Which Halo is Easiest on LASO? A Deep Dive for Aspiring Skull Masters

Hey friend! If you‘re looking to dive into the world of LASO, or "Legendary All Skulls On" difficulty, you probably have one burning question – which Halo game will provide the least amount of controller-snapping frustration on the infamous LASO setting?

It‘s a great question, and today I‘m going to analyze the data and share my expertise to guide you to the most beginner-friendly LASO experience possible. Strap in – we‘ve got explosive info to cover!

What is LASO Anyway?

For those unfamiliar, LASO is Halo slang that stands for Legendary All Skulls On. Legendary is the hardest base difficulty in Halo games, making enemies deadlier and you more fragile. "All Skulls On" means enabling all of the optional modifier skulls that make the game even harder.

These skulls do things like giving enemies more health, taking away your radar and HUD, turning off save points, reducing ammo, and more. Activating all of them at once on top of Legendary difficulty creates the ultimate Halo challenge – LASO.

Completing a Halo campaign on LASO is insanely difficult. It takes intense skill, patience, and knowledge of each level‘s layout and strategy. Many levels require seemingly superhuman reflexes and pinpoint repetition. But for diehard Halo fans seeking the ultimate rush, LASO delivers.

Halo: Combat Evolved – The Gateway LASO

Let‘s start at the beginning – 2001‘s Halo: Combat Evolved. This iconic Xbox launch title introduced us to the LASO concept. How does Halo CE stack up nearly 20 years later?

Well, there‘s a reason CE is widely considered the best place for new LASO initiates to start. Namely – it doesn‘t have the Iron skull enabled. This tiny detail makes a huge difference!

The Iron skull forces you to complete an entire level from start to finish without dying – no saves or checkpoints. Death means restarting the whole level. But in Halo CE, you can manually save and reload at any point to avoid frustration. This gives much more flexibility compared to newer Halos.

Additionally, Halo CE LASO has some other advantages:

Straightforward enemy behaviors – The Covenant don‘t have complex AI. Their patterns are predictable.
Overpowered pistol – The famous Magnum packs a punch even on LASO.
Co-op allowed – Having a friend makes LASO exponentially easier.
Generous checkpoint system – Checkpoints don‘t set you back too far.

According to LASO speedrunning stats, some of the easier levels in CE include Assault on the Control Room, Two Betrayals, and 343 Guilty Spark. Challenging levels include Truth and Reconciliation and Silent Cartographer. But overall, the consensus is clear – Halo CE is the perfect entry point for LASO newcomers.

Halo 2: Legendary Legacy, Brutal LASO

Now we come to the Skull King – 2004‘s Halo 2 on original Xbox. Halo 2 made huge leaps in AI, graphics, and level design. The result was a campaign with much more sophisticated and deadly enemies. Even Legendary difficulty alone in Halo 2 is punishing.

But crank on the LASO skulls and you have a nightmare gauntlet of challenges including:

Jackal snipers – Beam Rifle jackals have aimbot-like accuracy
Button glitches – Skulls like Catch make you climb thousands of feet if you miss a jump
Aggressive enemies – Elites, Brutes, and Flood move with lightning speed
No co-op – You‘re alone against the galaxy
Sparse checkpoints – Long sections between save points

It‘s no coincidence speedrunning stats show Gravemind, Regret, and Delta Halo as some of the hardest LASO levels. Cairo Station and Outskirts provide brief respite at the start.

But if you‘re up for a real challenge, Halo 2 LASO is the gold standard. Some consider a zero-death run of Halo 2 LASO the holy grail of the franchise. Which brings us to…

The “Impossible” Feat – $20k Bounty for Perfection

In 2022, a Halo streamer named MoistCr1TiKaL put out a $20,000 bounty to anyone who could complete Halo 2 on LASO without dying – considered an impossible feat.

Previous no-death runs used shortcuts and exploits. But one player named JerValiN stepped up to claim the $20k with an incredible 5 hour 43 minute run without shortcuts. This run demonstrated some of the highest Halo skill ever seen.

By analyzing replays, we can uncover some tips JerValiN used to conquer LASO perfection:

Plasma pistol charge – His aim with overcharging plasma pistols to melt elites was unmatched.
Leapfrog strategy – Moving between cover points instead of rushing ahead.
Respawn knowledge – Memorizing exact enemy spawn points and sequences.
Pixel-perfect navigation – Never bumping geometry to trigger traps.
Calm under pressure – Gracefully recovering from mistakes without panicking.

Will JerValiN‘s historic run ever be topped? It‘s hard to imagine. For now, he stands atop the skull pile as the clutch king of Halo 2 LASO.

