Sandbox

Sandbox is an upcoming map that will be included in the Mythic Map Pack. Its setting and architechture is similar to Sandtrap, but its forging capabilities seem to surpass Foundry. The map consists of three distinct layers: The main ground area which resembles Sandtrap, the "Sky Bubble", a location high above that can be used to create floating maps with falling death barriers and "The Crypt" underneath that is the best way for making enclosed arenas. The layers are seperated by default, but can be accessed and connected in Forge.

Sandbox along with Assembly and Orbital have been confirmed to be shipped with the Limited Edition of Halo Wars. Bungie has confirmed they are working to get these maps available on Marketplace as soon as possible after Halo Wars' release on February 26, 27, and March 3 2009. The release date for the other three maps is unknown although it is confirmed that they will come with Halo 3:ODST.

Setting
"Forerunner structures are often so vast, so towering and so exaggerated that they'd be visible from a number of different excavation sites."

- Lukems posted a brief clue about Sandbox's location in the Halo universe on 01.20.2009 {fact} } Sandbox is set in the midst of a barren desert with many rolling sand dunes, similar to Sandtrap. Large Forerunner towers can be seen in the distance. Bungie hinted that, similar to Sandtrap, the Covenant may have also conducted archaeological excavations here.

Default Sandbox
The default sandbox is perfectly symmetrical, and considered by Bungie to be a medium-large map. It contains two bases opposite each other, with cover laid in between. The map's vehicular arsenal includes a Chopper, Warthog and two Mongooses for each team. The infantry has Rocket Launchers and Missile Pods to counter them, and an Overshield is located on top of a pillar in the center of the map.

Sky Bubble
The Sky Bubble is essentially an area in Sandbox that can be reached via a teleporter, so you can play on both the normal map and the Sky Bubble at the same time.. It is located high above Sandbox's ground level, and has another grid system to help line up objects. The sky bubble is completely flat, and based on screenshots, appears to be larger than the ground area of the default Sandbox. When you fall off the edge of your forge from the sky bubble, there is a death barrier, so maps like Guardian and Ascension could be accurately remade.

The Crypt
The Crypt is a large, enclosed area located under Sandbox. It can be accessed by removing the structure in the center of the map and dropping down the shaft. The area of the crypt is on the same scale as the main area of Foundry; it is suitable for Grifball without any forging. The floor is square-shaped and the height is the same as the width. The blue grid also appears down in the crypt.

Forge
""Sandbox combines large-scale vehicular combat with a limitless amount of Forge customization. Boasting a tiered, open-world layout, “Halo 3” players will be able to build their own unique game experiences using the Forge map editor. Sandbox is a map unlike any Bungie has ever created.""

- Bungie.net

The center of the map is a flat, empty floor, similar to Foundry but visually resembling Sandtrap. The map is built from forge-editable blocks, pillars and ramps. The map is said to include "just about every kind of building block you could ever want", for example tunnels, crouch-only doorways and quarter-pyramids; see this update for a full list. The item limits have been loosened: for example, it is possibly to place 40 walls. Sandbox supports every vehicle in Halo 3 multiplayer except the Elephant, including both Hornet variants. A new Forge item is an orb of light that colors its surroundings in either red or blue; it can be used to differentiate the two bases, similar to most maps made by Bungie. Another is the "Kill Ball" that kills anyone who enters it; a total of four are placeable. Another new addition is a golf club and ball along with a cup to hit it in. Like the soccer ball, it is purely for ascetic purposes and in no way will score you a point. In Forge mode, a blue-grid appears on the map to help the player place objects the way they want it, with accuracy and precision.

Forge Scenery Items
There are many new items to be placed in Forge. These are mostly Sandtrap-themed, to keep within the style of the map.
 * 40 Wall $5
 * 20 Wall, Half $5
 * 20 Wall, Quarter $5
 * 20 Wall, Corner $5
 * 20 Wall, Slit $5
 * 20 Wall, T $5
 * 40 Wall, Double $5
 * 20 Wedge, Small $5
 * 20 Wedge, Long $5
 * 40 Block, Large $5
 * 40 Block, Double $5
 * 30 Block, Tall $5
 * 30 Block, Huge $5
 * 40 Wedge, Huge $5
 * 30 Ramp, Large $5
 * 20 Wedge, Large $5
 * 40 Wedge, Corner $5
 * 20 Tube Piece $5
 * 20 Tube Y-Intersections $5
 * 20 Tube Corner $5
 * 20 Tube Ramp $5
 * 20 Column, Stone Small $5
 * 20 Column, Damaged Small $5
 * 20 Column, Blue Small $5
 * 20 Column, Red Small $5
 * 20 Column, Large $5
 * 20 Column, Stone Large $5
 * 20 Block, Tiny $5
 * 20 Block, Small $5
 * 20 Block, Flat $5
 * 20 Block, Angled $5
 * 20 Corner, Small $5
 * 20 Corner, Large $5
 * 20 Stone Bridge $5
 * 20 Obelisk $5
 * 20 Fin $5
 * 20 Ramp, Short $5
 * 20 Ramp, Wide $5
 * 20 Ramp, Thick $5
 * 30 Stone Platform $5
 * 20 Arch $5
 * 20 Scaffolding $5
 * 20 Wood Bridge, Large $5
 * 20 Wood Bridge, Thin $5
 * 16 Barricade $4
 * 16 Radio Antennae $5
 * 32 Fusion Coil $5
 * 16 Pallet $5
 * 4 Grav Lift $10
 * 8 Cannon, Man $15
 * 8 Shield Door, Large $15
 * 8 Weapon Holder $5
 * 1 FX, Nova $15
 * 1 FX, Pen and Ink $15
 * 1 FX, Old Timey $15
 * 1 FX, Colorblind $15
 * 1 FX, Gloomy $15
 * 1 FX, Juicy $15
 * 2 Blue Light $20
 * 2 Red Light $20
 * 4 Kill Ball $4
 * 8 7-Wood $2
 * 18 Tin Cup $2
 * 9 Golf Ball $4

Skull
Sandbox features a hidden skull, the Sandbox Skull. This skull, if obtained, unlocks the Sandbox Skull Achievement. The crest of the hidden skull on this level appears to be a likeness of the Monitor.

Trivia

 * The default vehicles on map, which are the Mongoose, Warthog and Chopper, are the same as Sandtrap, with the only difference having 2 Warthogs less, possibly the respawn times for the vehicles are longer and the land surfaces are more even.
 * Upon careful examination of the first screenshot, the boundaries of the map are protected by another Brute mine field as seen before in Sandtrap. You can see the short light warning posts on the left side of the map.
 * After Blackout, it is the second map to be set in the dark, though the lights emanating from the pillars in the distance negate it. It is also the third map with a setting sun, behind Standoff and Ghost Town.
 * On the IGN interview with Dan Miller he stated that with the Skybox, Sandbox is the biggest map in the game, but this may be because of the extra area the "Sky Bubble" occupies.
 * Because of the flat and large-open areas Sandbox has, Sandbox is possibly be the best map to recreate Blood Gulch and Coagulation, from Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 respectively.