Editing Sierra 117

{{Status|Gameplay}}

{{Disambig header|the campaign level|the protagonist of the Halo trilogy|John-117}}

|next=''[[Crow's Nest]]''

|image=[[File:H3 Sierra117 Loadscreen.png|300px]]

|player=*[[Master_Chief_(gameplay)#Halo_3|Master Chief]] (player 1)

*[[Elite (co-op)|N'tho 'Sraom]] (player 3)

{{Article quote|Rise up. Start the fight.}}

This level takes place in a lush African jungle that lies on the southern slopes of Shira peak of [[Mount Kilimanjaro]], as confirmed from the hexadecimal code of the ''[[Halo 3 Beta]]'' and physically confirmed in the ''[[Halo 3 E3 2007 Trailer]]'' and the short video subsequent [[Bungie]] Podcasts (Mawenzi peak can be seen slightly obscured to the right of Uhuru peak, both of which are part of the Kilimanjaro mountain.) The jungle is home to a Covenant encampment, and hosts lush verdant forestry, rivers, rocky landscapes, waterfalls, and tunnels. The environment bears some resemblance to the "Off the Rock, Through the Bush, Nothing but Jackal" section of ''[[Halo 2]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ''[[Delta Halo]]'', although the location is different; ''Sierra 117'' takes place on [[Earth]], while ''Delta Halo'' is set on [[Installation 05]].

Having been found by [[Sergeant]] [[Avery Johnson]], [[Marcus Stacker]], some [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]], and the [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]], the [[John-117|Master Chief]] is escorted through the jungle, not knowing there is trouble ahead. Johnson has with him two squads of Marines, but, after spotting a Covenant [[Ru'swum-pattern Phantom|Phantom]] overhead, he decides to split them in order to attempt to reach an evacuation point at a nearby river. The Master Chief, Thel 'Vadam and one squad head one way, following a stream leading to the river, while Johnson and the other [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] forces scale a waterfall, and head another way. Bravo squad, apparently left behind by Johnson's team to guard the Landing Zone, where Pelicans were to extract the troops, breaks radio silence, and is attacked by a [[pack]] of [[Jiralhanae]], led by a [[Jiralhanae Chieftain]].

The Chief encounters the previously patrolling Phantoms, which drop off Jiralhanae and Unggoy. After the battle, they receive notice from Johnson that they cannot get into contact with another Marine team, Bravo. Almost immediately after, the group comes across a stricken marine held captive by a Jiralhanae on a log above them. The Jiralhanae beats the Marine, inquiring about a secret "location." After killing the inquisitive Jiralhanae, they are told that the rest of Bravo is dead, apparently pinned down by a Phantom and slaughtered by a Jiralhanae Chieftain. The Bravo team survivor, [[Reynolds|Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds]], then joins the squad escorting the Master Chief.

By the time the Master Chief and Thel 'Vadam make it to the river for evacuation, the [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelican]]s at the evacuation point are already under attack by [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]] infantry. Johnson is seen using the [[AIE-486H machine gun|machine gun turret]] at the back of one of the Pelicans, and with combined fire the Covenant are momentarily pushed back. Several [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshees]] swoop in on and attack the Pelicans. Both Pelicans suffer catastrophic wing damage from the Banshees' [[fuel rod cannon]]s and make a fiery exit further down river as more Jiralhanae and Unggoy reinforcements show up to kill Master Chief's squad. After pushing through the Covenant forces, the Chief and Thel 'Vadam are told over the COM that Johnson's Pelican has crash landed and shortly afterward come across him and his squad fleeing from the crash site, pursued by Jiralhanae and Unggoy forces. The Chieftain pulls his own Phantom out of the fight to regroup.

They desperately try to catch up with Johnson, killing many Unggoy, Jiralhanae and [[Kig-Yar]]. After coming across the crashed Pelican, they find [[SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifle|Sniper Rifle]]s and [[BR55HB SR Battle Rifle|Battle Rifle]]s. Master Chief, Thel 'Vadam and the surviving marines then find themselves in a thick jungle and have to fight past Kig-Yar hiding in the trees and on the ground, with no sign of Johnson or his squad of marines.

