#challenge-mode

Video

TL;DR? If you're a visual learner, here's a video tutorial for this guide.

Team Build

This strategy guide works best with two Defender Titans and two Nighstalker Hunters. Two guardians that can be any class/subclass, and one of these would be the relic runner (Sunsinger Warlocks are best for these positions since they can strategically die; more on that later). The Defender Titans should configure "Bastion", "Illuminated" perks, and one should use a "Blessing of Light" with the other using "Weapons of Light". Hunters should be using the Nighstalker subclass and enable the "Predator" and "Black Hole" perks.

Recommended weapons are:

Touch of Malice

Red Death

1000 Yard Stare/Eirene/Stillpiercer

Raid Heavy Machine Gun/Raid Rocket Launcher

The Challenge

Usually, Oryx is killed by a set of four 4-bomb detonations. The challenge is to detonate all 16 bombs at once.

Positions

For this guide, I will be using numbers to identify each platform: "1" is the door-side left platform. "2" is the door-side right platform. "3" is the Saturn-side right platform. "4" is the Saturn-side left platform (numbered counter-clockwise, starting from the door-side left platform).

To keep things as simple as possible, our group uses a "fixed jump sequence", where the same people are activating the platforms and jumping in the same order. So jumper "1" will always jump from the platform Oryx slams each round. Jumper "2" will follow, then jumper "3". The two Hunters in the fireteam are always assigned as jumper "1" and "3". One of the warlocks (or whichever class player) would be jumper "2". One of the Titans will be numbered "4" but won't be jumping on a platform. Instead, they will be working the center position with the other Titan.

These numbered players will be responsible for bomb detonation when the time comes. Once that happens, they will detonate bombs at the same platform as their number. So jumper "1" will detonate at platform "1" (remember, that's door-side left), and so forth. Before starting the fight, make sure these four are clear as to their assigned platform. You might even have them all go to their platform as a quick test to make sure everyone is on the same page... if two go to the same platform, better to iron that wrinkle out ahead of the bomb phase than during it.

The second Titan can be used to cover for someone if they die right before detonating bombs. However, typically a guardian death means a wipe and restart, so everyone but the relic runner should adjust their class for low-agility, high-armor/recovery and should stay as safe as possible throughout the fight (even on Normal Mode which is more forgiving, but still difficult to recover from if players are dying).

Platforms, Ogres and Oryx

All guardian's supers should be charged ahead of the actual fight... use a super-building round of killing adds followed with a wipe, or just wait for them to build. Once you start the Oryx fight and kill the initial adds, watch for Oryx to pick a side. He'll either start at position "4" or "3". Subsequent rounds will then follow a known pattern. If he starts at position "4", later rounds will be "1", "4", "3", "2", "3" (you should only need 4 rounds, ideally). If he slams first at position "3", later rounds will be "2", "3", "4", "1", "4".

For each of these rounds, here's what has to happen:

As soon as Oryx slams, the two Titans in the middle (between the sister's platforms) should both activate their bubbles (one blessing of light, one weapons of light). They'll be using a Touch of Malice, prepped down to the final round for extra damage to start firing on Ogres for precision shot damage. I also recommend the raid helm for this role, as it grants additional damage from the "Take That" perk. As soon as one ogre is down, pass across and through the Titan bubbles to refresh your overshield and work on the next ogre. All four ogres should be downed very close to their spawn position.

Platform jumpers should simply drop an area-of-effect or damage-over-time type grenade onto their ogre as it is spawning, and then switch to a sniper rifle to target their light-eater knight as soon as it spawns across the map. Let the Titans kill off the ogres (but if they are struggling to keep up and ogres are moving from their spawn points, fire one sniper round and let them do the rest; reload as you reposition and aim for the light eater knight). If you miss your knight, call it out ("platform 2 knight is running!") and do your best to kill it after reaching the safety of the aura of invicibility.

As soon as the relic runner announces they have the relic (that is, completing their jumps above everyone, not the aura), all platform holders should immediately leave their platform (especially for platforms "3" and "4", Saturn-side) and proceed to the Titan bubbles and wait for the aura to arrive.

Hunters at positions 1 and 3 should fire a tether shot at the pathway in front of their platform right as they're leaving it (fire it as soon as the runner says they have the relic). This will detain knights and the vessel longer allowing them to be killed more easily. It also keeps the relic runner safer as they advance to steal the aura from the vessel.

If the relic runner started at position "2" or "3", then they are coming down on the door-side of the arena. They should pass through the Titan bubble if possible to gain added protection to reach the Vessel.

Once the relic runner returns to the center with the others, they should be firing at Oryx's chest until he is staggered. Don't worry about knights, or adds or anything, other than Oryx.

If any of the four light-eater knights are still alive, the team should be dispatching them quickly. Hopefully, they will be tethered and will go down with a few Malice rounds. Throw a damage-over-time grenade on the Vessel knight after it loses it's aura to bring it down quickly. Titans should focus on this cleanup job, allowing the platform jumpers and runner to focus on Oryx.

Once Oryx slams the platform again, be ready to fire on him with Touch of Malice.

After staggering Oryx, clear all adds that are left on both sides of the team.

Have someone check bombs door-side and Saturn-side to make sure they're all intact each round, so you'll know whether you need to do an additional fifth round or not.

