Halo Wars

*Halo Wars*

*“This is Spartan Group Omega. If they want war, we'll give 'em war!”*— The leader of Spartan Group Omega in the Halo Wars Announcement Trailer.
***Halo Wars*** is a real-time strategy science fiction video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360. However, due to the Xbox One's lack of backwards compatibility, it cannot be played on its sucessor console. It is the first spinoff *Halo* game, as well as being the only RTS game in the franchise.

*Halo Wars* was released on March 3, 2009. Its existence was due to Bungie giving permission to Ensemble to develop the game prior to *Halo 3's* release, and was also due to *Halo'*  s massive success as a trilogy. Unlike the games it shares a namesake with however, *Halo Wars* was not as successful as the main trilogy, and only sold a mere 2.34 million copies on release. In the Halo 3 Limited Collector's Edition, a code to the demo for *Halo Wars* could be found.

## Story

### Plot

*Halo Wars'* campaign is obviously not the same as any other *Halo* game. Instead of FPS gameplay, it is an RTS game, meaning the player must build armies to defeat the Covenant, instead of simply choosing a weapon or vehicle, running in and gunning down everything in sight. This sort of new gameplay style is something totally new to *Halo*, and offers a new way to see the universe. In terms of story, *Halo Wars* is a step down from the main trilogy due to its relatively simple storyline, but it is still broad in that covers multiple worlds (all of them having not been seen in a *Halo* game before or visited) and locations, keeping the story interesting.

*Halo Wars* takes place in the year 2531; exactly 21 years before the events of *Halo: Combat Evolved*. Captain Cutter, the commanding officer of the UNSC *Spirit of Fire*, starts off the game by lamenting on the grave losses taken by human forces trying to hold the planet Harvest against the Covenant. He talks of their initial victory, and then the devastating Covenant counterattack. He then speaks of how Harvest now belongs to the UNSC again, before the logo of Halo Wars appears on screen.

Captain Cutter is seen on the bridge of the *Spirit*, observing Harvest below, when the ship's AI, Serina, informs him that all systems are nominal and green. He then moves over to the holo table, where he hears a report from Sergeant Forge, a UNSC soldier on Harvest's surface, that the Covenant appear to be digging up something, and it looks important. Cutter orders him to investigate, and Professor Anders firmly declares her intent to scientifically observe whatever they are digging. Forge protests, but Anders ignores him.

On Harvest's surface, Alpha Base, a UNSC stronghold on Harvest, is being swarmed and bombarded by Covenant forces, leaving its defenders annihilated and the base overrun. Sergeant Forge however manages to rally surviving troops and launches a counterattack on the Covenant, with support from a squadron of Shortsword-Class Bombers. His troops manage to defeat the Covenant forces, and they successfully retake Alpha Base. Afterwards, Sergeant Forge goes scouting at the Covenant dig site, which has unveiled a large Forerunner structure called the Relic. There, it is revealed that an Arbiter, one by the name of Ripa 'Moramee, is leading the Covenant expeditionary force. A fellow Elite, this one by the name of Field Master Re'gish Wamik, was terrified that opening the Relic could potentially cause the infection to defile it. Ripa 'Moramee angrily insists he continue, and seems to look around, before moving to enter the Relic.

    Forge, satisfied with his discovery, returns to Alpha Base, and has it repaired. After that, he then builds a sufficiently large force and launches an attack on the Relic. With Forge closing in, the High Prophet of Regret ordered Ripa 'Moramee to destroy the Relic, despite Ripa 'Moramee's objections. Following orders, he sets the charges, but not before Forge's forces arrive and destroy the detonator and the Covenant forces protecting it, saving the Relic from destruction.

Anders flies in and, under Forge's protection, observes the Forerunner installation, even managing to activate a galaxy map, pinpointing another human colony world. They do not get to investigate for long however, as a Covenant counterattack quickly cuts them off Alpha Base. Forge calls for reinforcements however, and a pair of Grizzly tanks lift the assault, helping Forge and Anders escape on a Pelican, while they stay behind to help in a delaying action.

Returning to the *Spirit of Fire*, Anders informs Cutter that the colony world the galaxy map pointed to was Arcadia, and how she believes that it will be the next planet to come under Covenant attack. Initially reluctant, Cutter is eventually convinced by Anders, and he orders the ship to set a course for Arcadia.

    Arriving in the Procyon System, the *Spirit* quickly exits slipspace over Arcadia to find themselves late to the scene of a naval battle. Four UNSC ships: UNSC *Belfast*, UNSC *Armstrong*, UNSC *Texas*, UNSC *Pillar of Autumn*, moved to engage two Covenant CCS-Class Battlecruisers of unknown designation. They managed to destroy one with its shields down, but the second managed to engage, managing to destroy the *Texas* and *Belfast* and cripple the *Armstrong* and *Pillar of Autumn*. The second then landed on the surface, deploying forces in a mass siege on the capital, Pirth City. Forge was quickly deployed to the surface to aid in the evacuation of the city.

Afterwards, Forge's remaining troops and armor made a hasty withdrawal, escaping into the outskirts, where they then built a base and fortified their position. The Covenant were quick to lay siege to the firebase, even deploying a Mega Turret and building a base of their own. Luckily, the arrival of Spartan Team Omega, along with help from the already present Spartan Red Team, allowed Forge and his bolstered forces to strike back, destroying the Mega Turret and the Covenant Citadel, while giving the UNSC temporary control of the area.

Meanwhile, at a Forerunner installation called the Apex, Ripa 'Moramee is speaking with the Prophet of Regret, who shows him the Forerunner fleet currently lying dormant, and the power the Covenant would wield if they possessed them. However, Forerunner technology only reacts to human touch, something Regret notes that Anders was able to do. Determined to activate the fleet, Regret orders Ripa 'Moramee to locate Anders and bring her back to the Apex.

Forge and Red Team later extracted from the area to an ONI Base on the planet, near an excavated Forerunner site. The Covenant secured the

     region and deployed a Dome Shield over the site, which is not only opaque, but also impenetrable to UNSC forces. However, Anders has come up with a plan to use prototype artillery tanks, called Rhinos, to bring down the dome. The first attempt is met with failure, and only served to provoke Covenant forces into a counterattack, which destroys the first Rhino. Forge and Red Team, upgrading their base and building sufficient forces, pushes against the Covenant defenses, managing to deploy more Rhinos. Once deployed, the second assault proves more successful, temporarily opening a portion of the dome, allowing the *Spirit of Fire* to bombard the hidden Covenant Citadel behind the shield with MAC rounds, which totally demolishes it, and disables the rest of the shield.

Forge takes Red Team and his forces inside, only to suddenly come into contact with a half-built Covenant Super Scarab. Hiding from its powerful focus cannon, Forge manages to lead his troops around the side in careful, precise maneuvers, and eventually uses brilliant tactics to outflank and destroy the Super Scarab protecting the Forerunner site.

    Later, when Anders is examining the Forerunner site, Forge tries to strike conversation with her, only to be shrugged off. A moment later, Ripa 'Moramee decloaks and grasps her by the throat. Forge pulls out his sidearm and engages Ripa 'Moramee in brief combat. Just as he prepares to kill Forge, Anders steps in and promises to go with the Elite if he lets Forge live. Without a word, he deactivates his Energy Sword and drags Anders into an awaiting gravity lift, lifting them up into a Spirit dropship, which soon flies off. Moments later, Red Team arrives in a Warthog, too late to assist. Returning to the *Spirit of Fire*, Forge insists that Captain Cutter pursue Ripa 'Moramee's destroyer, and Red Team's leader, Jerome-092, agrees, but says they should destroy the ship. Instead, Cutter pursues the ship, entering slipspace as the destroyer does.
Arriving at an unknown world (later identified as a Forerunner Shield World), Serina tracks Anders' signal to the Shield World's surface. Cutter immediately deploys three Elephant task groups to the surface, with Sergeant Forge in command. However, after a brief exchange with Covenant forces, contact is lost with the other two task groups, for unknown reasons. Shortly after, Sergeant Forge's group is ambushed by an unknown parasitic entity, and after fighting them off, establishes a base. Building a sufficient enough force, he then locates the missing Elephants, all having been consumed by the parasite's biomass, and frees them, bringing them back to base.

