Valhalla

A player fires a Spartan Laser towards Blue Base in Valhalla.

Valhalla is a multiplayer map in Halo 3. A from-the-ground-up level, it is said to be 'the new Blood Gulch'. It is a sparsely forested valley with mountains in the distance, featuring a river, rocky outcroppings, and hills. Bungie added these new land features to help balance the action between snipers and on-foot travellers, whereas in Blood Gulch and Coagulation, those players were easy prey. Another fact is that none of the screenshots of the map contain a Halo rising into the distance. Valhalla could be located on a planet instead.

The map is very Large. It has a canyon with hills, lots of trees, cliffs, a very large Forerunner wall on one side, and a river running through.

The map is similar in shape to Coagulation and Timberland but has unique elements of it's own. It also has elements of the the second level of Halo: CE. The most obvious feature is the river. The river starts in the mountains behind blue base, and comes out at a waterfall. The river then flows infront of the base, into a cave, then down between the two prominant hills on which players find the Spartan Laser, and the Gun Turret. Finally it bends around the base, and empties into a large lake. There is also another cave in the map which goes through the hill between the crashed pelican and blue base.

The distinguished "beam emitter" bases are Forerunner technology. They are similar to the structures seen in the Halo PC multiplayer map Infinity and Halo, while the lower portion is remniscient of the bases in Blood Gulch. There are 3 possible entrances to the inside of the base; two on the sides seen in many screenshots, and another could be located behind as hinted by concept art. Replacing the teleporters are the Man Cannons. The largest one, on the front of the base, will send you out into the main battle, while the smaller ones on the side of each base send you a short distance to the nearby cliff for a quick getaway. Also stated about the bases is that they feature a shiney glass floor, most likely on the interior.

File:Vahalla side views.jpg

Blue Base features a waterfall and a river for defense.

Not much is yet known for spawns. As previously stated, there are two similar hills on either side of the river. On one spawns the Spartan Laser, while the other holds a gun turret. The Sniper Rifle and several of all grenade types spawn within the bases, along with the flag. Numerous Battle Rifles are said to spawn around the map, and Spikers spawn on top of the bases. The current vehicle set per base is a Banshee, Warthog, Wraith and two Mongooses.

Trivia

File:Pelican Shadow.jpg

A Pelican seen in the shadows of the trees of Valhalla.

• Valhalla (Old Norse Valhall, "Hall of the slain") is Odin's hall in Norse mythology, for those slain gloriously in battle.
• This map's name has nothing to do with blood, unlike its two predecessors. But, it is related to MJOLNIR, as they are both of the same mythological origin. But going back to the blood part, Bungie has kept part of the name from the other ones...
• Additionally, a D-77 TC Pelican Dropship can be seen to have crashed along the shadowed cliff between the bases. Players can salvage supplies from the dropship, like ammo, and possibly health packs, since pelicans have 2 health packs on their interior walls. Furthermore, weapons canisters from the dropship appear to be scattered across the battlefield.
• The maps general layout and design bears a startling resemblance to the Halo:PC map Timberland, and may have been inspired by it, incorporating elements from Coagulation as well.
• It at the current time, appears that the trees maybe destructable objects, though this isn't confirmed, it seems plausbile.

Another possible speculation is that the map is based around the dyson sphere on Onyx that Fred, Kelly, Linda, Mendez and Dr Halsey are currently in. Evidence to support this speculation are as follows:

• In the Book the Ghosts of Onyx the enviroment in the dyson sphere is described as having meadows, rivers, lakes, forests and winding paths all flat as well as a river. Alough Valhalla is not entirely flat the described features above incline some similarity between the Onyx sphere and Valhalla.
• Linda also says that "it felt like being at the bottom of a large bowl" and the shape of Valhalla is similar to that of a bowls with high cliff walls raising on the edge of the map.
• The Forerunner structures seen in the map suggest that the location is certainly not on earth yet there is no ring in the sky so it cannont be on any of the ring structures. This would leave only one known existing forerunner location to be and that is on Onyx.
• Valhalla means 'hall of the slain' and seening as the Onyx dyson sphere is made out to be a very pleasant location where the forerunners where supposedly meant to retreat to to escape the activation of the rings Onyx relates to this name in that it is a place where the forerunners would 'live another life' or an afterlife away from the destruction of the galaxy. This is also a play on words because if the rings are activated and all life destroyed the forerunners in the sphere would have been the 'life after death' or the living beings still left after the death of all beings.
• The cliffs and rocks have this distinctive white colour and the rock onyx is coloured white also among other colours.
• Finally if this map was based on the sphere on Onyx this may also suggest possible campaign levels where you play as Fred, Kelly or Linda trying to escape the dyson sphere as Bungie have stated in the past that most multiplayer maps designs are based on that of campaign levels or campaign locations. Not only this but the Valhalla map may be based around a location not yet seen in the Onyx sphere. However this is sheer speculation and conjecture and should be viewed accordingly.