Last Resort - Assault/Territories Strategy
Added 11/02/2007 by Nedus
Ah, Zanzibar. The staple of objective games in Halo 2. A map clearly designed for games such as CTF and Assault, this wind power station in the middle of nowhere was a fan favorite, to be sure. So it’s no surprise that Bungie saw fit to revive it for Halo 3, in the form of Last Resort. Why did they call it Last Resort? I have no idea.
Anyone who’s played Halo 2 should feel right at home here. The fundamental layout is identical, with a beach, a sea wall, a main courtyard, the giant windmill, and a base. The map has been polished up aesthetically, and there have been some rather noticeable changes to some parts of the map, such as the base interior, which is now much larger. We’re not here to admire the place, though. We’re here to capture imaginary territories and set off bombs!
One Bomb – Offense
You spawn at the beach, with two Hogs, two Mongooses, and a Ghost. Rushing straight down the center of the base in a Mongoose could potentially work, but the Spartan Laser and the two turrets are a serious threat. With luck, you can safely get past them, but it’ll be you and your chauffeur against their whole team. That’s not the best situation, unless your enemies are off hoarding weapons outside the base. I think a more subtle approach is in order here. Split your team. In an 8 player game, go with pairs, but with 10 or more people, how you divide your team is up to you. I recommend three distracting, and two handling the bomb in a game of 10. The decoys should head towards Froman and draw attention to that side of the map, but try not to stay clustered in a group, as the enemy will see they don’t have the bomb. The bomb squad should head over to the broken wall in the base. Be absolutely sure to grab the Bubble Shield and shotgun on your way. Sneak as close as possible without being seen, then jump to the bomb spot, immediately deploy the shield, and sit inside with a shotgun.
At this point, your distraction team should rush in and attack. The players inside the shield should be able to hold out for 10-11 seconds. Remember, it takes 5 seconds to disarm, so if the bomb is covered for at least 11 seconds, you win the round. If possible, the team in the bubble should destroy the shield if things go bad. As a last resort (no pun intended), if you find the Power Drainer, you can toss it onto the bomb spot to try to stop them disarming, but it’s a hit or miss. When executed correctly though, this strategy works like a charm.
One Bomb – Defense
Defense arguably requires less strategy than offense, but that doesn’t mean it’s easier. The Power Drainer that spawns in the base may be tempting to use, but it will most likely be a hindrance if misused. If that thing lands on the bomb spot, you’ll have a tough time disarming. Try to use it against groups of enemies, as they tend to rush in groups while on offense, especially through the lower doors and the gate. The Bubble Shield could help with defense, but you run the risk of it being used against you.
As a general rule, try to keep all equipment away from the bomb spot while on defense. There are enough weapons in the base for most situations. There are two turrets up top that can be detached and brought into the base, a couple Needlers, a Brute Shot, a Spartan Laser, and a shotgun a little ways away outside the base. If the enemy rushes in a vehicle, and it survives the ensuing fight, park any vehicles you have on top of the bomb spot, just to hinder your enemies that much more. They make a nice big explosion when hit with grenades, too. Another good idea is to head over to the Bubble Shield and keep it out of the enemy’s hands. Enemy snipers will almost certainly be a threat, so try to stay behind the large crates and in the main stairwell as much as possible. There’s not too much to defense, just kill everyone, and keep them the hell away from that little circle.
Territories – Offense
This might be a bit confusing at first, as it’s different from Halo 2 Territories. Once the enemy captures a plot, it’s theirs and you can’t get it back! Also, knowing what your teammates are on about when they say “They’re at 3!” is essential, so be sure to learn where all the territories are located.
Territory 1 is on the sea wall, right next to the offensive spawn. While taking it, be on guard, as it’s a common strategy for the defense to rush and prevent people taking it. They tend to come from further down the sea wall, near the sniper. In most cases, a single person can get the job done, but two people can handle most rushes. While someone takes one, have your remaining players split into two teams. One heads into the sea wall towards the cave, and grabs the Bubble Shield, and heads up to Camp Froman, and the other team heads to Territory 2.
