Valhalla

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Valhalla is a multiplayer map in Halo 3. A from-the-ground-up level, it is said to be "The new Blood Gulch". The map is a sparsely forested valley with mountains in the distance, featuring a river, rocky outcroppings, a large reduction in size, 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. These minor alterations cause drastic changes in gameplay. Some have said this was somewhat of a replacement for Blood Gulch and Coagulation. Though its layout is based on Blood Gulch and Coagulation, much of its actual design is very similar to the campaign level The Covenant, and is likely set nearby.

In a FAQ of Halo 3 Beta, Bungie has replied to the question "Why is there no Halo in the sky above Valhalla and Snowbound?", by saying "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 located on the Ark. The map is large. It has a canyon with hills, lots of trees, cliffs, a very large Forerunner wall on one side, and a river running through.

Overview

A birds-eye view of Valhalla.

The map is similar in shape to Blood Gulch but has unique elements of its own. Valhalla is not a remake of Coagulation, nor is the downloadable Standoff either. Valhalla 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, under an outcrop, then down between the two prominent hills on which players find the Spartan Laser, and the AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun. Finally it bends around the base, and empties into a large lake. Also, there are two other caves in the map, one which goes through the hill between the crashed pelican and blue base and the other which goes through the hill between the pelican and red base. Do note that if weapons are dropped into the river, they might drift downstream.

A player fires a Spartan Laser towards a 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, Timberland 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 that dips down into the base. Replacing the teleporters are the Man Cannons. The largest one, on the front of the base, will send you out a third of the way out into the main battle area, while the smaller ones on the side of each base send you a short distance to the nearby cliff for a quick getaway. The bases feature a shiny glass floor on the interior, allowing players to see who is above them and vice versa. As previously stated, there are two similar hills on either side of the river. On one, the highest, spawns the Spartan Laser, while the lower hill holds an AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun. Each base holds a Sniper Rifle inside the rear entrance, a pair of Fragmentation Grenades and Plasma Grenades. 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, two on the terrain where you land after taking off from the Man Cannons, and one that spawn in each cave. A Shotgun spawns inside each of the caves as well, and Spikers spawn on the top of both bases near the Missile Pod. A pair SMGs also spawn on each base and are located next to the Plasma Grenades. Valhalla is a very good sniper map since you can snipe opponents clear to the other side of the map.

The Missile Pod spawns inside each base in the Halo 3 Beta but were 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 (In 4v4 matches, the Banshee is sometimes removed). The Power Drain spawns on top of each base next to the Missile Pod, while the Bubble Shield spawns at the neutral Mongoose near the Forerunner wall.

Like the Halo Installations, the Ark is populated by a mixture of flora and fauna, some unique and others peculiarly similar to Earth classes, and as mentioned before the bases are Forerunner energy stations.

Areas

The Layout of Valhalla

Lake Base
Waterfall Base
Waterfall
Canyon Bend
Ravine
Turret
Turret Side
Pelican
Pelican Rear Cave
Pelican Nose Cave
Centre Ridge
River

There are also points on the top of the spires that can be reached by Banshee, Hornet, or in Forge, but these areas will not be listed.

Alternate Valhalla Variants

These are the alternate Valhalla variants that can be encountered in Matchmaking.

Valhalla Covies

All Warthogs and Banshees are replaced by Ghosts and Wraiths.
The Missile Pod at each base is now replaced by a Rocket Launcher.
The Shotguns on the map are replaced by Energy Swords.
The Battle Rifle spawns inside the "Shogtun Cave" are replaced by Needlers.
The Sniper Rifle is now replaced by the Beam Rifle.

Valhalla Heavy

An additional Warthog spawns alongside the default Warthog spawn at each base.
A Scorpion Tank spawn in front of each base.
A Spartan Laser spawns alongside the default Sniper Rifle spawn point at each base, another spawns at the Pelican crash site, and another at the Turret-Hill site.
An additional Bubble Shield spawns at the Pelican crash site.
The default Spartan Laser spawn point on the map is now replaced by a Rocket Launcher.
Teleporters are added to the map. Each base's lower deck has a Sender Node Teleporter which teleports players to other Receiver Node Teleporters either near the Pelican crash side or the Turret-Hill site.

Strategies

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A battle at one of the bases in the map Valhalla.

