SKULLS TO USE

-For this challenge I recommend using 2 or 3 skulls to get those bonus multipliers for the goal of 20,000 points. On heroic you should put on 3 to be safe but on legendary it's definitely doable with just 2.

Catch: NPCs throw twice as many grenades. NPCs always drop two grenades when dying.
-Most of this mission will involve medium to long range killing where the catch skull won't come into effect too much. It will also help you to attain the sticky spree medal bonus requirement because enemies will drop more stickies for you to use.

Tilt: Enemy defensive resistances/weaknesses are increased.
-This mission has no elites whatsoever and only a few shielded brute heroes so the tilt skull almost has no effect on your play through while still giving you extra points.

Tough Luck: Needler fire, grenades projectiles (ie. Rocket Launcher, Brute Shot) and vehicular attacks are more easily evaded by the AI. Brutes go Berserk and Grunts will turn Kamikaze more often.
-This is optional for a legendary run through but you may need it for heroic. When brutes go berserk they forget to dodge your needlers so this skull could help you in some places but hinder you in others.

WEAPONS

-There are a lot of weapons that can be useful during this mission.

DMR: You're going to need your DMR for almost the entire level for medium to long range killing.

Needler: The brutes are very vulnerable to this weapon. They like to dodge them usually but if they go into berserk mode on you the needler will kill them in an instant.

Sniper: There are 3 places where you can pick up a sniper rifle on this mission that can help you greatly with some long range killing.

Rocket Launcher: You may want to save up your rockets throughout the level to make the end easier, but if not there will be some rocket ammo to help you along your way during the mission.

PART 1: EVACUATION OF TRAXUS TOWER

-After Jorge sacrifices himself on LNOS you crash land back onto Reach. You'll head into to New Alexandria where you'll be asked to help evacuate some civilians from Traxus Tower. The mission starts you out in an area that is "Boardwalk" from matchmaking. If you notice, a couple a bars of health are missing as a result of your crash landing. Proceed on through the door at the end of Boardwalk and up a set of stairs. A few skirmishers will be here. Pick them off before they retreat into the building. If you take a left after you go up these stairs and explore around you'll find a health pack to restore your health and some extra pistol ammo.

-Go on into the next building and you will be informed of some suicide grunts squads. Take out the first 3 and look for some stickies they drop as result of the catch skull. Here's good chance to get that sticky spree medal out of the way. You have to stick them early when they are far away or else they'll just blow themselves up. Collect all the needler ammo you can while proceeding through this area. You can also pick up the armor lock along the way to have some fun if you want. Basically just be careful around corners and you should be fine. The last of the suicide grunts come at you in a group of 6 or 7. Just kill the one in front and they should all go up in smoke.

-Take the door leading outside and a drop ship will fly by with a bunch of brutes in it. Hide and wait until it leaves then proceed on. In the coming areas don't kill any of the civilians or you'll be taken back to your last checkpoint. Outside there will be a brute holding a civilian hostage. Go up to him and stick him if you don't have your sticky spree medal yet. Next head up the stairs leading to a walkway overlooking a courtyard with a number of brutes in it. You'll find a sniper rifle here but save the ammo. Use your needlers and your pistol to kill the brutes in the courtyard. When you get down to 1 or 2 brutes, left jump down and try and stick them for your sticky spree medal. A good technique here is it to wait until the brute winds up to throw his own sticky at you. Then you're free to stick him without him dodging out of the way. Just be careful to not get stuck yourself. Or if you have armor lock you can just let yourself get stuck and go into armor lock. When all the brutes are dead, one more brute and some skirmishers will come out of the far door of the courtyard. Finish them off and grab that sniper rifle now.

-Once you go through the door go up to the upper level and watch out for a couple of grunts on the left. Stick them if you still don't have your medal. If you don't have your sticky spree medal by now you should probably just start the level over and try again as it only gets harder from here. Now you'll come to an area with a squad of brutes and grunts. Grab the DMR leaning against some plants and pick them off. Use your sniper to headshot the brute captain on the far ledge. You'll find some extra DMR ammo on level below you as well. Clear the area and proceed up some stairs on the left to the upper walkway. There will most likely be 2 more brutes to deal with here unless you've killed them before they retreated up there. Take them out along with some remaining jackals and the area will be cleared.

