Journey Through the Dreadnaught
The Dreadnaught, Oryx’s colossal Hive warship, serves as the primary battleground for much of The Taken King. This guide will meticulously detail your initial perilous journey through its labyrinthine corridors, leading you ever closer to the Taken King himself. Prepare for relentless combat, intricate platforming, and the chilling atmosphere of a ship built for war and death.
Initial Infiltration: The Hull Breach
Your mission begins with a daring insertion directly into the Dreadnaught’s hull. Expect immediate resistance. The Taken, twisted versions of familiar enemies, will be your primary adversaries. Focus on understanding their new abilities:
- Taken Psions: Can split into multiple copies upon death, making them a high-priority target for area-of-effect abilities.
- Taken Goblins: Possess the ability to shield nearby allies, requiring you to prioritize them or flank their protected comrades.
- Taken Phalanx: Their shield bash now pushes you back with significantly more force, often off ledges or into environmental hazards.
Recommended Loadout:
- Primary: Auto Rifle or Pulse Rifle for sustained fire against numerous Taken.
- Special: Shotgun for close-quarters encounters or Sniper Rifle for picking off high-value targets from a distance.
- Heavy: Machine Gun for clearing waves, or Rocket Launcher for burst damage against majors.
- Subclass: Consider subclasses with strong crowd control or survivability, such as Defender Titan (Ward of Dawn), Sunsinger Warlock (Radiance), or Nightstalker Hunter (Shadowshot).
Navigating the Labyrinth: Corridors of the Taken
As you push deeper, the Dreadnaught reveals its true nature: a sprawling, multi-tiered fortress. Your Ghost will be crucial for navigation, highlighting objectives and offering insights into Hive technology. Be vigilant for environmental hazards:
- Energy Fields: Pulsating barriers that deal continuous Arc damage. Time your movements carefully or find alternate routes.
- Exploding Hive Boomers: These projectiles leave lingering pools of fire. Avoid standing in them.
Key Areas and Encounters:
- The Mausoleum: A vast, open chamber often patrolled by multiple Taken Knights and Wizards. Utilize the central structures for cover and elevation. A specific encounter here involves a shielded Taken Knight that requires you to destroy nearby Blight Orbs to remove its invulnerability.
- Founts of Savathûn: These areas are characterized by glowing Taken energy and increased enemy density. Expect ambushes from Taken Thrall and Acolytes. Watch out for Taken Captains, who can blind you with their Dark Orb attacks.
- Platforming Challenges: Several sections demand precise jumps. The Dreadnaught’s architecture is unforgiving; a mistimed leap can send you plummeting into the abyss. Pay particular attention to areas with moving platforms or disappearing sections. The Taken Phalanx’s shield push is especially dangerous here.
Mid-Mission Boss: The Blighted Ogre
Approximately halfway through this initial journey, you will encounter a powerful Taken Ogre, often designated as a "Blighted Ogre" or similar. This enemy serves as a significant roadblock:
- Attacks: Fires powerful eye beams and unleashes a ground-pound shockwave.
- Weakness: Its eye is its critical spot.
- Strategy: Maintain distance and continuously strafe to avoid its eye blasts. Use your Super ability and heavy weapon ammunition here if you have it. Be mindful of smaller Taken enemies that will spawn to support the Ogre; clear them periodically to prevent being overwhelmed.
Common Pitfalls:
- Running out of Heavy Ammo: Conserve your heavy ammo for major encounters. Use primary and special weapons for regular Taken.
- Ignoring Taken Psions: Allowing Psions to multiply can quickly overwhelm your position.
- Falling off the map: The Dreadnaught's design encourages environmental kills. Be mindful of your footing during combat.
The Path to the Court of Oryx
Beyond the Blighted Ogre, the path becomes more linear, leading you towards the heart of the Dreadnaught. You'll pass through areas hinting at the Hive's dark rituals, with strange altars and unsettling glyphs adorning the walls. Your Ghost will eventually guide you to a massive, ornate doorway – the entrance to Oryx's inner sanctum.
This journey culminates at the threshold of Oryx's throne room, a place of immense power and dread. While you won't confront Oryx directly in this initial mission, reaching this point signifies a critical step in your campaign against the Taken King. From here, you will gain access to the Court of Oryx, a public event where you can summon and defeat powerful Taken bosses, and further missions will lead you into the depths of Oryx's domain for the ultimate confrontation.
