Victory Mine

"Help awaits us, in the mines."

- Vortigaunt

The White Forest Mines, also known as the Outland Mines or the White Forest Caves, are abandoned mines located in the White Forest.

Abandoned mines
While the mines had many uses to the Resistance and the Combine, many parts of the mines too infested by Antlions and are now abandoned. There are signs showing that Resistance and Combine forces tried to use the mines as indicated by the mass amounts of resistance and combine corpses found within many parts of the mines. The Vortigaunt says, when the Freeman is trying to find the extract, "The sad fate of these others is our good fortune." Evidence of former life is everywhere, but the place is filled with Zombies and Barnacles and Antlions overran the mines.

Resistance outposts
One of the few Resistance outposts that have not been overrun by Xen fauna is held by the Resistance members Griggs and Sheckley. Freeman helps them defend their outpost from attacking Antlions, so that they won't reach the Vortigaunt attempting to heal Alyx.

As most of the Rebel outposts, Griggs and Sheckley's outpost provide Hopper Mines and Turrets so that Freeman can hold off the Antlion and Zombies. Most of these Hopper Mines and Turrets have spray painted art on them, indicating they are Resistance-controlled and thus friendly machines.

One of the outposts has a Thumper to hold off the Antlion attacks but won't stop distant acid spits from Antlion Workers. Unfortunately, that outpost wasn't prepared for headcrabs or direct Combine attacks, and as such, Gordon's arrival finds the area in ruins and infested by various types of zombies.

Outposts also feature many other common supplies.

The Antlion nests


Many Antlion nests have been discovered deep in the mines. They consist of some parts of the original mine as well as sprawling tunnels leading to deeper cave systems. The nests are usually infested with Antlion Grubs. Many Antlion Workers live in the nests where they tend to the young. The nests are also covered with Antlion webs as well as large structures hosting the eggs, in the same way as bee nests. Skeletons and rotting corpses can be found inside small chambers covered in webs that are apparently where the Antlions store food for their young. An Antlion Guardian also lives within the nests, hunting down all intruders.

Half-Life 2: Episode Two
After Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance escape from City 17 by the railway, their train is derailed by the explosion of the Citadel at the very end of Episode One. After Gordon is freed from the train with the help of Alyx and the recovered Gravity Gun, the ruins of City 17 are revealed, and Citadel is completely demolished, and a Portal Storm has emerged from the ruins. Then a Portal Storm occurs and Gordon and Alyx proceed into the mines.

In the upper mines can be found a communications center which Alyx uses to contact White Forest. After exiting this area, Alyx Vance is severely injured by a Hunter, and her life hangs by a thread. A Vortigaunt then appears and helps Gordon Freeman transport Alyx to the lower mines, where the player assists Griggs and Sheckley in holding back the Antlion forces. After the battle, Gordon and the Vortigaunt journey deep into the mines to locate the larval extract, then used to save Alyx's life. After fighting through hordes of Antlions, Antlion Workers and an Antlion Guardian, Gordon Freeman, the Vortigaunt and Alyx Vance exit the mines to see Combine forces moving North, presumably to the White Forest base.

Behind the scenes
The Antlion caves was originally to appear in The Coast chapters of Half-Life 2. An Antlion King, replaced in Episode Two by the much smaller Antlion Guardian, was to rule the caves and the nests. Also, the Antlion Grub model was already made before the Half-Life 2 release, with a different skin. . The cave concept was dropped in December 2002, the last modification date for the map