Shortly after building a base of operations on the Shield World, Red Team goes missing during a scouting run. Serina later finds that they have located the source of Anders' Signal; revealed to be a trap set up by the parasite, known as the Flood, and the signal originates from a massive Proto-Gravemind. Forge quickly assembles a large force and regroups with Red Team, destroying the Proto-Gravemind in the process, ending the transmission of the false signal.

    Meanwhile, back at the Apex, Ripa 'Moramee shows Regret his prize, to which Regret mockingly observes Anders. She demands that she be released immediately, to which Ripa 'Moramee only laughs. However, when he is informed that the *Spirit of Fire* recently entered orbit over the planet, he violently throws the Elite aside in irritation, angrily ordering his men to escort Regret back to High Charity while he deals with the human presence.

Meanwhile, the Shield World opens, and the *Spirit of Fire* is caught in a gravity well, steadily being pulled inside, while Sentinels rush out to identify the vessel. Cutter immediately orders the return of all surface assets, and all bases on the Shield World's surface begin to evacuate, while holding off repeated Flood assaults. Eventually, the evacuation is a success, and all forces return to the ship just as it enters the Shield World in full.

Inside, Sentinels initiate sterilization procedures, and begin to cleanse the ship's hull of Flood biomass. The *Spirit of Fire* sends out its own troops to deal with the unwanted infestation, while also fighting off hostile Sentinel units. Afterwards, upon entering the Shield World fully, they are confronted by a rapidly approaching CPV-Class Heavy Destroyer. They try to turn, but are too late, and both ships ram into each other's sides. Acting quickly, both forces deploy onto the *Spirit of Fire'*s hull, and launch their own individual assaults. In the end, the UNSC is victorious, and the Destroyer rapidly retreats, exiting the Shield World, while the *Spirit of Fire* continues inside.

Back at the Apex, Ripa 'Moramee arrives and removes Anders'

     restraints, followed by him forcing her to activate the Forerunner fleet. However, while he and his Honor Guards are in awe of the activating fleet, Anders is able to teleport herself to the Shield World's interior surface. However, she soon finds herself in the midst of several Flood infection forms. However, Forge soon arrives and rescues her, taking her to an evac zone. But with their Pelican now shot down, Forge is forced to hold position until another Pelican arrives. After holding against numerous Covenant forces, the Pelican arrives, but Anders orders Forge to stay behind and secure the area, as she has an idea on how to stop the Covenant from gaining control of the Forerunner warships. Following orders, Forge establishes numerous strongholds throughout the region, with Red Team even managing to acquire an abandoned Scarab. They then proceed to push back the Covenant forces in the area, as well as destroying another Scarab.

    Back on the *Spirit of Fire*, Anders reveals her plan to Cutter to use the ship's slipspace drive as an improvized explosive, hoping that placing it within the Shield World's artificial sun will destroy not only the Shield World itself, but the entire fleet within it. Cutter agrees to the plan, but notes that without the slipspace drive, it will take them decades to reach the nearest colony world. The plan is set in motion, with the slipspace drive being removed and hooked onto the back of an Elephant. After establishing a base and building sufficient forces, Forge leads Red Team, his troops and the Elephant up a large ramp, repelling numerous Covenant assault waves, as well as the odd attack from Sentinels. Along the way, they encounter numerous Covenant strongholds, all of which are ceremoniously destroyed. Upon reaching the top, Forge and Red Team move inside, taking the slipspace drive with them.

Arriving at the Apex, Forge and his lieutenant begin to prepare the slipspace drive for detonation. Not long after they begin however, Red Team turns to see a dozen Honor Guards of platoon strength heading towards them, and verbally warns Forge. A moment later, and Forge's lieutenant is killed, Ripa 'Moramee revealing himself to be the killer. Forge orders Red Team to deal with the Honor Guards, followed by him unlatching the slipspace drive and sending it crashing into Ripa 'Moramee, believing it will crush him. Red Team, meanwhile, engages the Honor Guards, cutting through them with ease. Forge appears with his assault rifle to deal with Ripa 'Moramee, only to find him missing. Not long after, the two of them engage in a struggle, in which Ripa 'Moramee appears to win. With a last minute taunt, Forge uses the time to slam a knife into Ripa 'Moramee's throat, before picking up his dropped Energy Sword and plowing it through his chest, killing him. Discovering that the drive must now

    be activated manually, Forge declares he will stay behind to make sure it detonates. Moments later, he ascends the elevator, heading towards the sun.
After help from Red Team, remaining UNSC forces manage to, while under assault from Covenant, Flood and Sentinel forces alike, open the portal, allowing the *Spirit of Fire* to pick them up and escape. Slingshotting around the Shield World's sun, the ship escapes just as Forge detonates the slipspace drive, causing the Shield World to implode upon itself.

Two weeks later, the *Spirit of Fire* is shown drifting through space. Cutter urges Anders into her cryo pod, saying she saved everyone, but Anders, in reference to Forge's sacrifice, states that she 'didn't save everyone.' Cutter takes a moment to look at Forge's empty pod before closing it, and then leaves. The game then ends.

In a Legendary ending after the credits, Serina will say "Captain, wake up. Something has happened."

### Campaign

On average, it will take a player 9 hours and 48 hours to complete *Halo Wars*, and 15 hours and 7 minutes leisurely. In the game, there are a total of fifteen levels, all of them centered around strategic, tactic-based gameplay, forcing the player to conserve resources, construct bases and defenses, and assemble armies to defeat their enemies. As the game progresses, the amount of units an enemy has will increase, and they will also bring in newer, stronger and more powerful units onto the battlefield; however, this is twofold, and you will also have more powerful units made available to you to recruit/build. Generally, in campaign, your hero unit is Sergeant Forge, who will either come in infantry form with a shotgun (only some levels) or in a Gauss Warthog. Unlike *Halo 2* and *Halo 3*, the first level is not a cutscene, and every single one of the levels is playable by the player. There is also one tutorial level, however this is optional, and does not count as one of the levels made available to the player.

Unlike previous games, *Halo Wars* is the first to not render cutscenes using the in-game engine. Instead, cutscenes are rendered independently of the engine, using CGI effects made by the world-renowned company Blur Studios, who would later go on to make the remastered cutscenes for *Halo 2 Anniversary*.

The fifteen levels of the game are:

### Characters

* UNSC
* Covenant
* Flood

### Main characters

* Captain Cutter
* Serina
* Professor Anders
* Sergeant Forge
* Jerome-092
* Douglas-042
* Alice-130

### Minor characters

* Unnamed Lieutenant
* Adam
* Adam's Mother
* Team Omega
* Recon Group ECHO
* Recon Group INDIA

### Main characters

* Ripa 'Moramee
* High Prophet of Regret

### Minor characters

* Field Master Re'gish Wamik
* Unnamed Zealot
* Brute Army Commander (Skirmish mode hero only)

## Features

### Summary

Many differences are present in *Halo Wars* that were not present in the main trilogy, the first of which is the most obvious: its status as a real-time

     strategy game. A step away from being the traditional first-person shooter that the *Halo* franchise has been, *Halo Wars* is a step in a different direction, going back to what *Halo* was intended to be when it was first conceived. Instead of controlling one player in a POV view, with a limit of weapons and vehicles, you take control of an army, set up a base, and build your forces. You can destroy enemy factions, their bases, and engage them in combat on the battlefield. More tactics are necessary, and usually choosing the right set of units and using them wisely is the key to winning a battle. Cutscenes are also different, as they are the first in the series not to be rendered by the in-game engine, and instead done independently by Blur Studios, who are well-known for their high quality, extremely realistic cutscene design.

