Elite Deep Dive solo guide

[MrFudge]

I’ve read a number of comments slating the Elite Deep Dives as 100%-breakers, but I’ve found them to be fairly manageable with some knowledge and preparation. Therefore I felt this thread might be useful for both general and Dive-specific tips & strategy. 

 

I’ll be focusing on solo missions for a variety of reasons:

1. They’re easier than teaming with incompetent players 
2. There are more factors under your control 
3. To alleviate the fear that you need a raid god-squad with the very best gear
4. Because you can launch them any time; no need to wait for others 
5. For those uncomfortable playing with randoms 
6. It’s easier for videos to convey understanding to the viewer when only one perspective is relevant 
7. The framerate is much smoother on PS4 than when in multiplayer 

 

Unfortunately the current Dive only lasts for another 30 hours, however I’m hopeful I could convince someone to give it a try. If the Dive-specific guide proves to be of any use to anyone please let me know. If anyone wants to they can of course use this thread to post their own advice/clips/etc too. ?

 

General info

 

 

The Hazard Level for the first stage of an Elite Deep Dive is 4.5, the second is 5, and the third 5.5. 

The layout and spawns of each stage remain near-identical, allowing you to learn through failure if necessary. Objectives and resources will spawn in the exact same place, and enemy spawns stick to a similar pattern. 

Bosco’s revives refill upon completing each stage within a Deep Dive. One-use Perks are also replenished. 

Ammunition and health carry over between missions. If you have an active Resupply Pod at the very end of a mission, try to use it. 

Resources gathered - Nitra - carry over too. If you enter the Drop Pod with Nitra still on your person (Dwarf) you'll still have it in the next stage.

On average, Swarms occur every 5-6 minutes. Obviously the timer for the next Swarm does not begin until the current one ends. 

Swarms can stack if you perform specific actions at the wrong moment. For instance, if an ambient Swarm is taking place and you dig out an Egg - which can trigger a Swarm - you can end up with two Swarms at the same time. 

Make use of the ‘Today’s Special’ beer before launching the Dive. It lasts throughout all 3 stages. 

You can pause the game.

 

 

 

General advice
 

 

Speed is crucial to increasing your chance at success. Less time spent in a mission equals fewer enemies, more Nitra conserved, and so on. 

Bosco plays a vital role in both moving quickly and saving you ammo. Ideally he should never be idle; constantly direct him to mine resources and take care of threats. Outside of full-on Swarms I like to leave as many enemies as possible to him whilst I kite them and continue to work on the objectives. 

Knowing where to take a fight is perhaps the most important skill to learn. Some key features to look out for: enough space to move around comfortably, generous sightlines to see enemies coming early, multiple exits in case of emergency, chokepoints to funnel enemies, a balance between potential cover and few obstacles, familiarity with your surroundings. Note that terrain can be manipulated to better serve your needs, especially by creating bunkers with the Driller.

Enemies typically spawn within a ~100m radius of you, in any direction. They will then begin to converge and hone in on your location. Staying in one spot for too long can ultimately leave you surrounded. You can use this to your advantage by effectively luring them towards one spot only to then retreat to your next vantage point before they fully arrive.

Make even use of your weapons and abilities when possible. Your primary weapon does most of the killing but solely relying upon it will leave you wanting for ammo whilst your other weapons remain untouched. Using a Resupply Pod in such an instance is an effective waste. 

Marking dangerous enemies with the Laser Pointer highlights them and allows you to see their position and direction through walls. 

Escaping to the Drop Pod almost always involves backtracking the way you came. Making sure the route is navigable when first passing through will make the escape much smoother. 

Upon escape, don’t beat Molly to the Drop Pod. Enemies spawn around you and lingering in one area is a deathtrap. I prefer to follow slightly behind her, pausing in open areas that allow me space to evade enemies. 

Keep Molly on her toes by regularly calling for her when progressing. Going too far ahead without her actively following can easily leave you waiting for up to 30 seconds. If this happens a few times in one mission it can be the deciding factor in facing one last Swarm. 

Preemptively break Red Sugar to allow for instant collection when mid-fight. Bosco can be used for Sugar found high-up on ceilings. 

If you’re grabbed by an immobiliser press L1 to call for Bosco to free you. 

By holding L1 you can easily locate key entities such as the MULE, Pumpjacks, etc.

Using the Pickaxe slows your momentum for about 1 second, preventing you from sprinting. 

Kill every Loot Bug you see. Because they deserve it.

 

 

 

Elite Deep Dive (solo): FULL KILLING

(13/01/22 - 20/01/22)

 

Context

 

 

Stages: 
1 - 225 Morkite / 2 Mini-Mules 
2 - On-Site Refinery / 150 Morkite (Low Oxygen)
3 - 250 Morkite / 2 Eggs (Regenerative Bugs) 

Time taken:
1st Run - Engineer - Fail
2nd Run - Driller - 1:11:13
3rd Run - Driller - 1:16:30 (recorded run) 

 

 

Loadout

 

 

I only used the base weapons both to make sure anybody can do the same…and because I don’t have any other weapons unlocked ?

Some of the selections displayed in the video below are not what I'm actually about to recommend, since I revised my choices after completion. I still believe it worthwhile to show exactly what I was using however. 

Class: Driller
The Power Drills will prove exceptionally useful in the second stage. 

