In Part I and II of this Newcomer's Guide to Halo 2 at MLG, we covered a number of weapon and combat tactics that are necessary to survival in competitive play. Now that we've gotten a lot of most important techniques down, it's time to move onto something much more fluid and subjective: Teamwork. Make no mistake about it; teamwork is the absolute key to success in Halo 2, and it is what makes or breaks all of the top teams in MLG tournament play. There is a difficulty in trying to explain how to have good teamwork, because there are not concrete ways in which everything should be done. Having good teamwork centers on communication, coordination and good on-the-fly decision making. A lot of your success in team play will hinge on your teammates' willingness to work with each other to accomplish the same goal. While there is no strict method that must be followed by everyone on your team in order to work well together, there are a number of things that each of you can do to create a good foundation that can be built upon with practice over time. Let's have a look at some of the things that all of the members on your team should be thinking about during competitive play...
I Know it Sounds Crazy, but Actually Work Together
- Talk to each other! It seems like this is a great dividing line in any sport, and MLG Halo 2 is no different. Teams that talk to each other constantly are more successful than teams that don't. If you watch any of the top teams, you will notice that they are almost always talking about something--most commonly about enemy positions and major game events (such as calling the route an enemy is taking with the stolen flag, etc.).
- Although you may not always get a verbal response from your team, at least they all know where the enemies are and what is the most important priority at the time. Each player should absorb the communications from their teammates and think about how they can help given their position and personal priorities. This all contributes to focusing your entire team on the most pressing issues, from taking out an enemy with a power weapon to successfully defending against a flag cap. If your team is not talking, you may not have any idea where that sword guy with the Running Riot is hanging out, and you're bound to just keep getting destroyed by him. It's a problem that can be easily avoided through a little communication. Three people tossing grenades and shooting at the sword guy will make quick work of him with minimal casualties, and also put a valuable weapon in your team's hands.
- Watch each others' backs. It is almost always worth it to redirect yourself somewhat to help a teammate in trouble. Keeping your teammate from having to wait for a re-spawn and losing whatever valuable weapons they have is almost always worth it (unless your teammate was specifically sacrificing themselves to help you capture the flag or secure the rockets or what-have-you). Most BR battles in Halo 2 come within one shot of going either way, so if you can even get a single shot on the enemy your teammate is fighting, you may have completely changed the outcome of the battle. Every case like this is a potential swing in the game, because if your teammate loses you're down a man for 5-10 seconds. If he wins, you're up a man for 5-10 seconds. This makes a huge difference overall, so help add some damage to every possible battle.
- Catch 'em in the crossfire. You don't need to be standing by your teammate to help them out. In fact, good teams very seldom run close together, knowing that with the BR and grenades they can help their friends from very far away. Keeping spread out from each other creates several targets for enemies to shoot at, and diverts attention away from any one player on your team while still allowing several of your players to shoot at the same enemy. Be sure to always be trying to position yourself in such a way that you can aid at least one of your teammates with crossfire when needed. Even one extra shot into an enemy could make all the difference.
- Agree on what the goal is at the time. Talk not only about where the enemies/objectives are, but also about what your team is trying to accomplish currently. This will vary wildly throughout a game, and it helps to have everyone on the same page at the same time. For example, if you're playing Oddball, your team needs to be able to shift focus from offense to defense in an instant depending on whether you have the Oddball, so make sure everyone knows which to be working on.
- Know when to attack and when to hang back. This is very important in all gametypes--particularly in objectives. There are three main factors in deciding whether to attack. One is the location of your enemies. The second is which power weapons you/your enemies have. The third is how many players your team and the enemy team have alive at the moment (hold the Back button to see which players are currently alive on both teams). The combination of these three considerations will tell you whether your team should be attacking or waiting for a better time. There is seldom any point in dropping into an enemy base when all of their players are alive and unaccounted for, and the rocket launcher is missing. Chances are you're just walking in to your death. However, when you have the sword, sniper, and two more living players than the enemy, you may want to make a run for that flag/hill/ball. It's all about the balance of power and the constantly changing flow of the game. Get the idea?
- Concentrate your fire. If you and a teammate get into a 2v2 battle, both of you should shoot at the same enemy. This allows you to kill that enemy in half of the normal time, and also reduces the firepower they have to use on you by half once the first one is dead. If you shoot at separate enemies, you are essentially having two 1v1 battles right next to each other, with much lower chances of keeping all of your team's players alive. This principle should be applied in every possible situation except for in odd occurrences, such as when one player needs to lay fire on a sniper to keep them out of their scope while the other attacks a support player.
