Neutral BLAM! on Avalanche

Back on 10/16, Team HBO brought the awesome to DLC Big Team. Two games that were particularly enjoyable were back-to-back Neutral Assault on Avalanche. This is their story.

 

Disclaimer: I feel it’s necessary to mention that I play for fun. These write-ups aren’t meant to gloat or act like I, or the people I play with, are the best Halo 3 players ever. We get it handed to us plenty–we just try to have a good time.

 

Team HBO (as always, this does not refer to a specific group of people):

Concretensteel

GreySpark

Handmade Hero

petetheduck

Schedonnardus

We were short for this playlist, so we had 3 random players as well

 

Game 1: Neutral Assault on Avalanche (Team HBO as RED)

 

I have come to the conclusion that there is a distinct difference in the experience you will have in matchmaking if you enter with a party versus if you enter without a party. That difference is very clear in the opening moments of this game. Let’s make a comparison! Both of these screen shots were taken 23 seconds into the game:

 

Let’s see what the blue team is doing:

 

Looks like a blue guy ran off with the warthog without getting a gunner. Doesn’t say much for teamwork, does it?

 

Now let’s see what Team HBO is doing:

That’s more like it!

 

Teamwork FTW!

 

 

 

There was almost no resistance as our warthogs started acting inappropriate in the enemy base, in celebration of our prompt bomb plant.

 

 

First score: 1:55

 

At this point the majority of our team had to backtrack from blue base to pick up the bomb. A red hornet was the only thing covering the bomb’s respawn, so the blue team managed to carry it into the cavern.

 

GerySpark recovered it very shortly afterwards, however, and Team HBO was promptly ready to deliver the payload a second time.

 

 

Second score: 4:33

 

 

The bomb respawn wasn’t immediately guarded, but our hornet promptly arrived to cover. GreySpark arrived on foot to grab the bomb as Handmade Hero pulled up to give him a ride. No gunner, but a second red warthog was already giving trouble to the blues. A little cover fire from the hornet sealed the deal.

 

 

 

Third score: 5:50

 

 

Final Score: Team HBO wins 3 – 0

  

 

Game 2: Neutral Assault on Avalanche (Team HBO as RED)

 

Let’s do another comparison. 27 seconds into the game, let’s see what the blue team is doing:

 

Hmm, now Team HBO:

 

(that’s me with the turret)

 

There was no contest. Unfortunately, our two warthogs, bomb in tow, bottlenecked at the lower entrance to blue base, making themselves easy prey for grenade spam.

 

 

Meanwhile, I had decided to bring my turret into blue base via their teleporter. It was a long walk, but as it turned out, it was totally worth it.

 

 

I traded the turret for rockets and the bomb. I waited a few moments outside their teleporter until my team was in a position to back me up. It turns out, when you both have rockets, all you really need is two.

 

The blues weren’t guarding their base at all. The quickest response they could muster was a hornet, which didn’t stand a chance:

 

 

First score: 5:12

 

Team HBO was already waiting at the bomb spawn with a warthog, although it was ditched to take the teleporter entrance.

 

Immediately after planting the bomb, blue team sent their best ninjas to defuse it. Clearly no match for them, Team HBO decided to throw vehicles at the enemy until the bomb detonated. It worked.

 

 

 

Second score: 6:08

 

GreySpark was prompt to arrive at the bomb spawn in a hornet, giving random dude FR4CTUR3 a lift. Their flight was cut short by a blue warthog. A few HBO players scrambled to get the bomb through the teleporter, but the battle was lost in the blue base.

 

Moments later, Team HBO assembled a healthy amount of firepower in front of the enemy base. Unfortunately, they had already taken them bomb elsewhere.

 

 

Another random guy on our team recovered the bomb, which was being walked, unescorted, past our camo spawn. He then proceeded to walk it himself, unescorted, across the map. I invite you to see what happened when I decided I would offer him a lift:

 

 

After ignoring my offer for a ride, he was promptly killed by the blue team as they emerged from their teleporter. Thanks for giving blue team the bomb, guy! …

  

The blues brought it into the caverns, but Concretensteel caught a glimpse of them. Thanks to the quick maneuverability of our warthog and, now, two hornets, we promptly cut them off as they emerged toward our base.

 

I tried a second time to at escorting our payload, and thankfully Concretensteel was the one to pick up the bomb this time.

 

 

 

 

The combined firepower of two hornets nailing the front of their base caused the blue team to take cover in the back—the perfect opportunity for Concretensteel to plant the bomb.

 

 

 

The hornet duo successfully defending the bomb, the third score happened at 13:11

 

 

Final score: Team HBO wins, 3 – 0

 

 

I would like to mention one last thing about this game:

 

 

 I’ll expect answers, Handmade Hero