Velask.
This is a short guide meant to point Guardians in the right
direction if you want to start raiding. While the advice
written here is not set in stone, these are commonly accepted
strategies and opinions compiled for your perusal, and will be
updated with the ebb and flow of the meta.
This guide will cover raid terms, important weapons and
exotics used in raids. There is also an overview of raid loot
and their noteworthy strengths so you can decide where to
begin. Good luck.
The light provides.
- Dylki#8110 & Kenai#2066
30/04/2023
Raid Terminology and Callouts
Experienced teams use phrases or short callouts that are easily understood, but could be confusing to newer players. Here's a non-exhaustive list of common terms you may hear during a raid:
- Wipe
- You'll hear this a lot. When people call for a Wipe it means the whole team must die or self destruct. This is done in order to quickly reset the encounter from the beginning, and is used when teams determine it is no longer possible or unfavourable to continue the current attempt.
- A Wipe Mechanic is a team-killing attack charged by a boss or raid encounter that will kill the team if certain conditions are met. “The boss is wiping us” is often said with despondence.
- Some teams may say "Buss" instead.
- Rally
- To place a Raid Banner and Rally to the flag, regaining full ammo and ability energy. Silly geese may enjoy blowing themselves up while placing the flag to spawn it in a funny position.
- Since you can only rally once to a flag, be careful not to accidentally start the encounter when your team isn't ready, and be sure to coordinate with your team on what weapons to bring. The last thing you want is full Gjallarhorn ammo when everyone else is holding onto linear fusion rifles.
- If a player disconnects or is not in the activity, it is common courtesy to wait for them to arrive before placing the flag. They cannot rally to flags placed before they loaded in.
- DPS
- Stands for Damage Per Second, but commonly used in the context of damaging a boss i.e "during DPS phase we are using rockets".
- Well
- Well of Radiance. Quintessential for team DPS phases.
- Bubble
- Refers to Ward of Dawn. Can be used to buff a team's damage by running in and out of the bubble to gain the Weapons of Light buff.
- Weapons of Light provides the same damage boost as Well of Radiance, but the bubble cannot be shot through. If used, place it behind the team rather than on top of them unless you want to be kicked from the raid.
- Bubble buff does not stack with Well buff.
- Tether
- Shadowshot Deadfall from Void Hunters. Debuffs bosses for extra team damage.
- Div
- The Divinity Exotic Trace Rifle. On certain bosses, teams have one person running this weapon to debuff, and create a target for the team to land shots on.
- Tractor
- The Tractor Cannon Exotic Shotgun. Used to debuff close-by bosses.
- Gally/Gjally
- Refers to the Gjallarhorn Exotic Rocket Launcher. One per team, a powerful rocket launcher that buffs nearby legendary rocket launchers. Critical for team rocket DPS.
- Bump
- Bump in the Night. A currently unobtainable legendary rocket launcher that rolls Chill Clip. Very useful in freezing bosses for shatter damage, but no more than one is needed per team. Someone may announce that they are "running Bump for DPS" or "running chill clip" for instance.
- CP
- Or Checkpoint. When a fireteam falls in a raid or dungeon, the game saves a checkpoint on whichever characters died there. Reloading into the activity spawns you at the same encounter. This checkpoint does not go away until the encounter is cleared on that character, or when the weekly reset happens.
- A team may wipe to quickly save a cp.
- Farm (for a Raid or Dungeon)
- Repeatedly completing a raid or dungeon encounter using a checkpoint. Player with the cp loads in, leaves the fireteam and rejoins with a character he intends to complete the encounter on. When the encounter is over, the original character would still have the cp, so the team loads in on him again.
- Used to farm weapons, RBs, or spoils.
- RB/Deepsight
- Red Border weapons that contribute pattern progress. Several raids and dungeons have craftable weapons that can drop with RBs.
- Once a weapon has been obtained before a RB version can be purchased from the final boss chest once a week. Costs 20 spoils.
