Blitz

Blitz is an all-new gametype featured in the real-time strategy game Halo Wars 2. Instead of base building and resource management, Blitz focuses on faster paced card-based strategy. It can be played in teams of one, two and three.

Description

Mechanics

Unlike the rest of Halo Wars 2, the player is not given command over a base. Instead, they will be required to select one of their decks of cards, which they can customise from the Blitz menu. Each leader can have a maximum of three decks saved at once, and each deck supports 12 cards. Cards represent units and leader powers and each card consumes a different amount of energy when deployed. Some cards have prefixes denoting special attributes such as the "Terror Chopper" which has the Shock attribute. These attributes change how the unit performs in battle. The starting army of any given deck can be altered, changing which units the player spawns with at the start of the game.

Once a deck has been created and a match started, the player's starting army will be at their home base, a Forerunner structure that heals any friendly units that are placed on it. Four random cards will be drawn from the player's deck and placed in their hand, which is visible at the bottom of their screen. These can be deployed, provided the player has enough energy, by (on Xbox One) holding LT, selecting a card and pressing A. The required energy will be subtracted from the player's total, the unit will spawn wherever the crosshairs are pointing and the card in the hand will be swapped for another. If a unit is not spawned at home base (excluding units with the Rush attribute), it will spawn at half health and deal half damage in what is known as deployment fatigue. After a few seconds, these debuffs will deactivate, provided the unit does not get damaged by the enemy. If a player does not like a card in their hand, they can swap it out for another random card at the cost of 5 energy points.

Energy is required to deploy units and use leader powers. In normal Blitz, energy is accumulated passively at a slow rate. Periodically, energy pickups will be dropped onto the map. Destroying these pods and collecting the energy that spills out of them will increase the rate at which energy is accumulated. Units experiencing deployment fatigue will be unable to pick up the energy from such pods.

Objective

The objective of Blitz is to hold more of the three control points than the enemy team. Control points can be captured simply by placing units upon them, however there must be no enemy units on the plate at the same time, else it will be contested. Whenever a team holds more control points than their enemy, they will begin to slowly earn points. Once a team reaches 200 points, they will win the match. If neither team manages to accumulate 200 points, then the winner will be decided by whichever team has the most points when the time limit is up.

Variants

Below are a list of variants of the Blitz gametype:

• Blitz Firefight: Blitz Firefight player(s) to survive for as long as possible against unlimited waves of enemies controlled by the AI. As with normal Blitz, the AI wins if it accumulates 200 points by owning more control points than its enemy. Players cannot win in this manner. They must simply defend these points for as long as they are capable. Otherwise, Blitz Firefight functions identically to normal Blitz, except that energy isn't earned passively - it can only be replenished by destroying and collecting energy drops.

Supported Maps

Currently, Blitz can only be played on The Proving Grounds.

Earning Blitz cards

Blitz cards can be found in Blitz packs. Such packs reward the player with 6 Blitz cards each. Packs can be earned in a variety of ways. Completing challenges will award the player with packs, as will earning enough XP to rank up. Also, completing the three tutorials and each campaign mission for the first time will award Blitz packs. Additionally, certain actions such as earning the Playin' the Field and Adjudicate the Arbiter achievements in Halo Wars and Halo Wars: Definitive Edition will earn the player one and three Blitz packs respectively (if the player owns both games, they can earn these packs twice by earning the achievements in both games). Participants in the Blitz Beta will have earned at least one pack, possibly two if they completed a match in it. Finally, Blitz packs can be purchased for real money from the Microsoft store.

List of Blitz cards

Main article: List of Blitz cards

This section requires expansion.

Below is a list of all Blitz cards in Halo Wars 2. A more detailed list can be found here.

