**NMPD HQ achievements: put the sniper down, then watch the skies**

**NMPD HQ achievements: put the sniper down, then watch the skies** *MCC. Mission spoilers.* NMPD HQ has two very different kinds of achievement runs: a careful rooftop completion without your starting sniper rifle, and a crash-site defense where you want to destroy as many Phantoms as possible. There is also a hidden face that is much easier to visit when you aren't protecting a good score. **The checklist** - **NMPD HQ:** complete the mission, any difficulty in MCC. - **First Stop: Anywhere But Here!:** finish under **10:00**. - **Pour It On:** finish above **40,000 points**. - **Shoot and Scoot:** complete the mission on **Heroic or Legendary without firing the Sniper Rifle**. - **Bits and Pieces:** destroy five Phantoms on NMPD HQ. - **Vandalized:** find the hidden face graffiti. The original Xbox 360 achievement **Dome Inspector**, requiring fifteen headshots here, does not add another entry to this MCC checklist. **Shoot and Scoot** Choose Heroic if your goal is just this award. Start from the beginning and replace the UNSC sniper rifle at the first sensible opportunity. Keeping it equipped while telling yourself not to fire is an unnecessary way to lose the run. A plasma pistol for Brute armor and a precision weapon for exposed heads make a workable pairing. Use cover to bring distant enemies into a manageable sightline instead of treating the absence of your sniper as a reason to sprint across a courtyard. MCC community guides document successful Beam Rifle use: the stated restriction is the **Sniper Rifle**, not every scoped gun. There are conflicting old unlock reports, however. If you want the least ambiguous attempt, use the pistol/Carbine and plasma pistol rather than relying on that distinction. That is a conservative recommendation, not an invented second rule. The achievement does not require a deathless run. It also is not a no-grenade or no-turret challenge. Use the mounted missile pods during the final defense. In co-op, agree on the restriction before starting so nobody assumes a teammate's weapon choice cannot matter to the group's attempt. **Bits and Pieces** The five Phantom destructions are cumulative across visits. Load the last rally point for a focused attempt, or collect them naturally while learning the final defense. Use the mounted missile pods on the platform. Leave them attached for unlimited ammunition and switch sides when necessary to maintain a clear firing angle. Concentrate on the Phantom itself rather than counting the destruction of a gun or the deaths of its passengers as a destroyed dropship. You can replay the defense to finish the counter; you do not have to force five kills out of one particular wave arrangement. Check achievement progress between attempts. If a Phantom escapes, don't stand staring after it while the next aircraft attacks from the other side. **Vandalized** Reach the second open rooftop area after the first connecting lobby. Look for the raised platform overlooking the landing pad and the black-and-white arrow sign on the blue wall near the railing. The face is **below that ledge, on the wall you are standing above**. The standard documented method is to step or jump over the railing and look back toward the wall as you fall, bringing the graffiti into view. This can kill your character. Do it on a separate visit rather than during a no-death attempt or a score run you're pleased with. You are looking for the face, not interacting with the arrow sign. If it doesn't register, confirm you are at the second exterior area and actually looking back at the wall beneath the railing. **Time and score** For ten minutes, learn the lobby-to-rooftop sequence and take the safe crossings without detours. The aircraft defense still has to progress. Faster movement between encounters won't compensate for leaving a required enemy alive where you never look. For 40,000 points, aircraft are valuable opportunities. Arrive at the crash site with the early fights handled efficiently, use the missile pods well and keep deaths down. The final score matters, not the highest number you briefly saw before a failed exchange. Vandalized is the obvious task to remove from that run. A deliberate fall is worthwhile for an Easter egg, but it is a poor investment when you are trying to protect your score multiplier.