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The Attack on White Forest was a raid by Combine forces which had withdrawn from City 17 prior to its destruction, against the Rebel held base of White Forest. The Combine's primary objective was to destroy the guidance array and shoot down the White Forest rocket, which contained a satellite capable of reversing the effects of the Combine superportal. Closure of the portal would mean permanent isolation for the Combine on Earth. The failure of the Combine to both capture the base and destroy the satellite before launch was a mortal blow to their forces on Earth, who were now isolated.
Prelude[]
Following the Battle of City 17, the rebels had evacuated their forces and citizens to the countryside, using White Forest as a rallying point. With the Combine in retreat, and having suffered a catastrophic defeat in City 17, the Resistance could now put their plan of using the old Xenian resonators in Earth orbit to seal the portal storms, and the infant superportal developing above the ruins of the Citadel, into action - something previously unimaginable while the Combine was in such a strong position.
Following their defeat in the city, the Combine began a strategic withdrawal, however, after realizing what the Rebels were planning, a substantial force was hastily assembled and ordered to raid White Forest.[1] Meanwhile, Alyx Vance and Gordon Freeman had been attempting to reach White Forest by road, and skirmished with some Hunters, before reaching the White Forest Inn. There, they were cut off and ambushed by a substantial force of Combine troops, who were aided by hunters. Nonetheless the pair managed to hold their ground. They continued, until they reached the perimeter of White Forest. There, they encountered a single strider from the wreckage of a crashed Combine Dropship, which was promptly defeated by Dog.
Initial Combine maneuvers and final attack[]
White Forest was subject to a series of false alarms, due to crows nesting where the perimeter sensors were located. As a result, the rebels often let down their guard, which allowed a force of Hunters and a detachment of Overwatch troops to breach the base from the secondary silo, with the intention of reaching the primary silo, and destroying the satellite before it could launch. The silo was sealed and the attack repelled, although most of the defensive rebel personnel in the area died.
One of the many delivery stations for the Magnusson Device
After an encounter with the G-Man in which Eli decided that the Borealis ship where Dr. Mossman was had to be destroyed, Dr. Magnusson instructed Freeman into the usage of the Magnusson Device, a sticky explosive device that could destroy Striders in a single detonation. After getting himself a better vehicle, Freeman was sent to the Sawmill north of the base for a briefing on a detected approaching Combine force of Striders and Hunters.
The Sawmill
The briefing was interrupted by a surprise attack by said force and the final battle began. The combat was harsh, with the Hunters decimating the rebel soldiers that tried to defend themselves and Freeman having to go point blank to use the Magnusson Device. Eventually, all the Striders, Hunters and other forces attacking the base were destroyed and the rebel personnel called back to base.[2]
Magnusson Device in action
Aftermath[]
Following the failure of the raid, the Resistance could now launch their satellite into orbit, and was successful in neutralizing the Combine superportal, completely isolating their forces on Earth, with no chance of rescue or reinforcement. The Combine struck a moral and psychological blow to the Rebels, however, as after the battle ended, a pair of two Combine advisors ambushed Alyx, Eli, and Freeman in an aircraft hangar, killing Eli, one of the most important and revered figureheads of the rebels.
Though his death was prevented through the intervention of the G-Man, who sent a younger Alyx into the future to witness her father's death and granted her the power of Vortigaunt energy to kill the Advisor before it could kill Eli. This resulted in a new alternate timeline where Eli lives but Alyx disappears. A furious Eli swears revenge on the G-Man. Dog arrives with Gordon's crowbar, which Eli grabs and hands over to Gordon.[3]
References[]
- ↑ A column of Combine forces can be seen marching towards White Forest at the beggining of Freeman Pontifex
- ↑ Our Mutual Fiend
- ↑ Half-Life: Alyx ending
 Military conflicts
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