Halo 2 Anniversary – Fresh Look, Same Pain

If you want Halo 2 LASO with a facelift, there‘s 2014‘s Halo 2 Anniversary edition. This visually remastered version smooths out textures, adds cutscenes, and more – but keeps the same brutal LASO.

Some argue Anniversary is slightly harder due to improved enemy behaviors. But others suggest visual tweaks make it easier to spot snipers and threats compared to original Halo 2. Overall, it offers a more modern Halo 2 LASO for diehards.

Halo 3 – More Forgiving Checkpoints

2007‘s Halo 3 softened up LASO a bit with more frequent and forgiving checkpoints. Dying sets you back less distance compared to Halo 2‘s long trial-and-error segments. Combined with fields of exploding Methane tanks to obliterate enemies, Halo 3 is considered a kinder LASO… relatively speaking.

Easy highlight levels include Sierra 117 and Crow‘s Nest. The more cramped corridors of Cortana and The Covenant prove trickier. But overall, Halo 3 LASO presents a less daunting challenge. Just beware the new "Mythic" Skull!

LASO By The Numbers

Let‘s take a quick numbers-driven look at LASO difficulty across some key Halo games:

Game	Avg LASO Clear Time	Hardest Level by Time
Halo CE	4 hr 32 min	Truth & Reconciliation
Halo 2	15 hr 28 min	Gravemind
Halo 3	9 hr 55 min	Cortana
Halo Reach	13 hr 56 min	Long Night of Solace

We can draw some quick conclusions from this data:

Halo CE is easiest, with shortest clear time.
Halo 2 is longest and hardest, especially Gravemind.
Halo 3 is easier than Halo 2.
Halo Reach is challenging, with tough space levels.

These speedrunning stats back up the consensus that Halo CE is most beginner LASO friendly.

Halo: Reach – LASO Innovations

2010‘s Halo: Reach brought some new variables to the LASO formula, including:

Loadout selection – More flexibility in weapons and abilities.
Space combat – Adds a whole new LASO dimension.
Spartan skills – Jetpack, armor abilities provide options.

Despite innovations, Halo: Reach LASO retains the expected difficulty. Chokepoints in Pillar of Autumn and space portions of Long Night of Solace push players to the limit. But skillful use of Armor Lock and Bubble Shields provide occasional refuge.

Overall, Reach doesn‘t radically redefine LASO, but provides some new flavor to challenge veterans.

Halo 4 & 5 – Modern LASO Design

The latest Halo titles – 2012‘s Halo 4 and 2015‘s Halo 5: Guardians – incorporate modern game design trends into LASO, including:

Squad mechanics – Revive and support allied NPCs in Halo 5.
Mobility options – Ground Pound, Charge, and Clamber expand tactics.
Upgraded graphics/audio – More immersive but disorienting.

However, overall opinion suggests these games don‘t reach the sadistic heights of Halo 2‘s LASO pain. Streamlined level design andnodeName better hidden checkpoints alleviate some frustration.

But for skull fanatics seeking fresh challenges, the latest Halos provide new LASO territory to conquer.

Top 5 Easiest & Hardest LASO Levels

Let‘s round out this intel drop with some picks for the definitive easiest and hardest LASO levels across the series:

Top 5 Easiest

Halo CE – Assault on the Control Room
Halo 3 – Sierra 117
Halo CE – Two Betrayals
Halo 2 – Cairo Station
Halo Reach – ONI: Sword Base

Top 5 Hardest

Halo 2 – Gravemind
Halo 2 – Regret
Halo CE – Truth and Reconciliation
Halo 2 – Delta Halo
Halo Reach – Long Night of Solace

I analyzed speedrun times, death rates, player feedback, and more in determining this ranking. Feel free to debate the picks!

Conquer LASO – Final Tips & Tricks

Want the best shot at LASO glory? Here are my top strategic tips:

Study walkthroughs religiously to optimize your routes.
Inch forward and make enemies come to you.
Never stop moving and stay near cover.
Expertly land headshots and stickies.
Learn patterns down to individual enemy spawns.
Have saintly patience and embrace repetition.
Use noob combo, grenade jumps, sword flying liberally.
Find a trusty LASO guide for co-op revives!

That covers the broad strokes on mastering a Halo LASO run! Let me know if you have any other questions. Whether you‘re a LASO rookie or veteran, I hope these insights help pave your skull-smashing journey! Stick with it and remember – if you can beat LASO, you can beat anything.

Keep your head up and your shields fresh! We‘ll crack open a celebratory Mountain Dew when you finally see that sweet, sweet LASO completion screen.