How to defeat Atraks-1 in Destiny 2 Pantheon

Atraks-1 is a brutal boss from the Deep Stone Crypt Raid. This opponent forces you to split up and rely on your teammates. If you’re overwhelmed, here’s how to defeat Atraks-1 in Destiny 2 Pantheon.

Best weapons to bring to the Atraks-1 encounter

The DPS phases in this encounter are pretty short, so I recommend you bring a heavy weapon capable of quickly dealing a lot of damage. Rocket Launchers like the Gjallarhorn, Dragon’s Breath, or Apex Predator are decent options. The Lament Sword, in particular, is a favorite for the Raid version of the encounter and is just as effective in Pantheon.

Atraks-1 encounter: Complete Guide

First, familiarize yourself with the arena. There are four elevators at the back of the room that will take you to the Space Level above. You’ll find several airlocks on the Space Level’s sides, which will be important later on. An Augment Terminal can be found on both floors and is used to send Buffs from one floor to the other.  

There are four bosses on each level that relentlessly shoot you and are immune to damage. The goal of the encounter is to defeat these enemies, grab the orbs they drop, and blow them into space.

It is best to split into two teams of three and have one group go to the Space Level while the other group stays on the ground. 

Obtain the Operator Buff

The team that stays on the ground level must keep killing mobs until three Sentinel Servitors appear. Once those are defeated, an Operator Vandal will spawn with an icon above its head. When you defeat the Vandal, you can take this icon to get the Operator buff.  

When playing with other Guardians, it’s best to simply refer to that player as the Operator for clarity’s sake.

The Operator is special because they are the only ones who can send elevators up or down and open airlocks. You can do this by shooting panels near any door you want to open.

Whoever takes the buff should take an elevator to the Space Level and shoot the panels on the elevators to send them back down.

Obtain the Scanner Buff

The team on the Space Level will face a similar situation to those at ground level. Defeat mobs until the three Sentinel Servitors appear, then defeat the Scanner Vandal. Like the Operator Buff, another player must pick up the Scanner Buff, as they have an essential role. When the Servitors on the Space level are defeated, you’ll see a notice that reads “Extinction Protocol.”  

Attack the correct target

The player with the Scanner Buff will see one boss highlighted in yellow on the Space Floor and must notify the team to attack that target. The team will wipe if you defeat the wrong boss or take too long. This is where that burst damage I mentioned earlier will come in handy, so make sure you throw everything at the target.

Once the boss is defeated, the player with the Scanner buff should head down to Ground level as they will need to identify the correct target here as well.

Blow the bombs out of an airlock

When you defeat a boss, you’ll notice they leave a glowing orb on the ground. This orb has a time limit, and you must get rid of it before it runs out. Whenever you pick up the orb, it will hover above your head. The player with the Operator Buff can shoot the orb off, which resets the 40-second timer.

Your Operator plays a pivotal role in this part of the encounter. A player must pick up the orb and take it to one of the airlocks around the edges of the Space level. The Operator can shoot the panel to open the airlock, then the player with the orb needs to run inside. Your Operator can shoot the orb off of the player’s head while they are in the airlock.

Once you’ve done that, the doors will close, and you jettison the bomb into space. If you screw up this part of the encounter, it’s an instant wipe.

While this is happening at the Space Level, the players on the ground floor will identify another boss, destroy it, and gather another orb. The orb must be taken upstairs and removed by the Operator using the same method. Remember, you can shoot the orb to reset the timer and take the pressure off the orb runner.

Use the Augment Terminal

You can use the Augment Terminal in the middle of the room to remove the Operator or Scanner buff from a player and send it to the other floor. The Terminal is arguably optional as it requires a lot of coordination, but it’s good to know it exists and can be used if a player is accidentally caught out of position.

The rest of the encounter plays like a loop of the phases I’ve described. Your first damage phase will be on the Space level, then ground level and the steps will repeat. Communication is essential, but you’ll be fine if you always know where your Operator and Scanner players are. Once every orb has been kicked into space, you’re ready for the final part of the encounter.

The Final Stand

Every player needs to be in Space for the final part of the encounter. This time, eight bosses will appear on the floor, and your Scanner must quickly identify the correct target. Once they have, hit the target with your most powerful weapons and abilities.  The boss will drop an orb as usual, and this must be picked up, or your team will wipe.

Your Scanner will be able to see another highlighted target and direct your team to it. Repeat the process until you’ve beaten the encounter.

The Lament is incredible if you have it, but there are plenty of other top-tier Exotics you can use in end-game content.