HR: Player Profiles - Octurian Poon

Player: Octurian Poon

• Rank: Corporal Grade 1
• Games: 48; Kills: 444; Deaths: 534; Assists: 219; Time: 0:07:09; Wins: 25; Medals: 559
• Win %: 52%; K/D: 0.83; K/G: 9.25; D/G: 11.13; A/G: 4.56; M/G: 11.65; Encounters/G: 25.77

Bombadier Frontline Support, Needler Specialist. As opposed to Run and Gun types, Octurian Poon is a Bombadier using AR and frag grenades the most, which points to a propensity to hang further back in battle without relying so much on melee.  Seeks out the Needler, when available.  Has high overall Assist stats, as well as leading the clan in several stat categories for Invasion.

Best suited: Short to medium slayer, providing assists and kill support to team mates on the front lines.

Recommend: Consider learning to use the Needle Rifle.  Although it doesn't track targets like the Needler, it has both automatic fire and combine kill features which will allow for a transition period from the Needler.  Additionally, it has DMR characteristics like being headshot-capable, having extended range, and being able to zoom in.  For Bombadier types that like to hang back a little bit, the Needle Rifle may be a better tool.

HR: Player Profiles - BeerMonkeee

Player: BeerMonkeee

• Rank: Sergeant Grade 1
• Games: 63; Kills: 589; Deaths: 630; Assists: 278; Time: 0:09:10; Wins: 35; Medals: 840
• Win %: 56%; K/D: 0.93; K/G: 9.35; D/G: 10.00; A/G: 4.41; M/G: 13.33; Encounters/G: 24.70

Run and Gun Frontline Leader, Needler Specialist. With vehicles being nerfed in the Beta, BeerMonkeee was much more hands-on than in past Halo games, most notably leading the entire clan in overall win percentage (56%).  Seeks out the Needler and Rocket Launcher, when available, but most comfortable with the Run and Gun standard AR and melee combo.  A high K/D ratio and high Assist stat makes BeerMonkeee an ideal Frontline Leader.

Best suited: Short range slayer, leading teams into firefights on the front line.  Good for supporting rushes to grab Rocket Launcher and can hold the power weapon if the primary user doesn't make it.

Recommend: Consider using frag grenades more often.  BeerMonkeee has an overall frag grenade kill stat of 67 (11% of total kills).  The average range for the clan is 6-23%, so 11% is on the low side.  Even if melee is changed to be more effective in the production release, lobbing more grenades ahead of firefights will increase the effectiveness of the AR/melee combo, and will increase the K/D ratio.

HR: Player Profiles - Mean Mrs Monkey

Player: Mean Mrs Monkey

• Rank: Corporal Grade 1
• Games: 63; Kills: 207; Deaths: 627; Assists: 142; Time: 0:08:50; Wins: 25; Medals: 347
• Win %: 40%; K/D: 0.33; K/G: 3.29; D/G: 9.95; A/G: 2.25; M/G: 5.51; Encounters/G: 15.82

Run and Gun Frontline Support, Objective Specialist. Though relatively new to the Halo universe, Mean Mrs Monkey had an impressive showing in the highly competitive ranked playlist with a clan high win percentage and clan low deaths/game in Arena.  She also notably has the highest overall melee percentage, and the most flag kills in the clan.  Usually sticks to the Run and Gun prototype of AR and melee.

Best suited: Short to medium slayer, providing kill support while avoiding fire and prioritizing the objective.  Mean Mrs Monkey excels at all objective games and does well with fireteam slayer support around.

Recommend: Continue to stay out of the middle of firefights.  A low K/D ratio is balanced by the lowest Encounters*/Game (15.82) in the clan.  This is perfect as Mean Mrs Monkey specializes in grabbing objectives, so staying alive and out of the line of fire is ideal.


* Encounters: Total sum of Kills, Assists and Deaths.  Is a strong indicator of how often a player is engaged in firefights in each game.  As a general rule, players with high K/D ratios (near or over 1.0) help the team the most with correspondingly high E/G stats.  Conversely, players with low K/D ratios (0.70 or below) can hurt the team more with high E/G stats, but can minimize the effect by lowering the E/G number and helping the team in other ways (like working on objectives).

Bye Bye Beta

Bungie's short montage of the Beta.  Good, Bad-ass and Ugly.  Some really neat clips in the Bad-ass and Ugly sections.  :)

HR: Player Profiles - MEAN MR MONKEY

Player: MEAN MR MONKEY

• Rank: Sergeant Grade 1
• Games: 77; Kills: 723; Deaths: 818; Assists: 289; Time: 0:10:56; Wins: 31; Medals: 955
• Win %: 40%; K/D: 0.88; K/G: 9.39; D/G: 10.62; A/G: 3.75; M/G: 12.40; Encounters/G: 24.65

Run and Gun Frontline Support, Launcher Specialist.  One of only two clan players not to lead a single stat category, MEAN MR MONKEY falls within the average standard deviation range across the board.  Seeks out the Rocket Launcher and Plasma Launcher, when available, but uses the default AR and melee the most often.  Has a high enough K/D ratio that he could probably be a Frontline Leader, but has relatively low Assist numbers, so may not pair as well with Ranged support.

