BO7 Elusive Dark Ops: Beat the Skybreaker Unstunned

Elusive is the hardest of the three new Season 3 Dark Ops in BO7 Endgame (2026), and it rewards the best calling card: an animated Grim Reaper. The challenge is straightforward on paper. Beat the Skybreaker boss in the Link Forger Glitch without getting stunned by its ground-pound attack. In practice, one mistake means restarting the entire 20-30 minute mission.

Our team has completed Elusive both in co-op and solo. The stun mechanic is avoidable once you understand exactly what triggers it and what doesn't. Here's everything you need to know.

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What is Elusive?

Elusive is a Dark Ops challenge tied to the Link Forger Glitch mission, the finale of Operation Poison Pill. The in-game description:

"Eliminate the Link Forger Glitch Boss without getting stunned"

The reward is an animated Grim Reaper calling card that AC OMEGA described as "kind of sick." It's the most visually impressive of the three Season 3 Endgame Dark Ops.

To attempt Elusive, you need access to the Link Forger Glitch. That means completing all 9 steps of Operation Poison Pill and defeating Strike Boss O.S.C.A.R. The portal then spawns permanently at Old Arsenal on the Avalon map.

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The Skybreaker's Stun Attack

The Skybreaker is a large mech robot you fight in Wave 6 of the Link Forger Glitch. It teleports around a lava-filled arena and has multiple attack types. Only one of them matters for Elusive.

What counts as "stunned"

The stun attack works like this:

1. The Skybreaker marks an area on the ground with an orange AOE circle
2. It jumps into the air
3. It lands and creates a shockwave that radiates outward
4. If the shockwave hits you, you lose health, can't move, and the Elusive challenge fails immediately

What does NOT count

This is important. Not every hit fails the challenge:

• Getting hit by regular enemies does not fail Elusive
• Getting hit by fears does not fail Elusive
• The Skybreaker's missile strikes do not count as a stun
• Only the ground-pound shockwave voids the challenge

You can take damage from everything else and still get the calling card. The only thing you need to avoid is the orange circle shockwave.

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How to Avoid the Stun

There are three reliable ways to dodge the shockwave:

1. Jump over it

A well-timed jump right as the boss lands lets you clear the shockwave. The timing is tight but learnable. Watch for the orange circle, keep your eyes on the Skybreaker in the air, and jump right when it touches down.

2. Get out of range

The shockwave has a limited radius. If you're far enough from the orange circle when the boss lands, it won't reach you. This is the safest approach. Keep distance at all times and only close in to deal damage between attacks.

3. Fly or grapple away

Kinetic Jump or Grappling Hook can get you out of range fast. When you see the orange circle appear under you, use your traversal ability to reposition immediately.

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Co-op vs Solo

The single biggest decision for Elusive: do you run it with a team or alone?

Co-op (easier)

• Only you need to avoid the stun. If a teammate gets hit, your progress is unaffected
• The boss splits aggro between players, giving you more breathing room
• Teammates can deal damage while you keep safe distance
• The Skybreaker won't always target you, so you get natural downtime between dodge windows

Solo (harder, but efficient)

• All boss aggro is on you at all times
• If you succeed, you also unlock Single-Threaded simultaneously (two Dark Ops in one run)
• Getting stunned means restarting the entire 20-30 minute mission from Wave 1
• Higher risk, but the most time-efficient approach if you can pull it off

Our recommendation: do your first Elusive attempt in co-op. Learn the stun timing safely with teammates drawing aggro. Once you're comfortable with the dodge window, try the solo two-for-one run. dkdynamite's Link Forger walkthrough shows the boss fight from start to finish if you want to preview the attack patterns before going in.

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Boss Behavior and Low HP Phase

The Skybreaker doesn't behave the same throughout the entire fight. It gets worse.

Normal phase

The boss teleports to random locations, does the ground-pound shockwave, and shoots at you. Predictable pattern. Watch for orange circles, keep distance, chip away at health.

Low HP phase

When the Skybreaker's health gets low, it becomes extremely aggressive. Two new behaviors:

• Incoming Strike: The boss calls in a missile barrage. "INCOMING STRIKE" appears on screen in red text. Get behind cover.
• Shield: The boss puts a protective shield around itself. You can't damage it during this phase. Wait it out.

The low HP phase is where most Elusive attempts fail. The boss is teleporting faster, ground-pounding more frequently, and throwing missiles at you between jumps. Stay calm, keep your distance, and don't get greedy trying to finish it off. Patience wins this fight.

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Tips From Our Team

The AAROW Launcher Is Your Best Friend

High burst damage from a safe distance. Fire rockets between the Skybreaker's teleports and ground-pounds. You can deal significant damage without ever getting close enough for the shockwave to reach you.

Stay at the Arena Edge

The center of the arena is where the deposit point from Wave 5 was. It feels natural to fight there, but it puts you in range of almost every ground-pound. Stick to the edges and use the shipping containers as reference points for safe distance.

Don't Panic on the Orange Circle

The time between the circle appearing and the shockwave landing is enough to react. You don't need frame-perfect dodges. A calm jump or a quick grapple away handles it every time. Panic-sprinting is what gets people clipped by the edge of the shockwave.

The Low HP Phase Is a Patience Test

When the boss shields up and launches missiles, just survive. Don't try to burst it down through the shield. Wait for the shield to drop, land a few safe shots, then back off. Rushing the finish is how 25-minute runs end in failure.

Co-op Trick: Let Teammates Tank

In co-op, your teammates' stuns don't affect your challenge. If you have one aggressive teammate running in close, the boss will often target them for the ground-pound while you deal damage from range. Not the most heroic strategy, but it works.

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The Other 2 Link Forger Dark Ops

Dark Ops	Requirement	Difficulty
Go Fetch	Throw back D.A.W.G. grenade to break shield	Easy
Single-Threaded	Complete Link Forger Glitch solo	Medium-Hard
Elusive	Kill Skybreaker boss without getting stunned	Medium

Start with Go Fetch in Waves 1-2 (one throw-back and you're done), then work on Single-Threaded once you're comfortable with the mission flow. Save Elusive for last, or combine it with Single-Threaded in a solo run if you're confident in the dodge timing. Detonated's Link Forger guide and the official Season 3 patch notes have additional context on the full mission.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you unlock the Elusive Dark Ops in BO7 Endgame?

Defeat the Skybreaker boss in the Link Forger Glitch without getting stunned by its ground-pound shockwave. Complete Operation Poison Pill to access the mission. The portal spawns permanently at Old Arsenal after your first clear.

What counts as getting stunned for Elusive?

Only the Skybreaker's ground-pound shockwave. It marks an orange AOE circle on the ground, jumps, and the shockwave radiates from where it lands. Regular enemy hits, fears, and missile strikes do not count as a stun.

How do you avoid the Skybreaker stun attack?

Watch for the orange circle on the ground. Jump over the shockwave right as the boss lands, fly or grapple out of range, or simply stay far enough away that the shockwave doesn't reach you. Keeping distance is the safest approach.

Does every player need to avoid the stun in co-op?

No. Only you need to avoid the stun for your own Elusive progress. Teammates getting stunned does not affect your challenge. Co-op is significantly easier because the boss splits aggro.

Can you get Elusive and Single-Threaded in the same run?

Yes. If you solo the mission and avoid all stun attacks during the boss fight, both Dark Ops unlock. High risk since getting stunned means restarting the entire 20-30 minute run, but it's the most efficient approach.

What happens if you get stunned during the Elusive challenge?

The challenge fails and you have to restart the entire Link Forger mission from the portal. There are no checkpoints. You redo all 6 waves to reach the boss again.