After most adds are clear, the aura holder can slowly move (and the fireteam with them) toward Saturn to be in a better position to shoot additional adds spawning toward that end. Keeping these low in number ahead of the shade fight (don't kill them all, or more will spawn).

Once Oryx repositions for the next phase, switch your primary weapon from Touch of Malice to Red Death (or another primary weapon with a Life Support perk).

Platform Holding Tips

Holding the platforms while the runner makes that round can be difficult. Here are some tips on how to survive it:

After you've dropped a grenade on your ogre and done any initial DPS on it, reposition quickly for sniping your light eater knight. You should crouch for this, and move to the back edge of the platform, taking care not to fall off of it. This position should conceal you from most adds in the center lane, but not affect your line of sight for your knight.

If you're having trouble with that initial head-shot of your knight, reverse your order and fire a body shot first to stop him, then follow-up with a head shot. DON'T PANIC if you miss. If you have to leave your platform without killing him, just let your fireteam know which platform has a knight loose. Get to the center bubbles safely, first and foremost.

After killing your knight, kill any adds that are trying to reach the center lane. Typically a pair of taken acolytes. These will spawn an acolyte eye if they reach the lane, so kill them before they get there, or snipe the acolyte eye (1 shot with a sniper) to remove this threat to your Titans.

Taken centurions are harder to kill, and for them and other adds that might be grouping up, use a rocket launcher. The raid rocket launcher with cluster bombs is ideal for this. Just fire a round at the ground near them.

Hunters: I highly recommend using the Sealed Grasps of Ahamkara for an additional smoke grenade. These will save your life in those moments you need to conceal yourself from add fire while you wait on the runner. Don't forget to tether the lane as soon as your runner announces they have the relic. For the Hunter at jumper "1" position, make sure you don't stand too close to your runner since they are the target of Oryx's Spite attack.

Warlocks: If your runner hasn't reached the end and you're taking too much heat (you shouldn't be, if you're near the back of the platform, crouching), use radiance before you are killed instead of after. It will help you regain your footing and you can toss grenades at adds. If you're killed before your runner has completed their run, the platforms will vanish, so use your super to avoid that.

Titans: If you're a third Titan as jumper #2, then you should be using a blessing of light bubble along with Bastion and Illuminated perks. Pop that bubble if things get dicey. Make sure you offset it enough so you can peek out and shoot at things without falling off your platform. The Armamentarium chest will give you an extra grenade to throw at adds that are threatening you.

Shade Fight

You will have to fight the Shade of Oryx in the Darkness Dimension after each round of Ogres. The Shade itself is an Ultra enemy, so using 3 of Coin consumable will give you a chance at an Exotic.

As this fight begins, two taken knights will spawn on top of platforms "3" and "4". Kill these as soon as possible (sniper or heavy weapons fire works best). If you are handling one of these but are teleported before you can kill it, tell the fireteam so they can manage it.

Adds will be spawning to both sides of the black orb: spawn positions are: right, left, left, right. Keep these adds in check, or they will enter the darkness dimension and harm the fireteam that are in there (although, if they're using Red Death, you can allow one or two in periodically to allow the fireteam to heal).

Fireteam members outside the Darkness Dimension should not get close to the black orb, as it is lethal to touch.

As the shade moves, observe the direction. It will move 90° or 180°. As soon as you see if it went behind say "behind". If it went 90° left or right, just call "left" or "right".

Sniper fire is best for the Shade if you can get precision shots.

If adds are coming in too quickly, have one person with a good melee attack (Titans/Warlocks) to keep them off the team.

The Shade of Oryx comes in to do a sword attack on the fireteam. When this happens, everyone should move to the outer edge of the arena. The Shade will follow and if it slams, shouldn't hurt anyone spawning in at the same time.

A Sunsinger Warlock can intercept and jump at the shade to cause it to slam immediately. If they're killed, revive yourself which will put you outside the shade arena.

If anyone is low on health, a Titan blessing bubble can help them hold out until the fight is over (it can get in the way of shooting at the shade, though).

DO NOT TETHER THE SHADE. Doing so can cause it to repeatedly slam his sword.

Once the Shade is killed, stop moving. Leaving the Darkness Dimension can sometimes place your character next to one of the stones outside. If you move as you're being teleported, the game might kill you because you're overlapping one of those stones.

You should switch back to Touch of Malice after the Shade fight is over.

If you can remember the platform sequence (described above), jumpers can start heading to their platforms. The relic runner can keep in mind the next slam position and remind other jumpers for each round.

Bombs

Once you've done four rounds of Ogres and three Shade fight rounds, you're ready to detonate the bombs you've collected. Hopefully, they are positioned fairly close together so you don't have to worry about your position too much. If you do have bombs that are offset a lot, you might have your un-numbered Titan to help detonate that displaced bomb.

After adds are cleared out after the last Ogre round, have your relic holder say "get ready to detonate"... then start counting down from six. Your four bomb detonators should time their arrival so they standing at their bombs at "one". The relic holder should say "detonate" at which point, everyone should step inside the bomb rings to trigger detonation. The relic holder themselves should concentrate solely on firing a Touch of Malice at Oryx the whole time. This will keep him in a vulnerable state for bomb detonation.

Watch the kill feed area for your name. Once you see your name scroll 4 times, return immediately to the aura and fire on Oryx until they go off.

Finish Him

If all went as it should, Oryx's health should be down to a sliver. He'll then move to the end of the arena, where the team should gather and fire at him together to finish him off.

Hybrid Mode