H4: Specializations Part 3

Now that we've had some time in the field with specializations in the field, I have a much better understanding of what they are, why they matter, and how they're used.  Previous posts here:

• H4: Loadouts (Updated)
• H4: Specializations Part 2
• Halo 4 Armor Classes (Specializations)
• Halo 4 Specializations Update

Leveling: First off, each Specialization has 10 levels (1-10), and you don't get your special armor ability until level 10.  Each Specialization level has a 1:1 correlation to your SR ranking.  So for your first Spec, the levels 1-10 correlate to SR51-60.  e.g., if you chose to pursue Wetwork first, WK1 = SR51 and WK10 = SR60.  The SRx0 levels are free promotions, as soon as you choose your next Spec, you are automatically promoted.  So when you reach SR50 you can pick a spec, but as soon as you pick, you become SR51 without having to play any game.

Armor mods: The armor mods can be either in Tactical Packages or Support Upgrades.  Once you complete a Spec and get the armor mod, you can choose it as a Loadout option at any time.  Because they come in both types (Tactical and Support), you can actually have TWO Spec armor mods active at a time.  The armor mods are as follows:

Specialization	Tactical	Support	Note
Wetwork		Stealth	Allows users to move silently during combat, lowers their visibility profile on certain VISR enhancements (like Promethean Vision), and increases their ability to kill enemies from behind.
Operator	Wheelman		Improves durability of vehicles, as well as decreasing downtime when affected by EMP discharges.
Pioneer	Fast Track		Increases the amount of XP earned per match.
Engineer		Drop Recon	Allows users to know the time and place of ordnance deployments prior to the drops actually occurring
Tracker	Requisition		Allows two different sets of options for equipment rewarded through ordnance drops.
Rogue		Stability	Increases aiming stability while taking incoming fire
Stalker		Nemesis	Allows user to hone-in on the last enemy who killed them
Pathfinder		Gunner	Improves upon elements of heavy weapon specialists, such as increasing the amount of time a mounted weapon takes to overheat during sustained fire or improving the general speed and mobility while carrying a detached turret.

For example, somebody who is always driving the Mantis should complete both the Operator and the Pathfinder Specs.  Operator would improve the durability of the robot and its resistance to EMP, while Pathfinder would improve the overheat performance of the guns and rockets.

In retrospect, since we have all discovered that Spartan Ops matchmaking with Dew DoubleXP is the fastest way to rank up, Pioneer would have been the best Spec to do first (for those that have it available with a pre-order or H4 Limited Edition).  You can choose the Fast Track armor mod instead of Mobility (like I usually have) in your Spartan Ops loadout and get 20% more XP for every game.

Reach Challenges: Cook 'Em and Clean 'Em

Pretty regularly, there are daily challenges for getting jetpack kills.  These can be frustrating to get because it may seem inconsistent about whether or not you get credit for your jetpack kill.  The key here is that the enemy has to die while your jetpack is active.  That means your are holding down the jetpack button while he dies.  If you have been flying around and feathering your jetpack (like you're supposed to) and get the headshot between bursts, it will not count because the game doesn't recognize that your jetpack is on while you get the kill.  You can get kills however you want - body shots, head shots, grenades, melees all count - as long as you are holding the jetpack button when they die.  You will see the Firebird medal pop up when your kill registers correctly.

Now that you know, knowing is half the battle.

HR Armor Abilities - Advanced

I have previously covered the new armor abilities in Reach in fairly extensive detail.  Here are some advanced tips on how to maximize your newfangled abilities:

• Armor Lock - This is hands-down my favorite ability and what you'll see me grabbing almost all the time.  Key uses:
• Grenade negation: Most players will lob in a grenade first and then look for a headshot.  When you see the grenade get near, hit armor lock just long enough for it to explode and then come out firing.  Using armor lock this way allows you to lock down twice per recharge, which is usually all the grenades anybody is carrying and throwing.  Remember that it takes a split second to engage, so lock down before the grenade lands.
• Team fire: Teams operating together in close quarters benefit greatly from armor lock.  When the lead guy has low shields he can lock down while the team cleans up stragglers.  Alternating who is in lock down is very effective because other teams will tend to focus on the guy locked down.
  