Best suited: Short to medium range slayer, ideally suited for rushing power weapons with a Frontline Leader - MEAN MR MONKEY has demonstrated an ability to use power weapons effectively and can control them for the team with close fireteam support.

Recommend: Consider using frag grenades more often.  MEAN MR MONKEY has an overall frag grenade kill stat of 82 (11% of total kills).  The average range for the clan is 6-23%, so 11% is on the low side.  Even if melee is changed to be more effective in the production release, lobbing more grenades ahead of firefights will increase the effectiveness of the AR/melee combo, and will increase the K/D ratio.

HR: Player Profiles - OmniscientDeath

Player: OmniscientDeath

• Rank: Warrant Officer
• Games: 113; Kills: 1042; Deaths: 1088; Assists: 481; Time: 0:16:17; Wins: 61; Medals: 1373
• Win %: 54%; K/D: 0.96; K/G: 9.22; D/G: 9.63; A/G: 4.26; M/G: 12.15; Encounters/G: 24.06

Run and Gun Frontline Leader.  Logged the most Invasion games in the Beta and leads as many stat categories as FishBone10.  Is most comfortable with the AR and Melee, with a healthy amount of frag grenades thrown in for good measure.  Is the best Warthog Gunner in the clan, but is not reflected as much in the Beta stats because of how vehicles have been nerfed.  A respectable K/D ratio and high Assists stats shows that OmniscientDeath is able to hold his own on the frontlines.

Best suited: Short range slayer, leading fireteams into the front.  Well paired with a Bombadier type that allows fireteam respawn close to  battle, or with Ranged support to clean up kills.

Recommend: Consider using frag grenades more often.  OmniscientDeath has an overall frag grenade kill stat of 113 (11% of total kills).  The average range for the clan is 6-23%, so 11% is on the low side.  The melee system is expected to change for production, so AR to melee may become more effective than it was in the Beta.  Even if it does change though, lobbing more grenades ahead of firefights will increase the effectiveness of the AR/melee combo, and will increase the K/D ratio.

HR: Player Profiles - FishBone10

Player: FishBone10

• Rank: Warrant Officer; Arena Season 1: Silver
• Games: 115; Kills: 1162; Deaths: 1066; Assists: 445; Time: 0:16:53; Wins: 62; Medals: 1513
• Win %: 54%; K/D: 1.09; K/G: 10.10; D/G: 9.27; A/G: 3.87; M/G: 13.16; Encounters/G: 24.33

Ranged Precision Slayer. Having logged the most Arena games in the Beta, FishBone10 leads the clan in an appropriate amount of stat categories.  Seeks out the DMR when available, is also comfortable at shorter range with the AR or melee.  Has notably high Win %, K/D ratio, Kills/Game and low Deaths/Game ratios.  Comparatively low Assists/Game numbers indicate a propensity to get headshots at range.

Best suited: Medium range slayer, providing kill support with an ability to join in on the front line.

Recommend: More practice with the Magnum, the most versatile weapon in the game.  Capable of the exact same shots/kill as the DMR with faster firing speed and easier close quarter kills.

HR: Player Profiles

I've gone through and spent some time analyzing the clan's stats from the Beta and have some interesting data to share.  Our clan falls out into a few basic groups of players.  I'll post one profile a day until I've got everybody's up.  If you want yours early, comment here and I'll prioritize.  You'll see "types" of players from these defintions:

• Style
• Ranged: Prefers medium to long range weapons, excels at headshots.  These players use weapons like the DMR, Needle Rifle and Magnum most often.  Can operate effectively alone, but is most effective supporting teammates that are up close in battle.
• Run and Gun: Prefers short range encounters, tends to jump straight into battle.  These players  use the AR and melee most often.  They put most of their rounds into the body area and have higher assist numbers, generally most effective when operating in groups of 2 or more.
• Bombadier: Prefers short to medium range encounters, tends be more cautious during battle and may pull out to avoid fire or allow shields to recharge.  These players use the AR and frag grenade most often.  Typically do well when supported by Run and Gun types.
• Role
• Precision Slayer: All "Ranged" style players are classified as Precision Slayer.  This means they are skilled at getting precision headshots and cleaning up kills at range.
• Frontline Leader: This is seasoned player that thrives on the frontlines.  They can hold their own and get kills without support, but are best utilized when leading fireteams into the fray.
• Frontline Support: This is a player that enjoys being in the firefight, but would benefit from being able to drop out of the fight on occasion to recharge.  Best suited for following a "Frontline Leader" player and providing support fire.
• Specialist
• Some players gravitate towards power weapons or other specialty roles.  I will point this out when appropriate.