* **Storyline Execution**: *Halo Wars* is alot different from its predecessors in how it delivers its story. Unlike previous games, *Halo Wars* tells its story from a much more diverse perspective. For example, instead of seeing the story solely from John-117's POV, the game offers multiple perspectives, allowing much more range in what we see. This is further reinforced by the unique soundtrack, and the multiple locations, which are never before seen in a *Halo* game before.
This is also the last time the Flood ever make an appearance in a *Halo* game.
* **Strategic Play**: The player now is given a bird's eye view of a level's map, allowing them to scroll across and view the battlefield from a new point of view. The player can construct bases, recruit/create units, and assemble armies to capture key locations or defeat an enemy on the field. Numerous on site facilities give the player enhanced advantages during battle, such as Forerunner Spires of Healing, Forerunner Life Support Pods, Bonus Reactors, etc. Certain buildings specialize in certain unit production, while others provide upgrades for those units or other buildings.
* **Artificial Intelligence**: The AI has been reworked so it will work better with the change in style. Instead, AI will coordinate more tactical movements, and use scouts to map out your base or allied bases if you're not careful. However, sometimes the AI will just bullrush your position, usually idiotically, or with insufficient numbers. However, this is not always the case, and most of the time, depends on the difficulty.

### Difficulty

The four difficulty levels from the previous games return, and are largely unchanged. The difficulties are altered so as to deal with the RTS genre, and therefore gameplay changes apply. This also makes Legendary much harder, as enemies are smarter, more tactical, and more brutal. The presence of the skulls in the game replaces this, enhancing the difficulties themselves.

* Easy
* Normal
* Heroic
* Legendary

### Factions

Playable
* **United Nations Space Command**: The chief military authority of the UEG, the UNSC is the most powerful force in human space, but     with the Covenant having now arrived, their backs are against the wall. The UNSC are the only playable faction in the campaign mode, and one of two playable factions in Skirmish Mode. The UNSC have their own unique set of building types, units and abilities, and their hero units' specializations allow for the creation of special units and/or abilities. The UNSC has a wide range of infantry and vehicle types, but limited aircraft. Also, unlike the Covenant, their hero units do not show up on the actual battlefield (Forge only appears in campaign). In some cases, the UNSC have more powerful units than the Covenant, but weaker infantry.
* **The Covenant Empire**: A conglomeration of alien species, the Covenant was formed in the united worship of the Forerunners, with the     belief that humans are infidels, and their destruction is the wish of their gods. Armed with a seemingly unstoppable arsenal, the Covenant have been waging war with humanity since first contact in 2525, devastating entire colonies and pushing humanity to the brink of extinction. The Covenant are not playable in the campaign mode, but are one of two playable factions in Skirmish mode. They are the main antagonists of the campaign, appearing in every level except The Flood, Shield World and Cleansing. The Covenant have their own unique set of building types, units and abilities, and their hero units' specializations allow for the creation of special units and/or abilities. The Covenant have a wide range of infantry and vehicle types, as well as a wider range of aircraft. Also, unlike the UNSC, they do have hero units that appear in the field, who appear as an individual unit and can be killed. The Covenant have more powerful infantry and their Uber Unit is stronger than the UNSC's uber unit, but their vehicles are generally weaker than UNSC vehicles and aircraft.

Unplayable
* **The Flood**: A parasitic entity, the Flood is a horrifying organism that's sole purpose is to consume and devour all sentient life with     sufficient biomass to sustain it, allowing it to continue. The Flood is extraordinarily intelligent, assimilating the memories of its host, allowing it to evolve quickly, and grow more efficiently. The Flood, once a Gravemind is grown from enough biomass, can learn tactics very quickly, and outwit even the most brilliant and powerful of enemies. The Forerunners' disappearance can be associated directly to the Flood. The Flood is encountered as an enemy in the campaign and in a limited form in some Skirmish maps. They first appear in the level Anders' Signal, and from there on appear during every level except Repairs. Unlike other games, they do not become main antagonists, and only serve as 'side enemies.' The Flood have their own unique building and infantry types, and possess no vehicle units. They can infect other infantry units, turning them into combat forms (this applies to both UNSC and Covenant). They cannot be played however in either campaign or skirmish.
* **Sentinels**: The Z-1500 Automated Systems Drones, colloquially called the Sentinels, are defensive drones built by the Forerunners during the Forerunner-Flood War as quarantine-control defensive/assault units, used to sterilize and contain Flood outbreaks. They appear in many Forerunner installations, most notably the Halo Array and the Shield Worlds; they are all that remains of the Forerunner legacy. They first appear in the campaign mode during the level Cleansing, and aside from Repairs, appear in every level after that. The Sentinels have a few buildings unique to them, as well as very few units, but by themselves, they can be dangerous, especially against light vehicles like Ghosts and Warthogs. They appear in a limited role on some Skirmish modes, and cannot be played by either side in both campaign and skirmish.
* **Insurrectionists**: In constant rebellion against the UNSC, the Insurrectionists believe themselves to be freedom fighters, fighting against the tyranny of the UNSC. Utilizing terrorist actions and espionage and political assassinations, the Insurrectionists was the UNSC's most deadly enemy; until the Covenant showed up. Insurrectionists only appear in Skirmish mode, and only on some maps. They have one type of turret and building, and only two types of infantry. They are probably one of the more pointless factions in the game, as they are not only unplayable, but are the weakest in the game.

### Buildings

In *Halo Wars*, the player must build a base before they can do anything. Usually, they will start off with a basic firebase, and must upgrade the main base before they can add more buildings. Upgrading the central base is crucial to expanding your base, as it adds more slots. In the game, "slots" on a base are areas where you build buildings. Simply select a slot, and the building wheel will appear, allowing you to select which building gets placed there. When a building begins construction, the slot will open (as it is actually a blast door), and the building can be seen inside. It will then ascend towards the platform, and once fully revealed, the building will be listed as 'complete,' and you can then use it to produce units or upgrades. If you do not wish to keep a building, you can select the said building and select 'Self-Destruct,' which will cause it to explode, opening up the slot once more.

When you first build a firebase, you will only have three slots. Eventually, once fully upgraded, you will have a total of seven slots available to you. The base's evolution will also increase population, allowing you to add more units onto the field. You can also destroy other bases and, and after a specified time, will be allowed to build a base there, allowing you to further increase population (more powerful units, especially Uber Units, will take up more population space than smaller, weaker units).

Different types of buildings create/evolve certain units and abilities, and while the purpose remains the same, the name and design for the building changes depending on the faction. For example, a UNSC Barracks and Covenant Hall are the same, as they both produce infantry, they just look different and have different names and affiliation.

* UNSC
* Covenant
* The Flood (Unusable)
* Forerunner (Unusable)
* Insurrectionists (Unusable)

* Firebase/Station/Fortress: The basic template of a UNSC stronghold, with numerous slots, based on what upgrade the base has available. For example, a basic Firebase has three slots available, the Station will have five slots, and the Fortress will have seven slots. Also, with bases, they have turrets, which have individual slots on the base for construction. For a Firebase, there are no turret slots available. But for a Station and Fortress, four turret slots are available, one on each corner (if Captain Cutter is your hero unit, you will start the game with a fully upgraded Fortress, and all constructed bases will immediately be Fortresses). The base can produce Warthogs and special units (Cutter's Elephant, Forge's Cyclops or Anders' Gremlin), along with their upgrades.
	+ Firebase: 3 Building Slots and the Command Center itself.
	+ Station: 5 Building Slots, 4 Turret Slots and the Command Center itself.
	+ Fortress: 7 Building Slots, 4 Turret Slots and the Command Center itself.

* UNSC Reactor: The reactor is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Reactor gives power to a base, and when added, will increase the tech level by 1. The higher your tech level, the more units, upgrades and abilities will be made available to you.
	+ Advanced Reactor: Doubles the output of a normal reactor, and makes the reactor worth 2 tech levels.

* UNSC Air Pad: The Air Pad is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Air Pad allows the player the ability to produce aircraft, along with the upgrades for them. The Air Pad produces Hornets, Sparrowhawks (if Anders is your hero) and Vultures.

