So today, after many painstaking games, I finally finished my commendation for the Spartan Laser and ultimately my Weapon Mastery commendation. I tried looking online, during my time, of some help or advice that would maybe help me get my Spartan Laser commendation, but all of it was “just play Big Team Battle”. I see what they meant, but just playing Big Team Battle didn’t help much. Big Team Battle has gone beyond the original slayer with the chance of a Spartan Laser as a power weapon on the map. It has now included gametypes such as Strongholds and Capture the Flag where no laser is to be found. Having found my own answer to the problem, I present to you this small guide of tips and tricks to gaining the commendation for the Spartan Laser. Feel free to add on any advice you have for other players.
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Play Warzone
Now this may seem like the “play Big Team Battle” advice that I found, but in Warzone you have control over what weapons you wield. Considering you probably didn’t bother to sell your Spartan Laser cards in order to gain REQ points, you probably have an abundance of these by now. Use these to your advantage, but keep in mind you have to get up to Level 5 in order to pull out a Spartan Laser and it should only be pulled out if there’s an enemy vehicle out. -
Keep in mind your target
As supreme of a weapon as the Spartan Laser is, not every shot is an instakill. For the most part, the Spartan Laser can take out any vehicle with a single shot with the exception of Tanks, Mantises, and possibly the Ultra Banshee and Ultra Wraith. These vehicles will typically take two shots to take out, but once you have shot, you’re typically exposed. Stick to taking out Banshees, Ghosts, Mongosses, Wasps, Phaetons, or Wraiths. Regarding Banshees and Ghosts, the guaranteed way of destroying them within a single Laser Shot is by hitting them from the side. The front of each of these vehicles is more heavily armored then the rest of the vehicle plus there’s more surface area for you to hit when compared to the front. For vehicles in general, target where the driver is sitting in the vehicle as this will be the most exposed area. -
Use solely for vehicles
This coincides with tip #2 by picking your target. The Spartan Laser is meant for big targets, so it tends to have difficulty hitting smaller targets such as a Spartan. Unless it’s a special Spartan Laser such as Selene’s Lance or even Endgame, the Spartan Laser is a super precision weapon. Unlike the Halo 3 Spartan Laser, even hitting the opponent with the edge of your laser won’t kill them. At best it’ll lower their shields. Plus Spartans are more mobile now then before and can easily dodge a slow charging laser aimed at them. Stick to vehicles otherwise you’ll be wasting precious shots. -
Be stealthy
With how long it takes the Spartan Laser to charge, with the exception of the specialty lasers, you’re going to need to be stealthy. The Spartan Laser takes approximately 3 seconds to charge and you’re not going to want to be exposed while doing that. Unless you’re going to do all your laser kills at level 9 with active camo, you’re going to have to stay crouched, remain in cover that keeps you hidden from snipers from the other base, and have a clear view of the battlefield where enemy vehicles roam around. In Raid on Apex 7 a good spot is the cave system underneath the sniper’s nest under Blue Homebase. This is a less traveled spot and you have a clear view of the spire and the center of the map where usually bosses such as a knight or Warden Eternal spawn. Another good spot is the beach behind spire where both teams will usually have vehicles trying to take down the Grunt Mech or the occasional Wraith Captain. On Darkstar, the prime spot is on top of one of the starting two bases that both teams capture at the beginning. It’s even better if you go up the small set of stairs to the uppermost deck. This deck has a giant column in the middle for cover and you can see anything in the air or on the ground. Battle of Noctus is probably the best map out of all to get Spartan Laser kills on as vehicles are left exposed on the open roadways leaving them at your mercy. The best places for using the laser would be the tops of the North and South Garage and the Spire. If you’re going to sit on top of one of the garages, make sure that no teammates have died up their recently. A dead teammate will usually signify that the enemy team has their sights ready on that position or there may be a sniper. The safest place would have to be the Spire as it offers the most protection from outside forces and it is the center of the map, allowing you to go anywhere to use your laser without much hassle. -
Sometimes your kills won’t be counted
This is the biggest and most frustrating lesson I learned, especially as I got toward the end. To obtain Level 5 for the Spartan Laser commendation and to achieve completion of the commendation you must have killed 50 people with the Spartan Laser. Before I entered a match of Warzone I was at 47/50. I was so determined to get the commendation that the next game I scored 6 kills with my laser. The medal count shows 6, but when I went to check my commendation, it showed me as having 49/50. You will get frustrated and may even feel like quitting, but keep with it and keep the above advice in mind and you’ll complete the commendation for yourself.