Guardian (level)

Guardian is a Halo 3 multiplayer map.

Layout
Rather than being set in desolate and snowy mountains as Lockout was, Guardian takes place in what appears to be an ancient Forerunner complex surrounded by lush, dense jungle, believed to be the Drone Homeworld Palamok. This is easily seen throughout the whole level, as there is a green-tinted mist or fog created by the jungle's humid atmosphere. Players can also look up, and view the tall trees stretching up to the sky blocking off the majority of sunlight. The large trees of the jungle have grown up around this Forerunner complex, creating a looming feeling. As such, the map is multi-leveled, with walkways, and paths connecting all areas of the map. The map is split into four key areas, with the center acting as a connection point between them all. The level is fairly simple in design, so the learning curve is short. Unlike Lockout, the scenery between areas of the map changes, so players will not get lost as easily. Some attributes from the Halo 2 map Ascension can also be noticed, for example, the circular center and the mancannons that throw you up to a higher vantage point.

Sniper Tower
At one end of the map players can find the SRS99D-S2 AM Sniper Rifle, an Overshield, and a Needler- the "Sniper Tower". The Sniper Rifle sits on the bottom level, in the hallway leading to the center. Here, players have a clear view to the opposite site of the map and the Yellow Lift. Above the Sniper sits an Overshield, which adds to the deadly arsenal, of the Sniper.

There is a small winding ramp on the tower that leads up to higher ground, and gives players a view of the entire upper portion of the map. To balance the tower out and prevent camping, a Plasma Battery has been placed at the top. Players have access to the Center Platform from above and below, as well as the Green Area via a walkway some players have labeled it as "The Elbow," due to its "L" shape.

A common trick is to detonate the plasma batteries at the apex of a jump, propelling the player up onto the tree above, and allowing for an unprecedented view, of the map.

Blue Room
The "Blue Room" is properly named, due to the soft blue lights giving the room an ambient look. This room is adjacent, but slightly off center from the Yellow Lift and the Center Platform. Like the other key areas, it can be accessed from multiple directions. Inside the room, players will find 2 Plasma Batteries. There was also a Flare and a Mauler located here, but both were removed since the introduction of this map. An archway allows players to jump into the Yellow Lift, either above or below. As players move from the Blue Room to the center, there is an impenetrable glass wall allowing players cover from enemy fire. Players may also travel downward to the lower level. Next to the archway is an L-shaped hallway that leads directly to the Yellow Lift's upper level, and contains explosive Power Cores built into the wall. Players may also drop to the "Shotgun hall" from here.

Some have said that the blue nebula is a slip space portal, but no one really knows what it is really for, aside from decoration.

Below Blue Room
Below the Blue Room, or "Bottom Blue", there is a whole new subsection. Players will find the Shotgun in a short hallway reminiscent of the "Green Hallway" in Lockout. However, the hallway is shorter and can be approached from more angles, from above as well as on the same level. Walkways and paths lead to the Yellow Lift's lower level. Moving in the opposite direction, players can take a small Gravity Lift up to the "Sniper Tower" to catch any players off-guard. However, using this lift at the start of a Team Slayer game is unwise, as the other team will definitely have control of the Overshield.

Yellow Lift
The "Yellow Lift" is directly opposite the Sniper Tower, and is on the other side of the Center Platform. Modeled after the "Blue Lift" from Lockout, players can travel upwards from the lower level. Players may also drop down from the upper level via two "holes" on either side of the lift. Another common trick is for players to send grenades up the lift first, sometimes scoring a stick with a plasma grenade. There is a small walkway that connects the lower levels of the Yellow Lift and Center Platform. On the upper level, players can move in 4 main directions (or retreat into the "holes" on the side of the lift).

A Battle Rifle spawns on the top level giving players some range against snipers. The player can choose to go to their left, pick up a Active Camouflage power-up. If the player travels to their right, they can jump into the Blue Room, which can be tricky, or drop on enemies below. They can also take the longer way around by the power cores; this route adds more safety and discretion, as long as the power cores are not detonated.

Green Area
Not much action occurs in the Green Area, partially because the only weapon that spawns here is the Brute Shot. Like the Center Platform, this area is essentially another means of connecting all areas and walkways together. In the center sits an old dead tree stump in which players can grab a Bubble Shield and then jump to the Center Platform. The Green Area is connected to the Sniper Tower by means of "The Elbow" walkway. In addition, players may take a small gravity lift jump up to the Yellow Room's ledge (by the camouflage). This area also leads underneath the Center Platform, and is a more discreet route.

Center Platform
The Center Platform is the main area of Guardian and the main means of player transportation. While no weapons spawn on the upper level, a Gravity Hammer does spawn in the room underneath, making it a key area. Also, less known to some players, in a Team Hammers match (Or any other match where the Gravity Hammer is present), one can set a bubble shield in the middle of the Center Platform, making it an ideal spot to control when grenades can not be thrown into the circle and forcing other players to come into the middle. This also can give it the name called by many people who utilize this strategy: "The Circle of Fun" or to the victims of this tactic "The Circle of Death". Since this area is a transportation zone, it sees a lot of action. Players can reach the Center Platform from all the key areas by means of walkways or jumping. Above players can see a Forerunner style structure, which is accessible via grenade-jump off the elbow with help from the plasma battery, a Gravity Hammer bounce, or by going into Forge and positioning a Gravity Lift, just right.

Discovery
"Guardian" was first seen as a reference in the hexadecimal code of the Halo 3 Beta. Later, it was confirmed to be in the final game of Halo 3 when it was detailed in an issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine and an article in the Japanese magazine Famitsu. Bungie has stated that it is a "spiritual successor" to Lockout, a Multiplayer map from Halo 2, as there are many common elements, such as the Grav Lifts, Sniper Towers and similar areas.

