This guide is a compilation of all the most impactful Power Weapons, Vehicles and Powerups in Halo 2 Classic. I have not listed Shotguns or Plasma Pistols due to them not being as useful compared to the other Power Weapons. Information up to date as of 30.5.2020.

The categorization is as follows:








The first column indicates a Weapon, Powerup or Vehicle and the second colum shows the time to respawn for the item.


In Halo 2 Classic maps there are 2 types of Weapon categories: regular Weapons and "Super Weapons"
For regular Weapons, the respawn timer starts ticking right as you pick up the weapon and the weapon will respawn even if you have that picked up weapon still in hand.
For "Super Weapons" (underlined in this guide) the respawn timer starts ticking after the weapon has despawned from the map. The "Super Weapons" have the max amount of spawns set to 1 (or 2 if there is for example 2 Sniper Rifles on the map ect.) while the regular Weapons have the max amount set to more than 1, thus the aformentioned behaviour.
In most maps most of the weapons like the Plasma Pistol, Magnum or Carbine are regular weapons and most of the Power Weapons like Sniper Rifle, Rocket Launcher and Energy Sword are Super Weapons.
To despawn a weapon from the map you can either:
1. Use up all the ammo and change the weapon out for another weapon on the ground
2. Drop the weapon on the ground and wait out the 30 sec despawn timer. Note: If you walk over the weapon withing the 30 sec despawn timer, the timer will reset. So let's say you dropped a weapon on the ground at 0:00 and you walk over that gun at 0:29. If uninterrupted, the weapon will now despawn at 0:59.

In practice you can pick up a Sniper Rifle (with a respawn of 15 sec), use up all of its ammo, change out the empty Sniper Rifle for a random weapon on the ground then wait 15 seconds for a new Sniper Rifle to spawn at its spawn location. There are Sniper Rifle Ammo locations on Coagulation, Headlong and Turf from where you can refill the Ammo on your Sniper Rifle which can be a good advantage knowing exactly when the Ammo will spawn to keep a steady stream of bullets flying in the enemy's direction.

If you get the chance, you can try to pick up the enemy's Sniper Rifle (has to be a Super Weapon) for example and bring it to your base and when you run out of ammo, just walk over your team's Sniper Rifle and refill the ammo. That way YOU are the one holding the ENEMY's Sniper Rifle and the enemy won't have access to their Sniper Rifle as long as you keep hold of it.


For vehicles the respawn timer starts ticking down after the vehicle has despawned from the map. To despawn a vehicle from the map you can either:
1. Destroy the vehicle and wait for the wreckage to despawn
2. Wait out the 2:00 minute despawn timer. Note: The vehicle has to be moved about 3 Wraith lenghts out of its spawn location and you need to be about 1 Wraith length away from the vehicle in order for the despawn timer to take effect (see pictures). If you get in the vehicle, drive it inside that 3 Wraith length radius and get out, the vehicle will stay there until destroyed.


See pictures:
Green Zone: Staying in the green zone radius (about 1 Wraith length) from the vehicle's center point will not begin the vehicle's despawn timer. When you exit the green zone, the despawn timer will begin. If you leave the green zone after exiting your vehicle and then come back inside the green zone in under 2:00 minutes, you will start the 2:00 minute despawn timer again.

Orange Zone: If the spawn point of the vehicle is where the mongoose is located in the picture, you can move the vehicle inside the orange zone (radius about 3 Wraith lengths) and leave it inside the orange zone and it won't despawn. Upon moving the vehicle outside the orange zone, the despawn timer will begin upon exiting the vehicle and moving out of the green zone.

In practice you can be driving in a Gausshog (with a respawn of 30 sec) and have it be destroyed at 1:00. Wait out the 30 sec and be waiting at the Gausshog's spawn location on 1:30 to drive it again.






The spawn time info used in this guide is based on http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/h2respawntimes.html data (from 2005), but on 30.5.2020 I went thru all the maps and spawn times, fixing wrong spawn times along the way (there were many) so that the guide is now up to date.

• "All time measurements have a 2 second margin of error in either direction.
  
• All times listed have been tested under standard slayer rules.
  
• All weapons disappear after 30 seconds on the ground.
  
• Disappear timer does not start until the moment a weapon stops moving entirely (I.E. The weapon stops bouncing).
  
• The 30 second disappear time is reset if you walk over the weapon bringing up the "Hold E to pick up" message.
  
• All vehicle times are measured from moment of destruction.
  
• Ammo taken from a weapon (while still leaving that weapon in its spawn location) will remain missing from that weapon forever, or until the weapon is taken and a new one appears. There is no respawn simply for the missing ammo within a weapon spawn." ⁽¹⁾

All maps included from:
Steam\steamapps\common\Halo The Master Chief Collection\halo2\h2_maps_win64_dx11

The map categorizing had to be cut into smaller sections because steam couldn't handle it.

1. Main source http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/h2respawntimes.html

Send me your feedback and bugs that you found in the comments!

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