The Episode: Echoes rework of a classic Nessus strike, re-taught in modern Grandmaster Vanguard Alert language. Ride Heavy Pikes across the Arcadian Valley to the wreck of the Exodus Black, feed Arc charges into the security generators, manage champion frame coverage instead of old Artifact mods, and finish Pykis, House Salvation — a Marauder who teleports out at half health and pulls in Vex before you resummon and kill him. Open-field sightlines on the way in, a disappearing target at the end.
Exodus Crash is a Nessus Fallen strike — a track-and-clear approach through open valley to a downed ship, then a boss who won't hold still. In a Grandmaster Alert its danger isn't the layout, it's the Arc-electrified ground the Overcharge Shanks leave behind and the add + champion pressure while you fight to resummon Pykis after he teleports. Treat the approach as sightline management and the boss room as patience, not a DPS race.
The one-sentence identity
Ride the Pikes through the Arcadian Valley to the Exodus Black, hack the Arc-energy siphon, feed Arc charges into the security generators, drop the Fallen Walker, then expose and burn Pykis, House Salvation in the window before he teleports out and pulls in Vex.
Everything you bring serves three jobs: survive the open lanes, cover the champion types present, and land burst on Pykis the moment he's exposed. Build for those, not for the trash.
What old guides get wrong
They tell you to slot a seasonal anti-Champion Artifact mod. Stun is frame-intrinsic now — bring the right archetypes (weapon guide).
They quote a fixed champion list. GM champion types and counts follow the weekly modifier set.
They name a specific Adept reward. The chase is the weekly Tier 5 weapon, and it changes every reset.
They describe the Thaviks / House of Dusk fight as current. That's the legacy strike — Episode: Echoes reworked it: the live boss is Pykis, House Salvation, fought alongside Vex.
01 · Champion Coverage
Cover the frames, not the mods
Anti-Champion is built into weapon frames now — there's no Artifact mod to forget. Bring archetypes that cover the types the week assigns. Exodus Crash now fields House Salvation Fallen and Nessian Schism Vex. Champion types follow the weekly modifier set.
Seen here
Barrier
› Pierce / break the shield
A Fallen Barrier Servitor can shield itself and make nearby Sniper Shanks immune. Bring a Barrier-intrinsic frame to strip it, then finish — kill the Servitor and the snipers become killable again.
Most common here
Overload
› Disrupt to stop the heal
This strike is noted as Overload-heavy — expect Overload Captains in the Ghost-hack room and along the route. They regenerate and teleport; an Overload frame interrupts them so they stop healing. Focus them first.
Per weekly modifier set
Unstoppable
› Stagger before it closes
Champion types follow the weekly modifier set. If the launch screen lists Unstoppable, bring an Unstoppable frame and stagger at range before it reaches you.
The modifier readout, every time: (1) enemy pressure — which champions, shields, and faction units; (2) weekly modifiers — surge, threat, banes, player stakes; (3) the single modifier most likely to wipe a casual team; (4) one build swap that answers it. Run that readout on the launch screen before every GM Alert. Champion types follow the weekly modifier set. The hub's modifier glossary explains Medusa, Focused Fire, and the rest.
02 · The Route
The Exodus Black, top to bottom
Five beats: Pike in to the Crash Site, hack the Arc-energy siphon while you defend Ghost, work the Arc charges at the Exodus Black wreck, destroy the Fallen Walker, then fight Pykis. The approach is open Nessus terrain — the skill is sightline control — and the boss is a patience test, not a burn. Here's the route at a glance; each beat below carries its own notes.
Mount the Heavy Pikes and ride across the Arcadian Valley to the Crash Site, then dismount and break the House Salvation defense — a Brig anchors it — before the Compelled Vex arrive.
Kill the Elite Hydra for an Arc charge and deposit it into the machine to lower the initial barrier, then hold the first piece of hard cover and let the team stack.
Thin Dregs, Marauders, and Shanks early — the cheap kills snowball into chip damage on the long Nessus sightlines if ignored.
PaceThis beat is forgiving on Normal and lethal on GM only if you sprint blind across the open valley. Move as a group, cover-to-cover; a hero rush here burns a revive token you'll want at Pykis.
