Sword Flying is a glitch present in Halo 2. It allows players to use the Energy Sword to bypass invisible walls. The glitch can also be performed in Halo 3, though not with the same results.
The player can leave the ordinary map boundaries by performing a Sword Fly trick or Sword Cancel. Also a form of Sword flying is Butterflying and is done by standing below a partner and sword cancel continuously while the partner continuously jumps. The player will charge at but not slash the other player, allowing the sword user to fly over the other person and get over a boundary. Players could also use the "sword fly trick" to get past the boundaries in older versions, although this glitch has been removed from the game by an update from the game publisher, Bungie.
There are four ways to glitch involving the Energy Sword. In this article, 'R' is short and for the right trigger on your controller. 'X', 'Y', 'B' are the blue, yellow, and red buttons respectively.
Sword canceling
Sword canceling is the act of sword-lunging at a person without hitting them. The method works by pressing R+X; this minor button combo performs, and then quickly cancels, a sword swing. B+X may also be used; it works especially well for Wall Climbing.
Sword canceling can be used to sword fly by positioning one player (Person A) in the position the other player (Person B) wishes to reach. Person B should have an empty Rocket Launcher and an Energy Sword. Person A should jump repeatedly; Person B should repeatedly sword cancel at Person A; they will eventually pass through the invisible wall and reach A's location.
Butterflying
- Main article: Butterfly
The primary form of sword glitching is known under various names, including butterflying, sword climbing, and less commonly, partner bouncing. The trick involves having one player stand on top of the other, with the bottom player wielding an Energy Sword. The top player jumps repeatedly, while the bottom player sword cancels repeatedly. The combined actions cause the two players to climb through the air.
Rocket canceling
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The Energy Sword and Rocket Launcher can be used in combination to rocket cancel, allowing players to fly through the air.
- One "rocket canceling" method is to have an empty Rocket Launcher as a primary weapon. The player should tap Y to switch weapons, and in the middle of switching weapons, press R. The player should then "fly" to wherever their reticule was pointed. Also if the player presses A in the middle of flying they will jump will in mid-flight.
- The other form, sometimes called "rocket jumping", is when a player uses a full Rocket Launcher to aim at a target, so that their reticule turns red. The player then quickly presses X+Y+R repeatedly until they "fly" at the target. This is useful for getting to otherwise unreachably-high places on maps, like Zanzibar and Headlong.
To get to really high places, you can use a combination of Sword Flying and at the top of the flight, using the Sword Cancel on an opponent to get to where they are
In recent auto updates, Sword Flying has been changed drastically on Xbox Live. Instead of pressing Y, press Y, X, and B at the same time in place. It is much more difficult and will only lunge at other with certain angles. Sword lunging still works. Sword Cancels have not been disabled due to the auto-update
Rocket canceling does not work in Halo 3.
Rocket Canceling can be seen here at 06:42.
Warthog Variation
- Main article: Flyboy
A now-patched method once allowed players to sword fly out of a Warthog's passenger seat. You have an 'Energy Sword' and get in to the passenger seat of a 'Warthog', have an opposing player to get up close to the warthog and then swing the sword at him/her (they will not get hurt). then have them back away and look anywhere on your side of the warthog and get out, and you will move a distance at an inhuman pace.