Tom Francis, writer, game designer, and famous for games like Gunpoint, Heat Signature, and (soon) Tactical Breach Wizards, was once famous (at least in my mind) for his blog posts about taking the gnome through Valve games, first Half-Life 2: Episode Two, then Left 4 Dead 2. With the latest entry in the Half-Life series (since 2011 if you include Portal 2), Half-Life Alyx, well and truly out since March of 2020 and no blog post by Tom about taking the gnome through to the end of the game for the achievement, I have decided to fill the gap at least until he writes one of his own.
![Holding a garden gnome and a pistol](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220519194554_1-1024x1024.jpg)
The gnome is found quite early on. There is a sort of patio area next to the courtyard where Russel has you practice with the “Russels” (gravity gloves). (Some may argue that Gordon got short-changed getting the gravity gun instead, but they may be forgetting that the gun can launch objects while Alyx can only use these to launch object as far as she can throw them.) Shortly after messing with those and receiving a gun and ammunition from Russel, he sent you off, optional gnome in tow.
Once we finally got on the train to rescue Eli, I noticed the gnome has a bit of an eclectic personality. He insisted on taking a nap every chance he got.
![Gnome in cot on train car. Dialog reads "And good luck, Alyx."](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220519194738_1-1024x1024.jpg)
He winced at the cruel treatment of antlion grubs:
![Gnome by health station. Tooltip reads "Use handle to open health station"](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220519195134_1-1024x1024.jpg)
And he maybe had a fixation on alcohol:
![Gnome looking at vodka ad. Ad reads "The time is now. CHATKA VODKA"](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220519200843_1-1024x1024.jpg)
Luckily his keen eye helped me through puzzles:
![Gnome looking at cryptic grafitti](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220519203752_1-1024x1024.jpg)
And I think he put in a good word for me with the Vortigaunts.
![Gnome looking at Vortigaunt in his home. Dialog reads "...Eli vance...; ...Eli Vance!" Dialog is in two colors indicating 2 characters are speaking.](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220519204748_1-1024x1024.jpg)
The Vortigaunt in the bowels of the City 17 Quarantine Zone asked us to look for his kin. We accepted, but mainly because it was on the way to rescuing our dad. We soon found a flashlight.
![Gnome in front of a hanging corpse with a flashlight on it.](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220520220602_1-1024x1024.jpg)
And some unfortunate souls…
![Dead soldiers hanging from ceiling. Gnome in foreground with eyes covered by player's hand.](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220520222532_1-1024x1024.jpg)
We soon started encountering some Combine soldiers who were sent to the Quarantine Zone to clear it of headcrab zombies. Their task also included killing anyone unlawfully in the area, which unfortunately meant us! After a long fight, I put the gnome on watch duty to alert me if any more showed up while I grabbed the terminal’s missing computer parts to stop the train carrying Eli.
![Gnome looking out sindow set atop some computer thing.](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220520225649_1-1024x1024.jpg)
The gnome was very interested in our tearful reunion. I had to give him a better view. Eli sent us on a quest to get some kind of weapon from the floating Vault in the middle of the city and the Vortigaunt had told me to follow the Northern Star earlier.
![Gnome held up in foreground by player (dark). Eli Vance and the Vortigaunt in the background (lit up).](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220520230712_1-1024x1024.jpg)
Oh so that’s what the Vortigaunt meant.
![Gnome in front of the Norther Star hotel](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220527205235_1.jpg)
The gnome was upset at the Combine’s treatment of the Vortigaunts.
![Vortigaunt and Gnome in front of pod. Dialogue says "You're free now."](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220527224752_1-1024x1024.jpg)
While Alyx dealt with Jeff in the distillery, the gnome had his fill.
![Gnome and vodka sitting on a bannister looking at the Vault in the sky.](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220528205007_1-1024x1024.jpg)
Finally we made it to the Vault. We deftly operated the controls…
![Gnome on a control panel. The Vault in the distance.](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220529232117_1-1024x1024.jpg)
… To bring the vault crashing into the ground.
![Gnome in some rubble. Dialogue says "Response code: Shield. Key. Migrate.; I.. I think I just killed Gordon Freeman.](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220529232322_1-1024x1024.jpg)
After navigating the broken apartment/parking garage we created with many Combine soldiers and a Strider(!), the gnome took the last shot and killed our last obstacle.
![Gnome next to giant weapon with tractor beam in background](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220529234251_1-1024x1024.jpg)
And with that, we made it to the tractor beam into the vault!
![Gnome in tractor beam. Other items are floating as well. Dialogue says "Whoa! Yeah, okay. I'm going up."](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20220529234320_1-1024x1024.jpg)
That’s it for our gnomey friend. Absent from Valve games for nearly 11 years and absent from Half-Life games as long as Half-Life games have been absent (not including Portal 2).
![Gnome Vault of My Own; Bring a garden gnome with you to the Vault.; 1.5% of players have this achievement](https://briankelleher.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/gnomecheevo.png)
I now have a permanent record of this achievement, just like Tom Francis before me. One minor difficulty with making this blog post is that most story moments happen over the radio. Gone are the days of loading the gnome onto a tall shelf and having it stare down at Eli trying to convince Alyx to shack up with Gordon. I still had fun keeping track of the gnome while playing Half-Life Alyx for my first play-through.