The Thargoid Titan Raijin is the seventh of eight that have been wreaking havoc on the Milky Way in Elite Dangerous. When Just About Elite Dangerous’s commanders reported on the successful assault on Titan Thor, humanity rejoiced, not knowing that a Thargoid counterattack was imminent. When the ‘goids hit the heart of humanity’s systems, our commanders reported again on the desperate defence of Shinrarta Dezra, documenting the frenzied rescue attempts. Still outraged at that attack on Jameson Station, many pilots jumped at the chance to take out another Thargoid Titan. Raijin, however, had other plans.

Below are the reports we’ve received from commanders who weren’t going to let the Thargoids’ brazen attack go unanswered. When it comes to Thargoid Titans, both ships and revenge are best served cold. 

Initial reports from the assault on Thargoid Titan Raijin

Memories of Shinrarta Dezra still at the forefront of their minds, high-spirited commanders like AndyRice jumped confidently into the action, even going as far as suggesting that the greatest threat came from opportunists and humans sympathetic to the Thargoid cause: 

“This is CMDR Andy Rice reporting from the frontline. Today, we witnessed Titan Raijin becoming vulnerable and the beginning of humanity’s own massive counterattack. The offensive seems effective, and I believe we can destroy one of the Titan's hearts by the end of the day.

“Honestly, it's thrilling to watch everyone lock their weapons on the heat core, unleashing everything they have on the ‘glowing fried blooming onion’. Alongside the fighters, I’ve seen many commanders risking their lives, flying unarmed rescue ships into the combat zone to provide support for those in the fight. Their noble actions reflect the unity of humanity.

“However, I want to warn all players planning to join the counterattack: be cautious of pro-Xeno gankers. When flying in open space, avoid getting interdicted by these gankers — they’re heavily armed, but their targets aren’t the Thargoids. They’re you. I've been interdicted once today, and my ship has been outfitted as a Stealth Titan Bomber set, which means I have almost no ability to fight back. Good luck CMDRs, and fly safely!”

Eralm_237 was another who answered the call early, joining the battle to take down that first Thargoid Titan heart. They captured these images in the process: 

As predicted, it didn’t take long for the first heart to be finished off, and Commander XCezor celebrated the early win:  

“RAIJIIIIIIN!!! Another Titan has been exposed! The battlefield is full of commanders and the fight is going smoothly; we’ve barely had time to take a breath. The Titan already is damaged and has lost a full heart. At this rate it’ll be destroyed in no time!”

By choosing to strike a system so precious to humanity, the Thargoids had unwittingly roused humanity’s dormant forces. XCezor continues:

“I’d go as far as saying there are more commanders here than Thargoid Interceptors! Here’s my report from the combat zone:”

Despite the age and size of the enemy, all signs pointed towards an easy victory, with commanders like Stormseeker even daring to describe it as a “walk in the park”. Back in the safety of JAEDHQ, we were pleased to learn that financial incentives for combatants were working as intended, allowing commanders like Beetlejude to finance the rebuys and experimental weaponry needed to give the Titan hell: 

“I spent a lot of time rebuying my ship this week, but I also made many times its value in bounties. The progress was slower this time, but every run around its circumference shooting nanite torpedoes into the heat vents nibbles off more of the central core's integrity.

“The ‘pineapple’ was much more quickly damaged for me this time as I'd spent a little time collecting the materials and applying anti-Guardian field protection to my Guardian shard weapons. It made a big difference, but it meant travelling out to Guardian space and harvesting Titan materials on-site with sub-surface displacement missiles, so it wasn’t exactly an afternoon’s job! Still, it was worth it just for that satisfying sound when you pull the trigger on a Guardian weapon. This will be the seventh Thargoid Titan I’ve attacked. One more to go…”

CMDR Jimmy0916 / Cmdr Donald Duck was in the mood for god slaying: “It’s the perfect day to banish another entity inspired by Japanese mythology from this plane of existence.”

With newsrooms the galaxy over reporting on the battle, correspondents were sent to report on the event, though not all were delighted with the assignment. Here’s DitchAdder:

“Hunter S Ditchadder here,

“So my editor calls me at 10pm on a Friday night. Says he has some work for me if I'm brave enough. I'm never brave enough, but I’d just finished watching the documentary about the death of my dear father, CMDR Ditchadder I, and that meant I was halfway through a potent concoction I’ve named 'consolation juice' and was feeling prepared to do pretty much anything for credits alone.

