Halo 3 Cortana Legendary Walkthrough

If you're playing on Halo 3 on the Legendary difficulty level, you'll find there are two areas which are the most difficult. One is the Tsavo Highway mission at Rally Point Alpha. The other is the Cortana mission which takes place on the Flood infested High Charity. And while you can do a speedrun, I like to kill as many enemies as I can. So this is a walktrhough on Legendary with the purpose to destroy as many of he bad guys as you can. I've embedded a player's (pokemanfreak 16) walkthrough as a guide. And by the way, I love his accent, I'm sorry to say it's kind of funny. He sounds like Lawrence Welk.

And remember patience and cover. Here we go.

1. Introduction.

a. Know your enemy. Your enemy is the Flood. They come in four forms. Combat. Pure Forms. Infection Forms. Carrier Forms. And with the exception of the Range version of the Pure Forms, the Flood are mindless and generally will rush you if not firing a weapon at you.

i. Infection Forms- The Infection forms are the small annoying hats that will reanimate dead bodies and turn them into Combat forms. You can use any weapon to melee them and burst their "bubble." But watch out. A large group of these can take your shields down in a few seconds. Then you get that awful crunching noise and death. Additionally, if you shoot the sacs on the walls, Infection forms will spew from them.

ii. Carrier Forms- These slow things resemble the old time stove top popcorn snacks when it's about ready to pop open. They walk slow and when they're near you; they explode sending Infection forms into the air. The best weapon to use against them is the flamethrower or a plasma grenade when detonated takes out the Carrier and the Infection forms.

iii. Combat Forms- These guys carry weapons. The charge at you, so be ready with the melee button. The shielded version is harder to bring down. And by the way if you don't break them up into bits, their bodies can be reanimated by Infection forms.

iv. Pure Forms This form is the coolest form to see since it will mutate right before your eyes. And the Ranged version of this form is also the most annoying.

The initial form of the Pure Form is the Stalker. It resembles a scorpion. Called Stalker because it will seek you out. In this version, flamethrower or melee are the most effective way of dispatching it. Unfortunately, the next mutation is the Range or Ranged Form.

The Stalker will climb to the ceilings. There it will mutate into the Ranged Form. It looks like the creature from the movie Tremors. Except it fires energy beams at you. On Normal difficulty it's tough. On Legendary its maddening because of the damage, accuracy and rate of fire that the Ranged Form can unleash. Needler, flamethrower, Brute Shot, and Energy Sword are great weapons against this version.

The next mutation is the Tank. If you run into a Ranged Form on the ground, it may change to the Tank. Big and lumbering, it's melee attack is devastating. And to make matters worse, it can also spew Infection Forms. Flamethrower, Brute Shot melee, Gravity Hammer, and Energy Sword are the most effective.

b. Choose the Right Weapon- You should carry a range weapon and melee weapon for this level. That's because the Flood will generally charge you. The best combination to use is the Brute Shot and the Energy Sword. You will find plenty of ammo for the Brute Shot. And it's grenades pack a powerful punch. Plus, the blade end makes a great melee weapon should the Flood rush you and they will. The Carbine is good for only taking out Flood Combat Forms at a distance.

There are two "specialty" weapons to use on this level. The Needler is great since the shots track an enemy. Great against a Ranged Form stuck on a ceiling meters away. The flamethrower is deadly against all Flood however it slows you down. So be prepared to drop it when you need to run. The rocket launcher is also great but there's very little ammo after you get it. The Gravity Hammer is excellent against a group of Flood charging you. But it's slow. You're better off with the Energy Sword.

2. Start of the Level- Okay, you see the pretty cutscene. Jump down and get the Incendiary grenades. Shoot as many of the Infection Forms as you can. You will approach a left turn. You wont' be able to kill all the Infection Forms and they will reanimate some dead bodies. Kill them. Now notice that there is a path leading to the cliffs above the first portal. Go up there, get the grenades and change out your shotgun for the Energy Sword. Move through the portal until you come to a portal in the ground that will force you to drop down. Drop down.

3. Pelican Hill- Once you're down here, you immediately come under attack. To your right is a wall with a path that leads up to the top of the wall. First take of the Flood that will charge you. Retreat to cover if you're shields go. After the first group of Flood attack, move forward. Get the Brute Shot and Incendiary grenade. Two Carrier Forms will "charge" you. Take a plasma grenade and stick one. Kill the other .

Carefully make your way to the top of the wall. There's a checkpoint around here so try to initiate it. You will see a lot of Flood. If they're grouped throw an Incendiary grenade. That'll take out a bunch of them. When you are charged, switch to the Energy Sword. Okay, by now you're shields are down. Run back to the beginning for cover. Rinse and repeat until you've killed all the Flood in this area. Now you're going to run into Ranged Forms. Hopefully, you'll be in their range to kill them. In the Stalker Form, take advantage of that and melee them to death.

