Writing this for my clan and the general community. May seem bit wordy but it is well practiced and works well. Should be known that void weapons or supers are best to take down Praetorian shields. ------------------- 1: Sync Plates to Open Vault Door --------------------- Facing the door upon spawn is where these directions will match. Also this is a pretty easy step in the VoG raid. Left Sync Plate: This is possibly the most chaotic to hold and keep clear. Having the better weapons, armor, and level here is best. This is due to the close quarters to the spawn zones and difficulty for center to assist. Pretty simple spawns occur in the grassy area just before the sync plate and far wall spawn. Center Sync Plate: Center is Good to have one of the strongest guardians watching it. Sometimes chaos happens but rarely. This also allows the running through of a lower level guardian pretty easily. Rockets and fusion rifles with the combination of supers is served well here. Right Sync Plate: This is a medium difficulty to handle, but well armored and weaponized guardians can easily handle this. Recommend using the sparrow to get there quickly or jumping up through the middle and together with your partner. The enemies will be spawned before you may be in position. So be ready. Notes: It helps to tell the center sync plate positions that a Praetorian is on its way. Saying (side) Praetorian to Center helps to identify the direction so they can prepare. Few really call out this clearly but just saying Praetorian... can be confusing. Also stand in front of the sync plate or away from it while getting the Praetorian's attention. Normally they are drawn to the guardians. ------------- 2: Con-fluxes --------------- There is a chest on the way to the this point. Wait for everyone please... Should you have successfully not lost a sync plate take the secret route the right of the door. Best to be shown this and somebody must be alive should others die. I will post link bellow this entire post explaining why if you care to read it. Otherwise proceed through the door. I always keep this simple. The sync plate teams will go to the same side they had to begin with. If the strong players are where they are supposed to be then this works perfectly and keeps things simple. Also both for normal raid and hard raid look for text that says "Templar calls forth its legions" or something like that. You will want to go and hide either in the secret cave or on the pillar just in front of the secret cave, or right team I recommend hiding in the front of the right pillar. The secret cave is and pillar are right near the pocket Oracle (rear left Oracle) spawn. First con-flux is in the center and the teams teams will stay at the front of the platform in the respective positions. Occasionally look at the center con-flux during this run. Second phase will have two con-fluxes towards the back of the platform on the left and the right. Clearly the left and right team know where to go, hint left and right. Center team is to kill stuff coming from the center and hang back a little bit. Also center team assign which con-flux you will watch. Generally the left side will see the worst of it and need more help. When legions are summoned and con-fluxes disappear hide. Third con-flux will spawn all three con-fluxes and you must watch your own. Very rarely is there a guardian that is legendary in skill and gear to help everywhere. So do no count on it. Best advice is survive and share supers to build up orbs and stay sharp. Use rockets carefully. Left side you will be hammered the most, center some what, and right side is normally the easiest to handle. Note: Please do not melee the glowing green goblins ever...... Also if you step in the green goo or get kamikaze by a fanatic goblin go the bottom of the stairs to the pillar of light. Hope you live...normally you will. Oh and keep cool and communicate calmly. The whole raid it seriously helps the environment. -------------- 3: Oracles Time ------------------ I will try to keep this simple. Left side you will have one oracle to the left where the con-flux forms, on the stairs behind the con-flux spawn and what I refer to as pocket left oracle. Important if doing the sniper method just before jumping down for con-fluxes. These are you duty on the left side. Right side you have a total of 3.5 oracles to watch. One guardian will be on the left side of the platform near the Templar. Watching for one that spawns right there and also help with pocket oracle across the way. The other right guardian will be watching for one down the stairs and also in the middle of the Stonehenge looking spot. Lets call this Vexhenge... maybe. It is much easier when the job is split between the right guardian team like this. Also call for help and watch each other to help if need be. Center guardians have one that spawns right in front the stairs towards the front of the whole platform. Other wise you will help cover the left stairs and right stairs and other visible areas without leaving the central zone. Ill update this if need be as this seems really simple. Because it is. Note: If any of these oracles are allowed to live they will process you out of existence by marking you with the green goo effect. So like before run down stairs and into the pillar of light and hope it is there. ------------- 4: The Templar -------------- There are several ways to do this. I will highlight a very successful KISS strategy that is somewhat old school as well. Back in the day we did this before the platform trick since patched. First I will explain how to use the relic and this applies to every instance you run into the relic and this is the only spot I will explain it. ----------- How to use the Relic ----------- LB: Held down will create a shield. This is for cleansing if marked by any void effect. Also only need to do this for 1-2 seconds. RB: This will swing the shield forward and if you jump and keep pressing this you can sort of fly. Use this to kill things. LB+RB: This is only available when your super is charged. It shoots a giant ball of light, epic right... Though is powerful R Trigger: This will smash the ground and is very useful to kill Praetorian or anything else. Jump up high and can sort of aim this to an area. Y: Will drop the shield if so desired. Enough with the shield tutorial and is very simple button wise. So this strategy we will be back to the front of the platform once a victim is chosen to wield the shield. Preferably someone high in level as well. If this shield is dropped pick it up asap and always. Same rule again left team, right team, and center. Minus the person holding the shield some shuffle may happen. It is simple as the Templar will teleport around. If you see a red ring appear in your area stand in it to stop him from appearing above you. So rinse and repeat this simple set of instructions. ----------- Important ------------ Shield holder supers with LB+RB to break the Templar's shield. Some will get a containment shield so do not use a rocket right away. Use a primary to shoot is down and the relic holder can help people. Do not run out of the shield you will die. Then everyone but relic holder will blast the Templar with everything you have. Take to long and he enrages sending legions of legions to you. Rinse and repeat. Also as the relic holder you really have a lot of power to kill the enemies and break containment shields near instantly. So help your fellow guardians out of containment and back into the fight. Use right trigger if you as the relic holder are contained. This will prevent you from dashing out of the containment to your doom. ----------- 5: Gorgons Maze ------------- (Updated: 02/16/2015) So you will hopefully get something you actually wanted other than shards and energy with possibly duplicate armor. It is important that you take the secret cave that you hide in. This time a chest with spirit bloom will be there take if you really want spirit bloom. Then proceed to your left all the way down. If you stop the Templar form teleporting, which is not covered here and is for seasoned guardians you can get a fifth chest here. Hopefully your teachers will tell you where it is. Then you will drop in front of a door where a chest is at. Chance at weapons and normally digital toilet paper and maybe a cool cape with some ascendant material. Run out from this spot to a cliff you jump up to and you will soon get to a green river area with glowing Harpies with super powers. So do not think you can just kill it yourself and please do not try, do not double jump till told, and no shooting. I will recommend you look up you tube videos of Gorgons Maze. To complicated to write out. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI4O6GKQhf4]Jump Method 1 (hard or normal)[/url] Upon exiting you will see a large cavern to jump across. Have fun and learn the pattern to get across. This can take a while depending on ability to jump. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggIOlJo5THg]Hunter Methods[/url] Note: Please do not purposely screw up to alert the Gorgons. See following for rest of raid. Please stop replying under this part 1 but part 2 instead. Bungie limited the word count so had to reply the second part under it. Thanks for the positive feed back.