SPOILER WARNING: HALO: REACH WALKTHROUGH for the EXODUS MISSION

“No KIAs?” Dr. Halsey murmured. She touched SPARTAN-034′s entry. “Sam is listed as missing in action. Why would that be? He died in 2525.”

“ONI Section Two Directive Nine-Three-Zero,” Cortana replied. “When ONI went public with the Spartan-II program it was decided that reports of Spartan losses could cause a crippling loss of morale. Consequently, any Spartan casualties are listed as MIA or WIA, in order to maintain the illusion that Spartans do not die.”

- From Ghosts of Onyx, pg 9

Jorge tosses Noble Six out of the hangar door to take a “gravity ride” back to Reach as he manually sets off the FTL drive inside of a Covey Corvette beneath the behemoth Supercarrier. Six falls toward Reach as he watches the ships die… one disappearing totally, the other tearing in half from the FTL set to malfunction just like Kat planned. He watches the explosion waves ripple through space toward him as he falls.

CUTSCENE AT THE BEGINNING OF EXODUS MISSION

Six walks toward a camera and arms himself with an M6G Magnum pistol. He cocks the weapon and hobbles away, finally up over a rise and into New Alexandria.

OBJECTIVE: You’ve crash landed near New Alexandria. Link up with UNSC forces defending the city.

You begin on a walkway in a plaza. After walking forward a little, across the far end of the plaza you can see a door opening an shutting as if something is caught in between. The plaza is strewn with dead civilians and nearly devoid of any weapons. Reload and get going.

Halo Rach, Plasma Pistol detailed view

Plasma Pistol Closeup

After you are finished looking around the plaza and cross and enter through the malfunctioning door, you will see some Jackals at the top of the stairs through the room you have entered – they see you too, time to get started. After you finish them off, be sure to grab one of their plasma pistols so you have two weapons. Through the door behind them you will hear an announcement over your comms about Covenant Suicide Squads, then you will experience them, so be ready. Aim for the head, and shoot those Grunts!

Three Covenant Grunts, one at a time, run at you. Each is armed with a pair of primed plasma grenades. Shoot the grunts and the grenades explode. Move into the room through the door, and off to the right (away from the small staircase) then to the far right of the room and you can get some shots off before they get too close. Time it right and one of the little buggers might kill the one behind with the grenades he drops!

GAME TIP: DARN OVERCHARGED PLASMA PISTOL, NOW WHAT DO I DO?: Have you ever overcharged your plasma pistol, then didn’t need to fire it when you moved out? Maybe someone else shot your target for you? Just switch weapons and you don’t waste the pistol’s charge.

As you go down the steps and into a dark room, then to the right toward a corridor, you meet two of their friends. Those aren’t birthday candles they are running at you with, so drop ‘em! Look as you move forward and one them may have been carrying a Needler.

Now pass down the corridor which turns left into a small room with two Armor Ability Armor Lock – you can switch out your Sprint, or keep it. Go down the short flight of stairs that was on your left when you entered this room and you pass a well-charged plasma pistol. If you haven’t already done so, its a good time for Left DPAD to activate Night Vision – it gets a bit dark.

GAME TIP: WEAPONS, WEAPONS, WHICH ONES TO USE: Besides personal preference, consider what you are seeing most of. At this point you’ve got your Magnum (which hopefully isn’t out of ammo) and a plasma pistol, assuming you picked one up as a second weapon (HINT: Always have a second weapon). After the first 3 Suicide Grunts I stuck to the plasma pistol for taking care of their cousins. For me, the Magnum is the heavy hitter between the two and Grunts don’t merit the use of my Magnum ammo, which at this point is nowhere to be found. The plasma pistol is for the little guys and shields because (overcharged) plasma pistols are good against shields and because they litter the floor at this point.

Now turn left and peer into the hallway and their are yet two more Grunts. One lights his “birthday candles” and starts charging – probably best to shoot him first, then his friend. Move into this area, look for a health pack, if you need it, off to your right. As you move forward there are several more of their Grunt friends that come to greet you. In the next room you cross there are two exits, and the welcome party of Grunts continues until you see a pair of Skirmishers someone invited. Take them out.

As you approach the room they are in (at the top of a pair of staircases), below them on the level where you are you will find plasma grenades, frag grenades, and more Needlers. If you’ve taken out the Skirmishers its easy pickins, time to reload.

Now up the stairs and you will find another health pack before exiting the room. Now exit to the outdoors again, you see Marines and civilians. A Spirit lifts off and past your field of fire.

Down the stairs and you run into a couple of groups of Brutes. Still got that Needler? Take ‘em out one at a time, don’t rush in because you know they’d just love to melee you while the others light you up with their Spike Rifles. After the Brutes you face a pair of Skirmishers guarding your exit toward the elevator. Take them out and then go left up the stairs if you need a Health Pack.

Now pressing on, toward the gunfight you can hear, you will probably run into a pair of Grunts, then outside toward the Atrium are more Brutes and Grunts. There are some DMR’s and more frag grenades around and an Assault Rifle. Choose your poison. For me its the DMR + Assault Rifle for max fun and headshots with the DMR ,while using 3X zoom, of course, when I get a chance to dodge off to the side and out of the direct action and squeeze some rounds off.

After all of those Brutes, I was in need of some health, and there’s a pair of them next to the elevator. NOw all healthed up, press the button to activate the elevator.