Passive Perk 1: Second Wind 
Gain a 12% speed boost (activated after running for 4 seconds)
More speed is always useful. Helps to evade enemies when waiting for shield recharge and just generally makes everything faster. 

Passive Perk 2: Veteran Depositor 
Deposit resources 50% faster / 30% damage resistance while within 7m of deposit points
Given you’re solo, you’ll be depositing each and every material necessary. Doing this 50% quicker saves a lot of time and allows you to do so whilst in the midst of a fight. The damage resistance can be handy if you keep it in mind, but I’m yet to use it much as you’ll naturally be moving whilst fighting. It does also proc when near the Refinery in stage 2.

Passive Perk 3 - Elemental Insulation
30% resistance to all elemental damage
This Dive takes place in the Radioactive Exclusion Zone, meaning radioactive resistance is sure to be useful. 

Active Perk 1 - Beast Master
Charm a Glyphid Grunt
Having an extra source of damage and - particularly - distraction is great. Ideally you want to charm a Glyphid Grunt Guard as they are the strongest. The Regenerative Bugs Warning on the third stage actually affects your own bugs too, providing extremely high uptime. You inflict friendly fire on your bugs. 

Active Perk 2 - Dash 
A short burst of speed that ignores all slowdown effects on a 25 second cooldown
This is invaluable for escaping all kinds of sticky situations. Dodging, fleeing, repositioning, and simply getting through the stage faster. Jumping before the Dash ends will maintain the momentum whilst in the air, extending the distance you can travel at this speed. 

Primary Weapon: Flamethrower 
Target damage is good and wave clear is fantastic. Great ammo economy. Easy to aim on console. 

Tier 1 - High Pressure Ejector. This is always useful for killing things as soon as possible and keeping them further away. Often necessary for reaching creatures in the air or on the ceiling. 

Tier 2 - Triple Filtered Fuel. Helps to save ammo and move from target to target faster. A standard Grunt is set on fire in about half a second and will die before the flames cease. Combines very well with Volatile Bullets on your pistol. 

Tier 3 - Sticky Flame Slowdown. Sticky flames are the flames that stick to the floor/wall after firing. They proc constantly so you’ll be slowing a vast amount of enemies, granting you time and space. Incredible at dealing with a large amount of the little Swarmer bugs without using much ammo. 

Tier 4 - Sticky Flames Duration or It Burns! I opted for more ammo during my run however with the abundance of Nitra in this Dive that was never an issue for me. 

Tier 5 - Either. I chose Heat Radiance just to give myself a little protection, particularly against Swarmers. Targets Explode contradicts the faster blaze rate, which discourages direct damage. However I’m sure it’s still fantastic when used with Unfiltered Fuel (Tier 2), Oversized Valves (T3), and perhaps More Fuel (T4). 

Overclock: none. 

Secondary Weapon: Subuta 120
Specialises in weakpoint damage and taking out enemies from afar. 

Tier 1 - High Capacity Magazine or Quickfire Ejector. The main purpose of this weapon is to kill flying enemies. When the time comes, you want to be able to put out as many bullets as possible in a short amount of time. 

Tier 2 - Increased Caliber Rounds. Ammo is not an issue with this gun and you want the enemies you’re shooting it at to die ASAP. 

Tier 3 - Improved Propellant. Recoil Compensator could prove useful too. 

Tier 4 - Hollow-Point Bullets. Essential in killing flying Mactera. 

Tier 5 - Either. Volatile Bullets is useful against every enemy, particularly large ones such as Detonators. However Mactera Toxin-coating is a huge help against your main threat. 

Overclock: none. 

Pickaxe 
Deals good burst damage to lower-tier enemies and can stagger stronger ones. 

Tier 1 - Power Attack.

Tier 2 - Any. I opted for Better Wait Balance. 

Satchel Charge 
Can be used for damage against large targets or to clear a swathe of enemies at once. 

Tier 1 - Extra Satchel Charge. I generally kite the largest enemies and leave them to Bosco/the Subuta, so I’m more interested in using satchels for lesser enemies. 

Tier 2 - Kill Switch.

Tier 3 - Extra Satchel Charge. Having 4 in total means that Resupply Pods will now reimburse you with 2 charges. 

Tier 4 - Concussive Blast or Big Bang. Both are useful against hordes. 

Power Drills 
New paths, exits, emergency escapes, and area-clear. 

Tier 1 - Hardened Drill Tips. 

Tier 2 - Magnetic Refrigeration.  

Tier 3 - Supercharged Motor.

Tier 4 - Increased Tank Pressure. You’ll get much use out of them in stage two. 

Impact Axe 
Very high burst damage on weakpoints. 

Armour Rig
Be sure to purchase each mod for the health bonus. 

Tier 1 - Improved Generator or Boosted Converter. 

Tier 2 - Healthy. Shields help negate chip damage which is less prevalent on higher Hazard Levels. Most deaths will come from quick bursts of damage or from being unable to recharge your shields. In both situations Healthy is more beneficial as it provides a greater sum than Overcharger. 

Tier 3 - Temperature Insulation. 

Tier 4 - Any. I’m not convinced by the usefulness of the first two mods, but they’ll get more use than Breathing Room unless you’re scraping your way through. However even if you’re confident in yourself, Breathing Room can help escape a shit situation without wasting a second revive. Dying mid-swarm can snowball into failure. 

