Anthem Lost Arcanist mission: How to find Matthias
Tassyn has given you your third task in Anthem - to locate the Arcanist Matthias Sumner. This mission is also the first mission in the game that you can do cooperatively with other real players. This guide will go over the steps in order to find and recover the Arcanist, before it's too late.
Anthem Lost Arcanist guide
In order to complete the missions in Anthem, you'll need all the intel for all of your Javelins, as well as the stuff that's not as well explained in the game. Head on over to our Anthem guide hub for various guides on the ins and outs of the game. You can also head back to the Anthem Missions hub to find the mission you are looking for, or get intel on the previous mission: Anthem Early Warnings
In order to track Matthias down, you'll need to follow the radio signals. Fly through the rings to each point. If you're playing with other players, you may find that not keeping up will cause the game to reload. This is especially annoying if you are running a standard hard drive, so try to keep up as best as you can to prevent this. Keep flying until your squad is attacked by a new foe - the Scar.
These bug-like creatures come in all shapes and sizes, but the ones you'll be facing here are the "Scar Scrappers" - which are essentially the grunts of the operation. They'll keep churning into the map through the Scar Hives, which are the small grinder structures that have appeared in the vicinity. Destroy them and all the scars to progress the mission.
You'll get a small bit of communication from Matthias, but he won't be able to respond. Head to the next point and defeat the Scar Scrappers located there. You'll then need to find the signal booster which is by the big circular arch in the western part of the area. He still won't be able to hear you, but you will now have a location. Fly through the rings that appear and reach the next location.
This area has a large bunch of Scar Scrappers, so heading straight into them might not be the best idea. Use your weapons and gear to take them down from afar. It's clear that the Scar are enraged by something, but exactly what is a mystery. Regardless, fix the radio towards the east, in the makeshift camp. Well, I say "fix", but it looks like Owen has other ideas. It's worth noting that at this stage of the mission, there are no respawns available. Normally when you run out of HP, you can either wait for a partner to pick you back up, or hold down the button to respawn. Since you can't do that here, you need to be careful.
Fend off the incoming Scar spawning through the rifts that are appearing in the area. The leader will eventually come through one of the rifts and he is a big lad with a shield. Since he uses a metal shield, they're a lot more susceptible to some elements than others - more on that in our Anthem Combos guide - so use your abilities wisely to take him down. He also has a flamethrower that he uses if you get too close and the shield can be used to swat you away. Luckily there's also some fuel canisters that are just waiting to be shot at. Once he is defeated, the respawn limiter will be lifted. You'll then talk to Matthias who says he's in some nearby ruins, so head over there and enter the loading zone.
Once you've loaded into the ruins, fly to the marker indicated on-screen. The area will be under attack from a large army of Scars emerging from hives, including a new type. The "Scar Destroyers" are a little more resilient than their Scrapper counterparts and can deploy seeking mines. If one is nearby, just let it get close and dodge away before it explodes. This is a somewhat tough bit, due to the sheer numbers, but it shouldn't pose too much of a problem for a full squad.
After the Hives and Scar are defeated, Matthias will request you come to his position in the main chamber. Head downstairs and through the catacombs to reach some more Scars emerging through rifts - and another respawn limiter. When enough of the Scar are defeated, a "Scar Enforcer" will appear with a full squad backing him up. This is the same as the Leader you fought earlier, so exploit his weaknesses to defeat him. A special Enforcer named "Rust Reaver" will then appear, though he's just a tougher version of the Enforcer you fought earlier. Defeat him and all the other Scar remaining, before speaking to Matthias to complete the mission.
A reminder that if you wish to just head back to the Anthem Missions hub to find tips for a specific mission or side-quest, you can do so. There's also intel on the previous mission: Anthem Early Warnings. Before you continue your campaign, an NPC named Prospero wants a word with you. Talk to him to accept the small mission: "Anthem Lighting a Fire" - which is essential for unlocking one of main features: Anthem Crafting. It won't take too long and you can go back to fighting a more fearsome foe soon enough.