- KWTD
- Know What To Do. For an activity, implies no formal teaching will be done. Players must be familiar with the mechanics.
- Sherpa
- An experienced or zealous player who will teach the raid mechanics to learners. Can also refer to a raid where someone is learning, a "sherpa run" or just a "sherpa".
- Dunk/Bank
- To deposit an item or a buff, manually or automatically by standing in a set area. A very common action in raids.
- Self Callouts
- More of etiquette than terminology.
- When a player is making a callout, it's usually easier to say it in third person, or replacing their name with their role or positon.
- "(Your Name)/Left Plate needs help with killing my Knight" is much clearer than a short “I need help with my Knight”. Players may not be familiar with each other's voices, and these callouts make the next course of action immediately clear to everyone.
Top Special Weapons
Most people would associate damage options with their heavy weapons, or in some cases their abilities. Why, then, would one use a special weapon for damage? In the ideal damage composition, a team would have 4 main damage dealers, a Gjallarhorn user and a Tractor Cannon user. The Tractor Cannon user, and to an extent Gjallarhorn user, however, due to their roles, have their heavy weapon locked to a low-damage weapon, and as such, if they wish to contribute to the team's damage will need to rely on special weapons.
Note: This list will be of weapons that have ease of use. Rotations like Double Slug and Double Pellet shotgun exist, but they have been omitted from this list as this guide is catered more towards newer, casual players who may not feel the need to do swap rotations to minmax their damage.
High-Impact Fusion Rifles
| Name | Perks | Description |
|---|---|---|
 The Eremite
|
Envious Assassin + Controlled Burst |
Source: Season of the Witch Engrams/World Drops/Nightfalls.
The High-Impact Fusion Rifle has the second best DPS archetype among fusions. Envious Assassin overcomes the High Impact Fusion Rifle's poor reload stat by overfilling the magazine. Controlled Burst not only gives a 20% damage buff, but also shortens charge time, further increasing DPS. These factors come together to make Eremite and Nox Perennial one of, if not the best special DPS weapons in the game. |
 Nox Perennial V
|
||
 Loaded Question
|
Rapid-Fire Fusion Rifles
| Name | Perks | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Cartesian Coordinate
|
Lead from Gold Field Prep + Vorpal Weapon |
Source: Banshee-44, Xur (Cartesian), Lord Shaxx/Crucible
Matches (Riptide).
The Rapid-Fire Fusion Rifle has the best DPS frame in the game for fusions, alongside being better for neutral play. Vorpal Weapon is a tried and true damage perk, doing well on fusion rifles. |
 Riptide
|
Rapid-Fire Sniper Rifles
| Name | Perks | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
IKELOS_SR_v1.0.3
|
Fourth Time's the Charm Clown Cartridge + Focused Fury Firing Line |
Source: Operation: Seraph Shield(Ikelos), World
Drop(Irukandji), Banshee/Xur(DT)
Rapid-Fire Snipers will be the better option for Long Range special damage in the fringe cases they are needed(Oryx, when heavy ammo has been expended). |
|
Irukandji
|
||
|
Distant Tumulus
|
Top Heavy Weapons
While Destiny 2's raids are exciting and accessible content with a good team, it is good raid etiquette to watch a guide to understand the gist of the activity before diving in with a sherpa. This makes it easier to learn the encounters, and makes the experience more enjoyable.
All raids demand some powerhouse weapons to deal with bosses, and some choice picks are not too difficult to get your hands on.
While several of the strongest raid DPS options drop from raids, this section focuses on weapons obtainable outside of them to guide new players or beginner raiders.
Rocket Launchers
Staple for most raids in Destiny 2 for doing high burst damage to bosses.