Although it bears a vague similarity to Sanctuary in aesthetics, the layout recalls a mixture of Lockout and Ascension. Although, it could also be seen as a happy medium between the two: while it retains the central area and size of Ascension, its layout and weapon spawns are very reminiscent of Lockout.

Matchmaking Adjustments
For reasons, not yet disclosed by Bungie, this map has been slightly altered when playing in Matchmaking playlists.

As of the December 11, 2007 update, all three of the Maulers that were in the level have been removed. Also, in an earlier Matchmaking update, the Flare was removed as well.

It is believed that this change was caused by near-constant complaints, regarding the large number of Mauler's in many levels combined with the Mauler's ability to nearly-instantly kill an opponent at very close range. Many people felt that the weapon was unbalanced because of the close-quarters prowess, of the Mauler, especially in CQB-style levels; this is a misconception.

The problem was a combination of the somewhat large number of Mauler, spawn locations, the fast respawn time on a lethal close-combat weapon (usually only 45 seconds) and players not changing their play style to compensate for a number of camping and/or charging Mauler wielders.

As with the Flare equipment, the removal of the equipment on Guardian is similar to the Flare and Radar Jammer spawn points on other maps, due to a glitch discovered in Matchmaking.

Trivia

 * The September 2007 issue of EGM stated that Guardian is the map "Jub-Jub" that Bungie referred to numerous times in their weekly updates, an undying love reference to the Ewok's dialogue in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
 * Guardian may have something to do with the mysterious entities that can inexplicably kill you in Multiplayer.
 * There are a number of indistinct voices whispering in the background.
 * The Dinosaur Birds can be seen on this map and can be closely examined by Forge or theater. They can also be shot and killed with any long/medium range precision weapon.
 * The lush jungles and the green fog would hint at this world could be Palamok, Doisac or Onyx since it has a similar landscape.
 * Guardian is a reimagination of the Halo 2 map Lockout.
 * There may also be a link between the name "Jub-Jub", the Dinosaur Birds and Lewis Carroll's poem Jabberwocky, which contains the lines "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!"
 * Like Narrows, Foundry, Valhalla, and Sandtrap, there have been numerous reports of a ghost haunting the map.
 * A picture of Guardian appears in Wired.
 * The terrain around the map resembles the same terrain as the planet Dagobah in the Star Wars films.
 * There is a hidden face on Guardian. To find it, one must overload the map and go into theater mode and go behind the structure. Above the yellow lift is a black smiley.
 * Even easier to find are the faces that appear in the middle of the keystone shaped protrusions on the doorways in the map. One can see these faces by either using the binocular or getting a scoped weapon and looking directly in the middle of these keystones. The easiest to find is the one on the doorway from Blue Hallway to Gold room, and the one on the doorway from Middle to Sniper Tower.
 * If you listen well, you will hear the screech made by the Dino-Birds.
 * If you jump below the proto-man-cannons, you will levitate beneath them. This is an excellent sniping spot and may be a Carney hole. If you move inward, you will be shot to the center of the map. If you move outward, you will plummet to your death.
 * Due to Matchmaking adjustments, Guardian has so far been the only Halo 3 map in Matchmaking that only has one equipment spawn point, the Bubble Shield, as the Flare on this map was removed.
 * Jumping into one of the eight holographic projectors will make the hologram pixelate.

Strategies

 * A second strategy to get to the console is to put gravity down to 50% in the game settings menu, and then just jump.
 * To get an unprecedented Sniping spot, use the same trick with the Plasma Batteries, but this time jump on top of them. At the apex of your jump, shoot the Plasma Batteries beneath your feet. This will propel you up the tree, granting a view of almost the entire level.
 * If you are running up the ramp that leads to the Overshield Spawn, you can run along the right side of it and jump off, if you can get this right, you can get downstairs into the Sniper Spawn and hopefully avoid the Overshield player on free-for-alls at the same time.
 * If you are in the Overshield room, it is possible to wedge yourself high into the corner of the room between the doorway that leads to the center of the map and the doorway that leads to the ramp(Jump and crouch), making it easy to pick off anyone unfortunate to pass by you.
 * If you are at the Sniper side of the map at the start of a team game, the Sniper of the team is advised to guard the Hammer until a teammate can grab under cover of the Sniper.
 * If you are at the Blue Room side of the map at the start, picking up the Shotgun and man-cannoning over to the Sniper area is a good way to disable the sniper and give your team a good start, but watch out for someone with the Overshield.
 * When in the Sniper Tower, if you don't plan on using the Plasma Battery to get height or kill an enemy that comes up the ramp, destroy it if you want a safe sniping spot.
 * A proven strategy for starting off a Team based game well goes like this (but it will only work if you spawn on the bridge, close to the Sniper Rifle): In Team Doubles, player 1 would head for the mancannon and pick up Brute Shot, while the other player rushes Sniper Rifle as quick as possible. Player 1 uses his Brute Shot to: a. Kill the opponent(s) who rush(es) Active Camoflauge, or b. Secures Active Camoflauge for himself, keeping the enemy at bay with his Brute Shot. In the meantime, the second player either: a. Uses Sniper Rifle to provide cover for Player 1 or b. Uses Overshield and Sniper to deal with any opponents who travel over to the Sniper post. The Overshield should only be used when you know someone heading towards the Sniper, and at the last moment, the OS can be used for its 3-4 second invulnerability to take out 1 or both opponents, even if they carry over Shotgun.

Forge

 * Using Gravity Lifts, you can allow the players to move from the lower to the upper "decks" of the level with out having to go to the ramps.