Still not Chappy, but more than Cliff notes *SP* (Destiny)

by Claude Errera , Tuesday, January 02, 2018, 13:38 (2305 days ago) @ squidnh3

Heh - I wrote this up when Mac said he was bad at explaining things. I'm not sure this is better than Squid's, but it's certainly more detail. Much of this info came from Chappy, with some additions from the Mac and Friends group.

Two teams: DPS team, and Orb team. (Orb team is pushing orbs into the center, DPS team is keeping platforms clear.) Orb team members pick their orb (by position) before you even start. (That is: someone picks left orb - and is responsible for that orb, on every damage phase, regardless of the element. Someone else is on Center/Top orb, and is responsible for that orb, every time, regardless of element type. Etc.)

These are separate from starting positions; you'll have two players on each cranium pickup area (these were used in Phase 1, and are usually clockwise from their elemental base - so the Arc craniums are considered those that spawn between Arc and Void, etc.)

When cycle starts, one person in each position (usually from the Orb team) picks up a cranium, the other (DPS team) waits on the platform to call out orb positions. These are read out in a consistent order - Left, Center, Right. The advantage to picking orb positions at the start is that you really only have to listen for your position - if someone says "Arc platform, Arc Arc Void" and you're center orb, you know you have to go to Arc platform to charge your cranium. There's no cross chatter, no confusion. It means that sometimes you have a lot of running to do - up to halfway around the play area to charge, then up to halfway around again to use - but there's plenty of time for this.

It's helpful if one person who can do the math quickly can help the DPS team charge properly. You want as many DPS craniums as possible on the fighting platform - but of course orb craniums take priority. So: in the above example (Arc platform, arc arc void), two of the orb team would go to Arc, one to Void - that leaves room for one DPS member to go to Arc, and the other two (for teamwork's sake) should charge at Void. (That gives more players in one place to help with add control.) If all three orb choices are at platforms that are NOT the final fighting platform (eg "Void platform, Solar Arc Solar"), all DPS should go to the final fighting platform (void, in this case). Having someone who can quickly do these calculations calling them out can be helpful for folks who get confused, or who weren't listening closely.

Side note: we found that having one Nightstalker with Orpheus Rig boots can generate enough orbs to help GG Hunters get a second shot off during each damage phase - this was so helpful (the team was 1 Titan, 4 GG Hunters, and one Nightstalker Hunter) that we changed things up where the Nightstalker didn't even wait to pick up a cranium, he just went straight to the final platform and started tethering stuff. (Other DPS folks in the area - LET THE TETHER WORK BEFORE YOU KILL STUFF.) The other advantage to this particular kind of orb generation is that all the orbs are in one place - generally near where you're going to be standing for the damage phase. Masterworks Orbs, and many roaming super orbs, are created where the baddies die - which is NOT where you're going to be standing during the damage phase.

Once craniums are charged, bring them to the fighting platform. (There's no real advantage to hanging out where you charged them for longer than you need to.) You obviously need all three orb craniums in place before you can start the next phase, but it's more important that EVERYONE's ready than that you go as quickly as possible - the time pressure here isn't huge, and it's pretty critical that all DPS folks are in position before you break the barrier. They'll usually take a few extra seconds (because they picked up their orbs later), so don't rush the orb pushing.

Once everyone's in position, drop a rally barrier and/or an empowering rift in a place near the back where you have a clear shot at Argos' face (Solar side has a big block right in the middle of the back, so dead center is a bad idea on that side), and push the three orbs into the center. Keep a sharp eye out for the net, which will come out right after the shield goes down (and often a second time, farther along during the damage phase). As Mac pointed out, it's quite easy to get multiple people caught if you're all bunched up behind the rally barricade. Argos will look towards where he throws the net, so watch his face. (Added fun: the net is not really stopped by rocks, so crouching down behind a rock does NOT make you safe.) The net can eat rockets and golden gun shots, too, so it's not just about being caught.

Any harpies you didn't kill during the lead-up to the damage phase will turn into guided rockets... these will target a specific (random) player and head in a group towards them. Be aware of these, and remain near cover if possible when they launch. (There are two launches; one partway through the damage phase, once at the end of the damage phase. The rockets move slowly enough to shoot, if you're paying attention, and are dodgeable... but can still kill you pretty dead if you're not staying alert.)

If you can do 1/3 damage during each damage phase, you're good - you get a max of 4 damage phases (and 3 wipe mechanic phases), so this gives you a little leeway if something goes wrong later on.

The vast majority of the time, Argos will turn after the damage phase to face the Arc platform, so you should prepare to position yourself for the wipe mechanic phase based on this. (It's not a guarantee - every once in a while, he'll face a different way, so if he spins to somewhere else, make sure that is called out, clearly.) There are three sets of weak spots - two on his head, two on his back, two on his arms - but it turns out that doing one head and one arm is more efficient (in terms of player movement) than both arms at once. The order is somewhat unimportant, as long as everyone knows where they're supposed to go. Don't say "Left" - say "Argos' left, our right" or "void side top and arm" or whatever you decide is clearest to your team. (I've experienced a number of wipes, with a variety of teams, that happened simply because not everyone understood where they were supposed to go.)

If you are successful, and there's still time before the platforms disappear, you should try to kill one or both of his upper arms - the cannons at the end can be pretty unpleasant, and taking them out of the equation in later rounds can be really helpful. You don't want to shoot the cannons, you want to shoot the horizontal pieces that hold them to his body. It can be hard to tell when you've successfully broken one. And make sure you get off the platforms, and onto solid ground, before you fall to your death when they disappear; staying safe is far more important than ensuring those cannons are offline.

Assuming all goes well, rinse and repeat!