Incursion on Didact's Keep

Incursion on Didact's Keep is a recently added map to the Warzone collection in the War Games simulations onboard the Infinity. Utilizing the former headquarters of Zealot Grono 'Yendam as a location, the map's bosses are various individuals from 'Yendam's Zog'fee Imperial Legion. Keep's layout is on a small island in the center of a lake, with the two teams' bases located on opposite beaches. The center of the landmass is swallowed up by a large Forerunner structure, where Zealot Grono conducted his operations from.
== Boss Lineup ==
Boss 	Location 	Bounty	Time Active
Elite Overseer 	West Spire 	25 VP 	0:00
Elite Overseer 	East Spire 	25 VP 	0:00
Hunter Ravagers 	Relay 	25 VP 	2:00
Hunter Ravagers 	Station 	25 VP 	2:00
Sky Ranger 	Docking Pad 	25 VP 	4:00
Sky Ranger 	Landing Pad 	25 VP 	4:00
Warlord Dipdip 	Courtyard 	150 VP	6:00
Knight Herald 	Teleportation Grid	25 VP 	8:00
Soldier Scout 	Relay 	25 VP 	10:00
Soldier Scout 	Station 	25 VP 	10:00
Elite Specialist	Docking Pad 	25 VP 	12:00
Elite Specialist	Landing Pad 	25 VP 	12:00
Commander 'Iltuk	Cargo Bay 	150 VP	14:00
Knight Commandos	Teleportation Grid	25 VP 	16:00
Grono 'Yendam 	Courtyard 	150 VP	18:00
== Strategies ==
=== Team Strategy ===
The battle is located on a small island in the center of a lake, with a very small beach and vegetation taking up most of the island. As with other Warzone maps, the opposing teams' bases are found on opposite sides of the map, with Red Base at the western edge of the island, and Blue Base located at the eastern portion. Securing your home base is of utmost importance, but the Imperial Grunts holding it are quite easy to deal with. As long as you don't find yourself completely alone and surrounded by most of them, taking out the base's guards should be easy enough. After this is done, you can speed up your advance to the Spires by taking one of the two Ghosts located north of each team's base. You can also use the REQ Stations to summon vehicles, due to the presence of garages in all five bases.
Taking your respective Spire will be a challenge, but capturing it guarantees you a vantage point to look down upon the map. Although the Spires are the highest buildings on the map and give you the high ground compared to everything else, there is little cover atop them which makes you an easy target for airborne enemies. Taking up position in the Grand Hall is a much better idea, and even though it doesn't have the super high altitude of the Spires, it grants you more cover and the ability to easily help your teammates defend the position from Spartan opponents.
Although the map is large, only the outskirts and pads are supportive of mainline ground vehicles. The Courtyard is certainly large enough to fit even a Scorpion, but the outer walls of the Grand Hall give enemies a vantage point to easily fire upon you, as well as the fact that some Legendary Bosses spawn right here. Your best bet would be to either use air vehicles such as Wasps and Banshees to fly over the obstacles, or use a speedy Mongoose or Ghost to travel quickly along the shores to get to locations. Capturing all three bases will expose the enemy team's Core, thus giving you the opportunity to make a quick and decisive win. With no back entrance in the bases due to the isolated position of the map, it can be easy to corner the opponents within their own base and take out their core.
=== Bases ===
==== West Spire ====
* Initial Opposition: Four Imperial Grunts, Elite Overseer
* The Red Team has the best chance of capturing the West Spire, while Blue Team shouldn't take it until they have capture the opposing Spire and the Grand Hall. Getting over to the West Spire is very easy, taking a short while on foot, and even less when in a vehicle. Taking the West Spire is not recommended if the Red Base hasn't been secured yet, as most of the Imperial Grunts at the home base stake out near the entrance.
* The West Spire is a slight challenge to take, but offers great reward. Guarded by four Imperial Grunts, the main floor is easy to take as long as you use precision weapons like the Magnum and Battle Rifle to take them out. Have at least one teammate defend the eastern entrance in case opponents try to make a grab for the base. Securing the base is the easy part; the hard part is the first boss, the Elite Overseer. Armed with a Beam Rifle, this boss has deadly precision and will assault you from the roof of the Spire, being nearly impenetrable to normal attacks from afar. Use teamwork to take him out, so you won't have extra work on your plate if the Spire comes under attack later.
* The lower floors of the West Spire make a great place to defend from attackers. With the twisting turns and halls, you and a teammate can set up a perfect ambush scenario for incautious opponents, provided you have weapons like the Assault Rifle and Shotgun. While the ability to snipe enemies from far across the map from the Spire's top is a good idea at first, in the late game when air vehicles get used you should generally stay away from there.