-Before you call the elevator up collect as much needler ammo as possible. You'll need it. Call the elevator and you'll learn you have to wait for evacuations to complete on the floor below you before you can use it. Prepare to defend yourself against some squads of brutes, grunts, and skirmishers that will be dropped onto the courtyards outside. Take as many out as you can while they are still in the courtyard then retreat to the back wall next to the elevator. Take the brutes out with needlers, especially the 2 brute captains with hammers, and everything else with the DMR. If things get too crazy retreat up the stairs onto the upper walkway and watch out for a couple of skirmishers up here. Once you clear the area your troops will let you know how happy they are for you to be with them and you can now take the elevator up to the next part.

PART 2: WELCOME TO THE BULLFROGS

-In the elevator you'll be informed that the route to Traxus Tower is no longer passable on foot. Exit the elevator and go past the wounded civilians and you'll see some troops fighting off some banshees as well as a weapons cache with a whole bunch of DMR ammo in it that you'll want. Here you'll find your first chance at grabbing some rocket launcher ammo by swapping out with the marine. There's a couple of ways you can deal with the end of the level. You can save up rocket ammo to destroy the wraiths or you can attempt to hijack them. Whatever you're comfortable with is fine. I'll give you strategies for both. So if you want save up rocket ammo go ahead and take it and if not, then it's fine. There is more ammo as the level goes on as well . Next proceed along the ledge to the right and you'll get to use the jet pack for the first time in the campaign.

-Jump your way from platform to platform until you get to the last one before the other side, which is an area called the port. Jet pack up to the top of the structure there and use your DMR to pick off all your enemies from there. Just drop backwards if your health gets low. The only enemies that can really threaten you from here is the fuel rod grunt and a needle rifle jackal so kill them first. The grunt will usually be on the lower level already shooting at you so he shouldn't be hard to find and the jackal will be just above him. The needle rifle jackal will only be there on legendary as well. This is also the best place to start earning your 15 firebird medals. All you have to do is press the armor ability button a split second before you fire for the kill shot and you'll get the medal. Here's a quick video on how to rack some easy firebird medals. I barely even had to leave the ground:



-Once you've exhausted all your DMR ammo or killed all your enemies jump back to the weapons cache with DMR ammo in it to refill. Jump back to the port and finish any remaining enemies that were hiding. If you want, you can take that needle rifle the jackal dropped and use it to help with the next part. Once you clear the area some more bullfrog ODSTs will join you. Jet pack up to the platform where the ODSTs are and start trying to take out a couple of brutes in your path ahead. One of them is a captain with a concussion rifle so take good cover behind the crates. Also watch for some grunts on the stairs to your right. When you've killed them move on into Traxus Tower and jet pack up to the roof levels as instructed.

-Once you get to the top walk outside and stay behind the pillars. You'll find some weapons ahead including more DMR ammo and rocket launcher ammo. Join your troops in their effort to take out the covenant forces across the way. There will be focus rifle jackals that make their presence noticed very quickly. Take them out first. Next focus your fire on the brute captains with concussion rifles. When you kill them jet pack up to the balcony above you where you'll find a sniper rifle with some DMR ammo. Make sure you kill those concussion rifle brutes before you come up here because there is no cover and they will pin you there and kill you before you know it. Snipe and and DMR the rest of the enemies from there.

-Head on to the other side and a brute with a hammer will seemingly pop out of nowhere. Take care of him and move on. At the top of stairs will be your first brute hero to deal with. If you're playing on legendary he'll have a fuel rod gun which will be particularly challenging, especially cause he has the high ground. My advice is to find a needler anywhere. Avoid his shots and sneak right under him so he can't shoot you. Then move up the stairs and kill the grunts there. Once you get to his level at the top needle him right away. He'll probably go into armor lock so just wait until he comes out of it and finish him off. If don't want to deal with this guy at all, then you don't have to! Check the video a little ways down to show you how.

-Proceed on to the bridge leading into the executive wing and pick up some DMR ammo along the way. At the end of the bridge will be some fuel rod grunts along with some jackals and a couple of brutes on the balcony above so be careful. Collect that fuel rod ammo but don't use it yet. Kill all the enemies in the next area called the executive wing but try and stay outside the door to keep cover. Watch for another brute hero with a fuel rod gun outside on the landing pad but don't try and kill him just yet. A phantom will drop a few more enemies including a hammer brute. Take them out and then try and grenade the shade turrets outside while avoiding the fuel rod brute. When he is your last enemy go grab that fuel rod ammo you collected and do your best to kill him with it. I usually just stay inside and strafe from one side of the door to the other putting as many shots on him as possible. Once he's dead you can now wait for your ride in the falcon.

