The Ultimate Guardian Guide: 27 Destiny Tricks for Lightfall Players
Have you skipped a few seasons, or are you just getting started with Bungie’s sci-fi looter-shooter? Hop in for up-to-date Destiny tips and tricks to maximize your Lightfall experience!
Destiny 2 was a massive hit when it was first released. Despite occasional setbacks, it has been keeping a solid place in both gaming charts and players’ hearts. Twenty seasons and counting, the game is in its Year 6 and continues to captivate players with its expertly crafted storytelling, engaging gameplay, immersive music, and stunning visuals.
Bungie’s doing an excellent job weaving in lore pieces and dropping tons of playable content. But if you happen to miss out on a couple of seasons or are venturing into Destiny 2 for the first time, the vast amount of information and content thrown at you right off the bat can be overwhelming. Even seasoned players get stuck in an activity or two or trip over an especially tricky mechanic sometimes. After all, Destiny 2 can be hard to learn your way around. So, to help you have the upper hand and avoid the most treacherous pitfalls, we are here with a list of the best and most effective Destiny hints and tips.
Whether you’re a newcomer to the game or a returning player in need of some gaming wisdom, we’ve got you covered. We’ve asked professional players to share their insights, so you can have a smoother experience and enjoy the game to the fullest.
Buckle up, folks, and let’s get into it!
General Tips
Let’s start off with a few basic guidelines. While these are mostly for beginners, we’re sure that more experienced Guardians will find a thing or two to take note of as well.
#1 GO WITH TITAN
Yeah, we know you want to run that super-duper fancy Hunter class. Been there, done that. Hunters do look fantastic, no doubt, but they are way harder to learn, especially when you’re just getting your feet wet in the game. Titans are more beginner-friendly and actually really fun to play, so for your first playthrough, you better stick to this class. Trust us, you’ll have plenty of time to explore Hunter and Warlock abilities when you create your other characters later.
#2 PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR ARMOR STATS
Here’s what to know about Destiny 2 character stats: you have six of them to progress all the way to 100. Every armor piece you wear adds to the overall score of Mobility, Resilience, Recovery, Discipline, Intellect, and Strength. How you go around each one depends mostly on your build and playstyle. But certain stats affect your class’s ability to cooldown and help you get your barricades, rifts, or dodges back a lot faster. If you’re a Titan, focus on Resilience. Pay closer attention to Mobility on Hunters, while Warlocks should max out their Recovery. However, it is worth noting that Resilience gives you up to 30% resistance, which is extremely useful in any activity. Check out our other article to learn more about stats and how to get high-stat armor.
#3 KNOW YOUR ENEMY
Targeting enemies’ weak spots may save you lots of HP and ammo in combat. You’d normally go for the head to get crit damage, but sometimes landing a clear headshot is impossible or even deprecated, so learning those other crit spots will be helpful.
When fighting Vex enemies, aim for the glowing white part of their belly and never shoot them in the head. I’ll make them more aggressive and harder to kill. Cabal’s weak spot is on their backs. Destroying jet packs on regular Cabal and canisters on Incendiors will make them explode, which is a nice little trick for clearing groups. Note that you can create an additional crit point on any enemy using the Divinity trace rifle and its debuff ability.
It’s extremely important to familiarize yourself with enemy shields and elemental damage types as early in the game as possible. Simply put, your weapon type should match the shield element of the enemy you want to put down. Arc guns against Arc shields and so on. Don’t worry if you find yourself getting confused at first. The more you play, the easier it gets. Practice makes perfect, right?
#4 Explore Lore before Lightfall
A big mistake for beginners is to delve into Destiny 2 without knowing the previous events. This game has a rich story. And with Lightfall, we are nearing the end of the Light and Dark Saga. The fate of the Guardians hangs in the balance as they battle against their greatest enemy, and the slightest misstep could lead to instant collapse.
We have two options for you to choose from: watch a four-hour-long-video detailing every nook and cranny of the game’s history, or read our comprehensive 10-minute article that gathers all the essential story pieces leading up to Lightfall.
