Bestiary/ Enemies

FALLEN ENEMIES

 

 

Dreg

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

These enemies are thin and fast moving, making them difficult targets at times. This is offset by their low health and occasional fondness for engaging in melee. Dregs love to take cover and fire around it at players, so speed and accuracy are generally your best friends against them.

 

One melee attack will kill them if you are of equivalent level (which you are at present). A good method for generating ammo is to kill dregs with melee and run over their corpses to pick up ammo drops quickly. An easy way to distinguish dregs is that unlike the higher tiers of fallen enemies, dregs only have two arms.

 

 

Vandal

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Vandals can be much more dangerous than Dregs in general. They often wield three shot rifles that homing shots towards you and occasionally use sniper rifles as well. Even worse is melee specific Vandals that have a cloaking shield (similar to Halo) and will sneak up and attack unwary guardians.

 

When you are at an equivalent level, Vandals normally take two melee attacks to kill due to increased armour.  Vandals wear more elaborate armour and are larger than Dregs, as well as having four arms.

 

 

Shank

 

Weak spot: None

 

 

These robotic units often accompany the fallen and hound the player endlessly until destroyed. They do not take cover and will try and close the distance to you before firing. This can be dangerous at times as they will deal chip damage (preventing you from healing as well).

 

They are very weak though and only take a single melee attack at equivalent level. They are generally nothing more than a nuisance but can attack in large groups.

 

 

Captain

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

These guys aren't to be trifled with. They have a shield which will recharge if no damage is taken for a few seconds (like yours) and can take quite a pounding before going down. Generally it is easiest to use your secondary weapon against them (sniper, shotgun etc) to defeat them quickly. They wield shotguns and grenade launchers and will occasionally fly into a rage and charge into melee (especially when they still have a shield and you are close to them).

 

Two shots with a good sniper rifle can take care of them. Either take them down quickly if you can or kill all the surrounding enemies so you can fully concentrate on them. Captains wear elaborate armour and are bigger than dreg and vandals.

 

 

Servitor

 

Weak spot: Eye

 

 

These floating globes are a real pest on the field. They have the ability to buff nearby allies and fire damaging blasts from their "eye." They generally hang back and help their allies but will at times target the player and follow them. Don't bother with melee unless you are a melee specialist or are a far higher level.

 

Sniper rounds to the eye are generally the best way to go but getting in close with a shotgun can also work provided the surrounding enemies don't turn you into Swiss cheese.

 

 

Walker

 

Weak spot: Legs and core

 

 

Wow is this thing a beast. Covered in heavy armour with a huge HP pool to match. The fallen walker has three attacks and they are all doozies. The first is a large AoE stomp when players get too close (so don't bother trying to melee this thing). The second is a barrage of blue plasma bolts that deal significant damage with each hit (but normally won't kill outright unless your defense is really low).

 

The final attack is a rocket, for which the walker will sight the target (a red glow will appear as the walker takes aim) and then will be launched quickly towards the target. This has a large blast radius and can easily kill a guardian in one hit, so be very cautious and sprint away when you see that red light.

 

As for actually damaging this enemy, there are generally two repeating stages in dealing with it. Firstly you need to focus fire on the armoured legs. After enough shots, the leg armour will break and deal a chunk of damage to the walker. It will also stumble and open up it's core (starting the second phase). When it does this, focus fire on the glowing orange core until it stands up once more and then repeat.

 

 

FALLEN BOSS ENEMIES

 

 

Sepiks Prime (Earth strike: The Devil's Lair)

 

Weak spot: Eye/ core

 

 

Why is the strike boss far easier than the fallen walker we just faced? Anyway, when you initially open the door to his chamber, sepiks is leeching power from the kneeling dregs surrounding him to form an impenetrable shield. So, first order of business is to kill the surrounding dreg to remove the shield.

 

Once you do Sepiks will begin firing purple blasts of energy at you and teleporting around every twenty seconds or so. Target the eye/ core with your regular weaponry or a sniper rifle. Players with grenades that stick on a target can also use those on the boss to damage it.

 

After taking set amounts of damage, the boss will spawn in shanks, dreg and vandals (sometimes only one enemy type, other times a mix) to divert your attention while it happily blasts you to oblivion. Quickly deal with the spawned enemies and then resume firing on the boss. The boss has a fair amount of hit points but after enough shots it will shatter and the strike will be over.