For a Team Slayer game, it is imperative to control the middle ground (where the Spartan Laser spawns) with Battle Rifles, Sniper Rifles, and the Spartan Laser, this allows your team to fire on the enemy base from a distance, or kill them coming down from the Man Cannon stopping them from being able to fight with ample room to breathe, but be careful as a way of countering this is to simply go to the turret and flank the enemy team, allowing the others to take the middle ground.
When at the Blue Team's Base (the one with the water nearest it) grab the Sniper Rifle and go to the rock to the left of the base with a giant space between the rock and the cliff. This provides great coverage and gives you a great view of the Blue's battle side which is great for CTF game modes.
For a CTF or Assault game type, whether it is Multi or Single, organization and teamwork is the key to victory.
Try not to use the Spartan Laser on lone targets such as one person charging the hill with no back up. And save the Laser ammunition for incoming vehicles or a player wielding a Missile Pod.
Try to secure the Spartan Laser first and foremost to allow you to take out infantry and vehicles with ease, if you're on defence fall back to the base and use it on assaulting vehicles, using a Battle Rifle or similar to take out distant-enemies before they reach the base. If on you're on offence, use the Spartan Laser to cover the rest of your team, then you should to help retrieve the flag or protect the bomb from being disarmed.
The initial rush straight for the Laser once the game starts can be swung your way by throwing grenades to land just beyond the lasers spawn point knocking down shields or even killing members of the other team with the same objective in mind.
For territories sticking together is the best way to win, usually, an offensive team will stay in one large group moving from territory to territory, making it hard for a team to defend all of the territory's at once, so for defence, move up to the bases that will be easiest for the attackers to capture (The crashed pelican, the shotgun spawning points) and try to protect those with a larger group, and keep a few of the back ready to move to another territory while the rest deal with other attackers. For offence, move as one group, have Battle rifles and/or Snipers cover the Assault rifles as they rush the territory to capture it. If you must, leave on person to capture a territory further back as the rest rush the ones closer to the enemy base, then have him/her move with any players that had to respawn after they died.
- As a note, Territory 4 is a very dangerous Territory due to the fact it is in a cave, and multiple grenades can be thrown in to kill the attacking force. Try to always bring a Bubble Shield and/or Regenerator.
As in any Team Slayer game, move as a pack, and do not get separated. Controlling the Spartan Laser and the Missile Pods are the key to this level because vehicles will not have to worry about getting destroyed so easily.
If you are in the Coastal Base and you use the Man Cannon, you can actually jump across the river from where you land, with at least some momentum left from your launch. You must land pretty much on the edge of the land before you would fall into the river, if this can be done right, it may be helpful to get closer to the Spartan Laser on the hill.
Try to use the Warthog when taking out enemies on the hill, especially if they have a Spartan Laser and are trying to kill a teammate of yours in a Banshee as they won't focus on you as much.
In Capture The Flag, if the flag carrier has no one to carry him to base from within the enemies’ base, it is a wise tactic to take the Mongoose from the far right and drive where they will land on the Man Cannon, this can be used for a clean getaway.
At the start of the game, if you are going for the Spartan Laser, pick up the Power Drain and throw it as you man cannon towards the hill, this should deter, weaken, or at least hold back the enemies while you pick up the Laser, and also have a Sniper in the base and/or other players to protect as you get to a safe distance with the Spartan Laser.
A good Sniper tactic in Valhalla, is to jump as you approach the Spartan Laser hill. Even if you don't have a good aim, you can still badly injure a few of the other team, making the Spartan Laser easy to claim.
A good sniper place is to get the Sniper Rifle and Banshee and ride up to the top of the base. If you do it correctly you will be able to snipe people with in the whole map. But remember to look out for the mortar that the bases fire. Another way to get there is by positioning a Wraith beside the back entrance of a base, and jumping on top of it. Then, jump up to the slippery platform. What sure you keep jumping forward until you reach the location. This tactic is harder and can also be done with a Wartog or by Team Jumping.
In CTF or Assault, have someone camp with the Missile Pod. It can destroy incoming vehicles, or at close-med ranges, it can be use as a compensation of a Rocket Launcher.
The Plasma Grenades and Battle Rifles have a fast respawn time on each base. Unless the need to move out is urgent, it's usually worthwhile to wait for them.
The Power Drain should be useful when numerous foes are arriving at the arming spot or Flag in Assault and CTF games. Just hold your nerve and deploy it when you've almost touched their objective.
The "man cannons" can be used to launch just about anything from the missle pod to help your squadmates in the field, to launching power drains, plasma grenades, frag grenades, or the respawning fusion coil to hinder opponents, as well as an unmanned mongoose if you're confident it will hit them, or a manned mongoose to get a good position for the spartan laser and sometimes even a warthog you can use to get the spartan laser to the passenger, while he runs back to base for the driver and gunner to steal some of the opponents vehicles.

Trivia

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"BBQ AT BOB'S PLACE" Message on the Forerunner wall.

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Kilroy on the Forerunner Wall.