Bosco 
Use the Laser Pointer to take care of priority targets when fighting. 

Tier 1 - Extra Revive or High Velocity Rounds. The revive is playing it safer, but I went with the damage because I leave so many enemies for him.

Tier 2 - Rockets.

Tier 3 - Extra Revive.

Tier 4 - Any. I’ve only used High Frequency Explosion myself and am actually more interested in the other two. Rockets are slow to recharge and occasionally unreliable. 

Tier 5 - Overcharged Rounds. This slows down enemies and will be in constant use.

 

 

Enemies

 

 

Glyphid Swarmers

The small fuckers that can shred your shields. Flames, Bosco, and the pickaxe pasteurise them. They spawn from the deep blue holes found on walls. 

Glyphid Grunt

Die to a single Power Attack with the Pickaxe. As with all Grunts, their weakpoint can be accessed by shooting them in their mouth. Will die once set alight. 

Glyphid Grunt Guard/Slasher

One of the biggest threats to your continued existence. Can (chain) stun you which is fatal. Kill ASAP and do not let them get close. 

Glyphid Radioactive Exploder

Prevalent in the third stage. Very quiet and can oneshot you. Always check your surroundings, keep on the move, and kill quickly. They take 3-4 seconds to detonate and make an inflating sound when doing so. A single, standard Pickaxe blow kills them. If done to the face, no explosion will occur. 

Glyphid Web Spitter

Purple. One hit will immobilise you. Use Dash to negate somewhat. Kill ASAP. 

Glyphid Acid Spitter

Red. Blend in with dark ceilings. Deal major damage with a high rate of fire. Kill ASAP. 

Glyphid Praetorian

Slow and fairly easy to bait, allowing you to pummel from behind. Can be devastating in enclosed spaces. Try to keep them aflame. 

Glyphid Warden

Purple pimp that buffs every enemy around it. Flamethrower and satchels are excellent for dealing with the whole entourage. 

Glyphid Oppressor

Everything said for the Praetorian applies doubly so here. Keep aflame. 

Glyphid Menace

Disappears to get the milk with enough regularity to make any father proud. Long range and high damage. Makes enough sound for you to break line of sight fairly easily. Shoot weakpoints. 

Glyphid Detonator

Do not get close. Keep aflame and actively shoot their weakspots. Break line of sight for the final explosion. 

Mactera Spawn

Deal extreme damage with pinpoint accuracy and are your biggest threat. Use Dash to escape if they catch you with your pants down. Moving forward diagonally can help dodge the tri-spit. Kill ASAP. 

Mactera Goo Bomber

Will literally shit on you. Take a long time to kill. If you see one, set it alight and then get out of there. Dash can be used to negate the slowdown. 

Mactera Grabber

High-pitched squealing signals their arrival. If grabbed, press L1 and Bosco will save you. 

Shellback

The armoured rollers. Will destroy you in enclosed spaces and send you flying in open spaces. Break armour with the Pickaxe, Impact Axes, Satchels, and Bosco Rockets. Kill ASAP. 

Spitball Infector

Giant tentacles that shoot balls of acid. Set them alight and then pistol their weakspot. You can shoot the balls to burst them. Always aim for the balls. 

Cave Leech

Arms that grab you from the sky. You’ll hear a hissing when they’re approaching you. L1 for Bosco to save you.

 

Naedocyte Breeder

Give birth to hundreds of electrical brains whose sole purpose is to piss you off. Its mouth is the weakpoint.

 

 

Stage 1: 225 Morkite / 2 Mini-Mules

 

 

A fairly simple stage. Morkite and Nitra are plentiful and the route is clear. You are likely to encounter at least one Glyphid Detonator. The hardest part is the second Mini-Mule found at the very end. 

Video and timestamps follow:

 

 

05:15 - This Cave Leech is a likely spawn.

 

06:05 - A Glyphid Detonator is a likely spawn. 

08:05 - Around here is where the Drop Pod will land if you call it in upon reaching the second Mini-Mule.

08:20 - First Mini-Mule.

10:20 - This Cave Leech only spawned here on this run, meaning it’s possible there are other potential spawns I’m unaware of. A Spitball Infector can also spawn just below the Nitra I was trying to mark.

11:45 - Demonstration of sticky flames destroying Swarmers.

16:50 - Resupply Pods can be used to deal heavy damage to slower targets in an emergency.

18:45 - This is the most dangerous area in this stage. The Mini-Mule is in a little pit at the end of the map, making the whole place a deathtrap. Dig escape routes as seen. It’s worth clearing the rocks above the pit (I didn’t bother). If you progress at a similar rate to me it’s highly likely you’ll face a Swarm in this area. Potentially two Glyphid Detonators can spawn here too, and they spawn very close to the Mini-Mule. If under attack get out of the pit and gradually retreat back the way you came as you fight. 

21:10 - Drop Pod landing zone. 


Completion time: 20:59 (this one isn't a timestamp)

 

Stage 2: On-Site Refinery / 150 Morkite (Low Oxygen)

 

Spoiler

 

By far the hardest stage. Tight spaces, dangerous drops, and Low Oxygen make this a gruelling challenge. This is really where the Driller comes into his own and helps level the playing field. 

