Terminus Firefight Halo Wars 2- The Most Effective Leaders

This guide covers the most effective leaders for Terminus Firefight mode in Halo Wars 2. The recommendations are based on team play experience and focus on leaders that help teams last as long as possible against waves of enemies.

Best 3v3 Leader Combo

For 3v3 Terminus Firefight, the best triple combination is:

Johnson - Essential for free barriers
Pavium - Strong defensive capabilities
Serina or Jerome - Excellent support and damage

This combination of these four leaders provides the strongest team composition for Terminus Firefight.

Top Tier Leaders

Johnson (Best Overall)

Johnson is the best leader for Firefight for several reasons:

Digging in Deep (Ultimate Ability)

Allows building all barriers for free
Even basic fence barriers significantly slow enemies on any wave
Use a Nightingale or Hornet to quickly fly to all barrier building slots and queue them up
You still need to pay for barrier upgrades and enhancements

Bunker Drop

Drop cover anywhere on the map
Garrison units inside bunkers for protection
Upgraded fence walls can also garrison units

Mech Overcharge

Makes all mechs invincible
Extremely valuable in critical moments

EMP Mech

Deals significant damage to vehicle waves
Vehicle waves are common in Firefight

The free barriers ability alone makes Johnson the top choice for Terminus Firefight.

Pavium (Second Best)

Pavium is an excellent defensive choice:

Megatron Construction

Build Megatrons on mini base slots
Powerful defensive structures

Full Salvage Leader Power

All buildings regenerate health constantly
Helps when spread too thin
Also extends to barriers (they count as buildings)

Building Invincibility

Ability that makes all buildings invincible
Extremely powerful defensive tool

Reign of Fire and Lich Ability

Strong offensive capabilities
Effective against enemy waves

Burnout

Generates additional resources
Useful when resources get tight during attacks

Serina (Second Best Alternative)

Serina excels at crowd control and support:

Freeze and Destroy

Freeze enemies and then destroy them
Extremely effective crowd control

Ice Berries

Create diversions for enemies
Freeze enemies in place

Frost Ravens

Excellent support strategy
Provides significant advantage when used effectively

Serina is particularly strong at supporting other leaders in the team.

Jerome (Highly Effective)

Jerome brings powerful unit upgrades and support:

Omega Team Upgrade

Drop Omega Team and place them in Vultures
With upgrades, creates Level 6 Vultures
Vultures become Veteran
Level 6 Vultures are extremely powerful, almost like having three Condors

Unit Inspiration

Inspires other units
Provides buffs to your army

Enduring Salvos

Fantastic leader power
Drops turrets and mines
Provides additional defensive options

Jerome works well with Pavium's Ultra Mines, creating effective mine combinations throughout the map.

Honorable Mentions

Colony

Colony offers strong defensive support:

Combat Repair

All buildings and units heal over time
Extremely helpful for sustainability

Living Barrier

Drop in front of fence barriers blocking enemies
Provides additional time and protection
Works well with existing fence defenses

Skitters and Hunter Captain

Skitters provide additional utility
Hunter Captain is very solid, especially with Skitters attached

Colony is a reliable choice that works well in Firefight.

Kinsano

Kinsano is a solid option for Terminus Firefight, though specific strategies weren't detailed in the source material.

Arbiter

The Arbiter can be effective:

Stasis Abilities

Use Stasis to keep enemy units in check
Control enemy movement
Useful for repositioning or preventing enemy advances

Shipmaster

Shipmaster provides unique utility:

Teleportation

Teleport enemy units away from the Terminus
Useful for redirecting threats

Anders

Anders can be effective with proper setup:

Siege Turrets

Build Siege Turrets for defense

Aggressor Sentinels Upgrade

Upgrade that spawns Aggressor Sentinels everywhere
Very effective when used correctly

Sentinel Waves

Call Sentinel Waves at the center of the Terminus
Dead center placement covers a good portion of the map
Sentinels spread across the map effectively

Retriever Sentinel

Additional utility option

Less Effective Leaders

Captain Cutter

Captain Cutter is less effective in Firefight:

Close Air Support ability is not particularly useful
Other abilities don't synergize well with Firefight mechanics

Sergeant Forge

Sergeant Forge has limited effectiveness:

Combat Salvage would be helpful, but that's about it
Most powers don't benefit teammates effectively
Firefight benefits from powers that help the entire team

Key Strategies

Mix and Match Leaders

Don't have everyone play the same leader:

If everyone plays Johnson, the free barriers ability becomes less valuable
Mix different leaders to maximize team synergy
Each leader brings unique abilities that complement others

Defensive Combinations

Effective defensive strategies:

Turrets: Mix and match turrets from different leaders
Mines: Combine Ultra Mines with Mine Barriers
Barriers: Use free barriers from Johnson with Living Barriers from Colony
Building Healing: Combine Pavium's building regeneration with other healing abilities

Leader Synergy

Powers that benefit teammates work best:

Living Barrier (Colony)
Free barriers (Johnson)
Mines and turrets (multiple leaders)
Healing and regeneration abilities

General Notes

Most leaders that are weaker in multiplayer actually perform well in Firefight:

Johnson is a prime example - less effective in multiplayer but excellent in Firefight
The mode rewards defensive and support abilities over aggressive rush strategies
Try leaders you don't normally play in multiplayer - they may surprise you

Summary

Top Tier Leaders:

Johnson - Free barriers make him essential
Pavium - Strong defensive capabilities
Serina - Excellent crowd control and support
Jerome - Powerful unit upgrades and support

Best 3v3 Combo: Johnson + Pavium + (Serina or Jerome)

Honorable Mentions: Colony, Kinsano, Arbiter, Shipmaster, Anders

Less Effective: Captain Cutter, Sergeant Forge

The key to success in Terminus Firefight is combining leaders with complementary abilities that benefit the entire team, focusing on defense, crowd control, and resource management.