Halo Campaign Evolved: The Maw Skulls & Terminal Locations

Q: How Many Skulls Are in The Maw?

There are three Skulls in The Maw: Stowed Reload, Boom, and Thunderstorm. Every main mission in Halo Campaign Evolved contains exactly three hidden Skulls.

Q: How Many Terminals Are in The Maw?

There is one Terminal in The Maw, called No Rush. It is found in a canteen area with a fire burning in the back corner — on the route toward the bridge at the very start of the mission.

Q: Is Boom Required for LASO?

Yes. Boom is one of the 17 Skulls required to unlock LASO difficulty . Do not miss it. It is found on Floor 3 of the reactor room — jump the gap to the open door after the "Light Fuse, Run Away" checkpoint, then drop to the narrow ledge below.

Q: Can I Get the Thunderstorm Skull Without Failing the Escape?

Yes. The Warthog escape has some time pressure, but the second shortcut tunnel gives you enough buffer to stop, get out, enter the side room, grab the Skull, and get back in the Warthog without failing. It takes about 15 to 20 seconds on foot in the room. Drive normally up to that point and you will have the margin.

Q: What Does Stowed Reload Do?

With Stowed Reload active, any weapon you are not currently holding automatically reloads . When you swap back to a weapon, it will already have a full magazine. This encourages constant weapon swapping and effectively removes reload downtime for players who alternate between two weapons regularly.

Q: What Does Thunderstorm Do?

With Thunderstorm active, most enemies are promoted to a higher rank . Minor Grunts become Majors, Major Elites become Ultras, and so on. Higher-ranked enemies have more health and use more aggressive AI tactics, making every encounter harder without changing enemy numbers.

Halo Campaign Evolved The Maw Skulls & Terminal Locations wrap up the main campaign’s collectible hunt. The Maw is Mission 10 — the final mission — and it is the only one in the game where you have a ticking clock. The Pillar of Autumn is set to self-destruct, and the Warthog escape run at the end is on a tight timer. Fortunately, all three Skulls and the Terminal appear before the Warthog run begins. None of them require special conditions, no difficult difficulty restrictions, and one of the Skulls (Boom) contributes to LASO. This is one of the most manageable collectible missions in the game — if you know where to look before the countdown begins.

TL;DR
The Maw has 3 Skulls and 1 Terminal to collect.
The three Skulls are: Stowed Reload, Boom, and Thunderstorm.
The Terminal is called No Rush — found in a canteen area early in the mission.
Boom is a LASO-required Skull — do not miss it.
All three Skulls and the Terminal come before the Warthog escape run.
Stowed Reload is on a destroyed catwalk above the cryo pod room.
Boom is on Floor 3 of the reactor — jump a gap to an open door, then drop to a narrow ledge below.
Thunderstorm is found in a room off the second shortcut tunnel during the Warthog run.
Collect in this order: No Rush Terminal → Stowed Reload → Boom → Thunderstorm.
Once grabbed, all Skulls are permanently yours — even if you die during the escape.

This guide walks through all four collectibles in the order you encounter them. Get the game on Xbox, PlayStation, or Steam. If you are still working through Mission 9, our Keyes Skulls & Terminal Locations guide covers all of those collectibles in full.

Table of Contents

Before You Start: All Collectibles Come Before the Warthog Run

This is the most important thing to know going into The Maw. The Warthog escape run at the end is timed and feels like the whole mission, but every single collectible in this mission — all three Skulls and the Terminal — is found during the interior sections before the escape begins. There is no racing against the clock while trying to collect.

The only collectible that appears during the Warthog run is the Thunderstorm Skull, and even that requires briefly parking the Warthog and entering a side room on foot — it does not require outrunning the explosion or jumping gaps at speed.

Collect in this order: No Rush Terminal → Stowed Reload Skull → Boom Skull → Thunderstorm Skull. That follows the natural flow of the mission from beginning to end.

For the full achievement and trophy context of completing all main mission collectibles, see our Halo Campaign Evolved achievement and trophy list.

Terminal: No Rush — Location and Lore

terminal 1 arrival 1

Where to Find the No Rush Terminal

The No Rush Terminal is the first collectible in the mission and comes right at the start, before you reach the bridge or trigger any major story beats.

When the mission begins, follow the objective markers toward the bridge. On the way, the path will guide you through a canteen area — a side room with a fire burning in the back corner. This is your landmark. The room has a warm, orange-lit atmosphere that makes it stand out from the grey ship corridors around it.

When you enter the canteen, look toward the back of the room near the fire. The No Rush Terminal is right there against the back wall. Interact with it to collect the lore entry.

It takes under 30 seconds to grab. Do not rush past it on the way to the bridge — the canteen is directly on your route, so you will walk through it naturally.

What Does the No Rush Terminal Contain?

