The Corrupted Puppeteer is the final boss in the Vesper’s Host dungeon, a formidable challenge in Destiny 2. This encounter tests your skills and teamwork, incorporating elements from previous stages and introducing new mechanics. With a well-coordinated strategy, you can take down the Puppeteer and complete this challenging dungeon. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you succeed.
1. Preparation and Setup
Before the battle, ensure your fireteam has suitable loadouts. Crowd control is essential due to the number of enemies you’ll encounter, so consider using subclasses that offer area-of-effect abilities. For example, Warlocks with Solar Ignition or Hunters using Strand can help manage waves of enemies effectively. High burst damage is also crucial for quickly eliminating priority targets and reducing the Puppeteer’s health during damage phases.
2. Understanding the Fight Phases
The battle with the Corrupted Puppeteer is divided into three repeating phases: Entrance, Shield, and Damage phases. You need to complete each phase successfully to reach the boss’s damage phase, making it a marathon rather than a sprint.
Entrance Phase
Start by collecting the Suppressor augment from a Viral Carrier enemy. This augment allows you to activate a decoy bomb that helps take down smaller enemy clones called “puppets.” These puppets increase your “Radiation” stacks when you get close to them, which can kill you if it reaches x10, so be careful.
After clearing enough puppets, another Viral Carrier will spawn, this time holding the Scanner augment. Use the Scanner to identify which numbered blue monitor remains marked on your minimap, then remember this number for the next step.
Once you have the Scanner, kill more puppets until you obtain the Operator augment. This allows you to shoot the four red panels corresponding to the previously identified blue number. Successfully completing this step causes the Corrupted Puppeteer to retreat to the dungeon’s lower levels, leading to the next phase.
Shield Phase
In this phase, the goal is to bring down the boss’s protective shield using nuclear cores. Start by obtaining the Operator augment from a newly spawned Viral Carrier in the central blue or orange room, depending on which room has flashing red lights above.
Head to the designated area and shoot four red panels to activate the “Sector Purge Countdown.” This spawns additional puppets and enemies around the room. Here, you must stay coordinated; one player grabs the nuclear core while the others clear the path. The core needs to be deposited into one of the containment units to damage the Puppeteer’s shield. Repeat this process several times until the shield drops.
3. Damage Phase
Once the Puppeteer’s shield is down, the damage phase begins. You’ll need to apply as much damage as possible within a limited time. The boss’s puppets will continue to spawn during this phase, posing a threat by inflicting Radiation stacks if not dealt with. Make use of your heavy weapons and high-damage abilities here. Coordinating Super abilities across the team can significantly reduce the boss’s health. After the damage phase ends, the boss reactivates its shield, and the fight cycles back to the Entrance phase.
4. Tips for Success
- Manage Radiation Stacks: Avoid lingering near puppets too long to prevent Radiation buildup. If your stacks get too high, move away from the puppets to let the debuff subside.
- Utilize Augments Efficiently: Each augment has a role; make sure the players assigned to them know what to do. The Suppressor focuses on disabling puppets, the Scanner on identifying panels, and the Operator on activating them.
- Clear Ads Quickly: Enemy mobs can overwhelm you if left unchecked. Designate players to focus on crowd control while others handle augments or deal damage to the boss.
- Communication is Key: The encounter’s mechanics are intricate, requiring clear communication about augment status, enemy spawns, and which panels to shoot.
Recommended Loadouts
- Weapons: Linear Fusion Rifles or Rocket Launchers for burst damage, Auto Rifles or Submachine Guns for ad clear.
- Subclasses: Solar Warlock for Ignition, Strand Hunter for crowd control, and Arc Titan for melee effectiveness.
- Armor Mods: Use mods that reduce ability cooldowns or increase resilience to help manage Radiation stacks.
Defeating the Corrupted Puppeteer in Destiny 2’s Vesper’s Host dungeon requires a well-coordinated team that understands the mechanics of each phase. With persistence and strategy, you can overcome this challenging encounter and earn powerful rewards.