* UNSC Vehicle Depot: The Vehicle Depot is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Vehicle Depot allows the player the ability to build heavy vehicles and armor, along with the upgrades for them. The Vehicle Depot produces Scorpions, Grizzlies (if Forge is your hero), Cobras and Wolverines.

* UNSC Field Armory: The Field Armory is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Field Armory produces a vast majority of the upgrades and abilities given to a player, such as the strength of a turret, how many resources are supplied by Supply Pads, etc. As such, the upgrades provided are: Defense Turret upgrades (Medium to Large), MAC Blast upgrades, Carpet Bomb upgrades, Cryo Bomb upgrades, Reserves, Reinforcements and Adrenaline.

* UNSC Barracks: The Barracks is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Barracks allows the player the ability to train and produce infantry, along with the upgrades for them. The Barracks trains and produces Marines, ODSTs (only if Cutter is the hero), Hellbringers and Spartan-IIs (a maximum of three only, regardless of the population).

* UNSC Supply Pad: The Supply Pad is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Supply Pad gives the player resources at a continuous rate, which acts as the player's economy, giving them the ability to build and produce more units with every resource acquired. More supply pads means a faster flow of resources. If Forge is your hero, Supply Pads will be fully upgraded immediately upon construction.
	+ Heavy Supply Pad: Adds an extra landing pad so that more supplies can be ferried in (more supplies gathered over time).

* Base Turret: Available only in the special turret slots available on a Station and/or Fortress. When in their basic stage, they are armed with a basic M202 XP Machine Gun. Once constructed, you can select the turret, and three options are presented: a Flame Mortar for anti-infantry purposes, a Rail Gun as an anti-vehicle weapon, or a Missile Launcher as anti-aircraft. The turret can only be equipped with one of these at a time, so the player must choose wisely. The player can change which one it uses simply by selecting a new one, eliminating the need to self-destruct it, although the option is still available.
	+ Upgrade 1 - Medium Turret: An upgrade that can only be applied in the Field Armory. Once used, an extra M202 XP Machine Gun is added to the turret, dealing more damage to targets, and increasing its range.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Large Turret: An upgrade that can only be applied in the Field Armory. Once used, an extra two M202 XP Machine Guns are added to the turret, dealing more damage to turrets, and increasing its range. Can only be applied once the Medium Turret upgrade has been used.

* Outpost/Keep/Citadel: The basic template of a Covenant stronghold, with numerous slots, based on what upgrade the base has available. For example, a basic Outpost has three slots available, the Keep will have five slots, and the Citadel will have seven slots. Also, with bases, they have turrets, which have individual slots on the base for construction. For an Outpost, there are no turret slots available. But for a Keep and Citadel, four turret slots are available, one on each corner. The base can produce Scarabs and special units (Regret's Honor Guards, Brute Army Commander's Choppers, Ripa 'Moramee's Suicide Grunts), along with their upgrades. Equivalent of UNSC's Firebase/Station/Fortress.
	+ Outpost: 3 Building Slots and the Command Center itself.
	+ Keep: 5 Building Slots, 4 Turret Slots and the Command Center itself.
	+ Citadel: 7 Building Slots, 4 Turret Slots and the Command Center itself.
* Shield Generator: The shield generator is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Shield Generator, as the name implies, once activated, will add a layer of energy shields over the command center and all buildings within the base, except turrets. Once the shield is activated, a blue bar is added to the base's health, making it harder to destroy. The more shield generators added, the more powerful this shielding is.

* Warehouse: The Warehouse is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Warehouse provides supplies to the player, which in turn gives them resources, which are the player's economy. The more resources, the more expensive units become available to purchase and produce/train. The more Warehouses added, the faster your resources are replenished. Equivalent of UNSC's Supply Pad.
	+ Blessed Warehouse: Upgraded gravity lifts lets more supplies to be brought down at once (more resources are gathered and faster).

* Temple: The Temple is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Temple provides exclusive abilities and upgrades, which are, but not limited to, upgrades to defense turrets, unit effectiveness, etc. Researching the Ages of Doubt and Reclamation also increases the tech level, unlocking more advanced and powerful units. Equivalent of UNSC's Field Armory and UNSC's Reactor.

* Summit: The Summit is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Summit produces all the Covenant's aircraft, which includes Banshees, Vampires and Engineers, along with all their upgrades. Equivalent of UNSC's Air Pad.

* Hall: The Hall is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Hall trains and produces all the Covenant's infantry, which includes Grunt Lances, Jackal Pairs and Hunter pairs, along with all their upgrades. Equivalent of UNSC's Barracks.

* Factory: The reactor is one of many building options given when a slot is available. The Factory produces all the Covenant's heavy vehicles and armor, which includes Ghosts, Wraiths and Locusts, along with all their upgrades. Equivalent of UNSC's Vehicle Depot.

* Light Plasma Turret: Available only in the special turret slots available on a Station and/or Fortress. When in their basic stage, they are armed with a single light plasma cannon. Once constructed, you can select the turret, and three options are presented: a Plasma Mortar for anti-infantry purposes, a Fuel Rod Cannon as an anti-vehicle weapon, or a Heavy Needler as anti-aircraft. The turret can only be equipped with one of these at a time, so the player must choose wisely. The player can change which one it uses simply by selecting a new one, eliminating the need to self-destruct it, although the option is still available.
	+ Upgrade 1 - Medium Plasma Turret: An upgrade that can only be applied in the Temple. Once used, an extra plasma cannon is added to the turret, dealing more damage to targets, and increasing its range.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Heavy Plasma Turret: An upgrade that can only be applied in the Temple. Once used, an extra two plasma cannons are added to the turret, dealing more damage to turrets, and increasing its range. Can only be applied once the Medium Plasma Turret upgrade has been used.
* Anti-Vehicle Barrier: Like its predecessors in *Halo 3*, Anti-Vehicle Barriers are deployed in tunnels to stop vehicles from passing through. Seen in both campaign and skirmish, but cannot be used by the player, unless being manned. They are one of many building types that cannot be built, and are simply present as scenery.

* Shade: A seperate turret used by the Covenant. Only featured in campaign, and cannot be used or manned by the player. They are one of many building types that cannot be built, and are simply present as scenery.

* Deployable Lookout Tower: Can be used to garrison infantry units from both players (in co-op), increasing their combat capabilities. Cannot be built. They are one of many building types that cannot be built, and are simply present as scenery.

* Mega Turret: A massive turret featured in campaign where the Mega Turret looks like an upgraded version for the Heavy Turret. It's power is very high and it is advisable to take it out with the MAC Blast. However, it can be found in a neutral position on the map Tundra, where it can be garrisoned by either side. It is indestructible during skirmish mode, but the garrison can be killed; however, it can be destroyed during the campaign. They are one of many building types that cannot be built, and are simply present as scenery.

* Gravity Lift: When a Covenant base (Outpost, Keep or Citadel) is formed, a gravity lift is immediately formed infront of it. This allows the player to 'hot drop' their units. For example, any unit (except the Scarab) can use the gravity lift to instantly transport themselves to their hero unit's location. However, if the leader is still present at the base, the gravity lift will be inactive and unusable until he moves away. You can also set your rally point on the Grav lift so that as units are released from your base they are almost instantly teleported to your leader.

- Flood Barracks: The equivalent of the UNSC's Barracks and Covenant's Hall, respectively. The Barracks is used to produce combat forms of numerous types, and cannot be destroyed. However, if enough force is is applied, it will enter a dormant state. However, this will eventually end, and it will reform and begin producing combat forms again. Only appear in campaign.

* Flood Root: This form appears to be the equivalent of a Shade turret. A large tentacle-like whip structure, this organism will whip or grab at units that are close enough to it. It is extremely lethal against infantry. Only appear in campaign.