#5 Keep Up With The Resets
Most Destiny 2 content rotates on a daily and weekly basis. There are tons of resets: for pinnacles, modifiers, Nightfalls, raid challenges, Crucible game modes, and many more. This system keeps things relatively fresh, not letting the game succumb completely to a boring, repetitive routine. But if you’re not an everyday-log-in kind of player, it’s easy to lose track of what’s going on.
For those who don’t play every day, we suggest logging in at least every Tuesday at weekly reset to see what’s new and map out what to grind first. Websites like TodayInDestiny will give you a better look at the game’s current state in terms of content and provide a schedule of things to come in the weeks ahead.
#6 Use Item Managers and other applications
Item managers aren’t vital to your experience, but they do make it easier to juggle your gear and weapons between characters and keep track of the stuff you have in your inventory. We also recommend using the Destiny 2 Companion app. From there, you can buy bounties from various Vendors on your phone. Don’t forget to check out sites like Light.gg and d2foundry.gg. They will help you learn the guns and find the perfect perks.
#7 Be Deliberate With What You Dismantle
Even if the roll-on of that newly-dropped weapon makes you want to cry, don’t be too quick to render it trash and dismantle it for materials. There’s always plenty of time to toss stuff away. If you get a weak drop, just keep it in your vault and wait. It might as well become your next favorite weapon when you get lucky with a new roll.
#8 Learn about Perks and God Rolls
Sooner or later, you must discover what kind of guns you come across. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, be careful and watchful. Certain perks in the game are hard to get, but with their help, your gun will become much more effective and useful. It would be best for you to visit particular vendors selling any gear. They are constantly updating what they have, and at some point, Vendors may have the best gun in the game. You can learn more about which perks to pay attention to in our PvP and PvE perks articles.
#8 Crafting Is the New Black
The crafting system debuted in the Witch Queen DLC. It didn’t take too long to become the main source of meta weapons. Like it or not, craftables are one of the most powerful items in the game right now, making crafting your primary answer on how to get good Destiny gear. So, it would be a shame not to make good use of that Enclave crafting relic, wouldn’t it?
#10 Visit Xur
Wanna buy high-stat armor and Exotics? Xur is your go-to guy. He’s sort of a rolling stone and shows up at a different location each week, but you should definitely pay him a visit and spend some Legendary Shards on what he has to offer.
#11 Your Ghost Is More Useful Than You Might Think
These shiny little guys are floating around not only to please your eyes and give out witty comments. Ghosts have their special mods with nice perks like increasing material drops or XP. So, make sure you slot the ones you need before jumping into the next battle. Luckily, Xur status updates on a weekly basis at WowVendor’s tool, and it’s the best way for Guardians to check vendor’s items.
#12 Learn Buildcrafting
With Lightfall’s release, the Buildcrafting system in the game has been completely changed. It has become much easier to understand. We strongly advise you to take the time to study it. Competent Build will allow you to make your gameplay more fun and even make Endgame Activities much easier.
#13 Don’t Wait to Unlock Your Engrams
Don’t put off decoding those engrams and claiming your rewards. The trick here is that engrams drop items with power levels matching yours at the time you got them. A quick example: you get an engram when you are at power level 1700 and decide to open it when you progress to 1800, but it still drops 1700 gear, because you were at 1700 when you got it.
Yeah, that’s a bummer, but that’s how it is. Engrams will not be useful later in the game as they will give you underpowered gear due to your increased level since earning them. What does it mean? Don’t stockpile on engrams. The save-for-later Destiny 2 strategy won’t work here. Engrams are one of those things that cannot afford delay and should be used as soon as possible.
#14 Right Weapon for Each Encounter
Destiny is not the kind of game where you can pick one loadout and use it for absolutely everything. Something that’s great in Crucible can be absolutely worthless in PvE and vice versa, so try out different loadouts for different modes.
Remember that the weapon has to match the actual combat situation you find yourself in. Save your Special and Heavy hard-hitters for boss fights and use primary weapons on adds. Big groups of fast-moving enemies close to you will be hard to eliminate with a scout rifle, while a bulky enemy at long range won’t go down easily if you use a Submachine Gun. It’ll take time to adapt to these small nuances. But after a while, you’ll make weapon decisions more naturally and almost instinctively. Don’t be afraid to experiment with gear and weapons, and you’ll be just fine.
