For every round number ending in 6 (aka, 6, 16, 26, 26, and 46), a portal will spawn, allowing your Fireteam to invade a Pyramid ship. The first time, you must defeat a few enemies to charge a Spark Charge, then escort it to a heavily defended point at the end of a long hallway. The mechanic is pulled straight out of Rift, but an invulnerable mini-boss tier enemy is guarding the delivery point, so it’s best to have your carrier deliver it as quickly as possible to wipe out all enemies in one fell swoop. If you can, use Voidstalker Smoke Bombs to turn them invisible as they get close.
Every tenth round is a boss fight within the Pyramid ship. In most cases, it’s best to hang back near the spawn point focus fire and burn the boss down as quickly as possible so all of the lesser enemies despawn. Just be careful not to get a full wipe. In the Playlist version of Onslaught, the match ends once the boss is slain and you claim the rewards chest. In the other version, after claiming your rewards, you return to a new ADU spawn point, set up defenses there, and continue your run at a more difficult tier. If you complete Wave 50, that’s the end.
Onslaught Tips
Power Is Fixed
Don’t worry about your power level! Per the activity modifiers, “power is fixed and starts at 10 below opponents” then “power decreases by 5 with each set.” In other words, you don’t need to keep your power level as high as possible. Your level and the overall difficulty scales accordingly.
Always Deposit ADU Batteries
Even if the ADU is in full health, depositing Batteries still generates Scrap, so be sure never to let one go to waste. You can also throw them with a tracking lob, so if you hurl them higher up in the air, they’ll gently track toward the ADU. And if you miss the ADU, they’ll just drop in place and can be picked up again.
Always Do Bonus Objectives
You technically don’t have to complete bonus objectives during Onslaught, but they’re very easy to accomplish, especially in earlier waves. The heavy ammo reward is always helpful. If you’re feeling the pressure in later rounds, however, that’s when you can consider skipping.
Don’t Hoard Heavy Ammo
Heavy ammo still drops from typical sources. While it may be tempting to hoard it for larger enemies and the bosses, there’s a rally point right before every boss in the tenth round. You’re far better off using your heavy ammo rather than letting purple bricks go to waste, and you’re even better off using it in a pinch to protect the ADU from taking any damage.