* While there aren't any air vehicles that spawn naturally during the battle, you should still keep an eye out in the late-game when Spartans might start employing air vehicles. Abandon your position atop the West Spire as soon as possible when they start to arrive, unless you are well armed with a weapon such as a Rocket Launcher. The rest of the time, a Sniper or Beam Rifle is recommended to take out enemies from afar, and even steal kills from the opposing team.
* If you are trying to take the West Spire after it has been captured by the opposing team, the first floor is the most direct method of securing it. Due to the large possibility of it being guarded, however, a safer option would be to clamber on the nearby Boulders to get in through one of the second floor's balconies. Getting to the command center on the roof is nearly impossible without using the gravity lift inside, but if you have an air vehicle and time it right, you can jump out and land safely on top, initiating the capturing sequence. As a precaution though, first eliminate any defenders atop the roof.
==== East Spire ====
* Initial Opposition: Four Imperial Grunts, Elite Overseer
* The Blue Team has the best chance of capturing the East Spire, while Red Team doesn't have a good chance unless they have capture the opposing Spire and the Grand Hall. Getting over to the East Spire is very easy, taking a short while on foot, and even less when in a vehicle. Taking the East Spire is not recommended if the Blue Base hasn't been secured yet, as most of the Imperial Grunts at the home base stake out near the entrance.
* The East Spire is a minor challenge to take like the West Spire, but offers great reward. Guarded by four Imperial Grunts, the main floor is easy to secure as long as you use precision weapons like the Magnum and Battle Rifle to take them out. Have at least one teammate defend the western entrance in case opponents try to make a grab for the base. Securing the base is the easy part; the hard part is one of the first two bosses, the Elite Overseer. Armed with a Beam Rifle, this boss has deadly precision and will assault you from the roof of the Spire, being nearly impenetrable to normal attacks from afar. Use teamwork to take him out, so you won't have extra work on your plate if the Spire comes under attack later.
* The lower floors of the East Spire make a great place to defend from attackers. With the twisting turns and halls, you and a teammate can set up a perfect ambush scenario for incautious opponents, provided you have weapons like the Assault Rifle and Shotgun. While the ability to snipe enemies from far across the map from the Spire's top is a good idea at first, in the late game when air vehicles get used you should generally stay away from there.
* While there aren't any air vehicles that spawn naturally during the battle, you should still keep watch later when Spartans might start employing air vehicles. Leave your position atop the East Spire as soon as possible when they start to arrive, unless you are equipped with a weapon such as a Rocket Launcher. The rest of the time, a Sniper or Beam Rifle is recommended to take out enemies from afar, and even steal kills from the opposing team.
* If you are trying to take the East Spire after it has been captured by the opposing team, the first floor is the most direct method of securing it. Due to the large possibility of it being guarded, however, a safer option would be to clamber on the nearby Rockslide to get in through one of the second floor's balconies. Getting to the flat top on the roof is nearly impossible without using the gravity lift inside, but if you have an air vehicle and time it right, you can jump out and land safely on top, initiating the capturing sequence. As a precaution though, first eliminate any defenders atop the roof.
==== Grand Hall ====
* Initial Opposition: Nine Imperial Grunts, Two Grunt Heavies, Two Elite Commanders
* The looming Grand Hall rests in the middle of Didact's Keep, representing a major opportunity for both teams. Located between both Spires, each team can easily access it if they have capture the bases. This base is the most defendable, giving advantages to the team that captures it, while also giving the Grunt defenders at the beginning of the battle the edge. You can use one of the Ghosts found on the either the Beach or Shoreline to quickly make your way towards the Hall, although you should either have teammates or be well-armed to take on the defenders.
* The Grand Hall is defended by a veteran group of varying Grunts. As you can notice, the amount of Imperial Grunts is more than double that from the Spires. The other threat comes from the two Grunt Heavies armed with Fuel Rod Guns and Elite Commanders, one of each at each main entrance. With at least two teammates accompanying you, you should be able to make quick work of the Imperial Grunts with grenades or Assault Rifles. Keep to cover behind the numerous barricades in and around the Grand Hall when fighting the Heavies, avoiding their Fuel Rod blasts. While grenades can still work, you should swap the Assault Rifle for a headshot-capable weapon to quickly take out the Grunt Heavies. After that, use the Fuel Rod Guns dropped by the Heavies to quickly take out the Commanders, or a Plasma Pistol from an Imperial Grunt. When all enemies are down, you can start the capturing sequence.
* Filled with barricades and jutting walls, there is a lot of cover to afford here. The central dais in the Grand Hall's lower level is where the majority of the Imperial Grunts are, making it easy to take them out with a well-placed grenade or two. However, do not move into this position yourself, as you will be presenting an open target to the Grunt Heavies. The only purpose the dais serves is the REQ Station located upon it, meant for ceasefires during the battle. The balconies on the outside of the Hall serve as excellent places to rain down fire on opponents trying to steal the base, as well as the bosses that spawn in the adjacent Courtyard.