 

 

21:40 - You will spawn immediately before one of the Pumpjacks. Call it down and then call in a Resupply Pod - you should have plenty of Nitra. The purpose of this Resupply Pod is to begin the creation of an O2 network that will largely allow you to ignore Low Oxygen. Level some of the terrain around this area to increase visibility (don’t let either the Pump or the Pod land on you whilst doing this). You’re very vulnerable in this area because there’s only one real way for you to escape if enemies come for you. Once you’re done terraforming - or if you’re under attack - head down the tunnel at 22:15. 

 

22:40 - These large Silicate Harvesters can be found throughout this stage. Kill them. Kill them all. They will get in your way. You can direct Agent Bosco to do the deed. Also listen for the beeps denoting low oxygen; you will get a first warning around 35%. 

 

23:25 - Activate this Pump and then call in a Resupply Pod and once again clear the area of debris. Watch out for the landings. Pods still refill your O2 once all of the ammo has been expended. 

 

24:20 - Check your map and begin digging a long tunnel to the Pump found before the Refinery. You can hold L1 to get a better idea of its exact location. 

 

25:15 - Now, at long last, burrow one last little tunnel through to the Refinery. Make sure it’s clean and level as you’ll be shoving your Pipeline in there later. There should be plenty of Morkite and Nitra found littered around this area - I presume the Refinery smashed through it. The Refinery also refills your Oxygen…really putting Bosco to shame right now. 

 

26:35 - Call in a third Resupply Pod around the Refinery. Three should be enough for the entire stage but don’t be afraid of calling another if necessary. You will be doing some fighting around this area as it provides cover from Mactera and Spitters. 

 

27:35 - You can use Pumps and Pods as cover.

 

29:00 - Stretch the little tunnel you made earlier so that it can fit two Pipes inside at once. Connect the first Pump and then send the next one up the long tunnel you made earlier, as seen at 30:15. Bosco can be directed to build segments for you, reclaiming his status as best bot. If you mess up a Pipe segment you can Pickaxe it to delete it. 

 

32:05 - Get the final Pipe to the Pump that you first spawned next to. This one is a little precarious as it goes between two large drops, but cuts the quickest path and provides you with another escape from the Refinery. Once all of the Pipes are built you have a railway that connects most of the map in a circuit, allowing for easier management of hostiles. 

 

34:55 - This tunnel is an excellent killzone for the flamethrower. You can also place an early Satchel down in case of emergency. Just don’t spend too long in here lest they start spawning at the opposite end of the tunnel. Grind on the Pipe to leave quickly whilst being able to turn around and shoot. 

 

39:00 - Collecting resources at the bottom of the pits is best done during enemy downtime. Remember the tunnel you made to dig back up, since being down here during a Swarm with no exit is a death sentence. 

 

40:00 - If ever you feel trapped, the Driller can quickly and comfortably make a little tunnel through pure rock to reposition.

 

42:00 - Pipe Repair affords you respite to do whatever you want. Enemy spawns are slowed and they’re fixated on the invulnerable Pipes. You’ll likely get two Repair phases. 

 

48:10 - The Drop Pod will likely land here.

 

 

Completion time: 27:17 

Total mission time: 48:16 

 

 

Stage 3 - 250 Morkite / 2 Eggs (Regenerative Bugs)

 

Spoiler

 

Similar to the first stage but slightly easier. The biggest threat here are the quiet but deadly Glyphid Radioactive Exploders. Thankfully little ol’ Steeve grew some hair on his chest and demands we address him as Steven from now on, as Regenerative Bugs positively affects him too. 

 

 

01:10 - Just to the left here, inside the rock, is the awkward place my Drop Pod lands. See the final timestamp to prepare for this one in case yours lands here too. You can open the map and actually see the area that it lands, allowing you to dig an entrance to it early.

 

03:25 - First egg. Gather the Morkite and Nitra that Bosco mined and dropped down the chasm. It’s worth clearing some of the many cobwebs in this tunnel as you’ll be attacked. 

 

05:05 - A Swarm will come for you around the five minute mark. Holding where I did gives you many exits but you risk the great pit. You could also retreat upwards or head down towards the egg again. 

 

09:30 - Dig a tunnel down there in case you fall at some point. Make sure you can actually get back up the way you came down. 

 

14:10 - Second egg. 

 

17:15 - Clear this path.

 

19:25 - Break through the radioactive crystals to destroy them.

 

23:15 - Don’t forget that your Axes exist until the literal last 5 minutes of the Dive. Because I did. Also don’t be lazy and take the risk of jumping over a group of Grunts when you could just continue backing up. I did that a few times throughout and it’s just careless. The Driller in particular can head backwards eternally since he can dig through solid rock. 

 

24:15 - The location I called for the Drop Pod. 

 

27:25 - Getting to the Drop Pod.

 

 

Completion time: 28:14 

Total mission time: 1:16:30 

 

 

So that’s everything. ?

I appreciate that it’s a lot but still believe that the finest of details might make the difference. If anybody is interested but can’t be arsed reading it all, the second stage is easily the most important part. 

 

Feels good that this will all be redundant in two days… 

 

?

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by MrFudge

[Ac3dUd3-]

This is a solid write up with a lot of it still being useful even with the DD and EDD changing each week. This weeks EDD was pretty annoying, tried it 3 times in a team as ive only got a gunner and died twice on stage 2 and the last on stage 3 on the way back to the drop pod so I am glad to not have to deal with it again, hopefully the new refresh is more tolerable. Once I get the gunner to Gold ill move on to other classes.

