Overhead Maps Megathread

adderrson

Esteemed Lemon
Staff member
Jan 16, 2013
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Ever started working on a forge project only to sit there for an hour spinning pieces around aimlessly not knowing what you're really doing? Although that question was rhetorical I'm sure most of us out there would answer with a resounding yes, I know I would.

Naturally the next stage is to take a step back, become inspired and let your creative juices flow by drawing/doodling a rough sketch of a map layout, a blueprint of sorts.

Unfortunately many of us can find this difficult (myself included) but is an important part of the forging process as it gives you a starting point, something to work from then tweak extensively into something truly special.

That's where this resource I've put together hopes to help. Compiled in this thread is a top down map for every official Halo Multiplayer Map and Firefight Map in the series to offer as inspiration for your future forge projects as well as an insight on how to map 2D blueprints in case you've been sat there with no clue. :)

All the content here has come from official sources, mostly from various licensed strategy guides. Lovingly scanned, cropped and stored in one place. More information on all sources used can be found at the bottom of this post and I hope you feel the same way as I do when I recommend picking up physical copies of you own (purchase links will be provided) for all the games covered that you plan to use this resource for. It's worth noting that by purchasing the respective guides will gain you excellent gameplay strategies, information on spawn times, objective locations and much more for many of the maps shown here as well as making for great collectables and an thoroughly interesting read.

All of the Content here is categorised into individual games of the Halo series separated into sections of where each map was first seen. each one of these sections will have there own individual post which can be jumped to from the title of each section the list below. You can also jump back to this post on the "back to top" links upon each section.

Due to the latest forging platform being Halo 5 Guardians where this resource will hopefully come into it's own and be fully utilised, Halo 5 content will NOT be added here until it's successor is released (or in the run up to it's release). A preview of what the overhead maps included in the Halo 5 Guardians Prima Guide will look like is available on Halo Waypoint and a digital version of the full guide can be pre-ordered here for $9.99 if you want access to those maps ASAP.

I sincerely hope that this resource helps many of you in the production of your future projects. :)

Halo CE Maps
  • Battle Creek
  • Blood Gulch
  • Boarding Action
  • Chill Out
  • Chiron TL-34
  • Damnation
  • Derelict
  • Hang 'Em High
  • Longest
  • Prisoner
  • Rat Race
  • Sidewinder
  • Wizard
Halo PC Maps
  • Danger Canyon
  • Death Island
  • Gephyrophobia
  • Ice Fields
  • Infinity
  • Timberland
Halo 2 Maps
  • Ascension
  • Beaver Creek
  • Burial Mounds
  • Coagulation
  • Colossus
  • Gemini
  • Headlong
  • Ivory Tower
  • Lockout
  • Miship
  • Waterworks
  • Zanzibar
Halo 2 DLC Maps
  • Backwash
  • Containment
  • Desolation
  • Elongation
  • Foundation
  • Relic
  • Sanctuary
  • Terminal
  • Tombstone
  • Turf
  • Warlock
Halo 2: Vista Maps
  • District
  • Uplift
Halo 2: Anniversary Maps
  • Bloodline
  • Lockdown
  • Remnant
  • Shrine
  • Stonetown
  • Warlord
  • Zenith
Halo 3 Maps
  • Construct
  • Epitaph
  • Guardian
  • High Ground
  • Isolation
  • Last Resort
  • Narrows
  • Sandtrap
  • Snowbound
  • The Pit
  • Valhalla
Halo 3 DLC Maps
  • Assembly
  • Avalanche
  • Blackout
  • Citadel
  • Cold Storage
  • Foundry
  • Ghost Town
  • Heretic
  • Longshore
  • Orbital
  • Rats Nest
  • Sandbox
  • Standoff
Halo 3: ODST Firefight Maps
  • Alpha Site
  • Chasm Ten
  • Crater
  • Last Exit
  • Lost Platoon
  • Rally Point
  • Security Zone
  • Windward
Halo: Reach Maps
  • Asylum
  • Atom*
  • Boardwalk
  • Boneyard
  • Cliffhanger*
  • Countdown
  • Hemorrhage
  • Paradiso
  • Pinnacle
  • Powerhouse
  • Reflection
  • Spire
  • Sword Base
  • The Cage
  • Zealot
*These maps are actually community made maps but the Halo CE: Anniversary Strategy Guide lists them as official on-disc maps, go figure!