“When my editor sent across the details, the need for bravery became clear. The madman wants me to get up close and personal with the Thargoid Titan Raijin. The joke’s on him because the best ship I have is an Asp, and it sure as spaceflight isn't going toe to toe with a Thargoid of any form anytime soon.

“Still, I resolve to get close enough to the brave heroes doing the dirty work to see some pretty lights and write the whole thing up, gonzo style. If I'm lucky, the whole thing’ll be over quickly, and I can swing by a nearby station and grab some duty free with my fee. I've had worse weekends.

“I set out for my journey; 34 jumps of 12 lightyears or fewer. The first indicator I’m in my target sector is when the FSD tunnel I’m riding collapses like a soufflé and here’s ol’ Ditchadder dumped into regular space like… well, I don’t know what’s in a soufflé, but like that.

“And there it is. For the first time in my life, I see a Thargoid. It’s as alien as it is clearly intent on killing me. I fire so many missiles and torpedoes that my cockpit heats up like I’ve just smashed into a white dwarf. The lower left of my HUD is showing a sequence of 3 digit readouts, none of which are likely to keep me alive. There’s a fireball and I’m thrown, I focus on escape. I’m media; I shouldn’t have to deal with anything this real.

“After the explosion, I regroup on a large ship a sector over. ‘I saw one!’ is my first thought. ‘I wasn’t recording’ is the disappointing second. I start my livestream; the people need to know and I need to earn the pay I’m already mentally spending. What followed was a series of challenges no journalist should have to face.

“It turns out a Titan maelstrom is interdiction country! When the Thargoids weren’t pulling me into the line of fire, the other CMDRs were. And when I finally hit the big cloud, I could see the lasers in the distance and Raijin itself - the big one - appearing on my HUD. My hull was corroding like a Tesla in light rain by the time I got hit by the wave. The explosion that followed was no surprise.

“As a final thought, I looked at all of the commander-owned ships: the good, the bad, and the lookie-loos like me. The universe is so vast that you can go a long time without seeing the others that occupy it, but here they are all together. Was it worth the half-hour flight and two million credits of repairs? Well, you can’t put a price on experience, especially when your editor’s the one who’s paying.”

Jubilant battlecries echoed from cockpit to cockpit. Humanity had the upper hand. Commanders like LunchAndDinner predicted a quick win: “the bombing is going well so far and is only expected to last another three days.” They captured the assault with VR enabled: 

The mood was unworried among humanity’s finest; some pilots didn’t even bother bringing out their top ships. Here’s an early report from CMDR Henckes:

“The Thargoids are weakening more each day, and sometimes it looks easy to kill those b*stards. This Titan looks like it’s getting destroyed at the fastest pace yet; by the time I joined, it had lost almost half its health. I’ve gone for a smaller ship; it’s a lot weaker, but it can run colder, it’s a smaller target, and its rebuy costs are less demanding.”

The same was true of CMDR Slamscape, who took the opportunity for a little showboating challenge: 

“While talking with an experienced AX pilot, we got onto the topic of small ship bombers. They challenged me to see if I could make an Imperial Eagle that could enter the maelstrom and take on Titan Raijin; here’s how it went:”

Still, commanders like KPA1 weren’t taking any chances; they decided to put a few extra notches on the weapon systems of their most beloved ship:

“My Python Mk2 SR 71 Blackbird performed exceptionally well against Raijin. What a flying space machine it is, a glorious Python!”

Warning signs

Woe is the captain who prepares only for smooth sailing. Even while full of praise for the strategists behind the assault, as the hours turned to days, CMDR LiquidMorkite was one of the first to report choppy waters on the horizon: 

“The assault on Shinrarta has no doubt brought more commanders to engage in the Thargoid War, myself included. I’ve been waiting for this day, fighting tooth and nail to get each and every one of our systems back from the Thargoids each week. It’s all thanks to the Anti-Xeno Initiative’s genius planning and direction.

“The first time I engaged in an anti-Titan operation was with Indra. I was a fresh pilot, sitting in the second pilot's seat and firing missiles at the core on command. I flew a Chieftain solo at Thor, taking my lessons from Indra. 