Territory 2 seems to be (in my experience) very contested. Have someone head up to the Bubble Shield. Hmm…this sounds familiar. Wait until you begin to take fire. When you do, drop the shield, and…hey look, a shotgun! How convenient. Camp inside the shield and let them come to you.
You can cover 2 from this spot here.
Since Territory 3 is so open, people tend to spam grenades all over it. Be sure to destroy the fusion cores up there before you try to take it! For a team of two, simply wait until you take fire, and then drop the Bubble Shield, but beware, the enemy may have a shotgun, as it spawns nearby. For teams of at least 4, a good idea is have two guys camp underneath Froman, and wait. If your teammates up top die, drop the Grav Lift right next to the pipes on the wall and have one or both people float up top to pick up where your teammates left off.
Territory 4 is a tough one, as it’s very exposed. By now, the bubble shields are probably gone, so your team will have very little cover. There’s a small wall that you can stay behind, but you’re particularly vulnerable to enemy snipers. However, not all is lost! Move up there as a group. Have one guy grab the active camo, and sit behind that wall, crouched. Have the rest of the team just run around up there to distract the enemy. The idea is that the enemy will think that they’re taking the territory, and they probably won’t see the invisible guy, so even if they die, you still should have enough time to take it.
Territory 5 is inside the base, and it can be easy or it can be a nightmare, depending on when you attack it. If you attack that one last, you and your team will be in the middle of the base, taking fire from every direction, and the game usually ends without it being taken. If you attack it near the beginning of the game, your enemies will likely be distracted at the other territories, making your job somewhat easier.
Territories – Defense
Have your team move towards Territory 2 as the game starts, but have one guy head to the top of the base and grab the Spartan Laser to take out any vehicles they may have, and once he’s done with that, he can rejoin the team at 2.
Territory 2 is the one they’ll push for, since it’s close to their spawn. Tossing grenades and raining fire from the bridge and the Bubble Shield spawn tends to clear out groups pretty quickly, and you have a fair bit of cover. Try using the nearby Brute Shot on groups of enemies at this territory. Even if you don’t kill anyone, they’ll be disoriented and vulnerable. Beware of shotgun-toting enemies though. If you can clear this one quickly enough, you might be able to clear Territory 1, but beware, as your enemies will likely respawn nearby.
I find that defending Territory 3 is annoying, as running up the stairs leaves you vulnerable. There are good vantage points near the Spartan Laser and on the catwalk near the base entrances for snipers. Shooting the fusion cores can easily kill inattentive enemies. If they toss a Bubble, you’ll have to go up there and eliminate them in close quarters. Have someone grab the shotgun next to the windmill, and from here, your team has two options: charge up the stairs and unleash Hell or use the Grav Lift trick and come up from under them. Try a two-pronged attack; charge up both staircases, or one staircase and have the rest come up from below. Either way, it’ll be tough if there are more than two enemies up there.
Going up?
Territory 4 is another tough one since they’ll have the advantage of elevation, but very little cover. Sniper fire can clear it out quickly, but if they toss one of those pesky Bubble Shields, you’ll have to deal with them on their terms. Again, try a two-pronged attack.
Have one part of your team come across the bridge, ride the windmill, or from inside the base, and have the other part of the team use the Grav Lift and float up there. The Grav Lift respawns pretty quickly, so it should be there even if you used it when defending 3. There’s not much room to maneuver around up there, so take a shotgun or Brute Shot, and beware of invisible foes.
This is a great spot to jump up there with a shotgun.
Territory 5 is very exposed in the middle of the base, meaning there are lots of places to fire at your opponents. A Power Drainer and/or a Brute Shot will work great on groups of enemies. Remember, a Drainer will go right through a Bubble Shield! Another good strategy is to open the gate, park the Warthog outside and hose them with the .50. Sniper fire from the catwalk can also work, as there are good lines of sight from there. Whichever strategies you choose, you have the advantage for this one, and the game usually ends without this plot being taken.
This is a sweet spot for sniping fools at 5.
Although Slayer works great for this map, objective games are where it really shines. These are just a couple strategies that can be used. Experiment with them, combine them with your own strategies, but most of all, have some fun!
