• Offense:
  • If at all possible, pick up a gunner. He will make your jeep far more powerful.
  • The marines' AI is good enough to use the gun under nearly any driving conditions. Maneuver as much as you can to avoid enemy fire and/or get some kills by running foes down.
  • Keep moving at top speed, it makes the jeep nearly impossible to hit with the Needler or grenades.
  • If the jeep gets a plasma grenade stuck to it, bail out. The jeep itself is indestructible, but anyone riding it will probably be killed. If a marine gets a plasma grenade stuck to himself while riding the jeep, he will jump out to save his comrades.
• Defense:
  • The best way to kill a jeep is the rocket launcher.
  • The jeep stops and accelerates relatively slowly. Pour on the fire while it can't get away.
  • A character on foot is far more maneuverable than the jeep. Running down a single target is a lot harder than it looks.

• Offense:
  • The cannon is pretty accurate, but doesn't fire exactly where the reticle is pointing.
  • The machine gun is only useful at very short range.
  • If you must stay in one place, turn the tank away from the enemy and swivel the turret backwards for shelling, using the tank's body to protect the driver.
  • Don't fire the cannon at the ground too close to the tank, you will kill anyone riding on the treads and maybe even yourself.
• Defense:
  • The tank is the slowest of all the vehicles, so it's easy to avoid getting run over.
  • Aim for the driver. He'll take more damage than if you just hit the tank.
  • Drop grenades in the tank's path.
  • The tank's turret turns quite slowly. Circle strafe.

• Offense:
  • The Pelican is unarmed, and the player cannot pilot it.
• Defense:
  • The Pelican is unarmed, and is very good about not dropping Warthogs on characters.
  • This vehicle cannot be destroyed.

• Offense:
  • The Fuel Rod Gun has a very long range. Hover high above your target and carpet-bomb.
  • The plasma cannons have quite a lot of aiming assistance, and can deflect pretty far to aim where the camera is pointing. Keep up a steady stream of fire while flying generally at your target and it will almost always hit.
  • It is possible to run people over with the Banshee, but you'll probably take a lot of damage while getting close enough to do so.
• Defense:
  • When a Banshee flies directly at you, it is about to fire its plasma guns. Stand your ground, eat the damage, and put a rocket up its nose.
  • If a Banshee swoops low over you and luck is on your side, you can stick a plasma grenade to it for a guaranteed kill.

• Offense:
  • The player cannot drive the Wraith.
• Defense:
  • The Wraith is very good at aiming around cover. Dodging the shot outright is always preferable.
  • The best weapon is the rocket launcher. After that is bombing by Banshee. Most weapons will eventually kill it, but it can take a LOT of damage.

• Offense:
  • The ghost is capable of strafing. Use this to your advantage.
  • Don't bother trying to run people over in the Ghost, it's actually quite hard due to the ground clearance.
  • The Ghost is the fastest thing in the game (save projectile weapons).
  • Marines can drive the Ghost.
  • If you want to steal a ghost, aim for the driver. Kill him without blowing up the Ghost and it's yours.
  • Ghosts are indestructible in multiplayer games.
• Defense:
  • The Ghost can't stop or turn on a dime. Wait for this moment of vulnerability and throw in a rocket or grenade.
  • The Ghost will always be killed by a plasma grenade, rocket impact, or direct hit from the Scorpion's cannon.
  • If you're fighting a Ghost from a Warthog or Scorpion, ram it. The Ghost will go flying, and this will eject the pilot or at least get him out of the way for a few seconds.

• Offense:
  • The player cannot pilot the Covenant dropship.
• Defense:
  • This vehicle cannot be destroyed.
  • The Covenant dropship is armed with a powerful cannon equivalent to the one mounted on the Shade. It will return fire if the ship is attacked. On higher difficulties, it will also provide covering fire for its troops.
• Defense:
  • Troops ride in the two long pods. When they prepare to disembark, throw a grenade along the side of the ship. They will jump out right on top of it.
  • The jeep can't collide with the Covenant dropship, it will pass right under/through it. This is especially useful on level 2.

• Offense:
  • Shades never run out of ammo or overheat. Pour it on.
  • The Flood sometimes have trouble attacking Shades.
• Defense:
  • Shades are stationary, and as such extremely vulnerable to grenades and rockets.
  • When using the sniper rifle against a Shade head-on, the turret's console will block most shots. Aim for the gaps in the side where the operator's arms are visible, or just above the console (the crosshair will turn blue, but you should hit anyway).

• Offense:
  • The Bumblebee cannot be piloted by the player
• Defense:
  • The Bumblebee is unarmed.

• Offense:
  • The Longsword cannot be piloted by the player.
• Defense:
  • The Longsword was designed for space combat and as such would not be used to attack a lone soldier like yourself.

The Pillar of Autumn is a kilometer of hope. The only piece of Halcyon-class hardware between Earth and those bastards that want you and billions like you dead.

--Joseph Staten, Halo designer

• Offense:
  • Cortana has direct or indirect control of all of the Pillar of Autumn's systems, including the weapons. She's good at her job, let her do it.
• Defense:
  • The ship is in no condition to be attacking anyone during the game.