Many players run to the Pelican outside of the walls and grab the flamethrower. On the Legendary difficulty level, it's almost impossible if you haven't thinned out the Flood. Plus if you save it for last, you'll have more fuel for the coming battles.

Okay, after you've killed everything on Pelican Hill, keep moving. Eventually you will come to a floor not covered with brown organic sludge. There are dead bodies. Take the flamethrower and immediately burn the bodies. That's because a Infection Forms will try to reanimate them. Now some will survive but if you burned the bodies that's just less than you'll have to deal with. But notice littered on the floor are grenades, and weapons. And as you leave the area, there's another Energy Sword and Gravity Hammer. A sure sign of a coming battle. Move out and come to another floor portal. Drop down. (Video goes to the Round Room of Doom.)



4. Round Room of Doom This is the hardest of area of the level. There's also the Tilt skull here. Okay, once you've dropped down, you'll be in a short hallway with a dead Elite with an Energy Sword. This hallway leads to a circular room. The main circular floor is transparent and you can see a weapons cache below it. But first you must kill the enemy before you can get it.

The second you start to approach the circular room, you will be under attack. Most of the fire comes from the Ranged Forms. When you enter the circular room, you'll notice a Covenant Weapons locker. Use it for cover. To your left is a transparent wall. That area and the pillar behind it, is your goal. But first there's a Ranged Form above you and a Combat Form is charging from the wall you with a Mauler. Immediately kill him. He's deadly at close range. Then take out your Brute Shot and kill the Ranged Form above you. You'll be under constant attack so keep moving. Drop the flamethrower if you have to. If Flood charge you take out your sword and swing away. You may have to retreat to the beginning of the room.

Okay, you've thinned out a lot of the bad guys. There's still many more Ranged Forms. Now run to the transparent wall. The area behind is also good to lure any stragglers. Now, next to the transparent wall is a locker of Needlers. If you're as unfortunate as I was, there's still Ranged Forms pouring down fire and out of range of your Brute Shot. Grab a Needler and hunch for cover. Oh, by the way, watch out for Stalkers flanking behind you and to your sides. They'll turn into Ranged Forms and kill you within seconds. Anyway, you got the Needler. Pop out and nail the Ranged Forms on the ceilings. Whew.

Pick up the flamethrower. Burn the bodies. Mop up any enemies still alive. Move down and off the circular floor. Now your HUD tells you to go up a path but look behind you. There's an opening. And underneath the opening are dead Elites but a weapons cache also. Grab the Skull if you've haven't and then move up the path to the Alley of Death.

5. The Alley of Death- You move up the path and enter a small room. There will be a Carrier Form moving on your position and possibly two Pure Forms. Burn them. And since this is your first flamethrower, don't be shy about using it, because another is available.

After you've taken out these three, you come to the a long alley. To your right is a dead end alley. That has another flamethrower. To your left is another dead end alley. There is also paths leading to elevated positions. At this moment, you're probably under attack from Ranged Forms. Take out your Brute Shot and kill them. Move slowly up the alley and kill any Ranged Forms that turn into Tanks. Use the angles in the walls for cover. Retreat if you have to and drop the flamethrower since you have to run a lot.

Okay, after you've moved so far up the Alley of Death, you'll hear the sound of Combat Forms. Most of these guys will be shielded. Retreat backwards and fire your Brute Shot. When they are in melee range, switch to the Energy Sword. Now this is important. You can retreat all the way back to the Round Room of Doom and get ammo from the cache. Sometimes that causes the Flood to congregate in the left hand curve of the alley where you can use a grenade.

When you don't hear the Flood and approach a left hand curve in the alley, stop. Go back and replenish your ammo to full for the Brute Shot (floor of the alley and cache) and Energy Sword. (beginning of the alley) And get the second flamethrower. Move back to the curve. Move forward. Hit the checkpoint and stop. If you die in the room ahead, you'll have full ammo. You see a portal. Go through.

Part 2 of the video. I don't recommend you use the Cloaking Device as you may need to move back through the alley. If you didn't kill the bad guys, they may still be here. Plus he has big time trouble with next room.


6. Room of Doom Two The first thing you see is a Covenant Locker with Carbines. To your right is a little tunnel. Use the locker for cover. Grab the Carbine. Kill as many Combat Forms as you can. If you come under strong fire from Ranged Forms, retreat through the entrance portal. Now you see why you killed all those bad guys getting here. They won't be a problem if you need to retreat.
Now use the flamethrower sparingly as you want to keep it all the way through the rescue of Cortana.