ThreatMatch the weekly threat element with a resist mod before the first real fight — and expect Arc from Shanks throughout, so an Arc resist is rarely wasted here.
2
Beat · Defend the Arc-Siphon Hack
The Siphon Hold
"Stand your ground while the ground turns against you."
The loop
At the maze center, hold position while Ghost hacks the Arc-energy siphon, fending off the incoming House Salvation waves — including a Warrior's Enforcer.
Watch the floor: Overcharge / Exploder Shanks electrify the ground with Arc — don't stand in the puddles, reposition out of them.
Clear the wave that's actually threatening Ghost first; don't chase kills off the plate and leave the hack undefended.
ChampionThis is a likely Overload Captain spawn zone. Call the type out, interrupt with an Overload frame, and don't let it heal back through your add-clear.
Arc groundThe electrified ground left by Overcharge Shanks is a silent killer in GM — it chips while you're focused on the wave. Keep moving, never plant your feet in a glowing puddle.
ScoreIf a scoring modifier is up, the siphon hold banks points safely — but a wipe costs more than a slow hack. Clean beats quick.
3
Beat · The Exodus Black
The Wreck Generators
"Charge the grid, grab the cannon, drop the wall."
The loop
Fight past a Disciple of Kridis and into the downed Exodus Black. The way forward sits behind Arc-charged barriers.
Kill the Elite Compelled Minotaurs to drop Arc charges, then deposit them into the generator to power the grid.
That opens access to a Scorch Cannon — turn it on the next generator to disable its barrier and push toward the Glade.
VexThe Elite Compelled Minotaurs are the objective, not a distraction — they carry the Arc charges that unlock the room. Stagger them with an Overload frame and focus them down.
CannonDon't burn the Scorch Cannon on trash — it's for the generator barrier. Drop it and it returns to the pickup, so reset rather than panic if you lose it.
4
Beat · The Fallen Walker
The Glade Walker
"A Spider Tank in the open — make it a cover problem."
The loop
In the Glade of Echoes, take down the Fallen Assault Walker (Spider Tank) — using the provided Heavy Pikes for extra damage and mobility, then push the dark cave toward the Exodus Black's Aft.
Shoot the legs to stagger, then dump damage into the exposed core; keep moving so the main cannon can't track you.
Use terrain to break line of sight between volleys — the Walker punishes standing still in the open.
CannonThe Walker's main gun is a one-shot threat in GM. Always have a piece of cover within a dodge, and never tank a volley to squeeze one more burst.
CoverThe Walker punishes the open Glade. Break line of sight between volleys and chunk it with the provided Heavy Pikes rather than standing in the main cannon's lane.
AmmoThis is the last calm stretch before the boss. Top up Special and Heavy, agree who grabs bricks, and don't dump everything on the Walker if you can chunk it with Pikes.
5
Boss · The Exodus Black, Aft
Pykis, House Salvation
"His health bar isn't the threat — his vanishing act is."
The loop
Push into the Aft of the Exodus Black and clear the Shanks to draw out Pykis, House Salvation. He opens at range with a Shrapnel Launcher, melees up close, and is backed by Fallen reinforcements.
At 50% health he teleports out of the arena and Vex begin to spawn — you can't touch him while he's gone, so the fight becomes a resummon puzzle.
Destroy the Elite Compelled Hydra to drop an Arc charge, then deposit it into one of the three generators around the room to summon Pykis back.
He returns wielding Shock Blades and pushes harder, chasing Guardians. Kite him — keep your spacing, don't get cornered into his swings — and burn him down to finish the strike.
Cut down the Overcharge / Sniper Shanks on sight during every phase; the adds and the Arc ground they leave, not Pykis, are what break you. Bank a revive token in reserve for the final stretch.
Arc floorThe Overcharge Shanks' electrified ground is the #1 cause of death here. Watch where you step while working the resummon — don't back into a puddle while repositioning.
TimingDon't dump your Super or Heavy as he nears 50% — he'll teleport out and you'll be empty for the resummon. Save burst for clean phase-one damage and the final phase-two push.
MeleeOnce he returns with the Shock Blades he hits hard up close and pushes you. Kite, don't trade. Closing distance to "finish him faster" is how teams eat a melee and go down.