#15 Keep an Eye on the Meta
Lots of players say that your loadout is a matter of taste, and they are not wrong. Your well-tested favorite gun will sure feel much better than some brand-new claimed-to-be-great monster, no matter how good it is. But some activities are extremely meta-dependant, and you just have to get on with it. It doesn’t mean that you must grind out every meta weapon because that’ll turn your gaming experience into a total nightmare. Just keep an eye out for the season’s top performers and new arrivals, and don’t hang onto your usual loadout too much. Who knows, maybe that new meta scout rifle will be love at first sight?
#16 Follow Content Creators
Having decided to fully immerse yourself in Destiny, you should follow some Content Creators to help you stay up-to-date with everything happening in this shooter game. Whether it’s news on the game, story, or just entertainment content. You don’t even have to search, because we had an article with our recommendations on this subject.
#17 Do all the Challenges
Completing Challenges can be unbearably lengthy and tedious, but it’s a much-needed activity. Without it, your power level will take at least a month to upgrade, if not more, and you will miss out on some Endgame content. It’s better to do it right away to avoid suffering later.
#18 Don’t Skip the Campaign
You really shouldn’t skip the campaign on your first character. It’s fun and entertaining, and it gives you the experience no Raid or Dungeon ever will. The Lightfall expansion has one of the best Destiny campaigns, no jokes. Even if that’s not convincing enough, think about what that huge chunk of XP campaign completion will give you. See what we’re getting at? That’s right, go show them how it’s done, Guardian!
#19 Don’t Play Alone
Soloing hardcore content can be a nice little challenge, but the truth is told, Destiny 2 is way more fun if you bring some friends along. Not only does a fair part of the game’s activities require a team. Playing with another person, especially if that person is a more experienced Guardian, can be a completely different and rewarding experience. A seasoned player on your team will help you figure out how things work, and running the campaign together is the best way to progress faster.
In case none of your friends gave in to persuasion, you can always look for teammates on Destiny 2 team finder websites or book a session with a professional game buddy.
#20 Join a Clan
Unlike in its predecessor, clans in Destiny 2 are a big deal. Leveling up your clan will give you nice perks and additional rewards, and all it requires from you is to play the game like you usually do. Well, maybe to put in a little more effort, but it will eventually pay off a ton. What’s more, folks in newbie-friendly clans can show you the ropes on what to do in Destiny 2 and make your first steps into the game a lot easier. Sounds like a win-win to us, don’t you think?
#21 Communicate With Your Team While Raiding
It might seem like something Captain Obvious would say, but some players do not understand how pivotal communication really is. Raids are Destiny’s top endgame content, requiring impeccable teamwork and exquisite combat prowess. If the latter is achieved only through hard work and practice, the former is doable by simply talking to each other and being clear on what each of you needs to do. Every member of your fireteam will have a role to play, and understanding those roles is half of your success. Of course, each raid is unique, but when it comes to Destiny 2 raid tips, there’s one rule that doesn’t change, no matter what you play: Communication Is Key.
We highly recommend making callouts and just talking things over through a Discord Voice channel rather than a text chat. It saves time, does not distract you from the game with all these messages popping up on the screen, and hearing your fellow Guardians battling side by side with you takes your raiding experience to a whole new level.
Power Leveling Tips
Before we dive into the actual leveling tips, let us take a minute to make sure we’re all on the same page and everyone understands what we’re talking about. This part here is mainly for new players, so if you know your way around this season’s power caps and other Destiny 2 basics of Powerleveling, you can scroll down and jump straight to the tips. As for everyone else, let’s make a quick go-over.
Your overall power level is influenced by two things:
- Your gear score, which is defined by the gear that you have on your character
- The artifact bonus, added when you level up your artifact.
While gear score depends on the loot you get, the artifact is leveled solely by grinding bounties and completing seasonal challenges.
