Tower of Fantasy: How to Loot Surveillance Guards

Exploring the Vera desert in Tower of Fantasy always yields something interesting, and you’re liable to encounter a strange polyhedral device as you adventure. These are Loot Surveillance Guards, machines apparently designed to keep Nuclei out of the wrong hands.

Getting the loot from Surveillance Guards is relatively simple, but it takes quick reflexes and patience. This guide will cover everything you need to know about looting these odd machines.

Looting Surveillance Guards Explained

Unlike Elemental Supply Pods or Ruin Stone puzzles, taking your reward from a Loot Surveillance Guard is simple in principle: go up and take it. The wrinkle is the Guard will close around the Black or Gold Nucleus it protects as you approach it, locking you out of collecting your loot for about five seconds, provided you back off. If you stay next to the Guard, it will never reopen, and the two of you will be locked in a never-ending standoff.

To successfully loot Surveillance Guards, you need to stay far enough away from them long enough for them to open. Once they do, rush up to them and select the Cut Off option in about half a second. Doing so will lock the Guard into a temporary open state, allowing you to collect the Nucleus from them.

With such a short window, forcing the Guard to stay open can be difficult if you aren’t used to the timing. Thankfully, there’s no punishment for failure beyond needing to try again. Simply retreat from the Guard and wait five seconds or so for it to open back up, then rush in and try to hit the Cut Off prompt again.

If you give it a few tries and can’t nail the timing, note where the Guard is and come back later. It’s not going anywhere, and returning in a better headspace will probably make it easier to succeed.

There’s not much more to looting Surveillance Guards in Tower of Fantasy. It’s easy and straightforward, and the rewards are worth the minor frustration these machines can sometimes cause. For more on Tower of Fantasy, the Vera region, and the Artificial Island, check out our guides hub.