Halo Wars: Definitive Edition Collectible Locations Guide

by Falagar / Articles, Halo / 21 Apr 2017

The guide will tell you what things you need to collect, and where you can find them. Images will also be supplied to help you find it.

A guide to Trinkets

There are two types of collectibles hidden through the missions in Halo Wars. Each section of the guide will cover 1 mission, each of which carries 1 skull and 1 Black Box.

Skulls

A common occurence throughout the Halo games. All games (except Halo:CE, excluding Oddball) has had them buried somewhere, often outside or on the borders of levels. Halo wars is not different. For each mission of the campaign, there will be an opitional objective a “kill requirement”, if you will. (e.g. “Kill 100 elites”). The guide will highlight what you need to do make the skull appear, and then once you have completed the objective, where the skull can be collected.

Black Boxes

A new addition. Just like the skull, there is 1 Black Box hidden in each mission of the campaign . The remaining Black Boxes can be unlocked by beating Skirmish Mode with each of the 6 leaders (Arbiter, Prophet, Cutter, Brute Chieftan, Forge, and Anders) and by winning a Skirmish match on each Skirmish map. Black Boxes unlock text in the Timeline.

Mission 1: Alpha Base

Skull #1: Look Daddy

Description: When Grunts die, their methane tank always shoots off.

Requirement: Kill 100 Grunts

For the first challenge in the game, this is pretty hard. Finding a hundred Grunts to murder on this mission can be tricky on Normal difficulty and may be impossible on Easy difficulty, so you might have to bump it up to Heroic. Once you get to close to the base, rush forward to take out as many Grunts as possible before “the support” eliminates your chances.

Once you hit the required number, the skull will appear just outside the base.

Black Box #1: This one is under the bridge just before the skirmish outside the entrance to Alpha Base. Set your cursor on it and your men will find their way down to collect it via the ramp on the side.

Mission 2: Relic Approach

Skull #2: Grunt Birthday Party

Description: Grunts explode into confetti.

Requirement: Kill 20 Jackal Snipers

These guys appear on pads on mountains, sniper towers and landing pads. Before advancing through the gate to the end of the level, search the remainder of the level for Jackals. There are plenty even on Easy. The Skull appears at Alpha base, by the entrance you took in the last level.

Black Box #2: Northwest of your second base is an area blocked off by an energy shield. Destroy the power source with some infantry and both the crate and a good chunk of supplies are yours for the taking.

Mission 3: Relic Interior

Skull #3: Cowbell

Description: Destruction physics magnified.

Requirement: Kill 45 Hunters.

You’ll need to play through most of the mission to reach your last Hunter, since the majority don’t attack you until you’re making your final escape up the ramp. To save time, leave a unit back at the relic (you know, the big glowing column thing where you found Forge and Anders). A skull will materialize right at the command console.

Black Box #3: Grab this one at the very beginning of the mission. Simply turn your Grizzly tanks around and head in the opposite direction of the objective arrow. You’ll discover a separate pathway, winding to the northwest. At the very end, near a crashed Pelican, is the crate.

Mission 4: Arcadia City

Skull #4: Wuv Woo

Description: Scarabs shoot rainbow beams made of Pure Love.

Requirement: Kill 50 Elites.

In protecting the cargo ships, you should reach fifty Covenant Elites fairly easily. When you do, scroll over to the most eastern base (you can build three on this map) and find the wide staircase promenade below it. The skull is up those stairs, past the statue of a reading man and nestled amidst some lovely palm trees.

Black Box #4: Now scroll to your western most base. Directly north of it is column supporting a skyway. At the base of this column, on top of a few stairs, is the crate you seek.

Mission 5: Arcadia Outskirts

Skull #5: Fog

Description: No minimap.

Requirement: Kill 5 Wraith Tanks

In the northwest corner of the map is a super powerful Covenant tower and an optional location for a base. Past those, pushing further into the northwest corner, is a two-lane glass freeway that branches off the larger roads. At the very end of this is the skull. Take an air unit to collect it.

Black Box #5: In the middle of the map, almost halfway between your original base and the northern Covenant base is a power plant-like structure that you can take over for extra supply gathering. The crate is on the grass immediately to the west of this platform, near some ferns and an infantry cover spot.

Mission 6: Dome of Light

Skull #6: Sickness

Description: All player units have 50% fewer hitpoints.

Requirement: Kill 50 Banshees

This skull is stupid simple. Your units will destroy twenty Banshees without any help from you and, upon doing so, the glowing cranium will conveniently place itself in the open hangar behind your base.

Black Box #6: Wait until you place the third Elephant across the broken bridge using the “transport” power. Before leaving the area to concentrate on other tasks, check the western shadows for a short separate path. The crate is there.

Mission 7: Scarab

Skull #7: Rebel Sympathizer

Description: Non-player units get 25% more hitpoints.

Requirement: Kill 10 Locust

If you obliterate every power node, you’ll probably obliterate the necessary number of Locust at the same time. The skull materializes right next to one of those power nodes, on a little peninsula near the middle of the map.

