the amount of points needed you will hear “Better luck next time”. Also, the amount of points increase after every set, so it’s vital to get as many medals possible during that time to pass.

Another strategy depicted by Something.

Personally I've never had any problem reaching the points threshold by headshotting. If you do have this problem, I suggest using this strategy.

End of Guide, Credits and Thanks. [EOG]

This is the end of my guide, if I missed anything or if you have a correction, please at any time leave me a message or comment on the thread. This was done entirely by myself and viewed from with my knowledge. I’ve done this achievement multiple times for different people; I believe the count is now up to seven at least, including when I did it for myself. I also reached the fourth set alone in this map. Also, if you need help, before you message me, practice with your squad. Teamwork is vital to achieve this and you must know how your squad moves and acts, so practice, practice, practice. Finally, I’d like to thank the squad who helped me with this achievement, Pigglez, Sixpakvb, and The Jewker 7244. I’d also like to thank Bungie for making another awesome game and I’d like to congratulate them on getting one step closer to world domination.

Additionally, I'd like to add thanks to the members of Forgehub for making additions and giving more strategies for the guide. Not to mention making sure I didn't forget some other important stuff. Thanks guys!

 

Alright, reformatted for the good of everyone's eyes. Sorry about what it looked like before. XD

 

I'll add that later, thanks.

 

I mentioned that in the Fuel Rod Chieftain part.

 

Usually when they're chasing you and are crouching down before they leap and hammer you, you can just jump over them even without a height advantage. It's the easiest way to escape from them.

 

I'll post a video on how to easily kill a Hunter and how to maneuver behind them and stay in the safe zone. I keep seeing lots of people have that problem. The only problem is that I don't have a capture card or any video editing software. I would need help with that.

 

Why must I have no life? I wrote this in a total of five hours. =D