Well O.K., so it's really just Highway 17 part B with a side quest. You're still on your way to Nova Prospekt. Follow the tunnel to a blocking of junk cars. Watch out, there's half a dozen zombies and two fast zombies hiding behind the wreckage. Show them a taste of your shotgun and clear the path for your buggy.

Back on the road again! Cruise down the beaten highway, moving junk cars as you go. You'll notice a house on the right. If you're in for some adventure, head down to the building. Take out the two troopers outside and enter the house from the back. Head up the two flights of stairs and you'll find some supplies and crossbow ammo. Watch out! There are two rollermines lurking on the roof ready to take you out as soon as you near the goods. Prepare your gravity gun, approach the supplies, and as soon as the mines fall into the room, blast 'em out the windows. What fun!

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31293 caption: Kinda creepy wouldn't ya say?

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31294 caption: Two rollermines drop from the hole in the roof. Be careful!

Continue down the highway to the combine roadblock. Take out the sniper with your crossbow and get prepared to fight. As soon as you approach a rollermine will pop out of the ground. Use it against soldiers or just toss it into the sea. There are five troopers and another rollermine in this area so be careful. After scavenging for supplies, bust through the roadblock with your buggy and keep cruisin'.

There will be one point you'll have to veer around a hole in the road. Keep sharp! Another roadblock. Get out and wait for the dropships to clear. Another half dozen troopers and two rollermines guard this area. Use your pulse-rifle to take these guys out quick. Walk into the left shack and you'll see an odd contraption.

The gate is controlled by a circuit of three car batteries. How ingenious! You'll have to find the missing two batteries and return them to their spots. The first battery is a couple feet away on the bed. The second is oh-so-well hidden by those witty combine troopers. It seems the second battery randomly appears in a number of locations. Be sure to check:

• Under the bathtub outside.
  
• On top of the the windmill platform. Shoot the barrels to cause the platform to fall along with the battery.
  
• In the blue car outside. You can check quickly which car it is in using the manipulator.

Thought that was enough? Here comes a dropship! Take to the lighthouse for shelter and supplies. There is a rocket ammo crate on the upper floor. Peek out of the roof to get some shots off at the dropship, ducking back for cover and ammo as needed. Seeing this dropship explode is definately a good feeling. Follow your fellow rebel down to the basement and through the cliffside pass. Watch for the combine on the ledge above. Note what the dropship is carrying away when it leaves. Wave goodbye to your faithful buggy.

On to the sandtraps of Sandtraps. Walk along the path and you will see two men on rocks. They tell you that antlions are aggravated by walking on the sand. One of the men moves and antlions spring from the dust to consume them. This brings up the premise of the next part of your journey; don't walk on the sand! While killing antlions may not be too difficult, you will find stepping off the rocks almost always a death sentence.

As for right now, fight off the remaining beasts and follow the rocks around the corner. Hop scotch along until you see a wooden pallet. From this point on, collect these pallets and use them as crutches to jump on between rocks. Follow the path to the first hill. You will notice a path strays to the left. You can go down there if you need some extra supplies, just take heed there's one antlion already down there waiting for you.

Follow the main fork to a junk-made see-saw. Grab the boxes and junk around the see-saw and place them on the beginning side. This will push the other end up to a height where you can reach the next ledge. Push further ahead. You will notice a shack to your right. There are some grenades and supply crates out that way, but I must warn you once there, it's hard to get back. Stay away and pull in some of the closer supply crates.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31304 caption: Wow, a see-saw! Pile up junk on one side to keep the other side up.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31305 caption: Beware! Once you're down there, it's hard coming back.

Follow the path to the end of the cliff with the barn on your left. There should be a long wooden plank lying on the ground. Pick it up and set it across the gap to get to the barn. Grab the supplies inside. From here you can climb the cliff out back to get to another shack with a supply crate. Wow, what a glorious view. Take some time with your pistol to knock off a couple birds. Innocent feathered friends make great target practice!

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31306 caption: Place the plank over the gap to get to the small barn.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31307 caption: Spend a couple moments shooting birds!

Get down off there and bring a barrel or crate over to the next pier. Use the object you brought as a step to the next platform. Inside the building lies another supply crate. Grab some platforms and cross the gap to get to the house. Be careful in here, even though you're in a house, the sand on one side still is infested with antlions. Turn on the generator behind the house; this will turn on the restrictor.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31308 caption: Use a barrel or crate to step up to the next platform.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31309 caption: Don't step on this sand! It will summon the antlions.

