Editing ONI: Sword Base

{{Status|Gameplay}}

{{Level infobox

|prev=''[[Winter Contingency]]''

|next=''[[Nightfall]]''

|image=[[File:HR ONISwordBase Loadscreen.png|300px]]

|player=[[Spartan_(multiplayer)#Campaign_and_Firefight|Noble Six]]

|place=[[SWORD Base]], [[Eposz]], [[Reach]]

|objective=Defend [[Sword Base]] from the [[Covenant]]

{{Article quote|Covenant are attacking a vital ONI base. Drive the bastards off."}}

'''ONI: Sword Base''' is the third level in the [[campaign]] of ''[[Halo: Reach]]''. Upon completing this level on [[Normal]], [[Heroic]], or [[Legendary]] the player will unlock the "[[Protocol Dictates Action]]" [[Achievement]] and 10 [[Gamerscore]].  

The level begins on July 26, 2552, near [[Sword Base]], an [[Office of Naval Intelligence]] research facility. The facility is located on the [[Babd Catha Ice Shelf]] in [[Eposz]], near one of the poles of the planet. [[NOBLE Team]] is deployed to Sword Base after a [[Covenant]] [[Ceudar-pattern heavy corvette|corvette]] begins attacking the facility. Due to the sensitive nature of the facility, [[Orbital defense platform|orbital MAC rounds]] are prohibited, forcing Noble Team to go groundside to defend the facility.

Two [[UH-144 Falcon|Falcons]] drop Noble Team around Sword Base. After [[Catherine-B320|Kat]] and [[SPARTAN-B312|Noble Six]] clear the courtyard outside the facility, they are ordered by [[Sword Control]] to proceed to the main gate. After Six eliminates two Wraiths outside the gate, a [[D77-TC Pelican Dropship|Pelican]] drops off a [[M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle|Warthog]], which Kat and Noble Six ride to reactivate a [[COM]] array at [[Farragut Station]] to contact Command and an [[M71 Anti-Aircraft Gun|M71 Scythe anti-air gun]] at [[Airview Base]] to help clear the skies. After completing their task, they meet up with the rest of the team at Sword Base. They fight their way up through the atrium to the top floor, where Noble Six assists [[Emile-A239|Emile]] in driving off several [[Phantom]]s and [[Banshee]]s. A pair of [[Longsword]]s are then able to push through and chase off the corvette. As the corvette distances itself from Sword Base and begins to climb, the Longswords break off and the corvette is brought down by a slug from an [[Orbital bombardment|ortillery strike]].

[[File:REACHcartercorvette.PNG|300px|thumb|Carter in a Falcon, looking at the Covenant corvette.]]

''Screen fades into [[Babd Catha Ice Shelf]], two [[UH-144 Falcon]]s head toward the coast. [[Catherine-B320|Noble Two]] slips the chip taken from Visegrad Relay into a data pad and activates it.''

''The Falcons pass a large island. A [[Ceudar-pattern heavy corvette|Covenant corvette]] holding position comes into view.''

''Cut to Noble Six's point of view. Kat, sitting opposite of them, cocks her pistol as the Falcon approaches its landing zone.''

*'''[[Lieutenant Commander]] Kat-B320''': "Let's move, [[lieutenant]]."

''Noble Six takes the Target Locator, and the Spartans then head out of the base. The Covenant Corvette opens fire on the base. A damaged [[M831 Troop Transport]] is seen attempting to escape from two enemy [[Zurdo-pattern Wraith|Wraiths]].''

''The station is occupied by Covenant forces, including a {{Pattern|Rizvum|Revenant}}.  Six and Kat eventually neutralize all resistance.''

 

''The corvette draws closer to Sword Base, and continues to fire its [[plasma turret]]s at the ONI facility. Three Phantoms, carrying Revenants and Ghosts, fly by.  Distant explosions from Sword Base can be heard.''

*'''Carter-A259 (COM)''': "Six, head upstairs and assist Emile. Jorge, make sure they gets there."

[[File:HR Six&EmileRockets.jpg|thumb|300px|Emile and Six wielding rocket launchers.]]

''Emile drops his Rocket Launcher and walks away into the debris. Two Longswords fly towards the corvette, which is attempting to flee. Noble Six watches as the Longswords follow the corvette for a distance, but soon break off. A MAC round suddenly streaks down from the sky above and smashes right through the corvette. Its engines flicker, and it loses altitude. The view changes to Six. Jorge emerges from the shadows, approaching Six.''

*'''Halsey''': "Professor Sorvad's final entry in his field notes made reference to a "latchkey discovery." Latchkey... not a word he would use lightly. So let's hope that the data module your Lieutenant Commander ''stole'' contains it."

''Kat walks over and drops the module in a container in the shield door.''

*'''Carter-A259''': "We're currently under emergency planetary directive, "[[WINTER CONTINGENCY (protocol)|WINTER CONTINGENCY]]". I'm sure you're familiar with the punishment for civilian interference with a Spartan deployment."

===Easter egg===

* Three [[BOB]]s can be found on this level, though usually only one will spawn. The first will spawn in the courtyard when the player returns to Sword Base and flee to the area where the level began. The second BOB will be on the second floor of Sword Base's west wing, underneath where the Elite General appears. A third BOB, which only spawns on co-op, is at the beginning of the level on the right platform. All three BOBs will dual wield plasma rifles. Curiously, these Elites will have random armor painted white unlike all other BOBs.

*Dropping a weapon near the edge of the elevator floor or on certain sections of Sword Base's gate threshold may cause the weapon to fall into the floor and become inaccessible.

*The Revenant dropped by the icy path (if the player goes to Airview Base first) has a tendency to drive into the ocean and drown itself as soon it's deployed.

*This is the second of the four levels (the others being [[Winter Contingency]], [[Tip of the Spear]], and [[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Reach level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]) in which the [[MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System|assault rifle]] Six starts with has more than the usual rounds. In this case, it starts with 375 in reserve. This may be a reference to the number 343, as after one entire mag the player will have 343 rounds in reserve.

<!--Weapon and strategy tips should go on the Walkthrough page.-->

File:HR SwordBase Coast Concept.jpg|Concept art of the beach on the level.

File:HR_SwordBase_Defenses_Concept.jpg|Concept art of the base's defenses and general architecture.

File:HR_SwordBase_Garage_Concept.jpg|A concept art image of the garage of SWORD Base.

File:HR_SwordBase_Interior_Concept.jpg|Concept art of the interior of the base.

File:HTMCC HR Achievement StillSharp.png|Concept art for the base.

===Screenshots===

<gallery>

File:Level - Oni.jpg|Preview of the level in ''Halo: Reach'' menu.

File:Halo Reach - Sword Base 02.jpg|A view of the main building of SWORD Base.

File:Halo Reach - Farragut Station.jpg|A view of Farragut Station.

File:HR ONI Sword Base M71 Scythe.jpg|The [[M71 Anti-Aircraft Gun]] Noble Six activates near Airview Base.

{{Succession box | before = ''[[Winter Contingency]]'' <br />| title = ''Halo: Reach'' Campaign Missions | years = '''''ONI: Sword Base''''' |after = ''[[Nightfall]]}}