• Getting unstuck: If you find a blue spider on your face, locking down will unstick it.
• Embarrassing campers: If you are by yourself and locked down because you have low shields, opposing players will tend to just wait for you to come out.  Use the EMP blast of armor lock to pwn their face.  Bad players will wait nearby so when your armor lock expires and sends out an EMP, their shields will be down and you can punch them in the face for an insta-kill.  Remember that you can move the camera around and you will come out of lock in whatever direction the camera is, not the direction you locked down in.  Mediocre players will run nearby while you're locked assuming you're locked down for the count.  You can come out of lock early (with a smaller EMP) and still punch them in the face for excellent results.  Good players will back off and wait.  If you're by yourself, look for someplace to jump for cover as soon as you come out of lock and call for help.
• Sprint - This is most effective for getting to power weapons first, and then pairs extremely well with short-range power weapons like Hammer, Sword and Shotgun.  Sprint at a DMR foe and you'll be in his face before he can 4-shot you.
• Jet Pack - This has two several good uses:
1. Getting places others can't: Many maps will have good sniping locations up high accessible only via Jet Pack.  Note that the roof above sniper spawn on Asylum is being changed into a soft kill zone in the next title update because it's cheap as hell.  For maps with Rocket Launchers, they almost always spawn someplace that's hard to get in or out of without a Jet Pack.
2. Changing the angle of attack: You can often flank land-based opponents by coming up on a level that's not normally accessible without a ramp.  This comes up on maps like Sword Base (alternate route to top of red lift), Pinnacle (getting to top of either tower without using the ramp) and Zealot (flanking on top floor without using ramp).
3. Raining grenades: Grenade to headshot is easily the most popular kill combo in the game.  This is even more effective when jetpacking because you are immune from hand-thrown grenades when in the air.
• Active Camo - This is more complex than appears on first blush.  Note that Active Camo jams your radar and the other team's radar, but *NOT YOUR OWN TEAM'S RADAR*.  This makes it extremely useful to follow your team into combat and engage your camo when getting close but not necessarily engaging in the fight.  This will keep you invisible (not firing) and be totally disruptive to the other team because they become radar-blind.  On multi-level maps, you can actually be on a level above or below the action and still wreak havoc because the jamming is multi-level.  Remember to try and stay crouched especially as your camo runs out so that the other team can't get a good fix on your location when the jamming stops.
• Evade - There's a couple special uses for Evade:
1. On Invasion Boneyard: Makes it possible on left-side Elite spawns to actually get to the base without getting picked off by DMR/Magnum fire.
2. Stick people in the face.  Makes it really easy to stick somebody in close quarters and then back-roll away to safety.
• Drop Shield - This has two special uses:
1. Objectives: Drop a shield on an objective to allow it to be returned safely away from grenade damage.  Bungie has taken Drop Shield loadouts out of territory games (because it was cheap), but it's still allowed in CTF/Invasion games for protecting objectives.
2. Medic: If you're running in a tight team, drop shield effectively allows you to heal your hurt team mates.  Drop it in a heated firefight to allow your team some reprieve.
• Hologram - Couple of special notes:
1. Objectives: This is great to plant a bunch of fake bodies around an objective (like the Core in Invasion).  It's especially effective to plant your hologram with a power weapon like a Sword which will really draw enemies in.
2. Lifts: Interestingly, Holograms can travel up grav lifts, mancannons and elevators.  Use creatively.

