The Warthog Run is a part of both Halo: Combat Evolved's The Maw and Halo 3's Halo. It involves John-117 (or Thel 'Vadam) driving an M12 Warthog LRV to escape a Halo's destruction.
Halo: Combat Evolved Warthog Run
In Halo: Combat Evolved, you must enter a vehicle bay and select a Warthog. You must drive around two kilometers down a Class seven Service Corridor to External Access Junction 4C, where you are to be extracted by Foehammer. However, Echo 419 is shot down by Covenant Banshees as she tries to pick up John-117 one last time. After analyzing the UNSC Pillar of Autumn's inventory, Cortana tells John to drive a further one kilometer to Launch Bay Seven, where a Longsword is still docked. As John arrives in Launch Bay Seven, a pile of barrels prevents the Warthog from going any further. This forces John-117 to run the last 100 meters on foot with Spec Ops Covenant and Flood harassing you the entire way. On Easy, Normal and Heroic, you will have six minutes to reach the Longsword and make your escape. However, on Legendary, you only have five.
Halo 3 Warthog Run
After activating Installation 08, John-117 and Thel 'Vadam must drive the late Sergeant Johnson's Warthog. They must drive the Warthog to the UNSC Frigate Forward Unto Dawn, which is waiting some distance away, for safety reasons. However, the panels on which John is driving on are being destroyed by explosions caused by Installation 08 firing prematurely. When the Spartan reaches the Forward Unto Dawn, he must accelerate to full speed and jump into the frigate's hangar bay. There is no time limit in Halo 3, but if you take too long, the panels will collapse, making it impossible to complete the run.
Trivia
- There is a Special Dialogue Grunt in both runs, the Thirsty Grunt in Combat Evolved, and the Final Grunt in Halo 3.
- Both involve a large jump, in which the player must gun the Warthog's engine.
- Halo 3's final cutscene occurs in the middle of the jump, and shows the Warthog going into an uncontrollable roll. However, as you can see if you exit the Warthog at the right point in your jump, so that the cutscene is not triggered, the Warthog actually makes a perfect landing just inside the Dawn's hangar bay.
- The "Rex" may be viewed in Halo: Combat Evolved. When the player must gun the engine and jump, the player must angle the Warthog slightly to the side. Upon landing, they should enter the tunnel on the right. The word REX should be written in bullet holes and blood.
- If you pick up the Thirsty Grunt's Plasma Pistol and overcharge it, the glowing green orb that launches will not appear, only the sparks flying off it will.
- Part of the Truth and Reconciliation Suite will play in Halo: Combat Evolved's run, with a remixed version playing in Halo 3's.
- The Halo: Combat Evolved Warthog Run is two kilometers, but the Pillar of Autumn is only 1170 meters long (1.17 km), the same as Master Chief's service number.