When you've cleared the room of most of the combat forms, move across the room. Head to a tunnel at the far end for cover. There's a good chance there's more Ranged Forms out there. The tunnel will also have another Energy Sword. By the way, venture out to the floor and quickly destroy the dead bodies. I'll tell you why in a minute. Okay duck back into the tunnel. Pop out and destroy any Ranged Forms. Grab the deployable cover. Drop the flamethrower; you'll pick it up later.

Now move up the path. You might be jumped by a about four Combat Forms. Take out your sword and deal with them. To your right you'll see a dropped Needler. Don't pick it up yet. As you reach the top of the path, Ranged Forms and Infection Forms attack. If they're any bodies down below, they'll reanimate them and now you've got a fight. Use your sword and stay in cover behind the wall. After you've killed the Combat Forms, run out and get the Needler. Now deal with the remaining Ranged Forms. Bye, bye. Grab your dropped flamethrower and switch back to the Brute Shot.

Move around the room on the second level. You will eventually reach the top of the room. Watch out for a Combat Form lurking here. Jump to the next portal. Go through. Then you will come to another portal. Go through and reach the Reactor Room.

7. The Reactor Room- This room is circular but it has wide ledges on two sides. In the center are the controls to the Reactor Room. However, it's connected by thin bridges from the ledges. Fall off and you die.

Immediately when you enter you hear the explosion of one of the reactor pylons. And a combat form immediately attacks you. Move and use the flamethrower in short spurts burning anything in your path. If you lose shields, drop it and head for cover in the nooks in the wall. After you've killed everything on one side, cross the bridge. Kill anything by the controls. Then move to the other side.

Okay, now you're on the side where Cortana is located. Kill all the enemies here. Enter the hallway which will lead you to Cortana. Now this is important. if you still have fuel in the flamethrower and want to use it on the way back. Drop it here in the first part of the hallway. Why? If you take it where Cortana is, you'll lose it. Go to the end of the hallway, rescue Cortana by breaking the containment field; melee. Now get out.

As you approach the first hallway, you'll see the flamethrower is there. Pick it up. Now same approach as the getting here. Wipe out everyone on your ledge. If you need to use the Brute Shot to wipe out Ranged Forms on the control platform, then do it. There's plenty of Brute Shot ammo. Cortana tells you have to buy some time by starting a chain reaction in the reactor.

Cross the bridge and get to the control center. You're probably under attack from Ranged Forms on the other side. Activate the deployable shield. Okay, now pop out and take out some of the Ranged Forms. Move to the other ledge and kill the rest. Finally, peace and quiet. Go back to the controls. Activate the controls which exposes the pylons. Use a grenade or Brute Shot and blow out the remaining pylons. A chain reaction has started that will destroy High Charity.

Video no. 3. This player is a a riot. "Come here and die. Die you piece of sh#t. Because they are pieces of sh#t. You die. You die too. Thank you." 1:20


An explosion blows open a door on the ledge. That's the exit. Move towards it but first deal with the Combat Form who emerges and attacks you. Be careful, he has a Mauler. Okay, where the door was, is a hole to jump down. But wait. Look down. Combat Forms are down below coming to attack you. Since you are in the elevated position, rain down fire on them with any weapon. Go back to the reactor room and replenish your ammo. Go back to Cortana's ledge and get the Cloaking Device. Remember it feels like you've got limited time to escape but you've got a lot of time to get out.

Now, get to the hole and jump.

8. Alley of Death , Part Two. You're back at the Alley of Death. Now stick to your right and use the elevation to avoid more enemies particularly two Carrier Forms. Make your way back to the Round Room of Doom.

9. Round Room of Doom, Part Two- You find yourself back at the Round Room of Doom. And this is where it gets hairy. Combat Forms burst from a door where you first entered this room. Throw an Incendiary at them. Then pound them with the Brute Shot. If they get too close, switch to the Energy Sword. And watch out for the Combat Form with his own Energy Sword.

When they're down, go through the door they came from. Keep your sword out. A Tank busts through from the right wall. Kill him. Go through the opening he made. You will eventually come to a hole to drop through. Wait. If there are enemies waiting to kill you, rain fire on them.

10. Run Like Hell- Jump through the hole. Now run and keep your sword out. Once you've get to the next portal, you may want to use the Cloaking Device. You will eventually reach Pelican Hill where Cortana tells you about a friendly signal. It's the Arbiter and he has a flamethrower. Get to the Pelican, you know where you found the first flamethrower. Enter the back and end the mission. WHEW.

Video no. 4. Again, this guy is too much. "And you die. You over there, you die too." 3:00. THANK YOU. POKEMONFREAK 16