TP Presents: Reach For My Tips – How to Use Armor Abilities

After two weeks of playing the Beta, it has become easy to distinguish Halo: Reach from Halo 3. The gameplay is completely different and there are many additional things to watch out for now that there are new armor abilities available via loadouts. It’s quite literally a different game. Literally. Here are some of the ways to use your favorite armor ability… and other ways that you shouldn’t.

ARMOR LOCK

Armor lock brings a variety of perks: Invincibility, badassery and buying time for your teammates when playing Team Slayer. Remember, always be prepared to take an enemy out as their Armor Lock runs out. 

Different players have different strategies, some not as good as others, so here’s how to use armor lock correctly.

WHEN TO USE IT

• Guarding a Flag.
• When a Rocket/Grenade/Plasma Launcher plasma is coming at you hard.
• When getting shot at and there’s nothing else you can do.
• When someone tries to stick you and succeeds.

WHEN NOT TO USE IT

• When enemies can just wait till you’re done.
• Trying to be a hero.
• In the middle of a huge fight. It most likely means you’ll get caught up in the crossfire when you wake up. Cross fire. CROSSFIIIIIIRE (Yeah! Yeah!)

While being a hero is fine and all, Armor Lock is more effective when you’re working with your team. Being the sole survivor of a huge fire fight doesn’t mean the three leftover dudes from other teams are doomed. Such an incident may occur when you need to block a door to prevent a flag being captured, or are holding a specific area until back up arrives.

CAMO

Again, this armor ability is used best when it’s used in the best interests of the team you’re playing for (unless you’re lonewolfing it, in which case the best use is just to do it whenever you’re approaching a newb or directionless loser). For instance, when playing Invasion, you may just want to hangout near the staircases, or a dark corner, while flipping your camo on and off, like that guy on the news. This will scramble any Spartan or Elite’s motion tracker nearby, allowing your teammates to walk into the enemy base.

If you’re a Spartan and happen to run across someone doing this, it’s best to wait it out.

WHEN TO USE IT

• In dark areas.
• Behind cover.
• To provide cover for your teammates (in secret).
• When hunting someone in close quarters in a pinch (or a skewer).
• When you’re having a bad skin/hair day.

WHEN NOT TO USE IT

• It may seem like the perfect armor ability to go off and fight alone with, but the truth is, no matter how good you are, you will be found out if there are no nearby teammates to distract enemies.

SPRINT

Sprint allows you to travel a good distance in a short amount of time.

WHEN TO USE IT

• If you need to get somewhere fast, take a route that won’t get you seen. Remember, just because you’re running fast doesn’t mean you’re impossible, or even difficult, to hit.
• Jumping after a good sprint will get you those extra feet and make seemingly impossible jumps suddenly possible.
• Get the HELL out of the crossfire, you’ll get caught up in it… you’ll… no, we won’t do that again.

WHEN NOT TO USE IT

• Sprinting should be used to get to cover rather than running across the battlefield. No one likes a dead teammate.
• Also, if you’re sprinting off by yourself, you may end up alone, with the Boyz In Da Hood, so watch WHERE you’re running. A lot of people see speed as safety. It’s not. It might just be you getting to your sure and sudden death quicker.

“Uh… hey, guys…”

Evade   

Evasion is a great tactic to use both indoors and out. And you know you like to hear ’em growl.

WHEN TO USE IT

• The best times to use Evade takes place outdoors and in one-on-one battles. Outside, you won’t be confined to roll as much. Outside, you can also avoid enemy fire while moving in closer for a kill.
• If you’re the melee’ing type, this is probably your favorite armor ability. It basically turns you into a real ninja, so that the little badge you get makes sense. Your maneuvering skills go off the charts and you’re able to roll circles around people in close quarters, evade their shots, and confuse the hell out of any newbies.

WHEN NOT TO USE IT

• Small rooms, of course.
• Whenever you feel like looking “cool”.
• If that’s just “how you roll”.

JETPACKS

A means for travel, a means of killing… a Jetpack can be your greatest ally… or the means of watching your body fall hundreds of feet to the ground to its sudden, unexpected and 8-10 second penaltied death.

WHEN NOT TO USE THEM

• Well, the only time when it’s pointless to use them is when you’re already too late. Remember that the Jetpack takes a little bit of time to work at full power. If that grenade is already at your feet, you’re already dead. Should’ve used the shield.
• When there are at least two other guys in Jet packs in the air with you.
• When you’re getting out of a fight where people are obviously all shooting at you. You don’t become invisible, you actually just become slower and higher, and therefore easier to shoot. Spartans aren’t blind after 10 feet of elevation and neither are Elites.
• When they are low on charge. Nothing’s more embarrassing than trying to get somewhere you can’t and being killed because of it. Remember to basically act and play like you did in Halo 3. Use your abilities only when needed like the Rocketeer would. If you use any of these abilities as a crutch, you’re doing it wrong. Use them when you can and don’t rely on them, but use them as a bonus.
• When someone else with a Jetpack is right behind you. Nothing is more embarrassing (or freaking AWESOME) than an air assassination.

WHEN TO USE THEM

• At the beginning of the game, when plenty of ground matches are being started.
• When nobody is around, to get closer to the action and then throw grenades at it.
• When everybody is shooting each other and not you, and you’re low on health.
• When at a high elevation that you feel you can cover some extra ground because of, as that will allow you to get closer to the action faster and in a way that allows you get the UPPER hand. UPPER hand. See what we… no? Okay.
• When evading someone with a shotgun or gravity hammer. 
• When you’re in a ground fight with someone that doesn’t have a shotgun and they are reloading. Shooting them (and finishing them off) from the air will disorient them JUST enough so that you can ensure a kill.
• When you’re losing and completely bored and just want to remember what it was like to first buy an XBox360 and be playing games like Armored Core.

Things to Remember:

• These new abilities are a privilege, not a necessity. Use them as such.
• Make sure you always shave and wash your nether-regions before a first date. Nobody likes a pessimist.

Teabag Prevention Written by:

Jake108

Edited by:

Brian Gilmore 

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As always, special thanks to Louis Wu and HBO.