Chieftain

Chieftain
Information
Name	Chieftain

Chieftains are elite Scorn units in Destiny 2. They serve as field commanders and support units, distinguished by their ability to deploy Ether Totems and their versatile arsenal of weapons.

Description

Chieftains stand well over most of their Scorn brethren, only being shorter than the gargantuan Abominations. They command Scorn forces from the backlines, using their vast arsenal and unique totem abilities to control the battlefield. With weapons for all ranges and damage types, as well as the possibility of having shields for all three Light elements, they are one of the most versatile enemy types Guardians can face.

Combat Behavior

Chieftains prefer to keep to the backlines, providing suppressive fire and deploying totems to support their allies. While they possess strong melee attacks, they lack dedicated melee weapons and are not as effective in close combat as other faction commanders like Fallen Captains. They also lack special movement abilities, relying instead on quick reflexes to occasionally dodge attacks.

Weapons

Chieftains can wield any of five different Scorn weapons:

• Scorn Mine Launcher: Arc damage explosive weapon
• Scorn Rifle: Kinetic rapid-fire weapon
• Scorn Blaster: Solar spread weapon
• Scorn Pistol: Void precision weapon
• Scorn Crossbow: Void precision weapon (less common)

Ether Totems

The greatest threat from Chieftains comes from their ability to deploy Ether Totems. The type of totem deployed corresponds to their shield element:

Solar Ether Torch

• Creates spinning flamethrower attacks
• Acts as area denial
• Deals continuous Solar damage

Void Ether Shield

• Projects shield rays onto nearby Scorn units
• Makes affected enemies immune to damage
• Can shield the Chieftain itself

Arc Ether Tether

• Chains Guardians to the totem
• Slows movement speed
• Pulls tethered targets closer
• Causes disorientation effect

Shield Mechanics

• Chieftains can spawn with Solar, Arc, or Void shields
• Shield element determines totem type but not weapon choice
• Only enemy type that can possess any of the three Light element shields
• Shield must be broken before the Chieftain can take health damage

Tactics

• Prioritize destroying totems first
• Match shield element for faster shield breaks
• Keep distance to avoid totem effects
• Target Chieftains early to prevent battlefield control

Variants

• Corrupted Chieftain
• Opulent Chieftain
• Tarnished Chieftain
• Vengeful Hand

Trivia

• Chieftains are the only enemies who can use all three Light elements simultaneously
• Despite their size, they are more fragile than their appearance suggests
• Their totems persist even after the Chieftain is killed

See Also

• Scorn
• Ether Totem
• The Fanatic

References

• https://www.destinypedia.com/Chieftain
• https://www.destinypedia.com/Scorn
• https://maxroll.gg/destiny-2/resources/enemy-types
• https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/DestinyTheFallenScorn