Halo Infinite: What are FOBs and Valor?
Take Zeta Halo back from the Banished, one base at a time.
The Banished are one of the deadliest factions that Master Chief has ever had to face. However, while you're exploring the open world of Zeta Halo, rescuing surviving UNSC troops, and reclaiming positions that Banished forces took over shortly before the events of the Halo Infinite campaign, are some of the best ways to even those odds.
By capturing Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) and accruing special Valor points, you can help the UNSC fight back against the Banished, which in turn will make it easier to complete Halo Infinite's main campaign missions. But how exactly do FOBs and Valor work? In this guide, we'll go over everything you need to know about FOBs and Valor, including what they are, how you can capture or obtain them, and what benefits they offer.
What are Halo Infinite FOBs?
FOBs are small UNSC outposts that can be found scattered all over Halo Infinite's open world. At the start of the campaign, each FOB on the map will be controlled by a large number of Banished troops. These troops will defend the FOB if the player chooses to attack, and some of them will also dynamically patrol nearby areas. These enemy-controlled FOBs are shown as a large red diamond on the map with a white silhouette of the outpost's main platform in the center.
If you're able to kill all enemies near a FOB, you can take it back for the UNSC by hacking a terminal on the FOB's main platform. Once you do this, the FOB's icon on the map will change to a blue circle with the UNSC logo, and UNSC Marines will begin spawning at and around the base shortly afterward. UNSC troops will also begin patrolling the surrounding area, much like the Banished did.
FOBs that you've captured offer numerous benefits to the player, including the following:
- A fast travel point
- Four weapon spawners
- A vehicle spawner
- UNSC Marines that will follow you and ride in vehicles
- Map locations of collectibles in nearby areas
What is Halo Infinite Valor?
Halo Infinite's Valor system is essentially a quantification of how much of Zeta Halo the player and their UNSC allies have managed to take back from the Banished. Over the course of the campaign, players will have numerous opportunities to earn more Valor. The following are some of your best shots at scoring more Valor in-game.
- Capturing FOBs
- Rescuing squads of UNSC troops in the open world
- Killing Banished High-Value Targets
- Completing main story missions
As players earn Valor, they'll be able to spawn in weapons, vehicles, and grenades at UNSC-controlled FOBs for use in the open world and story missions. Additionally, Valor also dictates how many UNSC Marines spawn at friendly FOBs and what weapons they use in combat. The more Valor a player has, the larger their arsenal will become (we'll go over all of the specific Valor unlocks in the next section).
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List of all Halo Infinite Valor unlocks
As you earn more Valor throughout the campaign, you'll unlock more powerful weapons and vehicles that can be called in at FOBs. Additionally, more Marines will spawn at FOBs, and they'll also use more powerful pieces of equipment. These tiers unlock upon reaching specific Valor milestones, all of which directly translate to new ways to tackle Banished forces. Here's a full breakdown of every Valor unlock in the game, including what the unlocks are, as well as how much Valor you'll need for them.
Unlock | Valor Requirement |
---|---|
Mongoose | 0 |
MK50 Sidekick | 0 |
MA40 Assault Rifle | 400 |
Assault Marines (Assault Rifle) | 450 |
Razorback | 500 |
M9 Frag Grenade | 550 |
CQS48 Bulldog | 600 |
Breacher Marine (Bulldog) | 650 |
Warthog | 800 |
VK78 Commando | 900 |
Scout Marine (Commando) | 1,000 |
BR75 Battle Rifle | 1,100 |
Heavy Assault Marine (Battle Rifle) | 1,200 |
Gungoose | 1,400 |
S7 Sniper Rifle | 1,500 |
Sniper Marine (Sniper Rifle) | 1,600 |
M41 SPNKr | 1,700 |
Demolition Marine (SPNKr) | 1,800 |
Scorpion | 2,000 |
MLRS-2 Hydra | 2,100 |
Striker Sidekick (More damage) | 2,200 |
Longshot Assault Rifle (tighter spread) | 2,300 |
Convergence Bulldog (more ammo capacity, less spread) | 2,400 |
Wasp | 2,600 |
Impact Commando (more ammo and range, less accuracy) | 2,700 |
Battle Rifle Breacher (more damage) | 2,800 |
Flexfire Sniper (higher ammo capacity and fire rate) | 2,900 |
Pursuit Hydra (faster target lock and rockets) | 3,000 |
Rocket Hog | 3,200 |
The Halo Infinite campaign is available now for $60 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs. It's one of the best Xbox shooters ever made, so you should definitely pick it up and give it a shot.
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).