Story 01 – A Kell Rising

 

STORY 01 – A Kell Rising

 

Recommended Level: 26+

 

 

Note: This is part of Quest 02 – The Hunt for Skolas

Note 2: This is a fallen only area, so bring arc weapons to make dealing with fallen captains shields much easier

 

Objective: Pursue the Wolves

 

When your boots hit the surface of the planet, you'll see multiple heavy pikes in front of you. These are equipped with a heavy energy shot (RT) and mines (RB and LB) which can do considerable damage to the fallen enemies ahead. However, if you are playing on level 32 difficulty, I would advise you progress on foot due to the fragile nature of the pikes (and the fallen walker ahead which can blow you up in a single shot). Select your mode of transport and start traversing the narrow gorge ahead.

 

After a ramp or two you'll find a small group of dreg in your path. Blow through them and continue forwards until your objective changes.

 

 

Objective: Destroy Fallen Walker

 

Just ahead you should see a handful of Dreg. Don't be lured forward by the weak enemies here, as behind them is a fallen walker which will blow you away if you stay out in the open. Back up until you are out of it's line of sight and start picking off the Dreg in front of it. Once you have line of sight without being peppered by dreg bullets, start destroying the leg armour of the walker as usual with a sniper or scout rifle.

 

Players with and Icebreaker (exotic sniper rifle) should have an easy time here due to the reloading ammo. Those without this will need to kill the small amounts of dreg that respawn and collect the dropped ammo or use ammo synthesis to have enough shots to bring down the walker. Players on lower difficulties can use the mobility and arsenal of the heavy pike to dodge the walker's shots and damage it quickly.

 

 

Objective: Hunt the Wolves

 

When the walker eventually drops, you'll need to push forward and deal with the remaining fallen in the open area ahead. A fallen captain, vandals and dreg will be guarding some more heavy pikes if you need a replacement. Use the spires of rock in the area as cover as you whittle away the fallen forces. Once the fallen are strewn across the area, get on a heavy pike (if you aren't all ready) and continue along the gorge after the objective marker.

 

A little further along your rocky way will be a raised platform, which prevents you from taking the heavy pike any further. Hop off it and jump up to continue onwards. From here you should be able to see a new upgraded form of the fallen servitor (same attack, abilities with just a bit more health). Use a sniper rifle to pick off the yellow health servitor from a distance (on higher difficulties) using the wall of the gorge for cover or run in guns blazing, whichever approach appeals to you.

 

The shanks surrounding the servitor shouldn't pose much of a threat and should fall quickly to your primary weapon or melee attacks. Once the servitor is down, resume your trek along the gorge until you reach a metal door.

 

 

Objective: Attack Skolas, Kell of Kells

 

As the door opens, you'll be face-to-back with Skolas. Screw honour (en garde) and start unloading on him with your primary weapon. After a couple of hits, he will teleport and start attacking like a fallen kell (or the priest from the Venus strike mission). His shotgun can do significant damage and he will teleport around, making him tough to avoid/ line up shots on. The good news is that after only a few shots he will bugger off, leaving his minions to deal with you instead. You should be able to burn through the remaining enemies in the area in a few seconds as a new objective pops up.

 

 

Objective: Hunt Skolas

 

As you round the next corner on the path, you'll encounter a new version of shank. These "tracer" shanks act like a cross between snipers and regular shanks. They fire slower than normal shanks but can do significantly more damage per hit, so if you are on a high difficulty be aware of this and avoid standing in the open. There are only three of them so they shouldn't be much hassle to deal with. Some dreg will likely be moving around in the area below, but you can ignore them if you like (or drop down and deal with them, up to you).

 

When you're ready to resume the hunt start crossing the bridges as you move up the cliffs, encountering a regular servitor and more dreg. Approach the area where the servitor was with caution as you will encounter something new here. A trap. You'll see what looks like a mine with a flashing red light on top, these react to proximity. If you get close it will trigger, creating a sphere which slows down guardians who enter it. Being caught in one of these at the wrong time can result in an early death.

