Devious Thievery Challenge: A Deep Dive into King’s Fall’s Sneakiest Trial
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The Devious Thievery challenge in Destiny 2’s King’s Fall raid centers around the Brand Claimer mechanic during the Warpriest encounter. Specifically, the challenge dictates that whenever a fireteam member picks up the Brand Claimer orb, they must immediately steal the Aura of the Initiate within a tight five-second window. The timing of the Blightguard’s demise is irrelevant; it’s the moment the orb is collected that triggers the challenge. Failing to steal the aura within those crucial five seconds will result in a challenge failure and the inability to earn the bonus rewards. It’s a test of both coordination and speed, pushing fireteams to execute the mechanics flawlessly while adding an extra layer of pressure to the encounter.
Understanding the Warpriest Encounter
Before diving deeper into the Devious Thievery challenge, it’s beneficial to understand the core mechanics of the Warpriest encounter. The Warpriest fight revolves around alternating phases: damage phases where players can inflict significant harm on the boss and buff-building phases. The key to this is the Aura of the Initiate, a buff that allows players to damage the Warpriest. This aura is initially held by the Warpriest and is transferred via a mechanic involving a specific sequence of plates. Players must stand on these plates to acquire the buff and deal damage. When the aura expires, the Warpriest will wipe the team unless they quickly regain the buff.
The Brand Claimer is the other crucial element. It’s an orb dropped by a special Hive knight, the Blightguard, which appears during the encounter. This orb must be picked up to gain the ability to steal the aura from the Warpriest. However, under normal circumstances, this orb can be picked up at a more relaxed pace. The Devious Thievery challenge dramatically alters this, introducing a strict timer and forcing a very specific execution.
The Mechanics of Devious Thievery
The Devious Thievery challenge modifies this process. It doesn’t just encourage faster pickup of the Brand Claimer, it demands it. The moment a player picks up the Brand Claimer orb, a five-second timer begins. In this timeframe, that player must immediately steal the Aura of the Initiate from another player who has the buff. This requires precise timing, communication, and knowledge of where teammates are and who holds the aura. It’s not enough to simply grab the orb; that’s only the start. Successfully stealing the aura within five seconds ensures that the challenge requirement is fulfilled and the team progresses towards victory, with the challenge rewards intact.
Tips for Success
Successfully conquering the Devious Thievery challenge requires a well-coordinated team and a clear strategy. Here are a few tips to help you through:
- Clear Communication: Designate who will be picking up the Brand Claimer ahead of time. This prevents multiple people from trying to grab it. Clearly announce when the orb is picked up, and ensure the person with the aura is ready to be stolen from. This is crucial to ensuring the aura is stolen in the required five seconds.
- Pre-Planning: Plan your rotation. Understand who will be picking up the brand, and where the aura will be. Coordinate that person’s position with the person holding the aura. Have a backup in case the person with the brand dies.
- Practice: If possible, practice the Warpriest encounter several times without the challenge active to improve your team’s speed and coordination. This will pay dividends when the timer is ticking during the challenge.
- Efficient Add Clear: Prioritize eliminating adds, particularly the Blightguard, quickly. This speeds up the flow of the encounter and reduces unnecessary distractions.
- Strategic Positioning: Pay attention to your positioning relative to your teammates. Those picking up the brand and those holding the aura should be strategically positioned for quick transfers.
- Optimal Loadouts: Equip weapons and armor that will help increase damage output, allowing you to get through damage phases quickly. You will need to be able to quickly eliminate the adds and still output high boss damage.
Overcoming Common Pitfalls
Even with good preparation, mistakes can happen. Common pitfalls include:
- Slow Pick-Up: Hesitation in grabbing the Brand Claimer orb. The player should be ready to grab it the second it is available.
- Failed Steal: The player picking up the Brand Claimer is not in a good position to quickly steal the aura.
- Communication Breakdown: A lack of communication can easily result in failed steals. This is the biggest pitfall.
- Overlooking the Timer: Players can become so focused on their role that they ignore the five-second timer.
By paying attention to these common pitfalls, teams can avoid these mistakes and substantially increase their odds of completing the challenge successfully.
