The idea behind this achievement is to carry the gnome in HL:EP2 all the way through the game and place him in the rocket at white forest, and send the little chap into space.
You will find the gnome about 10 minutes into the game upon where Alyx and you find yourself in a shack with a radio allowing her to call her father and tell him to put the kettle on and expect you to for tea.
The poor gnome has been hiding away under the bed just left of the door you leave out of. Pick him up with the grav gun and get to know him a little better as Alyx takes forever on the radio, talking about un-important things like the weather!
The gnome may look cute and cuddly now but your will soon learn that your relationship with him become a love hate one with the latter being more dominant.
And so it begins…..
Once you leave the radio room your see your at an abandoned old factory this part is rather easy and just involves you and gnome doing the gentlemanly thing and finding a way to open the gate for Alyx.
Upon doing so and making your way back to Alyx the neighbourhood watch turns up and punishes Alyx while u cower awhile and hide behind gnome, once the coast is clear you re-enter to play the part of hero and find a way to save Alyx.
Make your way with gnome through the abounded factory and down into the mine shaft.
The tunnels are fairly easy to navigate and don’t need much guidance here, however a few things to bare in mind
Gnome will sink in the water in the tunnels therefore keep an eye on him and if you happen to drop him while in the water ensure you can retrieve him later and that he won’t drown
Ensure that you don’t drop down any ledge or down any hole without gnome, if you do its very unlikely that your be able to retrieve him back.
Save plenty! Use F6 to quick save and F9 to quick load should you **** up
Follow the tunnels until you come to the shaft where you introduce yourself to the resistance fighters and place gnome down by the lift where Alyx is before battle with the ant lions begins.
Once the battle has finished you can happily leave the gnome here as you have to come back this way later in the game, but for the purpose of this exercise I decided to take him with me to see if that could also be done, and yes it can but it’s a lot harder especially when you come to the Guardian.
After you have collected the eggs and made your way back to Alyx and performed her life saving ritual your're see a cut scene where "G Man" asks you to deliver a message to Alyx.
Once this is over go back and pick up gnome if u left him here, otherwise follow alyx into the elevator, not forgetting to take gnome along with you.
Upon leaving the lift keep a hold of the gnome and drop down the hole. Go outside and follow the path round to your left place the gnome next to the last drill tower and fight off the hordes of baddies and then the two large guardian ant lions.
Once you take them both out go back and get the gnome then head towards the elevator in the far corner, follow the mountain trail to get on top of the elevator, unstick the elevator and make sure you put the gnome in the elevator with you, cause there’s no going back.
Once at the top of the lift go down the big hallway and go out towards the watch tower.
QUICK SAVE HERE!
What you want to do here is pick up the gnome with the Gravity Gun and try to launch him onto the bridge near side to you, if you don’t get it first time and you have just saved the game as instructed above re-load (Pressing F9, if you quick saved) and try again.
It took me just one attempt but it’s not to say it may take you more than one attempt.
Once the gnome has successfully been placed on the bridge go and retrieve the car.
Upon retrieving the car and jumping back over to meet Alyx you should find gnome still where you launched him safe and sound, if not a little bored.
Ok the next part is the hardest part of the game and at times makes you want to throttle the little gnome, as you have to try and keep the gnome in the car and believe me it’s no easy task, the slightest bend or bump is normally enough to knock him out of the car.
I decided to place the gnome on the driver’s side where you get making it easier to spot if he makes a quick exit from the moving vehicle.
Best advice I can offer here is to take your time and don't rush. If you go too fast round corners or over bumps you will lose your gnome and have to spend time re-tracing your steps to find him, as I found out.
Reach the radio tower and leave him in the car until after your done killing everything and making contact with white forest.
Get back in the car and take the reluctant gnome on a further road trip until you come to the barn on the sharp corner with a locked gate blocking your path.
Leave the gnome in the car, get out and enter the barn on you left and introduce yourself to the ‘adviser’. Once you have taken care of the adviser, make your way out of the barn and take out the combine, including the hunter.
If you rammed the car into the gate it would have been pushed back leaving the gnome on the ground around where you had the car. Just put him back in the car and flee.
This is the hardest part of the game by a long shot, as not only do you have to keep the gnome on the move you also have to doge fire and mines from the attacking gunship.
Here you can either keep putting the gnome back in the car as he falls out, or do as I did, use the grav gun to fire the gnome down the track, then drive to him and repeat till you hit the tunnel.
Upon leaving the tunnel your notice that that pesky gunship will still be in the air looking for you, but here you can just take your time ensuring the gnome stays in the car as there’s plenty of cover the minimise any damage from the gunship.
Follow the track round till you reach the point where you ram the gate open and right off you car, grab the gnome and take him with you, don’t leave him with Alyx.
Drop down and place the gnome under the train.
Your see you’re in a train yard where you get the chance to deal with that gunship once and for all. And the opportunity to get the Putting on a Clinic Achievement. If you haven't already got it.
Once you have downed the gunship grab the gnome and make your way into the workshop. While Alyx and the resistance soldier talk you can walk over to the mechanic, smash his drink, and watch him tell Gordon Freeman off… then place the gnome next to the door on the left hand side of the roller door.
Warning: Don't Leave the gnome in the center of the workshop as he will disappear when your car is repaired, leave him in a next to the door or take him with you.
After taking out the sentry and getting Alyx, gnome and yourself back in the car make your way to white forest, here you can also get the Cache Checker Achievement if you haven't already, there locations can be found with a quick google.
Drive round till you get to white forest inn, making sure you don’t lose the gnome on the way.
Upon being ambushed grab gnome and take him into the large house and place him in the fireplace for safe keeping, deal with the ambush and take down the shields blocking your path.
Once the generator powering the shields are down, get gnome and get back to the car and start heading out once more, before jumping the ramp shoot the gnome down on to the road below, then jump the car off the ramp and collect the gnome once again. Follow the road through the tunnel and down the embankment and you should see a huge gate on your left, get out of the car and climb up the steps, watch Dog rip the brains out of a Giant Strider.
Once the gate is open take its time to venture on up the hill to White forest .
It's impossible to beat Dog and keep the gnome in the Car so if you’re trying to get the Pedal to the Metal achievement just save before racing dog. Race him, win and reload to have the gnome with you back at the start of this section.
I promise you once you have got the gnome to the gates of white forest you are only a short walk away from the achievement
Grab the gnome and make your way into the base.
Inside make your way round to to Eli, once Eli has spoken to you about the ‘birds and the bees’ , get onto the lift and go down into Silo 1. Once at the bottom wait for the professor to move put the gnome into the missile and Close the door using the use button, if you do not close the door you will not get the achievement. Upon closing the door you should receive the achievement.
Well that’s it, I went on to complete the game and watch the missile launch to wave good bye to gnome.
If I have missed anything or want to see something added then just let me know
Thanks for reading Hg.