 

Look out for another one nearby as you near the next group of enemies along the cliffs, another servitor, several more dreg and a couple of tracer shanks.  Just beyond this group is a trio of vandals and more tracer shanks to deal with as well. Be careful racing forward here as another pair of stasis mines lie in front of the bridge the vandals are standing on. Pick them off with a sniper or just trip the mines and retreat before they detonate.

 

 

Objective: Reach Winter's Lair

 

Around the next bend after the objective updates is a group of captains (two) and vandals (four), some cloaked and some not. You should have a second or two before they notice you so either lob a grenade into their midst or try and quickly take down a cloaked captain (don't forget to use arc weapons as they have arc shields). Retreat back around the corner if you need to regen your shields, just be careful of being rushed by cloaked captains as they can deal heaps of damage fast in melee.

 

 

Objective: Track Skolas

 

After giving that group a dirt-nap, enter the cave beyond (the laser grid should be deactivated). Run a little way into the cave and a darkness area will trigger, and this darkness area is a pain in the butt as you will need to deal with a swarm of enemies without dying right at the end of the mission. For now, run along until the cave opens up to find Skolas once again standing there.

 

 

Objective: Engage the fallen Wolves

 

Open fire on him again an Skolas will once again vanish, leaving his minions to fight you. Pick off the nearby dreg from the safety of the cave mouth until there aren't any enemies remaining on the ledge. The radar will be going nuts here, but that's because all the enemies are in the cavern below. Take the trail leading down to your left and wind your way down. Remember that swarm of enemies I talked about? Well here they are.

 

As you enter the cavern, a Wolves guard (yellow health captain) will be in the area holding a strange weapon. This is a new consumable weapon called a scorch cannon that acts like a rocket launcher. Enemies using these do significant damage, but drop them upon death, allowing guardians to use them. The scorch cannons will remain available for pickup for a couple of minutes before disintegrating, so use them if you can. Arc weapons will make dealing with the more powerful enemies in this section easier so make sure you have them equipped if you have any.

 

 

Multiple yellow health captains will be patrolling the cavern, so try and pick them off from the cave mouth quickly. Once the captains are taken care of, start clearing the dreg and vandals from the cavern, keeping an eye on the trail at the back of the room, as this is where reinforcements will arrive from (several waves of them). Use the area near the cave mouth to clear out the initial enemies and shortly afterwards, the next wave will arrive from the back of the area.

 

This wave consists of six or seven tracer shanks, a yellow health captain, three vandals and a handful of dreg. You may want to use the scorch cannon dropped in the inital wave to quickly bring down the captain before swapping back to regular weapons to clear the rest of the wave. Remember to play defensively here as the vandals and tracer shanks can really hurt guardians in the open. More vandals and tracer shanks will arrive to reinforce the remains of the second wave.

 

 

Some dreg stragglers will follow the second wave, use this period of weaker enemies to pick up some dropped ammo and resupply before backing up to the cave mouth again. After the remaining enemies go down, a melee captain will show up and attempt to rush you. Pick him off before he gets close and eliminate any remaining threats. After this comes the third wave, with some new enemies to boot.

 

Amongst the enemies of this wave are exploder shanks. These act similarly to cursed thralls, getting close to the player and detonating for massive damage. They make a very distinctive noise, so remember to listen out for it. They are fairly weak though, so a few bullets will detonate them prematurely. Four or so of them are scattered amongst the third wave. The rest of the wave consists of several dreg, a yellow health captain, servitor, three cloaked yellow health melee vandals and a yellow health ranged vandal. Be very cautious engaging this final group as they can pose a significant threat. Back up and retreat up the cave if you have to stay alive.

 

Once you manage to clear the third wave the mission will end and you will be able to leave Venus.

 

 

Objective: Return to Petra Venj

 

Travel back to the outpost in the Reef to hand in your quest and receive your rewards.

 

 

To top