X3F TV -- Points > Life: Halo 3 Mythic Map Skulls

by Xav de Matos { Feb 24th 2009 at 9:00AM }

In a very special edition of Points > Life, we outline the location of each of the three new skulls hidden on the upcoming Mythic Maps for Halo 3: Assembly; Orbital and Sandbox. If you plan on skull hunting when you pick up the maps (via Halo Wars CE or XBLM this Spring) you should remember, the skulls -- and subsequent achievements -- can only be obtained in Halo 3's Forge Mode.

Assembly and Orbital have easy to obtain skulls but Sandbox can be quite a pain in the (Mark VI-plated) butt. The Sandbox Skull is hidden beyond the boundaries of the map so expect the large (Guardian protected) light towers surrounding the area to decimate any player who attempts to leave the area. Fortunately, with the help of a trusty teleporter, we were able to snag yet another Halo 3 Skull. A detailed description of how to grab the Sandbox skull can be found after the break.

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Patience is a virtue ... the Sandbox Skull can get frustrating but it is very possible:

In the Forge Edit Mode, set up a two-way teleporter node within the map (Selecting a channel will help you control where you are sent in case you make multiple attempts)
Set up another node (with the same channel) with the exit arrows pointing toward the wall
Locate the area to the right of the Sunset, over the hill against the far wall at the edge of the map (We zoom into it to show the precise area in the video above)
While still in edit mode and holding onto the second teleporter, hold down the left trigger and right bumper to move the Monitor quickly and high off of the ground
When you pass the edge of the safe zone you will hear beeping, this signals the towers will attempt to destroy you
Sway the monitor back and forth, attempting to dodge the lasers
Get to the wall and drop the teleporter near or on the skull
You can now teleport near the skull ... but be wary as the Guardians will not be pleased with your trickery

Learn a better way? Drop some science in the comments!

Tags: achievement-points, achievements, halo-3, mythic-map-pack, points-greater-than-life, points-life, x3f-tv, x3f-twitter

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Norbert94 @ Feb 24th 2009 9:18AM

Wow the Assembly one is easy lol. cant wait for these.

JohnH91 @ Feb 24th 2009 9:45AM

The sandbox skull looks like a bitch to get, Looking forward to hours of constant failings :(

akamaru65 @ Feb 25th 2009 1:36AM

just overload the map then the gaurdians wont kill you but i still think ill try this without overloading

Nate Kowal @ Feb 24th 2009 9:59AM

How would one find that without being told?

Timerider @ Feb 24th 2009 10:25AM

Yeah, I never understood how people are supposed to find this stuff on their own. Like the Fallout 3 bobbleheads.

david @ Feb 24th 2009 10:57AM

Damn you two must be lazy SOB's. I've found several bobble heads in FO3 without looking or reading where they might be.

As for the skulls, well, you know that there were skulls in the MP map, so just LOOK.

robotoid @ Feb 26th 2009 11:36AM

Yeah, like the stars in Braid. INFREAKINGSANE

Nate Kowal @ Feb 27th 2009 4:02AM

@David I am sorry that I have offended you but by no means am I lazy. I play all games to their completion point and I am sorry if I do not have time to look for all of the extras on my own. I try and when I fail I look for help.

ImbecilePete @ Apr 16th 2009 4:51PM

i found 19 bobbleheads and eventually i gave up and looked up a guide

turns out it was the one in the sewer behind that radio place

Brian @ Feb 24th 2009 10:32AM

Damn, I wish Bungie would get a proper date for this map pack to be released. I don't know if I should shell out a lot of money for Halo Wars CE or should I just wait. The problem is I don't know how long a wait it will be

Rhamsey @ Feb 24th 2009 10:38AM

already? that was quick

Cole @ Feb 24th 2009 10:40AM

What do they do?

Brian @ Feb 24th 2009 10:57AM

Picking them up will give you a achievement. Collecting them all will get you the Vidmaster Challenge: Brainpan achievement. Finally if you get all the Vidmaster Challenge achievements you will get recon.

Cole @ Feb 24th 2009 11:13AM

I know about the recon and vidmaster achievements, I was wondering what they did in game, like grunt birthday party or some of the other ones. Do even do anything special or are they just for achievements?

Brian @ Feb 24th 2009 12:07PM

I believe they don't do anything special.

izikavazo @ Feb 24th 2009 10:51AM

Thanks Zav, you're the best.
- izi

Joe @ Feb 24th 2009 11:10AM

What happened to this video coming out on March 4?

Xav de Matos @ Feb 24th 2009 11:55AM

Joe @ Feb 25th 2009 3:04AM

that's what dustin said in the podcast

Xav de Matos @ Feb 27th 2009 4:56PM

That's when the maps are available (on March 3, actually)

andrewgill.amg @ Feb 24th 2009 11:48AM

It's nice that they are still putting in easter eggs like this.

Blue B15 @ Feb 24th 2009 11:48AM

What happened to giving us a chance to find them for ourselves first... Also, Didn't Bungie say to hold off on showing this till the maps are released. They're going to be very angry with you guys... good luck.

Xav de Matos @ Feb 24th 2009 11:55AM

YouTube.com

Believe.