- Spread out and flank! Having everyone flood the same area of the map not only makes you easy grenade fodder, but it also lets the enemy know where all of your players are, giving them no reason to concentrate on any place but that one area. This will get you killed very quickly. A big part of team combat is flanking. Communicate and understand when your teammates are making a move, and see if you can take a different angle to give them support fire. Hitting enemies from both sides, front/back, above/below etc. gives you a serious advantage, as you can concentrate your fire on them while they have to turn in several different directions to fend off the attack. Often times you will be able to surprise them from the second angle after they begin fighting with your teammate, giving you easy targets and little risk of harm. Be careful not to arrive too late to the fight though, as they may have defeated your teammate and now have nowhere else to concentrate than on you alone.
- Watch each others' screens! At an MLG tournament, your teammates' screens will be lined up alongside yours, and a lot of valuable information can be gained by glancing over at them. This is especially useful when you're waiting to re-spawn, because it gives you an idea of the the combat situation you are about to enter into when you spawn, and where the important things are going on. Many useful things can be garnered by screen-watching that the in-game way-point system cannot provide. For example, the way-point system will tell you where your teammate is and whether they're firing or taking fire, but it will not tell you who they are fighting, what weapons they have, and how many total players are there. A quick glance at your friend's screen can net you all of that information, and through deduction, you can then assume a number of other things about what's going on in the game. If you know that your friend has the sword and he's fighting two players, then there are only two other possible players on the map to worry about. You also know that if your friend loses his fight, the enemy team will have the sword. The importance of doing this at tournaments cannot be overstated. When you're practicing online between tournaments, you will have to rely on communication and the way-point system to make up for it as much as possible.
- Pay attention to what your teammates are doing, and fill the role that needs to be filled. There is not always time to call out what you are going to do in a given situation and then tell your teammates what they need to do. To speed up the process, assess each situation in terms of what needs to be done, observe what your teammates are doing, and then take on whatever roles are not being filled. Over time you will get to know your teammates, their habits and patterns, and there will be minimal confusion as you do this.
Weapon Control
- So long as they're used properly, power weapons such as the sword/rocket/sniper make it much easier for you to net kills and accomplish objectives. Obviously, the ideal situation would be for your team to control as many of these weapons as possible at any given time.
- Most power weapons work on a system where there can only be one of them on the map at a time. This means that once someone picks it up, another one will not appear at the spawn point until it is emptied and dropped or it remains on the ground untouched for a period of time.
- There are a few exceptions to this rule, but the only one that occurs in MLG gametypes is the sniper rifle on Ivory Tower, which will re-spawn periodically even if someone already has it, allowing there to be multiple players with snipers at a given time.
- Once an empty power weapon is dropped, a timer will begin counting down until the new one appears on the spawn point. The times vary depending on which weapon and which map it is. Be sure to know what the re-spawn times are for every power weapon on every MLG map, as being there to pick up the new one is vital to your team's success.
- Keep in mind that in MLG gametypes, all weapon re-spawn times are doubled, so be sure to alter the configuration of your practice gametypes to reflect that, or else you'll be left scratching your head at a tournament when you show up to grab the new sniper 30 seconds too early and make yourself an easy target.
- Many teams will designate one of their players to be the "weapon whore," which is basically a very un-PC way of saying "power weapon specialist." The idea is that whenever possible, this player (aided by their teammates) will be the one on the team to get and use the power weapons. This is typically the player on your team who best knows how to put the power weapons to good use--someone you trust not to lose them and to rack up kills for you. In most cases, this player is the best sniper on the team or the best assaulting player (depending on the map and the weapon set).
- Keep in mind that while it helps to have your strongest combat player putting the power weapons to use, it's more important that someone on your team has them. If you're standing on the new sniper and your weapon whore is on the other side of the map, by all means, pick it up! You can then choose whether to take it to them or to use it yourself, but the important thing is that the enemy doesn't have it.
- In most cases, do not hold two power weapons. This is not so much about sharing and being nice as it is about efficiency and practicality. The BR is an incredibly useful weapon, and it effectively covers every distance range--most importantly the vital mid-range. Many power weapon combinations do not give you an effective or reliable solution to an enemy or two laying a barrage of BR fire on you from a distance (rocket/sword, for example). One of the weapons would be better off in someone else's hands, letting you use your power weapon at whatever range it's best at, and use the BR to cover the rest. There are, of course, exceptions. Sometimes on Lockout you may want to let one player have both the sniper and the sword, so if someone sneaks up on them close-range while sniping they have a quick way to dispatch them. Still, it's risky and probably not as effective as having two extra-dangerous players running around the map with a power weapon.
