Battleground: Foothold

Battleground: Foothold
Information
Location	Cosmodrome
Players	1-3
Power	1100
Expansion	Season of the Chosen
Enemies	Cabal, Hive
Boss	Val Ma'rag (Incendior)
Description	In an act of vengeance for the destruction of their homeworld, the Cabal have struck out against a Hive nest dug deep into the Cosmodrome. Use this opportunity to hit the Cabal hard and show them that humanity will not back down.

Battleground: Foothold is an Arena introduced in the Season of the Chosen. It was originally part of the Battlegrounds playlist.

With the release of The Witch Queen, and the removal of the Season of the Chosen content, it is now only available through the Vanguard Ops playlist as a randomly-chosen Strike. It cannot be launched as a mission directly from the Director. The version from the Battlegrounds playlist with Champion enemies is also not available.

Walkthrough

Mothyards

Guardians begin in the Mothyards, a wide-open area in the Cosmodrome littered with rusted aircraft. The objective is to push through waves of Cabal and Hive enemies engaged in combat with each other. Players must eliminate a Cabal Major, typically a Centurion or Colossus, to progress. Watch for Hive Thrall and Acolytes spawning from nearby caves, which can overwhelm unprepared fireteams. Clearing the Major spawns a Cabal dropship, signaling the path forward to the Lunar Complex.

Lunar Complex

The fireteam enters the Lunar Complex, a network of industrial structures. Here, players face denser enemy waves, including Cabal Psions, Legionaries, and Incendiors, alongside Hive Knights and Wizards. The objective is to defeat a second Major enemy, often a reinforced Cabal officer or a Hive Champion in the original Battlegrounds playlist. Environmental hazards, such as explosive barrels, can be used to clear groups of enemies. After defeating the Major, a Cabal barrier deactivates, granting access to the Skywatch.

Skywatch

In the Skywatch, a fortified Cabal stronghold, players encounter heavy resistance from Cabal forces, including Gladiators and Scorpius turrets, with occasional Hive stragglers. The area is open, with elevated platforms and tight corridors, requiring coordination to avoid being flanked. The objective is to clear out remaining enemies and prepare for the final encounter. A Cabal command post in the center of the arena serves as the staging ground for the Rite of Proving.

Rite of Proving

The final encounter pits the fireteam against Val Ma'rag, a massive Cabal Incendior commander. Players initiate the Rite of Proving by interacting with a central post, similar to a rally banner. Val Ma'rag’s health is divided into thirds, and he becomes immune at each threshold, retreating to a new section of the arena.

Mechanics: To break Val Ma'rag’s immunity shield, players must defeat a Shield Bearer, a Major Cabal enemy (or Champion in the original playlist) that spawns in the arena. At specific health intervals, Val Ma'rag deploys a Portable Cabal Shield, retreating inside. Players must destroy the shield or deplete his health to progress. Waves of Cabal reinforcements, including Psions, Legionaries, and Gladiators, spawn continuously, increasing in intensity as the fight progresses. Strategy: Focus on clearing adds to avoid being overwhelmed, and prioritize the Shield Bearer to maintain damage on Val Ma'rag. Area-of-effect abilities and heavy weapons are effective for both crowd control and boss damage. Defeating Val Ma'rag completes the activity, rewarding players with Vanguard loot and, in the original Battlegrounds playlist, progress toward seasonal objectives tied to the Hammer of Proving.

Notes

• This mission's name was originally Battleground: Cleansing. Its name was changed in Version 3.1.0.2, along with the War Table weekly challenge, due to potential antisemitic connotations.
• During Season of the Chosen, completing Battleground: Foothold progressed the Challenger’s Proving II quest, allowing players to socket Cabal Gold and Challenger Medallions into the Hammer of Proving for additional rewards from Caiatl’s Tribute Chest.
• As a Vanguard Ops Strike, the activity no longer features Champion enemies, making it more accessible but less challenging than its original Battlegrounds version.
• Players have reported occasional progression bugs in the Rite of Proving, where the Shield Bearer fails to spawn, halting the boss fight. Workarounds include restarting the encounter or using high-damage Supers to force phase transitions.

Patch History

• 3.1.0.2
  • Renamed the Cosmodrome Battlegrounds Activity to “Battlegrounds: Foothold”
• 4.0.0.1
  • Repurposed Battleground: Foothold as a Strike in the Vanguard Ops playlist following the removal of Season of the Chosen content with The Witch Queen expansion.