Next up, we have caps that determine the lowest and the highest power levels you can rank up to with no artifact bonus. The Lightfall kicked the Floor Cap up to 1600, meaning all Guardians start at this level and no drop can have a gear score lower than that. The other caps are:
- Soft Cap: 1600–1750
- Powerful Cap: 1750–1800
- Pinnacle Cap: 1800–1810
When you’re within that Soft Cap, absolutely any loot will do. You can run the campaign, beat those patrol missions, or combat with fellow Guardians in PvP. Every drop will steadily increase your gear score, getting you closer and closer to 1750. With Powerful and Pinnacle Caps, you’ll have to go after rewards through your Directory and complete specific objectives. Any power level beyond 1810 is obtained only with your artifact bonus.
We hope this little introduction clears things up for those out of the loop, and we can proceed with our Destiny 2 game guide and officially get down to Power Leveling tips.
#1 The Item Gear Score Counts Even in Your Inventory
This may sound obvious to veteran Guardians, but new players often think that they need to have their highest gear on in order to make their score count. Well, you don’t. That ugly helmet and that pulse rifle with a crappy roll will still add up to your overall score and influence future drops even if they are collecting dust somewhere in your inventory.
#2 Beat the Lightfall Campaign on Legendary
If you manage to do that, you’ll get a guaranteed full set of 1770 gear, propelling you straight above Soft Cap in a heartbeat. If legendary difficulty seems too challenging to take on, don’t worry. The campaign on normal is also okay, as you still get a lot of juicy loot. Or, if you’re into hardcore grinding, run the Vanguard strikes. It’ll be long and excruciating, and you’ll probably hate this game to the guts, but it’ll get the job done.
#3 Avoid Powerful Drops Before 1750
Don’t go for Powerfuls within Soft Cap. You don’t want to waste them as they’re essential for progressing past 1750. The same goes for pinnacles. Save them for later to go above 1750.
#4 Bring Your Low-Score Gear Up Before Going Further
Here it’s all about equalizing and fixing gear that lags behind. Most of the time, you’ll have one or several armor pieces or weapons that are just too low on score compared to everything else. These are the pieces that will hold you back. In such a case, stop hunting down Powerfuls, and deal with the weak link by going after World Drops. World Drops adjust to your overall gear score, giving you good loot to replace the lagging gear.
One more trick is the loot chest on the Moon’s Hellmouth. When you get to the location, go to Circle of Bones, turn right and run all the way past the ledge until you see a Barrier Champion. Once defeated, he’ll drop a loot chest with very good rewards to increase your gear score and get back to running after those Powerfuls.
By the way, websites like Destiny Recipies will help you detect the weakest gear and also point out missions and bounties your character needs to get done for the week.
#5 PLAY EVERY CORE PLAYLIST
In Destiny, each core playlist is important for Power Leveling because they give a lot of experience, rewards, and Pinnacle engrams. You can try PvP in the form of Crucible or Gambit with a combination of PvP and PvE. Or you might like the co-op passage of missions in Strikes. Of course, the best leveling source is Dungeons and Raids. But to have a successful run, you need to gather more Power and find reliable teammates.
#6 Save Certain Exotics
There are a bunch of Destiny 2 quests that guarantee a high-end exotic weapon, like Parasite or Dead Messenger. When you see that you’re lagging behind on some gear and feel like you need a boost, go for these quests. It’s the safest bet because the rewards will drop 100% and they won’t be underscored.
The same thing works with your Season Pass: you’ll have certain rewards mapped out. All you have to do is gain XP, level up, and collect those goodies, contributing to your overall power level with a guaranteed powerful piece.
Final Word
Destiny 2 is massive, and we do hope that our humble guide will help you navigate its complex and multifaceted world. Before we wrap things up, let us remind you of the most important rule: don’t forget to have fun. The game is all about you relaxing and having a blast, so don’t turn it into a stressful grind or a boring chore. If things get too cumbersome, you can always take a break or turn to a Destiny 2 carry service like WowVendor for help.
Want to get carried through King’s Fall? Get that craftable Osteo Striga SMG? Or maybe hit GM Nightfalls? No matter what your goals are, WowVendor’s pro gamers have got you covered. Veteran Guardians with tons of gaming experience, these guys know everything about Destiny 2 and will gladly help you make all your in-game dreams come true. For more info visit WowVendor and don’t be shy to place your order.
Best of luck to you on your Destiny 2 journeys, Guardians. May the Light guide you.
by Lana Martyn and Owl
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