“‘This time, it’ll be different’ I told myself, outfitting my Krait Mk II for the assault on Titan Raijin. And yet overall progress is starting to slow, at least compared to Titan Thor. Still, we won’t rest until the last Titan is gone from our home galaxy. Glory to mankind!” 

And just like that, the Thargoid Titan Raijin put on a show of force that few expected, taking all too many fine pilots off-guard. Pride comes before a fall, and panic follows it. CMDR Osiliran recorded a radio transmission from unknown pilots, capturing one of many dread moments before a pilot’s untimely demise: 

“The radio crackles to life.

“Pilot: Eagle-Five actual, this is Lima Two-One. Over.

“Captain: Roger, Lima Two-One, we read you. Report. Over.

“Pilot: Teams Six and Seven have made successful runs, good effect on target. Over.

“Captain: Roger. Status report on Teams Two and Three? Over.

“Pilot: Teams Two and Three are in position to engage primary target. Standing by for your orders. Over.

“Captain: Relay to Teams Two and Three, engage the Titan Core. Repeat, engage the primary target. Execute immediately. Over.

“Pilot: Copy that Eagle-Five, teams are moving in. Over.

“Static fills the radio before a voice can be heard once more.

“Pilot: Eagle-Five actual, this is Li—Teams Six and…under heavy…

“Captain: Say again, pilot. Too much interference. Over.

“Pilot: Teams Six and Seven — heavy…attack! Systems malfunctioning...Over!

“Captain: Pilot, under attack by what, hunters? Over.

“Pilot: No…there’s something…wrong…it’s…not possib—

“Captain: What’s not possible, son?! I need to know what the hell is going on in there!

“Pilot: It’s coming…from…the maw…no, it can’t be—

“Captain: Lima Two-One, abort the mission! Return now!

“Pilot: God…no…no, no, no…can’t…move…Teams, abort! Get the hell out of her—

“Static fills the radio.”

A similar transmission was intercepted from Commander chryco, but with all the interference and cross chatter, only worrying snippets could be saved: 

“.... TRANSMISSION ...

“Redacted individual: have you noticed a change in the Thargoid’s behaviour?

“CMDR Chryco: Not really, though I worry what happens when we take down the last of them. 

“Redacted individual: Let’s take down Raijin, then we’ll see.

“CMDR Chryco : Agreed. I just really hope someone will come and help soon, it’s fast becoming a nightmare. 

“END TRANSMISSION...”

Confused by the Titan Raijin’s surprising resistance, rumours of foul play reared their heads. Thoughts once again turned to Thargoid sympathisers and conspiracy started infiltrating the ranks. CMDR_nailz_ couldn’t help but speculate:

Nobody has seen famed CMDR MQC since the assault began, but their ship’s AI analysed their synaptic pathways just before contact was lost, reconstituting their final thoughts with neural imagery. Whether the Thargoid Titan’s mass distorted the space-time continuum for a vision of the future or whether it was merely the fever dream of a pilot lost in the black, we may never know: 

“In the dimly lit cockpit of the Cobra Mark III, Commander MQC was preparing for the impending confrontation. The vast expanse of the universe and years spent in the black had prepared him for many challenges, but none so formidable as facing a Titan. 

“The voice of the AI assistant broke the silence: ‘All systems operating, Commander. Shields at maximum. Weapons ready.’

“MQC glanced at the holographic display, which showed the last-known coordinates of the Titan. When he activated the FSD, the ship stumbled forward and the stars passed in a blur. The journey would be short; the battle less so. Upon reaching the nebula where the Titan was located, Commander MQC’s Cobra's sensors lit up and detected Raijin's immense energy signature. Getting through the storm would be no easy task, but pilots were prepared to counter the Titan’s pulses.

“Through the chaos of the storm, the Thargoid Titan emerged from the cosmic maelstrom. Its form was a terrifying blend of the mechanical and the organic, and it crackled with electric fury. The Cobra's heart pounded as MQC assembled his weaponry. He reminded himself: ‘MQC, remember to target the heat vents with nanite torpedoes; disrupt their energy flow.

