Avalanche

Avalanche is a multiplayer map featured in Halo 3. It will be featured as one of the three maps in the Legendary Map Pack available on April 15th, 2008.

Setting
Avalanche is a large Forerunner power station set on the front of a huge glacial shelf on reborn Installation 04. The structure pulls its power out of the densely compacted ice that constantly builds up behind the station before it falls into the ocean below.

Design
It has been a remake Sidewinder, a map in Halo: Combat Evolved, taking certain design elements, such as the removal of the tunnel in between the two bases, but also adding new ones, such as adding Man Cannons. The map itself is centered around two bases at each end of a U-shaped snowy valley, and to add an interesting dynamic, there is an asymmetry in the vehicles — in objective gametypes one base has exclusively UNSC vehicles to begin, while another has exclusively Covenant vehicles to begin. The map is set to prefer objective gametypes.

Gameplay Features and Changes

 * The hallway between the 2 bases has been removed. This includes the gate where the overshield and active camo spawned.
 * Man Cannon and large cavern area.
 * In objective gametypes, the assaulting team has UNSC Vehicles, while the defenders have Covenant and Loyalist vehicles.
 * All UNSC vehicles will now feature snow camoflage colors instead of the traditional green UNSC color scheme.

Vehicles
These vehicles are currently known to be on the map:


 * Banshee
 * Chopper
 * Ghost
 * Hornet
 * Mongoose
 * Scorpion
 * Warthog
 * Wraith

The scorpion tank is only available on objective based games. On this map only, all human vehicles snow camouflaged. Bungie also included a feature that the assaulting team on a objective based gameplay will have human vehicles while the defenders have Covenant vehicles.

Trivia

 * During production, Avalanche's code-name was "Cottonball", possibly due to the white, snowy theme of the map.
 * It is the first multiplayer map to see the Hornet get an overhaul. The missiles were removed, and the chainguns do less damage, to balance out the map. As such, the vehicle will be included in Matchmaking for the first time.
 * Avalanche is the first Halo 3 map to feature teleporters by default.
 * Bungie announced that there would be a surprise driveable vehicle. it has been confirmed to be the snow camouflage Hornet.
 * Avalanche also the first multiplayer map where the vehicles get an appearance makeover in the Halo franchise.
 * Avalanche is the first Halo 3 multiplayer map to feature a Hornet and Scorpion by default.
 * The map is set on the Installation 04 (II) and resembles the last level of Halo 3, Halo, although the campaign level has no trees like the new map.