HR: Armor Abilities - Summary

For those of you who weren't paying attention, or just don't bother reading the blog, I have previously described the Halo Reach Armor Abilities in painstaking detail.  As I have time, I'll start posting more info about the new abilities, new weapons, new maps, etc.  People who leave comments may be able to influence what gets posted first.  The Armor Abilities from the Beta are unchanged, as far as I can tell, so for those, I'll just link them here:

• Armor Lock - Makes player invincible but immobile
• Sprint - Allows player to run fast but unable to shoot
• Jet Pack - Allows player to fly but is slow and loud
• Active Camo - Makes player invisible but jams their own radar
• Evade - Allows Elites to dive roll but unable to shoot

There are two new Armor Abilities in the Beta which are, frankly, pretty awesome:

• Drop Shield - Allows player to deploy a bubble shield
• Hologram - Sends out a virtual version of the player as a decoy

The blog is not only searchable, it also has a label cloud.   Look at the bottom of the right column and you'll see a ton of words.  Clicking on any of them ("armor" as an example) will show you all the posts that have been tagged with that label.

HR: Armor Abilities - Evade

Basic description: Allows player to dive roll, covering a lot of ground quickly. Can dive roll in any direction, each full charge allows for at least two rolls. Tapping action and pushing a direction on the left stick automatically rolls, do not have to hold down action button. Available to Elites only.

Restrictions: Can not hold any objective items (will drop bombs or flags), can not be in vehicles, can not fire or throw grenades. Firing or attacking during roll will do nothing, must wait until roll finishes before attacking.

Uses: Good for avoiding danger. Especially useful for getting away from splash damage after sticking a grenade on somebody. Good for covering distance to opponent for melee or close range weapon. Breaks weapon locks, so is a good counter to the Plasma Launcher. Pairs well with Energy Sword.

Counter: Anticipate where they will end up and melee or grenade to that spot. Remember that they only have two rolls available at once and attack after they are spent.

HR: Armor Abilities - Active Camo

Basic description: Makes player absolutely invisible and jams enemy radar by generating lots of false red dots. Player's own radar is also jammed, but teammates' radar is not. Moving quickly, shooting and/or taking fire will reduce the invisibility effect as well making the effect fade more quickly. Crouch walking allows player to stay fully invisible and extends the effect. Can be toggled on and off using action button, do not have to hold down to stay invisible. Available to Spartans and Elites.

Restrictions: Can not hold any objective items (will drop bombs or flags), can not be in vehicles. Sound is heavily muffled while using active camo.

Uses: Good for holding territories, defending spaces, sneaking into enemy territory. Pairs well with Energy Sword because sword is invisible in Reach as well.

Counter: Find a team mate to pair with to light up the camo player and keep them visible under fire. Jetpack away from the area or somewhere inaccessible on foot. Remember that the camo player has their radar jammed as well, so will be unable to track you without line of sight. Because the camo player has muffled sound, they may not hear grenades or weapon fire.

HR: Armor Abilities - Jet Pack

Basic description: Allows player to fly. Note that Halo Reach has fall damage, so a player that runs of jetpack fuel and falls out of the sky will take damage and be stunned for a moment. It's a good idea to save some fuel so that you can feather your landing. Jets only fire when the action button is held. Available to both Spartans and Elites.

Restrictions: Can not hold any objective items (will drop bombs or flags), can not be in vehicles.

Uses: Good for getting places quickly, especially vertically oriented maps like Sword Base. Good for getting over obstacles and otherwise inaccessible areas. Sometimes can provide a good high sightline for firing. Works well when starting from a running jump.  Pairs very well with Rocket Launcher, Plasma Launcher or Grenade Launcher.

Counter: Jetpacks are very loud and not easily maneuverable. Players above your position show up in radar as a red dot with a shadow. Jetpacks tend to be easy targets for precision weapons like the DMR, Needle Rifle, Human Pistol or Sniper Rifle.

HR: Armor Abilities - Sprint

Basic description: Allows player to run significantly faster, until it runs out of charge. Can be toggled on and off by hitting action button, does not need to be held down. Available to Spartans only. Note that Elites naturally run about as fast as a Spartan in Sprint.