- If one player has all of your team's power weapons and they die, suddenly the enemy has inherited all of the keys to weapon and map control, and you're at a huge disadvantage. Think about it: spreading the weapons out reduces the chance that you'll hand over all of your team's assets at once.
- Aside from the added killing power, the main advantage of having a power weapon is simply getting to decide when and if the new one will be re-spawning. Since your weapon will not re-spawn until it's empty and you drop it, you can hold onto it indefinitely even when it's empty if you find that it's advantageous to your team. For example, if you have the sniper on Team Slayer Lockout and your entire team is at the BR Tower (which is where you want to be, by the way), you may not want to drop it once it's empty because the other team is in a much better position to pick up the fresh spawn when it arrives. Since the enemy may not actually know that it's empty or when you dropped it, your team could potentially be the only one that knows when the new one will come back, thus giving you a huge advantage as far as making a push to pick up the new one when it arrives. The other team may not have any idea that it's about to re-spawn. Meanwhile, you send a full assault seconds before it arrives and pick it up with ease. This is such an important advantage that it puts a ton of emphasis on keeping a weapon at any cost once you have it.
- Take a look at the on-screen timer when you drop an empty power weapon, and do some quick math to figure out when the next one will spawn. Be sure to let your team know at what time to expect it, increasing your team's chances of being there to get it when it's time.
Power-Ups
- Unlike power weapons, the overshield and active camo will come back a set time after they are picked up.
- Re-spawn times for power-ups vary from map to map, so be sure to memorize all of them for all of the different MLG gametypes.
- While power-ups have been somewhat marginalized in Halo 2, they can still be very useful in some situations and are worth getting, by all means. However, unlike something like the rocket launcher, don't throw too many bodies at the problem if you're having trouble getting control of a power-up.
- When you pick up an overshield, you will become temporarily invincible as it charges up (but you can still be assassinated). If you were taking heavy fire on your way to the overshield, you can quickly turn the tables once you grab it, taking advantage of a few seconds where you can charge out without fear.
- Remember that the plasma pistol's charged shot will completely destroy an overshield, leaving your enemy one head shot away from death. Sticking the OS player with a plasma grenade will also instantly kill them, as will an assassination.
- Keep in mind that every time you shoot while you have the active camo, you become visible for a short period of time. This is also true of when you take damage, and when your shields charge back up. When assaulting an enemy while camouflaged, it is best to only throw grenades during your approach, as you will not become visible. If you throw good grenades, you could have your enemy dead (or at least half-dead) by the time you even get into solid combat range. Forget about that immediately and start shooting once you have taken any damage, as you will already be visible to them at that point.
- Be mindful of the fact that you are camouflaged, not literally "invisible." Although difficult, it is totally possible to see and shoot a player who has the active camo.
- Take a look at the on-screen timer when you pick up a power-up, and do some quick math to figure out when the next one will spawn. Be sure to let your team know at what time to expect the new power-up, increasing your team's chances of being there to get it when it's time.
Map Control
- Map control is the idea of occupying strategic areas of the map from an advantageous position that allows you to cut off and kill enemies that try to pass by or occupy the area. You ever get that feeling during a game that no matter what you do or where you go, someone is always there and kills you? Well, you were the unfortunate victim of enemy map control.
- Typically, map control comes through weapon control. This is because when you have a power weapon, you can win a fight very quickly, so long as you use it well. Therefore, one really good sniper can control an entire section of a map alone, picking off enemies even two at a time as they try to penetrate the area. Without power weapons, it would likely require more players to lock down the same amount of space, because they would have to fight on equal footing with the enemy.
- This is the primary reason that it is important to control power weapons: they allow you to more effectively control terrain, which in turn lets you limit your enemy's options as far as routes to take on their way to accomplishing any goal.
- The best teams can control virtually an entire map at once, and once they have that control, it's very hard to wrestle it away from them. Their combination of power weapons and good teamwork/crossfire allows them to win most fights with ease, trapping the enemy in their area and not allowing them to venture out to collect any items or accomplish objectives.
- Map control is hard to get, because it requires that you have good equipment and nearly all of your players alive at all times, but once you have it accomplishing your goals becomes much, much easier. Through controlling the map you can effectively protect each other, scout out enemy locations, concentrate fire on single targets, and force the enemy to take predictable avenues because they are the only available paths. Sounds pretty good eh?
