by: Tony "RadarX" Jones

On the desolate planet of Arieki is one of many rugged and unforgiving areas called the Torden Plains. This zone offers players their first glimpse of a unique species called the Atta whose colonial like nature makes them not only dangerous, but challenging to fight. West of the Irendas Penal Colony, the Atta have built a "nest" within the mountain providing themselves solid defense and a home for their queen. There are a number of missions available for Kardash Atta Colony which can be started in Irendas. It's important to note that completing missions here will open up the Phanin Research center so it's advisable to do it early on.

Before you begin, pick up the following missions in Irendas Penal Colony:

A Tale of Two Brothers - This begins with Research Erodan around 254,433,-145 who give you the mission called A Divided People. This sends you to Engineer Tralos at 264,433,-236 who begins A Tale of Two Brothers.

Bug Hunt - This mission begins with Agent Zim in the Irendas facility near 210,425,-217 (look for the medical vendor).

Into the Hive/Underground Mysteries - These missions begin with Captain Reyko in front of the tower at 324,433,-62.

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It's a Big Ant Hill

Now head to the Kardash Atta Colony entrance west of Irendas. Look for a series of raised walkways around -217,51 and follow them towards the large mound near -508,-54 which will take you inside the instance. There is a waypoint here and a medic to repair your gear and ammo up before continuing. Head straight down the tunnel and cross a bridge which should bring you to a facility. Duck inside while killing the Lightbenders, and open up the door where you'll find some Brann miners.

Inside the back room you'll get an update for A Tale of Two Brothers from Surveyor Miras who will begin another mission called Unexpected Guests which will give you a laundry list of targets to take out. Researcher Kranix will give you a mission called Just to be Certain which will basically ask you to kill Bane, and the machine to his right will update Into the Hive and begin Atta Control. Destroy Atta Mind Control Transducer #1 in the room, and activate the teleport at the console nearby. Note that this teleport will allow you to move back to the medical vendor for repairs, and travel from other porters around the instance. Exit the building, and take the ramp down to your right where you have a choice between continuing through a tunnel or crossing the large room you are in. You'll end up going both ways eventually.

For the purpose of this guide we'll start in the tunnel heading north towards the Harvest Grotto. You'll pass through a chamber and enter an area with Research Outpost Beta which will you'll find around 447,188,295 containing Lightbenders, and Elite Infiltrator Arkshaz (updating Bug Hunt/Unexpected Guests). Make sure to destroy the Atta Mind Control Transducer #2 at 440,188,284, then activate the nearby porter at the computer console. Head back towards the chamber you ran through but instead of running straight towards the beginning, bear left and run up a path as you get inside where you'll find a teleporter at 344,178,346 which will take you far north.

Head straight through this tunnel, through a half dozen Atta encounters and you'll find a large ramp leading up. Go up the ramp until you reach the Eloh Cache and inside you'll find atta Champion Boritek with a few friends circling a chamber around -106,192,324. Killing him will update Bug Hunt/Unexpected Guests, then be sure to interact with the Eloh artifact to update Underground Mysteries and make your way back to the beginning of the instance.

In the Outer Nest Chamber which is the large room you start in, you are going to head to the western end of the room through a tunnel at -47,232,-18. This will lead you to another area. You'll see a teleporter on the right but ignore it for now and head up the path until you are inside yet another Bane occupied building. Here you'll find more Lightbenders and Elite Infiltrator Morkone for Bug Hunt/Unexpected Guests. Be sure to destroy Atta Mind Control Transducer #3, activate the yellow porter in here as well and head back outside to the green teleporter. Run forward and you'll be inside the Inner Chamber which has one angry Foreman Exicorium running around with friends near 403,131,-364. Be careful of aggro, as a few additional encounters can make the difference between beating him and a long walk back. Killing him will update Bug Hunt/Unexpected Guests.

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Raid Won't Help

Move past the transporter and up the path to Research Outpost Delta where inside you'll find...you guessed it: Lightbenders and Elite Infiltrator Dargoth at 338,100,-436. Once you've taken them out and destroyed Atta Mind Control Transducer #4 and activated the yellow porter, head back and use the green teleporter which will drop you in the Royal Nest.

From here you've got a path going up and one going down. You'll also very likely run into Foreman Akikorik in this entry and a pair of pals which will update Bug Hunt/Unexpected Guests. Bear right and head up and across a bridge until you get to Research Outpost Epsilon where you'll find more Lightbenders, Elite Infiltrator Kresht and destroy Atta Mind Control Transducer #5 completing Atta Control. Don't forget the yellow porter here that needs to be turned on.

Head back down the bridge you crossed and continue towards the western side of Royal Nest. Up another series of bridges around -401,50,-292 you'll find Champion Olirex who will update Bug Hunt/Unexpected Guests. Head north from his area passing through a tunnel and you will finally find yourself in the Queen's chamber. The queen is accompanied by a couple regular atta, a named nasty going by Escort Rendash, and a named Nurse. Grab a rifle and sneak forward until you can target the Escort. A couple aimed rifle shots should bring him and probably the un-named atta down into the tunnel. Kill these guys, then inch back up until you can target the Queen. Toss a rifle shot into her, and pull her back into the tunnel. If you keep moving back, the Nurse will return to the "throne" area and you can take on the Queen alone. She is not an easy fight (she was level 25 for my group) but if you keep your distance and have everyone stay on opposites sides you should be able to win with patience. Also, an Ice Polarity gun and lots of canisters helps. Once she's dead, you have finished all requirements for you missions, and you can make your way back to Research Post Alpha. However, the purple loot (a nice Fire Injector Gun) won't drop until you kill the Nurse and complete the encounter.

Back at Research Post Alpha, Surveyor Miras will complete your Unexpected Guests mission giving you 5000 credits and your choice of Cryogen Stealth Armor Legs, a Vextronics Pyrogenic Leechgun, or Teleract Motor Assist Armor Gloves. Researcher Kranix will complete Just to be Certain giving you 5000 credits and a choice of Teleract Bio Armor, ChiTech Gravitron Armor Helmet, or a Vextronics Shotgun. Surveyor Miras will also give you a new mission called Key Information which will be a part of accessing Phanin Reserach center. All the other missions require you to return to Irendas.

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