Red Herring (Craftable)
Adaptive Frame
Acquisition: Savathûn's Throne World
Desirable Perks
- Barrel:
- Volatile Launch
- Magazine:
- High-Velocity Rounds
- Impact Casing
- Column 1 Perks:
- Tracking Module
- Field Prep
- Column 2 Perks:
- Lasting Impression
- Frenzy
Origin Trait: Phychohack - Scoring multiple hits lowers the target's damage output by 10% for 5 [PVP: 3] seconds.
Masterwork: Velocity
Mod Slot: Boss Spec
The Hothead (Adept)
Adaptive
Frame
Acquisition: Nightfalls
Desirable Perks
- Barrel:
- Volatile Launch
- Quick Lunch
- Magazine:
- Impact Casing
- Column 1 Perks:
- Tracking Module
- Auto-Loading Holster
- Column 2 Perks:
- Explosive Light
- Clown Cartridge
- Vorpal Weapon
Origin Traits:
- Stunning Recovery - Stunning a Champion refill 25% of the Magazine, restores 60 HP, and grants 40 Recovery for 3 seconds.
- Vanguard's Vindication - Weapon Kills restore 7 HP.
Masterwork: Blast Radius
Mod Slot: Boss Spec, Adept Big Ones Spec (For Adept)
Blowout
Adaptive Frame
Acquisition: From Crucible activities as a random drop, or focused from Lord Shaxx with Crucible Engrams.
Desirable Perks
- Barrel:
- Volatile Launch
- Magazine:
- Alloy Casing
- Column 1 Perks:
- Tracking Module
- Field Prep
- Column 2 Perks:
- Explosive Light
Origin Traits:
- One Quiet Moment - Grants 40 Reload Speed and a 0.95x Reload Duration Multiplier while out of Combat. For One Quiet Moment, being in Combat is defined as having either dealt or received damage within the last 5 seconds. Kills reduce this to 1.5 seconds until damage is dealt or received. Can activate even if stowed.
- Suros Synergy - Upon finishing a reload, for 6 seconds: Grants 40 Handling and 20% Flinch Resistance. Cannot be refreshed. Persists while stowed.
Masterwork: Velocity, Blast Radius
Mod Slot: Boss Spec, Adept Big Ones Spec (For Adept)
Alternatives
Aggressive or Adaptive frame rockets with damage perks, such as:
- Explosive Light
- 25% dmg buff and 100% more blast radius for rockets. Stacks up to 6 times for every orb of light picked up, consumes 1 stack per shot.
- Clown Cartridge
- 2 rockets in the mag for less time between shots.
- Frenzy
- 15% dmg buff, with 100 reload speed and handling to get your next shot out faster.
- Lasting Impression
- 20% dmg buff, but with a significant 5s delay before the rocket explodes. Niche or not preferred for bosses with tight windows of vulnerability.
- Vorpal Weapon
- 10% dmg buff to bosses.
Examples include Blowout and Bump in the Night. Hezen Vengeance is another option, but it is a drop from the Vault of Glass raid and may not be as easy as Hothead to obtain.
Linear Fusion Rifles
Less burst, but more sustained damage than rockets. Used on certain bosses with massive healthbars, or very small hitboxes.
Taipan-4FR (Craftable)
Precision Frame
Acquisition: Witch Queen World Drop/Banshee-44
Desirable Perks
- Barrel:
- Arrowhead Brake
- Battery:
- Enhanced Battery
- Column 1 Perks:
- Triple Tap
- Column 2 Perks:
- Firing Line
Origin Trait: Veist Stinger - Hits have a chance (10% for LFRs) to activate Veist Stinger for 7 seconds, granting archetype-dependant bonuses:
- Refills 25% of Magazine from reserves on activation.
- Reduces ADS Movement Speed Penalty by 5%.
- Grants 15% Decreased Draw Time to Bows.
Masterwork: Range
Mod Slot: Boss Spec
Alternatives
Threaded Needle and Fire and Forget are poorer choices to the Taipan which is more accessible, and they lack the best damage perks, such as:
- Firing Line
- 20% precision damage buff.
