4 hours ago
Fallout 76's Gleaming Depths raid guide: 5 brutal stages, tight team roles, and fast clears for Vulcan Power Armor, Flatliner drops, and legendary mods—plus the mistakes that wipe runs.
If you've been roaming the Ash Heap and thinking you've seen it all, the Gleaming Depths raid will humble you fast. It's five stages of "pay attention or wipe," not the usual public-event chaos where you can just tag stuff and snack. Before you even queue up, it helps to be set on ammo, chems, and a backup weapon—some folks even top off their supplies through U4GM so they aren't stuck crafting mid-run. Go in with a plan, because going in "to see what happens" usually means you're seeing the respawn screen.
Squad prep that actually matters
You want four people. Not three and a random, not "my buddy will join later." A tank in Power Armor makes life easier, especially with robot-focused protection, and two players who can keep steady DPS without reloading every two seconds. Gatling Plasma setups do work, but consistency matters more than hype. The fourth slot is your utility runner—the one who can sprint objectives, grab items, and not panic when the room fills up. Perks that reward staying grouped are huge, and you'll feel it when everyone's damage spikes. Bring cryo grenades, and yes, bring jetpacks. The in-between rooms are your breathers; repair gear, swap cards, fix your mistakes.
Stage 1: EN06 Guardian Bot and the shelter game
The Guardian Bot is where teams first fall apart, mostly because people tunnel-vision the front. The shield generator sits on its back, so you've gotta rotate and call it out. Then comes the fire phase, and this is pure coordination. You'll get blast doors labeled A, B, and C, and once a door's used for that cycle, it's burned. If two people sprint for the same door, someone's getting cooked. Call your door early. If nobody's talking, use quick emotes and commit. Hesitation kills more runs than low damage.
Stages 2 to 4: Drill defense, fuel runs, and problem targets
The Tunnel Boring Machine defense turns messy quick. Keep the tank and at least one DPS glued to the drill so it doesn't get overwhelmed, while the runner hits the tunnels for fuel canisters. Don't try to "clear" the tunnels like it's a daily op; grab fuel and move. The Ultragenetic Mole Miners hit hard and they're not worth a fair fight. Later, when Epsilon soldiers show up, stop shooting their faces and pop their generators to drop shields. Crystals are your best friend if you use them right—bait enemies under the ceiling formations and shoot them down for big area damage.
Stage 5: Ultra-Sight Terror Snake and clean finishes
The final boss is where jetpacks stop being "nice" and start being required. Get airborne, focus the tails, sever them, then pour damage into the body while staying mobile. People mess up by hovering too long or landing in the worst spots—short boosts, quick angles, back to cover. If your group wants faster, steadier clears (or you're chasing specific loot like Vulcan Power Armor pieces and that Flatliner pistol), it's worth looking into Fallout 76 boosting so you're spending more time winning runs than rebuilding them.
If you've been roaming the Ash Heap and thinking you've seen it all, the Gleaming Depths raid will humble you fast. It's five stages of "pay attention or wipe," not the usual public-event chaos where you can just tag stuff and snack. Before you even queue up, it helps to be set on ammo, chems, and a backup weapon—some folks even top off their supplies through U4GM so they aren't stuck crafting mid-run. Go in with a plan, because going in "to see what happens" usually means you're seeing the respawn screen.
Squad prep that actually matters
You want four people. Not three and a random, not "my buddy will join later." A tank in Power Armor makes life easier, especially with robot-focused protection, and two players who can keep steady DPS without reloading every two seconds. Gatling Plasma setups do work, but consistency matters more than hype. The fourth slot is your utility runner—the one who can sprint objectives, grab items, and not panic when the room fills up. Perks that reward staying grouped are huge, and you'll feel it when everyone's damage spikes. Bring cryo grenades, and yes, bring jetpacks. The in-between rooms are your breathers; repair gear, swap cards, fix your mistakes.
Stage 1: EN06 Guardian Bot and the shelter game
The Guardian Bot is where teams first fall apart, mostly because people tunnel-vision the front. The shield generator sits on its back, so you've gotta rotate and call it out. Then comes the fire phase, and this is pure coordination. You'll get blast doors labeled A, B, and C, and once a door's used for that cycle, it's burned. If two people sprint for the same door, someone's getting cooked. Call your door early. If nobody's talking, use quick emotes and commit. Hesitation kills more runs than low damage.
Stages 2 to 4: Drill defense, fuel runs, and problem targets
The Tunnel Boring Machine defense turns messy quick. Keep the tank and at least one DPS glued to the drill so it doesn't get overwhelmed, while the runner hits the tunnels for fuel canisters. Don't try to "clear" the tunnels like it's a daily op; grab fuel and move. The Ultragenetic Mole Miners hit hard and they're not worth a fair fight. Later, when Epsilon soldiers show up, stop shooting their faces and pop their generators to drop shields. Crystals are your best friend if you use them right—bait enemies under the ceiling formations and shoot them down for big area damage.
Stage 5: Ultra-Sight Terror Snake and clean finishes
The final boss is where jetpacks stop being "nice" and start being required. Get airborne, focus the tails, sever them, then pour damage into the body while staying mobile. People mess up by hovering too long or landing in the worst spots—short boosts, quick angles, back to cover. If your group wants faster, steadier clears (or you're chasing specific loot like Vulcan Power Armor pieces and that Flatliner pistol), it's worth looking into Fallout 76 boosting so you're spending more time winning runs than rebuilding them.