Some people will say that there is no perfect Raid technique, maybe they're right, but I'd like explain how my group has been beating the Crota with ease, maybe get some tips and tricks from you guys, and get as close to possible to the perfect technique. The idea of this guide is to remove the confusion from the raid, leaving only the fun, so share around with your friends before your next attempt, and enjoy. Here is a link to my Vault of Glass Guide http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/80390052/0/0/1 This will be a fairly in-depth guide to the raid (hopefully clearing up a lot of the misconceptions and unknown mechanics), that I will update as we find out better techniques, tips, and tricks. It will not include glitches or "Cheese". Edit: I added a video for the Normal Crota kill at the bottom. [b]Hard mode Edit[/b] We used a variation of middle strat for hard mode. Left strat is still best for normal, but hard modes bullet sponge boomers/wizard requires different strat. Until I can fit it on the guide here is a link https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/95726554/0/0 [b]General[/b] Don't Die. Communicate with your teammates Press the jump button more than you usually do. Trust me. This saves lives. Left and Right is always assigned from Players spawns point. Have Heavy Ammo Synth. Seriously. Don't Raid without Heavy Ammo Synth. Use said Heavy Ammo Synth. Use Supers Constantly. [b]The Abyss[/b] The Abyss is a large dark room, with 16 Lanterns leading the way to your goal, a bridge building section. When you enter the "dark" between lanterns, a de-buff "Weight of Darkness" slowly stacks, limiting movement. Standing near a lantern strips away these stacks. Once you reach the Bridge, you must activate the Plate, survive as bridge is built, then run across. The 1st chest randomly spawns in any of the doors throughout the Abyss. Here is a handy map WeepingHoney of Reddit created. http://i.imgur.com/ZnBTBdS.png -Stay together, keep moving and avoid firing while running. -First players to each Lantern call out next direction, then lays covering fire for remaining team mates. -Drop a burn grenade on each Lantern. -When last player to Lantern cleanses to x5, they lead the team to next Lantern, this cycles stragglers. -Call out and focus Knights and Cursed Thrall immediately. -Don't be the guy that fell in the hole -Revive teammates before activating next Lanterns. [i]While the bridge is building[/i] -2 Players on rock beside Lantern to kill Ogres. -Don't stop firing. -Focus Ogre>Knights>Cursed Thralls -Defender bubble OMG defender bubble. [b]The Bridge Section[/b] In this encounter there are 2 Spires and a Bridge building Plate each side of the Bridge you must all cross. You must have 1 player standing on the Bridge Plate to build and maintain the bridge. When on the Bridge Plate the Spires will "enrage" and if left for ~10 seconds, kill everyone. To "calm" the Spires, you need a player to stand under each of them. Nobody can cross the Bridge without the Sword which drops from a Swordbearer who spawns on top of stairs. The Sword must then be used to kill a Gatekeeper on the other side of the bridge, who spawns each time a Swordbearer is killed, and is invincible to all other damage but Sword. Build bridge->Kill Sword Bearer->Obtain Sword->Cross Bridge->Kill Gatekeeper and repeat until 3 players are across bridge, at that stage use the Bridge Plate and Spires on the top side to keep Bridge built, while remaining players just kill Swordbearers and run across. As players cross the bridge, more enemies spawn top. When everyone alive is across, defeat 2 Ogres to open the door. Door will lead to a hallway full of Thrall, and 2 Shriekers that must be destroyed in order to remove barriers. At the end of the hall is a hole to the next encounter, if your quick enough a door will still be open on other side of hole containing 2nd chest. -Assign order of which you will cross the bridge. 4, 5, & 6 should be the players actually on the Plates/Spires with 1, 2 & 3 helping defend, but more importantly, quickly killing Swordbearer. Don't let Swordbearer reach 4, 5, or 6. -The Right Spires are easiest to defend on both sides of bridge. -Send Titans first with Flashbang grenades. This stuns Gatekeeper ensuring easy kill. Use it each time a player comes across bridge. -Just use Trigger Attack to kill gate keeper. It's easy, and keeps him stun locked. -Help the 6th player with snipers/rockets. -When 6th player is across, all move to green door, spread out on rocks etc. and defend. [b]Deathsinger[/b] Players must defeat Ir Yut before a 3 minute timer expires, which is started once any player attacks, or is attacked by any