How to get started in Halo Infinite’s Big Team Battle mode

With a disconnection fix on the horizon, now is the perfect time for players to hone their skills as a Spartan before charging into a 24 player battle this February.

As a massive 12 v 12 event, it is understandable that some players might find it a bit daunting to try their hands at a Big Team Battle. But with just a little preparation, any Spartan could find themselves fighting through Deadlock in no time.

One of the first things to do to prepare is to take a look at BTB’s game modes. Hopping into the BTB playlist could put your spartan into any one of them, and it’s best not to be caught unprepared. Big Team Battles offer 4 game modes: Capture the Flag, Slayer, Stockpile and Total Control. Capture the Flag and Slayer are beefed up versions of their 4v4 counterparts. Both sport a 15 minute timer and a greater number of vehicles, with Slayer doubling the number of enemies your team needs to kill from 50 to 100. Stockpile and Total Control are both exclusive to the BTB game mode, and both also have a 15 minute timer. In Stockpile, both teams rush to collect power seeds and gather them back at their base, and whichever team gathers 15 first wins the match. In Total Control, the two teams compete to capture 3 zones. When a team holds all 3 zones at one time, new zones are created, and the team is given a point. The first team to 3 points wins, so coordination with your team is crucial to prevent falling behind.

Another important element of BTB preparation is scouting out the maps. Big Team Battles take place on one of two maps, Deathlock or Fragmentation. Familiarizing yourself with where the loot caves, weapons drops and vehicle spawns are will only help when you’re in the heat of battle. A good way to get familiarized with the map would be using the Bot Bootcamp, to let yourself learn the map under something similar to combat circumstances - plus, it never hurts to get a little extra practice in.

The next part of preparation is tactics. Big Team Battle games are big, loud, and fast, so keep moving - you never know who could be aiming at you. Try to stick close to one or two of your teammates to form a squad, that way your spartan will always have backup but you won’t lose that crucial mobility. Since the maps are big and enemies plentiful, ammo conservation is much more of a consideration. So make sure to take advantage of opportunities for melee combat, every bullet counts.

The last part of preparation is teamwork. No matter how good any one spartan is, you’re still part of a team of twelve, and being able to practice with teammates will carry a lot of value. With the upcoming connection fix, large groups will once again be able to queue up for BTB, so finding a group of 11 or so other spartans to game with could be just what you need to really take the experience to the next level - or, you could team up with CarrySquad!