They then reach a large dam where they see Johnson being taunted and kicked into a small building and held captive by a Jiralhanae Chieftain. It is implied that this is the same Chieftain that killed Bravo's men and pursued Johnson from his crash site. The area is also littered with Unggoy and Kig-Yar as well as half a dozen Jiralhanae. With slow progress, the two heroes manage to fight their way through and around the dam and eventually take down the Jiralhanae Chieftain. They then rescue Johnson and the three surviving marines from his squad. (Note: the marines will be dead if you still have marines from before)

Johnson calls in Pelican [[Kilo 023]] piloted by [[Hocus]] to come and pick them up, but they are first engaged by two Phantoms which drop off hordes of Unggoy and a few [[Jiralhanae Captain]]s wielding [[Type-25 Brute Shot|brute shot]]s and [[Paegaas Workshop Spiker|spiker]]s. Whilst the group engages the ground forces, the Pelican arrives and takes down the two Phantoms with missiles. Hocus then lands and evacuates the survivors and Johnson is seen patting the Chief on the shoulder in thanks before the Pelican flies off.

*'''[[Sergeant Major]] [[Avery J. Johnson]]''': "[[First Squad]], you're my scouts. Move out! Quiet as you can."

*''(2-Player Co-op Change)'' '''Sergeant Johnson''': "First Squad, you're my scouts. Arbiter, watch the Chief's back. Move out! Quiet as you can."

''If the player stalls:''

''A [[Jiralhanae]] howls off in the distance.''

*'''[[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] #1''': "That sounded close."

*'''Marine #2''': "Yeah, too close."

*'''Sergeant Reynolds (COM)''': "Johnson, you be advised. Hostiles are -''{static}''- on the move -''{static}''-. I've got eyes on a -''{static}''- Brute [[Pack]] -''{static}''-. Over."

*'''Sergeant Johnson''': "Say again, [[UNSC rank structure|Gunny]]? You're breaking up."

''There is the ominous whisper of gravitational drives as a [[Ru'swum-pattern Phantom|Phantom]] flies overhead above the trees.''

*'''Marine #3''': ''(whispers)'' "[[Sergeant Major]], Phantom inbound."

*'''Sergeant Johnson''': "We stick together and we're gonna get spotted. Let's split up, meet back at the LZ. Chief, go with the Arbiter, head toward the river. [[Second Squad]], you're with me."

''Johnson and Second Squad climb up the cliff by the waterfall.''

''If the Chief attempts to follow Johnson and stares at him after the climb:''

''Johnson and Second Squad cross the river above the waterfall and run out of sight. The Master Chief and Thel 'Vadam take charge of First Squad. Thel 'Vadam leads the Chief up onto some rocks around a pile of fallen logs, while First Squad waits to go straight over.  They spot a [[Jiralhanae]] [[Jiralhanae Captain Major|Captain Major]] accompanied by a squad of Unggoy.''

*'''[[Jiralhanae Captain Major]]''': "Spread out, you [[Unggoy|whelps]]! Find them!"

*'''Marine #3''': ''(whispers)'' "Up ahead! Single Brute, plus backup!"

*'''Marine #3''': "He's got [[Jiralhanae power armor|power armor]], Chief!  Take down its shields before you close!"

''Master Chief and 'Vadam engage the Jiralhanae and his Unggoy subordinates. First Squad provides assistance for the Chief. After killing the Covenant patrol, they regroup.''

*'''[[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] (Single Player Only)''': ''(to the Jiralhanae corpse)'' "The [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]] are liars, but you are fools to do their bidding!"

''A couple more Phantoms arrive and deploy additional [[lance]]s of Unggoy and Jiralhanae. After clearing these enemies out, the Chief and his allies form up at a winking flare at an underground cave.''

*'''Marine #3''': "These Brutes are tough."

*'''Female Marine #4''': "Grunts ain't no slouches either."

*''(Co-op Change)'' '''Marine #3''': "Maybe the Brutes put something in their [[methane tank|tanks]]."

''After advancing through the caves, the team enters a massive forested expanse and finds the "Grunt Camp".<ref name="official guide">''[[Halo 3: The Official Guide]]''</ref> Sleeping Unggoy litter the first half while a few Jiralhanae, [[Kig-Yar]] and other Unggoy patrol the far hills.''

*'''Marine #3''': "Sleepers! Take 'em out, nice and quiet! ''(On [[Heroic]] or [[Legendary]])'' Jackals, on the ridge! Stay low; looks like they've got [[Type-51 Carbine|carbines]]."

''When the team is spotted by the Covenant:''

*'''Marine #3''': ''(on Heroic or Legendary)'' "I hate it when I'm right!"

''A large battle erupts in the camp. Additional Covenant reinforcements enter from the next area, but all fall to the team. They regroup near the exit:''

''Beyond the encampment, a [[Jiralhanae Captain]] is torturing Sergeant Reynolds on a log. Several other Covenant troops are nearby. It is possible and optional to save the Marine by killing or distracting the Jiralhanae before he kills him.''

