UPDATE
Here is a video of the ENTIRE Reach armory, everything unlocked.

Old Article:

Once again, Bungie is keeping a step ahead of the game in regards to spoilers. They know next Thursday when Reach is demoed at Comic-con, details about the game will be spewing onto the internet in insane proportions. Before that can happen, they have decided to give us an inside look at the Halo Reach Armory.

The Armory in Halo Reach is where you go to customize your Spartan. And when I say customize, I’m not talking about a different helmet and armor color. You can change your Spartan from the color visor he wears all the way to the voice you have in firefight.




This screen shot given to us by Bungie shows the depth of customization they want you to have over your Spartan. You can see above the list of different options available for you to change. In order to be able to upgrade different parts, you must earn credits. Credits are earned by completing specific daily challenges given out by Bungie each day, and also in normal game play for things such as winning and the role you played on your team. It should also be noted that they have made a change from the Halo Reach Beta. In the Beta, the different cameras and such were more expensive than the base helmet itself. They have changed this to where the base armor pieces will cost the most, and additional attachments will cost less to add onto your helmet. They also note certain Helmet augmentations change the helmet significantly, and they are priced accordingly.




Interestingly enough, Bungie released a second screen shot which shows every single armor permutation that you will be able to see the first time you log into the game. As you advance, earn more credits, and upgrade more armor pieces, more options become available for you to purchase. Basically additional items become available based on the purchases you make.

Two things stick out from the screen shot. One, being the skulls with decorations surrounding them, and second, being the different characters towards the end, including Master Chief and Cortana. The skulls with designs around them correlate with the earlier screen shot’s Armor Effect. Armor Effects are things such as the flaming helmet from Halo 3.

Death effects are completely different. Think of them like the Grunt Birthday Party skull, where you got a head shot on a Grunt, and it exploded with confetti. You will still select them from the armor effects screen, but it isn’t clear yet if you get one armor effect and one death effect, or if you have to pick and choose.

As for the characters, they correlate with your Firefight Voice option. This is why you see Master Chief, Sergent Johnson, and other characters who have no place in the story of Reach. Don’t be too disappointed when they don’t make an appearance in the story. Sorry, but you won’t be getting to run around Reach matchmaking as Master Chief anytime soon either.

In any case, this depth of character customizations should have players logging hundreds of hours trying to unlock the most expensive armor permutations. It should also add a level of personalization to your character rarely seen in first person shooters, making your Spartan feel as if he is actually yours.

Written By: Admin


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Generator Defense is a brand new game type being rolled out by Bungie towards the end of the beta. It features 3v3 combat, with one team being Spartans, and the other Elites. This is a different game type that Bungie has never tried before, and they seem certain it will be a hit among players.

The Spartan team objective is to defend three generators that are placed on the map. When spawning, you have a lot of choices for loadouts, and you are able to choose your spawn location. Whenever a generator is taking damage, your HUD gives you an indicator of which one, so you can swiftly go take care of the situation.

As an Elite, your single job is to destroy the generators any way you can. Shoot them, smash them, grenade them, anything you can do to do damage to them will help your team to victory. You must destroy all three generators in order to win the round. Don’t think that you’re left defenseless though Spartans. Each generator features a defense mechanism, that when triggered by one of the Spartans, gives the generators 30 seconds of invulnerability. This is key in strategy to defend the generators, because timing of this shield is everything.

Generator Defense is played on a brand new map not yet seen in the beta, Overlook. In the beta, Overlook is only used for generator defense, but it very well could be used for other game types when Reach launches this fall.

Spartans get the high ground off of the initial spawn, and have to get right to work immediately. The Elites spawn down low near a river and are rushing up to destroy the three generators.

Be sure to pay attention when you die to every different area you can spawn. Use the d-pad to scroll up and down through spawn location, and pick the one best suited for the situation.

Generator Defense hits the beta very soon, with some speculation it could be as early as the 14th. Stay tuned to haloreachtips.net for all of the latest information regarding generator defense and the Halo Reach beta.

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

Invasion is a game type of six Spartans on six Elites. Each team is split up into three “fireteams” of two people. Spartans spawn up top with two classes available, a DMR class and an assault rifle class. The Elites spawn bottom with two classes available, a needler class with an invisibility trait and a plasma rifle class with elite tuck and roll.You are given different areas to spawn when you are killed, and you are also given the option to spawn on your teammate as long as he is not in combat.

The main objective is for the Spartans to defend the objectives which are shield generators and a data core. The Elites are to destroy the objectives and steal the data core taking it to a waiting Phantom. Once the Elites complete each objective, more of the map opens up and the Spartans must fall back and defend the next set of objectives. Sounds simple enough right?

Throughout the whole process different loadouts will be available to use from each team ranging from a sword class with the Elites to a grenade launcher class for the Spartans. This causes much more hectic combat, and makes the whole scenario much more intense as well. With the loadouts also comes vehicle unlocks ranging from a Warthog and Ghost to a Scorpion Tank and Wraith.

The Elites have three minutes to complete each objective. If not, the Spartans automatically win. The only way for the Elites to win is for them to retrieve the data core and take it to the waiting Phantom.

This is all taking place on the largest map that has ever been released by Bunige, Boneyard.