- Focused Fury
- 20% precision damage buff after landing half your magazine as precision damage.
- Triple Tap
- Landing 3 precision hits returns one round to the magazine. While not a strict damage perk, this regenerates a shot rather than drawing from reserves, making it ideal for drawn out encounters such as the boss of the Kings Fall raid. The same applies for the perk Fourth Time's The Charm.
- Vorpal Weapon
- 10% dmg buff to bosses.
If you for some reason own a Reed's Regret with Triple Tap/Clown + Firing Line, that is a superior pick, but take note that a crafted Taipan can have enhanced perks.
Sword Skating
While not necessary for any particular raid, sword skating is an important and versatile movement technique that can be used for quick traversal, skipping entire raid sections, or cheesing the buggy terrain to our advantage.
Swinging a sword in the air carries you forward, allowing you to quickly change direction or cut your momentum. This makes jumping sections which are offered generously in every single raid much easier to overcome.
Eager Edge is the key perk for sword skating, increasing your lunge distance for a short duration after unsheathing your sword. Using a combination of jumps and swinging the sword at the right time, you can preserve your forward momentum and fly for a short duration.
More advanced and flashy skates involve the Stasis Hunter's Shatterdive and the Solar Warlock's Well of Radiance for even longer, faster leaps. These are known as Shatterskating and Wellskating respectively.
Here is a basic guide to sword skating:
The only swords that can roll Eager Edge as of the writing of this document are the Half Truths and The Other Half from Dares of Eternity. Both weapons can drop with deepsight and are craftable.
Exotics
Witherhoard (with Catalyst)
Grenade Launcher
Acquisition:
- Purchased from the Monument of Lost Lights at the tower. Requires the Shadowkeep Expansion.
- Catalyst quest is started upon acquiring the weapon. Most steps are simple, but the hardest step requires 100 guardian kills with a grenade launcher.
Details
Blights enemies on contact to deal damage over time, or spawns a damaging taken pool upon contacting surfaces. Great area clearing tool for locking down a chokepoint or objective, and does good passive damage over time to bosses.
The catalyst increases the handling stat and gives the weapon auto-loading holster. Good to swap in and pop onto a boss during raid dps before going back to your main weapon.
Bosses can take damage over time from up to 2 Witherhoards at once, so plan out who'll be bringing them beforehand.
Izanagi's Burden (with Catalyst)
Sniper Rifle
Acquisition:
- Purchased from the Monument of Lost Lights at the tower. Requires the Forsaken Expansion.
- Its catalyst is obtained as a drop from any playlist activity.
Details
Unique sniper rifle with unmatched burst damage. Holding the reload button combines all the bullets in your magazine into a single shot, which does more damage based on the number of rounds combined. Holding the button early during a normal reload combines the bullets at the same time as the reload.
The catalyst increases the damage dealt when four bullets are combined.
A powerful DPS tool, Izanagi is often loaded at the start of an encounter and brought out during DPS phase for a burst of damage. It is used in tandem with auto-loading power weapons that reload themselves while shooting and reloading Izanagi.
Arbalest (with Catalyst)
Linear Fusion Rifle
Acquisition:
- Once a random drop, the Arbalest is now awarded from the Another Last City quest obtained from Shaw Han in the Cosmodrome.
- Its catalyst is obtained as a drop from any playlist activity.
Details
Arbalest is a linear fusion rifle that uses special ammo. Uniquely, it is a kinetic weapon with intrinsic anti-barrier, shooting slugs that smash through any shield. Comes with Disruption break.
The catalyst gives the weapon the Genesis perk. Breaking a shield reloads the weapon from reserves.
The arbalest is a sturdy tool for many endgame activities including Grandmaster nightfalls due to its efficiency in breaking shields, and the fact it uses special ammo.
Coupled with another heavy linear fusion rifle, the arbalest supplies good damage for tanky raid bosses. It has high reserves and great damage, and is a popular choice in the Kings Fall raid.