Image	Name	Energy Cost	Rarity	Keywords	Faction	Leader Restriction
	Grunts	10	Common	N/A	The Banished	None
	Marines	10	Common	N/A	UNSC	None
	Aggressor Sentinel	20	Common	N/A	UNSC	Professor Anders
	Chopper	20	Common	N/A	The Banished	None
	Hellbringers	20	Common	N/A	UNSC	None
	Jackrabbit	20	Common	N/A	UNSC	None
	Jump Pack Brute	20	Common	N/A	The Banished	None
	Cyclops	30	Common	N/A	UNSC	None
	Elite Rangers	30	Common	Detect	The Banished	None
	Ghost	30	Uncommon	Shield	The Banished	Shipmaster
	Holo-Decoy	30	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Isabel
	Living Barrier	30	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Colony
	Pelican Transport	30	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Forge
	Veteran Hellbringers	30	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Kinsano
	Watchtower	30	Uncommon	Detect	UNSC	Professor Anders
	Banshee	40	Common	N/A	The Banished	None
	Cryo Troopers	40	Common	Shield	UNSC	Serina
	Elite Enforcers	40	Common	Shield	The Banished	The Arbiter
	Goliath	40	Common	N/A	The Banished	Colony
	Grunt Riders	40	Common	N/A	The Banished	Yapyap THE DESTROYER
	Heavy Grunt	40	Common	N/A	The Banished	Yapyap THE DESTROYER
	Helldrop	40	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Kinsano
	Hunters	40	common	N/A	The Banished	None
	Prowling Grunts	40	Uncommon	Cloak	The Banished	The Arbiter
	Scarred Grenadiers	40	Common	N/A	The Banished	Voridus
	Scorch Mines	40	Unommon	Cloak	The Banished	Atriox
	Shrapnel Mines	40	Uncommon	Cloak	UNSC	Isabel
	Veteran Jackrabbit	40	Uncommon	Rush Detect	UNSC	None
	Warthog	40	Common	N/A	UNSC	None
	Wild Hellbringers	40	Uncommon	Blast	UNSC	Captain Cutter
	Wolverine	40	Common	Detect	UNSC	None
	Assault Elite	50	Uncommon	Rush Detect	The Banished	None
	Bloodfuel Grunts	50	Uncommon	Siphon	The Banished	Decimus
	Bunker Drop	50	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Johnson
	Cryogenic Detonantor	50	Uncommon	Cloak	UNSC	Serina
	Extractor Marines	50	Uncommon	Siphon	UNSC	None
	Flame Warthog	50	Common	Rush	UNSC	Kinsano
	Hornet	50	Common	N/A	UNSC	None
	Ice Barrier	50	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Serina
	Infused Engineer	50	Common	Detect Support	The Banished	Voridus
	Infused Mines	50	Uncommon	Cloak	The Banished	Voridus
	Marauder	50	Common	N/A	The Banished	None
	Protector Sentinel	50	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Professor Anders
	Reactive Cyclops	50	Rare	Reflect	UNSC	None
	Reactive Marines	50	Rare	Reflect	UNSC	Sergeant Forge
	Reaver	50	Common	Shield Detect	The Banished	None
	Seismic Blast	50	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Serina
	Spartan Morale	50	Uncommon	Rally	UNSC	Commander Jerome
	Spike Turret	50	Uncommon	Rush	Banished	Atriox
	Terror Chopper	50	Rare	Shock	The Banished	Decimus
	Ultra Mines	50	Uncommon	Cloak	The Banished	Pavium
	Vehicle Symbiotes	50	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Colony
	Advanced Optics	60	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Professor Anders
	Armored Marines	60	Rare	Guard	UNSC	Professor Anders
	Armored Warthog	60	Rare	Guard	UNSC	Isabel
	Blast Hammer	60	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Decimus
	Cloaking Field	60	Rare	Cloak	The Banished	Shipmaster
	Double Time	60	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Captain Cutter
	Engineer	60	Common	Detect Support	The Banished	None
	Frostraven	60	Common	N/A	UNSC	Serina
	Grunt Mob	60	Rare	Rush	The Banished	None
	Heavy Metal	60	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Forge
	Hellcharge	60	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Kinsano
	Invigorating Frenzy	60	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Voridus
