ODST Firefight Tips

36 hours after launch, I now have a better feel for Firefight and can provide some tips and tricks. First and foremost is how the mode is structured. The game sends enemies in groups: 5 waves per round, 3 rounds per set, and as many sets as you can survive. The picture on the left shows how the HUD displays your progress. Note that the game will go on forever until you spend all your lives...which is a LONG time on Easy. For some reason, we had a game on Crater end after 3 sets, but that may been a network glitch.

• There are achievements on each level for reaching 200,000 points, so that may be motivation to keep playing that far
• The bonus round after each set lasts 60 seconds, consists only of grunts with all skulls on, deaths do not count against your score, and lives are awarded every 2000 points. One death by anybody ends the round early.
• Some enemies do not have to be killed to finish a round. So far, snipers and Wraiths fall into this category. It's a good idea to take care of them anyway because they're really annoying, but not required to make progress.
  
• Brute Chieftains (gold with hammer): Bait them into charging you in close quarters, sidestep the charge, and hit them on the back of the head.
• All other Brutes: Hit them with an overcharged plasma blast, followed by a headshot. If you don't have a plasma pistol, you need to get their armor off to expose their head to kill them efficiently.
• Hunters: Hit them with bullets in the orange fleshy area on their back. Punching is ineffective.
• Grunts: All can be killed with single headshots. Most can be killed with a single melee unless the harder skulls are on.
• Jackals: Shoot through the notch in their shield to stun them, and then finish with a single headshot.
• Drones: A mounted chaingun that is protected in the back by teammates is the most cost effective way to deal with drones. Otherwise they suck up all your ammo for poor return in points and health.
• Wraith: Beware the Brute in the turret. One way to kill a Wraith is with an overcharged plasma shot and then boarding to kill with a grenade. An alternative is to hit the weak spot on the very back of the tank.

I will be on most, if not all, nights this week after 10pm PT to play campaign and Firefight. Be on by 10pm if you'd like to join in, otherwise you'll probably have to wait for us to reach a stopping point to join in.