 

 

Boss: Archon Priest (Venus Strike: Winter's Run)

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

This guy is (like most strike bosses) a serious threat to a guardian's health. He has two attack, plus the ability to teleport short distances towards a target (this can make him difficult to hit). His primary attack is a powerful shotgun blast that he fires rapidly.

 

Backing up is essential to avoid the flying shrapnel and to avoid his second attack. His second attack is the massive AoE melee smash which has a surprisingly large radius. The key to survival against this fella is (obviously) keep your distance.

 

The problem with that is twofold. His short teleports make it hard to keep away from him when he targets you and his supporting minions make even paying attention to the boss difficult. Oh yes, the minions. Let's talk about the minions.

 

The minions summoned by the archon priest consist of two different sets, depending on the health of the archon priest. The first set consists of vandals, shanks, dreg and are led by a yellow health bar servitor. The second set (who become active once the archon priest is under fifty percent health) add stealth vandals to the mix of the prior set.

 

Due to the constant high speed minion spawn and quick movements of the strike boss, mobility and cover are your two best friend. Also avoid standing in spawn points. Hunters with the invisibility ability and warlocks with the auto-revive ability may find they get more use out of these skills than usual here.

 

Hold back most of your secondary and special ammo until the second half of the fight if you can, as this shortens the length of time you need to engage stealth vandals. With enough coordination and skill, your team should be able to snatch the win by downing the archon priest.

 

 

HIVE ENEMIES

 

 

Thrall

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

These enemies move fast and close in on you to attack you in melee. They never use ranged weaponry but will try to swarm you with sheer numbers, distracting you from their more damaging brethren hidden amongst the group. Despite having no eyes, head shots work fine.

 

Due to their lack of armour, melee strikes are one shot kills at equivalent levels. Guns with an automatic setting or grenades can make short work of thrall clusters and they are normally only a nuisance until you reach level 20 (at which point, heroic modifiers can make them much more dangerous).

 

 

Acolyte

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Acolytes are similar to fallen dreg in that they will rush to cover and shoot the player from there. They are also quite fragile and die with a single melee attack at equivalent level. Their shots can inflict steady damage though and so they shouldn't be underestimated. Aim for the glowing eyes to take them down quickly with a regular weapon.

 

 

Wizard

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

These guys can be quite a threat on the battlefield. Wizards float around, have a shield and will bombard you with magic. They will dive for cover quickly after their shield is depleted, making them hard to finish off without high damage per shot weaponry (sniper rifle). They wear specialized armour with a flowing cloak and are generally supported by large numbers of lesser minions (thralls and acolytes).

 

 

Knight

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Knights are heavily armoured warriors that stride around the firefight carrying large swords or weapons similar to grenade launchers that lob a powerful explosive that detonates when it hits something. Taking out these enemies from a distance is advised as either type will close on the player (melee will constantly close, ranged will close if player is nearby) and inflict damaging melee strikes.

 

Taking on two or more of these guys at close range is generally a death sentence if you aren't a higher level than them. Sniper rifles, grenades and special abilities are best for dealing with these tough enemies.

 

 

Shrieker

 

Weak spot: Eye/ core

 

 

Shriekers are floating orbs covered in spiky armour. They shoot large blasts of void energy towards the player and will sometimes spin up and teleport around. They generally sit at the back of an area and bombard the player but can teleport near them for a surprise attack.

 

Don't bother trying to melee kill it as it will take ten or more melee attacks at equivalent level and will most likely result in your death. Stay back and use ranged weapons on the eye or core when they are exposed or sprint around blasting it with close ranged secondary weapons.

 

 

Cursed thrall

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

These enemies (just like exploding enemies in every game) are a pain in the ass. If one gets too close without you realizing it, it's bye bye guardian. They only have slightly more health than regular thralls though and normally shuffle towards you. Be warned though that sometimes they can run and when they do, you better be fast with your footwork.

 

The telltale glow indicates that they are different from regular thralls. Due to the explosive nature of this enemy, using melee on it would be extremely stupid.

 

 

Ogre

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Ogres, although far and few between in the story are a damned nuisance. Similar to other enemies who fire powerful projectiles from range they can quickly demolish an inattentive guardian. They fire a rapid barrage of extremely damaging void energy towards the player and have more health than other hive enemies.

