08: The Sword of Crota

Ocean of Storms, Moon

Objective: Infiltrate the Hive Fortress and destroy the legendary Sword of Crota, a weapon once used to slay Thousands of Guardians.

Level 7

Fireteam: 1-3 players

Cooperative

Rewards: 2000 EXP, Armor Upgrade

Archer's Line

Get to your hovercraft and follow the marker leading to Hellmouth.

Hellmouth

This is a wide, open space with several caves you can check for possible chest spawns. There are also pockets of enemy groups around here as well so be careful not to get ambushed. You may also want to collect Helium Filaments. Like Spinmetal Leaves you can collect on Earth, these can be turned over to a specific merchant in the Tower in return for some Vanguard Reputation points.




Head to the Ritual Site and take out the initial group of enemies there. Keep killing them until the first Swarm Prince, Banuk Ur Prince appears. Take him out then leave the ritual site. Follow the marker leading to the next temple where the other Swarm Princes are located.



Upon reaching the entrance, take out the guards then head inside. Some Knights are waiting there so be prepared to unleash your explosives, heavy /special weapons, or skills to take them out quickly. Head deeper inside until you reach the next area.

The Gatehouse (Darkness Zone)

Continue downstairs and clear the next area of enemies. Proceed to the next hallway until you reach a large chamber. Engage the enemies here and be ready to fall back a bit when you hear the shrieks of Thralls rushing towards you. After getting rid of them, look out for the Cursed Thralls following shortly after. Use your jump ability to remain mobile and to quickly reach the upper platforms since more enemies are waiting there.




The sword should be visible on the ground levle, near the center of the chamber. Keep fighting until a Wizard shows up. Get rid of him so you can reach and take the Sword without any problems.



Shortly after claiming the sword, waves of enemies will appear. Fortunately, the Swarm Princes will appear one by one. You can't unequip the sword so you have to kill all enemies using its (not-so-powerful) melee attacks - that includes the heavily armored Swarm Princes themselves.



This part of the mission is a lot easier with at least one partner that will assist in killing the minions and also attracting some of the aggro. This is doable when solo, though you have to take your time by falling back and using your Lift/Glide/Double Jump to remain mobile and to quickly get out of the Swarm Princes' powerful charged-up melee attacks. You must also use your mobility to lure the Thralls away from the rifle-wielding Acolytes to avoid soaking up too much damage. After killing the minions, the Swarm Prince will appear.



Remember to engage the Swarm Princes only when your shields are high or better yet, full; facing them with anything less may risk you getting one-hit-KO'ed by their attacks. Be careful when you see a red aura emanating from them; a powerful slash will follow after that so be prepared to jump back. The Princes will only use their swords to attack so use your movement and speed advantage to evade their attacks. They don't have shields either so you can slowly chip away their health using hit-and-run tactics.

After defeating the first Swarm prince, the second one will appear immediately with a fresh wave of reinforcements. Fall back a bit and recharge your shields before engaging the annoying Acolytes first. Once the second Swarm Prince gets defeated, the last one will appear immediately as well. Like before, fall back, recharge your shields, take out the minions, then engage the last Prince.



After defeating the three Swarm Princes, return to the tower and deliver the Blade Shards to your mentor to get a reward.