Encore

Encore
Information
Season	24
Type	Exotic Mission
Quest	A Rising Chorus: Act III
Starting NPC	Failsafe
Start	H.E.L.M.
Location	Nessus
Recommended Power	1945
Description	Find a path to the core of Nessus to put a stop to Maya Sundaresh's plans.
Friendly NPCs	Failsafe, Ikora Rey, Osiris
Enemy Types	Vex, Shadow Legion
Bosses	Parodos, Choral Mind, Stasimon, Choral Mind, Exodos, Choral Mind
Prerequisite	Completion of A Rising Chorus: Act I and Act II
Rewards
Engrams	Echo Engram
Equipment	Choir of One
Items	Vex Countermand, Radiolite

Encore is an Exotic Mission introduced in Episode: Echoes Act 3 of Destiny 2. It takes players to the core of Nessus to confront Maya Sundaresh (also known as the Conductor) and her dangerous plan to convert the Solar System using the Vex collective. The mission features three rotating variants - Overture, Concerto, and Coda - each with increasing difficulty and slight mechanical differences. Upon first completion, Guardians earn the Choir of One Exotic Auto Rifle and unlock the pathway to discover hidden secrets, catalysts, and additional story content.

Overview

Encore is one of the largest and most complex Exotic missions in Destiny 2, featuring multiple encounters, puzzles, and challenging boss fights. The mission takes place in the depths of Nessus where Maya Sundaresh has established her research facility and is utilizing radiolaria to expand her Vex collective. Guardians are tasked with infiltrating her facility, discovering her secrets, and defeating the Choral Mind to disrupt her plans.

The mission features three variants that rotate weekly:

• Encore: Overture - The initial version of the mission
• Encore: Concerto - A more challenging version with additional obstacles and enemy placements
• Encore: Coda - The final and most difficult variant

Each variant maintains the core mechanics but includes specific differences in enemy placement, environmental hazards, and minor puzzle variations. The mission can be played on both Normal and Expert difficulty, with Expert difficulty featuring more challenging combat and being required for unlocking Catalysts for the Choir of One.

Story

Following the events of Echoes Acts 1 and 2, Guardians discovered that the mysterious entity known as the Conductor is none other than Maya Sundaresh, a former scientist of the Ishtar Collective from the Golden Age. With the help of Failsafe, Saint-14's memories, and Osiris's guidance, the Guardian tracks Maya to the core of Nessus where she has established her headquarters.

Maya Sundaresh has obtained the Echo of Command, allowing her to control the Vex. She aims to convert Nessus and eventually the entire Solar System using Radiolaria. Throughout the mission, Guardians discover the disturbing experiments Maya has been conducting, including creating and discarding simulations of her former wife, Chioma Esi, in a desperate attempt to recreate a version that would accept what she has become.

As Guardians progress through the mission, they uncover audio logs and specimens that provide insights into Maya's twisted plans and her mental state. The mission culminates in a confrontation with the Choral Mind, a powerful Vex Mind that serves as the custodian of Maya's plans and must be defeated to disrupt her operation.

Mission Walkthrough

Traversal and Entrance

The mission begins near the core of Nessus. Guardians must navigate to the right side of the starting area, climbing up a blue-lit Vex ramp structure embedded in the wall. At the top of this ramp is a spherical structure with a hole that players must drop into.

After descending, players enter a massive chasm area that requires some parkour to navigate. This section involves:

• Jumping across gaps
• Avoiding pistons (in Concerto and Coda variants)
• Timing jumps on moving platforms
• Climbing upward to reach the next area

Vex Module Puzzles

After the traversal section, Guardians encounter the first major mechanic of the mission: Vex Modules. These modules come in three types, each with a specific function:

• CONNECTION Module (Green) - Creates platforms and activates confluxes
• PARTITION Module (Yellow) - Removes solid walls and barriers
• ACCESS Module (Blue) - Opens portals for transportation between areas

Players must defeat specific enemies (usually Minotaurs labeled "Independent Variable") to obtain these modules and place them in corresponding terminals to progress through the mission. The first section requires activating three Vex Confluxes using CONNECTION modules to open the path forward.

Maya's Laboratory

After navigating through several puzzle rooms and combat encounters, Guardians reach the Ishtar Research Facility, Maya Sundaresh's laboratory. Here, players can investigate a "Degaussed Exomind" which triggers dialogue revealing Maya's experiments with simulated versions of her wife, Chioma Esi.