* The Grand Hall's second floor balconies serve well as sentry points, keeping watch over key positions such as the Courtyard and Cargo Bay, where the Legendary Bosses spawn. The eastern and western vantage points give way to the ability to snipe opponents coming out of the Spire, although it is hard to reach those atop it. you might have to spread out your defenses a bit to make room to guard the tunnels reaching into the strucuture, which are the best points of entry for opponents. With its abundance of defenses, the Grand Hall is easily the best place to guard during the battle.
* Assaulting the Grand Hall is arguably the toughest thing to do in Incursion on Didact's Keep besides fighting Legendary Bosses, and as such you should have a powerful weapon or vehicle along with several teammates to help you storm the gargantuan structure. Although the defensive positions inside are in the guards' favor, some are also suitable for ducking behind when you need to withdraw from a defensive surge. Avoid using a main entrance in risk of being picked off by camping snipers unless you have an armored vehicle, and go through the Courtyard or Cargo Bay to surprise the opponent Spartans by way of the minor entrances. There are also a pair of underground tunnel entrances directly north of the Hall that lead underground and exit out in the structure's unsuspecting corners, providing an easier way for going for the capture.
=== Boss Tactics ===
Boss	Locations	Minions 	Bounty	Tactics
Elite Overseer	
* West Spire at 0:00
* East Spire at 0:00	None 	25 VP 	Armed with a Beam Rifle, this boss has deadly precision and will assault you from the roof of the Spire. While it may seem tempting to use the gravity lift and take the Overseer out at close range, don't! The instant you get close to him, he'll swap to an energy sword and gut you. Instead, go up with several teammates to the top and keep away from the Elite. Grenades will be useless in this battle, as the Overseer is constantly evading attacks. Use plasma-based weapons to bring down his shields, and then finish the Overseer off with a Magnum or Assault Rifle to secure his bounty.
Hunter Ravagers	
* Relay at 2:00
* Station at 2:00	None 	25 VP 	The Hunter Ravagers, all boasting Fuel Rod Cannons, spawn at the Relay and the Station, two deployed to each position. They stay on the lower floor of the structures almost the entirety of the time, ensuring you the high ground in this fight. Throw grenades down below or around corners to soften them up, and then finish off the bosses with sustained fire from teammates, or provided that you're on your own, a heavy weapon or vehicle. Just take care to watch out for their devastating attacks, and constantly strafe the Hunters, also keeping an eye out for opponents who might steal your kill.
Sky Ranger	
* Docking Pad at 4:00
* Landing Pad at 4:00	2 Elite Rangers 	25 VP 	The Sky Rangers spawn at the Docking and Landing Pads, located southward of the Spires. In a wide open area with no cover, sniping from afar or using a vehicle is recommended. With the help of teammates, use plasma weapons to strip the shields of the two Elite Rangers assisting the boss, and finish them off with a headshot. Ramming enemies isn't feasible here, courtesy of the Rangers' jetpacks. The Sky Ranger has one as well and will strafe often, so a rapid firing or seeking weapon will help you much more at this part of the battle. Just watch out for his headshot-capable carbine! When his shields are destroyed, the Sky Ranger will land, giving you the chance to assassinate him and claim his bounty.
Warlord Dipdip	
* Court Yard at 6:00	2 Elite Warriors 	150 VP	As the first Legendary Boss of the match, Warlord Dipdip and the pair of Elite Warriors escorting him appear in the Coutryard, adjacent south to the Grand Hall. This boss is up for grabs by both teams, and the closed-in nature of the Courtyard make him very easy to fire upon. Bring several allies to accompany you on this mission, and have at least one stay on the lookout for enemy Spartans that are vying for the Goblin. Ignore his taunts, however humourous they may be. Take out the Elite Warriors first - They're just a nuisance. Avoid their Storm Rifle fire, and with the help of a teammate, bring them down with heavy weapons. Their Storm Rifles are handy for mopping up opponents, so you can focus on the true prize. With a spacious interior, the area is vehicle-friendly, allowing you much room. Either go for a tank or Mantis walker when engaging on the ground, or a Banshee or Phaeton in the air. Use heavy weapons as well to cripple Dipdip's health, but watch out for his high-damage seeking projectiles. Once the Goblin is wounded enough, finish off the Warlord to claim the large reward.
Knight Herald	
* Teleportation Grid at 8:00	3 Soldier Captains	25 VP 	The Knight Herald bursts in on the Teleportation Grid along with his trio of Soldier Captains. Armed with a LightRifle, the Knight Herald does less damage than normal, but has an exceptional range. Driving in an open-top vehicle is ill-advised, as the Knight can easily snipe you. Instead, stay near the Courtyard, assuming the Imperial Goblin's been destroyed, and focus fire on the Soldiers. Equipped with Splinter Turrets, these are dangerous foes at close range. Take them out, one by one, and target the Herald's glowing cores. Due to this being one of the only bosses you can take on your own, sprint behind the Knight and assassinate him for the bounty.
