The Taken

Torn from their own dimension, only to return as the tormented and possessed shell of the darkness, Taken are corrupted forms of enemies you may already be familiar with. Their charred bodies writhe with twisted pain, and a strange glowing light coalesces where their eyes once peered out. Toughened Taken foes are usually known by the prefix “Ravenous.”

Taken Psion

Threat Level: 2

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: Aside from an ability to dart around, which can throw off your aim, treat a Taken Psion like their non-possessed Cabal counterpart. They tend to use their slug rifle over any other attack. Attempt headshots and melee strikes. Taken Psions also replicate. If you don’t kill all the Psions in an encounter there is a good chance they will split and multiply their count back to a full squad. So sustain your pressure and kill all of them before moving onto other foes.

Taken Phalanx

Threat Level: 3

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: The Taken Phalanx is distinctly different and deadlier than their Cabal cousins. Their shield is used to power a massive blast of energy that can seriously impede your constitution. You must sidestep, jump over, or hide from it before you step out and rattle off gunfire into the inky blackness of the foe’s head and torso, staggering and following up with more firepower.

Taken Centurion

Threat Level: 4

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: Taken Centurions sometimes conjure a ball of rift energy from their forms that homes in, even moving around corners to strike you. This projectile is slow-moving but devastating, exploding with the force of a grenade. Shoot it out of the sky, then make a Taken Centurion a priority target so you don’t have to deal with this attack again.

Taken Vandal

Threat Level: 3

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: Taken Vandals are just as sharp a shooter as their Fallen counterparts, and they can quickly conjure an additional dome-shaped shield, forcing you to dash in and shoot them so it dissipates. Attempt this as you close in for final combat, usually ending in a melee attack. Otherwise, long-range combat works well, with your targets firmly on what passes for this foe’s head. Watch for a Vandal’s short teleports, too.

Taken Captain

Threat Level: 4

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: This Captain may be able to teleport short distances, and it also has similar attacks to the Fallen Captain it originated from. Check the weapon carried and vary your survival tactics accordingly, then take out the Captain’s shield type (mainly Solar, but Arc and Void are also possible). Press the attack so the Captain’s shield never gets a chance to recharge. The most notable aspect of the Taken Captain is his blinding Darkness Bolt. This slow moving projectile will blind any enemy in its path, making it one of the most dangerous abilities the Taken have.

Taken Thrall

Threat Level: 2

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: These Thrall variants are more solid than their shadow brethren, but they have the same dogged determination to charge and claw at you as the Hive Thralls. The only real difference is the quick, blurry teleports they attempt occasionally. Pull back, and mow down.

Taken Shadow Thrall

Threat Level: 2

Weak Spot: None

Notes: These minions of a particularly powerful Taken Wizard are not yet fully formed entities. They dash and flit around much more quickly and frequently, and they have no real light within them. You can attack them in the same way as a Taken Thrall, however.

Taken Acolyte

Threat Level: 2

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: Taken Acolytes are sometimes mistaken for Taken Psions. They share similarities right down to their tendency for ranged fire and their blurred and quick teleportation across short distances. Dispatch them by rushing them while firing, and melee strike them if they’re still standing when you get there. Taken Acolytes also have the ability to summon dangerous Taken Eye turrets to provide additional suppressive fire. Cut them down before this opportunity presents itself to your foes.

Taken Knight

Threat Level: 4

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: Expect long-range devastation when facing a Taken Knight; it tends to fire off its weapon, as well as shower you with flame from its mouth. Aim for its head, and keep going until it drops.

Taken Wizard

Threat Level: 5

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: Expect a Taken Wizard to act like their Hive counterparts, but with a different type of defensive “spell”: the conjuring of Shadow Thralls that quickly flit toward and claw at you. Retaliate by staying out of their line of sight, and when you’re ready, attack their shields. Match the Energy weapon to the Wizard’s shield type (mainly Void, though Solar and Arc have been seen), and keep up the pressure until the shield is removed. The Wizard is then very susceptible to your continued gunfire. Do not break off combat at this point; you don’t want the Wizard’s shield to recharge.

Taken Goblin

Threat Level: 3

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: Taken Goblins are always priority targets because of their extremely problematic energy link, similar to that of a Servitor’s. It can link to a stronger Taken, effectively making it invincible. If your Taken Goblin or other Taken hostiles are glowing green, this link is occurring. The takedown plan is the same: send rapid-fire shots into the glowing light where the Goblin’s head used to be. Lower torso fire isn’t necessary, and this Goblin’s head does not explode.

Taken Hobgoblin

Threat Level: 3

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: Taken Hobgoblins are perhaps the most like their Vex counterparts, with a predisposition for long-range sharpshooting. Remove them with ranged attacks from a distance, or close the gap and demolish them at close quarters with rapid-fire or high-powered hand cannon accurate strikes. Taken Hobgoblin’s most important trait is their retaliation shots. If the Hobgoblin has energy swirling around him, the next time it receives damage from an enemy (usually you), these projectiles will fly towards them.

Taken Minotaur

Threat Level: 4

Weak Spot: Head

Notes: A Taken Minotaur has all the strengths of its Vex cousin, with the added ability to cloak like a Fallen Marauder. This means it must be tracked via the glow of its head, which is also where you must shoot it.