 

The only thing I can see in your write up is the use of the word Kite to 'kite enemies'. This is primarily a MMORPG term so there may be people who do not know what it means if you wanted to edit it, outside of that onto the new refresh. Rock and Stone Brother!

[rdhight]

Thanks very much for the detailed write-up! I was only able to get through the first stage, but the DRG reddit is saying this week's elite deep dive is on the noob-friendly side, so hopefully with your tips I can make it through.

 

Important note for everyone: You get the reward for each deep-dive stage just for completing that stage, and the Stage 1 reward is the best: the blank core. It's worth it to attack the EDD on the basis that even if you wipe in Stage 2, you got most of your pay up front!

[MrFudge]

10 hours ago, Ac3dUd3- said:

The only thing I can see in your write up is the use of the word Kite to 'kite enemies'. This is primarily a MMORPG term so there may be people who do not know what it means if you wanted to edit it

Yea I’m always conscious of the words that I use not only for this reason, but because there are plenty of non-native English speakers. 
 

However since this is just a forum post I’m not overly concerned by it. Also an hour into writing it all I got fed up and started ploughing through. You can kinda see it in the ‘Enemies’ section, where I start swearing. 
 

10 hours ago, Ac3dUd3- said:

Rock and Stone Brother!

Rock and Stone FOREVA! ⛏️

 

56 minutes ago, rdhight said:

the DRG reddit is saying this week's elite deep dive is on the noob-friendly side, so hopefully with your tips I can make it through.

 

I’m making a slightly slimmer guide for this week’s right now. Will be up tomorrow. 

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by MrFudge

[MrFudge]

I decided to make another of these given the untimely demise of the first. This will likely be the last since they take too long will only get easier as the playerbase improves and unlocks more gear. If any of my doting fans can't bear the thought of this, I'm always happy to try and help/answer questions in the future.

 

Thankfully, to the joy of all 1 people reading, my New Year's Resolution was to go on a diet and whilst my gut may well still be drooping between my legs, clearly I'm doing something right since this guide is slimmer than the last.* All the furious exercise my fingers have gotten over the past few days is clearly paying dividends to at least one of us.

 

 

Elite Deep Dive (solo): LAST GRIN

20/01/22 - 27/01/22

 

Loadout 

 

Spoiler

 

Once again I stuck with the base weapons for simplicity's sake. More information for standard gear such as the Armour Rig can be found in the original post.

 

Class: Engineer

All 3 stages will see you holding a position at one point or another, which is music to the non-existent ears of his Turrets. 

 

Passive Perk 1: Thorns

Passive Perk 2: Veteran Depositor 

Passive Perk 3: Second Wind 

 

Glyphid Swarmers will swarm all over your warm body throughout, making Thorns an excellent pick. Standing in one spot as machines do all the work is the Engineer's favourite pastime, giving the damage reduction from Veteran Depositor a real use. Remember that the Mine Head in stage 3 grants this bonus too.

 

Active Perk 1: Dash 

Active Perk 2: Beast Master 

 

Dash is always useful and will save your life if you get caught slacking by the Exploders in stage 1. Charmed beasts help take pressure off the Drilldozer by delaying the arrival of hostiles. Any enemy that does reach the Drill will become fixated by it, allowing your pal to chow on their ass for free. One almost wonders if they enjoy it. 

 

Primary Weapon: Warthog Shotgun

Packs a punch but still requires accuracy to be truly effective. Aiming for the mouths of Grunts is necessary to kill efficiently. The smallest circle within the reticle will help you utilise the surprising range of this gun. 

 

Tier 1 - Supercharged Feed Mechanism

Tier 2 - Expanded Ammo Bags 

Tier 3 - Recoil Dampener 

Tier 4 - Tungsten Coated Buckshot 

Tier 5 - Miner Adjustments 

 

Recoil Dampener helps tame the unstable nature of this gun and can make all the difference in killing Mactera. Combines well with Miner Adjustments to stop the gun from jumping out of your hands when barrel-stuffing an Oppressor's asshole. 

 

Secondary Weapon: Deepcore Grenade Launcher 

Great for deleting a large swathe at once, combining well with LUREs. Shoot mid-jump both to grant the dipping projectile a better angle and to nullify self-damage. 

 

Tier 1 - Extra Ammo

Tier 2 - Expanded Ammo Bags

Tier 3 - Pressure Wave 

Tier 4 - Concussive Blast 

Tier 5 - Spiky Grenade 

 

Since I largely use it for large groups of Grunts, I prefer more ammo over greater damage. 

 

Pickaxe

Tier 1 - Power Attack

Tier 2 - Better Weight Balance 

 

Turrets

My babies. Don't deploy them too often because ammo is limited.

 

Tier 1 - Gemini System

Tier 2 - Quick Deploy 

Tier 3 - Stun

Tier 4 - Defender System

 

Stun works well with Bosco's electrical bullets, like pumping sugar into a diabetic. Quick Deploy is essential for repositioning them, which is necessary during stage 2. Note that ammo will not refill automatically when travelling from one location to another.

 

Platform Gun

Tier 1 - Expanded Ammo Bags

Tier 2 - Plastcrete MKII 

Tier 3 - Expanded Ammo Bags

 

The more the merrier. If you understand how to utilise Repellant Additive then go for that, but I'm yet to test it. Shoot the floor if you fall from a height, but note that the Platform must fully form to negate the damage. You can use the Pickaxe to break parts off of platforms, making them easier to climb up or freeing you if you're stuck. 

