Cerberus Vae takes place in Meridian Bay and has the following modifiers this week:
Exposure disables shield regeneration but, as a trade off, raises the shield’s max. The concept has always seemed counterintuitive but it gives the raid a “survival-mode” feeling which makes for good rounds altogether. It also placates the map choice as well with players having to be more careful in their approach.
Fresh Troops involves enemy squads undergoing further fortification with additional reinforcements. This makes gameplay tougher as enemies take extra hits before they go down but bodes well for those that have made a habit of customizing their weaponry to accommodate the enemy armor upgrades.
Specialist grants bonus damage when using special weapons. This sets off Fresh Troops only some. High Impact Sniper Rifle is recommend.
And then there’s Trickle, which forces abilities to recharge at a reduced rate. Most people are in agreement that this is one of the worst modifiers.
Loot has notably improved over last week’s fare. Expect a break from all those Decoherent Engrams. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em. Am I right?
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Solo Guide
This week’s Nightfall does not have any burn modifier, but a Solar sniper rifle will be extremely useful. You’ll also want to have a Void Special for the Psions.
Use the cover around the ramps to take care of the nearby foes, or try to run past them all to save time.
After you’ve managed to get past the Iron Line, you’re going to make your way to the Trenchworks area.
Trenchworks is the first Darkness Zone. Remember that their Void/Solar shields will be much more difficult to remove if you’re not using a Void/Solar weapon.
Ta’aurc’s Guards
There’s 3 Interceptors that you have the option of picking up, but it’s probably going to be best to just use a Sniper to take out most of your enemies.
After you’ve cleared the area completely, focus your attention on Val Bou’urc who hides out at the top of the tower.
Gain some distance by going on the opposite side of where the Cabal landed.
Goliath Tank
Immediately after you’ve killed the last 2 Guards, the Goliath Tank will appear.
The Tank fires a fast-moving, arching shot, with 5-10 second delay. This turret moves independently from the tank.
You’re going to want to use a sniper at a distance. When you blow up one of its engines you’ll do a ton of bonus damage!
The best strategy with the Interceptor is to hide behind the big rock and pop out on either side to damage the Goliath Tank. When it starts to fire up, right before it lets off its blast, just hide behind the rock again and the Goliath Tank won’t even shoot it because it doesn’t ‘see’ you anymore.
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Valus Ta’aurc
After defeating the Goliath Tank, make your way to the Valley of the Kings.
After you’ve gotten past these initial enemies, you’re going to enter the last room of the Strike with the final boss – Valus Ta’aurc. This boss will alternate sides of the room each time his health is reduced by 25%.
Once at 25% he’s going to roam around more freely, which will unfortunately mean you’ll need to peak your head out a little more and also deal with the most immediate adds. This is going to be the most difficult stage of the encounter, because there’s a lot of variables with his erratic movement.
Once you figure out where to stand to avoid getting hit, it’s a simple matter of patience and caution, and then you’ll hopefully be rewarded with phat lootz!