* Flood Colony: Assumed to be the equivalent of a UNSC's Firebase/Station/Fortress and the Covenant's Outpost/Keep/Citadel, as when destroyed, it will open up a new building site. It only regenerates in the campaign mode, while in skirmish, it can be completely annihilated.

* Proto-Gravemind: The Proto-Gravemind is only featured in the campaign level The Flood as a semi-boss battle. It seems to be the main Flood building, and appears to be connected to the Flood Colony buildings, as when they take damage, it does as well.

* Flood Nest: A small organic building; shaped like a jellyfish. Produces Infection and Carrier forms. Only appear in campaign.

* Flood Launcher: Stationary tower-like forms that fire globs from their tops at enemies. These glob-like projectiles will release a spore cloud. This makes them dangerous to approach. It appears Spartans are immune to the clouds. Appear to be the equivalent of a UNSC/Covenant base turret. Only appear in campaign.

* Flood Den: Appears to the equivalent of a UNSC Vehicle Depot or Covenant Factory. A medium-sized building that produces Flood Swarms and Thrasher Forms. Only appear in campaign.
* Flood Vent: Large vents covered in Flood biomass. Used to create Flood Bomber Forms. Presumably the equivalent of a UNSC Air Pad or Covenant Summit. Only appear in campaign.

* Forerunner Fort: Equivalent of a UNSC Firebase/Station/Fortress and Covenant Outpost/Keep/Citadel. Can easily be destroyed, has four large beam turrets on each corner, and when it retracts, opens up as a new base building site.

* Sentinel Shop: Equivalent of a UNSC Vehicle Depot/Air Pad/Barracks and Covenant Factory/Summit/Hall. Produces an infinite supply of Sentinels. In Skirmish, it can be captured by your forces and garrisoned, giving you an infinite amount of friendly Sentinels to fight by your side. However, this works twofold, so making sure the enemy do not capture it is essential.

* Protector Plant: Only found on the skirmish map Labyrinth. Once garrisoned, the player will be able to produce three types of Protector Sentinel, based on what option they choose and, based on that option, the Protector Sentinel produced will attend to that specified query. Each Sentinel requires 100 resources to create, and the three options are:

* Shield: Creates a bubble shield-like field around its host unit.
* Offensive: Makes the Protector Sentinel attack anything that its host unit attacks or is attacked by.
* Healing: Heals a squad of infantry post-combat, much like the medic for UNSC Marines.

* Supply Elevator: Acts as a UNSC Supply Pad and Covenant Warehouse. Once garrisoned, it will produce an infinite supply of resources for the player.

* Bonus Reactor: Acts a UNSC Reactor or Covenant Temple. Once garrisoned, it will provide one extra reactor for the side that has acquired it.
* Spire of Healing: Only found on the Skirmish maps Barrens and Frozen Valley. Once garrisoned, it will provide a center of healing for any units near it or within it.

* Teleporter: Will instantly teleport units to another location, where another teleporter is present. Equivalent of Covenant Gravity Lift.

* Lifepod: Once garrisoned, they will supply a ten percent bonus to population.

* Energy Wall: When garrisoned, it will create an impassable barrier. Equivalent of Covenant Anti-Vehicle Barrier. Only found on the Skirmish maps Tundra and Fort Deen. It is also found in the campaign, on the level Escape.

* Relic: When garrisoned, can release an army of Flood upon the player's enemy. It can only be found on the Skirmish map Release.

* Rebel Base: The only building type the Insurrectionists have. Equivalent of a UNSC Firebase/Station/Fortress and Covenant Outpost/Keep/Citadel, and produces Insurrectionist Infantry and Insurrectionist Snipers.

### Units

Units in *Halo Wars*are what makes up an army. These range from basic infantry to vehicles and eventually to aircraft. There are then special units that are available to the player only when a certain leader is present, and there are Uber Units; each faction only has one type of Uber Unit. The Uber Unit is that faction's most powerful and valuable unit, and usually one will take up a large piece of the population (usually a quarter or a third). Some units are weaker than others, and when on the field, their health bar will be displayed above them, and once depleted, that unit will cease to exist.

When a unit is created, it will take up a part of the population. The weaker or less valuable the unit is, the less of the population it will take up. Infantry usually only take up 1 population, while Uber Units will take up to 10 to 15 (usual population with one base is 20 at best). The more bases that are acquired, the higher the population, and the more units can be acquired. A full set of bases on one map can sometimes even allow the player to produce four Uber Units (but only if that is all they have).

Uber Units are usually insanely overpowered, utilizing devastating firepower to complete decimate an enemy very quickly. On Heroic and Legendary, Uber Units on the enemy side can be the difference between victory and defeat. Units are the essential building blocks of an army, and with them, the player can even large defensive actions, sieges or assaults.

* UNSC
* Covenant
* The Flood (Unusable)
* Forerunner (Unusable)
* Insurrectionists (Unusable)

### Infantry

* UNSC Marines

* Upgrade 1: New Blood.
* Upgrade 2: RPG.
* Upgrade 3: Medic.
* Hero Specific Upgrade: Orbital Drop Shock Troopers.

* Hellbringers

* Upgrade 1: Flash Bang.
* Upgrade 2: Napalm Adherent.
* Upgrade 3: Oxide Tank.

* SPARTAN-II
	+ Upgrade 1: Chain Gun.
	+ Upgrade 2: Neural Implant.
	+ Upgrade 3: SPARTAN Laser.

* Cyclops
	+ Upgrade 1: Repair Kit.
	+ Upgrade 2: High-Torque Joint.

### Vehicles

* Warthog
	+ Upgrade 1: M41 Vulcan LAAG.
	+ Upgrade 2: Grenadier.
	+ Upgrade 3: Gauss cannon.

* Scorpion
	+ Upgrade 1 - Canister Shell.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Faster Rotation Speed.
	+ Hero Specific Upgrade: Scorpion becomes a Grizzly

* Elephant
	+ Upgrade 1 - Twin Engine.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Defense Turret.
	+ Upgrade 3 - Ceramic Armor.

* Gremlin
	+ Upgrade 1 - Focusing Lens.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Chain Amplifier.

* Rhino: Can only be used in the campaign levels Dome of Light and Scarab.

* Wolverine
	+ Upgrade 1 - Volley.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Dual Launchers.

* Cobra
	+ Upgrade 1 - Deflection Plating.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Piercing Shot.

### Aircraft

* Pelican: Non-producable unit. Appears when summoned to carry troops.

* Shortsword: Non-producable unit. Appears when a cryo bomb or carpet bomb has been called.

* Hornet
	+ Upgrade 1: Wingmen.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Chaff Pod.
	+ Hero Specific Upgrade: The Hornet becomes a Sparrowhawk.

* Vulture
	+ Upgrade 1: Mega-Barrage.

* Pod: Non-producable unit. Appears when construction of a building has been ordered.
* Darter: Non-producable unit. Appears when bringing supplies to a supply pad.

### Infantry

* Grunt Lance
	+ Upgrade 1: Peons.
	+ Upgrade 2: Needler.
	+ Upgrade 3: Deacon.
* Jackal Pair
	+ Upgrade 1: Defense Gauntlet.
	+ Upgrade 2: Beam Rifle.
	+ Upgrade 3: Supreme Gauntlet.
* Hunter Pair
	+ Upgrade 1: Bonded Shield.
	+ Upgrade 2: Spirit Bond.
	+ Upgrade 3: Assault Beam.
* Brute
	+ Upgrade 1: Jump Pack.
	+ Upgrade 2: Electric Shot.
* Suicide Grunts
	+ Upgrade 1: Zeal.
	+ Upgrade 2: Defile.
* Bomber Grunts: Non-producable unit. Only appears in the campaign.
* Elite Honor Guard
	+ Upgrade 1: Cloak.
	+ Upgrade 2: Personal Shield.