 

Special weapons, grenades and whatever damaging abilities you have are the best way to bring them down quickly. They tend to only appear as "bosses" so they normally will only be found at the end of missions.

 

 

HIVE BOSS ENEMIES

 

 

Boss: Phogoth (Moon strike: The Summoning Pits)

 

Weak spot: Stomach pouch (small glowing object held by what looks like claws just below his chest)

 

 

Well, this guy is a real handful. I've seen teams leave or just give up when trying to deal with him. He only has two attacks but boy do they hurt. His first and almost constantly in use attack is an eye blast like lesser ogre enemies. Unfortunately, this one does more damage and has a larger beam (so it is more likely to hit).

 

The damage it deals will not instantly kill a guardian of sufficient level but a couple of seconds of blasting will easily reduce you down to the red threshold of your health bar. His second attack is the regulation melee attack (smash) that is an instant kill for any guardians idiotic enough to try and engage him in melee (it can be done, but you need to be damn sure of your timing).

 

Compounding the problem posed by these attacks is the constant influx of minions into the battle. Getting reduced down to red health and then being killed by a single blast from a knight or wizard borders on insanity levels of frustration. The enemies seem to be pretty consistent but do ramp up as phogoth takes more and more damage (starting off with thralls and acolytes supported by a knight or two and then progressing to wizards and progressively more knights).

 

My words of advice on this battle run like this: Choose a side and stick to it as a team (either the set of walls near the entrance or on the other side of the room) as they block phogoth's eye blast. Don't stand in spawn areas (the upper ledges of the area), especially when hive ships arrive to reinforce the enemy numbers. Mainly because it is really easy to be blindsided by Phogoth while trying to deal with the newly arrived minions.

 

Save your powerful weaponry for the end of the fight if possible. You can burn a bit of secondary or special ammo during the fight as it will probably be refilled, but take care not to exhaust it early as the longer Phogoth survives on low health, the higher number of powerful minion waves you have to fight. After that it is just a matter of coordination, reviving quickly and keeping up the pressure. A team functioning well can take him down in just a few minutes. Disorganized teams die or take half an hour to beat the boss.

 

 

VEX ENEMIES

 

 

Goblin

 

Weak spot: Core

 

 

Goblins make up the shock troops of the vex army. They move slowly towards the player while firing laser rifles. If they take damage, they have a chance of going berserk and racing towards the player, firing wildly which is a lot more dangerous.

 

To avoid this, aim for the glowing white core in the torso of the goblins. This is the general weak spot for most vex and will allow you to down them quickly. Similar to other weak enemies, melee attacks can bring them down in one or two hits depending on level.

 

 

Hobgoblin

 

Weak spot: Core

 

 

Similar to vandals, these enemies are the next tier up from grunts and can wield laser sniper rifles or laser rifles. This makes them a fair threat on the field. The other special ability they posses is the ability to throw up a shield upon taking damage. It lasts around two or three seconds, but prevents all incoming damage.

 

The best strategy is to fire a single shot, wait for the shield to expire and then fill them full of lead. Melee attacks do work but can take two or three hits. Generally unless you have a strong melee attack it is better to avoid this.

 

 

Minotaur

 

Weak spot: None

 

 

These shielded hulks are similar to the fallen captain unit. They move relentlessly closer, firing powerful void blasts from their weapons. Taking these enemies down quickly should be a priority as they tend to be quite accurate and do nasty damage.

 

Use secondary weapons or abilities to bring them down quickly. Melee attacking a minotaur is generally not worth it due to the five or so hits it takes and the damage you receive in doing so.

 

 

Harpy

 

Weak spot: Eye/ Core

 

 

Harpies are similar to the other small robotic units used by other enemy forces. They track down the player, closing the distance to them and open fire. Unlike those though, they expand before firing and can spin away to dodge incoming fire. They tend to deal more damage than shanks and as such are more dangerous on the field.

 

They normally take two melee strikes at equivalent level and can appear in large numbers as support for other troops. Rare variations can be equipped with a shield, making them much more difficult to take down (due to their dodging abilities). For regular Harpies, any primary weapon works well if you target the red eye/ core.

 

 

Cyclops

 

Weak spot: Eye/ Core

 

 

Cyclops are large, powerful stationary units that fire bursts of plasma towards the location of the player. They act similar to sentry towers (or obelisk guard towers) in RTS games, attacking players who wander too close.