hive in the encounter. To access Ir Yut, 2 Wizards and 2 Shriekers must be destroyed to remove the barrier protecting her. Acolytes and Melee Knights will continually respawn. Once Ir Yut is defeated, all Boomer Knights must be killed, inside and out, to complete section. -Send 4 Players left, 2 Right. -One Player each side goes inside, gets Wizards atention, and retreats outside where other players are waiting in the towers or Crota platform to kill her. -Once she is down, all enter and destroy Shrieker, retreat from purple death. Or Titan bubble. OMG Titan bubble. -This should happen faster on left, so you can then all make a concentrated attack on the Right side, away from the hundreds of Knights on the Left. -Ir Yut stays perfectly still for final 30 seconds, allowing easy damage. [b]Crota[/b] All stand near the crystal to begin. Crota appears on his platform with a "Come at me bro" look in his stupid little eyes. All will receive de-buff "Presence of Crota" disabling standard health regeneration, though abilities/weapons that regen health still work. Chalice of Light appears below Crota, which can be picked up to regen health. Barrier will appear around chamber, enemies spawn, then "silence" begins 8 second count down till barrier is removed. Enrage timer begins when crystal is activated. Crota follows a pattern which begins when you leave the doorways. Middle-Right-Middle-Left-Middle-Right..etc. If you die after any player leaves the doorway, Oversoul will appear in the sky, which needs to be destroyed in ~10 seconds to avoid team wipe. Boomer Knights and a Melee Knight spawn in the towers. Thrall, Cursed Thrall and a Swordbearer spawn in the Pit. Crota's shield can be taken down by any damage, not taking damage for ~.75 of a second completely restores shield. Once his shield is down he will take a knee for ~5 seconds, and become invulnerable to all damage but the sword. Sword lasts ~30 seconds, so usually enough time for 2 "Knees". Typically after 2nd Sword disappears (or 1st, if it's been more than 3 mins), 2 Ogres appear, then 2 Swords again, 2 Ogres and usually about that time enrage happens on 5th sword which means constant Ogres and Oversouls. -Assign 1 Sword User (Preferably Hunter with Max Invisibility) , 1 Boomer Watcher, 1 Boomer Watcher Helper, 1 Crota Watcher, 2 Stair Slayers. -Clear crystal hall. -Move to Left Door -Boomer Watcher stays inside Crystal hall doorway and just watches for Boomers/Melee Knights to kill them quickly, calling out every time they appear so Helper can.. well.. you know.. help. -Sword User grabs Chalice and has Chalice priority when picking up sword. -All other players stand on Left Stairs and begin firing on everything they can see. -First Swordbearer needs to go down fast, before Crota moves to Right. -Second Swordbearer should be kept at low health, but not killed until Crota is back in Middle. -Retreat [u]underneath[/u] crystal room to safely kill Ogres. -Wait for Crota to return Middle before reclaiming Left Stair position, careful of Cursed Thralls and Boomers. -Third Swordbearer kill will need to be fast as Crota will move Right soon. -Wait for Crota to return Middle for (Hopefully) final attack. [i]Sword Users Job[/i] (Hunter Specific in Brackets) -When Sword User picks up Sword, they run to Left Rock beside crota platform. (Crouch for invis) -When in position calls Ready -Jump up at 25% / (as soon as invis) -As soon as sheild is 0%, attack with melee-melee-Trigger combos, or just spam Trigger. He doesn't need to kneel to take damage. -Get back on rock as Crota stands / (drop Sword and [u]Blink Strike Crota[/u] to become invisible again) -Jump up for second attacks, hopefully drop a super, and get out. [i]Teams Job[/i] -When Sword is picked up all players (except Boomer Watcher) attacks Crota with [u]Primaries/Secondaries only[/u] to give Sword User time to get in position. -Crota Watcher calls out 75% 50% 25% to help Sword User know when to jump up and attack. -When Sword User calls Ready, use anything to finish off the shield, but just DON'T STOP FIRING until he is down. -Reload, wait out the 3 seconds of immunity Crota has after he stands, and begin second attack, which should be as fast as possible with Heavy Weapons. -Boomer Helper stops firing on Crota only if Watcher calls out. Here is a 4 minute video I made, showing a 5 man Crota kill from Sword User perspective, with me explaining the fight throughout. https://account.xbox.com/en-au/gameclip/49de0742-845e-45e7-8828-19e3f04440f6?gamerTag=the+ben+obiwan&scid=03a80100-9ff3-46ea-be76-e00e7fe465df&lc=2057 That's it. Thanks for reading, I'll edit as required to ensure that this always represents the most effective strategy available.