In this area, players can find the NES007 specimen, which starts a quest line for collecting specimens and unlocking additional secrets about Maya Sundaresh and the Choir of One weapon.

Choral Mind Boss Fight

The final encounter is against the Choral Mind (named Parodos in Overture, Stasimon in Concerto, and Exodos in Coda), a powerful Vex Hydra that serves as the custodian of Maya's plans.

The boss fight mechanics include: 1. Obtaining a CONNECTION module from an Independent Variable and depositing it in the center bowl 2. In Concerto and Coda variants, defeating Root Module Restriction Cyclops that spawn when acquiring the module 3. Building bridges to the boss's location using CONNECTION modules 4. Standing on capture plates to charge them to 100% 5. Destroying the boss's shield by shooting an exposed pyramid weak point 6. Dealing damage during the vulnerability phase 7. At 50% health, the boss creates barriers dividing the arena, requiring ACCESS modules to activate portals for navigation 8. For the final damage phase, the boss relocates to the center of the arena

Once defeated, the Choral Mind drops a chest that awards the Choir of One Exotic Auto Rifle upon first completion.

Secret Challenges and Hidden Chests

Whisper-like Challenge

The Destiny community has discovered a hidden challenge in the Expert variant of Encore that pays homage to the classic "The Whisper" Exotic mission. To activate this challenge: 1. Play on Expert difficulty 2. Equip the Whisper of the Worm Exotic Sniper Rifle 3. At the start of the mission, go left toward the cliffside instead of right 4. Locate a hidden room beside the waterfall 5. Enter the corrupted Taken portal

This challenge imposes a 35-minute timer to complete the entire mission. Successfully completing it awards the "Transient Whisperer" emblem.

Secret Chests

Encore contains seven secret chests across its three variants (three in Overture, two in Concerto, and two in Coda). These chests award intrinsic upgrades for the Choir of One and unlock its catalysts. To access these chests, Guardians must: 1. Complete any variant of Encore at least once 2. Complete the "Specimen: NES007" quest 3. Obtain the Choir of One quest from Banshee-44 in the Tower

Each chest requires solving specific puzzles, including:

• Vex cube synchronization puzzles
• Portal navigation sequences
• Light-bouncing puzzles using Arc Cranium weapons
• Timed enemy elimination challenges

Rewards

Choir of One Exotic Auto Rifle

The primary reward for completing the Encore mission is the Choir of One, an Exotic Void Auto Rifle that uses Special ammo. This unique weapon features:

• Intrinsic Trait - Command Frame: "Fires extended-range, heavy-caliber projectiles at a reduced rate of fire. Deals increased precision damage when aiming down sights."

• Exotic Trait - Fanatical Lance: "Rapid final blows cause targets to explode into a pool of radiolarian fluid. Hip firing launches multiple projectiles at once in a slower moving spread pattern. Projectiles detonate on impact."

The weapon is craftable, with different versions of its intrinsic trait (Command Frame I, II, III, and IV) unlockable through finding secret chests in the mission.

Exotic Catalysts

Choir of One has three different catalysts that can be unlocked by completing Expert difficulty runs of Encore and finding specific hidden chests:

• Subsistence Refit: "Refills 10% of the Magazine from reserves on Weapon Kills."
• Destabilizing Rounds Refit: "Weapon Kills apply Volatile to enemies in a 6.5-meter radius around the target."
• Onslaught Refit: "Weapon Kills grant a Stack of Onslaught for 4.5 seconds. Maximum of 3 Stacks."

Each catalyst requires completing a specific quest from Banshee-44, finding the corresponding secret chest in the Encore mission, and then completing the mission on Expert difficulty.

Other Rewards

Additional rewards from the Encore mission include:

• Echo Engram
• Vex Countermand
• Radiolite
• Transient Whisperer emblem (from completing the timed challenge)

Trivia

• Encore is the first Exotic mission to feature three distinct rotating variants.
• The hidden timed challenge is a deliberate homage to "The Whisper" Exotic mission from earlier in Destiny 2's history.
• The mission contains numerous insights into Maya Sundaresh's character, her relationship with Chioma Esi, and the disturbing nature of her experiments.
• The Choir of One is the first Auto Rifle in Destiny 2 to use Special ammo instead of Primary ammo.
• The three boss variants - Parodos, Stasimon, and Exodos - are named after parts of ancient Greek tragedy chorus structure, fitting with the "Choir" theme.