Halo Reach Matchmaking Tips!

 The Halo franchise has become the nameplate of Xbox, the biggest Xbox exclusive game. Probably one of the biggest modern games across all consoles! In fact, the only two FPS games I can think of that rival the Halo series are Call of Duty games and maybe Medal of Honor. Why is Halo so big, you ask? As with the previously mentioned FPS games, it mostly has to do with the multiplayer part of the game. Sure, Halo has an intense campaign, but most people (including myself) bought the latest entry in the series for the multiplayer rush. Halo Reach has an incredible online setup, as usual, but has some new quirks and differences. It might take you awhile to see them, or it may not. Either way, this article should help improve your Halo Reach skills.

1. USE YOUR RADAR

You know that little box in the lower left corner of your screen with all the yellow and red dots? Yeah, that thing happens to be your radar, one of your most useful tools in multiplayer. The red dots are obviously enemies, and they'll change a bit depending on where they are. If their above you, the red dots will have a little bit of black around and behind them. If their around the same height as you, they'll show up as a normal red dot, and if their below you, they'll show up as black dots. If you start to see tons of red dots jumping all over the place, going haywire, don't panic, you're not being overrun by enemies. If somebody is using the Active Camouflage armor ability nearby, everybody in the immediate vicinity will have messed up radars.

Enemies aren't the only things that show up on radar though. Allies will show up as yellow dots, and it pays to notice them too. You can kill allies, so if you see a yellow dot in the room your about to grenade, be careful! This can and will get you booted on many occasions. Another reason to pay attention to those yellow dots is because teamwork is incredibly important in Halo. Imagine you get in a 1v1 gunfight, which happens fairly often. You both take damage, and your shields go down roughly around the same time, and whoever gets the headshot first, wins. Now imagine you get in a 1v3 firefight. You have almost no chance of winning, even if you have perfect aim. Remember, safety in numbers!

2. CROUCH

This tip has to do with the radar, but I thought it deserved it's own little section. You see, if you hold down the left thumbstick, your character will crouch, rendering them invisible on the radar. This can come in handy if you spot an enemy camping on your own radar, so you can sneak up behind them for an easy kill. It also can be used for camping. You just hide around the corner, and the enemy will walk right past your camping spot, because they didn't see you on the radar. Another important tip for this- change your controller setting so that crouching is toggle instead of hold. That way, you don't have to hold down the left thumbstick the entire time, making it easier to maneuver.

3. DON'T RUSH YOUR SHOOTS

The DMR, the Needle Rifle, and the Magnum having targeting reticules to help place your shots better. The little aiming circle will "bloom" every time you shoot, and if you shoot again, before the reticule goes back to normal, the bloom will get bigger. This is bad. Reticule bloom messes up your aim, and sends your shots off target. This can be fatal if your in a mid to close range firefight, and maybe even in a long range fight too. So, instead of spamming your trigger as fast as you can, take your time in between your shots. If your enemy shoots 8 times, but misses three shots because of reticule bloom, and you only fire 6 times but hit every single time, including a headshot, you obviously will win. This especially goes for the pistol, as it has a huge amount of kick when you shot rapidly.

4. BE WARY OF ASSASINATIONS

If you get lucky enough to sneak up on an enemy from behind, you can easily kill them with an assassination. There are two forms of this- the fast and simple way, which is how a true assassin kills, and the slow yet cool and taunting way. To execute an assassination, just melee an enemy in the back, which will automatically kill them. If you hold down the melee button whilst behind them, the game will zoom out into a third person mode, and you'll see your character performing a gaudy assassination. These assassinations vary, from breaking your enemy's leg and stabbing them in the neck, to grabbing their skull whilst pushing them down and shoving duel energy swords into their sides. Whatever assassination you get, their all cool looking, and you get a special medal. There is also a Commendation for getting the gaudy assassinations. Of course, while this may be fun and cool to watch, their is always a risk. While performing the gaudy assassination, you have no control, and can be easily picked off by another enemy, so its best not to try this in the middle of a big gunfight. Also, your allies have an opportunity to steal your kill, which will net them some credits and another exclusive medal. It is much more efficient to use the quick assassination and get it over with, but if you've got the guts and want to taunt your foes, go for the eye pleasing kill.