Restrictions: Can not hold any objective items (will drop bombs or flags), can not be in vehicles, can not fire weapons, but CAN throw grenades. Can only sprint moving forward. Can turn while sprinting, but can not sprint and strafe (like Evade). Firing will stop the sprint (but is allowed).

Uses: Good for getting to objective items quickly (skulls, flags, etc). Good for getting out of trouble and into cover. Pairs very well with short range power weapons like Gravity Hammer, Energy Sword or Shotgun.

Counter: Sidestep or jetpack over a charging sprinter. It's harder for them to turn while sprinting. Also remember that they can not fire and are vulnerable while sprinting.

HR: Armor Abilities - Armor Lock

Basic description: Makes player absolutely invincible as long as the ability button is held, until it runs out of charge. Can not take damage from anything, including weapons, grenades, bombs and vehicles. Sends an EMP blast when released that can take down shields, holding it longer generates a larger radius blast. If held for the entire duration, will release a huge EMP blast and allow your own shields to recharge. Available to Spartans only.

Restrictions: Can not hold any objective items (will drop bombs or flags), can not be in vehicles, can not fire or throw grenades, can not move.

Uses: Good for holding territories or returning flags, several players can alternate activating their armor lock to hold a territory invincibly for a prolonged time. Good for flushing out campers in tight corners. Good for being in the center of a firefight and allowing team mates to pick off the distracted enemies. Pairs well with short range power weapons but also works with the Human Pistol for headshots due to the EMP blast. Interestingly, will "unstick" plasma grenades.

Counter: Back away from EMP blast or circle around behind player. Time grenades to explode when their charge ends. Do not try to melee.

HR: Beta - What You Need to Know

I've flooded the blog with a ton of content about Reach and there's a ton more coming. But this post will give you the high level overview of everything you need to know to get started.

How to get in: Use your Halo 3: ODST *CAMPAIGN* disc. Will be available "late morning" on Monday, 5/3. I will post here on the blog as soon as its available.

Player models: Spartans and Elites are very different now. The game will decide for you which side you will play on. Elites are faster, have better shields, but are a bigger (easier) target to hit.

Health and shields: Halo 1 (or ODST) style "health" is back for Spartans. After your shields are down, you will take health damage. Shields regenerate, health does not. Health packs are wall mounted and can restore your health, but you must hit a button to activate (can't just walk over it). Elites have regenerating health.

Radar: Enemies below will be a darker red dot. Enemies above will have a shadow behind their dot. Active camo has a radar jammer effect and will create lots of fake red dots.

Melee: In general, works the same as it did before. You can now hold melee to do a super cool assassination when behind a player. This takes time and is not an instant kill, which means you can be killed in the process before your target is dead.

Armor abilities: Brand new in Reach. You will have to choose a loadout, and with it, an armor ability at every spawn. Learn the icons so you know what you're choosing. Spartans have: Active Camo, Armor Lock, Jet Pack, Sprint. Elites have: Active Camo, Jet Pack, Evade.

Weapons: No more dual wielding. Learn the icons so you know what weapons you're choosing with a loadout. The biggest changes to your most common loadouts are the Magnum and DMR. Magnum is now the Halo 1 human pistol that pwns face again. DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) replaces the H3 Battle Rifle (BR), but works very similarly.

Gametypes: Reach introduces several new game types. These will be in the Beta:

• Generator Defense: 3v3 Spartans vs Elites. Spartans have 3 generators to defend. Elites try to destroy them. Generators can be temporarily locked down and made invulnerable.
• Invasion: 6v6 Spartans vs Elites. Spartans have a data core to defend, protected by two layers of defenses. Elites try to shut down both layers of defense and steal the core. Each phase of the game lasts 4 minutes and introduces better weapons and vehicles.
• Headhunter: Team or Free For All. Try to collect skulls and bring them back to your scoring zone. Kill other players to collect their skulls. Hold and score 10 skulls at once to get an instant win.
• Stockpile: Team. Try to have as many flags as possible in your scoring zone at the end of each scoring period. Scoring periods end every 60 seconds.