Halo: Reach DLC Maps
  • Anchor 9
  • Battle Canyon
  • Breakneck
  • Breakpoint
  • Condemned
  • Highlands
  • High Noon
  • Penance
  • Ridgeline
  • Solitary
  • Tempest
Halo: Reach Firefight Maps
  • Beachhead
  • Corvette
  • Courtyard
  • Glacier
  • Holdout
  • Installation 04
  • Outpost
  • Overlook
  • Unearthed
  • Waterfront
Halo 4 Maps
  • Abandon
  • Adrift
  • Complex
  • Exile
  • Haven
  • Longbow
  • Meltdown
  • Ragnarok
  • Solace
  • Vortex
Halo 4 DLC Maps
  • Daybreak
  • Harvest
  • Landfall
  • Monolith
  • Outcast
  • Perdition
  • Pitfall
  • Shatter*
  • Skyline*
  • Vertigo*
  • Wreckage*
*These maps mentioned have low quality scans due to a printing error in the copy of The Master Chief Collection Multiplayer Map Book that I own. If you are able to provide higher quality scans, please PM me.

Sources
User Feedback / Comments / Discussion
 

adderrson

Esteemed Lemon
Staff member
Jan 16, 2013
841
743
465
Halo CE Maps

Battle Creek
BattleCreek.png


Blood Gulch
BloodGulch.png


Boarding Action
BoardingAction.png


Chill Out
ChillOut.png


Chiron TL-34
ChironTL34.png


Damnation
Damnation.png


Derelict
Derelict.png


Hang 'Em High
HangEmHigh.png


Longest
Longest.png


Prisoner
Prisoner.png


Rat Race
RatRace.png


Sidewinder
Sidewinder.png


Wizard
Wizard.png


 
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adderrson

Esteemed Lemon
Staff member
Jan 16, 2013
841
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Halo 2 Maps
Ascension
Ascension.png


Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek.png


Burial Mounds
Burial Mounds.png


Coagulation
Coagulation.png


Colossus
Colossus.png


Gemini
Gemini.png


Headlong
Headlong.png


Ivory Tower
Ivory Tower.png


Lockout
Lockout.png


Miship
Midship.png


Waterworks
Waterworks.png


Zanzibar
Zanibar.png


 
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adderrson

Esteemed Lemon
Staff member
Jan 16, 2013
841
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465
Halo 3 DLC Maps
Assembly
Assembly.png


Avalanche
Avalanche.png


Blackout
Blackout.png


Citadel
Citadel.png


Cold Storage
Cold Storage.png


Foundry
Foundry.png


Ghost Town
Ghost Town.png


Heretic
Heretic.png


Longshore
Longshore.png


Orbital
Orbital.png


Rats Nest
Rats Nest.png


Sandbox
Sandbox.png


Standoff
Standoff.png


 
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adderrson

Esteemed Lemon
Staff member
Jan 16, 2013
841
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Halo: Reach Maps
Asylum
Asylum.png


Atom*
Atom.png


Boardwalk
Boardwalk.png


Boneyard
Boneyard.png


Cliffhanger*
Cliffhanger.png


Countdown
Countdown.png


Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage.png


Paradiso
Paradiso.png


Pinnacle
Pinnacle.png


Powerhouse
Powerhouse.png


Reflection
Reflection.png


Spire
Spire.png


Sword Base
Sword Base.png


The Cage
The Cage.png


Zealot
Zealot.png


*These maps are actually community made maps but the Halo CE: Anniversary Strategy Guide lists them as official on-disc maps, go figure!

