So you played a few games in the Arena, and now you have a random number next to your gamertag. Wondering what it is? That is your Arena rating, a number you earned through playing in the Arena that ranks you among the other players.

Each game in the Arena you play earns you a rating. For the sake of keeping this simple, I’m not going to include all of the complex formulas, but instead, break down the very basics of earning a high arena rating.

First, you want to focus on kills. But don’t be mad that your team mate swooped in and took a kill you had been working on. As long as you get an assist, you’re all good. Assists are weighted equally to kills, in order to promote team play in the arena. Each death you earn takes away a certain percentage of the rating you earned, so try to die as little as possible. Also, betraying a team mate negates one kill you earned. So watch that friendly fire, it can be detrimental to your arena rating.

So let’s go back over the basics:

• Get as many kills as possible
• Get as many assists as possible (weighted as much as a kill)
• Die as little as possible
• Avoid betrayals

Sounds easy enough, right? In theory, yes, but things get a little harder since your opponents are trying to do the same things.

You must play 3 games a day to earn an arena rating  Also, your arena rating is only composed of your best three games of the day. So if you have one horrible game, but 3 amazing ones, the horrible one wont effect your rating at all.

If you earn a rating on enough days, you are ranked into a division. The divisions are:

• Steel (1)
• Bronze (2)
• Silver (3)
• Gold (4)
• Onyx (5)

With steel being the worst and Onyx being the best. It is possible to move up and down divisions, but you would have to dramatically improve or get worse for this to happen.

At the end of each season, you are given statistics about how you compare to other players within your division. Then, a new season begins, and you start the process all over again.

Written by: Admin

You have logged hours into the Halo Reach beta. The grab bag play lists have been fun and all, but something about constant games of Stockpile just isn’t doing it for you anymore. You want to find players who take Halo Reach more serious, compete, and most of all, play some slayer. It’s time for you to jump into the arena, Halo Reach’s ranked play list. It may seem daunting at first, but once you’ve finished reading this guide, you’ll be ready to jump in and frag the other team.

The Arena is the bread and butter of Halo Reach. It’s where the best of the best come to compete and take each other on in slayer only game types. Are you the type of person who takes Halo seriously, loves statistics, and wants the best competition possible? Then the Arena is for you, my friend.

In the beta, the Arena is limited to three game types, and two maps. The game types are Slayer, Slayer Classic, and Slayer Pro. Slayer is the basic Halo Reach setup. You have four different load out options, all featuring the same basic starting weapons (AR/pistol/2 grenades), but each with its own armor ability. Slayer classic also features the AR/Pistol start, but you only have the option of sprint as an armor ability.

Finally, Slayer Pro is the most hardcore of the three options. It features your choice of a DMR start  or Needle rifle start, each only having one grenade to begin with instead of two. If you choose the DMR, you get a frag, while choosing the Needle Rifle gets you a sticky. Also, like slayer classic, you only have the option of sprint as an armor ability. The biggest change in the pro game type however, is the removal of the radar. Add in the DMR starts, and teamwork becomes a must of you wish to survive a game of Slayer Pro.

The only two maps in the Arena are Swordbase and Powerhouse, both of which you should be accustomed to by now if you have logged a few hours in the grab bag play list. Weapon spawns stay the same, so there isn’t much of a learning curve in that aspect. Teamwork is critical on both maps, since both feature long sight lines and not many spots designed to hold and camp.

Pay attention to the location of your team mates and use your headset to communicate, even if it is only to give call outs of the other team. A team working together is going to win 99 out of 100 times versus a team that isn’t talking. Also, be sure to take note of the call outs on the maps and learn them. Bungie has been kind enough to name almost every single spot on every single map. This is located on the bottom left of your screen. Using these to communicate with teammates is essential for survival in the Arena.

Using this basic knowledge, you should feel much better about jumping into the Arena. Be on the lookout for our guide to the Arena Ranking system. Also, if you haven’t read our article on how to improve your game, go do it now!

Editor’s Note: Halo Reach is currently in the Beta at the time of this article. By the time the final version comes out, the game could be substantially different. New, revised articles will be posted once the final version has been released.

Written By: Admin