"Hopefully the only thing you will lose is your luggage..."
Orbital
by
Halo 3 Maps
Data Stream
Recommended Game Variants: Team Slayer, One Flag, Multi Flag, Assault, One Bomb
Available Weapons
• Battle Rifle: 10 • Brute Spikers: 30 • Mauler: 120 • Plasma Grenades: 10 • Plasma Pistol: 30 • Plasma Rifle: 30 • Rockets: : 120 • Sniper Rifle: 120
Available Equipment
• Bubble Shield: 60 • Frag Grenades: 10 • Power Drain: 60 • Regenerator: 60
Available Vehicles
• Ghost: 60 • Mongoose: 30
Zone Knowledge
Orbital is a small map, featuring two bases linked in a horseshoe shape with overlapping hallways connect differently but create a loop of some sort. The bases are in the same direction/area, however one is the upper level base (Red Base), the other is the lower level base (Blue Base). Red base connects with the blue base by taking stair case down to sniper hall, or by taking the upper corridor to rocket spawn. Blue base connects with Red by taking going up the staircase to rocket spawn or by taking bottom corridor to snipe. Both connect in a middle separated by a drop. Dropping here will cause you to die, but you can jump from rockets (the upper level) to snipe (the lower level), not the other way around, one must have a gravity lift to do so. When in forge you can obtain the skull by switching to monitor mode go to elevator drop fly up to the ceiling facing dark hallway and to the right in a corner you should find the skull. Its use is unknown until further notice. Also you can obtain other achievements on this map…The vidmaster achievements while in matchmaking and a few in forge.Enhanced Knowledge
Weapons, Vehicles And Equipment
On the gate side of red base there 2 mongooses and a one ghost (only spawns in objective games for attacking team). In red base you can go through the left door taking you to red lobby, the gate door, or the secret walk at the top. In the secret walk you will see a regenerator. You can go through the gate door and locate the mauler and some plasma grenades, go straight and get the rockets around the corner Elevator shaft or go through the left door and you will find two battle rifles and a pair of brute spikes. Then run down escalators at the bottom of the steps there is a plasma pistol. If you walk little further around the corner to the right you see the sniper rifle. Then on your left you see a power drain and pair of plasma rifles in the sniper hall and by the crates in front of the railing are plasma grenades. This will lead you to blue base. In blue base, go through the gate door Where there are two mongooses, If you run straight you see two plasma grenades in the loading area on to your right you see the mauler, bubble shield to and same area secret path back into blue base. If run down hallway were picked up mauler it will take you back to where sniper was at this will lead you back to red base. If decide go through right door you see 2 battle rifles to your left and right beyond that you see a pair of brute spikers. As you’re running up escalators there is a plasma pistol at the bottom, up the stairs in the door way on the right you see another battle rifle. If you run out of the gate room there are rockets on your left next to railing next to drop off, on the right next to door No.3 there are two frag grenades. Just bit father down is two plasma rifles beside the window. If keep running around the corner down the hall way you will run into red base. There is also a battle rifle right around this corner perched up against a wall/window.Priority 1 Weapons
Rockets Rockets have half the ammunition for balance and the small proximity. Careful not to shoot to close to yourself or your team Sniper Rifle When in the right hands it can be the most devastating weapon on the map. Only pick this up if you are good at sniping close range, or dig in somewhere that you have a good view. Sniper has only half of the ammunition due to this small proximity.Priority 2 Weapons
Battle Rifle This weapon is valuable for medium to long distance shooting. Perfect for orbital’s long hallways Mauler The Mauler is like a mini shotgun revolver. It’s handy for the narrow corners and stairs of orbital. The mauler is super lethal when dual wielded but the recoil can make it hard to regain a bead on the enemy. Shoot when they aren’t looking.Priority 3 Weapons
Brute Spikers It is as effective as the assault rifle. It gets a lot of rounds down range and has a powerful melee attack. Works well in dual wield to get twice as many rounds down range Plasma Grenades Plasmas can be useful when well aimed at an unsuspecting enemy, or for a death from the grave as the plasma grenade packs quite a punch. Plasma Pistol This is the most effective weapon to deplete an enemies shields when fully charged, use this to take down someone’s shields and punch them to hear a satisfying squish. Also good when paired with the battle rifle to make opponents one shot. Plasma Rifle Can be devastating to an enemy when dual wielded. Good for taking down shields, fire in short rapid burst to keep from overheating.Vehicles
Ghost With the plasma guns and boost you can use this to mow down any oppont anytime anywhere. Most useful in long hallways where you can easily boost. Watch out for the rockets, or just pick it up yourself. Note only the Attacking team in objective has the ghost. In Team slayer this is simply replaced by a mongoose. Mongoose Useful to get from one area to another quickly with a passenger Items and Equipment Bubble Shield Use when you have no other option and your shields are low and you need a moment to recharge. Also can be fun when you deploy just before someone shoots you at close range with the rockets. Frag Grenades Good for bouncing around corners to drop shields just before you come storming in. Power Drain Use to drop the shields of a group running, holding an area, or the flag or bomb carrier. If you are having trouble getting into a room that is well guarded by a few enemies, then toss this in to drop their shields and throw a few grenades. Regenerator Use it to keep your shields up when in a heated firefight.Team Slayer Tactics
