Damage Vaporizers Trial: How to Get an Easy Solo High Score

This guide breaks down a consistent solo approach for the Damage Vaporizers trial: what to bring, where to run it, and how to play each vaporizer safely. You’ll learn how to maximize points per target by timing the shield window, using cover correctly, and avoiding the common mistakes that waste ammo or get you knocked.

How Scoring Works (and Why Lobbies Matter)

In this trial, each vaporizer is a major chunk of your score. A single vaporizer can be worth roughly 3,600 points, so your total is largely determined by how many you personally finish.

That’s also why your lobby affects your results: if other players destroy vaporizers the moment they see them, you lose scoring opportunities. In a quieter instance (or with a bit of luck), you can often secure far more vaporizer kills and end up with a much higher total.

Recommended Loadout for Solo Runs

The core idea is simple: bring tools that let you delete vaporizers during their vulnerable window, while having enough survivability and sustain to keep chaining fights.

Bring as Many Wolf Packs as Possible

Wolf packs are the centerpiece of the strategy. They let you burst down a vaporizer quickly when its shield drops. The more you carry, the more consistently you can convert shield downtime into a clean kill.

Once you’ve decided how many wolf packs you can bring, adjust the rest of your loadout around that capacity (ammo, healing, and safety items).

Primary Weapon: Jupiter (Ammo Stacks Matter)

Take a Jupiter with at least five stacks of ammo. In a lobby where other players are also doing the trial, that’s typically enough because you won’t be forced to solo every engagement.

If you expect to be alone, consider packing extra ammo or even a second Jupiter. The goal is to avoid having to stop your route because you ran dry mid-run.

Note: Don’t stress too much about energy ammo. You can often replenish it from destroyed vaporizers as you go.

Secondary Weapon: Venator (Utility and Cleanup)

A Venator is a strong backup option. It’s especially useful when you need to handle smaller threats at range without burning through your Jupiter ammo.

Think of it as your control tool: you use it to keep the area manageable so your vaporizer burst windows stay clean.

Unless you’re extremely confident in your positioning and sustain, a Looting MK3 Survivor augment is recommended. Solo runs can spiral quickly if you get knocked and lose momentum, so building for stability tends to produce better average scores.

Defensive Slot: Level Two Shield

Bring a level two shield. Vaporizers and nearby enemies can punish mistakes, and the shield gives you more room to reset behind cover instead of being forced into risky re-peeks.

Quick Access Wheel: Photoelectric Cloak (High Value)

A photoelectric cloak is one of the most impactful quick-slot picks for this trial. It helps you survive bad angles, reposition when you’re pressured, and reset fights when you’d otherwise be forced to trade health.

Consumables: Overpack Healing

Bring your usual combat consumables, but heavily prioritize sustain:

• Adrenaline shots for tempo and emergency pushes
• Heals (bring more than you think you need)
• Smokes for disengage and line-of-sight breaks
• Shield rechargers to maintain your defensive buffer

Running out of healing is one of the most common ways a good run collapses. If you’re choosing between “one more damage tool” and “more sustain,” sustain usually wins for solo consistency.

Optional: Hatch Key

You can also bring a hatch key since hatches are available on the map. This can give you extra routing flexibility and occasional resource value, depending on how your run unfolds.

Take a look at: our PvE meta guide for trials and raids

Best Map Choice: Buried City (Close Scrutiny)

Run the trial in Buried City (Close Scrutiny). The key advantage is cover density. You’ll be playing around a vaporizer’s shield timing, and consistent cover lets you wait out shield phases safely and take fights on your terms.

The safest way to score high is to treat each vaporizer as a short, repeatable sequence rather than a brawl.

Step 1: Don’t Rush the Vaporizer

When you spot a vaporizer, resist the urge to sprint straight at it. First, identify a piece of cover that lets you:

• Break line of sight if you take damage
• Peek quickly when the shield drops
• Back out without getting chased into open ground

Getting into cover before you commit is what keeps the run stable over multiple fights.

Step 2: Watch for the Shield and Respect It

Vaporizers deploy a shield that can block damage. Do not shoot while the shield is active if it’s negating your damage output. You’ll waste ammo and lose tempo.

Instead, use the shield window to prepare your burst.

Step 3: Ready Wolf Pack During the Shield Window

While the shield is up, get your wolf pack ready so you can throw immediately when the vaporizer becomes vulnerable. This turns “dead time” into setup time.

Step 4: Throw as Soon as the Shield Drops

The moment the shield drops, throw the wolf pack to finish the vaporizer quickly and secure the points. Speed matters because extended fights invite mistakes, attrition, and third-party pressure.

Distance Check: Don’t Throw Too Far

A key nuance: don’t throw wolf packs if the vaporizer is too far away. If your timing or distance is off, you risk failing to convert the window, and the vaporizer may simply put its shield back up before you get meaningful value.

Close the distance using cover, then commit when you’re in a reliable range.

Fight From Cover, Always

This trial rewards patience more than bravado. Cover reduces incoming damage, lowers healing consumption, and gives you time to read shield cycles. If you’re exposed, you’ll spend the run patching mistakes instead of farming points.

Take a look at: this battleground fundamentals guide for survivability and resets

If You’re Solo, Aggro One Vaporizer at a Time

When you’re alone, avoid pulling multiple vaporizers at once. Multi-aggro forces you into open movement and drains consumables. Whenever possible, angle your approach so only one vaporizer is actively pressuring you.

Use Your Secondary for Smaller Enemies

Use the Venator (or your chosen secondary) to deal with smaller arcs or minor threats at range. This keeps your Jupiter ammo focused on what matters and reduces downtime from reloading or restocking.

The Most Important Habit: Fully Heal Before the Next Engage

Before you move to the next vaporizer, fully heal. The trial becomes dramatically more dangerous when you start a fight already chipped, because a single mistake can cascade into a knock.

The rhythm is:

• Secure cover
• Wait out shield
• Burst vaporizer
• Clean up small threats efficiently
• Reset to full
• Move to the next target

Repeat this loop and your score climbs naturally because you’re staying alive long enough to cash in more vaporizer kills.

Common Mistakes That Lower Your Score

• Shooting into the shield: wastes ammo and delays kills.
• Throwing wolf packs at max range: often fails to convert the damage window.
• Fighting in the open: increases healing usage and knock risk.
• Chain-pulling multiple targets solo: forces panic movement and resource drain.
• Not restocking healing: ends good runs early.

How many ammo stacks should I bring for Jupiter?

At least five stacks is a solid baseline. If you expect to be mostly solo, extra ammo (or a second Jupiter) helps you avoid running dry mid-route.

Why is Buried City (Close Scrutiny) recommended?

It offers lots of cover, which makes it easier to wait out shield phases safely and take clean burst windows without getting overwhelmed.

When should I throw wolf packs at a vaporizer?

Only after you’ve confirmed the shield has dropped and you’re at a reliable distance. Throwing too early or too far often results in wasted burst.

What should I do if I’m taking too much chip damage between vaporizers?

Slow down, re-center your fights around cover, and fully heal before each engage. Also use your secondary weapon to clear small threats without burning key ammo.

How do I score higher if other players keep destroying vaporizers?

Your score is tied to the vaporizers you personally finish, so you’ll generally score higher in quieter lobbies where you can secure more targets yourself.