Of course, Guardian! Let's get you that sweet, sweet loot. The Vanguard Vault in the Zero Hour mission is one of the most challenging but rewarding puzzles in Destiny 2. It's not a single, one-and-done solution. Instead, it's a multi-week, multi-run puzzle tied to upgrading your crafted Outbreak Perfected. Let's break it all down, step by step.
Step 1: Get Ready to Dive into the Depths of the Old Tower
Before we even talk about the vault, let's make sure you're properly equipped. The Zero Hour mission is a time-gated, puzzle-filled exotic quest with a 20-minute timer on Legend difficulty (and a more relaxed 40 minutes on Normal). It's a high-stakes race against the clock, so you need a fireteam you can trust, a solid loadout, and a good understanding of the jumping puzzles.
Gather Your Fireteam: While the mission can be soloed, it's significantly easier and more enjoyable with a fireteam of three. Communication is key for the puzzles.
Prepare Your Loadout: You'll face a variety of shielded enemies (Void, Arc, and Solar), so make sure you have weapons that can handle all three. A good mix would be a Void weapon for the first area, an Arc weapon for the second, and a Solar weapon for the Fallen Walker encounter. Outbreak Perfected is a fantastic choice, and you'll be using it for parts of the puzzle itself.
Know the Route: If you're new to Zero Hour, do a few runs on Normal difficulty just to get the layout of the mission down. The jumping puzzles and the infamous TR3-VR section can be a real pain if you're not familiar with them.
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| How To Open Vanguard Vault Zero Hour |
Step 2: Understand the Vault and Its Purpose
The "Vanguard Vault" isn't a single door you unlock with a key. It's a puzzle room in the latter half of the Zero Hour mission. Completing this puzzle is how you unlock the Intrinsic upgrades, magazine, barrel, and stock options for your crafted Outbreak Perfected.
There are three separate vault puzzles, and they are tied to a weekly rotation of elemental threats (Arc, Void, and Solar). You need to complete all three puzzles to get all of the available upgrades for your weapon.
The SIVA Console Puzzle: Before you even get to the vault room, you'll need to solve a precursor puzzle at a SIVA console. This console displays a schematic with a square and four red lights. This is your key to unlocking the vault room's puzzles.
The Weekly Rotation: The puzzle sequence changes each week. The element of the day (displayed in the modifiers for the mission) determines which puzzle is active. So, if you want to complete all three, you'll need to run the mission on three different weeks.
Step 3: Solving the SIVA Console Puzzle
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This is the first big hurdle and a crucial step to even access the vault puzzles. The SIVA console is located on the left side of the room as you enter the vault area. The panel on the screen shows a square with nodes and a corresponding shape in the center.
Your Task: The goal is to activate a series of hidden nodes in the correct order. The panel on the console shows you the sequence. The arrows and filled-in nodes on the schematic correspond to the locations of the hidden nodes you need to shoot.
Variety is the Spice of Life: The locations and sequences change each week, so you'll need to look up the current week's solution.
The Payoff: Successfully completing this sequence will unlock a blue shield door in the vault room, granting you access to one of the three inner vaults.
Step 4: Conquering the Vault Puzzles
Once you've unlocked one of the vault rooms, you'll find a new puzzle waiting for you. Inside each vault are several consoles. You need to activate them in the correct sequence.
The Schematic is Your Guide: The console screen in the main vault room now shows a different schematic, indicating which vault you've unlocked and the order you need to activate the consoles within it.
Pay Attention to the Arrows: The arrows on the schematic point to the consoles you need to activate, and the sequence matters. It's often a mix of consoles inside the open vault and others outside in the main vault room.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: This is where communication with your fireteam is vital. Call out which console you're activating and make sure everyone is on the same page to avoid mistakes.
Week 1 (Square Vault): The first week's puzzle typically involves a sequence of consoles both inside and outside the newly unlocked "square" room.
Week 2 and 3 (Other Vaults): Subsequent weeks will unlock different vaults with their own unique sequences.
Step 5: Finishing the Mission for Your Rewards
Once you've successfully completed the vault puzzle for the week, you don't necessarily have to finish the mission to get the credit for the puzzle. You can "bank" the puzzle completion and then complete the mission later on.
Normal vs. Legend: The vault puzzles and the associated upgrades can be unlocked on Normal difficulty, which is much more forgiving with its time limit. The Legend difficulty is primarily for earning the catalyst and unlocking the "Intrinsic" perks, which are tied to a separate set of switches in the mission.
Claim Your Rewards: After completing the mission on the appropriate difficulty with the puzzle solved, head back to Ada-1 in the Tower Annex. She will give you the quest steps to apply the unlocked upgrades to your crafted Outbreak Perfected.
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10 Related FAQs
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How to start the Zero Hour mission?
You can launch the Zero Hour mission from the "Into the Light" section of your Director. The quest, "Asset Protection," is acquired from Ada-1 in the Tower Annex.
How to get the Outbreak Perfected catalyst?
To get the Outbreak Perfected catalyst, you need to complete the Zero Hour mission on Legend difficulty.
How to find the hidden switches in Zero Hour Legend?
The hidden switches are located in various places throughout the mission, and their locations are tied to the weekly element. Look for them in areas like the ventilation shafts and the outdoor platforms.
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How to get all of the Outbreak Perfected perks?
To get all of the available perks for your crafted Outbreak Perfected, you need to complete the weekly vault puzzles on Normal difficulty and the weekly switch puzzles on Legend difficulty.
How to beat TR3-VR?
You can't "beat" TR3-VR, the sweeper bot. You have to navigate the maze-like room and activate the switches to open the door, all while avoiding his deadly path.
How to solve the Zero Hour fire floor puzzle?
The fire floor puzzle has different patterns based on the daily elemental threat. You can find community-made infographics online that show the safe path for each element and difficulty.
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How to get a fireteam for Zero Hour?
You can use the in-game Fireteam Finder, third-party apps like the Destiny 2 Companion App, or community-run LFG Discord servers to find a fireteam.
How to get the ship schematic from Zero Hour?
Completing the weekly vault puzzles also progresses a triumph that rewards you with the ship schematic for your ship.
How to make the jumping puzzle easier?
Using a subclass with good mobility, like a Hunter's Triple Jump or a Titan's Lion Rampant Exotic armor, can make the jumping puzzles much easier.
How to know which vault puzzle is active?
Check the Zero Hour mission in the Director. The daily elemental threat (Arc, Void, or Solar) will be listed as a modifier, telling you which puzzle is currently active.
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