“With swift movements, the Cobra executed endless evasive manoeuvres, dodging the Titan's attacks. His ship moved through the chaos of dozens of entangled human ships and Thargoid defenders. Seconds seemed like hours, but finally MQC’s Cobra found an opening. It launched a volley of torpedoes, each of which struck Raijin's heat vents. The Titan was destabilising, but it did not desist in its defence. The overheating of the mighty foe exposed the thermal core. A quick burst of missiles and the roar became deafening...

“‘Are you telling her stories again? You know I don't like it when you tell her those things before she falls asleep!’

“‘But I like them, grandpa! Keep telling me about them!’

“‘Well dear, tomorrow I'll finish telling you the story, when grandma’s not around to hear us. Anyway, you already know how the story ends, don’t you?” 

It was becoming increasingly clear that the Thargoid Titan’s threat had been underestimated. Inexperienced pilots knew they too had their part to play, even if it meant rescue rather than revenge. JHenckes was among them: 

“I’m still new to Thargoid combat. I let pilots fight while I concentrate on rescuing survivors. It’s way less hard and stressful than engaging in a dogfight with an Interceptor. At least I know how to run my ships cold. I entered the Thargoid maelstrom, though I didn’t have time to bomb it. Maybe next time I’ll give it a shot.”

While no veteran, CMDR yan57436 survived previous Titan encounters, and tried to implement hard-learned lessons against Raijin: 

“I took my Chieftain straight there. I’ve previously not been able to get through the caustic cloud surrounding the Titan. I’m still getting the hang of it, but I did manage. Still, new problems appear on the other side; those pesky Interceptors keep catching me.”

Likewise, non-combatants laid down tools and took up arms. We praise the bravery of those like VanillaIsi who rose to the occasion in defence of their loved ones:

“I’m not a fighter, at least not an experienced one. But I headed to the fight in someone else’s ship. I’m no great help, but even I can control heat and caustic sinks, helping the primary pilot match the Titan’s threats. Flying is always better with friends, or in this case: my boyfriend.”

Some hadn’t intended to take up the call at all, but when witnessing the size of the threat with their own eyes, knew they had to at least try. Here’s CodyMaverick: 

“I've never seen a thing this big before. I was returning from an exploration expedition when I miscalculated a jump and landed in the middle of the fight. I'm not usually one to go after Thargoids, but I offered my assistance. Unfortunately the best I could do was rescue one poor soul by placing my Anaconda in the perfect position for him to escape. Yet after that, I needed rescuing myself. Fortunately, more skilled commanders were there to help me. Everyone who’s willing to fight those things has my utmost respect… I couldn't.”

Plagued by the guilt of inaction, CMDR mypets tried valiantly to assist, but the obstacles proved too great: 

“The only thing I can say is that I tried. I managed to enter the maelstrom once in my Cobra Mk III, with just 15% of my hull remaining. Still, I couldn’t get close enough to attack. Yet I witnessed plenty of Corvettes, Kraits, Chieftains, Cutters, and ‘Condas doing a great job. It’s thanks to those guys that humanity will be victorious. I can only hope that I get enough experience to help deal with the final Thargoid Titan.”

The trader and explorer dydo had similar ambitions, but upon seeing the hell beast, their survival instinct got the better of them: 

“The fight seemed too hard for me, an explorer and trader, to play a role. Still, I approached, if for no other reason than to see the famed creature with my own eyes. I’ve never seen one up close, just a distant horrible silhouette amidst the black and red dust. That, it turns out, was close enough. 

“The journey to the Titan was hard from the get go, with constant interdictions. Raijin’s pulsewaves were constant. I kept wondering if this battlefield was even more chaotic than the last; Raijin seems extra determined to survive. Lasers and explosions could be seen from a great distance. I stayed back from the main fray and hoped the firepower was coming from our side. 

“Were I not in an Anaconda with good shields, AMFU, and repair drones, I doubt I would have survived. I’m inexperienced at approaching Thargoids, so I kept it that way. I’m too young to die without seeing Colonia just once. Call me a coward if you will, but I’ll be returning to my journey, exploring everything I can on the way. Next stop: centre of the galaxy.

“That said, I want to thank all combat commanders; I'll be sure to respect them even more now. Keep up the fight for all of us! The Thargoid threat must be contained, and we’re trusting you to save us all. If someday there's no other option, I’ll see you all on the battlefield. o7 CMDRs.”