No Rush is the tenth and final Terminal in the main campaign. Like all Terminals, it contains classified lore that expands on the story beyond what the main cutscenes show. Given its placement in the final mission, it carries appropriate narrative weight as a closing chapter. Once collected, it is readable anytime from the Collectibles section of the main menu.

Collecting all 10 main campaign Terminals contributes to the Collector’s Addition trophy/achievement. For full context on how Terminals track toward completion, see our Halo Campaign Evolved review guide.

Skull #1: Stowed Reload — Location and Effect

Where to Find the Stowed Reload Skull

After grabbing the Terminal, continue following the mission toward the bridge. A cutscene will play on the bridge involving Cortana and 343 Guilty Spark. After that cutscene, a new objective appears: reach the cryo storage facility.

Head toward the cryo storage facility. Keep following the corridors and connecting rooms until you reach a large room with four cryo pods arranged in the centre. This is the same type of room you remember from the opening of the game — a cryo bay. As soon as you enter, Sentinels and Flood will be fighting each other in this room. That combat is your visual cue that you are in the right place.

Navigate to the back-left corner of the cryo pod room. Look up — above you, along the back wall, is a destroyed catwalk with fire burning near it. The catwalk is partially collapsed and elevated above the main floor.

Jump up onto the wreckage and debris below the catwalk, then jump again to get onto the destroyed catwalk itself. The Stowed Reload Skull is sitting on the remains of that elevated walkway. Interact with it to collect it.

If you have Acrophobia active, simply fly up to the catwalk level. For everything about that Skull and how flight works across the game, see our Halo Campaign Evolved How to Fly guide.

Stowed Reload Skull Effect

Your weapons automatically reload while stowed — when a weapon is not in your hands, it reloads on its own.
This removes the need to manually reload a weapon you swap back to — it will already be full.
Encourages an aggressive weapon-swapping playstyle where you alternate between two weapons constantly.

Stowed Reload is a genuinely useful Skull on certain playstyles. If you like holding two weapons and switching between them frequently, this modifier effectively gives you twice the sustained fire without reload pauses. It pairs well with ammo-heavy situations like the Flood corridors of this mission.

Skull #2: Boom — Location and Effect

Where to Find the Boom Skull

The Boom Skull is found inside the reactor room — the large multi-floor area where you must destroy the four reactor core units to trigger the ship’s self-destruct sequence. This is the longest and most combat-heavy section before the Warthog run.

Fight through the reactor room and destroy the required core units. As you work through the level, you will eventually navigate a series of hallways and receive the “Light Fuse, Run Away” checkpoint title card. When you see that checkpoint name appear on screen, you are close.

From the “Light Fuse, Run Away” checkpoint, head right and up the ramp. Turn left at the top and look along the right-side wall — there is an unlocked door you can walk through. Go through it to access Floor 2.

From Floor 2, follow the linear path left to reach Floor 3. On Floor 3, there is a walkway with two main objective consoles visible in the room. Do not interact with those consoles yet. Instead, look for a gap in the walkway — a break in the floor or railing — and jump over it to reach an open door on the far side.

Through that door, drop down to the narrow ledge below on the left. The Boom Skull is sitting in a small gap on that lower ledge. Interact with it to collect it. Then work your way back out and continue with the mission objectives.

Boom Skull Effect

Doubles the explosion radius of all explosions — your grenades, rocket launchers, fuel rods, and all enemy explosives.
This applies to both your weapons and enemy weapons equally — enemy grenades and rockets also have double the blast radius.
Self-damage becomes a real risk. Explosions that previously would not reach you now might.
Boom is a LASO-required Skull — one of the 17 needed to unlock that difficulty.

Boom is one of the most entertaining Skulls in the game for casual runs and one of the most dangerous on LASO. Explosions feel enormous and satisfying, but getting caught by a Plasma Grenade or a Rocket Trooper with Boom active is a very different experience from normal. For difficulty context and LASO Skull stacking, see our Halo Campaign Evolved difficulty differences guide.

Skull #3: Thunderstorm — Location and Effect

Where to Find the Thunderstorm Skull

Thunderstorm is the only collectible in the mission found during the Warthog escape run — but it is not as stressful as it sounds. The escape run has multiple tunnel shortcuts, and the Thunderstorm Skull is in a side room off the second shortcut tunnel.

When the Warthog run begins, drive down into the escape tunnel following the objective. The route will hit a section with a long, winding snaking path. Two shortcut tunnels branch off this winding section. Take the second shortcut when you reach it — not the first.

Inside the second shortcut tunnel, watch the right side of the wall. You will see an open door in the right wall midway through the tunnel. Drive the Warthog to the door and park it. Get out on foot and go through the door.

Inside the room beyond, the Thunderstorm Skull is sitting in the middle of the floor to the right. Interact with it to collect it. Then get back in the Warthog and continue the escape.

