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Destiny 2's Season of the Risen brought with it a new Exotic mission called Vox Obscura. Similar to Presage and Harbinger, this mission tasks players with completing a gauntlet of objectives within a given time limit. Completing this mission grants the Dead Messenger, an Exotic Wave-Frame Grenade Launcher that fires a fan of energy instead of a straight line.
But just like the Exotic missions before it, Vox Obscura is no walk in the park. Beating this mission on Normal can be a challenge, let alone Master. This guide will cover all modifiers on Normal and Master, which weapons and subclasses you should bring, and cover the best strategies for beating each encounter. If you're attempting to beat this on Master without dying, be ready to use a Void subclass.
Modifiers And Recommended Loadout
Sneak Into The Hangar
Vox Obscura begins with you spawning just outside a Cabal hangar on Mars. You'll need to make your way inside the hangar and steal a Cabal Interceptor. This section isn't timed, so take your time. You can either kill the Cabal guarding the hangar or run past them altogether. We recommend killing them, especially on Master since one of them is a Barrier Champion. Stick to the outskirts of the base, sniping away at the Cabal with your Bow. Make your way inside when you're ready.
Dealing With A Champion Early
The Unstoppable Champion that spawns in the base just beyond the hangar can be killed at this part. Before entering the hangar, turn around and head towards a small base. Kill the Unstoppable, then backtrack to the hangar again. This prevents it from spawning in the next encounter.
Three Psions and two turrets will guard the interior of the hangar, nothing your Primary can't handle. Further into the hangar itself will be three Psions—one of which is replaced with an Unstoppable Champion on Master. Eliminate them, but don't get near the Interceptors just yet. Right when all three enemies are dead, book it to an Interceptor.
Clear The Airfield
You have 4:30 minutes to finish this encounter.
You'll have just under five minutes to complete three objectives:
- Destroy a Goliath Tank outside the hangar.
- Destroy two Goliath Tanks in the airfield.
- Destroy three signal towers in the airfield.
Hop on the Cabal Interceptor in the hangar and shoot the blast door in front of you. Three shots or ramming it will break the doors open. On Master, we highly recommend you get off the Interceptor and fight the enemies on foot. Double back to the Interceptor, then make your way to the tank. You'll need to damage the propulsion engines on each side to destroy the tank. Amanda Holiday will deploy a Drake at your location shortly thereafter. Use it to make your way towards the airfield, bypassing all the enemies that spawn. Try to damage the Cabal Thresher on your way across.
One-Shotting Goliaths
You can instantly kill a Goliath Tank by ramming a Cabal Interceptor into its side. This will cause you to hit its propulsion engines multiple times, causing the tank to explode shortly afterward. There's a small chance this strategy will kill you, so be aware. Even with that risk, we still recommend you do this on Master since you only need to fight Goliath Tanks at the very start of Vox Obscura.
The Scablands have three signal towers that are protected by an impenetrable shield. Removing that shield will require you to destroy the two Goliath Tanks patrolling the area. Use your Drake tank's main cannon and cluster rockets to quickly take these Goliaths out from a distance. If any War Beasts get near you, simply run them over. You can always get another Drake Tank from the spawn plate just outside the entrance to the Scablands.
Destroying both tanks will let you damage the three towers. Each tower is protected by a cluster of three generators just outside the tower. They glow bright orange. Use your Drake Tank to blow them up, allowing you to damage the tower itself. It'll take two tank shells to destroy one signal tower. Repeat this two more times to finish this encounter, removing the timer.
With the timer removed, clear out the rest of the enemies with either the Drake or on-foot. Ranged weapons work the best here. Some Barrier and Unstoppable Champions will be present here, so be cautious. You can either kill them from a distance or simply ignore them. When you're ready, break the blast door just outside the airfield base with a tank to make your way inside.
Race To The Control Room
You have 10 minutes to finish this encounter and the subsequent boss fight.
There are three control panels you must activate to unlock Qabix's boss arena. Each panel is marked on your HUD, but it won't be easy getting to them. Use a Rally Banner before proceeding. You'll need to be quick.
Multiple Psions and Unstoppable Champions (just one on Normal) must be defeated before the path opens. Use a grenade to quickly kill the War Beasts charging you, and use your Primary to pick away at the Psions from a distance. The Unstoppable Champion can be downed in just a few shots from your Linear Fusion Rifle.
Defeating these enemies will open the path forward, flooding the room with a Gladiator and multiple War Beasts. A well-placed grenade will take them out. From there, focus on going left. An Unstoppable Champion and tons of adds will block the path on Master. If you can go invisible, do so. Otherwise, use your Primary to quickly carve through them. Drop down the manhole when you can.
You'll now enter a cramped hallway patrolled by dozens of Cabal and rigged with flame traps. Immediately duck into the room right next to you. Each room contains an Unstoppable Champion, multiple fodder enemies, a Psion miniboss, and a Psion Commander. Psion Commanders are harmless units that float in one corner of the room. You must run next to the Psion and melee it to kill them, removing the shield of the miniboss protecting the codes. Kill that miniboss, then you can hack the nearby terminal. You'll need to repeat this two more times, navigating a dangerous hallway each time. Invisibility and Volatile Rounds are needed for this part.
Fire Traps
The hallway connecting each Psionic terminal is laced with fire traps. Touching one of these on Master will kill you. Hunters can use invisibility and the Omniolculus Exotic to tank the burn damage. Warlocks can blink or glide over the traps. Titans can shoulder charge across the gap before the plates active or use High Lift.
Once you've hacked all three terminals, you can now enter Qabix's boss arena. More Champions and Scorpio turrets will spawn just outside the entrance. Barrier Champions will also spawn on Master difficulty. At this rate, you have two options:
- Clear the room as quickly as possible.
- Run.
If you have access to invisibility at all, we highly encourage the latter. Break the turrets first, then push into the boss room. If you can't go invisible, kill the adds and turrets before stunning the Champions. While stunned, book it for Qabix's room.
Defeat Qabix, Insurgent
Any time remaining from the Control Room encounter is your time limit for killing Qabix.
Qabix, Insurgent is the final boss of the Vox Obscura mission. This enemy is a massive Cabal Psion that can call down lightning strikes and spawn a swarm of burning projectiles. More importantly, Qabix frantically moves. It's incredibly difficult to hit this boss without staggering it first with an Unstoppable weapon or any hard-hitting Heavy.
Your best bet is to stick near one end of the arena, hugging as much cover as possible. Get a clear view of the final boss, then start sniping at Qabix from a distance with your Linear Fusion Rifle. Supers can also work wonders here, but be sure Qabix is staggered before casting one.
Getting Trapped
If Qabix traps you in a purple dome, shoot the glowing orbs in the dome's psionic webbing to break free.
This boss has three phases. Removing a third of its total health will spawn three Psion Commanders, one on each end of the arena. You must walk into the Psion's energy field and melee them. Turrets will also span on the center platform, so be careful. Killing all three will make Qabix vulnerable to damage again.
Adds will spawn every time Qabix becomes immune or loses half of its total HP, some of which are Barrier Champions on Master. Melee units and Psions make up most of the enemy roster here, so watch your back. Grenades and other zoning tools are key for staying alive. Once you've killed Qabix, the timer will stop. Follow the waypoint on your HUD to listen to the propaganda broadcast and finish the mission.
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