The Vex

The Vex are architects of ancient and complex structures on Venus and Mercury. Linked by a data network unlike any on Earth, they operate in unison, directed by a single unfathomable purpose.

Vex Programming: Hezen Corrective, Hezen Prime, Vega Prohibition, Aphix Invasive, Sol Divisive.

Bodies of animate metal with traces of living matter within, the Vex are an enigma, traveling through time and space with their gateways.

It is not clear if they have arrived here from the future, the past, or from another past or future. What is clear is that they represent a dire threat to humanity.

They march with a singular purpose on the battlefield, driven by some unknown and unknowable intelligence, passionless and focused on completing their mysterious objectives.

The Vex transform the planets they occupy, terraforming inorganic landscape into massive computational structures. Their grand designs have no room for the Guardians’ presence, and they must be stopped.

Vex Weapons

The Vex’s Slap Rifle and Line Rifle, as well as the Hydra’s dying explosion, all deal Solar damage.

The Torch Hammer, Slap Grenade, and Goblin and Hobgoblin melee strikes all deal Void damage.

Finally, the Minotaur’s melee strikes deal pure Kinetic damage.

Weak Points

Unlike the other humanoid races, the “humanoid” Vex (the Goblin and the Hobgoblin) have weak points that are located in the center of their torsos.

Harpies and Hydra both have weak points in their “eyes.”

Minotaurs have no weak points.

You can shoot the heads off Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Minotaurs, but beware: this causes them to enter a berserk state where they fire faster (albeit with less accuracy) and charge your position.

Teleportation

The Vex possess sophisticated gateway technology, and this extends to their combat units, many of which are armed with personal teleportation tech.

Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Minotaurs all possess the ability to “blinkwalk,” teleporting as a group from place to place. You can often observe this behavior if you engage a group of them at long range—they’ll blink rapidly toward your position.

At shorter ranges, Goblins and Minotaurs both continue employing their teleportation ability, but Minotaurs are notably more aggressive (and dangerous) than Goblins with their usage of teleports.

Behavior

Goblins are slow-moving automatons. Armed with the Vex Slap Rifle, they march steadily across the battlefield, firing as they move.

Goblins display less of a self-preservation instinct than other races, but they still move evasively and take cover from your attacks. Goblins will also crouch to protect thier juiceboxes (and do so more frequently on higher tiers). Destroying thier head will force them to stand up and expose thier juicebox again… but now they charge.

Goblins can move more quickly at long ranges via their Blinkwalking, and at close ranges, you may occasionally see them execute a short-range teleport to move to cover.

While individual Slap Rifle Goblins do not present a serious threat, the more rarely encountered Torch Hammer Goblins do.

Goblins equipped with the Vex’s explosive weapon are considerably more dangerous; make them a priority target.

Tactics

Goblins move fairly slowly and are easy to dispatch with Primary Weapon fire. Just be sure to target their stomachs, not their heads!

If you stick to cover when numerous Goblins are present, you can swiftly and safely take them down. Avoid underestimating large groups of Goblins, especially on higher difficulty missions. With enough of them present, Goblins can lay down a serious wall of firepower.

If you spot enough Goblins clumped together, they make great targets for grenades and area-of-effect super abilities. Supers are particularly notable because Goblins are usually too slow to evade the attack. If you wipe out an entire wave of Goblins in one shot, you can generate quite a few Orbs of Light for your Fireteam.

Behavior

Hobgoblins typically take up positions at long range, using their sniper-class Line Rifles to inflict heavy damage to exposed Guardians.

When they take any incoming fire, Hobgoblins instantly erect an impenetrable shield, sealing themselves in stasis and becoming completely immune to incoming damage for a short time.

Like other sniper weapons, the Line Rifle has a distinctive gleam as it charges to fire. If you spot it, get to cover quickly. You may get a single ranging shot if you’re lucky, but stay in the open, and you are certain to be hit.

Less commonly, you may encounter Hobgoblins armed with the Slap Rifle. Hobgoblins are more accurate and dangerous with this weapon than Goblins, but you can afford to break from cover once you confirm there are no Line Rifles aimed in your direction.

All Hobgoblins use Slap Grenades, Void charges that can flush you out of cover. However, you are unlikely to see these used if you keep your distance. Be aware of their potential danger if you close the gap!

Tactics

To dispatch Hobgoblins, bait out their shields with a light hit, then follow up with a fatal barrage when they drop out of stasis.

Taking off a Hobgoblin’s head removes the ability for the Hobgoblin to use its Stasis Shield.

It is also possible to instantly dispatch a Hobgoblin if you strike with enough force in a single shot. Rockets, close-range Special Weapons, or super moves can all get the job done.