### Vehicles

* Ghost
	+ Upgrade 1: Boosted Ram.
	+ Upgrade 2: Strafe.
	+ Upgrade 3: Scout Shield.
* Chopper
	+ Upgrade 1: Autocannons.
	+ Upgrade 2: Stabilizers.
	+ Upgrade 3: Ramming Targe.
* Wraith
	+ Upgrade 1: Heavy Shield.
	+ Upgrade 2: Scorch.
	+ Upgrade 3: Plasma Modulator.
		- Honor Guard Wraith: Limited Edition bonus
* Locust
	+ Upgrade 1: Overdrive.
	+ Upgrade 2: Shield Amplifier.
* Scarab
* Super Scarab: Non-producable unit. Boss-level unit in the campaign.

### Aircraft

* Banshee
	+ Upgrade 1: Boost.
	+ Upgrade 2: Repeating Cannon.
	+ Upgrade 3: Sacrifice.
* Spirit: Non-producable unit. Only appears in the campaign.
* Vampire.
	+ Upgrade 1: Stasis Drain.
	+ Upgrade 2: Stasis Bomb.
* Huragok
	+ Upgrade 1: State of Grace.
	+ Upgrade 2: Harmonious Digestion.

### Ground Forms

* Infection Forms

* Infected Marine

* Infected Hellbringers

* Infected Elites

* Infected Brutes

* Infected Grunts

* Infected Jackals

* Carrier Form

* Flood Growth Pods

* Thrasher Form

* Flood Spore Clouds

### Aerial Forms

* Flood Swarms

* Bomber Form

* Sentinel

* Super Sentinel

* Protector Sentinel

- Insurrectionist Infantry

* Insurrectionist Sniper

### Leader Units

In gameplay, *Halo Wars* uses Leader Units, also known as 'heroes', to lead armies into battle. With them comes certain special abilities and units that are specific to that hero, making them more useful in combat. For the UNSC, hero units do not appear in combat, but with the Covenant, they do, and can be used like any other unit, and produced as much (however, you can only produce one at a time. Another can only be produced once the first has died). However, in campaign, Sergeant Forge will appear during gameplay, as campaign does not use hero units (meaning all special abilities and units are available, regardless).
Unplayable factions, such as the Flood, Sentinels and Insurrectionists do not possess observable hero units.

### Spirit of Fire Ability Wheel

The *Spirit of Fire* ability wheel is summoned by pressing up on the D-pad. Once it has appeared, the player will get access to multiple options, which will assist their army in combat, whether during offensive or defensive actions. Being summoned by the *Spirit of Fire*, the Covenant do not have access to these abilities. However, most of the abilities will require a recharge, as well as a sum of resources to use.

* Transport: The player can select a set of units (only two vehicles and no aircraft, but any sort of infantry) for transport, before then selecting a drop off zone. Once done, a Pelican dropship will arrive and pick up the units, before proceeding to drop them off at the selected drop-off zone. It is the only ability that does not have a recharge time.
* Disruption Bomb: A bomb that has a large radius of effect, and when deployed, will disable all leader powers within the area for the duration that it is active and transmitting.
* Heal and Repair: A large, green circle will appear around the selected area, and all units within it will be healed (entirely or majorly depends on the unit's health, as all units are only healed during the duration). It works with infantry, vehicles, aircraft and buildings.
* MAC Blast: Calls down a MAC strike from the *Spirit of Fire*. Only available to Captain Cutter.
	+ Upgrade 1 - Medium MAC Blast: Increases damage and allows more shots.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Large MAC Blast: Increases damage and allows more shots.
* ODST Drop: HEV pods (multiple or single is the player's decision) are deployed to the surface, which give you control of ODST units; where they land can be directed by the player. Only available to Captain Cutter.
* Cryo Bomb: A bomb that has a large radius of effect, and when deployed, will freeze everything within the blast radius, including infantry, buildings, vehicles, aircraft and leaders. While in this state, they are completely immobilized; they cannot fight back, defend themselves or even move; they are totally vulnerable to the enemy. Also, when aircraft are frozen, there is a chance they will simply fall from the sky and explode, although only a slight chance. Only available to Professor Anders.
	+ Upgrade 1 - Medium Cryo Bomb: Increases freeze duration and the chance of aircraft falling from the sky and exploding on impact.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Large Cryo Bomb: Increases freeze duration and the chance of aircraft falling from the sky and exploding on impact.
* Carpet Bomb: A Shortsword is summoned, which will proceed to launch a series of bombs along a straight arc, of which can be decided by the player, decimating infantry, heavily damaging/destroying vehicles and aircraft, and devastating buildings. Note that it WILL kill any friendly units within its kill zone. Only available to Sergeant Forge.
	+ Upgrade 1 - Medium Carpet Bomb: Increases the damage dealt and the size of the blast radius.
	+ Upgrade 2 - Large Carpet Bomb: Increases the damage dealt and the size of the blast radius.
	+ Upgrade 3 - Super Carpet Bomb: Increases the damage dealt and the size of the blast radius.

### Black Boxes

*Main Article: Black Boxes (Halo Wars)*
Black boxes are a new feature in the game. Black Boxes are collectibles in the *Halo Wars* campaign that when collected, they add new events in the Halo Wars Timeline. They look like black boxes with yellow stripes on them and can be picked up by any unit. When you collect one you can just resign straight away and you will still have it. The timeline covers many of the important events from the games and the novels. There is only one black box on each level in the game.

### Halo Wars Timeline

*Main Article: Halo Wars Timeline*
The Halo Wars Timeline is a new feature present only in *Halo Wars*. It can be accessed via the main menu, and is a basic timeline of events that occur within the *Halo* Universe. By collecting Black Boxes, which are found in every level of the game, you add new events to the timeline, allowing you a deeper look into the *Halo* canon. For more information, see the main article.

### Veterancy Points

Veterancy points increases a unit's statistics, such as attack, attack speed, defense, etc. This number can be calculated by counting how many stars a unit has above their health bar. This is the number of veterancy points said unit has. The stars, or *Veterancy Points*. are acquired only after a unit or a group of units have defeated enemy structures, units, vehicles, or other combat related situations. They are also gained by upgrading the unit. A unit has a maximum of 3 stars, except a Spartan-Commandeered vehicle, which has a maximum of 14 "Veterancy Points" for Tanks/Grizzlies and Hornets/Hawks. All other Spartan-Commandeered vehicles have a maximum of 13 "Veterancy Points." Some special player units in campaign mode (example: ODSTs in the level Anders' Signal) that have a maximum of 5 *Veterancy Points*. A mist effect appears briefly over a unit when it gains a veterancy point, though this is hard to see unless closely watching the unit. When a unit gains more veterancy it grows stronger; for example it can take over 4 MAC rounds to destroy a 14 veterancy scorpion.However under special conditions the maximum number of veterancy stars is 17.

## Multiplayer

Multiplayer in *Halo Wars* is very basic compared to the other games in the series. Quite simply, the player chooses a game through matchmaking, and gets paired up with five other players, who are then distributed evenly across teams (or all against each other). There are three players per team, and all get their own bases and their own color schemes (their bases and units will be coloured to present what player owns what). The player then works with his team (or by himself) to build an army and defendable base before moving to destroy the other player's bases. When the enemy no longer owns any bases, the game is over, and the player/team wins. The EXP for the match is then calculated, and whether or not the player ranks up or not.

### Skirmish

Exclusive to *Halo Wars* is Skirmish mode. This is very similiar to the matchmaking variant, but pits the player against AI controlled enemies. The player can choose from the usual set of maps, decide what gametype, and then play. The AI will be as intelligent as the campaign AI, and you can choose from the same range of difficulty settings like that in the campaign. You can also invite friends to be on your team to fight with you or against you, or you can have AI allies. You can have up to 6 players or 5 AI, three on each team, if teams are selected.

### Maps

Each multiplayer map takes place on a different "world," each with its own musical theme and playlist.

* Standard
* Historic Battle

The Historic Battle Map Pack was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace on July 21, 2009, for 800 Microsoft Points.

