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Bethesda’s galactic RPGStarfieldthrows players into an immersive galaxy littered with explorable locations, interactable companions, and joinable factions. While the main story will see players joining the exploration group the Constellation, players will also have the opportunity to affiliate themselves with many of the other groups in the game, including the United Colonies Navy and the Crimson Fleet. Joining any of the factions inStarfieldwill unlock new missions and new contacts for players to interact with on their playthrough.
If players decide to join the United Colonies Navy on New Atlantis, they could see themselves running into one of the game’s most nightmarish creatures, the Terrormorph. This guide will go through the main steps of the Grunt Work mission, and how to defeat the terrible beast at the end of the quest.
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Starting ‘Grunt Work’
After making introductions with the members of Constellation, players will follow Sarah Morgan at the start of a main mission. This involves checking in with Sarah’s UC contact, Commander Tuala. Tuala will mention that the UC Vanguard, a division of volunteer pilots, is accepting new members, and joining up could provide benefits such as income, property, and even citizenship. If players decide to delay the main mission and select replies that align with joining the Vanguard, they will gain access to theVanguard headquarters and UC-affiliated missions.
After a brief piloting test and a trip through the UC history museum, players canreapproach Tuala and accept their first missionas a volunteer captain for the UC Vanguard. This introductory mission is a simple check-in with a newer colony located in the Tau Ceti system. Before departing New Atlantis, players will need to first findCrew Chief Kane Herathat the spaceport to pick up their UC welcome kit. They can fast travel back to their ship after accepting the mission from Commander Tuala and will find Herath nearby. After a quick conversation, players can return to their ship and begin the trip to Tau Ceti II.
Finding the Tau Ceti II Colony
Once players are finished talking to the crew chief, they will need to make their way to the Tau Ceti system, which can be found to thedirect galactic West of Alpha Centauri. After fast traveling to the system, players should locate themselves above Tau Ceti II and land at the Tau Gourmet Production Center. After landing, players will find that the facility and its nearby security center are abandoned. Empty, powerless ships and dead bodies are scattered throughout. While exploring the area,Sarah Morgan will commenton how everyone is dead or gone, but all of their belongings and valuables are still in place. She hints that players may soon encounter something worse than pirates.
Upon approaching the main building of the facility, a horrifying alien screech will ring out. A voice begins speaking to players over the radio, urging them to hurry inside andmeet on the second floor of the facility. Head inside and chat with the woman, a UC researcher named Hadrian.
Hadrian will explain that the colony was attacked by a terrormorph, a Xenoweapon created during the Colony War that was so devastating that it helped inspire the peace treaty. Hadrian continues to explain that even since the war ended, terrormorphs still tend to pop up anywhere colonists settle. This usually happens after 70-100 years, but this terrormorph arrived after only 20 years, giving it the element of surprise and leading to the colony’s decimation. Due to this early arrival, Hadrian asks players to acquire a tissue sample from the terrormorph so that she can analyze why this monster arrived on Tau Ceti so early. The only way to acquire this sample is to dispatch the terrormorph.
It is recommended at this point that players double-check their inventory and ensure they are not encumbered. The next few steps of the mission will involve lots of movement, and running out of oxygen while being chased is a guaranteed way to die. Quick transfer items to the cargo hold or trade with the companion if close to or over max carrying weight.
Powering the Security Systems
After the player agrees to help acquire the tissue sample, head back to the security outpost. Players will find a computer terminal on the ground floor of the middle building of the outpost.Activate the computer and reset the security systems. With the system reset, head into the adjoining room to the other computer terminal. While Hadrian is explaining the tracking system over the comms, loot the dead UC Marine and storage/ammo crates throughout the room. Hadrian will give players atracking frequency of 183.5that players need to input on the computer adjacent to the deceased marine. Once the tracking frequency is set, the facility will go into a lockdown, and the noise from the booting of the system will draw in the terrormorph.
With the tracking system activated, players will get a distance designation in the top right corner of their screen, accompanied by an audio indicator that will begin pinging with increased speed and intensity as the terrormorph gets close. At this point, players are free to engage the terrormorph. However, it ishighly recommended that players complete part of the optional step to activate the auto turrets and create kill lanes.
Even with good weapons and armor and a level advantage, terrormorphs are ferocious beings that move with incredible speed, and can burrow underground to retreat or change their approach strategy. The auto-turrets provide consistent damage and will give players the edge needed to take down this monster. Players can choose to sneak through the whole security outpost and set up all three kill lanes, providing the best advantage in the upcoming fight, or turn on just one kill lane and begin the fight.
To activate the turrets, players will need to interact with power breakers scattered throughout the outpost. The power breaker locations are as follows:
First Kill Lane
The first power breaker is locatednear the reset terminal in the main building. Head to the room with the collapsed roof and follow the hallway to find the power breaker just around the corner. Activate this breaker and head back to the room with the collapsed roof. Take the exit to the right and cut across the kill lane to the other building.Climb the stairs and activate the power breaker on the roof,and the first kill lane will come to life. The terrormorph will be on the prowl at this point, so players will need to move quickly and/or quietly.
As the first kill lane is pretty small, it is recommended to set up all three kill lanes to provide players with the best defensive capabilities and a wider area of combat.
Second and Third Kill Lanes
After activating the breaker on the roof, head to the right and take the bridge across to the other roof, avoiding the collapsed part of the roof. Keep heading straight, jump off the roof, andactivate the power breaker on the groundin front of the packaging building.
Now, head through the packaging facility, exit through the other end of the building, and climb the external staircase to the left. Continue inside and follow the stairs to the top floor. Do a quick U-turn to the right and open the orange door to find a conference room with a storage crate(master level lock) and a safe (expert level lock). If players do not have their security skills leveled up enough to attempt these locks, head to the roof exit across the platform from the orange door.
Back on the roof, turn around and use the large pipes or rooftop vents tojump up to the higher roof level and activate the power breakeron the right to engage the second kill lane. Continue across the roof taking the bridge to the right andcross to the other rooftop and activate the power breaker on the right,then continueacross the roof bridge to the left and activate the final power breaker, restoring the third and final kill lane.
Defeating the Terrormorph
With the second and third kill lanes activated, players will now have a large arena-like square that is covered by auto turrets, with a forklift and a large orange storage container in the middle. This is the best location to engage the terrormorph, and not just due to the coverage from the turrets. The storage container and forklift can be used as obstacles to put distance between players and the xenobeast.
Remember, the terrormorphs can burrow underground to quickly get behind players. The best way to create distance is byusing vertical movements, either jumping off tall roofs or climbing the storage containersand other nearby items. Stay within range of the turrets and kite the terrormorph, unleashing damage with the strongest available weapon while the turrets drain the terrormorph’s health. Once the terrormorph falls, approach its corpse and collect the tissue sample for Hadrian.
Finishing Steps
Return to Hadrian and give her the sample. She will ask players to follow her to a research station where she can analyze the sample, but the results will be inconclusive and require further analysis by another researcher, Dr. Walker. Complete the final dialogue with Hadrian, where she will provide players with her identifying genetag.
With the sample and genetag in hand, return to New Atlantis and speak with Commander Tuala. After explaining what happened on Tau Ceti, players will complete the ‘Grunt Work’ mission. They will then have the option totake up an assigned UC mission, or track down Dr. Walker and provide him with the sample.
Starfieldis available now on PC and Xbox.
