Boardwalk

Template:Ratings Template:Multiplayer Map Infobox Template:Article Quote Boardwalk is a multiplayer map in Halo: Reach.^[1] The map is set in an urban plaza in the city of New Alexandria, with many walkways, and is near a MagLev Train line. The plaza has many scorch marks, craters, and damaged wall fragments due to Covenant attack and the map's ambient sounds contain explosions and heavy cannon fire.

Strategies

This medium size, multi-level building complex offers cover in the way of scattered foliage such as trees and rocks located in various planters mixed with some boulders. This map's layout features a long open central area which snipers will be covering almost all of the time. If you need to maneuver from end to end, use the sides of the map and the lower level to remain out of sniper crosshairs.

The lower level contains two power weapons available, the Rocket Launcher and the Plasma Launcher. These are going to become two of the hottest zones on the map. The Plasma Launcher is under the waterfall and the Rocket Launcher is near the stairs on the high side of the map. Grab them if you can or consider defending their spawn location while players continually stream towards them.

Use the sides of the map to flank your enemies and the underground level as well. You can loop around from underneath to either side of the map or the center. You can also use the elevation here to gain the high ground on your enemies. There are several trees that you can climb into for great cover and vantage points. And, you can use other players to gain higher access by getting on their backs and jumping to higher points.

Try crouching in and under the trees and rocks on the map and wait for enemies to rush past. Remember that while you are crouched, you do not show up on enemy radar-moving or not. This is going to be very useful here to get from one end to the other, since there are half walls that will block you from enemy view. Think about choosing the Hologram loadout and activate it to run out into the center of the map from time to time. This will get enemy snipers to fire off a locating round that you can trace back to their location and find a way around them or finish them off with a power weapon.

There are several elevation changes here that you can use to fight near and escape quickly out of enemy range if you get into trouble. Jump down when your shields go down but be careful not to end your own life from the impact. Stick to low light areas while maneuvering around the map and stick close to minimize your silhouette. Try setting traps and using your Hologram as bait. If you have made your way to a power weapon, this could be a great trick to use. Fire off a Hologram and wait for an enemy to take the bait. Lock on to them with the Plasma Launcher or splash them with explosions for the Rocket Launcher. You don't need a power weapon for this, but it will make short work of any opponents.

With the open layout of this map, you can also make good use of Active Camo. Sometimes you may need to use the center of the map to move to your desired location and this can help you do it. Continue to stick to the inside walls of the middle area will cloaked since enemy snipers will be watching for movement and you will be semi-noticeable. Try to move slowly from cover to cover.

This map also offers some decent cover to use in conjunction with the Hologram. If an enemy sees you duck behind cover and begins firing on you, you can quickly fire off a Hologram while you stay put. Send it out in the same direction you were moving in to trick the enemy into thinking you just stopped for a second, then continued. While they train their weapons of the fake "you", pop up and pick them off. Done correctly and timed right, this technique can infuriate your enemies and keep you alive at the same time.

This map will be slow paced on top and out in the open, but fast paced down below offering close quarters combat and splash damage from explosions off of the walls and floors.

This map is seen in the Gamestop commercial for the unlockable armor.^[2]
If you get near or past the kill barrier on the map, the door frames outside of the map are filled with a solid wall of gray instead of a door.
This map is seen at the beginning of the mission Exodus. In the mission there are dead civilian bodies everywhere and a Falcon group and Longswords flying overhead.