 

LURE

Use to alleviate pressure. Drop one at your feet in an emergency. 

 

Armour Rig

Tier 1 - Improved Generator 

Tier 2 - Healthy 

Tier 3 - Hazmat System 

Tier 4 - Shockwave 

 

Bosco

Tier 1 - High Velocity Rounds 

Tier 2 - Rockets

Tier 3 - Extra Rocket

Tier 4 - Cryo Explosion 

Tier 5 - Overcharged Rounds 

 

Cryo Explosion is fantastic for dealing with the many Wardens, Infectors, and Menaces you will encounter. Freezes them in one hit and increases the damage dealt to them. Take at least the extra revive in T3 if unconfident. 

 

 

Enemies

 

Spoiler

 

See the original post for more information on certain enemies. Only notable enemies are mentioned below.

 

Stage 1:

Swarmers - Possible Swarmer Swarm near the end. 

Exploder - Constant presence. Be careful when digging through dirt. Can be baited to explode by standing near them briefly.

Warden - Bosco's Cryo rockets instantly stop the channeled buff.

Mactera (all) - First Swarm might consist of these.

Spitball Infector - See timestamps.

 

Stage 2:

Acid Spitter - Very dangerous to you and the Drill.

Oppressor - Deal big damage to the Drill and can prevent you from repairing it. LURE them to slow their approach.

Menace - Priority One threat to the Drill. Focus them instantly and use Bosco too. 

Spitball Infector - See timestamps.

 

Stage 3: 

Detonator - Chance to spawn near the very end.

Mactera Grabber - Same as above. 

 

 

Stage 1: 225 Morkite / Black Box (Exploder Infestation)

 

Spoiler

 

A frustratingly dark and twisted cave system made worse by the frequent Exploder spawns. It might take a few runs to actually familiarise yourself with the more intricate parts. I have thus included timestamps for each source of Morkite I found to ensure you don't find yourself lacking. 

 

 

00:15 - Demonstration of the extra distance that can be covered by jumping before Dash ends. Very useful in avoiding enemies and escaping. 

 

01:05 - Exploders aren't nearly as scary as they seem, only really posing a risk when you're not aware of them. They have a notable delay before explosion and can simply be baited by standing still. Their explosions also hurt enemies. A group of them spawn roughly every 60 seconds.

 

01:40 - Spitball Infector 

 

01:55 - Morkite (1/8)

 

02:40 - Morkite (2/8)

 

03:05 - Morkite (3/8)

 

04:10 - Morkite (4/8) and Spitball Infector 

 

06:00 - You're likely to face your first Swarm in this area. There's lots of space to move around and a nice little alcove for your Turrets. It's possible that this Swarm will consist of Macteras. 

 

07:25 - Morkite (5/8)

 

08:25 - Digging long tunnels like this is very dangerous as Exploders are quick, quiet, and may well sneak up on you. Have Bosco help dig, keep looking behind, and maybe even set up Turrets to cover you. You will also likely have to come back through this tunnel to reach the Drop Pod, so smoothing it out is a decent idea. 

 

09:05 - Morkite (6/8)

 

10:10 - There are a few holes in the ground around here. Use flares to prevent disorientation. You will have to come back this way for the Drop Pod so be careful then too. 

 

10:45 - A single Resupply Pod should be enough for the first stage. You will want to conserve as much Nitra as possible for the coming stage. Before you head towards the Black Box take two resupplies so as to have max Turret ammo. 

 

11:05 - Morkite (7/8). It's possible that you'll have enough after this one, provided you picked up every single scrap throughout. If not, fear not, there's more yet.

 

13:45 - Morkite (8/8). Just downhill from the Black Box. If you're still somehow missing some, there's one last vein just below it.

 

14:10 - Depending upon time taken and (mis)fortune, you may face another Swarm at this point. It might be full of Swarmers, which are fodder for Bosco and the Turrets. 

 

15:45 - Time to defend the Black Box. Set your Turrets up against the back wall to give them the widest operating angle. Try not to leave the area unless absolutely necessary as the progress bar will deplete very quickly. If you do have to leave, head up the hill to the left and then turn around and (Dash) jump over any enemies. Failing the event isn't the end of the world as you can retry it. Call Molly into the area as you will benefit from the damage resistance provided by Veteran Depositor. If an Oppressor spawns use LUREs to keep it away; use whatever's necessary here as you can resupply on your way back to the Drop Pod. Actively shoot Exploders so that they don't reach you - the area is small and they will create ditches all over the floor. 

 

17:50 - Whilst waiting for the Drop Pod it's a good idea to resupply so that you'll be fully loaded for stage 2. A LURE or two can be used beforehand to cover you. 

 

19:20 - Drop Pod location. Beware the tunnel just beforehand. 

 

 

Completion time: 19:56

 

 

Stage 2: Drilldozer / 150 Morkite

 

Spoiler

 

Three cheers for everybody's favourite mission-type! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! We love escort!!!

 

Knowledge of the Heartstone phases and understanding how the Drilldozer operates will be your biggest assets here. 

 

 

19:50 - There are two Morkite veins in the opening room. Make your way up to the opening ahead and you can find a load of Nitra and a little Morkite, all guarded by a Spitball Infector. Collecting all of the resources in the opening two rooms will likely take long enough for you to be attacked by a small wave. 