	Ironclad Hunters	60	Uncommon	Guard	Banished	Atriox
	Locust	60	Common	Shield	The Banished	None
	Mantis	60	Common	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Johnson
	Mastodon	60	Common	N/A	UNSC	Commander Jerome
	Sniper	60	Common	Cloak Detect	UNSC	None
	Stasis	60	Rare	N/A	The Banished	The Arbiter
	Suicide Grunts	60	Common	Blast	The Banished	None
	Teleport	60	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Shipmaster
	Unstable Jump Brutes	60	Uncommon	Blast	The Banished	Yapyap THE DESTROYER
	Wild Jackrabbit	60	Rare	Blast	UNSC	Isabel
	Conduit of Rage	70	Uncommon		The Banished	The Arbiter
	Enduring Will	70	Common	N/A	The Banished	Pavium
	Engineer Swarm	70	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Colony
	Mech Overcharge	70	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Johnson
	Methane Wagon	70	Common	N/A	The Banished	Yapyap THE DESTROYER
	Nightingale	70	Common	Detect Support	UNSC	None
	Prowling Marauder	70	Uncommon	Cloak	The Banished	Shipmaster
	Restoration Drones	70	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Anders
	Shade Drop Drones	70	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Yapyap THE DESTROYER
	Unstable Banshee	70	Rare	Blast	The Banished	Shipmaster
	Vanguard Wolverine	70	Uncommon	Rush Detect	UNSC	None
	Vanguard Cyclops	70	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	None
	Vanguard Flame 'Hog	70	Common	N/A	UNSC	Kinsano
	Bloodfuel Locust	80	Uncommon	Siphon Shield	The Banished	None
	Cataclysm	80	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Voridus
	Enduring Salvo	80	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Commander Jerome
	ODST Drop	80	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Captain Cutter
	Phantom	80	Common	N/A	The Banished	The Arbiter
	Plasma Bolt	80	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	The Arbiter
	Prowling Reaver	80	Rare	Shield Cloak Detect	The Banished	None
	Scarred Hunters	80	Common	N/A	The Banished	Colony
	Scatter Bomb	80	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Forge
	Cryo Bomb	90	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Serina
	Enduring Locust	90	Rare	Last Stand 2 Shield	The Banished	Colony
	Napalm Missiles	90	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Kinsano
	Siege Turret	90	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Johnson
	Siphon Field	90	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Decimus
	Skitterer Mob	90	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Colony
	Trooper Hornet	90	Uncommon	Last Stand 2	UNSC	Captain Cutter
	Trooper Nightingale	90	Rare	Last Stand 2 Detect Support	UNSC	Commander Jerome
	Veteran Mantis	90	Uncommon	Shield	UNSC	Sergeant Johnson
	Wraith	90	Common	Shield	The Banished	None
	Wraith Invader	90	Common	Shield	The Banished	Pavium
	Archer Missiles	100	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Captain Cutter
	Ark Defense	100	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Professor Anders
	Combat Salvage	100	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Forge
	EMP MAC Blast	100	Uncommon	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Johnson
	Gruntdome	100	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Yapyap THE DESTROYER
	Infusion Wake	100	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Voridus
	Kodiak	100	Common	N/A	UNSC	None
	Scorpion	100	Common	N/A	UNSC	None
	Shockwave	100	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Atriox
	Trooper Warthog	100	Rare	Last Stand 3	UNSC	None
	Veteran Sniper	100	Common	Cloak Detect	UNSC	Commander Jerome
	Vortex	100	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Decimus