### Rank System

*Main Article: Rank (Halo Wars)*
The ranking system in *Halo 2* and *Halo 3* is brought back in *Halo Wars*, but uses the *Halo 3* style of using military ranks, but is condensed into a smaller set of ranks, so as to make achieving easier and less time consuming. The player, like in *Halo 3*, will start as a Recruit, and slowly rank up until they are at the full rank of General. Skill is gained through EXP on Xbox LIVE, and cannot be earned in Skirmish mode.

### Gametypes

*Halo Wars* sports a range of gamemodes to enhance multiplayer gameplay and make it more fun than simply 'destroying an enemy base.' With this comes gametypes specific to killing, while others are more objective based, and revolve around teamwork and colloboration with other players to take another down. The gametypes available are as shown:

* Standard
* Deathmatch

#### Strategic Options Add-On Pack

The Strategic Options Add-on pack was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 Microsoft points on May 19, 2009. It contains 3 new gametypes:

* Keepaway
* Tug of War
* Reinforcements

## Retail Editions

### Standard Edition

The standard edition of the game includes the disc and manual, and has remained unchanged since release. It has since stopped production.

### Limited Edition

The Limited Edition of the game includes the basic disc and manual, but has a different cover art; this one is Covenant themed. It also comes with a copy of the *Halo Wars: Genesis* graphic novel, the *Halo 3* Mythic I Map Pack disc, 6 Leader Cards, a rubber Spirit of Fire Emblem patch, and two in-game items: an Honor Guard Wraith and a Warthog with the Spirit of Fire colour scheme.

## Marketing Promotions and Release

he game was featured at the 2008 E3 event, held in July. It was shown on G4's E3 08 LIVE, showing a hands-on demo. Some newer off-screen demos were released, showing how the controls work and how battles proceed.

### Alpha Test

*Main Article: Halo Wars Alpha*
During an unspecified span of time and starting on an unknown date, an Alpha build of the game was released to only several thousand Microsoft

    employees, as well as a few staff members from Bungie Studios. The purpose of the test was to locate any bugs/glitches in the game, as well as test its performance over Xbox LIVE. It consisted of a brief 'tutorial' and multiplayer, and was "limited to a specific set of units." The test ended somwhere in May, 2008.

During the Alpha, it was noted that anti-aircraft units were glitching heavily, downgrading their performance, and that Scorpions and aircraft was ludicrously overpowered. Aircraft strength was lessened so as to balance gameplay, and to stop enemy players from simply blasting another player's base into oblivion in one strike. This wasn't actually an element of the game, but more of a "balance issue."

Through heavy modding, it is possible to gain access to the *Halo Wars Alpha*. An example of this can be seen in this video.

More information on the Alpha can be found on the main article.

### Demo

*Main Article: Halo Wars Demo*
On February 5, a demo for *Halo Wars* was released on Xbox Live for Xbox Live Gold Subscribers. The demo was made available to non-Gold subscribers on February 12. The demo also set a record for the most downloaded demo in one day. The demo featured the first two levels of the game, Alpha Base and Relic Approach. Skirmish mode can also be played, but only on the map Chasms, and the only playable hero units are Captain Cutter and the Prophet of Regret.

### Trailers

#### Announcement

*Main Article: Halo Wars Announcement Trailer*
Released on September 27, 2006, before the official release of *Halo 3*, *Halo Wars* was announced at a Microsoft X06 media briefing with a trailer. The trailer depicted a patrol of UNSC Warthogs moving towards a UNSC patrol, who is investigating a mysterious Forerunner structure. Suddenly, contact with them is lost as they come under attack from Covenant troops. Not long after, a massive battle ensues, and UNSC and Covenant forces clash. A distance away, Spartan Team Omega watches the battle from a cliff, with reserves behind them. The trailer is closed with the words "If they want war, we'll give 'em war!" just as a squadron of Shortswords fly by. The *Halo Wars* logo then fades onto the screen.

The trailer returns in *Halo Wars*, being played silently in the background of the main menu.

#### E3 2008

*Main Article: Five Long Years Cinematic*
Released on July 14, 2008 at E3, the Five Long Years Cinematic was a trailer for *Halo Wars.* It was narrated by Captain Cutter, who explains the UNSC's immense loss of life in trying to hold Harvest against the Covenant, including their initial victory, and their latter setbacks. He concludes that Harvest now belongs to the UNSC again, but is a devastated husk of what it once was.

The trailer later appeared again in *Halo Wars*, serving as the opening cutscene of the game.

#### Field Trip to Harvest

*Main Article: Field Trip to Harvest'*
*Field Trip To Harvest* is a cinematic preview that was released to the public on October 3, 2008 showing the UNSC's retaking of the planet Harvest and the Covenant's finding of a Forerunner structure. Also, in the conversation between a Zealot and the Arbiter, there is mention of "the Infection." This was speculated to be an introduction to the Flood in *Halo Wars* before the release of the game, but because no Flood were encountered on Harvest, it is almost certainly just a name for the Humans on Harvest.

#### The Call To Battle

*Main Article: The Call To Battle'*
The Call to Battle is a collection of already known cinematics, but it also shows some campaign maps. You can also see that you can make a lot more units than in the demo.

#### Unknown Trailer Video

*Main Article: Unknown Halo Wars Trailer*
On February 8, 2009, the Taiwanese Xbox Live website released a four-minute-long trailer which contained spoilers detailing the later story of *Halo Wars*. It was soon taken down, and other sites which put it up, including halo.bungie.org, who removed it at the request of Microsoft Game Studios. However, several sites still have the video. The music from the trailer is "Optimus vs. Megatron," a song from the *Transformers* movie.

### ViDoc: Halo Times Ten

*Main Article: ViDoc: Halo Times Ten*
On January 23, 2009, the first ViDoc of Halo Wars was released on Xbox Live marketplace. It tells how a different perspective can change the gameplay and an announcement of the demo planned for February the 5th.

### ViDoc: Expanding The Arsenal

*Main Article: ViDoc: Expanding The Arsenal*
On February 3, 2009, the second Halo Wars ViDoc was released. It talks about Spartans and hero unit abilities.

### ViDoc: Strategy on Xbox

*Main Article: ViDoc: Strategy on Xbox*
On February 12, 2009 the third Halo Wars ViDoc was released. It describes the controls featured and what expectation there are of the game. Like the previous ViDocs, this one features cinematic scenes.

### ViDoc: Jaws of Victory

*Main Article: ViDoc: Jaws of Victory*
On February 19, 2009 the fourth Halo Wars ViDoc was released. It informs the viewer about tactics, including multiplayer and the developers' tactics.

## Reception

*Halo Wars* garnered generally positive reviews. The game has an average of 82.05% and 82/100 on aggregate web sites Game Rankings and Metacritic. Critics were split on whether *Halo Wars* was a successful console translation of the RTS genre. GameSpy's Allen Rausch argued that, as *Halo: Combat Evolved* showed that first-person shooters could work on consoles, *Halo Wars* "is an RTS ... on a console ... and it works". Tom Price of TeamXbox said that gamers have been waiting a long time for a console RTS "to get it right", and *Halo Wars* did so; reviewers for *Official Xbox Magazine* credited Ensemble with creating a strategy game that felt "absolutely at home on the console", rather than a "poorly shoehorned ... port" of a PC game with clumsy controls. 1UP's Thierry Nguyen was neutral about whether it was a good RTS game or *Halo* title, but called it a "solid beginning towards what could be a really good console RTS". Digital Trends' Scott Steinberg said that, while not perfect, *Halo Wars* made a strong case for the viability of RTS on consoles; "There's certainly the potential to have PC holdouts seriously reconsidering hoisting the controller." Peter Hartlaub of the *San Francisco Chronicle* offered a dismissive summation of the game as "a remedial game—real-time strategy for dummies", and stated that the game offered relatively little innovation when compared to other *Halo* titles.