 

24:15 - Begin the Drill. The most important thing to understand about the Drill is that repairing it to 100% grants it a few seconds of invulnerability. This gives you a moment to kill whatever is attacking it before restarting the repair > kill > repair > kill process. Keeping bugs well away from it is also key as it slows down when surrounded by them. The left side of the Drill is always the first you'll need to protect. Getting all the way to the Heartstone with the Drill fully intact is crucial, so don't play too conservatively.

 

One unfortunately necessary tip is to avoid standing on or by the front half of the Drill when it's moving since a collision bug can occur, resulting in you either falling through the floor or being unable to interact with anything. 

 

25:10 - The Drill will go on a short journey. Stay near it at all times since there are Cave Leeches in the cave it passes through. If a Swarm attacks, quickly place at least one Turret down - facing towards the Drill is my preference. Keep an eye on the path ahead as you will quickly enter the refueling cave and another Spitball Infector is awaiting you. Kill any Menaces ASAP as they are lethal to the Drill, and keep Oppressors well away. This remains vital throughout the stage. 

 

26:10 - Upon stopping, tend to the Drill and send Bosco away to mine this Oil Shale as quickly as you can. With enough speed and some good fortune you can actually avoid facing a Swarm at this stage, although it's unlikely. In the name of haste it might be better to avoid setting up your Turrets until a Swarm attacks. At 29:25 you'll see two further chunks of Oil; the three together provide enough to fill both canisters. Throwing the canisters ahead is much quicker than simply carrying them. There's also some Morkite immediately next to the Oil found to the right of the Drill. 

 

31:20 - Once more, don't venture too far from the Drill at any point. Following it on foot might prove to be beneficial since when atop it your aim is affected by the Drill's movement and there's no chance of falling off it. Place Turrets down as necessary and recall them if it looks clear enough. 

 

32:45 - After the second long tunnel you'll enter the final area. To the left of the Heartstone is yet another Spitball Infector. Tidy up and then prepare yourself for the event. Set a Turret on each side of the Drill, but not too far away as you'll be restocking them constantly. It's a good idea to elevate them somewhat so that they can deal with threats higher up. Call in a Resupply and take what you need - a second Resupply probably isn't needed but do it if you have to; if you're a little worried and have 80+ Nitra, I'd say go for it. Bad luck during the event - meaning the toughest enemies spawn more than once - can easily doom you, and in such scenarios you want to be fully kitted. At a minimum you want to be able to resupply at least once during the event, and preferably have one node left over at the end too. There's some Morkite on the wall to the left which should be your last, but more can be found slightly to the right of the Drill's entrance if needed. 

 

Now begins the Ommoran Heartstone event. This lasts for 5 minutes and is split into 4 waves. You should hopefully have reached this point with all 3 parts of the Drill intact. Your life is far more valuable than the first part of the Drill; going down takes both yourself and Bosco out of the fight, leaving the Drill exposed to the amassing horde. It's fine to surrender the first part in order to keep yourself alive or to prepare properly for the next wave. The second part is more valuable - a safety cushion - but you still do not of course want to lose your life for it (if you die it's going to be destroyed anyway). Lose the third and final part and it's game over. 

 

You can generally repair the Drill faster than enemies can damage it - between Bosco, two Turrets, and your charmed beast you have plenty of firepower to cover you. There are however some major threats to this: Menaces, Spitters, Oppressors, and to a lesser extent Macteras and Praetorians. All of these can inflict serious damage to you whilst you repair. Menaces and Spitters can sit high up on the dark ceiling and you'll need to mark them with Bosco and use your Grenade Launcher to take them out ASAP. Don't let Oppressors get close to the Drill; distract them with LUREs if necessary and actively shoot them yourself since their HP is too high for your minions to deal with alone. Call Molly next to the Drill and you can benefit from her Veteran Depositor damage resistance whilst repairing. 

 

Wave 1 (35:15) - A Swarm will spawn. This is as simple as it gets and you should only lose a Drill part if you have bad luck with the creatures that spawn. Keep away from the Drill as the wave ends else you'll be hit by the shockwave - this goes for the end of every wave. 

 

Wave 2 (36:05) - This is the most dangerous wave in which giant red Rocks will directly attack the Drill for 30 seconds. You want to be fully prepared for this wave as failing to keep on top of the Rocks will be devastating - be ready to shoot them the moment they begin spawning at the start of the wave. You can see me sacrifice the first part of the Drill so as to restock my Turrets before it begins. Thankfully both of your weapons are capable of dealing with the Rocks. You can even stand atop the Drill to get yourself closer to them, although this runs the risk of being hit by one and hurt severely. Once the progress bar at the top reaches about halfway through the segment, the Rocks will cease - I faced 8 in total. 

 

Wave 3 (37:10) - Similar to the first wave. A Swarm will attack. Just keep on top of the priority threats and don't forget about the Drill. Make sure you have Turret ammo before the final wave begins. 

 

Wave 4 (38:30) - Large red Beamers that emit - shockingly - beams will rise out of the ground. Individually they don't actually inflict that much damage, but you still want to prevent too many of them existing at once. This is where the 100% repair > kill > repair strategy really shines. Whilst the Drill is momentarily invincible, you have three options: 1. Run over to a Beamer and Pickaxe it, making use of Dash and Power Attack; 2. Direct Bosco to destroy them; 3. Shoot the tip with your Grenade Launcher - earns you bonus style points. If mining them yourself, consider throwing a LURE down whilst you're away. If you're on top of things you'll reach a point where it's impossible for the existing enemies to do enough damage in the time remaining and you can just sit back and watch the show. 