 
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adderrson

Esteemed Lemon
Staff member
Jan 16, 2013
841
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Halo 4 DLC Maps
Daybreak
Daybreak.png


Harvest
Harvest.png


Landfall
Landfall.png


Monolith
Monolith.png


Outcast
Outcast.png


Perdition
Peridition.png


Pitfall
Pitfall.png


Shatter*
Shatter.png


Skyline*
Skyline.png


Vertigo*
Vertigo.png


Wreckage*
Wreckage.png


*These maps mentioned have low quality scans due to a printing error in the copy of The Master Chief Collection Multiplayer Map Book that I own. If you are able to provide higher quality scans, please PM me.

 

adderrson

Esteemed Lemon
Staff member
Jan 16, 2013
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Sources

The Master Chief Collection: Multiplayer Map Book
MultiplayerMapBook.png
Most of the Maps in this collection of overheads originate from this book which is really more of a flip chart. In it you can find all the maps in the Master Chief Collection except for Remnant with 2 pages dedicated to each map. One page consisted of a Callout overhead map and a second page with additional content such as images of key focal points, strategies for both general gameplay and specific objective modes, as well as some maps being complete with recommended custom game settings.

The strategies for all maps in this book have been loving crafted by Michael "Stongside" Cavanaugh, David "Walshy" Walsh, Micheal "Flamesword" Chaves and Andy "Bravo" Dudynsky with map illustrations by Loren Gilliand and 99 Lives.

Originally this book was a Pre-Order item with certain retailers in the US and Australia and part of a Special Edition complete with steelbook in the UK. The Book is available for purchase separately in the US from Amazon and can be found here. If you wish to pick up this book as part of the MCC Special Edition in the UK, you can still purchase it here. Alternatively in all regions you can try and scout one out on eBay.

Remnant (H2A Map)

RemnantScreenshot.png

Unfortunately there was no official overhead/callout map for Remnant other than the blueprint shown on the map's loading screen. So using the GameDVR screenshot feature on Xbox One I took the above screenshot to edit and add colour to before using forge to map out where all the callout zones are located on the map.

Halo 3: ODST: Prima's Official Game Guide

Halo_3_ODST_Official_Strategy_Guide_cover.png

The contents of the Halo 3: ODST Firefight maps were sourced from this guide. Looking beyond it's title it's actually a must have guide for Halo 3 multiplayer fans. This Prima guide doesn't just offer to assist you through ODST's Campaign (Also valid for use whilst playing ODST in the Master Chief Collection) and as a guide to the game's Firefight mode and strategies of how to reach par score on each map and attack those pesky Vidmaster challenges. It also extensively covers all 24 Halo 3 Maps (inc. all DLC) extensively complete with maps more detailed than the ones you can find here, additional strategies weapon locations, weapon spawn times and objective locations. This in my opinion makes for the perfect resource for any forger looking to properly remake/re-imagine any of Halo 3's classic iconic maps.

This strategy guide still seems to be widely available used across most regions but using Amazon, this book can picked up in the US here and the UK here.

Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary Signature Series Guide

Halo Anniversary Guide.jpg

The final source used for this resource is the "Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary Signature Series Guide" and just like the ODST strategy guide, appearances can be deceptive. You may not think it by looking at it but this book is the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Bible!

Towards the front of this book lies what you may expect, a well written, well illustrated guide to the Halo CE: Anniversary Campaign; perfect for use with The Master Chief Collection.

The meat and potatoes of this guide however is it's stellar Halo: Reach content. Released at the end of game's life when it comes to DLC and updates, all the information in this book is still highly accurate.

Not only does this book contain overhead maps separately displaying weapon and objective locations along with pages of strategies for each map as well as additional pages on top of that for maps built for Invasion. The book covers almost everything, pages on each individual weapon, vehicle and armor ability with various statistics on each. This interesting information in the right hands could be used to properly scale Reach's maps to Halo 5's sandbox, exciting stuff.

Fans of forge might also be interested in the old forge tutorials this book has to offer also, it's surprising how relevant the information in there is. :)

Out of all the items I've had my hands on throughout this project, this one is my favourite. It has such wonderful illustrations throughout. Once again using Amazon this guide can be ordered from the US site here, and the UK site here.

Brief Summary

All in all I'd highly recommend picking up all the Halo strategy guides, past, present and future. I now personally own most of them thanks to this project and they are all colourful, informative and insightful throughout with more in them than you might expect.

 
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