 

Distance helps against these enemies as it gives you more time to dodge the slow moving energy blasts (and the fire of supporting units). Don't bother using melee strikes on these large enemies as it will take far too long. Instead, focus your fire on the single "eye" of the cyclops and it should go down fairly quickly.

 

 

Hydra

 

Weak spot: Core/ eye

 

 

Hydras are large metallic insect looking creatures with a rotating shield that protects them. This shield is immune to all damage but will continually rotate around the hydra, leaving it vulnerable about half the time. Shots to the glowing core/ eye work quite well in bringing it down fast. They often also have a highly damaging melee attack if they are classified as a "boss" so avoid getting too close in general. Melee attacks do minimal damage and are often intercepted by the shield so don't bother.

 

Their purple plasma blasts are quite damaging and rapid, so keeping in cover is quite a good idea. One of the best ways to take these enemies down is from long range with a sniper rifle (out of range of their plasma blasts). Maneuvering between cover and firing when you can also works but is more dangerous. And no, they have nothing to do with G.I Joe (although it would be interesting if they sounded like Cobra).

 

 

VEX BOSS ENEMIES

 

 

Sekrion, Nexus Mind (Venus strike: The Nexus)

 

Weak spot: Core

 

 

Now we get to the real meat of the strike. Sekrion has two attacks (like most strike bosses) plus a rotating shield that is immune to all damage. The first attack is an AoE that he uses if guardians get too close. Generally, trying to melee this enemy is nearly impossible due to the shield and the one shot kill of his AoE attack. The second attack is a twin cannon purple pulse blast that it fires rapidly and extremely accurately towards the guardian dealing the most damage.

 

This attack makes dealing damage difficult and as a result, dangerous without sufficient cover. There are two firing points I would suggest. Both on opposite sides of the area, so the fire-team can be doing continuous damage despite the shield of the boss. One is a raised platform with a wall and pillars in the way on the left side of the area. It also has a small alcove that is a good spot for healing and protection against the spawned minions.

 

The other spot is directly opposite and is a small lower area with several pillars and boxes. The cover isn't as good here, but it can be used by careful players. Essentially the strategy is, deal damage when you can. When he turns to you put a couple of rounds in the core of the boss and then retreat to lick your wounds. Repeat. Sounds simple right? Well it is, but it can be significantly complicated by his minions.

 

Once the boss has taken significant damage (around the 50% health mark) he will start summoning his troops. These consist of two large groups of goblins, harpies and hobgoblins spawning and then attacking the nearest guardians. This can be very dangerous if the guardians are split up or in poor cover as the boss will keep firing during this.

 

When this happens, try and cluster together to revive quickly and use your offensive abilities to bring down the swarm fast (grenades, supers and even rocket launchers if necessary). Hobgoblins will be (as usual) the biggest threat, so concentrate fire on them when possible.

 

Once the wave is down, you will have a limited amount of time (around a minute) to recover and continue damaging the boss before the next wave spawns. Keep at it, work together and make sure to be ready for the minion spawns.

 

 

CABAL ENEMIES

 

 

Legionary

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Legionaries are the shock troops of the Cabal forces. Fitted with jet-packs and touting a physique reminiscent of Marcus Fenix from the Gears of War universe. These enemies are quite proficient at melee and ranged attacks and will move quickly to take cover and flank you with their aerial acrobatics (sometimes hilariously flying into the sky box or slamming into the ground if you take them out in midair).

 

Targeted head shots will allow you to waste them quickly and conserve ammo (which can be a real concern if you enter this point in the story while under-leveled as I did). Melee will still work (taking two or three hits on an equivalent level enemy), but don't expect it to be as effective as usual.

 

 

Phalanx

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Shields are a new thing to deal with and can pose an interesting challenge for players who enjoy spray and pray over precision shooting. To be able to shoot a phalanx, you first need to aim at it's gun hand (they wield a pistol one handed and shoot around their shield as they advance). After a set amount of damage is taken by the hand, the Phalanx will recoil and be temporarily stunned.

 

This is the opportunity for the player to put a full magazine into the cranium of the Phalanx. Melee is generally pointless (except for back attacks) as anything but a direct back attack will be intercepted by the shield and most likely followed by a damaging shield bash. A well thrown grenade or special can also be used to deal with these persistent enemies.