Armor abilities are one of the biggest changes to the Halo formula, so they should be taken sorta seriously. You've got a couple to chose from, but their not all going to be available at all times. You've got...

• Sprint- This ability is pretty simple, you just press the left bumper and viola! Your character runs faster then usual, which is useful on big maps such as Hemorrhage. You can also use Sprint to escape from bad situations, or to close in a small gap if you have the Energy Sword, Gravity Hammer, or Shotgun. You may want to consider starting most matches with Sprint equipped so you can get to the power weapons before the enemy. And one last use for Sprint, if you start to Sprint before jumping off an edge, you will be able to jump farther distances.
• Armor Lock- This is a tricky ability to use, because it can actually hurt your chances are winning battles if you use it wrong. If you hold down the Armor Ability button, your character will punch the ground (this means you cannot use this ability while airborne) and will glow a bluish white. While using Armor Lock, you are invincible and rockets and grenades will bounce off of you. Once you leave Armor Lock, nearby enemies will be EMPed and will lose all their shield, so try for a quick melee. Ideally, you will use this if the enemy grenades the room your in, or you get outnumbered, but it can be used if you are about to be hit by a vehicle, or shot/stabbed by a power weapon. If an enemy vehicle is going fast enough, and you Armor Lock at the right time, the vehicle will be destroyed as it rams your invincible body. Warning: Practice using this ability! If you panic and use it while being attacked, it gives your enemy time to regroup, so they can toss a grenade at you which they'll time to explode as soon as you leave Armor Lock. Here's a strategy to use if you have a cooperative teammate. Have your teammate hide by crouching around a nearby corner or something, while you attract the enemies attention. As soon as the enemy attacks you, go into Armor Lock. As soon as you do this, your ally will start attacking the enemy, while their still focused on you. Then, when the enemy turns their attention to your ally, come out of Armor Lock and hit the enemy when their back is turned.
• Active Camo- When using this Armor Ability, your character will be semi-invisible. If standing still, crouching, or moving slowly, it will be nearly impossible to see your character. But, if you get damaged or a moving alot, it will be easier to see you. A noticeable side-effect of Active Camo is the radar jamming. If somebody is using Active Camo nearby, everybody's radar will have tons of red dots on it, so your radar would be rendered nearly useless. One strategy you could use this Armor Ability for is to grab the Energy Sword or Gravity Hammer, and go hide in a close quarters area. When the enemy gets close, go invisible and let them enter the room. They won't be able to see you, and they'll be confused by the radar jammer. That's when you strike with your devastating weapon.
• Jetpack- Jetpack might seem useful at first, but the more you think about it, the less sense it makes to use it. Sure, you can get to higher areas with the jetpack, and it'll help you cross land faster, but it has alot of downsides. First off, it has a loud whoosing noise whenever you use it, giving away your position very fast. Plus, your very vulnerable in the air. It really doesn't speed you up that much either, unless there's a chasm you want to get across without going around. But, if you insist on using Jetpack, try to get your hands on the rockets! Rockets are more effective when shot at an angle so that they hit the ground near your target, because the splash damage is usually enough to kill your target, and the ground is easier to hit then a small enemy. So, if you use Jetpack to get yourself above the enemy, it will give you a better shot, and therefore an easier kill.
• Dropshield- This works a little like a portable Bubble Shield from Halo 3. Just hold the Armor Ability trigger, and your guy will lay down a bluish bubble, that bullets and plasma cannot enter, although vehicles and other players canenter it, so be on your guard when inside of it anyways. If the Dropshield takes enough damage, it will be destroyed, so pay attention to the color of the shield. It will start out blue and turn red when it takes more damage. This ability is useful if your running low on Health but can't find any health packs, as it slowly heals you and teammates while inside of it. It'll go away on its own after a short time.
• Evade- This Armor Ability is only available to Elites, so tough luck to Spartans. Tap the button, and your Elite will roll in the direction your looking. This helps if your evading bullets or even if you see an approaching enemy with an Energy Sword. It can also be used to move around the map faster, and if you time it right, you can jump as you come out of a roll, to propel yourself farther then normal. In Zombie game types, the roll is greatly enhanced, enabling you to move very large distances, very fast. You can Evade twice in a row before needing to let your Armor Ability bar recharge.