Lost Platoon

Lost Platoon is a Firefight map in Halo 3: ODST. It is one of the larger and wider of the Firefight maps, as it contains a Warthog at the map's centre structure. This is also the only map in which the Covenant will drop Choppers.
== Setting ==
Based on a section of the Campaign level Uplift Reserve, Lost Platoon is set in the Uplift Nature Reserve, a park located next to the metropolis of New Mombasa, which became a battleground during the Battle of Mombasa. By the time the map is set, the New Mombasa Orbital Elevator is still standing in the background.Halo 3: ODSTHalo 3 ODST ViDoc: Bip. Bap. Bam. The map consists of a series of buildings connected by walkways in the center of a scrub land-like environment. The name of the map is a reference to the Second Platoon, which is holding position in the area during the campaign level.
==Tips==
*If you have four people, a good strategy is to have one player use the Spartan Laser and Sniper and make that player snipe and pick off the Wraiths. Have two players use the Warthog and the third use a chopper. Alternatively, you could have the third player use the Sniper, making the Spartan Laser player use a chopper to get to the Wraiths faster.
*Save your hammers for the third wave. A regular bash will kill most enemies in two hits, with the exception being Brutes and Hunters. Use the trigger bash on vehicles coming too close or hunters. Save these during Black Eye rounds, their bash will kill enemies fast and heal you as well. This works well when you have a group of enemies, as you can kill a majority of them fast and use the last one as a health punching bag with an alternative weapon.
*Don't hesitate to splatter anything. Especially with the Chopper.
*Do not fire the laser on single targets, save the charge for more formidable opponents like the Wraith or a Hunter.
*The Warthog will respawn with each weapon drop. Don't be foolish with it. Only drive out when the Phantoms are gone. At the end of each wave, get to a spot that they cannot shoot at you.
*Snipers have an excellent vantage point on top of the base. You can shoot at any of the drop off points. However, Phantoms have a shot at you as they enter and leave (and the hill drop off has a shot at you during drop-off). Enemies have a hard time reaching you, with the exception of Drones and Jump Pack Brutes.
*Good spots to hide are under the staircase in the base and behind objects in the spawning rooms. Use this if you're going for your Be Like Marty achievement and want to avoid any type of contact with Covenant.
*If you only have two players, have one player be a sniper and wraith and the other fight off invading Covenant. Alternatively, two players can use a Warthog and have the gunner take out Wraiths.
*Drones are very vulnerable to the SMG and Brute Plasma Rifle, save the Magnum ammo for other opponents.
*If playing by yourself and on Legendary, getting a Chopper is strongly recommended, as you will have infinite ammo, speed, and can kill enemies at a distance. Alternatively, you can use the Anti-Air Wraith Glitch and take command of a Wraith (who are rigged to explode like Anti-Air Wraiths are in the main campaign) but without a second person to be the gunner, you will be almost defenseless against drones.
*Don't try to eliminate Wraiths with the Chopper and the Warthog, especially with Black Eye and Tilt on, they won't get any damage and deal a ton of damage to you.
*A good strategy is to have a hog team, one person with laser and one person with sniper. Have the sniper and laser get a Chopper ASAP. When the wraiths land, its the Splaser's job to take them out. Once that is done, they should get back on their chopper. When tilt comes on, if possible get the hog team on choppers.
*Splattering Chieftains with a Chopper or Warthog is a good way to kill them and save your ammo for later.
*During the bonus round, using a Chopper or Warthog is a good choice, as you can splatter many Grunts at once and you don't deplete ammo. However, do not use the Warthog turret if it is stationary (no driver) dismount, remember the Catch skull is on and you are an easy target.
*On the final wave of each round, where the chieftains come, it is advisable to reach the roof of the building in the center of the map. Firstly climb the stairs leading towards where the health pack would spawn, then head towards the diagonal concrete beams and walk up one of them, then jump onto the roof. There is another beam which you should walk across until you get to the glass tiling. The Wraith will fire at you but the shots can be dodged easily. The only enemies you can meet up here are Jump Pack Brutes. Kill them and fire down at the chieftains below you. Occasionally you can see the head of the hammer coming through the concrete beams if you stand on them.