Soldier Scout	
* Relay at 10:00
* Station at 10:00	2 Soldiers 	25 VP 	If the Hunter Ravagers have been eliminated at the Relay and Station, then the Soldier Scouts will teleport into those locations. Armed with Binary Rifles and extremely fast, these bosses require multiple Spartans working in unison to bring them down. First, take out the two Soldiers defending the Scout, avoiding their LightRifle fire and returning it from a Battle Rifle or DMR. After they have been taken care of, converge with teammates on the Soldier Scout and pepper him with Suppressors or SAWs. He's too swift for heavy weapons or grenades. When his core is damaged, finish him off with a Shotgun or Scattershot blast to boost your team's Victory Points.
Elite Specialist	
* Docking Pad at 12:00
* Landing Pad at 12:00	4 Grunt Heavies 	25 VP 	Assuming that the Sky Rangers have been dealt with, the Elite Specialists will be dropped off at the Docking and Landing Pads. Avoid the Fuel Rod blasts from the Specialist's four Grunt Heavies, and headshot them with a Magnum or Battle Rifle. After this is done, focus on the Elite. He's very adept at evading attacks, so grenades or vehicle splatters will be ineffective against him. Instead, pair up with a fellow Spartan and have one of you distract the Elite, downing his shields with a plasma weapon, but watch out for the sticky grenades launched by his Plasma Caster! When he is wounded enough, finish him off with a headshot or burst to claim your reward.
Commander 'Iltuk	
* Cargo Bay at 14:00	None 	150 VP	Fourteen minutes into the battle, Commander 'Iltuk will spawn in his Wraith at the Cargo Bay. Located north adjacent of the Grand Hall, players can use the Hall's balconies to their advantage, as well as taking cover behind the numerous crates located in the Bay. While he has no minions, 'Iltuk is a significant threat, and if given the opportunity, will bombard the balconies with his Wraith mortar. Use heavy weapons on this boss, constantly taking to cover when his gunner fires upon you. If you're a good shot, have your teammates distract the Wraith long enough for you to snipe the gunner with a Sniper or Beam Rifle, but constantly keep on the lookout for opponents vying for the Commander as well. Aerial vehicles come in handy as well, giving you the chance to spot enemy Spartans and swoop down on them. Just avoid the mortar blasts from Commander 'Iltuk! Keep firing on the Wraith constantly, only taking a break to fight off the other team or recharge your shields. If you keep it up, 'Iltuk's Wraith will be destroyed and you'll claim a whopping 150 Victory Points for your team!
Knight Commandos	
* Teleportation Grid at 16:00	
*6 Crawlers
*3 Alpha Crawlers
*2 Watchers	25 VP 	If the Knight Herald has been destroyed, the twin Knight Commandos appear at the Teleportation Grid. Unlike most bosses, both of them spawn in the same location. These bosses have the largest quantity of minions, so bring whatever teammates you had from the battle with Commander 'Iltuk down south. Use Promethean weapons to mow down the Crawlers, but have one teammate use a LightRifle or Suppressor to take out the Watchers, who are bound to defend either the Crawlers or Knights. After the minions have been dealt with, take the chance to eliminate any opponents that may have arrived. Watch out for the Incineration Cannons wielded by each Commando, and target their glowing cores to damage them. Once the final core is exposed, finish each one off with a blast from your weapon to defeat the twin Commandos and claim their bounty.
Grono 'Yendam	
* Court Yard at 18:00	4 Elite Warriors 	150 VP	If the Imperial Goblin has been destroyed, then the final boss Grono 'Yendam will spawn in the Courtyard. He isn't a threat at long range - He uses a Storm Rifle as his primary weapon. Bring as many Spartan allies with you as you can to this battle, and secure the balconies of the Grand Hall to get the edge over your opponents. Use weapons like the Fuel Rod Cannon or Rocket Launcher to take out his entourage of four Elite Warriors, because they are for the most part bunched up, and avoid their effective Storm Rifle fire. Once you defeat his minions, Grono will enter Active Camo, so ensure that you have softened him up a bit before hand. Use a Storm Rifle dropped by one of his Warriors to fire at Grono to strip his shields down when you see his shimmer in the air, but whatever you do, stay away from him. Otherwise he'll pull out his special Energy Sword Varmint's Nail and slice you to pieces! Once his shields are down, Grono 'Yendam's camouflage will deactivate, leaving him vulnerable. Quickly finish the job with a headshot, as an assassination will take too long and give the other team a chance to steal your kill. Once Grono is down, claim his wealthy bounty and mop up whatever opposition remains.
== Gallery ==
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Category:Multiplayer Maps