Linked here from Reddit.
> I doubt 343 will be making new DLC but I personally think this will make a nice finisher for Halo 4 before XB1 comes out. The DLC would feature one final Spartan OPs chapter or episode and would focus on Crimson’s Last Stand before getting captured by the Covenant. Essentially taking place between the end of Episode 5 and the start of Episode 6.
Hmm… sounds interesting.
> If it takes place as just a single long chapter, it would just focus on their fight where E5C5 left off.
Once again, interesting. Wouldn’t this be something like Firefight, endless waves of Covenant deploying from Phantoms and drop pods, cruiser deploys extra Phantoms and Banshees… would make the Firefight fans happy. Also might serve as a test, as to whether or not 343i should give other SpOps maps the Firefight treatment, depending on the mission’s popularity. (ex: how many people play it, fanbase response, etc.)
Although I must ask, does Crimson get (UNSC) vehicles at the start of the match? Quarry is quite… large, if one has no vehicular options. The other problem is near the middle of the match, when every member of Fireteam Crimson probably is cruising about in a commandeered Wraith (assuming the Covenant deploy them, no reason why they wouldn’t- and assuming that they’re hijack-able, as Banshees in Spartan Ops aren’t) and every Covenant spawn is instantly greeted by plasma mortar bombardment from a decent distance away. (Banshees are still a problem for this scenario, though, especially on Legendary). If all players are incapacitated (re: dead) at the same time, the mission ends. For mission success, the Spartans need to get at least 117/343 kills in total. I have an idea for an ending cutscene for this mission, but I’ll expand on said idea at the end of the next section of this post.
> If it was an episode, it could either consist of multiple waves at the said location
Hmm… expanding on that idea:
Epi5.5 Mission 1: Gone Sideways/Quarry
Mission text: Fireteam Crimson’s Pelican has been shot down in a surprise attack. Situation developing.
Seven waves of infantry (each wave is 25+ units, all have you as primary target, aggression level is through the roof), each wave is deployed by multiple Phantoms/drop pods. First wave consists of suicide grunts. It escalates from there until the fourteenth wave, which consists of twenty Elites (of which three have fuel rods and ten are cloaked sword dudes)/two Ghosts/four Hunters. There are UNSC ammo crates scattered throughout the map, but none of them are in advantageous/easily camp-able positions.
Dalton deploys sniper rifles every wave or so, just to contribute.
Epi5.5 Mission 2: Out of Control/Quarry
Mission text: Situation continuing to deteriorate. More enemy movements detected in area.
Covenant forces are much the same as before, only now it is fourteen waves, with Wraith tanks and more Ghosts mixed into the group. Additional UNSC M12 Warthogs (two MG variants and one Gauss) and one Mantis are discovered in the UNSC base nearby, along with UNSC ordinance deployed by Dalton.
Covenant forces still have stupid levels of aggro though, so be careful.
Epi5.5 Mission 3: Desert Storm/Quarry (get it? It involves tanks, it’s in a desert, and Jul’s Covenant remnant is referred to as the Storm? No?)
Mission text: Additional Covenant ground forces and armored columns are being rerouted to Fireteam Crimson’s position. UNSC armored assets inbound.
Same thing as before, more Wraith tanks and more Ghosts, more Fuel Rod equipped Covenant, more Hunters, and Banshees are starting to show up. Twenty waves in total, and nearly every single one deploys at least one Wraith tank. Wave ten and onwards sees at least two Wraith artillery vehicles deployed, with wave twenty having five Wraiths… it gets very fun very fast. (Wish there were more Covie ground vehicles than just the Wraith and Ghost though, or the AA Wraith was in Halo 4)
However, a UNSC armored group (Python Squad, consists of ten baseline Marines-and five Scorpion tanks. Marines spawn with rocket launchers and sniper rifles. Marines can ride on your tank) arrives. They spawn near the UNSC forward base. Generally straightforward, Covenant deploy vehicles and infantry to locations via Phantoms, you have fun with your armored column of Scorpion tanks (basically you get to play Halo Wars from the ground POV) as you blast the enemy to bits.
Beware of the banshees, though. They come in groups of two (though this number does increase), once every five waves. (Ex: wave five, there is two. Wave ten: four. Wave fifteen: eight. Wave twenty: ten.)
Epi5.5 Mission 4: Escalation/Quarry
Mission text: Fireteam Crimson is now primary target for Covenant forces. Additional Covenant aircraft and Covenant heavy assets inbound. Situation is falling apart.
Once again, same thing as before. There are now twenty-five attack waves, and nearly every single one of them includes a Banshee (and once again, every five waves another Banshee is added). There are four UNSC Marines left of Python Squad, two Scorpion tanks, two Mantises, a lot of UNSC weapons in crates, UNSC base is more fortified (as in, it now has a roof, and possibly a second story added onto it?), and three M12R (the missile-armed variant) Warthogs.
Objective is the same as before. Kill all the Covenant waves. However, the twenty-fourth wave will throw a curveball at you. A Covenant Lich will be deployed to the location, and generally either hover above the UNSC base or the hill on the other side of the map (the same place it does in Campaign). What’s more, as long as the Lich is on the field, the Covenant will continue to deploy Wraiths, Ghosts, and Fuel-Rod equipped/Suicide Grunts, until said Lich is destroyed. Twenty-fifth wave consists of five Banshees, five Wraith tanks, ten Fuel Rod General Elites, twenty Hunters, and 3 Promethean Knight Battlewagons spawning inside the UNSC base.
And I seem to have hit the character limit. Will continue in next post. Sorry for the Wall Of Text.