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The tombstone on the Forerunner Wall.

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The "Toady was live!" message on the Forerunner Wall.

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"7th Column" Symbol on the Forerunner Wall.

Valhalla is the name of one of the largest craters of Callisto, Jupiter's fourth largest Moon.
The two towers on Valhalla show a striking resemblance to the towers in the level Halo on Halo: Combat Evolved.
Like Halo 2 map Zanzibar, the writing on the wall changes with the date. On October 31st (Halloween), a Tombstone with the letters "RIP" appeared on the Forerunner Wall near the Neutral Mongoose respawn and on a rock close to Red Base. Also, on November 11th (Armistice/Veteran's Day) , a drawing of Kilroy, a popular graffiti character during the 1940s and throughout World War II, appears on the Forerunner Wall and on a rock just close to Red base. It also bears the writing, "Kilroy was here". There are different images for many different days. The image seems to be locally generated-changing your Xbox clock will show an image for any given date. On December 25th(Christmas day) a sort of shield with a big cross going through it will appear. On January 1st (New years day) the words "make love not war" appear by the rock at the red base. On April 22nd A recycle symbol with a skull on the inside with the letters SG underneath appeared on the Forerunner Wall, a reference to Earth Day. On May 5th (or the first Monday of May - May Day. It could even be something to do with the "Cinco De Mayo" playlist, which literally means "5th of May") the message "Toady was live!" appears. On July 4th (Independence day) the words "BBQ at bobs place" appears on the wall. On July 7th (Bungie Day) the Seventh column symbol appears.
Valhalla (Old Norse Valhalla, "Hall of the Slain") is Odin's hall in Nordic 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 Drop ship Victor 398 mentioned in the map description can be seen to have crashed along the shadowed cliff between the bases. Weapons canisters from the drop ship appear to be scattered across the battlefield.
The map's general layout and design bears a startling resemblance to the level Halo in the first game, and may have been inspired by it, incorporating elements from Blood Gulch/Coagulation and Timberland, a similar map from Halo:PC.^{[verification needed]}
This map was named "Riverworld" and then "Curious Gorge" before Bungie finally settled on Valhalla.^[1]
In the Halo 3 beta, you could fly into outer space by a glitch in a Banshee.
You can fly to the top of the towers using a Banshee and then wait for a few minutes before being killed by the Guardians (the laser fires up and hits you).
During the Halo 3 Beta, each base spawned a Trip Mine. Unfortunately, using it as an ambush for unwary enemy team members often resulted in the deaths of those friendly units still around it, and so it was removed from the final game.
During the concept of this map, Bungie intended to make the map more of a snowy map than a forest one. Because of Snowbound, Bungie decided to make a forest map instead. However, some snow can still be seen near the base located near the waterfall. There is also snow atop the cliffs surrounding the majority of the map.^{[verification needed]}
The river that runs through the center of the map has a fully functional current. A light enough object, including a dead Spartan, will flow down the river from the waterfall towards the lake. If the object floats far enough in the lake, it will drop underwater when it reaches the "death border".
On the cliff to the left of Blue Base (opposite the cliff next to the wall) there is a picture of Kilroy on a rock.
Butterflies can be seen near the weapon canister opposite the Pelican.
Looking closely at the edge of the platform where the Banshee spawns, you can see the texture of the metal resembles the face of Ling Ling, Bungie's dog.
There are dim lights inside each of the bases, giving the room a red or blue ambiance. However, the default and matchmaking spawn points in team games (CTF, Assault etc) spawn red team in the Blue Base (Lake Base) and blue team in the Red Base (Waterfall Base).
If you look at both Blood Gulch and Coagulation from Halo:CE and Halo 2 respectively, from a birds-eye view it looks as if there was a dried up river in each map that is almost the same shape as the one in Valhalla.
Each base seems to be a large Forerunner Beacon identified by the long stretching tower and edifice streaming wayward plasma beams firing into the sky, as seen in the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign mission, Halo.
Valhalla is said to be a re-imagination of Blood Gulch and Coagulation, so the Pelican in Valhalla could possibly be a reference to the Pelican at the end of the machinima series Red VS Blue, which took place in Blood Gulch and Coagulation.
Valhalla shows that there may be rockslides or erosion on the cliffs due to the caves being formed by what looks like fallen boulders.
If you stand at the base near the lake and look at the mountains in the distance, you can see 117 carved into the mountains.
If you can get out of Valhalla and up into space, one of the "prongs" of The Ark at the very top resembles an Energy Sword.
Again, if you get out of the map and are able to move around in Theater mode, you will see 3 triangular shaped holes in the lake at anglular points.