It appears that Nessus is now home to cryptic Destiny 2 secrets during the Echoes Episode. Here is how to solve the Decorder Protocol puzzle in Nessus and how to access and complete the Enigma Protocol mission in Destiny 2.
How to use Decoder Protocol and Prismatic circles in Destiny 2
Before we begin our journey, be sure to complete The Final Shape campaign before venturing forward! Also, know that all of the Decoder Protocols on Nessus give vague hints toward the same place. Regardless of the Prismatic-looking circle you decode, you’ll get the same instructions which is to head to the Well of Echoes.
To start this somewhat cryptic adventure, travel to Nessus and fast travel to The Cistern landing zone. Just a couple of steps north of it you will find a Prismatic circle on the edge of the terrain.
Weird, right? Well. If you look across the chasm you will find a Vex Conflux in the horizon. Head there and interact with it to receive a Decoder Protocol which will disappear after a minute.
Return to the original circle and you will intercept a Vex message that reads as follows:
//BROADCAST INTERCEPTED… Acesss the grid… where canopy touches sky… atop the Tangled growth.
This gives you a clue about the next area you will need to visit: The Tangle, which is north of your location. But before you venture forward, receive the Decoder Protocol once again and travel to The Tangle. You will find another Prismatic circle and once again you will intercept a Vex message:
//BROADCAST INTERCEPTED… Enter the grid… in a descent to a gateway… the echoing Well finds purchase in the Network.
So, the Vex aren’t at all subtle regarding their messages. Our next stop is the Well of Echoes, west of your current location. Enter the Well and go down and through the portal.
How to defeat Argus, Firewall Guardian: All Vex cube locations
You will now arrive at a boss fight room of sorts. You will have to defeat Argus, Firewall Guardian, who is pretty much the only one guarding the access point to the Vex network here in Nessus. You will notice almost immediately that he is invulnerable to all incoming attacks thanks to his shield. Shoot the Vex Cube to start the fight.
There are three different Vex Cubes around the arena that you can shoot at. Two of them are on the second floor at both sides of the arena and one is on the left side at the ground level.
How to start Enigma Protocol in Destiny 2
Once you defeat Argus, you will receive a message that says “A faint Vex signal activities nearby…” signifying that you are ready to proceed forward to the Enigma Protocol activity. Face the entrance of the arena and you will see an opening that will lead you further down.
Jump down and you will reach the Enigma Protocol banner, a 2005 power-level mission that will have you access the Vex Network to discover secrets for the Golden Age data.
How to complete Enigma Protocol in Destiny 2
Once you enter the Enigma Protocol mission, walk through the Vex portal and you will access the Vex network. You will immediately see a timer on top of your screen that says Security Reboot. If the timer drops to zero, you will die alongside any fireteam members.
Your objective is to find a Connection Portal before the Security Reboot timer kills you, and you will do this by destroying Vex Security modules that are yellow. Destroying the first one will start the timer and each of them will grant you a +30 second bonus.
This is basically a race against time, so don’t waste time defeating every single enemy that shoots at you. After destroying the first module, move forward toward the Grenade circle and shoot another module to the right. Behind the three Vex in the next platform, look to your left and you will see another module. You must destroy them, otherwise, the subsequent areas will become difficult and time-constrained.
Continue forward through the various Vex structures by doing some platforming and be sure to destroy the red Vex Cube if you don’t want any trouble moving. Further down this section, you will find the Connection Portal you need. Destroy any Vex that may be coming your way and you will enter a whole new area where you will need to charge Radiolite Circuits in Vex charging pools.
Charge Radiolite Circuits
The Radiolite Circuit will be right in front of you on top of a charging pool. To change it, stand in the pool while holding the Radiolite Circuit. You will see a Radiolite Circuit charge bar below the Security Reboot timer.
Continue standing on top of the pools to charge it and defend yourself when necessary. You will probably benefit from playing this mission with friends: some of you can defeat the Vex while one charges the circuit.
Once you fully charge it, insert it in the indicated port, and you will clear this area. Jump toward the sphere marked on your screen and it will launch you to another platforming section where you will need to find a new Connection Portal. Look to your left and you will see another module you can shoot at to gain more time – you can find more along the way or shoot them at a distance.
Climb and move across the several Vex structures, this area is pretty much linear with a lot of jumping and sphere launching. Go through a portal and continue forward to find the Connection Portal which will lead you to an encounter with Choral Denial Agents.
Destroy Choral Denial Agents
These agents are floating in the background while you fight with some Vex. These will drop Unstable Power Units that you will need to pick up and through at the Choral Denial Agents to destroy them.
There are nine different agents in the room, so keep destroying the Vex and shooting the units as soon as they drop. An Archival Timekeeper will spawn, so make sure to defeat it to gain +30 seconds and go through the opened portal.
Once again, find another Connection Portal while platforming and destroying modules to gain time until you see a Vex crystal. Shooting it will deploy a Vex race track you can drive on top of. There are speed boosts in it but also some obstacles like walls, so don’t go too crazy with your need for speed. Reach the end of the race track and you will be teleported to the Archival Grid 1. Here you will be able to claim rewards and then delve deeper into the Vex Network – no worries, your timer stops in this area.
Delve deeper into the Vex network by using the Vex portal. You guessed it, time to do some platforming while destroying modules and looking for another Connection Portal. Think of these areas as your prep work for fight encounters since you won’t get many time bonuses in them. Just make sure to look around and in between spaces to shoot those modules down and, in this section, avoid the red lasers.
Collect Encrypted Golden Age data
You will arrive at Experimental Grid-3 where you will need to collect Encrypted Golden Age data. Shoot at the pink prismatic Vex objects in the room and they will drop them. Of course, things are easier said than done given the Vex concentration in the area, so watch your back.
Once you collect the full 20, walk through the portal to abandon this room, but be sure to defeat the Timekeeper to get more seconds on the clock.
You will now fall into a new Vex network area where you do need to find another Connection Portal, but this time you will need to time your double jumps to progress through the platforms, which can be particularly hard due to your class jumping abilities.
Eventually, you will get to a platform with three red openings. Go through the left one and go down to the portal. Just be sure to destroy the red Vex cube on the way.
Defeat Ainigmatos, the Indecipherable Proto-Mind
You will arrive at Experimental Grid-4 where you will need to locate and defeat Ainigmatos, the Indecipherable Proto-Mind. Man, these Vex know how to name their big fellas. Anyway, you will find Ainigmatos in the center platform.
Shoot at him with everything you’ve got — even with some of your newly obtained Echoes weapons — and his health will drop fast. He will, however, teleport from one point to the next which can be disorienting with his laser being extra deadly, so avoid it at all costs. The lesser Vex will also become an annoyance with their firing so don’t ignore them.
There are some Timekeepers that will occasionally appear in the area so shoot at them if you are beginning to run out of time. Keep shooting at him and you will eventually defeat him. This isn’t the end, though, so go through the portal to continue.
You will arrive at another race track section of the Vex network. Again, be wise with your speed boosts and follow the track to the next portal and only then the mission will end. Hooray!
If you complete this mission in under 18 minutes you will get the Enigma Protocol Best Time challenge, earning you a hefty amount of XP. This mission is just one of the many secrets that the new Echoes episode has brought forward for Guardians to discover. Be sure to check out how to start the Dual Destiny Exotic Class Item mission to start crafting the perfect build.
Published: Jun 11, 2024 05:55 pm