As the battle reached its zenith, JRamirezSV captured image of the mayhemic fray:

It took the experience of veteran combat pilots to confirm suspicions: this Titan was stronger than the others. Moonshade Gaming, aka CMDR Centuris Blake, reports:

“Re: After action report: combat operations against Titan Raijin:

“Tensions are running high aboard the Huntress' Bane following the squadron's initial attack runs against Raijin. Since the attack on Shinrarta Dezhra, reports have been coming in from numerous AX groups that the Thargoids are employing an altered caustic enzyme. We thought at first the payloads of their missiles had increased, but analysis confirmed the quantity is unchanged; this new caustic material is more potent, and it's being employed across the field, to include in the caustic clouds of the remaining Titan maelstroms.

“It wasn't until our wings began our push through the maelstrom that we saw the changes. Our caustic sinks could barely keep up, and by the time we were through the cloud, many of us were critically low, and none of us had more than 90% of our hull integrity remaining.

“As if that wasn't enough, it seems the patrols around the Titan are much more observant, and increasingly persistent. We lost an entire wing before we could even set up for our first attack run, and though all escape pods were successfully retrieved before Scythe-class hunters could deploy from the Titan, the initial loss rattled us all. Though I'm ashamed to admit this as squadron leader, I myself fumbled more than once during our attack runs.

“Leaving the Maelstrom went about as well as entering. Most of our ships were barely holding together by the time we made it back to the carrier, though I think it's fair to say that our ships are more intact than our morale.

“I fear this is just a taste of what's to come. The Thargoids know their invasion is crumbling. We've been backing them further into the corner with every passing month, and they're reacting accordingly. I am certainly not eager to see what will come when we take the fight to Cocijo.

“CMDR Centuris Blake, Precentor Martial, Wrath of Turtle Bay”

Meltdown

Niceygy was one of the first to report that the Titan Raijin was ‘in distress’, which they argue is a “fancy way of saying doomed”. They saluted the efforts of those who took humanity this far, with extra praise going to the Anti-Xeno Initiative. Still, the Thargoid Titan still had fight left in it. On Saturday, LunchandDinner had predicted that Raijin would need three days to be destroyed. Three days later, on Tuesday, Niceygy was predicting it would take another three days:    

Sensing the beast’s weakness, Commanders threw everything they had at Raijin, even if it cost them their lives. We’ve managed to secure the epic last words of CMDR Hunter, retrieved from their final voyage:

Our thoughts go out to that brave Commander’s family and to all those who have given their lives for humanity’s cause. With Titan hearts destroyed and human hearts beating hard, SergeantRogers sent forth a rousing message for humankind’s final push: 

Wotherspoon, reporting for the ever-reliable Galnet News, let the galaxy know that the Titan had entered meltdown. Simultaneously, in efforts to minimise casualties, they put out a call for would-be saviours to keep extracting hostages from inside the Titan. 

LiquidMorkite returned with the update every commander had been hoping for: 

“As of today, Raijin's hearts are completely destroyed. It has entered its meltdown state and is expected to blow up in 24 hours. I was there firing my last rounds as her last heart went down. The core suddenly turned black and there was smoke everywhere. I thought I was dying, but then it started to scream, and CMDRs were cheering; I knew we had yet again made it, another Titan is on its way out.”

Titanfall

With the day all but secured, some pilots like Randomgazz fought to make names for themselves by securing a killing blow: 

“Time was against me. With rusty skills, I fired my pulse neutraliser… and missed, launching myself back into space. With sinks running low, I finally made it back through into the asteroid field, unleashing everything I had.”

Who’s to say who secured the final blow? But one thing is certain, those who witnessed the explosion, like Eskimo1313, will never forget the sight.

LiquidMorkite returned to rescue more captured human pods before it was too late - “The ‘goids fought hard to keep the pods” - and secured some fantastic shots of the triumphant final moment:

We’d like to thank all commanders who did their bit for humanity. Today is a day to rejoice, and yet as Raijin has shown, the Thargoids are not done yet. Let us not repeat mistakes and underestimate their threat. 

To ensure you’re doing your bit for the species, check out the Anti-Xeno section at the top of our list of Elite Dangerous guides. Some text has been edited for brevity, clarity, or spelling, punctuation, and grammar. You can find the original wording here. Image credit: Frontier Developments and community members; cover image by LiquidMorkite.