That is "Panic Shield", not bug. You can see detail in below.
Explanation of Thargoid Shields and related mechanics
wiki.antixenoinitiative.com
I did read that, but the Orthus has no hearts so
shouldn't ever regenerate the shield, right? With regular Interceptors, shield regeneration is the norm - at least in my limited experience. The Orthrus however, isn't supposed to regenerate, from what I've read. Indeed, it'll naturally deplete over time after it appears.
Might be one on this channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@hughjardon3538
I think I remember him posting something about Anaconda builds a long time ago. I've never watched, though.
Thanks for the suggestion, but I couldn't find the video there. I'm surprised my searches haven't found it. The video was trying to be META by using 6x regular Guardian Plasma Chargers as the quickest way to take down an Orthrus. Literally, for them, it was something like three fully-charged volleys to take one down, moments after it arrived in the instance - so, it was shielded. I only stumbled on the video after watching various other Thargoid vids. I did not recognise the Youtuber, but as the video mentioned it being the quickest way to take down Orthrus at Spire sites, I watched it.
The video was explicit about using the Anaconda due to it being able to take four Class 3 Guardian Plasma Chargers and two Class 2 utilising the larger Experimental Weapon Stabiliser. As AX Missiles were quite slow at killing an Orthrus solo, I of course followed the advice, did the work to unlock the Guardian Plasma Chargers, then tweaked my current AX Anaconda - built to loot Titan wreck sites - to fit them. To say I've been disappointed in the results is an understatement.
Note: I do wonder if it was simply outdated information as other advice hasn't panned out either. For example, using Cytoscramblers to take down the Orthrus' shield quickly simply did not work as they did only tiny amounts of damage - I use Cytoscramblers in several other builds, so I know how good they
can be. Additionally, the effect that deals DoT to Guardian modules, the video stated that the effect is
rare at Spire sites, and they don't often use it. For me, it did massive, constant damage once it started, and I was totally unable to repair the Guardian Modules - game would not let me, and I know how to use an AFMU!
Note 2: I did find a Commander Mechan video (
here) that seems to be very much along the same lines. However, he is talking about the "special" pre-engineered C2 Guardian Plasma Charger, though the EDSY link in his video lists the
regular ones. This is very similar to the video I watched, but that was explicitly showing the regular Plasma Charger, not the pre-engineered one. It did use Cytoscramblers too though. So, the videos offered very similar advice, but I suspect Commander Mechan's is newer. However, Commander Mechan does also state how the shut down and anti-guardian field effects are
rare, for
incoming (black cloud) Orthrus, which is not my experience at all. We wait carefully for an Orthrus appearing from a black cloud. We then engage and 90% of the time it WILL do a shut-down field pulse, only once though. Guardian weapons will then melt, quickly, and my AFMU (4A) will never repair them.
Commander Mechan's videos are great, so it'd good that he gives similar advice to the video I watched, albeit using the newer pre-engineered Guardian Plasma Chargers. While the Engineered Plasma Chargers are no doubt significantly better - Commander Mechan state three volleys on an Orthrus once the shields are down will kill it - I'd still expect the
regular Plasma Chargers to do at least some damage. Even with the Orthrus' shield down, I was dealing next to no damage.
I might try an mirror Commander Mechan's build
perfectly, though I really don't want to unlock six of the pre-engineered Plasma Chargers, as it costs materials (that I'm low on) for each of them. That other video (the one I cannot find) using
regular Plasma Chargers
seemed to be the perfect solution, as I just needed the material unlock
once, and I already had weapon BP's.
sigh I wasted two Guardian Weapon BP's on the useless regular Plasma Charger, and I'd need to do a Guardian site to get more. I FUDGING HATE the Guardian sites. I've not done one for year at this point, but they were SOOOOOO buggy back then. I'd so often NOT get the BP at the end due to bugs, it infuriates me. I'd promised myself NEVER to do one again. I should have loads of spare weapon BP's, but the bugs at the time denied me. Frustrating! I hate the grind we have to do to access certain things. I hate it more when I do it, but the game bugs out.
You know, I might followed Commander Mechan's build, but replace the pre-engineered Plasma Chargers with regular AX Missiles. Five AX Missiles on my Krait do pretty well, so SIX of them plus Cytoscramblers - if I can get them to work - might be enough. AX Missiles vs. hull are fairly good, vs. shields not so much. If I can get Cytoscramblers working, then that should make that build pretty decent.