*The roof can be an excellent vantage point for anyone wielding the Spartan Laser, allowing them to quickly pinpoint the location of inbound Phantoms and alert their teammates, and can use the clear line of sight to quickly eliminate enemy Wraiths. In addition, they can provide further support by picking off enemy infantry with weapons like the Sniper Rifle and pistol. The Wraiths will have a hard time targeting you, as their plasma mortars can be easily predicted and avoided. However, it is highly advised to either have a second teammate covering you with an automatic weapon in the event of a drone attack.
*When the fifth wave of a round begins, immediately find yourself a Chopper so that you can easily splatter Brute Chieftains. A Chopper is also useful for taking down Drones.
*A small but powerful loophole in the games' coding is that if an enemy is on one side of a vehicle and/or obstacle, but its target is far enough away, the enemy will attempt to go around. If a second player is in the game, have him use the warthog and other obstacles to block the main staircase to the upper platform. Not even Chieftains will try to blow through (unless you are close enough). This strategy can be used to avoid an ambush and channels the covenant through the two narrow pathways on either side, making explosive attacks (i.e. grenades, rockets, etc...) much more efficient. However, on Heroic and Legendary, this will not ward off a Brute Chieftain or an enemy with explosive ammunition, as they will just destroy the barrier.
*If playing solo, it is wise to set up a "main base." In the early stages of the game, camp in this area and pick off easy targets such as Grunts and Jackals. Have a short-to-medium range weapon and a heavy weapon with you. Use them for infantry and vehicles, respectively. At the end of waves, head out and gather ammunition. Also, make sure your area is roofed, so you don't have to worry about Wraith bombardment. A good example of a "main base" is the room at the bottom of the main building's steps where the Spartan Laser is located. If possible, move boxes or a vehicle in front your base's entrance. If you use a vehicle, stay away from the entrance, because if the vehicle is destroyed the explosion may kill you. If you are still occupying your your same base late into Firefight (which you should not do anyways), do not use a vehicle to block the base's entrace. Vehicles are too valuable at that point in the game. Switch to different bases in between rounds.
*Use a Chopper to boost up the rocks on the edges of the map. This provides an excellent view for a player equipped with a Sniper Rifle. But you are also exposed to Wraith fire, so always be aware. It's also possible to get on top of the garage-like building at the edge of the map (the one located behind the hill where Wraiths are commonly dropped). To do this, head to the area where the roof is level with the rocks, and proceed to grenade-jumping onto the top of the building.
== Trivia ==
*On the walls inside some of the garages, one can see work schedule tables identical to ones in the Traxus Factory Complex 09 during Halo 3's campaign level The Storm and Multiplayer level Foundry.
*Scoring 200,000 points or more on this map awards the player with the Lost Platoon achievement .
*The name is a reference to the Campaign level Uplift Reserve, as this is the location during the mission where you locate the "lost" second platoon.
*This level is unlocked in Firefight by completing Uplift Reserve in Campaign.
*This map and the huge amount of points one can score by destroying a Chopper was made fun of in a Bungie update."Choppers on Lost Platoon Don't Count!"http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_100209
*The Halo: Reach Firefight map Beachhead, might have been inspired by Lost Platoon.
==Gallery==
File:FirefightMap01.jpg|Johnson fends off some Covenant attackers.
File:FirefightMap02.jpg|Johnson fights a Covenant assault with a destroyed Chopper in the background.
File:FirefightMap03.jpg|Johnson duels a Brute Chieftain close up.
File:Lost Platoon.png|An Over view of Lost Platoon.
File:LostPlatoon Weapons.png|Weapons and Ammo Locations.
ODST Firefight Lost Platoon.jpg|ODSTs in Lost Platoon 
==Sources==
Category:Halo 3: ODST Multiplayer Maps
Category:Firefight Maps