How to beat the armored Brumak (Fort Vigil)
Last updated: · By Ash Vector Desk
To beat the armored Brumak at Fort Vigil (Act 3, Chapter 6 "Desperate Measures"), survive the wall stage until it smashes the gate, refill at the gift-shop Supply Cache, then in the courtyard destroy its back launcher, then both arm guns, then shoot its head (eyes and pipes) from behind the stone pillars until the bar empties.
Where is the armored Brumak fight?
It closes Act 3. Desperate Measures takes roughly 12 minutes and stays inside Fort Vigil: you defend the wall overlooking the bridge, return to the Quartermaster, and then fight an armored Brumak in two stages separated by a short chase through the fort's gift shop. It is the second of three Brumak encounters in the campaign and is generally considered the hardest, because its plating shrugs off ordinary rifle fire into the body.
What happens in each stage?
The fight has three stages. On the wall you cannot kill the Brumak: stay behind the rampart and use the mounted weapons until it charges and smashes the gate. In the chase, clear Drones and small leapers. The gift-shop cache refills the Gut-Puncher to 14 and Lancer to 600. In the courtyard you can kill it.
| Stage | Objective on screen | What to do | Can it die? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Wall | Kill the Brumak | Stay behind the rampart and use the wall's mounted weapons on the Locust assault; chip the Brumak if you like | No. The stage ends when it charges and breaks the gate |
| 2. Chase | Kill the Brumak / Chase the Brumak | Use the AMMO box at the wrought-iron gate, go up the stone steps, clear Drones and small leapers in the gift-shop plaza from behind low stone barriers | Not present |
| 3. Gift shop | — | Go through the shop, up the stairs past the portraits to the back room. Checkpoint plus Supply Cache: refill Gut-Puncher to 14 and Lancer to 600 | — |
| 4. Courtyard | Kill the Brumak | Weak-point order below; Tai and other Gears shoot from above | Yes |
What is the weak-point order in the courtyard?
Shoot the back launcher first with the Gut-Puncher aimed at the upper back; your squad calls targets in this order. Then the left and right arm machine guns with Gut-Puncher or Lancer, one gun then the other. Finally the head, eyes and pipes, with the Prototype Lancer once the Gut-Puncher reads NO AMMO. Do not waste ammo on destroyed mounts.
| Step | Target | Best weapon | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Launcher on its back | Gut-Puncher aimed at the upper back | Your squad calls the targets in this order |
| 2 | Left and right arm machine guns | Gut-Puncher / Lancer | One gun, then the other |
| 3 | Head: eyes and pipes | Prototype Lancer once the Gut-Puncher reads NO AMMO | Don't waste ammo on destroyed mounts |
How do I stay alive in the courtyard?
The courtyard is ringed by a vaulted stone colonnade with thick square pillars. Its machine guns throw sparks off the pillars but do not punch through, so keep a pillar between you and the Brumak and move to the next one when it walks around to find you. Never stand in the open middle where it stands. The Supply Cache in the gift-shop back room is the last resupply before the fight, so don't skip it.
How does the fight end?
When the health bar empties, the objective is struck out and a cutscene plays: on the wall above, Tai turns a wheeled fort cannon toward the stunned Brumak and fires into its head. That ends the Fort Vigil defense; there is nothing left to do in the arena.
Are there collectables nearby?
A "HARD CASE NEARBY" prompt appears along the rampart during the wall stage, and a "SUPPLY CACHE NEARBY" prompt appears in the gift-shop plaza. QuestDuo counts three collectables around the fort in this chapter, so sweep the wall before chasing the Brumak.
How do the three Brumak fights compare?
Act 1 Brumak, Back in the Fold, has no weak point: hard cover, pop out for head and chest, clear nearby Locust first. Act 3 Armored Brumak at Fort Vigil uses launcher, then arm guns, then head. Act 4 Unarmored Brumak, Paths Diverge, has none, closes fast: Troika burst to head, then alternate Gut-Puncher and Prototype Lancer while circling cover.
| Fight | Act | Armor / weak point | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brumak #1 (Back in the Fold) | 1 | None | Stay in hard cover, pop out for head and chest shots, clear nearby Locust first |
| Armored Brumak (Fort Vigil) | 3 | Launcher → arm guns → head | See tables above |
| Unarmored Brumak (Paths Diverge) | 4 | None; closes distance fast | Open with a Troika burst to the head, then alternate Gut-Puncher and Prototype Lancer while circling cover |
What should I bring?
Gut-Puncher grenades and the Prototype Lancer are the two most reliable tools against every E-Day boss; running out of either is the most common reason a Brumak fight drags on. Some players use a Torque Bow or Ripper on the head instead, which also works once the weapons are down.
What else do players ask about the Brumak?
Can I kill the Brumak on the wall?
No. Shooting it from the rampart cannot kill it; QuestDuo notes the cutscene fires after you knock off about half its health, and the stage always ends with it breaking the gate.
Why are my shots doing nothing?
Rifle fire into the armored body is shrugged off. Damage only matters on the launcher, the arm guns and then the head.
How long does the chapter take?
Allthings.how times Desperate Measures at roughly 12 minutes, including the wall defense, the gift-shop chase and the courtyard fight, so a failed courtyard attempt costs little time if you restart from the gift-shop checkpoint.
Who finishes it?
You empty its bar; the cutscene then shows Tai firing a fort cannon into its head.
More bosses: Corpser · final boss Vraahk · beginner's guide
Sources: Allthings.how armored Brumak guide · Allthings.how Desperate Measures walkthrough · QuestDuo Act 3 Ch 6 · Tutorial.Games boss guide