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 travelers, whereas in Blood Gulch and Coagulation, those players were easy prey. Another fact is that the map does not contain a Halo rising into the distance. Valhalla could be located on a planet instead. In a recent FAQ, Bungie has replied to this question, "Who said [Valhalla] is anywhere near a Halo? The Galaxy is a big place, and there are only six Halos left." The FAQ can be seen here. In the final version of the game, if you go out into the water as far as possible and look to the horizon, you can see one "spoke" of the Ark. You can't see more than one because of mountains and clouds, but Valhalla is most likely located on the Ark.

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.

Layout

The map is similar in shape to Blood Gulch but has unique elements of its own. It also has features from the Halo: Combat Evolved level; Halo. The most obvious feature is both the river and the bases themselves. The river starts in the mountains behind blue base, and comes out at a waterfall. The river then flows in front of the base, into a cave, then down between the two prominent hills on which players find the Spartan Laser, and the AIE-486H Heavy Machinegun. 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.

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

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 reminiscent of the bases in Blood Gulch. There are three entrances to the inside of the base; two on the sides as seen in many screenshots, and another located behind. 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 shiny glass floor, most likely on the interior.

File:Vahalla side views.jpg

Blue Base features a waterfall and a river for defense.

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 AIE-486H Heavy Machinegun. Each base holds two Sniper Rifles inside near to the entrances, a pair of Fragmentation Grenades and Plasma Grenades. The third grenade type, the Spike Grenade, is not present on this map. Numerous Battle Rifles spawn around the map: two on top of the base next to the smaller Man Cannons, two underneath the base alongside each entrance along with two Plasma Pistols, and two that spawn in each cave. Two Shotguns spawn inside the cave as well, and Spikers spawn on top of the bases along with the Trip Mine. The Missile Pod spawns inside each base in the Halo 3 Beta but was moved to the top in the full game. The current vehicle set per base is a Banshee, Warthog, Wraith, and two Mongooses. However, in the Matchmaking playlists the vehicles are limited to a Warthog, a pair of Mongooses, and a banshee per base. The Power Drainer spawns on top of each base next to the Missle Pod, while the Bubble Shield spawns at the neutral Mongoose near the Forerunner wall.

Areas

The Layout of Valhalla

1. Lake Base
2. Waterfall Base
3. Waterfall
4. Canyon Bend
5. Ravine
6. Turret
7. Turret Side
8. Pelican
9. Pelican Rear Cave
10. Pelican Nose Cave
11. Center Ridge
12. River

Trivia

• 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.
• The D-77 TC Pelican Dropship Victor 398 mentioned in the map description can be seen to have crashed along the shadowed cliff between the bases. Weapons canisters from the dropship appear to be scattered across the battlefield.
• The maps general layout and design bears a startling resemblance to the level Halo, and may have been inspired by it, incorporating elements from Blood Gulch/Coagulation and Containment as well.
• At the current time, it appears that the trees may be destructible objects and although this is unconfirmed as of yet, it is plausible. (Some foliage, such as small trees, are destructible in the beta)
• This map was named "Riverworld" and then "Curious Gorge" before Bungie finally settled on Valhalla.
• This map was used as PSAs for Rooster Teeth's widely known machinima series, Red vs. Blue.
• If an object, such as a grenade or weapon, is thrown into the river, it will float downstream. If a person is killed in the river, their body will also float downstream. All objects will eventually sink to the bottom of the river and stop their downstream movement.

Images

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  The Forerunner wall.

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

• Pelican in red .jpg

  The crashed pelican is clearly seen in the red box

• Pelican Shadow.jpg

  A Pelican seen in the shadows of the trees of Valhalla

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