As an example, here is my profile to start things off:

Player: gtdroptop

• Rank: Warrant Officer Grade 2; Arena Season 1: Silver
• Games: 168; Kills: 1796; Deaths: 1647; Assists: 666; Time: 1:00:18; Wins: 83; Medals: 2398
• Win %: 49%; K/D: 1.09; K/G: 10.69; D/G: 9.80; A/G: 3.96; M/G: 14.27; Encounters/G: 25.55

Ranged Precision Slayer, Hammer Specialist. Having logged the most games in the Beta, gtdroptop leads the clan in more stat categories than anyone else.  Seeks out the DMR and Gravity Hammer, when available, is also comfortable with similar precision weapons like the Magnum or Needle Rifle.  Has the highest Kill/Death ratio in the Beta, also notably has high Kills/Game and Medals/Game ratios.  Comparatively low Assists/Game numbers indicate a propensity to get headshots at range.

Best suited: Medium to long range slayer, providing precision kill support to team mates on the front lines.

No clan night this week.

Local conflict for several of us.

Halo: Reach Launches September 14

Bungie has formally announced that Reach will launch on September 14.  People picking up their copy on launch day will receive a free code to unlock Recon.  Expect me to pick it up at launch and play through the campaign immediately.

The Next Five Months

While it was fun, the Halo Reach multiplayer beta is officially over.  The full game doesn't come out until "this fall" which is likely five or more months away.  I just posted a poll at the top of the page where you can voice your opinion about what we play next.  Here are the descriptions:

• Halo 3: This is an older game, but keeps people in the mindset.  Plus, it's free.
• L4D1: We could revisit this since people had so much fun with the original.  Or add the new DLC which links the two games in campaign, plus adds new maps and MP modes.  L4D1 is free since most people have it, the DLC is relatively cheap.
• L4D2: We could go back to this, but it had gotten somewhat stale.  There is DLC that links it back to the first plus new maps and modes.  The DLC is the same price for either game, but is different for each game.
• Rainbow Six Vegas 2: We skipped this because it's release date was too close to Halo 3, even though we really enjoyed the first one. It's really cheap now, and could be a nice distraction for the summer.  But the MP community is probably really small now.
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: Still one of the most played games on XBL and some of the clan already has it.  Still pretty pricey, and would be a really crappy learning curve at this point since most of the community is much better at this point.
• Battlefield Bad Company 2: One of the newer games out there so it's still pricey, but has good XBL community support and everybody would be starting on the same playing field.  This is another shooter, and is the #3 top game on Gamespot right now.
• Red Dead Redemption: Extremely new, from the makers of Grand Theft Auto 4 (and similar in game type).  This is a sandbox world kind of game, but has GTA4-style multiplayer...is the #1 top rated game on Gamespot right now.
• 2010 FIFA World Cup: A popular game on XBL right now, this is EA's latest FIFA soccer game.  Like all their other sports games, it now supports much more extensive multiplayer with 4 player co-op, or what appears to be 4v4 multiplayer versus mode.  If folks want an alternative to the FPS staple.
• Other: If you have another game to suggest, please leave a comment here.

Clan night starts at 9pm tonight.

Because I'm sure nobody will read the comments.  OD will be on after 9pm to host games and suggests that you take the first hour to warm up.

Clan night tonight. 8pm PT. Halo Reach Beta.

I'm on a flight from Tokyo to SFO.  OmniscientDeath will be hosting games.

HR Maps - Powerhouse

Powerhouse is an asymmetrical outdoor map that shows up in all the 4v4 and FFA gametypes.  It hosts Slayer, CTF, Stockpile, Oddball, Headhunter, Crazy King, and Territories.  It has several power weapons, so controlling those will tend to tilt the board in your favor.  These are the things you should know (click for huge):

1. Gravity Hammer - This is on the floor in this little room.  It is the closest power weapon from spawn, and the first that teams go for.  The fastest way there is to loadout with Scout and sprint the whole way.  It helps to have one person for backup, expect company.
2. Grenade Launcher (Pro Pipe) - This is on the floor against the farthest left wall of the downstairs shower.  It is rarely claimed, so cruise by later in the match to grab it for great effect.
3. Rocket Launcher - This is the most popular power weapon on the map, and most teams will send several people to claim it.  Since it only holds 4 rockets, it is spent quickly and will continually respawn, so check back often.  It is leaning against the wall in the water spillway.  The fastest way to get there and back is via jetpack.
4. Focus Rifle (Laser Gun) - Because this map is pretty spread out and has decent sightlines, the Focus Rifle can be used pretty well, even if as supporting fire.  It is on the ground near the stairs.  This should be prioritized below the Hammer and Rockets because a team of two can take down the shooter pretty easily if the other team grabs it.  This pairs well with jetpack on this map as the shooter can hover up high and provide covering fire.