From here you can slowly make your way across the gap with platforms (which I recommend), or you can run to the restrictor, rest, and then run to the next ledge. Either way, when you get there, collect all the explosive barrels you can find. I recommend at least four.

So you finally made it across that long chasm, now take a look at what's next. No, no, no, don't point your rocket launcher at your feet just yet. Remember those barrels? Throw them all on the other side. Save. You're about to go face-to-face with your first antlion guard.

Surrounded by your explosive buddies, step out on the dirt. Nice size antlion eh? No time for pondering, you've got work to do. Toss the explosive barrels at the antlion guard as fast as you can. Circle around it so you won't get pinned in a corner. Next up is your rocket launcher, followed by the MP7's secondary grenades, and finally your shotgun. Once it's down, a voltigaunt will come to meet you.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31312 caption: The antlion guard is hard to bring down. Just remember to keep moving.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31313 caption: Armed with bugbait, you can control the antions.

After he "extracts" the pheropods from the antlion, collect the bugbait and follow the voltigaunt back to base. Grab the supply crates lying around and make your way up the hill to be instructed in your new toy.

After training, take your pets for a stroll on the beach. You will need to shut off the restrictors as you go so your pets can follow you. At the first sight of Combine, throw some bait out and let your pets have a snack. Glorious is it not? Grab the supplies behind the pillbox and continue down the coast. You will see a pillbox on the left. Run up there and kill the guy behind the turret. When the combine come around the corner, pick them off with the stationary turret. Walk down and turn off the restrictor.

For the next pillbox you will need to sprint between rocks on the coastline until you get to a path up the hill. This is a dangerous area with lots of combine so watch out. Let your pets do most the killing. Sprint up the hill and sneak around the back of the pillbox. Kill the troopers how you please and enter the tunnel nearby.

Manhacks! Take care of them with your shotgun. As you go through the tunnel, Combine will flock in and light up flares. Best let the antlions handle this. Stay back and give orders with your bugbait. Take your crew out the other side.

Follow the path killing the troopers outside and in the pillboxes. You will get to a downward slope with a pillbox at the end. Sprint to the pillbox before the combine set up turret positions. Take out the troopers and continue to the foot of Nova Prospekt.

Follow the ledge around and jump the gap to a small hut with two zombies. Shoot the gas can and both zombies will be engulfed in flames. Stand there and enjoy watching the undead die...again. Pull the legs out from under the platform to reveal a slope up to the next ledge.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31318 caption: Just shoot the gas can and watch the zombies burn.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31319 caption: Pull out the supports to make a makeshift path.

If your antlions are not nearby, summon them and more will spring out of the dust. As you round the next corner, toss a bugbait high onto the platform ahead. Don't worry about accuracy; your pets can take care of themselves. Sit back and watch the carnage.

Follow the ledge around and climb the ladder. Jump to the ledge with the supply crates and round the corner. Toss a bugbait up once again to take care of the naughty troopers. Start climbing the ledges but beware, there is a fast zombie in a tunnel at the top of the hill. Kill the monkey beast and enter the outskirts of Nova Prospekt.

Follow the tunnels to a large pool. Climb the ladder and pick off a couple guards with your crossbow. Now through a bugbait and let your pets take care of the rest. You may need to help them out with the guards manning the turrets. Either snipe the troopers or just distract them long enough for the antlions to get there.

After the towers have been secured, make your way along the up the next platform. Hear a familiar sound? Another gunship. At this point be very careful to protect yourself well. There are at least a dozen combine and this new gunship out to get you. Round the corner and take out the two guards in the room on the left. Go in there and use the health and suit stations to recharge. Slowly make your way up the platforms, letting your pets do most the dirty work.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31323 caption: This is where your pets come in handy. Toss bugbait at each tower and watch them swarm.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31324 caption: Prepare your rocket launcher, gunships are moving in.

There is a rocket ammo crate on the final platform. Take heed, another gunship is on its way. By now you should have a fair grasp on how to bring these beasts down. Don't forget to use the crates as cover. Keep your hopes up; this is the hardest part of the level. Do not be surprised if you have to restart this part several times.

Shout a victory cheer as the last gunship goes down. Good work Freeman. Enter the hole blown into the side of the wall. Turn off the two valves to remove the flames. Walk through the hall and to the entrance of your next challenge. Nova Prospekt.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31326 caption: Enter the hole in the wall. Nova Prospekt lies inside.

image: http://www.hlfallout.net/image.php?id=31328 caption: Turn the valves to cut off the flames.