 

41:50 - Drop Pod location. Stick to Molly's path on the way here to avoid any undiscovered Cave Leeches. Platforms cannot be attached to the ramp of the Drop Pod. You can Platform yourself up the left wall rather than taking the convoluted route I took provided no enemies spawn there. 

 

 

Completion time: 22:55

Total mission time: 42:51

 

 

Stage 3: 7 Aquarqs / 2 Eggs (Regenerative Bugs)

 

Spoiler

 

A curious stage allowing you to either sit back and relax as Bosco does all of the heavy lifting, or to fight for your life as Bosco meanders about and admires pretty crystals. Time is of the essence here, as enemy spawns progressively increase the longer you stay. The turrets on the Mine Head also have finite ammo. Bosco should be out collecting Aquarq almost constantly.

 

There is a strategy to collecting the Eggs, info below. When carrying an item Bosco will not let go of it until you tell him to with L1. If he drops something you can use the Laser Pointer to kindly ask him to pick it back up. 

 

Regenerative Bugs positively affects your very own Steeve. 

 

 

42:35 - The Mine Head is located at the top of the cliff and is where you'll be for the entire stage. Get up there quickly but beware the enemies that spawn instantly. Once up on the cliff, place a load of Platforms below to save you from any falls. 

 

42:55 - Aquarq (1/7) 

 

43:50 - Bosco can throw Aquarq to you by pressing L1 when you're close enough.

 

44:00 - Aquarq (2/7)

 

44:15 - Call in as many Resupply Pods as you can around the Mine Head (separate them) and then set up your Turrets. This area is great to defend as it's open and spacious. The Mine Head has turrets of its own and grants you damage resistance when close thanks to Veteran Depositor. Three Nitra veins can be found nearby; two on the back wall and one as seen at 45:55 

 

44:35 - Aquarq (3/7). You should obtain this one whilst Bosco is away. 

 

45:00 - Aquarq (4/7). Get this one yourself too. 

 

45:40 - Aquarq (5/7)

 

47:15 - Aquarq (6/7) 

 

49:05 - Aquarq (7/7). You can get this yourself but it's probably best to let Bosco do it. 

 

50:25 - Both Eggs can be seen here. One of these is guaranteed to summon a Swarm. It's crucial that you have Bosco excavate these either at the very beginning of the stage or immediately after another Swarm has ended. Doing so at any other time risks having two Swarms overlap at once, which is pure chaos and is what happened to me. 

 

55:20 - Enemies spawn relentlessly by this point, so just get the last Egg handed in and then GTFO, which is an acronym for Call In The Drop Pod. A Detonator might spawn around this time, although it will not benefit from Regenerative Bugs. Mactera Grabbers can be spotted and shotted too. 

 

57:55 - Drop Pod location. Doors open the moment it lands. 

 

58:15 - Press R3 

 

 

Completion time: 15:49 

Total mission time: 58:40 

 

 

 

* I lied.

[rdhight]

Thanks for the guide. I was able to complete EDD today, and this was helpful.

 

A few more general tips:

• Don't pay too much attention to online assessments of whether a certain deep dive is easy or hard. Reddit is full of people talking across each other: "This is one of the easier ones," "How can you call this easy when it has escort mission," "Stage 2 is cancer," etc. Try it for yourself. Even if you only get through Stage 1, you get the blank core.
• Think damage. Focus your builds, overclocks, and choices on that at first (in a broad sense — accuracy, ammo count, blowthrough rounds, etc. can be damage too). I failed the EDD a couple times on a full team because it just wanted damage output we didn't have. We had too many scouts playing peek-ahead games and getting killed by spitters or leeches, and then we just couldn't kill fast enough to make a revive possible. There will be times you need to have the whole team together and firing their weapons full-blast.
• Don't get discouraged. Every class has problem maps, problem objectives, etc. It feels impossible until suddenly it doesn't. Good luck!

[MrFudge]

9 hours ago, rdhight said:

Don't pay too much attention to online assessments of whether a certain deep dive is easy or hard. Reddit is full of people talking across each other: "This is one of the easier ones," "How can you call this easy when it has escort mission," "Stage 2 is cancer," etc. Try it for yourself. 

Definitely agree with this. 

 

Saw this exchange on the weekly DD Reddit thread:

 

Comment: “Is it me or does the EDD seem easier than the normal for some reason?” 
 

Reply #1: “The EDD took me 3 tries. It’s never taken me 3 tries. Statistically this was the hardest EDD I’ve ever done!” 
 

Reply #2: “This comment happens each week. Luck plays a big part with dives.” 
 

So yeah. The first time I did stage 3 it was so easy I barely fired a bullet. The next 3 runs it was mayhem. 

[rdhight]

I got Deep for Speed this week on the regular dive with a whole 14 seconds to spare!

 

There's no reason we couldn't have finished a lot faster. One guy was going all over creation looking for gold to mine, and then they started playing grabass with friendly fire on the ramp to the final drop pod. The point extractions lend themselves to going fast, and the wellheads are close on Stage 2.