 

 

Centurion

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Ah, here's one of the real threats of the cabal forces. Centurions are fitted with a regenerating shield, nasty weaponry (usually a rocket or grenade launcher). Their melee strikes are fast, dealing significant damage and bringing them down without focused fire is damn near impossible. They have jet-packs just like a legionary and as such will change position quickly in an attempt to disorient the player and flank them at the same time.

 

Similar to fallen Captains, dealing with the shield is the most annoying part of killing these enemies. Smart players will use grenades to quickly remove the shield and then follow that up with a barrage of head shots. Abilities work well also. Use your powerful weapons and powers to bring these enemies to heel.

 

 

Psion

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Psions are similar to dreg and acolytes in strategy. They are seek cover quickly and will attempt to chip away at the player's health and prevent them from healing. The good thing about them is that they have low health totals and are very susceptible to head shots.

 

One good head shot can kill them (if the weapon is decent). They do occasionally use a psychic wave attack which can do fair damage but normally pose little threat and are more of an annoyance. A well thrown grenade or melee attack can be used to deal with them quickly and efficiently.

 

 

Colossus

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Colossi are equal in danger level to centurions. They have no shield but have more health to make up for it. Colossi also wield huge mini-guns and tend to chew through shields and health all too quickly. Another little ability they have is to periodically fire off a barrage of homing missiles which can put a serious crimp in an unsuspecting guardian's health bar.

 

Due to the lack of a shield, clever players can whittle them down or stay far enough out of range of their weaponry to snipe them to death. Guardians with powerful abilities can also smash through their health quickly to remove the threat (blade dancer hunters in particular, especially if they have the arc blade regeneration ability). Don't bother with regular melee attacks as you will only end up splattered over the nearby scenery in a colourful pattern.

 

 

Goliath tank

 

Weak spot: Thrusters (the four small engines on the corners that spout flames).

 

 

Similar to the first strike mission, this "mid-boss" is just as difficult (if not more so) as the final strike boss. The tank has three attacks, a close range barrage of what look like mortars that deal massive damage to any nearby guardians. The second attack is a mid range machine gun, similar to those used by a colossus. Third is the most dangerous, a long range shot from the main gun barrel of the tank.

 

This long range shell is scarily accurate, instant kills easily and has a large blast radius. This makes it impossible to move out of the tanks range and still maintain line of sight. In other words, if you can see the tank, it can kill you.

 

The best strategies revolve around constant movement at mid range. Staying back at the communications tower and sniping or using a scout rifle and driving an interceptor down to take potshots from behind a cliff.

 

Destroying one of it's thrusters will deal a large chunk of damage to the tank, so focus on damaging them. Out of the other minions in the area, the only real threat is the centurion and he can be avoided by just moving away from him. Or shoot him, it's a free country (or so I assume, it is Mars after all).

 

 

CABAL BOSS ENEMIES

 

 

Valus ta'aurc (Mars strike: Cerberus Vae III)

 

Weak spot: Head

 

 

Imagine Valus as a colossus with a metric butt-tonne of health. He uses the same mini-gun weapon (with the usual insane dps) as a colossus. He also fires salvos of rockets like a colossus (except he fires six instead of three). He also has a melee attack. Except his is a massive AoE that instant kills any guardians silly enough to get close.

 

All in all he is a pain to deal with. You can't fire on him for more than a couple of seconds without him bringing your health down to red. Unless you use good positioning and tactics to minimize his chances of hitting you. You can do this by positioning something between you (such as a pillar) making his rockets useless, or by using the platform itself to prevent him firing his mini-gun at you (essentially from your viewpoint you can only see his head, but that is what matters).

 

Grenades and sniper rounds also work well (using the chest high walls on the upper platforms is a great way of keeping safe while rising up for a shot or two). The main problem for most groups is that they get blindsided by the incoming minions because they are so focused on the boss.

 

Once Valus takes enough damage he will summon psions, legionaries and phalanxes to attack nearby guardians. These can be tough to deal with while you attempt to stay out of sight of Valus. My advice is to pick a side as a team and move around on that side only (preferably the right side as you enter). This means a revive is only seconds away and your team can coordinate its attacks better.

 

Hunters with the invisibility skill are invaluable as medics here as a quick stab will give them a good five or more seconds to heal their team mates without being fired upon. Mages with the self revive skill are also handy to have. Save your melee or close range supers for dealing with minions. Let those with ranged supers hammer Valus instead.

 

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