Terminus Firefight Review - Halo Wars 2

Terminus Firefight is included with the Awakening the Nightmare expansion pack or the Halo Wars 2 Complete Edition. It was one of the last pieces of content added to the game, and since the meta is stale, this review remains relevant.

The Good

Different Strategic Layer

Completely different team composition strategy than matchmaking
Instead of thinking about destroying enemies or quick teleportation
Focus on keeping the Terminus alive longer
Terminus is in the center of the map with shields - game ends when its health depletes

Great Leader Synergies

Shipmaster's Displacement works well
Johnson's Bunker Drops and Bunker Walls for garrisoning
Siege excels: Anders' Siege and Pavium's Mega Turrets are excellent
Johnson's Remote Sensors (expanded line of sight) helps Siege leaders flourish
Can destroy many units before they reach the Terminus

Variety and Twists

Different enemies including the Flood on some waves
Boss fights
Flood waves
Direct air attacks
Keeps gameplay interesting

Building Options

Can build turrets and walls beyond initial base area
Take mini bases for line of sight
Direct enemies down particular paths
Strategy: Wall off all entrances except one to create a funnel/choke point

Relaxing Gameplay

Less micromanaging than standard multiplayer
Especially on economy side
Can relax and let resources accumulate

The Bad

Only One Map

Same map over and over
Main reason for not playing Terminus Firefight as much
Same issue with Blitz Firefight (one map)

Wished-For Features

Different map layouts: Full expansion bases (only minis available beyond starting base)
Flood-only mode: Like Flood Fight in MCC
PvPvE mode: Two Terminus objectives, each team defends while Flood attacks from center
New maps: Inspiration from multiplayer maps or callbacks to Halo Wars series (e.g., Arcadia City)

Limited Ranked Options

Has ranked matchmaking
Wished for more ranked variations like FPS Halo's Firefight options

No Mod Support

Community could create map variations, unique challenges, or gameplay modifiers
Examples: No siege, infantry only - to increase difficulty
Would add significant replay value

What's Included

When you buy Awakening the Nightmare:

Full Banished campaign (High Charity, Flood, blur cutscenes)
Two new leaders (Voridus and Pavium)
Terminus Firefight game mode

Verdict

Terminus Firefight is a great mode as an individual experience in Halo Wars 2. The issues don't make it bad - it's very fun and worth trying with friends if you have the Complete Edition or Awakening the Nightmare expansion.

The single map repetition is the main drawback, but the strategic depth and relaxing gameplay make it an enjoyable change of pace from standard multiplayer.