The room does not have a time pressure element specifically — you are not on a mission-fail countdown inside that room. The overall escape does have a timer in the sense that the ship is exploding, but the shortcut tunnel and side room give you a comfortable buffer to stop, collect, and continue.

Thunderstorm Skull Effect

Upgrades the rank of most enemies — Grunts become Major Grunts, Major Elites become Ultra Elites, and so on throughout the enemy hierarchy.
Higher-ranked enemies have more health, more aggressive AI, and use better tactics.
The overall difficulty of every encounter increases noticeably with Thunderstorm active.

Thunderstorm is a clean challenge escalation Skull. It does not change how many enemies appear — it just makes every one of them tougher and smarter. For co-op players looking to stack Thunderstorm with other challenge Skulls, see our Halo Campaign Evolved co-op players guide.

LASO Note: Boom Is Required

Of the three Skulls in The Maw, Boom is required for LASO difficulty. It is one of 17 specific Skulls that must be collected before LASO unlocks as a playable option. Stowed Reload and Thunderstorm are not on the LASO requirement list but are needed for the Headhunter achievement — finding all 39 hidden Skulls across the game.

Collecting all three Skulls and the No Rush Terminal in The Maw also unlocks the No Rush trophy/achievement — the mission-specific completion reward for gathering all four collectibles here.

Tips for Getting All Collectibles in The Maw

Grab the Terminal in the canteen on your way to the bridge. It is directly on your route — you just need to stop and interact. Easy to miss only if you are running without looking around.
The cryo pod room fight is your cue for Stowed Reload. When Sentinels and Flood are battling in a room with four cryo pods, stop and look at the back-left corner. The catwalk above is where the Skull sits.
Use Acrophobia to reach Stowed Reload effortlessly. The catwalk jump is manageable without it, but flying up takes two seconds. If you have the flight Skull unlocked from The Silent Cartographer, activate it for this run.
The “Light Fuse, Run Away” checkpoint is your Boom Skull cue. When that title appears, go right, up the ramp, through the wall door, and navigate to Floor 3. Do not rush past the checkpoint toward objectives before checking the ledge.
Take the second shortcut tunnel for Thunderstorm. The first shortcut does not have the Skull. Count the tunnels — the Skull room is off the second one, through a door in the right wall. Park, get out, grab it, keep driving.
All Skulls are permanently yours once collected. Even if you die in the Warthog run right after grabbing Thunderstorm, the Skull still counts. Do not panic about dying during the escape.
The escape is not as tight as it looks. First-time players often think the Warthog run requires no stops at all — it does have a timer feel, but the shortcut tunnel section gives you enough margin to briefly park and collect Thunderstorm on foot.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Skulls Are in The Maw?

There are three Skulls in The Maw: Stowed Reload, Boom, and Thunderstorm. Every main mission in Halo Campaign Evolved contains exactly three hidden Skulls.

How Many Terminals Are in The Maw?

There is one Terminal in The Maw, called No Rush. It is found in a canteen area with a fire burning in the back corner — on the route toward the bridge at the very start of the mission.

Is Boom Required for LASO?

Yes. Boom is one of the 17 Skulls required to unlock LASO difficulty. Do not miss it. It is found on Floor 3 of the reactor room — jump the gap to the open door after the “Light Fuse, Run Away” checkpoint, then drop to the narrow ledge below.

Can I Get the Thunderstorm Skull Without Failing the Escape?

Yes. The Warthog escape has some time pressure, but the second shortcut tunnel gives you enough buffer to stop, get out, enter the side room, grab the Skull, and get back in the Warthog without failing. It takes about 15 to 20 seconds on foot in the room. Drive normally up to that point and you will have the margin.

What Does Stowed Reload Do?

With Stowed Reload active, any weapon you are not currently holding automatically reloads. When you swap back to a weapon, it will already have a full magazine. This encourages constant weapon swapping and effectively removes reload downtime for players who alternate between two weapons regularly.

What Does Thunderstorm Do?

With Thunderstorm active, most enemies are promoted to a higher rank. Minor Grunts become Majors, Major Elites become Ultras, and so on. Higher-ranked enemies have more health and use more aggressive AI tactics, making every encounter harder without changing enemy numbers.

Does Collecting All Maw Collectibles Unlock a Trophy?

Yes. Collecting all three Skulls and the No Rush Terminal in The Maw unlocks the No Rush trophy/achievement. Additionally, collecting all 39 hidden Skulls across the game unlocks the Headhunter trophy, and collecting all 13 Terminals unlocks the Collector’s Addition trophy.

Other Halo Campaign Evolved Guides

Looking for collectible guides across the full campaign? These cover every mission:

The Maw is where the campaign ends — and where your Skull collection for the main campaign wraps up. None of these three Skulls require special conditions or tricky jumps that trip up most players, making this one of the most approachable collectible missions in the game. With this guide, you can grab all three Skulls and the No Rush Terminal in a single run and close out the main campaign with a complete collection.