-Now here's a short video I made showing a shortcut to the landing pad where you can catch the fuel rod brute by surprise and assassinate him. This may take a couple tries but it can be very useful because it will essentially let you skip two fuel rod brutes in the mission. Just head straight past the weapons cache with the rocket ammo and follow what I do in the video:



If you do this shortcut make sure you kill as many enemies as you can that are across the way leading up to the executive wing. You'll probably need the kills for the total points required!

PART 3: I SHOULD HAVE BECOME A WATCHMAKER

-Watchmaker indeed. The end of this mission is very difficult so be prepared for a dogfight. First though, we get to go on a fun falcon ride where you will have to attempt to get your 20 falcon kills requirement. The best strategy here is to kill as many grunts as possible while staying away from the shielded brutes because they take too long to kill, especially with the tilt skull on. The first enemies will be a couple of brutes on a rooftop. Kill them and then you will quickly come upon another rooftop with multiple enemies in combat with some UNSC troops. Focus on the grunts to get the most kills possible. Next watch for a brute chieftain on the next roof top that you probably won't be able to kill on legendary but shoot at him at least cause he can kill you if you're not careful and you still may be able to kill him if you start shooting at him early. Now you'll fly next to a small boardwalk with some grunts being led by a hammer brute chieftain and two captains. Kill the grunts then do your best to kill the brute captains. The next part has you fly above some warthogs engaging 2 wraiths. Ignore the wraiths because they take too long to kill and focus on killing as many banshees flying around you as you can. Most of them will be on your left shooting at you. As the falcon comes to land you will see a number of covenant forces engaging some of your troops. Gun them all down. If you do everything right you should be able to get your 20 falcon kills.

-The final part of the mission has you land on "Beachhead" from firefight. You have to activate two missile batteries and then fire them off. Fill up your DMR ammo before you go anywhere. You'll soon notice that there are 2 annoyingly accurate wraiths on the beach, especially on legendary. There are several ways you can approach this part. I'm going to give you a few different ways to do it. Your marines will want you to hop in the warthog but ignore them because they'll most likely get you killed. Head past them and take cover behind a rock spire just behind the warthog. Peek around it and there will be a grunt in a ghost in front of the catwalk leading from the building to the bridge. Do your best to take him out with the DMR. Grab a plasma pistol, grab a mongoose, drive straight to the first wraith under the bridge take out the gunner, and hijack it! This is easier said than done and may take several tries but it pays off. Try and jet pack towards the wraith in the air to hijack it so it won't shoot at you at you. If you hijack it watch for the second wraith and kill it before any thing else. Use the wraith to take out as many enemies as you can around the batteries and activate them both when you get the chance.

-You can also instead go for the battery first then take the wraith out as well. Make sure you kill the brute on the bridge before attempting to hijack. On legendary he will be a brute hero with a plasma launcher. If you don't kill him he has the potential of sticking you with one of his blueberries while you are trying to kill or hijack the wraith. Here's a quick video showing how to hijack the wraith:



-If you saved up your rocket ammo you can also use the same strategy of jet packing in the air to avoid wraith fire, then shoot it with your rockets. Once you kill it go back up to the first battery. You may be able to find a marine with a laser to take out the second wraith with. If not you can grab the plasma launcher from the brute that was on the bridge and use that. Head across the bridge and clear the area around the second battery once you've killed the second wraith. There are just a few brutes and some jackals in this area so this should pose no problem. Keep your distance though, because one brute has a hammer.

-Once you activate the second battery you can find a sniper rifle in the area against the railing closest to the building side. Grab it and head back across the bridge. A whole bunch of enemies will be guarding the switch to fire the missiles including a couple of brute heroes. Now we really don't want to deal with those brute heroes unless you need the points, so here's a quick tip on how to finish the mission without doing so. Take out the two ghosts that spawn after the second battery is activated and snipe the enemies under the switch. Clear the area under the switch as much as possible. Now you can just jet pack through the window and up to the switch and activate it. Drop back down so you don't get killed before the cut scene and you'll be done!

Here's a video of the end shortcut:

K guys this is just about done. If anyone sees any mistakes or wants to add any tips or anything let me know. I'm probably going to get started on the Pillar of autumn walkthrough soon.

dude! i had no idea you could go that far to the right when sneaking up on the fuel rod brute. excellent video. Have not read the entire thing yet, i will do a bit later.

Awesome work dude.