M12 Warthog/Gameplay

Campaign

• It is recommended for the player to be accompanied by an AI gunner. Also, as they are programmed in the game, have excellent accuracy and, in most situations, can quickly eliminate enemy infantry and vehicles almost without fail.
• It is often advised for the player to switch Warthogs if they see a heavier-armed Warthog (i.e. Gauss, Rocket) as they would provide a more lethal method to eliminate the enemy personnel and vehicles.
• Take care when using the Warthog against other vehicles on Legendary. Without any heavily-armed passengers, the enemy AIs can kill the player easily. It is advised to have the passenger to be equipped with a Rocket Launcher or a Spartan Laser.
• The Warthog is the second strongest vehicle for ramming a Shade Turret.
• With a gunner, the Warthog is very effective against Ghosts, but still weak against Choppers.
• In Halo: Combat Evolved, avoid driving on ice, since the Warthog's tires have poor grip on it, and you may not be able to control the Warthog's steering properly.

Multiplayer

• Do not slow down when driving the Warthog. A slow Warthog can become an easy prey to hijacking and can be quickly be destroyed with explosives.
• Always remind the gunner to focus on the enemy vehicle's gunner instead of the driver. This will eliminate any counter-offensive and make it easier to eliminate the enemy vehicle.
• The M12 is very versatile vehicle; it can evade explosives rounds fired by the enemy if the driver is experienced with the vehicle (using the hand-brake) and the terrain (avoiding locked-on missiles with a scenery object). For example, an experienced driver could avoid a grenade explosion by skidding around the grenade instead of going straight over it.
• The Warthog is not the best vehicle to engage head on with a tank. Should the players find it necessary to remove the threat, it is advised to utilize an anti-armor Warthog instead of the anti-infantry Warthog. Additionally, flanking the tank as to diverting its attention would provide a window of opportunity for the anti-armor Warthog to destroy the tank.
• Unless absolutely necessary, do not use the turret without a driver. A gunner in a stationary Warthog is more easily exposed to attacks than those in a moving Warthog; one such instance is that a gunner can be quickly eliminated by sniper fire. It is reasonable in a Gauss turret due to its lethal power, but change positions often or the player could be easily overwhelmed.
• It is very tempting to splatter enemies with the Warthog. However, do not attempt to do so intentionally, as the Warthog would be more likely be susceptible to a Plasma Grenade stick. In some cases, the Warthog could fall prey to a heavily-armed opponent. If your victim is distracted however, the sheer weight of the vehicle can do the job more effectively than a bullet can.
• Warthogs can be used as effective entrance jammers. Additionally, it is often recommended for the driver to drive the Warthog in an irregular behavior when circling around an enemy base.
• In most maps, for example Blood Gulch, the map has some road like trenches in it, driving on these is highly recommended as this makes flipping less likely and the sides give the player some cover from enemy attack.

Halo Wars

In Halo Wars, Warthogs are lightly armored, fast and nimble scout units. They are player's first unit and do not have any damage capability other than running things over. Along with infantry units, they can be used to collect discovered resource crates. A Warthog cost 150 resources to construct at the command center and a unit takes up one population.

• Gunner: 250 resources and requires a tech level of one. Adds an M41 Light Anti-Aircraft Gun, giving them combat capabilities.
• Grenadier : 500 resources and requires a tech level of two. Adds a grenadier armed with an XM510 Multishot Grenade Launcher.
• Gauss Cannon: 800 resources and requires a tech level of three. Replaces the M41 LAAG with an M68 ALIM.

Sergeant Forge can mount the Warthog and in result the Warthog instantly upgraded into Gauss Hog which was unique to Sergeant Forge.

Halo Wars 2

In Halo Wars 2, Warthogs share the same role they did in Halo Wars. They are very dependable for reconning areas aside the Jackrabbit.

In Halo Wars 2, basic Warthogs are now equipped with an M41 Vulcan by default, and can be upgraded with Gauss Cannons from the Garage.

Warthog Upgrade: Gauss Cannon

• Info: Weapon Upgrade, Damage Boost, Range Boost
• Tier: 3
• Cost: Supplies 0, Power 750

• The Spartan Warthog is a special Warthog Hero unit that only available in The Signal, with Jerome-092 as the driver, Alice-130 as the gunner and Douglas-042 as the passenger. It is the only Warthog to be mounted by all of Red Team.
• Morgan Kinsano also has a Warthog exclusive to her. Units under her command will deploy a Flame Warthog, a Warthog equipped with a Flamethrower, that can receive an upgrade to turn it into an incendiary grenade launcher