*'''Jiralhanae Captain''': "Tell me its location!"

''If the Sergeant is not saved, the Jiralhanae Captain breaks his spine and throws him down, before noticing the Master Chief and 'Vadam. If he is saved, Reynolds jumps down from the log, grabs a nearby Assault Rifle and joins the Master Chief and 'Vadam in their fight.''

''First Squad cross the log bridge, clear out additional Covenant troops, including another Jiralhanae Captain and continue on until they reach another cave.''

''The [[UNSC]] squad continues forward and heads into the cave. They move down a steep slope and enter an underground cave leading to the river where Johnson has established an extraction point. The Chief's vision suddenly distorts. Purple lines flare across his view and the face of Cortana appears.''

*'''[[Cortana]] ([[Cortana Moment]])''': "Could you sacrifice me to complete your mission? Could you watch me die?"

*'''Marine #3''': ''(looks back)'' "Sir, you okay?"

*'''Marine #4''': ''(concerned)'' "Your vitals just pinged KIA."

''First Squad leaves the caves; the river is around the next bend. Three Marine corpses are scattered on the ground, with [[BR55HB SR Battle Rifle]] ammunition and [[M9 fragmentation grenade|Fragmentation Grenade]]s.''

''Beyond the steep slope is a river substation{{Ref/Reuse|official guide}} next to a raging river. A pair of [[D77H-TCI Pelican|Pelican]] dropships hover above the river as gunners in their troop bays fire upon a cluster of Covenant troops that have tunneled themselves in the substation.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "Hold on. Got a contact."

''As the Master Chief and his allies take out the Covenant forces that are closest to the Pelicans, two [[Type-26 Banshee|Banshee]]s streak in along the river.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "[[Banshees]]! Fast and low!"

''The Banshees fire their [[fuel rod cannon]]s at the Pelicans, and score direct hits on both. Explosions cascade over the Pelicans. Echo 51's wingman collides with Echo 51.''

*'''Pilot (COM)''': "I'm hit! ARRGH!"

*'''Echo 51 Pilot (COM)''': "Negative! We're going down!"

 

''With their evac gone, the Master Chief, Thel 'Vadam, and the Marines fight to secure the substation, defeating two waves of Jiralhanae-led Covenant reinforcements.''{{Ref/Reuse|official guide}}

*''(Co-op Change)'' '''Marine #3''': "Banshees are gonna circle back. Let's head into the jungle, sir."

 

*'''Sergeant Johnson (COM)''': "Chief, can you hear me?...''(static)'' My bird's down. Half a [[Wiktionary:klick|klick]] -''(static)''- downriver from your position."

*'''Marine #3''': "Jackals. On the ridge. Stay low. Looks like they got Carbines."

 

''After the Chief and 'Vadam pass through the short Kig-Yar-laden "Sniper Alley",{{Ref/Reuse|official guide}} they see a bridge. Three Marines are crossing it, under heavy fire, retreating from the wreckage of Echo 51. They hear Johnson's voice over the COM unit as a Jiralhanae leads a charge against the fleeing Marines.''

*'''Sergeant Johnson (COM)''': "Come on, you dumb [[Jiralhanae|apes]]! You want breakfast? You gotta catch it!"

''Johnson and some of the Marines frag the Jiralhanae and the other Covenant troops on the bridge, and run off into a cave.''

''The Chief and 'Vadam encounter many hostiles, including a Jiralhanae Chieftain on the side of a Phantom, who flies off when either his gunner or many of his troops are eliminated. The Chief and 'Vadam secure the area, and discover Echo 51's crash site by the riverside. The crashed dropship, lying on an outcropping along the valley wall, is surrounded by [[MA5C assault rifle|assault rifle]]s, [[BR55HB SR|battle rifle]]s, a [[SRS99D-S2 AM|sniper rifle]], ammunition, and Fragmentation Grenades. The Pelican's radio is still operational.''

''The Chief and his allies head up a slope, clear out more Covenant, and arrive at another cave.''

''The Master Chief leads 'Vadam (and any accompanying Marines) through the cave and into a narrow section of jungle. They soon arrive at a clearing.''

''At the end the Master Chief and 'Vadam reach a low cliff, viewing a Covenant-held dam. 'Vadam spots the Jiralhanae Chieftain beating Johnson on the far left in front of a small building.''