Orbital is a tough map to hold any strategic advantage to stay inside; nor is it a map to hold any kind of defendable position at the base. It’s better to try and hold the hallways, sniper and rocket spawn. This holding can be easily countered due to the fact that the spawns flip. You can be in one hallway yet the enemy can completely evade you by going down a different hallway, forcing you to double back if you don’t want to be ambushed from behind later on in the future. If a team begins to control any one particular hallway simply get behind your opponent through the other corridor/hallway. Grenade bouncing becomes critical in this map; throw around corners, straight forward, off the crates, or up and down stairs. Grenades seriously injure people, making them easy targets for one shot kills. The upper hallway is slightly more important to control since you can easily get down to the lower hallway from here but not visa versaOne Flag/Multi-Flag/One Bomb/Assault
DEFENSE
Place your players wisely on the map. Do not completely desert the Base to capture the power weapons, but also do not have everybody hide in the base waiting for the eventual attack from the opposing team. Because the flag spawns in the base behind the gate door, KEEP this door closed, have two rush towards rockets (grab a BR if it is not a BR start game). Watch out for Mongooses and Ghost coming from the Attacking Team, use rockets, and snipers to take them out, also protect the gate controls to prevent vehicles from driving into your base. If your Flag is taken down below (most likely will) try and get to rocket hall or cut them off at their lobby. Remember you will not be able to see the enemy’s bomb or your stolen flag when the other team picks them up. So communicate with your team the direction the carrier is going.OFFENSE
Never try to take the flag or plant the bomb by yourself. Coordinate an attack with your teammates. Have your sniper attempt to take out the defense team and gain control of rockets. Driving the Mongoose with your Bomb Carrier or Flag holder in the passenger seat would be the most recommended strategy but with Orbital’s small hallways its likely you will get not get very far. Use the Ghost to splatter enemies in the lower corridor due to less scenery, also taking the ghost through their base and lobby can have some damaging effects due to the small proximity. Crouch walking makes you invisible to enemy radar. While storming the base, crouch walking can be an excellent method for sneaking in undetected with the Bomb or grabbing the Flag when the other team is not looking. Crouch walking also gives you an advantage when going around corners. Once you obtain the flag you need to communicate with your team on the location of the enemy team to determine which way is best to walk the flag. If you are playing Assault when you plant the bomb does not desert the area. Stay around and protect the ticking bomb so the other team does not disarm it. Throw grenades or Power Drains on the ticking bomb when the other team attempts to disarm the bomb. You may leave the base or take cover when the time reaches 5 seconds, which is the time it will take the enemy to disarm so if they have less than 5 seconds it’s not possible for the opposing team to disarm. Advanced Tactics If you are the Bomb Carrier or just stolen the flag to not hang onto the bomb/flag for dear life when someone is trying to kill you. You can get an instant will with a bomb/flag melee but if enemies aren’t in close quarters with you the best course of action is to drop your load and fight off the other team with your weapons on hand. When you have control of the sniper, try and plant yourself in the back of a hallway so you can look down that hall knowing no one can sneak up behind you, use crates for cover or take to rocket spawn and look down onto the lower corridor. even though bubble shields are tempting to use, don’t use them at the immediate sight of danger using the bubble shield too often will sometimes obscure shots that would have otherwise finished off the opponent Team shooting as much as you can, and alternate. If you are getting shot, and are low shields find quick cover and have teammate switch with you. Orbital is really good for bait and switching since line of sight can be obscured at a moments notice. Careful not to shoot rockets near teammates, can have deadly effects in these small hallways Once you are comfortable with the map one way to use bait is have a teammate in rocket hall standing at one end while you are on the railing near the drop off with mauler, rockets or use the melee to get assignations Having your team split up in pairs can benefit and help you gain control of the map. Have two go rockets; throw nades before entering the hallway. Have two go snipe, also throwing nades before going around corner, try and bounce nades off that crate at bottom of escalator to hit oncoming foes coming down. In objective games, do your best to keep your gate closed if defending control the lower hallway and top rockets. Don’t be afraid to camp in this map and use the element of surprise. This map is really trial and error, see what works communicate with your team and try out different strategiesSniper/Ambush Locations
PLEASE ADD TEXT/SCREENS FOR 3-6 SNIPER LOCATIONS SNIPE 1.JPG USING CRATES FOR COVER DOWN LONG HALLWAY (UPPER CORRIDOR) SNIPE 2. JPG SNIPING FROM ROCKETS DOWN LONG HALL SNIPE 4 . JPG USING CRATES AGAIN, HOWEVER FROM LOWER BASE LOOKING INTO LOWER/DARK HALL SNIPE 5.JPG LOOKING DOWN THE ESCALATORS PROVIDES A GREAT ADVANTAGE SNIPE 6.JPG SNIPE FROM LOWER CORRIDOR TO ROCKETS SPAWN USING THE CRATES AS COVER
Same as red lobby in layout, however stair case leads upward, and walls are blue.
Located in Dark Hall/lower corridor
Connects the lobby with lower corridor and gate door. Small single player pathway, try not to have a lot of people in there because you are closed in and will most likely all die, with a few grenade tosses
Connects blue gate door to the Sniper Hall
Features 2 main entrances/exits one leads to door way to lobby, the other leads to lower hallway(dark hallway) through the gate door; in slayer this gate remains open, in objective games the gate is closed until it is opened
Same as blue lobby in layout, however stair case leads downwards, and walls are red.
Located in Upper Corridor/Crate hall
Connects Red Gate Door to the Sniper Hall
Connects the lobby with upper corridor and gate door. Small single player pathway, try not to have a lot of people in there because you are closed in and will most likely all die, with a few grenade tosses
has 3 elevator doors numbered 1-3 and links with rocket stairs and upper corridor
lead up to rockets and upper corridor
lead down to snipe and lower corridor