Black Box #7: At the very top of the map, and as far east from the Scarab as possible, is a small area surrounded by cliffs. Look for the bountiful gathering of shiny blue supplies and you’ll find the crate too.

Mission 8: Anders’s Signal

Skull #8: Rebel Supporter

Description: Non-player units do 50% more damage.

Requirement: Kill 750 Infection Forms

This one will take some patience, but little effort. Just make sure to build all four turrets at your base and enhance them with anti-infantry tech; with enough time, they should eliminate most of the 750 Flood on their own. The skull appears in the northern tip of the map, at the end of a precarious cliffside road.

Black Box #8: Hidden right under your nose! Directly south of the base, on a tree-ringed plateau, is the crate.

Mission 9: The Flood

Skull #9: Rebel Leader

Description: Non-player units start with extra veterancy.

Requirement: Kill 20 Flood Stalks

To collect this skull immediately, build a squadron of Hornets and fly around the map searching for the mushroom-like stalks. They’re all over. When finished, return home and look just a bit northwest. The skull is next to the crashed Pelican… you’ll need the Hornets or some other air unit to nab it.

Black Box #9: On the western side of the map, near one of the Flood structures you have to put down.

Mission 10: Shield World

Skull #10: Catch

Description: All player units recharge unit abilities in half the time.

Requirement: Kill 350 Swarms

Set up some turrets with anti-air tech and you’ll reach 350 no problem. To find the skull, start at the base and follow the southeastern edge of the map. Past the first tractor beam generator is a Flood-infested area and the skull you desire.

Black Box #10: Hey, remember those squads you’re supposed to be saving? Well, the middle one – Team Bravo – happens to be blocking the path to the black box. Rescue them and any unit can collect it… or fly a Hornet over, drop down for the crate and leave the entire lot to die.

Mission 11: Cleansing

Skull #11: Sugar Cookies

Description: All player units have 50% more hitpoints, final score will decrease.

Requirement: Destroy 100 Sentinels

To reach 100 Sentinels, construct as many turrets and Hornets as possible. Constantly check the sides of the ship, as the robots tend to congregate there. The skull will pop into existence at the front of the Spirit of Fire, floating in the air below the observation deck. You’ll need a flying unit to get it.

Black Box #11: You’ll need a Hornet for this one, too. It’s resting on the northwestern flank of the ship, at the opposite end you found the skull. Note that by “flank,” we mean the very edges of the Spirit of Fire… beyond the fences, where the ship slopes down.

Mission 12: Repairs

Skull #12: Boomstick

Description: 5% chance any non-player unit blows up upon death with explosive area of effect damage.

Requirement: Kill 12 Spirit Transports

Same strategy as the last mission. Build as many turrets and air units as possible to destroy the transports before they fly away. Also try upgrading your Marines to have the RPG ability. The skull materializes on the northeastern tip of the ship, right above the text reading “Spirit of Fire” and “Captain Cutter”. You’ll need an air unit to reach it.

Black Box #12: Like the last crate, this is on the outer edge of the ship (northern flank, southern tip), but tucked closer to the outer fences. Again, you’ll need an air unit.

Mission 13: Beachhead

Skull #13: Pain Train

Description: All player units train 50% faster.

Requirement: Kill 10 Bomber Forms

Check dark corners of the map for Flood infestation and the bulbous blimps you need to annihilate. When you’ve killed ten, the skull will be waiting for you in the Flood-filled valley north of the mission’s first teleporter.

Black Box #13: Head to the northeast edge of the map. Go to the middle of that edge. On a very high and flower-covered cliff is the crate. Pretty, ain’t it? You can reach this vista with a ground unit, but as usual, an air unit’s a lot easier and quicker.

Mission 14: Reactor

Skull #14: Bountiful Harvest

Description: Supplies come in 25% faster.

Requirement: Kill 20 Vampires

You’ll destroy twenty Vampires just trying to stay alive in this mission. The skull appears at the top of the third ramp, behind the second Covenant base, and is surrounded by a half circle of purple crates.

Black Box #14: This crate is hidden south-west of the first Covenant base and the possible location of your second UNSC base. It’s in a raised grass rectangle, bordered by metal, and you’ll need an air unit to get there.

Mission 15: Escape

Skull #15: Emperor

Description: All player powers recharge in half the time.

Requirement: Kill 3 Scarabs

Possibly the trickiest skull to collect. The Scarabs tend to wander around the center of the blue ring, but they’re difficult to destroy and the mission is timed. We recommend building a Field Armory and researching enhanced versions of the MAC Cannon. That way, you can destroy each Scarab with three or four instantaneous blasts from the sky. The skull is in the northern (slightly northeastern) area of the map, amidst a large infestation of Flood.

Black Box #15: Compared to the skull, this is a piece of cake. Just take a Warthog from your original base, drive north across the blue ring structure and you’ll see the crate in a very obvious location.

Falagar

He is the founder and editor of Magic Game World. He loved gaming from the moment he got a PlayStation 1 with Gran Turismo on his 7th birthday.
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