**Halo 3 in MCC: The Covenant, tower by tower**

**Halo 3 in MCC: The Covenant, tower by tower** *Full mission spoilers, including Truth's ending.* The Covenant moves from a beach assault to an air battle, then drops two Scarabs in your path. The route is: shut down the first tower, reach the third by air, remove its barrier, then fight through to the Citadel. The second tower has already been handled by your allies, but it is still worth visiting for collectibles. **Beach and first tower** Clear the landing area with the Marines. Use the Spartan Laser against dangerous vehicles rather than spending its charge on every Grunt. Once the beach is secure, take the available ground transport along the road toward the first tower. Check elevated positions and the Wraith before driving straight into the entrance. Inside, fight around the room's edges and remove the Brutes before using the elevator. **Terminal 4** is on the dark ledge across the elevator area; collect it before riding up. At the top, defeat the defenders and deactivate the tower's control. A hammer Chieftain is a reason to keep moving and maintain distance, not rush onto his platform. On Heroic or Legendary, break the surrounding group apart before committing to the heavily protected target. If an enemy has temporary invulnerability, wait it out behind cover instead of dumping your remaining ammunition into it. Return down the elevator and back outside. Follow the route back to the beach, where Hornets become available. **Fly to the third tower—with an optional second-tower stop** Get into a Hornet's pilot position and take time to learn its ascent, descent, guns and missiles. Don't fly low into anti-air fire while concentrating on a Banshee above you. Fight through the airspace and visit **tower two** before continuing around the coast if collecting Thunderstorm and Terminal 5. Once the later loading transition has been crossed, returning may no longer be possible. Make the stop while the tower is right there. Continue to the third tower, dealing with Banshees and the hostile Phantom. Destroy the armor guarding its approach, land somewhere you can safely get out and join the Elites for the interior fight. **Third tower and the Flood interruption** The tower's familiar shape doesn't mean its enemies are the same. Hunters occupy the interior, and Drones can fill the air as you advance. Use the doorway and walls to control your exposure. Keep the Hunter you're fighting in view without giving the other a clean shot at your back. Collect **Terminal 6** from the ledge beyond the elevator area, then ride up. Defeat the top-floor defenders and deactivate the third tower. After the story interruption, the Flood enter the battle. Work back down and out; this is not the end of the mission. Collect suitable weapons before leaving. A precision option is still useful, but you will soon have vehicles for the larger outdoor threats. **Through the snowy vehicle route** Use the Scorpion or another suitable vehicle and advance through the snowy pass. Fire from a useful distance and keep an eye on fuel-rod enemies instead of treating the tank as a shield you cannot lose. At the Hornet landing area before the final basin, take a Hornet if you want direct control of the coming aerial fight. Two Scarabs arrive. Clear immediate airborne threats, then concentrate on one Scarab at a time. The straightforward boarding route is to damage a leg joint until it kneels, land or dismount safely, reach its rear and destroy the exposed core. Alternatively, a pilot can attack the rear armor and core from outside with the Hornet. The target is the rear power assembly, not the main gun at the front. Leave room to escape each explosion. Flying between both Scarabs while their turrets track you can turn a simple approach into a very short one. On harder difficulties, clear the threats around your intended boarding spot before getting out. If doing **Dirge of Madrigal**, retain the Hornet for the high ledge on the Citadel exterior before entering. **The Citadel: advance, then come back** Enter with the Arbiter and Guilty Spark and proceed into the long hall of holographic rings. During the first advance, the Flood assist against the Covenant. Don't waste ammunition attacking your temporary support while Brutes are the active obstacle. Fight toward Truth's platform and extend the bridge to trigger the next story sequence. Afterward, the alliance is over. Fight back through the hall against the Flood. For **IWHBYD**, stop before taking the exit: clear the return route, then perform the ring sequence described in the collectible guide. This is done after Truth's scene, not on your first advance through the chamber. Otherwise continue back to the exit route and let the final sequence complete. There is no extra boss health bar to empty after the Truth cutscene; the remaining job is surviving the return.