- Learning how to actually control the terrain on each map is a very dynamic thing, and each team approaches it in a different way. Unfortunately, it would be nearly impossible to specifically list out for you how to take and keep control of each MLG map, as you must adapt your strategy and positions to what your enemy is doing at any given time. Just know that the basic principle is to have control of the important weapons, and find and occupy the spaces that are easiest to guard while still providing the best vantage points of the key map sections. Also, you must have your entire team focused on filling certain roles that must be executed, because leaving even one hole in your defense could provide a path for the enemy to completely overthrow your map control. Your team must be very disciplined to maintain map control, and it is something that will only truly come with time and practice.
Forcing Spawns
- Spawn forcing is rather advanced and complicated, but it's important to at least be aware of its existence. This is something that you will come to get better with over time the more you watch for it, and it can only really be learned through hands-on experience. In the end, you will have to pick up the details of this on your own, but here's the idea:
- Halo 2 is designed (for the most part) to spawn you close to your team and away from your enemies. All over the map there are "spawn points," at which a player can re-spawn after being killed. Generally, the game tries to re-spawn you at the closest spawn point to one of your teammates, so long as there are not enemies nearby. There will be an occasionally baffling spawn too close to an enemy--particularly on the expansion pack maps--but by and large you can expect it to work like that.
- Knowing how the spawn system works allows you to manipulate it to your strategic advantage. Again, learning the best way to do this will come with experience and trial-and error, but here's an example: If you are playing Capture the Flag on Midship and you post a player in the enemy base where their flag sits, it is very unlikely that they will spawn inside of their base with your player. There are situations where you would want to do that, and there are situations where that would be a bad idea. It all depends on what your team's position and goals are at the time. However, simply knowing that it can be done (there are tons more examples that you will have to find out for yourself) can give you an extra advantage when the situations that it would prove useful in arise.
- Positioning your team properly around certain areas of the map can reduce the chances that an enemy would spawn behind any of your team members, allowing you to focus on one part of the map with minimal need to actually worry about being attacked from behind. This is an incredibly useful tactic that is actually very hard to pull off correctly, but watch some of the best teams on VoD for examples.
- In addition to being able to influence enemy spawns, knowing the spawn points on a given map can reduce the chances of you spawning a teammate in danger. Once you learn the re-spawn points, you can use them to your advantage. When one of your teammates is re-spawning, think about where the nearest spawn points to you are, because there is a chance that they will spawn there. Is the nearest spot out in the open? Will they be in danger when they re-spawn? Is there someplace nearby you can get to quickly that would give them a better possible spawn? All of these things can help immensely toward giving your teammate a fair shot once they re-spawn.
- When a team has total map control or knows where most of the enemies are, it is sometimes possible for them to really narrow down the possible spots for the enemy to re-spawn, giving them a solid chance to begin attacking them right away upon spawning. This is known as "spawn killing" or "spawn camping," and it's one of the most effective and frustrating tactics in Halo 2. There's nothing worse than spawning into the game disoriented, already being assaulted by grenades and gunfire. However, there's no better feeling than doing that to someone else. Knowing where your enemies are gives you a much better chance of catching someone unprepared on the spawn--just be aware that if you're standing too close to the enemy, their teammates will not likely spawn nearby. Again, this is a complicated science that you will just have to pick up as you go--I'm merely making sure you're aware of the possibilities of mastering the technique.
A Final Word
Be as unpredictable as possible. It's true that in many situations, there is a fairly clear "thing that you should be doing," but there are often several different ways to accomplish that task. There are a number of things in competitive Halo 2 that people just "expect good players to do." However, once these kinds of things become too well-known, they become obvious, and a mind game is created surrounding what a player is "supposed" to do and what a player will actually do. Being good at this mind game can allow you to keep your opponent guessing and give you the upper hand in many battles. Make sure that you're actively thinking of new things you and your team can do to trick your enemies--believe me, people are discovering new tactics all the time. Think a bit about what your enemy would expect you to do in a given situation, and then consider the different ways in which you can fake them out. However, don't always do the unexpected thing, because then it becomes the expected thing, understand? It's a guessing game, to be sure, but combining a clever manipulation of this game with a solid grasp of fundamentals and teamwork is what ultimately makes a great player.
(Check back soon for the conclusion of this guide, in which we will discuss how to prepare for and do well at an actual MLG tournament)
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