'''{''Gameplay''}'''

''The Chief and 'Vadam battle their way across the dam, engaging a plethora of Unggoy, Kig-Yar (including several [[Kig-Yar Sniper]]s) and Jiralhanae. Once enough of his subordinates have been killed, the Chieftain charges, oftentimes activating his [[invincibility]] device. Ultimately the Chief, with the help of 'Vadam and any other Marines that are still alive manage to kill all of the Covenant troops in the area. They finally reach Johnson, who's been tied up and imprisoned behind a plasma shield.''

''The Master Chief deactivates the plasma shield.  Johnson (and any other Marine prisoners) break free of their bindings and stand up.''

''Sergeant Johnson and the Marine survivors grab Covenant weaponry from nearby crates.''

''Two Phantoms arrive, carrying reinforcements. The Chief, 'Vadam, Johnson and any accompanying Marines engage the newly-arrived Covenant troops. The Phantoms hover over the river, their Unggoy gunners opening fire with their [[Pek-pattern plasma cannon|plasma turret]]s.''

''Pelican Kilo 23 rounds the river bend, directly in front of the two hovering Phantoms. Hocus, Kilo 23's pilot, lets loose a missile barrage, etching the air with vapor contrails as the first Phantom explodes in a brilliant coruscation of light.''

*'''Sergeant Johnson''': "Come on, Chief! The world won't save itself!"

''Kilo 23 descends into a hole in the ground.  Fade to black.''

*If [[N'tho 'Sraom]] reaches the middle point cutscene/checkpoint of the level, he will appear in the cutscene instead of 'Vadam (Arbiter) and say his dialogue.{{verify}}

*All of the kills Hocus gains through her missiles are headshots. This can be seen by turning on the [[Halo_3_skulls#Grunt_Birthday_Party|Grunt Birthday Party skull]] and leaving some grunts alive at the bridge, then quickly rushing to the bridge (note that the player is not supposed to actually try to kill them, due to her missiles being able to kill the player.) When her missiles kill the [[Grunts]], one can easily see the confetti and hear the children laughter.

*The [[Arbiter eye glitch]] can been seen on this level, if paused in Theater mode right at the start of the level before the game goes to full screen.

*In [[Theater]], it is possible to see a six-winged bird. At the start, when the player sees the first Brute, three birds will sometimes fly low through the area and get stuck on the rock that the Brute is standing on, overlapping and forming a six-winged bird. It will disappear in a few seconds, so one may have to view the level in the [[Theater]] and pause when one sees it to get a good look at it.

*There are two [[vacation]]s that can be performed in this level. (See: [[Sierra 117 vacation]].)

*It is possible to "break" the level by tossing a [[Anskum-pattern plasma grenade|Plasma Grenade]] at [[Kilo 23 (Pelican)|Kilo 23]]'s cockpit at the end of the level. The grenade will pass through the door to the cockpit and kill [[Hocus]], causing the [[D77-TC Pelican]] to fall through the level's geometry and disappear. Caution: Kilo 23 is rather large. if it falls on you, you may be splattered.

*If, during the ''Charlie Foxtrot'' chapter, you shoot Johnson off of the bridge as he crosses it, he will begin to fight the [[Unggoy|Grunts]], and if you are playing on a sufficient difficulty (Legendary with a few gold skulls on), he can be knocked back by grenades and Brute Shot blasts. On rare occasions, he will be held back and rejoin your group, and on other occasions, he may get "stuck" against an environmental obstacle, able to move but refusing to do so. When you go to the bottleneck of the forest before the [[Brute Chieftain]] locks Johnson in the room, he will vanish. If done correctly, when you look at Johnson being held by the chieftain, he will be running and wielding his rifle.

*When playing on [[Heroic]] or [[Legendary]], you can use a glitch to get the [[Type-1 energy sword|Energy Sword]] that Thel 'Vadam wields. Deliberately weaken the Arbiter by destroying his shield. Either make sure you see his Energy Sword on his hips, or when near enemies, he'll take it out. Kill him by either sticking him with a Plasma Grenade or letting the Covenant kill him (though the latter method will make it harder to find 'Vadam's corpse and his Energy Sword). When the deed is done, pick up the sword and it'll have around one to five energy left. If you want a fully-charged '''Energy Sword''', repeat the steps again, but wait several seconds after 'Vadam respawns, or he will see you as a [[Treason|traitor]], and kill you with one shot or melee attack.

*In the area where the two Pelicans are shot down by Banshees, as you head back into the jungle, you may be able to grenade the Arbiter off the cliff and onto the waterfall. He will slide down into the water, some distance beneath the surface, and run around for a little while. If you fire at him, you may be able to hear him faintly utter the usual phrases (e.x. "Save your fire for the Brutes!"). He will typically head off to the right (your right, when facing the entrance to the jungle) and travel some distance before reappearing back on the cliff, blindly running into a wall until you approach him.

