Halo 4 Grind Guides: SWAT

Who needs shields? SWAT puts a twist on Halo 4’s Slayer formula by nixing player’s protection and recommending they go straight for the headshot.

What is it?
SWAT is 4v4 Team Slayer with a bit of added brutality. Without shields, three or four body shots will still kill, but bullets in the brain pan are the quickest way to squish someone. The game hosts only two loadouts, both bearing magnums accompanied by either a DMR or BR, and there are no other weapons or grenades to be had. Aim a little high, and be quick on the trigger or die.

What can I work on?
When you only have three weapons with which to work, it’s pretty clear which weapon commendations you’ll be raising while you’re in SWAT. However, given the speed and simplicity of kills with all three, this is easily the best playlist to get your DMR, BR, and magnum counts filled up. Multi-kills aren’t uncommon, either, and there’s a commendation specifically for headshots, so there’s another reason to be here. You can probably rack up a few Avengers and Paybacks while you’re at it, and the sprees will come rolling in once you get fairly good at things. Oh, and a lack of motion trackers can make Assassinations a thing, too. Being based on Slayer, any victories or top three finishes in SWAT go to their respective Slayer commendations.

Any other tips?
I hope your sensitivity level is high. Look around all the time, try to avoid blindly rushing across open areas, but also realize there may not be that much additional advantage to being particularly sneaky. If you can find a good place to curl up and pick enemies off for a while, more power to you, but if anything, mobility and a quick trigger finger will get you further than setting up camp.

Watch where your buddies are and where they’re spawning. If your team is covering a certain area, or fallen friends are popping up nearby you, that means you’re not where the enemy is, obviously. Get moving, unless you and your crew have a certain area on lockdown and can afford to wait for the kills to come your way.

Make yourself harder to hit, by getting used to firing while jumping and avoiding straight-on running. Zig, zag, or whatever to make keeping a bead on you as difficult as possible.

While it can be nerve-wracking if you and/or the rest of your team are getting a train run on you by your opponents, SWAT’s one of the best playlists for quick pickup games and banging out experience on a tight schedule.