The Shadow Thief (Year 3)

The Shadow Thief is a strike in Destiny: Rise of Iron. It takes place in Ocean of Storms, Moon and is the first mission in the quest Variations on a Theme. It is a remixed version of The Shadow Thief from Destiny.

It can be played in strike playlists or by selecting the Light 320 difficulty of The Shadow Thief in the Director.

Objectives

 * Fight to Taniks' Ketch
 * Hunt Taniks Perfected
 * Destroy the Walker
 * Destroy Taniks Perfected

Transcript
{Loading Screen}


 * COMMANDER ZAVALA: Variks has brought unsettling news: The Devil Splicers have used SIVA to resurrect an old foe. Taniks, the Scarred has become Taniks Perfected.
 * IKORA REY: Taniks' crew has joined the Splicers. They're using SIVA to reanimate his body and overtake his territory. Lord Saladin says you were indispensable in Old Russia, Guardian. We thought you should be the one to handle this.

{Gameplay}

If Hive are present in the area:


 * ZAVALA: Scouts report that the Splicers are capturing local Hive for experimentation. End this before we have another SIVA outbreak on our hands.

If only Fallen are present in the area:


 * IKORA: Sepiks, the Iron Lords, and now Taniks. There's no limit to what the Splicers will exhume to throw against us.
 * ZAVALA: They won't stop with Taniks, Guardian. Put him to rest and purge all traces of SIVA.

The fireteam heads through the Temple of Crota to the Dusk Warren, encountering enemies along the way.


 * ZAVALA: Looks like Taniks' ship is intact. Get on the lift.

''If Hive are present, Taniks is in the room fighting them. If Fallen are present, Taniks appears after eliminating all Fallen in the area. After being wounded, Taniks retreats into his ship, taunting the Guardians in Fallen dialect.''


 * ZAVALA: He talks!? How is that possible?
 * IKORA: Maybe Taniks was more machine than we thought. He's not alive. Perhaps he never was.

''The fireteam follows Taniks into his Ketch. As they do, static interference grows on the comm channels.''


 * IKORA: Taniks' jamming field is still active, Guardian. We will await your Light on the other side.

''Taniks appears in the area and engages the fireteam. After being further wounded, he again retreats. The fireteam pursues him into the next room, where they encounter a Perfected Walker. After defeating the Perfected Walker, they continue on. Taniks ambushes them in the next hallway. The fireteam weakens him further, and he retreats. The fireteam pursues him to the final room. Periodically, Taniks is made invulnerable by SIVA, and the fireteam destroys nearby SIVA nodes to make him vulnerable again. Eventually, the fireteam kills Taniks.''


 * IKORA: You prevented SIVA from restarting Taniks' mercenary operation. The nanites continue to evolve their function.
 * ZAVALA: The Guardian will have plenty of opportunities to study SIVA. The Devils are far from defeated.

{Mission Ends}

The Temple of Crota

 * Ignore the Shriekers and head inside as soon as the strike starts; fighting them or dilly-dallying will usually result in an embarrassingly early death.
 * A large group of Cursed Thrall typically surround the high-powered Knights and Wizards. A precise shot can eliminate the entire unit instantly.
 * If SIVA turrets guard the entrance to the Dusk Warren, destroy them first--attempting to skip past them can get a player killed.

The Traitor's Ketch

 * It is recommended that Guardians split up here; Taniks will have trouble defending himself from three different angles.

The Hangar/The Walker

 * Ironically, the safest place a Guardian can be is where they came in—the front left corner, near the light blue hallway and the previously entered door. Enemies attacking from the left rear will be easily bottlenecked for quick eradication, the Captains in the center area cannot see you nor attack from that angle, and the holographic screens help block fire from the Walker itself.

Taniks Perfected

 * Taniks' Cannon changes elements randomly; this can be especially dangerous if an elemental burn is applied. Keep your distance.
 * Once the SIVA spores are all wiped out, Taniks will teleport to a random location to try and avoid further damage. Good communication is needed to relay his real-time location and minimize the time needed to destroy him.

Trivia

 * The legendary auto rifle Does Not Bow and the Hunter class Item Cloak of Taniks can be earned exclusively in this strike. As a Fallen-themed Strike, the heavy machine gun Baron's Ambition is also a possible reward.