Battleground: Hailstone

Battleground: Hailstone
Information
Location	Europa
Players	1-3
Power	1100
Expansion	Season of the Chosen
Enemies	Cabal, Vex
Boss	Basilius the Golem (Colossus)
Description	In a bid to earn Empress Caiatl's favor, a Cabal force has descended on Europa to scour the icy moon for relics of the Golden Age including the secrets of the Exo contained in the Deep Stone Crypt. Travel to Europa and put a stop to this operation.

Battleground: Hailstone is a strike 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

Asterion Abyss

Spawn in the Asterion Abyss on Europa and proceed toward the waypoint. You will encounter groups of Cabal enemies, including Legionaries, Phalanxes, and Psions. Clear the initial wave and move forward to the shielded entrance. To disable the shield, defeat a Major Cabal enemy that drops an explosive charge. Pick up the charge and throw it at one of the three shield generators. Repeat this process two more times, defeating additional Majors to obtain charges and destroy the remaining generators. Once all generators are destroyed, the shield drops, allowing access to the next area.

Nexus

Enter the Nexus and face more Cabal forces, including Incendiors and Centurions. Progress through the icy tunnels, eliminating enemies as you go. You will reach another shielded barrier protected by three generators. Similar to the previous encounter, defeat Major enemies to obtain explosive charges and destroy the generators. Be cautious of additional Cabal reinforcements, including Gladiators and Scorpii. After destroying the generators, the shield deactivates, and you can proceed to the next area.

Well of Infinitude

In the Well of Infinitude, confront a mix of Cabal and minor Vex enemies, such as Goblins and Harpies. Move through the area, clearing out enemies until you reach a large open chamber. Here, you must destroy a final set of three shield generators to access the boss arena. As before, defeat Major Cabal enemies to obtain explosive charges and throw them at the generators. The area is heavily populated with Cabal, including Colossi and Psions, so prioritize crowd control. Once the generators are destroyed, proceed to the Rite of Proving.

Rite of Proving

Enter the boss arena to face Basilius the Golem, a massive Colossus. The fight begins with Basilius supported by waves of Cabal enemies, including Legionaries, Phalanxes, and Scorpii. Deal damage to Basilius until he loses one-third of his health, at which point he becomes immune and summons a Major Shield Bearer. Defeat the Shield Bearer to disable Basilius' immunity. Repeat this process two more times, as Basilius summons additional Shield Bearers at each health threshold. Throughout the fight, Basilius deploys a portable Cabal shield, requiring players to either destroy it or focus on depleting his health to disable it. The arena becomes chaotic with frequent Cabal drop pods and reinforcements, so maintain mobility and clear adds to avoid being overwhelmed. Once Basilius is defeated, the strike concludes.

Notes

• During its original release in the Battlegrounds playlist, this activity included Champion enemies (Barrier and Unstoppable) on higher difficulties, which are not present in the Vanguard Ops version.
• The Hammer of Proving seasonal mechanic, which allowed players to socket Challenger Medallions for additional rewards, was active during Season of the Chosen but is no longer available.
• The high enemy density in the Rite of Proving makes this strike particularly chaotic, favoring loadouts with strong area-of-effect capabilities, such as Ticuu's Divination or heavy weapons.

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