So you've loaded into Operation: Archimedes, the first Operation mission of Season of the Seraph, and you're probably wondering how to get past those instakill Seraph towers without losing your mind. I was in your shoes not too long ago, and after a few explosive respawns, I figured out the flow. This mission isn't hard once you know the path, but one wrong step can send you straight to orbit. Let me walk you through each part so you can clear it cleanly and maybe grab that weekly Triumph.
Infiltrate the Power Substation
You spawn on the edge of Twilight Gap, and ahead of you stretch rows of deadly Seraph towers. Your only objective here is to reach the far side without being spotted for more than 15 seconds. The moment a tower locks onto you, a red debuff appears; break line of sight immediately or you're toast. I learned this the hard way by trying to tank it with high Resilience – don't bother.
So what's the best approach? Use movement. A sword with Eager Edge, a sparrow if you're fast (watch those bumps), or simply sprinting and sliding between cover works fine. There are a few Hive stragglers along the route, but why fight when you can zoom right past them? Keep an eye on the tower's laser sight; if it's turning toward you, duck behind a rock or building. Rinse and repeat until you hit the bunker entrance.
Reach the Auxiliary Reactor Controls
Inside the bunker, the Hive presence ramps up, but nothing a halfway decent build can't handle. You'll soon hit a locked door with no obvious switch. Here's where attention pays off: somewhere nearby, a major Hive enemy – often a Knight or Wizard – drops an Arc charge when killed. Grab that charge and deposit it into the glowing pylon next to the door. Do this twice across the mission, so whenever you see a sealed door, start hunting for a yellow-bar enemy. Don't just kill the red bars and wonder why nothing happened; I stood around for five minutes my first run. Embarrassing, I know.
A good tip: bring a weapon with good burst damage for these majors. A fusion rifle or a grenade launcher makes quick work of them so you're not dancing around while Thralls nibble your ankles.
Defeat Sumok, Ravager of Torobatl
Now for the main event. Sumok is a towering Hive Ogre whose beam attack can melt you in seconds if you stand in the open. He also brings a posse of Acolytes and Thralls that love to flank you while you're trying to find cover. Here's my first rule: kill the adds before focusing the boss. Yes, the boss is big and scary, but those red bars will end more runs than Sumok himself.
Whittle Sumok down to 50% health and he'll become completely immune. That's your cue to deal with the Wrathborn Knights that spawn. Each Knight you defeat drops a pool of green energy. Step into it (or shoot the pool if your subclass can't survive close range) to infuse your weapons with Wrathborne energy. Then unload everything into Sumok's shield. Rocket launchers, linear fusion rifles, and regular fusion rifles are top-tier here because they deal chunk damage quickly. I personally saved my Super for this phase – popping a one-and-done Super like Nova Bomb or Thundercrash after picking up the buff deletes half his remaining health.
Once the Ogre falls, activate the terminal that appears, and you're done. The whole operation takes around ten minutes once you know the route. If you're farming for seasonal challenges or just want the story beat, this mission is a great warm-up for the rest of the season.
Quick checklist for success:
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Bring a movement exotic or sword for the tower section.
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Carry a burst-damage special weapon for Arc charge majors.
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Never ignore adds during the boss fight.
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Save heavy ammo and Super for the Wrathborne phase.
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Stay near cover when Sumok starts his beam.
And that's it! Did you get caught by the towers on your first attempt, or were you smarter than me? Either way, now you know exactly what to expect. Good luck out there, Guardian.