**Halo 5 — Reunion: getting Blue Team through Genesis**
*Halo 5: Guardians, Xbox campaign. Mission and story spoilers.*
Reunion gives Chief and Blue Team a little room to explore before it starts throwing everything at them. Take advantage of that. There are useful weapons tucked into the rocks, and the first Covenant camp has an achievement opportunity that disappears with its departing Phantom.
The other decision comes much later: whether to fly a Phaeton through the canyon or cross on foot. For Take a Hike, choose Heroic or Legendary and keep every human player out of the aircraft. You can still collect both skulls on that run.
**Down to the crash site**
Use the console in the opening Forerunner structure to descend. Follow the natural path through the vegetation. The first collectible detour is beside the shallow water, before the fighting; the companion checklist below covers it and the remaining six intel items.
At the first Covenant encounter, stop above the wreckage rather than jumping straight into the group. The right-hand tunnel also contains the singing Grunt and Grunt Birthday Party skull. Take a Carbine from that detour if you want a precision weapon before opening fire.
My recommendation here is to use the height you already have. Pick a target for Blue Team, break the group's cover with a grenade, and deal with the survivors from the ledge. Dropping into the middle spends your positional advantage for very little return. Watch the burning wreckage when you move through afterward.
Past the crashed ship, climb the right-hand rocks and turn back into the elevated alcove with the dead Marine. There is a Rocket Launcher and Railgun here. **If you're attempting No Witnesses, collect them before advancing into the next camp.** Waiting until the Phantom has arrived leaves you trying to fetch ammunition while your target is already preparing to leave.
**The Covenant camp and temple approach**
The camp's sniper and Fuel Rod Grunt deserve attention before you cross its open ground. With the Phantom challenge set aside, I would clear those threats first and use the rocks for short, deliberate shots at the Elites. For the challenge, concentrate your heavy ammunition on the Phantom immediately; the companion guide covers that setup.
Continue through the passage beyond the camp. A mounted plasma weapon covers the approach. If that sightline is giving you trouble, withdraw and take the side passage rather than repeatedly stepping into the same lane. Refill your precision weapon before moving on.
The next approach climbs toward a Forerunner building with Shade turrets guarding it. Work up the flank, remove the elevated Jackals, and attack the turret positions from cover. The breakable tan rock panels open additional approaches; use Spartan Charge on those panels when you want another angle. You don't have to force your way up the most exposed middle route.
Before operating the building's upper console, check the collectible alcove below the turret area. Then activate the lift and follow the path across the light bridge. The encounter with Warden here is a story scene; the actual fight comes farther ahead.
**Through the Promethean positions**
After that scene, explore the breakable wall on the left of the tunnel if you're collecting intel. The coming fights offer Forerunner weapons, so replace an empty weapon instead of carrying it through another arena in the hope of finding familiar ammunition.
Clear the sniper's elevated position and the Watchers before pushing across the first open gap. Once you have room, collect a LightRifle and ammunition. In the following valley, the Soldiers with Splinter Turrets can make a revive attempt considerably more dangerous than the original firefight. I would keep the team behind cover, deal with the turret users, and only then move into the lower ground.
A fallen heavy weapon is useful, but it isn't automatically worth a sprint through active fire. Look at what still has an angle on its location before going for it.
**Warden's arena**
The boss arena also contains ordinary Prometheans and Knights. Clear enough of those enemies to give yourself somewhere to move. Otherwise, circling Warden simply carries you into somebody else's weapon.
There are side passages and elevated positions around the arena. Use those to break line of sight when his ranged attack comes toward you. Keep a ranged weapon available for the supporting enemies, and use your stronger ammunition when Warden is exposed. With human teammates, attack from different angles so one player can get a shot at his back while another holds his attention. Solo, use squad targeting without assuming the AI will keep him facing exactly where you want.
On Normal, you have more room to recover from an aggressive approach. On Heroic and especially Legendary, I would spend the extra time thinning out the arena rather than trying to force a close-range finish. Back away from a sword approach; don't stand in front of him waiting for the next reload.
After Warden falls, finish the surviving enemies. Cross the activated light bridge, collect the nearby intel, and use the next structure's console. Follow the newly opened route toward the Gateway.
**Flying or walking the canyon**
Cortana offers both routes. If you're flying, use the Phaeton's missiles and guns to clear the turrets and ground positions ahead, and move out of incoming fire rather than hovering in one exposed place. Breakable sections can open routes through the canyon.
For the foot route, leave the Phaetons parked and follow the connected ledges and passages toward the objective marker. Stop behind rock cover before engaging each turret position. Clearing one firing lane at a time is much more manageable than running ahead until several positions can see you together.
Both routes lead to the launch point out of the caves. Once you're outside, **turn right for the Fog skull before heading to the Gateway**. Then return to the objective and approach the Gateway courtyard to finish Reunion.
**Halo 5 — Reunion: getting Blue Team through Genesis**
· Games / Halo 5: Guardians