Destiny Signature Series Strategy Guide MARS

STRIKE: Dust Palace

Level 18 Strike / The Hollows, Meridian Bay, Mars

Enemy Races: Cabal, Vex

Suggested Damage Type: Solar, Void, Arc

Rewards: XP Bonus, Armor Upgrade

Mission Unlocked: -

Combatant Changes with Heroic or Epic Mission Modifier
Objective	Combatant Changes	Tip
Forge Ahead - Lower Atrium	-1 Gladiator+1 Major Gladiator	Inside the skyscraper, there are a few skirmishes that involve Major Vex and Cabal. Use cover wisely, and work your way through an area. Do not commit too deeply into a battle. If they want to take each other out, let them do so before moving in.
Forge Ahead - Upper Atrium	-3 Goblins-1 Hobgoblin+3 Major Goblins+1 Major Hobgoblin
Hold It Down	-1 Centurion+1 Major Centurion
Hold It Down	-3 Goblins-1 Hobgoblin+3 Major Goblins+1 Major Hobgoblin
Head to Overwatch	-3 Goblins+2 Major Goblins+1 Minotaur	—
Head to Overwatch	-1 Centurion+1 Colossus	—
Expel the Cabal	-3 Phalanxes-1 Colossus+3 Major Phalanxes+1 Major Centurion	Team up on the Major Phalanxes, as they are easier to deal with when you can flank from the side.
Expel the Cabal	-2 Harpies+2 Major Harpies	The Major Harpies gain Arc shields on Epic, so use the appropriate weapon to deal with them quickly.
Objective	Combatant Changes	Tip
Fight to The Cortex	-2 Centurions-1 Phalanx+2 Major Centurions+1 Major Phalanx	—
Defeat the Flayers	-3 Legionaries+3 Major Centurions	Your main target should be the three Psion Flayers, but with the sheer number of reinforcements, you must also deal with the minions. Use the entire courtyard, and stay alert to what is around you.
Defeat the Flayers - Reinforcements	-1 Centurion-1 Phalanx+1 Major Centurion+1 Major Phalanx
Defeat the Flayers – Reinforcements	-1 Colossus+1 Major Colossus
Defeat the Flayers – Reinforcements	-1 Colossus+1 Major Colossus
Defeat the Flayers – Rear Spawn	-3 Legionaries+3 Major Legionaries	—

Objective: Enter the Dust Palace

Location: The Hollows

Fight your way into the dome building ahead, turn left at the back room, and drop into the elevator shaft in the far corner. Descend the stairs down a couple flights to reach Dust Palace. As noted on screen, this is a Darkness Zone. Follow the corridor and enter the open doorway on the right.

Objective: Breach the Door

Location: Dust Palace

Approach the door ahead, and deploy your Ghost at the console to get it open. Turn around as Cabal emerge from the left and right.

Objective: Fight off the Cabal

Watch out for the Major Psion Operant on the right, who is really tough for his demeanor. Clear out the threat as the gate opens.

Objective: Forge Ahead

Move through the doorway into the lower floor of the atrium. At the stairs ahead, a Colossus overlooks a skirmish between the Cabal and Vex on the upper floor. Take him out before proceeding up the steps to dispose of the two sides. Have your Ghost work on the panel next to the far door to continue up the skyscraper.

Objective: Hold It Down

As you wait, more Cabal and Vex enter from all sides of the atrium. Work your way around the room carefully and wipe them out. At this point, you are notified that your Ghost is almost there as Psions and a Psion Operant enter from the far side. Watch out for their deadly wave attack.

Objective: Head to Overwatch

With the door finally open, head up to the Overwatch, where the Vex continue attacking the Cabal. Fight your way through the machines, and then defeat the Centurion and Legionaries as you move into the second room. With the room cleared out, deploy your Ghost at the right door.

Objective: Expel the Cabal

Once again, defend the gate as more Cabal attack your location. In the next room, Vex also enter the Overwatch. A Minotaur and Colossus, along with Phalanxes and Harpies, can make for an overwhelming fight if you get stuck in the middle. The Psion Operant that enters from the side adds to the battle’s difficulty. Work your way from one end to the other to avoid becoming surrounded.

Objective: Fight to the Cortex

Location: The Cortex

After you’ve taken care of both sides, the gate opens. Follow the corridor out to a Darkness Zone, located in the Cortex. Cabal descend toward you on the left as more are dropped in on the right. Use the short walls as cover as you take them on. Watch out for the Centurion duo. This courtyard is a large, open area, so jump and run away if your health runs low.

Objective: Access Cortex Controls

With the Cabal out of the way, climb the left steps and access the Cortex controls in the small shelter.

Objective: Defeat the Flayers

This brings in three Psion Flayers into the courtyard, along with Legionaries in the back. Combining these three Major Psions with numerous Cabal makes for an incredibly tough boss fight.

Psion Flayers

Weak Spots: Head

Attacks: Slug Rifle, Psionic Blast Wave

Attacks

Slug Rifle:

The rifle is their first means of attack and is much less of a threat than their psionic wave. But with their quick movement and intelligent use of cover, a Psion Flayer can tear through your health, leaving you open for a kill shot.

Psionic Blast Wave:

Watch for the Psions to lift off the ground with arms out to the side, signifying that a psionic blast wave is incoming. The wave is fired along the ground toward its target. It is possible to jump over it, but by watching for this tell, you can easily move far enough away to avoid taking damage. This wave harms anyone along the way, so avoid mistakenly moving into its path.

Strategy

The courtyard is a vast open arena, allowing for some long lines of sight. This is great for dealing with the slower Cabal foes, but the Psions are quick and crafty, making them extremely difficult to track. Shotguns, sniper rifles, and other slow weapons are difficult to use against them. Instead, equip automatic weapons like auto rifles and machineguns.

The Psion Flayers are all equipped with shields, one of each damage type. Numoc’s shield is Void, Kolar has Arc, and Vatch is protected by Solar. It is very helpful to come prepared for this. Ensure that your Fireteam has all three covered in their arsenal. Better yet, equipping guns with two damage types makes for an easier fight.

Like all Psions, the bosses fight mostly from behind cover, popping out to shoot at their opponents before ducking out of sight. It is possible to flush them out with an explosive and then hit them with your gunfire. You can also team up against them to force them out.

The best overall strategy here is to focus the entire team on one Flayer at a time. Otherwise, you are probably just taking down their shields, letting them regenerate when you must move or reload. With one Flayer down, spend some time eliminating the additional enemies before going after the next boss.

Cabal, including normal Psions, consistently join the skirmish, emerging from dropships and through the openings around the sides. It’s ideal to keep pursuing a Flayer once you engage it, but you don’t want the lesser enemies to overwhelm and surround you. This is where a long-range weapon can come in handy. Spend some time at the back of the area, picking off some of the Cabal. Be careful; the enemies will pursue you wherever you are.

This can become a really tough, long fight if you come unprepared. Eliminate the three Psion Flayers one by one, while also keeping the number of Cabal enemies down. When badly hurt, run and jump to the other side of the courtyard to recover. This becomes especially important if you are the last Guardian standing. Eventually, the last boss falls, clearing out any remaining foes.