The OXM Halo 3 Survival Guide

5) Master the melee
When you’re fighting in close quarters, sometimes the difference between a righteous kill and a humiliating death is a good beatdown. That is, if both you and your opponent are trading shots at relatively the same rate, try rushing them and follow through with a fast tap of the “B” button, throwing a bone-cracking melee move to finish the medal-earning kill. Seasoned players do this without even thinking, and you should learn to do so as well. For kicks, check your Career Stats on Bungie.net to see how many jerks you’ve retired via the melee attack — as for us, our third top “Tool of Destruction” is the melee. Believe us, it works.

First you shoot, then you smack, then they die.

6) Aim for the brain
It usually takes about four direct hits with a typical weapon to send your enemy packing for Palookaville (except with one-shot-kill weapons, of course). You can speed up this “four-shot” process by landing headshots. For instance, because a battle rifle fires a three-round burst, two or three well-placed headshots can down a foe. Headshotting is also especially effective when playing close quarters during Shotty Snipers, a Slayer variant that comes up frequently. When going toe-to-toe using shotguns, keep your reticule aimed at the head and you should drop your opponent to his knees with one blast. Don’t forget to immediately melee — just in case.

7) Heavy weapons for the win
It’s surprising how often we see Warthogs, Banshees, and Ghosts go neglected on maps like “Valhalla,” “High Ground,” and “Snowbound.” It’s easy to get caught up in a foot race and forget about the vehicles, but chances are if you turn a corner and see a vehicle just sitting there, your enemies have forgotten about the vehicles, too, which means you’ll catch them off-guard. The same goes for the turrets, missile pods, and flamethrowers. Learn how to use these heavier weapons and vehicles and you’ll find yourself dominating the map and winning the game.

8) Be patient
There’s no shame in playing like a ninja assassin, and sometimes you can avoid a certain death by waiting, even for a second or two. For instance, you can get the drop on a foe by waiting behind cover until they pass you, letting you crack off one or two shots before they can turn and counter. Other times you can lead a pack of goons into a trap where your teammates are waiting to raise high the banner of WIN. We’re not saying “Don’t be aggressive” — by all means, do. Just know that you can sometimes gain a clear advantage by holding your fire, especially when facing really good players.

Recharge. Reload. Then replay the saved films of your domination. 

9) Focus on the fight, not the score
Morale plays a huge part in your performance, and if you’re constantly obsessing about the tit-for-tat scoring dance in every game, you’ll be distracted. Ultimately, the final outcome of any match is defined by the sum of lots of little one- to three-player encounters, and if you focus on finding encounters to engage in that you and your team can win — such as outnumbering a single roaming player, helping your buddy finish off a fight he might’ve lost alone — you’ll find the score going up and your worries disappearing.

Our #9 says be the blue guy. Our #10 says don't be the red guy.

10) Assisted living is better than dying alone
What’s the difference between winning or losing a firefight between four or five guys? It’s often only a few shots. Pay attention to your radar and listen for gunfire, then get yourself to the fight to pitch in. You may be able to run in, with full shields, and finish two or three opponents who may be barely hanging onto life with blinking shields. There’s nothing wrong with batting clean-up. In fact, team-assisting kills like these may be some of the easiest you’ll come by, and your almost-dead teammates will thank you for the help in those clutch situations.

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