Reviewers generally praised *Halo Wars*‍ '​s controls. Critics who were less experienced RTS players, such as Darren Zenko of the *Toronto Star*, appreciated the streamlined RTS experience. In contrast, critics such as Luke Anderson of GameSpot said that the game lacked the depth necessary to attract more seasoned RTS players.Some critics were frustrated by the lack of control features—specifically, the ability to create and manage groups of units, the lack of hotkeys, the inability to set rally points for different units, and the need to return to the base to adjust production. Nguyen wrote that "finesse maneuvers [...] are more difficult to pull off than they should be" Brett Molina of *USA Today* said that experts would find the action oversimplified, but that the game "is an excellent choice for fans of the Halo universe and players new to real-time strategy". Reviewers for GameSpy, G4tv, and Eurogamer stated that the controls worked well mainly because the developers omitted features to make most options quickly available; for example, limiting base construction to select areas made sure players could easily find their buildings.

Reviewers considered the factions balanced. Eurogamer's Kieron Gillen commented that the Covenant was harder to master, especially because the campaign served as a tutorial for the UNSC, but no similar introduction was available for the Covenant. However, he said the two sides were "authentically different", and each offered its own challenges to players. Some critics, such as Nick Cowen of *The Daily Telegraph*, wished that the Flood was a playable faction;in contrast, Ryan Geddes of IGN disliked the Flood and appreciated their exclusion. Will Porter of IGN UK enjoyed the rock-paper-scissors RTS mechanics, but said that "since the game is singularly crap at indicating which units are rocks and which scissors," players had to learn which units were best via trial and error, an issue that was more prevalent with the Covenant.

The game's plot was well received. Reviewers praised the game's cinematics and voice acting. Geddes said the story was good, but not on par with those of Bungie's *Halo* games, and that most of the characters were stereotypical and somewhat unlikable. Critics noted that for a strategy game, the campaign was rather short, with only 15 missions; Nate Ralph of *Wired* completed each in fewer than 40 minutes. Jon Wilcox of Total Video Games wrote "there's an ebb and flow" to the gameplay, with "lengthy chapters cut with shorter punchy ones or time-based missions, all together creating a surprisingly compelling experience". Wilcox said the additions of performance-based medals added replay value to the campaign. Price said that, although the story and mission structure of the game was fairly standard, levels that were "rote" in other RTS games seemed more substantial in *Halo Wars*. Reviewers such as Geddes, Wilcox, and Patrick Kolan of IGN UK said that the lack of a Covenant campaign was an unfortunate omission.

Publications judged the multiplayer aspect of the game well. Wilcox noted that, although the multiplayer mode "added [nothing] new [to RTS games], at the very least it's a solid experience that expands the longevity of *Halo Wars*." Adam Biessener of *Game Informer* wrote that *Halo Wars* gameplay was better against human players, as campaign "gimmicks" and poor artificial intelligence were not an issue. *The Mirror*‍ '​s Kevin Lynch found fault with the "limited" variety of game modes.

Critics generally agreed that Ensemble re-created the *Halo* universe's aesthetic well. Gillen said knowledge of the game universe could alleviate some issues of player ignorance regarding units' actions: "It's not just the geek thrill of seeing a Scarab in action—it's that you understand what the Scarab means on the battlefield (trouble)," he wrote. "We know which characters are best against tanks, and which are probably best in special vehicles." Nguyen said that, although the core units meshed well, the inclusion of Ensemble-developed units gave *Halo Wars* the feeling of a generic science-fiction title. While giving the game a mixed review, Anderson said that the authentic-looking units and environments went a long way to integrating the game with the rest of the series.Wilcox commented that with the *Halo*-inspired menu system and Rippy's score, "before the campaign even begins, the message is clear: this is still very much a *Halo* game."Overall, *Halo Wars* was judged a fitting final game for Ensemble.

## Halo Wars Original Soundtrack

The Halo Wars Original Soundtrack was composed for the game, *Halo Wars*, and was composed by Stephen Rippy. Altogether, there are a total of

     29 tracks on the soundtrack. Most (if not all) of the *Halo Wars* soundtrack is present on the CD, even the bonus tracks, although remixes found within the game are not present, and are missing entirely. It was released on February 17, 2009 (a few days before its US release).

## Cut Content

*Main Article: Cut Content from the Halo Games*
*Halo Wars,* almost as much as *Halo 2*, has alot of content that didn't make it into the final product. Amongst this cut content is missing campaign levels, scripts, characters, weapons, vehicles, maps and more. For more information, see the main article.

## Trivia

* All pre-rendered cutscenes were done by Blur Studios. This marks the first time that a *Halo* game has had its cutscenes were rendered independently, and the first time Blur Studios has done cutscenes for the *Halo* franchise.
* *Halo Wars* is the first, and possibly last, *Halo* game to have an ESRB rating 'Teen' (in Australia, the rating is PG).
* The Doritos snack food company held a sweepstakes where the winner got a voice role in the game.
* *Halo Wars* wasn't always intended to be a *Halo* game. Six months were spent trying to adapt an RTS game to Xbox 360, and later (at an unknown time), Ensemble requested the rights to make their RTS *Halo themed*. Microsoft approved of it, and therefore *Halo Wars* was born.
* Introduced in *Halo 2*, and continued in *Halo 3*, *Halo Wars* has skulls, which add replay value to the game. They may increase or decrease the score, and there is an achievement for getting Gold on a mission with all "Rebel" skulls which make gameplay harder when turned on.
	+ Unlike *Halo 3's* skulls (and most of *Halo 2's*), you need to achieve a certain goal to make the skulls appear.
* During the introductory level in the E3 demonstration video, UNSC Marines were shown doing push-ups behind the barracks, being drilled by a Drill Instructor. This was cut from the final version.
* An article released by ShackNews states that Halo Wars is Ensemble's last game, and that they are laying off any personnel not essential to the game's completion. In fact, the supposed layoffs were confirmed merely as a rumor, and that while Ensemble was indeed shutting down after the shipment of Halo Wars, layoffs had not begun. However, some of Ensemble's employees had started the company Robot Entertainment, and offered the executives at Ensemble a job there.
* There have been several bugs in the game since the first Xbox Live update. One particularly irritating bug is when in game lobbies, every button except the analog sticks are rendered useless for a variable amount of time.
* The demo had been downloaded over two million times in the week following its debut, setting a "day one record" in its initial release.[64]
* On the cover of Halo Wars, the helmet visor of the front most Spartan reflects the Arbiter and part of the honor stave on cover of the Limited Collector's Edition of Halo Wars, implying that the two sides are meant to be "facing" each other.
* Canada-based Mega Bloks has released several Halo Wars construction sets.
* In-game, it is possible to train one more Marine or Grunt squad than the population allows. This cannot be done with any other units.
* The "Peons" upgrade for the Grunt squad adds two extra Grunts to the squad according to the manual and the icon for the upgrade shows two grunts, but in-game, only one extra grunt is added.
* Halo Wars is the only strategy game in the Halo series.
* Halo: Combat Evolved was originally planned to be a real-time strategy game, but was changed early on in the design stage of development.
* The game's reticle is similar to the Assault rifle's from Halo: Combat Evolved.
* On November 16, 2010, 343 Industries announced that Halo Wars Online Stat Tracking will no longer be supported. 343 Industries announced a reversal in their decision on December 8, 2010, stating that they were "always uncomfortable with the idea" and had "decided that the current plan of action was not in line with how we have always intended to support Halo games and the Halo franchise in general."
* *Halo Wars* is effectively the last game in the franchise where the Flood appear, and the last where the Sentinels appear as enemies.

## Gallery

Halo Wars Promotional PosterHalo Wars WallpaperConcept Art of a great victoryAlpha build early cutscene in Halo WarsHalo Wars Title Art
## Links

### Internal Links

* Halo: Contact Harvest
* Halo Wars Announcement Trailer
* Halo Wars Skulls
* Halo Wars: Genesis

### External Links

* Official website
* *Halo Wars* announcement
* Extended *Halo Wars* E3 montage
* Heavengames.com
* *Halo Wars* Profile Page
* *Halo Wars* GC 2008: *Halo Wars* Hands-on
* Halo Wars English Manual
* Halo Wars Quick Reference Tech Tree