Devious Thievery: A Test of Coordination and Speed
The Devious Thievery challenge adds a unique twist to the Warpriest encounter, forcing fireteams to execute the core mechanics with far greater speed and accuracy. It pushes players beyond the normal flow of the encounter, demanding constant vigilance and coordinated action. While the challenge is relatively easy with proper planning and clear communication, any hesitation can result in failure. By understanding the mechanics, communicating effectively, and practicing diligently, teams can successfully complete the Devious Thievery challenge and reap its rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the rewards for completing the Devious Thievery challenge?
Completing the Devious Thievery challenge, like other King’s Fall challenges, awards players with additional loot for the encounter. This often means an extra piece of gear and an additional chance for high-stat armor or sought-after weapons. In addition, challenge completions are required for the Kingslayer title.
2. Does the timing of killing the Blightguard affect the challenge?
No, the challenge is not triggered by the timing of the Blightguard’s death. It’s triggered only when a player picks up the Brand Claimer orb. You can kill the Blightguard whenever it appears; just make sure you’re ready to quickly steal the Aura of the Initiate after picking up the orb.
3. Can the same player pick up the Brand Claimer orb multiple times during the same encounter?
Yes, the same player can pick up the Brand Claimer multiple times, but they must steal the aura within the 5-second window each time they do. There is no restriction on who picks up the orb, only on the subsequent aura steal.
4. What happens if no one picks up the Brand Claimer orb?
If no one picks up the Brand Claimer orb, the encounter will proceed as normal, but the challenge will be failed. You need to interact with the orb to initiate the challenge.
5. Can you complete this challenge on Master difficulty?
Yes, the Devious Thievery challenge can be completed on Master difficulty, as the challenge mechanics do not change between normal and Master difficulties. You will have to overcome additional Champions in Master difficulty, however.
6. Is the Devious Thievery challenge considered easy or hard compared to other King’s Fall challenges?
The Devious Thievery challenge is generally considered one of the easier challenges in King’s Fall. It requires good timing and communication but is not as mechanically complex as some of the other challenges.
7. How can I prepare for the Devious Thievery challenge?
Preparation involves understanding the Warpriest mechanics well, having clear communication, a pre-defined plan of how to do the mechanics, practice, and having optimized loadouts.
8. Is there any strategy to counter the five-second timer?
The best strategy is swift communication, precise movements, and pre-planning. Know who is picking up the orb and who has the aura beforehand. Being proactive is crucial.
9. Does the Devious Thievery challenge work differently with different team sizes?
No, the core mechanics of the Devious Thievery challenge are consistent regardless of team size. The five-second timer and requirements remain the same.
10. Can a Titan shield help with the challenge?
A Titan shield could provide some extra cover or protection when going for the Brand Claimer, or when taking the Aura of the Initiate. This is more of a preventative measure than a direct help to the mechanic, but still useful.
11. What weapons and armor are recommended for this challenge?
Any good weapon that provides high damage output, for adds and the boss will suffice. It’s more important to focus on coordination and communication. Specific armor builds for boss damage are beneficial.
12. Is the Devious Thievery challenge farmable?
Like all raid challenges in Destiny 2, the Devious Thievery challenge is not farmable. It can only be completed once per character per week when it is the active challenge.
13. Is the challenge easier with a full pre-made fireteam?
Yes, it is generally much easier to complete raid challenges, including Devious Thievery, with a full pre-made fireteam. You’ll be able to communicate better, have pre-defined roles, and avoid the issues that come with random team compositions.
14. What happens if you fail the challenge multiple times?
Failing a challenge multiple times will not result in any negative consequences, such as reduced loot, but it will prevent you from acquiring the challenge-specific rewards for that week. You can continue to try the encounter and complete it, but you will not receive additional loot from the challenge.
15. Where can I find videos or guides on the Devious Thievery challenge?
Numerous videos and guides on the Devious Thievery challenge are readily available on platforms like YouTube. Searching terms like “Destiny 2 Devious Thievery challenge” will provide useful walkthroughs and strategies.