An evac operation on the floor below holds your group there waiting for the elevator, its time to defend the position. Right on cue, the Covenant drop troops – after all it is a major invasion on Reach, right? Grunts, Brutes, a couple of Skirmishers and a pair of Brute Chieftans with Gravity Hammers. Take them out ASAP, using melee attacks on any Grunts or Skirmishers that get too close.

After you’re all done head into the elevator, hit the button and over comms you are told about some ODST Specialists that could use your help.

GOT HAMMER?

Out the Elevator, through triage, and out onto a skyway. There is a weapon crate with DMRs, M45 TS-Shotgun and soe frag grenades laying around. Head off toward your right where the skyway is damaged. Off to the left and you’ll see the white.glow of Jet Packs, grab one and follow the ODSTs, and be careful of your footing, err landing. You’ll need to make your way across the cargo port toward Traxus Tower while trying not to miss the skyway or whatever you are landing on while at the same time battling Covenant.

As you land on the other side you run into Brutes, Grunts and your ODSTs are pressing forward. A Brute Chieftan steps up complete with Gravity Hammer, but you still have yours plus Jet Pack, plus a DMS (or Assault Rifle hopefully). Thin out the enemies numbers some, then jump and head toward the Gravity Hammer wielding Brute. Take some shots in the air as you approach him, switch to your Hammer as you land and if you time it all right you can hit him with a nice Death From Above (DFA) attack – you did keep that Hammer, right?

Now push back the remaining Covenant and head towards the data pad’s location. Go read it if you need to (find data pads at Joystiq.com’s Halo: Reach data pad location guide videos page or HaloReachPlanet.com’s Find all 19 Data Pads now available! page).

When you are ready push on again. You run into some ODST telling you too head toward the tower, and follow your objective marker up to a second story walkway. Off to my left (as I landed) was a tower that blinked yellow briefly to show me my objective building. After the tower blinks, look to your right toward the next objective marker – or if you were facing a different direction than I was, look around for the marker on the top floor of the room you are inside. Outside the large windows you see a Shadow relentlessly laying fire on your ODSTs. Head toward the objective marker then to the left out the door. Grunts, Jackals and Skirmishers with Focus Rifles are your threats here, so take them out.

There’s a UNSC Weapon Drop (2 Weapon Crates) here including Assault Rifles and a Shotgun in one, a Missile Launcher in the other and some frags on the floor.

I grabbed the missile launcher and took out a group of Covenant, then switched back to my DMR + Gravity Hammer. Time to get in closer. A Skirmisher with a Focus Rifle fell to my DMR before advancing. No sense in giving him any more pot-shots at me. Reminder: If you hear the familiar sound of a Grunt behind you making “that noise” you recognize as a suicide Grunt, jump up and fly away BEFORE you look for him. Otherwise you might find him as he kills you.

Across the other side is another Brute Chieftan, plus more Brutes, Grunts and a sprinkle of Skirmishers. Before you head across their (where the Skirmisher with the Focus rifle is), take out some Brutes and Skirmishers at distance. Especially the one with the Focus Rifle – he goes first.

Before you head across if you look up toward the arrow directing you toward your next objective there’s a ledge and walkway. You will find a Sniper Rifle and a DMR there with a frag or two and an ODST. The Chieftan knows he’s not gonna take you out at a distance so he won’t stick his head out till you cross. Be ready and mail him because he’ll start taking out your troops and the civilians.

If you can’t figure out which way to head, always head toward the red dots (or purple needles, or yellow Focus Rifle fire). As you get to the tower you will be fired on by Grunts, and one or two of them have Fuel Rod guns. Get the Fuel Rod Gun(s) and a DMR (a personal favorite) and head toward the pair of turrets that are your objective. Three shots from the Fuel Rod Gun will destroy a Shade Turret. Jump, fire-fire-fire and land, BOOM! Repeat one more time for the other turret. Or you could toss a Plasma Grenade on the turret – just one will do the job. The Fuel Rod Gun is more fun though.

Now its time to mop up the remaining Covenant in the area. More Covenant troops will have probably landed or will land soon after you take out the turrets, including, you guessed it, another Hammer-wielding Chieftan. Take advantage of your Jet Pack – Cheiftans don’t fly.

FALCON AWAY, TIME FOR AIR DEFENSE DUTY

Now you get picked up by a Falcon and get gunner’s seat. On the way to your next stop you have lots of opportunities to fire up the Covenant – Banshees, Troops,  Wraiths, oh my!

When you land you are given a sitrep from Sergenat Major Duvall, “… I need you to arm those batteries, then fire the missiles from the central terminal….” so you arm 2 anti air batteries, then activate them from the central terminal. In the middle of all 3 is a Wraith. Both air batteries are guarded by several covies (Brutes and others) and the central terminal is also guarded. Its hard to get all sneaky and take the out the guards at the first battery (whichever one you choose first). But after you take out the Covenant guarding that first battery you can “go sneaky” using sniper fire-and-move tactics, or you can dig in and snipe with your DMR, or sneak in close with Active Camouflage.

There are lots of goodies, just watch out for that Wraith and for Grunts on Ghosts. After both anti air batteries are armed you need to make your way to the next objective which is the central terminal where you will activate the batteries. You’ll face stiff resistance there, so be ready.

After you kill the last and activate the switch on the central terminal the game goes to cutscene video … get ready for New Alexandria.