	Atriox's Bulwark	110	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Atriox
	Vanguard Kodiak	110	Common	Rush	UNSC	Sergeant Forge
	Blisterback	120	Common	N/A	The Banished	None
	Ghost in the Machine	120	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Isabel
	MAC Blast	120	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Isabel
	Marauder Warchief	120	Rare	Rally	The Banished	Decimus
	Mega Turret	120	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Pavium
	Methane Party	120	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Yapyap THE DESTROYER
	Rain of Fire	120	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Pavium
	Stealth Kodiak	120	Rare	Cloak	UNSC	Captain Cutter
	Victory Turret	120	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Commander Jerome
	Colossus	130	Common	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Johnson
	Glacial Storm	130	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Serina
	Ironclad Blisterback	130	Uncommon	Guard	The Banished	Pavium
	Boundless Fury	140	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Decimus
	Glassing Beam	140	Uncommon	N/A	The Banished	Shipmaster
	Ironclad Wraith	140	Rare	Guard Shield	The Banished	None
	Lockdown Scorpion	140	Rare	Shock Shield	UNSC	Isabel
	Terror Wraith	140	Rare	Shock Shield	The Banished	Voridus
	Vulture	140	Common	N/A	UNSC	None
	Enduring Blisterback	150	Rare	Last Stand 3	The Banished	Atriox
	Grizzly	150	Common	N/A	UNSC	Sergeant Forge
	Spirit Assault	150	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Shipmaster
	Close Air Support	160	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Captain Cutter
	Grunt Goblins	160	Legendary	Rush	The Banished	Yapyap THE DESTROYER
	Inferno	160	Rare	N/A	UNSC	Kinsano
	Omega Team	170	Legendary	N/A	UNSC	Commander Jerome
	Warlord	170	Legendary	Siphon Shield	The Banished	Decimus
	Alice-130	180	Legendary	Reflect Shield	UNSC	Isabel
	Atriox's Chosen	180	Legendary	Shock Shield	The Banished	Atriox
	Eradication	180	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Atriox
	Forge's Warthog	180	Legendary	Rally Shield	UNSC	Sergeant Forge
	Honor Guard	180	Legendary	Shield Cloak	The Banished	Shipmaster
	Jerome-092	180	Legendary	Rush Shield	UNSC	Captain Cutter
	Kinsano's Cyclops	180	Legendary	Blast Shield	UNSC	Kinsano
	Lich Vanguard	180	Rare	N/A	The Banished	Pavium
	Mass Cloaking	180	Rare	N/A	The Banished	The Arbiter
	Sergeant Johnson	180	Legendary	Shock Shield	UNSC	Sergeant Johnson
	Hunter Captain	190	Legendary	Shock Siphon Shield	The Banished	Colony
	Pavium	190	Legendary	Reflect Shield	The Banished	Pavium
	Voridus	190	Legendary	Shock Shield	The Banished	Voridus
	Commander Jerome	200	Legendary	Rally Shield	UNSC	Commander Jerome
	Douglas-042	200	Legendary	Guard Shield	UNSC	Professor Anders
	The Arbiter	200	Legendary	Reflect Shield	The Banished	The Arbiter
	Bison	220	Legendary	Shield	UNSC	Serina
	Condor Strike	270	Legendary	N/A	UNSC	None
	Scarab Assault	270	Legendary	N/A	The Banished	None

Trivia

• Blitz is the only gametype in Halo Wars 2 to feature Jeff Steitzer as the Announcer.
• Aggressor Sentinels, Ghost, Cryo Troopers, Elite Enforcers, Goliath, Grunt Riders, Heavy Grunts, Scarred Grenadiers, Protector Sentinels, Frostraven, Mastodon, Suicide Grunts, Methane Wagon, Phantom, Wraith Invader, Colossus, Vulture and Grizzles lack a variant.
• Shroud, Retriever, Volatile Scarab, Cannon Fodder Grunts and Decimus are absent from the card library.
• The Extractor Marines are seen holding a Railgun in the render but they're not holding it in-game.
• Enduring Locusts are seen in the loading screen in Terminus Firefight but they're never accessible there!