Halo 3: Tips And Tricks

Step 1: Legendary Co-Op

Step 2: Know your Weapons

Weapons that spew Plasma, like the Covenant plasma pistol and the rifle are pretty top-notch against shielding, but will bum out something rotten against actual people. Conversely, pithy human bullet-spewing weapons will chew up flesh pretty good, but will result in a somewhat lacklustre ‘ping' when it whacks against shields. Learn which to use, and dual-wield if necessary using one gun to deplete shields and finishing the fight with bullets.

Step 3: Sniper

Make sure one of your team of ultimate badasses is a sniper. Have them hang back and find a nice vantage point while the others act as bait and draw out the baddies, who'll be lined up for an easy frag.

Step 4: Form Up

As much as possible, stick to a triangle formation, using short-range weapons like the Shotgun or Needler up top and mid-range weapons like the Carbine or Battle-rifle at the rear.

Step 5: Bunch of Flankers

Flanking's a classic military manoeuvre, and it works just fine in Halo 3: one man charges in guns-a-blazin' like John McClane while the others tippy-toe around the sides for a nice big surprise attack.

Step 6: Play Nice

Bubble shields and regenerators are insanely useful, but they can be used by the whole team – so don't hog them all to yourself like you're the only Master Chief out there. Deploy them where everyone can reap the benefit.

Step 7: GRENADE!

Accidentally blowing up a teammate into little bloody chunks is all-too-risky with a grenade or rocket launcher. In tight areas, they're simply not worth the risk. In open areas, announce where you're throwing to, it's only polite.

Step 8: It's good to talk!

Halo 3 comes to life when you're using a headset: you need to work as a team, and what better way to do that than by all pretending you're hard enough to be in the SAS or something and shout GO GO GO! and RECON!

Step 9: Deathmatch

Step 10: Move it!

Don't stop moving. Nothing's easier to shoot at than some noob gawking about the place like a sitting duck. So run. Move. Jump almost incessantly. The harder you are to hit, the less likely you are to die a horrible, horrible death.
What's more, Teabag with care. It might be hilarious to hump your meat into someone's face, but it's a nigh-on guaranteed way of getting shot.

Step 11: Whack 'em about the noggin'

Whacking an enemy about the back of the head is a one-shot kill, so do that if you can. Not only is it a quick clean kill, it's a little bit humiliating to die like that an' all.

Step 12: Shoot the floor

If you're anything like us, you'll spend your opening few hours in Halo 3 shooting the floor, or throwing grenades at particularly menacing-looking trees. Generally speaking, it's a bum tactic, but it's sometimes useful. If you've got a rocket launcher, shooting it at an enemy will probably see it a-whizzing past their astonished face and smacking into a wall fifty foot behind them, so shoot at the ground and off them with the splash damage.

Step 13: Keep an eye on your radar

Especially in tight maps. They show you where you should be shooting, which is pretty much invaluable if you think about it.

Step 14: Rules for Snipers

If you absolutely must be a camping sniper, don't forget to reposition yourself from time to time. Your bullet leaves a trail, so it's insanely easy for the rest of us to see where you're shooting from, hotshot.

Step 15: Crouch

Crouching gets you off the radar, and lets you recharge your health. You'll also find it much easier to sneak into your opponents' base.

Step 16: Take a little 'you' time

It's not all about fragging and death and BLAMMO and ‘aaargh', you need to k