**Tayari Plaza: getting Buck to Dare's pod**

**Tayari Plaza: getting Buck to Dare's pod** *Mission spoilers. MCC. A conventional completion route, not a three-minute speedrun.* Buck starts with an assault rifle, a pistol and a street full of Covenant between him and Dare. The temptation is to run straight toward her marker. On the higher difficulties, that is a good way to find out how much less punishment an ODST can absorb than a Spartan. **Clear a path off the opening ledge** Let the Phantom finish putting enemies into the opening area before committing to the street. Use the ledge as cover, aim the pistol at unshielded Grunts, and watch the Brutes rather than getting distracted by every fleeing target. A dropped plasma pistol is useful. Its charged shot helps strip a Brute's protection, after which a precision finish saves ammunition. You don't need to carry the assault rifle just because it was the starting weapon. Choose a combination that answers both armored and unarmored enemies. Move around the building toward the Marines by the wrecked Warthog. If preserving a Marine is part of this attempt, get ahead of the next fight rather than waiting for them to absorb its opening volley. **Use the buildings instead of the middle of the road** The Marines point out that some buildings are accessible. Take the indoor flank and upper approach to the next street engagement. It gives you another angle on the Brutes instead of a head-on trade of fire. Before stepping through a doorway, check the immediate corner. An exit is useful cover only until you walk past it. Deal with the Brute carrying the dangerous explosive weapon before concentrating on the scattered Grunts. Use the nearby health supply if needed. Recovering stamina isn't the same as replacing missing health; there's no advantage in carrying an avoidable injury into the Hunter fight later. Further along, a mounted plasma gun covers the street. Identify its operator before you advance into the lane. Deal with the elevated Jackal threat around the tower as well. A precision weapon is worth keeping for the approaches ahead, even if a dropped heavy weapon looks more exciting. **Through the security door and the sniper approach** Open the security door when the route is clear. Beyond it, use the walkway and building passage rather than assuming every route continues at ground level. The next exposed approach is watched from the bridge and surrounding elevated positions. Pause at the doorway and look across the whole skyline. Remove visible snipers from cover before stepping onto their shooting lane. On Legendary, this isn't a place to discover the next shooter by taking the first hit. Collect ammunition and consider the shotgun near the fallen Marine in the passage before descending. A shotgun helps when a Brute closes or a Hunter exposes its back; it doesn't replace the weapon you need to reach a distant Jackal. **The plaza and the Hunters** Work down toward the plaza using the pillars and stairs as cover. Clear nearby infantry first so you aren't dodging a Hunter while a turret shoots you from behind. When the large door opens and the Hunters arrive, give yourself room. Don't fight both from the center of the street. Keep a solid obstacle between you and one while watching the other. Let a close attack pass, then move around for the exposed orange tissue rather than pouring ammunition into the shield. Grenades and heavy weapons help, but don't stand beside your own explosive just because the Hunter is close. On Heroic or Legendary, surviving a failed attack and resetting your position is better than forcing an exact number of shotgun hits that your angle may not support. If Marines are still with you, be especially careful with splash damage. Their survival award asks for one survivor, not a dramatic final grenade thrown through the entire squad. **Open the pod** Continue through the now-accessible security route toward the crash site. Clear the Grunts around the objective, approach the front of Dare's pod, and use the interaction prompt. Merely standing next to it doesn't finish the mission. For a first completion, the useful lesson is the route: opening street, indoor flank, security door, elevated sniper approach, Hunter plaza, then the pod. Once those transitions are familiar, a separate time attempt can cut down the fights. Don't use the three-minute par as a reason to rush your first look at every doorway.