Because you typically encounter Hobgoblins at long range, your own sniper rifle or precision Primary Weapons work well for eliminating them safely.

Take down Line Rifle Hobgoblins before you focus on Goblins, as their suppressive fire can keep you pinned in place. This is bad news if there are other Vex around.

Behavior

Harpies are hovering Vex drones that use their aerial maneuverability to bypass cover and attack you. Harpies must stabilize their position in mid-air to use their twin Slap Rifles.

This behavior is easily spotted, as a Harpy’s gleaming central eye is quite visible when it stops and spreads its “body.” While deployed, their eyes also make for an easy target. The optimum time to quickly take them down is just as they deploy but before they open fire.

A flock of deployed Harpies can also lay down a withering hail of Solar energy from their Slap Rifles, so don’t ignore them if they are present in large numbers.

On Mythic difficulty, Harpies gain an Arc shield, which pushes them from dangerous nuisance to just plain dangerous. Bring a ready source of Arc damage to knock them out of the sky quickly.

Harpies do not make use of Blinkwalking.

Tactics

Harpies are not particularly sturdy, so you can take them down with Primary Weapon fire fairly easily. Unfortunately, they serve as a dangerous distraction when more serious Vex threats are present.

This does not apply on Mythic difficulty once they gain their Arc shields—be sure to bring an Arc Special Weapon or machinegun to dispatch them swiftly.

Harpies are most vulnerable immediately as they deploy. When stationary in mid-air with their eyes aimed directly at you, they make for an easy shot.

However, they are also easy enough targets to destroy even when not aimed right at you (or at another Guardian). If you see an opportunity to dispatch them while they move around the battlefield, do so.

Behavior

The Hydra is a massive floating Vex unit, armed with a pair of lethal Torch Hammers and protected by a floating barrier of logic that blocks all incoming attacks.

Left unchecked, it continuously bombards your position. Lethal in the open and dangerous even if you are in cover, the Hydra has enough firepower to force you to move from any position that it can reach with the blast of its Torch Hammers.

Finally, when the Hydra is destroyed, its core erupts in an explosion, damaging anything nearby—though you should rarely be in a position where you are at point-blank range when it detonates!

Like Harpies, Hydras do not use Blinkwalking for mobility.

Tactics

Thankfully, both the Hydra and the shield that protects it are slow to move. Plus, the shield only covers a frontal arc (constantly rotating to your right)—it can be flanked or fired over or under depending on the terrain.

The Hydra is extremely dangerous, so make it a priority target for Heavy Weapons and super moves. Hitting this shield with a rocket wastes a rocket.

A sniper rifle or precision Primary Weapons can also be a boon depending on the terrain. It is possible to shoot over the shield, and if you can get into a flanking position, you may be able to hit the Hydra’s weak point in its “eye.”

Behavior

Minotaurs are dangerous and durable Vex units. They serve as anchors for larger groups of Vex, either bombarding you from a distance with their Torch Hammers or using rapid teleports to close into melee range and smash you at point blank.

Minotaurs are much more aggressive about using their teleport ability than Goblins. They are also particularly adept at dodging incoming rockets, supers, or grenades by teleporting past them.

Often, attempting to land such an attack causes the Minotaur to teleport several times in quick succession, ending with a Minotaur at close range and its armored fist aimed at your face.

Minotaurs are protected by Void Shields, so bring a ready source of Void damage to destroy them. On top of that, they do not have a weak point. Combined with their inherent durability, this makes them a very sturdy enemy.

Destroying a Minotaur’s head has two key effects: it disables their ability to regenerate their Void Shield, and it causes them to go berserk, spraying shots more rapidly but less accurately as they move toward you.

The Minotaur’s normal weapon is the explosive Torch Hammer, and its directed blasts can force you out of light cover and cripple you in the open. Use short jumps and movement ability to evade the worst of the blast damage.

Minotaurs may appear on the battlefield armed with Slap Rifles. If so, be wary, as they are markedly more accurate and dangerous with them than Goblins are.

Tactics

Whenever possible, strip a Minotaur’s shield at range and quickly destroy its head to prevent it from regenerating. While rampaging Minotaurs are dangerous, their undirected fire and erratic behavior are often less threatening than their well-aimed suppressive fire and quick teleports.

Be very careful if you get to close-medium distance with a Minotaur. This is exactly the range that they can cover extremely rapidly with a few teleports. While Minotaurs normally seem like fairly slow and plodding units, you won’t think that when they blink toward you and rush into melee in seconds.

It is well worth using the big guns on Minotaurs. However, because they are adept at evading slow-moving high-power attacks, a machinegun is recommended over a rocket launcher.

If you do plan to use rockets, try to bait a teleport with a grenade first, or fire at them from long range before they are fully aware of your presence.