HR Maps - Boneyard

I get on a plane to Japan in 12 hours which means, sadly, that I've likely logged my last game of the Halo Reach Beta.  Hopefully they extend it so that I can get my Warrant Officer Grade 3 stripes and my shiny new helmet.  I leave you with some tidbits.

[Updated 12/6/10: This is no longer true in the production release.] After Phase 1, several weapons caches become available.  Directly to either side of the first pair of generators are Covenant weapon caches.  Each one holds a Plasma Launcher (n00b tube) and Focus Rifle (laser gun).  These pictures show the caches along with paths from each generator.  Click for huge.

Though good teams will both fight for these caches, Spartans get their own weapons cache as well.  The UNSC weapons cache is located above the indoor generator in Phase 2.  It holds two of each: Rocket Launcher, Sniper Rifle, Spartan Laser.  This cache will continually respawn more goodies as long as the game runs, so visit it often.  Click for huge.

Reach Beta - Overlook Strategies

This gametype actually isn't all that deep, but it is challenging because it's 3v3 with 3 generators to defend.  At the beginning there are random weapon drops that fall from the sky with power weapons.  Rocket Launcher, Sniper Rifle and Spartan Laser are all available.  You will want to grab these because all of them can do massive damage to the generators.

Spartans

• Keep the generators locked down!  They only need to cool off for a couple seconds between lock downs, so keep them locked down.  Even if they're not being immediately attacked, they are vulnerable to quick ranged damage from rockets or laser if left unattended.
• Because there are only 3 Spartans to defend 3 generators, one Spartan should sprint off to each generator and lock it down.  The Spartan on B can then head over to A to help hold that one, as its the harder of the two outdoor ones.  Once A or C falls, one Spartan should stay near each one, with a runner between the two.  Once B is the last one left, everyone should fall back indoors.  Though the generator can take damage from outside, most players don't know that yet.  Also, staying indoors helps keep the generator locked down as much as possible.
• Watch out for friendly fire!  The generators CAN take damage from friendly fire.  Be careful of lobbing grenades at Elites near generators.

Elites

• Grab the power weapons!  Because the generators are vulnerable from range, you can do massive damage without risk if you're holding any of the power weapons.
• Grenade and melee!  These have the highest ROI of damage to the generators.  Some Elite loadouts give you 3 grenades, take advantage.
• Divide and conquer!  The Spartans can't be in two places at once, so if you see one generator lock down, that means another is likely vulnerable.

HR: Maps - Overlook

Overlook is the map that Network Test 1 (a.k.a. Generator Defense) is played on, the playlist that went live yesterday morning.  It is a medium sized, asymmetrical, outdoor map that pits Spartans against Elites.   Click for huge:

These are the locations you should be aware of:

1. Spartan Spawn - This is where the Spartans start.  There are a couple points to choose from, but they're all basically around this base.
2. Elite Spawn - This is where the Elites start.  Again, there are a couple points to choose from, but they're all basically below the river in this picture.  From the Elite spawn point, both Generators A and C are visible and hittable with ranged weapons.  Generator B can be hit from a perch on the hillside on the bottom right of this picture, reachable by jetpack from the spawn.
3. Generator A: This is the hardest one to get to from Spartan Spawn and generally the one that falls first.  It should still be defended to tick time off the clock.
4. Generator B: This is actually inside the Spartan base so is usually the last to fall.  Note that it can be hit from outside the base though, so Spartans will want to keep it continually locked down.
5. Generator C: This is easily accessible by Spartans from a number of paths and has a chaingun mounted nearby.

Generator Defense is Live!

The 3v3 Generator Defense playlist (a.k.a. Network Test 1) went live at about 11:30am PT today.  I won't be on until around 10pm tonight.

Reach Beta - Generator Defense goes live today

The last playlist and associated map goes live today.  Generator Defense is a 3v3 asymmetrical Spartans vs Elites game type played on Overlook.  Beta friends and family went live at 10am, the Beta went public around 10:30am, and Invasion went live about 11am.  I would expect a similar schedule again.

Role Model Slayer

Some recent games:

• Arena Slayer on Sword Base: Best in game, 19 kills, +12 K/D, 1690 rating, 28 medals, DMR and Sniper
• Arena Slayer on Sword Base: Best in game, 18 kills, +7 K/D, 1635 rating, 21 medals, Sword and Magnum
• SvE Slayer on Sword Base: Best in game, 18 kills, +11 K/D, 29 medals, 4/4 "Most Killed By", Sword, Nerfle and n00b Tube

It's about leading by example.