Teamwork is key in this game type, especially from the start. Since the Spartans spawn with DMRs and on the high ground, they can easily pin and hold the advancing Elites in their spawn if team work is used. If the Elites make it past this point, it gets increasingly more difficult to stop them.

Make sure to use the different load outs to your advantage for each given situation. The grenade launchers are great against vehicles, while the shotgun class is the best for defending the data core at close range. Use these in combination with the different areas you can spawn, and you just may come out on top in Invasion.

Written by: Chris G

Edited by: Admin

If you are like me, you can’t stand it when you have your backs against the walls, are being pummeled by the opposing team, and then all of the sudden…black screen. Everyone moans and groans, and before it happens you already know what is going on. The kid on your team who was yelling about not getting any help and how everyone else sucks is quitting, handicapping your team and ensuring a swift defeat.

In Halo 3, this was a huge problem, mainly because there hardly wasn’t any kind of repercussion for this action at all. Thankfully, in Halo Reach, the designers have listened, and they promise swift actions for habitual quitters.

Here is what Bungie.net had to say on what will be happening to quitters when Halo Reach drops this fall:

“Lastly, and all new for Reach, we have a new type of ban called a Quitter Ban. This is a relatively soft ban, so we will be using it quite aggressively, activating after only a handful of quits and lasting a rather long time. What does it do? A player with a Quitter Ban will be temporarily unable to re-enter Matchmaking for 15-30 minutes following any further quits”

This is easily refreshing and welcomed news for everybody that hates being plagued by quitters. They also reassure everybody that you aren’t going to be banned if your internet happens to drop once or twice . This is targeting the habitual quitters who never want to lose a game.

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

Updated as of 9/15/10)

The Designated Marksman Rifle, also known as the DMR, looks to take the prime position away from the Battle Rifle as the most popular and effective weapon in Halo Reach. The spiritual predecessor of the BR, the DMR is a weapon that requires more skill, better timing, and just like any weapon in a video game, a little bit of luck. Read on to learn how to dominate the playing field with this powerful weapon.

Lets start with the basics. The DMR is a single shot rifle, primarily used for medium to long range combat. You can take out an opponent with 5 well placed shots, which might sound easy enough. However, you also have to take into play it has considerable reticule bloom after every shot. This addition alone makes the learning curve very steep for someone who isn’t used to reticule bloom on weapons.

The DMR comes with 15 bullets in each clip, and default spawned DMRs come with two extra clips along with the one already loaded into the weapon. That ends up being 45 shots per DMR if you don’t pick up any ammo. It sounds like a lot, but if you aren’t playing a “pro” game type where players are spawning with DMRs and plenty are to be found off of dead bodies, than you will realize just how fast you burn through the ammo.

When you first pick up a DMR, you need to understand what kind of situation it is best suited for. Medium to long range combat is best. If you get caught in a close encounter with an enemy, you are going to fare much better switching to the Magnum to take out your opponent. Use the DMR to pick off enemies for afar.

One basic tip I can not stress enough to people is shoot everything you see. This is a basic tip when using every weapon, but you would be surprised how many people won’t shoot an enemy just because they think they are only going to get one bullet into them and it will be pointless. The whole concept of “tagging” an enemy is for the case your team mate might run into that enemy. And any advantage you can give to a team mate is an advantage for you. That one shot head start may be the deciding factor on which person is going to be watching the respawn screen, and who lives to fight another battle.

When first shooting the DMR, the reticule bloom may seem almost overwhelming. There are a few ways to help yourself out and increase the chance that you get the kill. First off, if your opponent looses his shields, then you will only need one shot to the head for a kill. If your reticule is bloomed out, wait before pulling the trigger for almost a second while it resets its self. This will ensure you have the absolute best chance to take a high percentage shot and get the kill. There is a downside to this as well. Your opponent could keep spamming the trigger and not wait to try and take a perfect shot, and he could very easily come away with the kill on you. This doesn’t happen very often, but you will more than likely run into it, especially at medium ranges. Don’t wait for the reticule to completely reset its self back to the default stage, just let it shrink for a little under a second so you get a higher percentage shot.

When looking at the reticule for aiming,  take notice there is a smaller circle inside of the larger one. This is the circle you need to take aim with, because inside of that circle is where your bullets are going.

Now, don’t think the larger circle is just there for looks. It serves a purpose as well. My next tip for the DMR is learning to lead opponents. Hardly ever will you be shooting at a stationary target. Your target is going to be strafing, ducking, jumping, anything he can do to try and dodge your shots and make you miss. This is where the large reticule comes into play. Halo Reach features in game physics which require you to lead your shots on moving targets. Essentially, you are aiming and shooting where your target will be, instead of where he was.

For example. Lets say your opponent is running to the right. If you have his head inside of the far left side of the big circle in the reticule, chances are you will hit your opponent.  You have to lead your shots so you can almost think of it as your enemy running into your shots. You will have to play around with this concept and get used to it. You don’t need to lead them that far, but the longer of a distance you’re at, the further you need to lead an enemy.

I’m  confident  that with a little bit of practice, and using these techniques from this article, you’ll improve your mid to long range game in Halo almost drastically. The DMR is primed to be the primary weapon of choice in Halo Reach, especially in more competitive game types. So make sure you grab one whenever you find one, and practice as much as you can with it. Soon, you’ll be slaying your enemies before they know what hit them.

Written By: Admin