Time for Johnson to get that chain-gun rattling!

(7:22) Level 2 ('Halo') on Heroic. Starting a sequence of battle movies using the set-up seen created in BCM653, here are two plays. First there's a plateau back defence, which was the obvious first battle plan to choose, given that I'd gone to the trouble of getting six Marines. This is actually the first time I've shown such a defence, and it's long overdue, considering that the plan could be seen as the most natural one, i.e. fighting alongside the Marines on the plateau to which they fall back. Secondly there's an inner rise defence, a battle plan previously showcased in BCM119.

Released July 13th 2026, gameplay recorded July 8th 2026.

00:02 (Play 1 - Plateau back defence) Johnson enjoys some chain-gunning on the way in, but at the plateau I make him dismount. We'll do without chain-gun support.

Unfortunately Johnson doesn't last terribly long though. I hear him shout "Frag out" around 1:11, and I think he fumbled it, because a blast takes out three of the squad. Another Marine threw just after Johnson, but I don't think it was his frag that was responsible, because the blast comes too soon.

Anyhow, we struggle on and there's a huge chain reaction from my plasma throw around 1:52. Three Marines make it through the fight, including Stacker.

03:57 (Play 2 - Inner rise defence) I end up fighting alone here. First Johnson gets killed, then a blue Elite executes a sneak attack with his needler, and my armoured Marine doesn't stand a chance. Still, I win out in the end and there's fun along the way, including a lot of satisfying needling of my own, plus a hog bomb!

To mention a few things I liked about this play, there was a Grunt who got explosively shot off at high speed after I needled him around 4:48, and just after that there was a sequence of four frag throws against Jackals.

Note: on the drive in, I deliberate took a route through part of the dropship trigger zone to get some covies freed of territorial restrictions so they'd join the battle. They otherwise might not have turned up, because most of the battle area is outside that trigger zone.

Closing remarks In both battles, I got Johnson out of the hog, so his only chain-gunning was during the driving phases. But don't worry; he'll get some extended time on the gun in some later battles.

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