Destiny The Taken King Enemies Guide

Destiny: The Taken King has released to much fanfare from press and gaming public alike. We’re putting some serious time and though into the full review, but you can read our initial impressions of the expansion and its vast content offering. Meanwhile, guardians are out there fighting the new threat that Oryx has brought in his wake: The Taken. These enemies are twisted versions of enemies that we already know, taken from our realm (hence the name), and then spit back with new dimensional looks, abilities, and a renewed drive to extinguish the light.

These unique new enemies will require guardians to adjust their battle strategies, and we’ve put together a guide highlighting each of the new Taken enemies that you will encounter, their new abilities, and some suggested strategies for dealing with them. Use this information wisely guardians, and you may just be able to stop the Taken from destroying the last hope that the light has left.

Do you have any additional tips, hints, or strategies for taking on the Taken that we didn’t mention here? Do you like the new enemies that Bungie has created? Feel free to discuss how you keep the light alive in the comments below.

Destiny The Taken King Enemy Guide

Taking on the Taken: Destiny The Taken King Enemy Guide

Ripped from our dimension, twisted into malformed beings, and spit back into existence Destiny: The Taken King gives us familiar, yet wholly new enemies to fight in the Taken. Don't worry, we've got some tips, hints and strategies to effectively get you through these new enemies and the abilities they've acquired, which I have named myself.
Taken Psion

New Ability: Copy/Split

Ah, the Psion. Smallest of the Cabal forces, but in no way less lethal. The Taken versions have the ability to split into two, copying themselves. Don't let even one of these guys get away from you or you might have a small army to deal with when you come around that corner.
Taken Psion Continued

The copy will have full health, regardless of the health of the original, so if you don't focus your attention on killing the Psions, your battlefield is going to get out of hand pretty quickly. If you put even one bullet into a Taken Psion, you'd better plan on taking them out.
Taken Phalanx

New Ability: Shield Blast

The Taken Phalanx spends much less time behind his shield than the Cabal equivalent, but when he does duck behind his shield, watch out! He's prepping a blast that will propel your guardian backwards. I've seen my fair share of deaths because a Taken Phalanx has knocked me off an edge with this blast, so make sure to have your back against a wall to keep from being shot to a part of the level you'd rather not be (most notably some chasm of death).
Taken Knight

New Abilities: Flames and Teleporting Dodge

As if Knights weren't tough enough, now you've got to deal with the fact that the Taken Knights can teleport short distances to get out of your line of fire. It's plenty annoying, but while your scoped an searching for them, you may find yourself taking damage over time from the fire that they can throw at you. Be aware that they will move around the battlefield and keep on the move yourself to avoid getting burned.
Taken Vandal

New Ability: Shield Bubble

Taken Vandals must have been a Defender Titan in another life, because they can now put up shield bubbles, requiring you to get close to do any damage. Either eliminate the Taken Vandal before the shield can go up, or prepare to rush in and get punchy.
Taken Vandal Shield

You've dealt with them in the Crucible against other Titans. Apply those same strategies here. Yup, that pretty much looks like a straight ripoff of a Defender Titan. Wonder what Zavala would have to say about that.
Taken Thrall

New Ability: Teleport Dodge

Thralls were never a threat alone, but in great numbers, they could easily get overwhelming. Taken Thralls up their game by dodging rapidly side to side as they run at you, making them harder to hit, and thus making it much easier to get overrun. Shotguns can work wonders once they get in close, or use the spray-n-pray method of firing in every which way with an auto rifle. If you've got an AOE (area of effect) super, like the Titan's smash or Stormcaller Warlock, now's the time to use it.
Taken Acolyte

New Ability: Acolyte's Eye (Turret)

Taken Acolytes have the ability to set up a ball of Taken energy called an Acolyte's Eye that will sit and shoot at you, effectively leaving a turret. Focus on the Taken Acolytes first. Once they are destroyed, eliminate any Acolyte Eyes that may still be around.
Acolyte's Eye

If you spend too much time removing the threat of the Acolyte's Eye, you will find that the Taken Acolytes continue to put up new ones. Destroy this problem at the source before it gets out of hand.
Taken Captain

New Ability: Darkness Blast

One of the most frustrating Taken enemies to fight, especially in large numbers, the Taken Captains will shoot a large blast of darkness that will blind you if it touches you. Keep your distance so that you can react and avoid the blast. Taken Captains also have solar shields instead of arc.
Taken Captain Darkness Blast

That big bluish black thing on the right side of the screen is the Taken Captain's darkness blast ball. Don't get caught in it or...
Taken Captain Darkness

...your screen will go dark as you are blinded. This is especially lethal in fights with large groups of enemies, or areas with pitfalls that could kill you. It only lasts a few seconds, but those few seconds could be the difference between life and "guardian down!"
Taken Wizard

New Ability: Shadow Thrall

Taken Wizards summon Shadow Thralls to pester you. Once you're distracted with their cannon fodder, they will hit you with a number of quick blasts that do plenty of damage at higher levels. They also now have void shields instead of the standard Wizard's solar.
Shadow Thrall

These enemies are little more than cannon fodder summoned by Taken Wizards, but the distraction can be enough to get you killed if you aren't paying attention. If you see a Shadow Thrall, you can bet there's a Taken Wizard nearby.
Taken Centurion

New Ability: Slow Tracking Blast

Taken Centurions will summon a ball of blue energy that will slowly track towards the player. Don't ignore it, as being hit by it can take a significant chunk of your health away. The best way to deal with it...
Centurion Tracking Ball

...is to shoot it. You can destroy their blasts if you shoot them before they hit you. Make sure to destroy these before turning your aim on the Taken Centurion, because a tracking blast is a nice way for them to get a postmortem kill on you.

There's supposed to be a tracking ball in this screenshot, but it's behind the barrel of my gun.
Taken Hobgoblin

New Ability: Defensive Projectiles

Remember when you would shoot Hobgoblins and they shield themselves briefly for a few seconds before you can resume shooting them? Taken Hobgoblins use the mantra "offense is the best defense." Shoot one of these guys while they have the three purple balls floating around them, and you'll find three purple projectiles flying straight at you.
Taken Hobgoblin Projectiles

Taken Hobgoblins can be killed before they summon their defensive projectiles, but if you are unable to get them quickly enough, make sure to keep on the move. While the projectiles do have subtle tracking, constant movement should be enough to let them fly harmlessly by.
Taken Minotaur

New Ability: Cloaking

Taken Minotaurs can cloak. You know every death you've had because a Stealth Vandal has been sneaky enough to invade your personal space? Now Taken Minotaurs can pull the same tricks.
Taken Minotaur Cloaking

Once you get an eye on a Taken Minotaur, you should plan on killing it before looking away so that you don't lose it again. Minotaurs have been the end of many guardians, and with the ability to go invisible, it makes them that much more lethal.
Taken Minotaur Group

And here we see the Taken Minotaur herd in their natural habitat. You don't see them? Well, I assure you, there are three or four in this screenshot. Once you find them, don't take your eye off the ball until they are dead.
Taken Goblin

New Ability: Shield Buff Other Enemies

Taken Goblins will cast a protective shield around other enemies, making them immune to damage. If you see any Taken Goblins in the group, get rid of them first, or you'll start seeing "immune" pop up instead of damage numbers. These guys tend to show up in some of the tougher boss battles, and they can even shield each other. It does have a limited range, so use the divide and conquer method to eliminate any groups with Taken Goblins involved.