CouchPotato99 @ Feb 28th 2009 12:54AM

"For those who went ahead and made skull tutorials, despite our requests that you exercise restraint and let everyone discover these little hidden gems for themselves on the way to obtaining their own set of Recon armor, you're now on The List. Thanks for nothing, Jerks."

From the latest Bungie Weekly Update. Just sayin'...

Chris @ Feb 24th 2009 12:09PM

I am very disappointed that this was posted. When I got my code to download the Mythic maps the first thing I was told was "DO NOT post screen shots of the skulls or how to get them."

Getting the Sandbox skull (while I used a different method) was a couple hour process. I died 118 times getting that blasted skull, and I wasn't the one doing most of the work! Unlike the video, I am able to retrieve the skull and bring it back to the playing area (where the Guardians instantly kill me as soon as I step into an area they can shoot me).

Orbital and Assembly skulls were obviously very easy, but again, I got them on my own. I am an achievement addict and take a bit of pride knowing that I didn't have anyone show me where the skulls were.

Very disappointed.

Xav de Matos @ Feb 24th 2009 12:15PM

Appreciate the comments. I know how great it is to be able to find these skulls on your own, but this video series is to help people grab points they may have a problem finding.

As for any kind of embargo, we were told that anything goes for the maps. Hence, the video -- which is absolutely optional for people to watch.

Also, YouTube.com has quite a few videos showing players where these skulls are ... so, we're not showing anything people haven't already checked out.

Rev Freakshow @ Feb 24th 2009 12:21PM

I agree that you don't have to watch the video...and having a video series to "help people grab points they may have a problem finding" isn't a bad idea. But could you have at least waited until the maps were released with Halo Wars? At this point there are very few people that haven't been able to get the points because very few people have the maps. I guess you are planning ahead.

Wish I would have been told anything goes for the maps. I would have grabbed the skull on Sandbox and then built up and took a picture of it way up on the wall of the "basement" just to mess with people.

David Hinkle @ Feb 24th 2009 12:52PM

Yay! Points>Life owns all!

Xav de Matos @ Feb 24th 2009 2:29PM

Damn right it does.

Latin_Trident @ Feb 24th 2009 12:52PM

I can't wait either

Adam Salazar @ Feb 24th 2009 2:36PM

I'm almost about to buy the Halo Wars just for the maps....

Mazrael @ Feb 24th 2009 4:43PM

And where are the other 3 mythic maps...?

Brian @ Feb 25th 2009 4:24AM

The next three are bundled with ODST which is a long time away.

Obv bungie won't give access to them, I'm surprised if they have even completed them.

Snappy @ Feb 24th 2009 3:29PM

I'm not listening LALALALALALALALA.

I get these in 1 more day so woot. Unless I win a competition(only entered 1 here and I guess the bungie.net forums one too), then I can give one to a friend to help me find the skulls.

Macedonia Mafia @ Feb 24th 2009 3:40PM

For the Sand box one, isn't there a pipe (like) object you can drop in Forge? I thought I read about it in a preview.

If there is, couldn't you just drop it, go inside of it and carry it to the skull while you stay inside?

Nick @ Feb 25th 2009 6:30AM

This works for sandbox.

Take the tunnels and keep building them out towards the skull. Eventually you will have a long enough tunnel to reach it :D

Rick Mesler @ Feb 26th 2009 3:05PM

Man I love Haloz

The Wise Truth @ Feb 26th 2009 4:25PM

Go into a custom game, set your speed to 300%. Run over and grab it. You can also do this on Sandtrap, as the mines are unable to hit you.

mdsmith2019 @ Mar 3rd 2009 3:23AM

so I got the 3 skulls...and I didn't get the brainpan achievement...what's up there? Also, this sandbox skull is by far the biggest pain in the ass to get. ever.

Chase09 @ Mar 3rd 2009 8:00PM

Well it took me a little while earlier, but i decided i would just make a map so it would be easy for people to get this skull.
I put a teleporter directly on the skull so all you have to do is walk through the teleporter and pick up the skull.

Here's the link to my Fileshare-

http://www.bungie.net/Online/Halo3UserContentDetails.aspx?h3fileid=68254067

I hope you enjoy.

If you would like to put this on the main page or in this article feel free to.

Just give me credit. =]

-Chase09

djj001 @ Mar 4th 2009 11:13AM

Use 2 bubble shields wit a friend to get the sandbox one... SO MUCH EASIER

Mike @ Mar 5th 2009 5:50PM

What i did to get sand boxes skull was over load the maps with trip mines work perfect

Liam Sevier @ Mar 5th 2009 7:56PM

I'm not sure what the deal is, but I've tried the overloaded map scenario (Sandbox) using trip mines three times now, on three seperate launches of Forge and the skull simply is not where it is supposed to be; according to all of the videos that I've seen. Odd, considering that I've found the other two.

SoONEr1 @ Mar 10th 2009 7:39AM

The one on sand box is easier to get if you use bubble shields when you come out of the teleporter. They do block the lazer

SynaKyl @ Mar 7th 2009 12:20AM

Found easier method for this,
1. Get location off of video.
2. In edit mode, drop "corner tube"
3. Still in edit mode, get inside(cannot be "holding"it)
4. "grab" it. stay inside with walls behind you and opening in front so you can see where you're going.
5. See skull, go out of edit and grab(still in tube). Got it on first try. Hope this helps.