ResummonThe Hydra → Arc charge → generator loop is the core mechanic, not optional: Pykis won't reappear until a charge goes into a generator. Assign one player to the Hydra and the deposit while the rest hold the Vex and Shanks off.
Map · Pykis' ArenaBoss · Exodus Black, Aft
Arc groundCoverShank spawner / addBoss
03 · Loadout by Role
Bring four jobs, not four guns
A GM team is happiest when each player owns a job. Full build cards live in the Warlock, Titan, and Hunter class guides and the Prismatic deep dive — these are the jobs to fill and the archetypes that fill them. Names rotate with the meta; the jobs don't.
Anchor / Control
Room control + self-sustain
Hold space on the hack and keep the team topped through add waves.
Warlock — Void Devour or the Prismatic Getaway loop.
Titan — Strand Banner of War for team woven mail.
A reliable add-clear Primary that respects the surge.
Champion Lock
Frame coverage
Carry the intrinsic stuns the week assigns.
Overload + Barrier frames as the baseline here.
Add an Unstoppable frame on weeks the launch screen lists it.
See the weapon guide for which archetypes carry each stun.
Boss Burst
Damage in the exposed windows
Burst windows beat sustained DPS — Pykis teleports out at half health.
Hunter — Nighthawk Golden Gun for a clean single-shot nuke when he's exposed.
Titan — Thundercrash as a burst swap.
A heavy you can fire-and-reposition (rocket / LFR) for the brief windows.
Emergency Support
Safe revive / reset
The insurance that saves a token.
Hunter — Void invis (Gyrfalcon / Omnioculus) for safe rezzes.
A healing or overshield tool for the hack and boss room.
A debuff (Tractor / Div) to make the short Pykis windows count.
Loadout note: these are the mid-2026 (Monument-era) jobs and archetypes — match the weekly surge when you pick your elements. For full, current builds, the class pages go deeper than any single route guide.
04 · Modifier Adjustment
What changes when the modifiers do
The route is evergreen, but the week's modifiers decide how you play it. The most common GM swings and the one adjustment each one asks for:
Medusa
Looking at affected enemies stacks Stasis slow toward a freeze. Deadly on the open Nessus lanes — shorten sightlines, peek-and-cover, and never hard-scope a Sniper-Shank lane you can't disengage from.
No Radar / Blackout
You lose your spawn warnings and melees hit harder — punishing when Pykis returns swinging or the Vex flank you. Clear corners before committing, hold cover near the spawners, and call positions by voice.
Focused Fire
Heightened incoming damage. Tighten cover discipline everywhere and shorten your exposure windows — peek, fire, drop back. The Arc ground and snipers are twice as punishing under it.
Harsh threat / surge
Slot the matching resist mod for the threat element (Arc is common here) and match your DPS element to the surge for the short Pykis windows. A mismatched surge can add whole expose-and-burn cycles.
Champion types follow the weekly modifier set: the exact champions, banes, surge, threat, and player stakes come from the week's GM Alert modifier list, shown on the launch screen.
05 · Common Wipes
Why teams actually lose this
Almost none of it is the boss's health bar. Exodus Crash wipes groups in four predictable ways — kill these habits and the run is yours.
1
Standing in the Arc ground
The electrified puddles left by Overcharge / Exploder Shanks during the hack and boss phases chip you out while you're focused elsewhere. Watch your feet, reposition out of the glow, and never plant in it.
2
Eating the Shock Blades
After Pykis returns with the Shock Blades, closing distance instead of kiting gets you caught. Keep your spacing — kite him, don't trade swings to "finish him faster."
3
Mistiming the damage window
Dumping Supers and Heavy as Pykis teleports out at 50%wastes the window. He's only vulnerable while he's present — confirm he's committed before you spend, or you'll be empty for the resummon.
4
Drowning in adds & champions
Overload Captains and Minotaurs, a Barrier Servitor making Sniper Shanks immune, plus the Vex that pour in at the boss overwhelm teams during the Walker and boss phases. Cover the champion frames, kill the Servitor to free the snipers, and don't let the adds stack.
Weekly reward: when Exodus Crash is the active Grandmaster Alert, a Grade B or better clear awards the week's featured weapon at Tier 5 (first clear pre-masterworked with its origin trait). The weapon changes weekly — this route is evergreen, the reward is not. See the hub reward ladder.
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