The Shadow Thief

"Taniks has no House. He kneels before no banner, owes allegiance to no Kell. He is a murderer, and very good at what he does. I have been tracking him since Wolves broke their chains, yes? Now Taniks works for Wolf pack ...but not for long."

- Variks, The Loyal

The Shadow Thief is a Level 20 Strike added by House of Wolves that takes place in the Ocean of Storms. Variks has tasked Guardians with stopping the infamous Fallen mercenary, Taniks, the Scarred, before he can loot the Hellmouth and share its secrets with the House of Wolves.

Objectives

 * Fight to the Wolves' Ketch
 * Hunt Taniks, the Scarred
 * Destroy the Walker
 * Kill Taniks, the Scarred

Transcript
All dialogue is spoken through the Ghost's comms.

{Loading Screen}


 * VARIKS THE LOYAL: (growls) Taniks has no House. He kneels before no banner, owes allegiance to no Kell. He is a murderer, and very good at what he does. I have been tracking him since Wolves broke their chains, yes? Now Taniks works for Wolf Pack...but not for long.

{Gameplay}

''The trio of Guardians arrive at the Temple of Crota. Two Shriekers guard the entrance.''


 * VARIKS: Taniks has been sent to plunder the Hive. Your job, just as simple: Avenge the dead. Stop him from stealing the Dark.

The Guardians continue onward inside the Temple, killing Hive along the way.


 * VARIKS: Taniks sees you not as an enemy—you are a trophy to collect.

or


 * VARIKS: Watch yourself. Taniks is no common mercenary. He fights to fulfill a contract and hone his combat skill for... fun.

or


 * VARIKS: Be cautious as you confront him. He will to try trick you. Fight. Win.

or


 * VARIKS: I remember Taniks from the Reef Wars. Many Awoken dead. Clever, clever creature.

''The Guardians make their way to the bottom of the Temple, where an enormous battle rages all around the Hive Seeder. Fallen Captains, Dregs and Stealth Vandals clash against Hive Wizards, Thrall and Ogres. The Guardians either ignore the fight and continue down the darkened halls of the chamber, or eliminate the enemy. They eventually come across a small room with a blue-tinted gravity lift.''


 * VARIKS: Lift field distortion! Ketch just above you.

''Several Dregs armed with Shrapnel Launchers come down from the lift and engage the Guardians. Several Vandals and Stealth Vandals also arrive, and the Guardians kill them all. Soon, Taniks himself appears, armed with a Scorch Cannon. The Guardians fight the mercenary until he retreats back into his ship. He utters a taunt in the Fallen language.''


 * VARIKS: Taniks has called you out, Guardian. You are challenged in the ways of old.

''The three Guardians enter the lift, taking them inside the Traitor's Ketch. Taniks' laughing roar echoes around the walls of the ship.''


 * VARIKS: Taniks is jamming our comms. Fight well, Guardian. Fight for honor. (voice fades)

''The Guardians reach a large room with several doors. Dozens of Fallen enter from all sides, and with a loud and angry roar, Taniks once again challenges the Guardians where they stand. Splitting their duties, the trio manage to ward off the enemies and simultaneously deal damage against Taniks. He eventually is injured and teleports from the room. A door on the far side of the room opens, and the Guardians continue into what appears to be a hangar.''

''Several Vandals await, and the Guardians eliminate most of them. Taniks laughs over the speaker system of the Ketch, and suddenly a Wolf Walker drops in from the ceiling. Again, dozens of Fallen Vandals, Stealth Vandals, Captains and Exploder Shanks pour in from several entrances and fire upon the Guardians. With tremendous effort, they destroy the Walker and wipe out the enemies harassing the Fireteam. Another door opens, and a few Dregs and Shanks approach. The Guardians kill them easily and continue. As they walk down the hallway, Taniks teleports scant feet away from them, taking the team by surprise. In the narrow hallway, his Scorch Cannon becomes much more difficult to avoid. The Guardians beat him back to a large room, where the final battle begins. Taniks issues orders and taunts in Fallen dialect as the Guardians surround him. He is eventually killed, as Dregs and Vandals rush forward and attack the Guardians.''


 * VARIKS: Notorious mercenary dead. No small matter. You will be rewarded treasure from the Queen. And my respect, as well.

{Mission Ends}

Fallen

 * Dreg
 * Vandal
 * Stealth Vandal
 * Captain
 * Shank
 * Exploder Shank
 * Repeater Shank

Hive

 * Thrall
 * Cursed Thrall
 * Acolyte
 * Knight
 * Wizard
 * Ogre
 * Shrieker

Temple of Crota
Players appear outside the Temple of Crota. There's a pair of Shriekers outside, but these can be ignored if the team runs straight past them. Inside, a small group of Hive await inside. The real fight begins further in the temple near the Seeder Ship, where Hive and Fallen are fighting each other. There are also one or two Ogres nearby. Once again, if the players feel confident, they can run right past the enemies to enter the Dusk Warren.

Dusk Warren
Fallen will start deploying from the gravity lift in the center of the room. Among the waves of enemies are Stealth Vandals, Shrapnel Launcher Dregs, Sniper Vandals, and Captains. Once all enemies have been defeated, Taniks will appear and start firing on Guardians. He is armed with a Scorch Cannon and will do a power smash attack if Guardians get too close. Once Guardians have chipped away about a quarter of his health, Taniks will retreat. Follow him up the gravity lift.

Traitor's Ketch
Inside, Taniks will appear again, supported by more waves of Fallen. And once again, he will retreat if the players take away enough of his health. Focus on attacking him once any nearby enemies have been dealt with; Stealth Vandals, Dregs, and Captains will attempt to rush you periodically. Once the room is clear, head into the next room.

Mini-Boss: Fallen Walker The next room will pit the fireteam against a Fallen Walker. The Walker itself is pretty standard, but the main issue is that the room is fairly small and cover is limited. Be careful not to stand too close to cover as splash damage can still kill you. On top of that, every so often waves of Stealth Vandals, Captains, and Exploder Shanks appear. There are also a group of sniper Vandals in the back of the room. Enemies may try to flank you from the corridor to the left, so make sure it is well guarded.

Once the Walker is defeated, head inside the final set of corridors. Taniks will appear once more; as the hallways are far more cramped, it is easy for Taniks to hit you, so keep your distance and force him back. Small groups of Dregs, Vandals, and Repeater Shanks will also appear. Damage Taniks to force him into the final room.

Boss: Taniks, the Scarred The final room is fairly open but also empty; Taniks will appear on top of the platform in the center. If you force him off of the platform he will start appearing in one of the corners of the room. It will also trigger the room to start filling with enemies of all types through every doorway. As such, be sure to thin enemy resistance before engaging Taniks, as enemy fire can come from any angle in this room. Taking the center platform is not desirable as it offers zero cover, so stay near the edges, and regroup in different parts of the room if one area starts to be too hostile.

When Taniks is killed, he will drop his Scorch Cannon. This can only be used on the Dregs that start appearing at the end of the fight.