*At the end of the level, you can shake Hocus's Pelican. To do this, you'll need the [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|Gravity Hammer]] and possibly some Plasma Grenades. Jump on top of the Pelican once it comes to pick you up, by using the ledge to the left of it. Whack the tail end with the Gravity Hammer, or throw Plasma Grenades at it, making sure it moves away from the bridge. If done properly, the Pelican should move around.

*Even though the time line takes place in the morning, the actual in-game background scenery tells a different story. If you use the position of the sun, the orientation of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Chief's position at [[Blind Skull]], the time would be late in the afternoon, meaning the sun would be in the wrong place.

===Easter eggs===

{{Main|Easter egg}}

*The [[Halo 3 skulls#Iron|Iron Skull]] is found on this level.

*The [[Halo 3 skulls#Blind|Blind Skull]] is found on this level.

*At the beginning of the level after the Arrival, it is rumored that [[B-113-421]]'s roars can be heard before entering the pool area. However, this is questionable since B-113-421 is only present and mentioned in ''[[Believe]]'' which was non-canon.

*Near the end of the level, you can use the [[elevator glitch]] where the skull is located to get on top of the glass structure. If you walk across the structure and proceed onto the side of the cliff you will be able to find a lone caveman, which is similar to the cavemen you can find at the beginning of the level.

*You can also use the Elevator glitch to get onto the platform above the Skull. You will need the chieftain's Gravity Hammer to get up. Once you are up, get your co-op pal to commit suicide. They should respawn above the player on the ledge above the skull. Once you have beaten the map, you can wander around above the dam and up into the hills on foot. There are numerous features like small hills and large holes in the ground. It has yet to be fully explored.

*If player one takes too long to board Hocus's Pelican at the end of the level, Johnson might say, "Come on, Chief! The fight isn't gonna' finish itself!" This is an obvious reference to the ''[[Halo 3]]'' tagline, "Finish the fight!".

*There are invisible floors on this level that make it seem like you are walking the stairway to Heaven. To do this, just use the Elevator glitch to get out of the map near the dam area by the Iron Skull.

*The Achievement "Landfall" is the same name as the Halo Shorts Series, ''[[Halo: Landfall]]''.

===Concept art===

<gallery>

File:Concept-H3-Sierra-Kilimanjaro.jpg|Concept art of John-117 with a Pelican and Mount Kilimanjaro in the background.

File:H3 KilimanjaroConcept.jpg|More concept art of Mount Kilimanjaro.

File:H3 ManualCover 1 Concept 2.jpg|Concept art of John-117 leading Johnson and Marines in the jungle.

File:H3 HydroConcept.jpg|Early concept art of the [[A2 Hydroelectric Facility]].

File:H3_A2Hydro_Concept_1.jpg|Concept art of the hydroelectric facility.

File:H3_A2Hydro_Concept_2.jpg|Another concept of the facility.

 

 

File:H3_KilimanjaroJungleSketch.jpg|Early paper sketch titled "Kilimanjaro Jungle".

File:H3_River_Paper_Sketch.jpeg|Early paper sketch titled "River".

 

File:H3 Sierra117 Storyboard 1.jpg

 

 

 

File:H3 Menu 02 Sierra 117.png|Preview of the level in ''Halo 3'' menu.

File:H3 ChiefJungle 0706.jpg|John-117 standing in the jungle.

File:MCwaterfall.jpg|John-117 at the waterfall where Johnson takes Second squad and splits up.

File:Brute_with_Shield.jpg|A Jiralhanae goes berserk and prepares to attack John-117.

File:Grunt_Jungle.jpg|A pair of Unggoy in the jungle.

File:H3 Sierra 117 Reynolds captured.jpg|A [[Jiralhanae Captain]] interrogates Gunnery Sergeant [[Reynolds]].

File:Defending_the_Pelicans.jpg|John-117 fires a turret in attempt to defend [[D77H-TCI Pelican Dropship|Pelicans]] from attacking [[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Banshees]].

File:Sierra117grunts.png|John-117 throws a plasma grenade at a pair of Unggoy.

{{Ref/Sources}}

{{succession box | before = ''[[Arrival]]'' <br />| title = ''Halo 3'' Campaign Missions | years = '''''Sierra 117''''' |after = ''[[Crow's Nest]]''}}

{{Levels|H3}}

[[Category:Halo 3 campaign|false]]