Two-Tailed Fox (with Catalyst)
Rocket Launcher
Acquisition:
- The Fox is a world drop, or sold by Xur.
- Its catalyst is obtained as a drop from any playlist activity.
Details
The Fox shoots two rockets at once. After Lightfall, it has received a substantial buff. The void rocket now suppresses foes, and the solar rocket scorches them.
With its new catalyst, an extra arc rocket is fired which jolts foes. The Fox's debuffs do not stack, so most raid teams only use one.
Tractor Cannon (with Catalyst)
Heavy Shotgun
Acquisition:
- The Tractor is a world drop, or sold by Xur.
- Its catalyst is obtained as a drop from any playlist activity.
Details
The Tractor shoots a short ranged blast that makes enemies take 30% more damage. A popular support tool to boost a team's overall damage, but its wielder needs a sturdy sniper or fusion rifle to keep up with team DPS.
Its catalyst increases the magazine size and total ammo of the gun.
Gjallarhorn (with Catalyst)
Rocket Launcher
Acquisition:
- And Out Fly The Wolves quest picked up from Xur after buying the 30th Anniversary Pack. Requires completion of the Grasp of Avarice Dungeon for the quest steps.
- The catalyst is acquired afterwards through opening secret chests in the dungeon after obtaining the Gjallarhorn first.
Details
The iconic rocket launcher from Destiny returns in its sequel. Upon detonation the Gjallarhorn rockets create tracking cluster missiles, called Wolfpack rounds.
When firing the weapon, nearby allies wielding non-exotic rocket launchers also gain Wolfpack rounds. As such, most raid teams only need one Gjallarhorn.
The catalyst increases the magazine size of Gjallarhorn.
Sleeper Simulant (with Catalyst)
Linear Fusion Rifle
Acquisition:
- Purchased from the Monument of Lost Lights at the tower. Does not require any DLC expansion to purchase.
- The catalyst is acquired as a random drop from Nightfall Strikes. There is no data as to whether the difficulty of the strike increases the drop rates.
Details
Note: The Sleeper is not a priority if you own a Taipan-4FR.
While it does more damage than the Taipan at base, it suffers from a long charge time, a smaller magazine and less ammo reserves. This issue is slightly offset by the catalyst, giving it more ammo capacity and accelerated coils.
Xenophage
Machine Gun
Acquisition: Obtained from ,The Journey quest from the Shadowkeep expansion. After solving a few puzzles, you will need to enter the Pit of Heresy dungeon for one of the steps.
Details
Xenophage is a machine gun, but feels more like a brick launcher. It shoots explosive shots at a very low fire rate that cannot crit. Comes with Rangefinder and a high zoom level.
While unorthodox, Xeno is the preferred weapon in certain activities such as Vault of Glass and Deep Stone Crypt raids that involve shooting objectives with no weakspots. Great for Gambit, and killing Guardians.
Parasite
Grenade Launcher
Acquisition: After completing the Witch Queen campaign, obtain the Of Queens and Worms quest. Completing it gives Parasite, and a newfound friend.
Details
Parasite drastically increases the damage and explosion radius of its next shot as you defeat opponents with other weapons or abilities.
Used for burst damage on bosses with a very short window for DPS. Usually used in the Deep Stone Crypt raid. Practically made for Gambit.
The Lament
Sword
Acquisition: After completing the Beyond Light campaign, pick up the Lost Lament quest from Banshee. The quest has a ton of story spoilers that the guides may delve into, so be cautious if you want a fresh experience in the questline.
Details
The Lament is an unabashedly brutal weapon, specializing in high close range damage, healing its user on hits.
It can take some skill to manage the exotic perk with how quickly it depletes sword energy, but landing the full combo does devastating damage to bosses.
Useful in the Last Wish and Deep Stone Crypt raid, and throughout the Duality and Grasp of Avarice dungeons. Great for Gambit.
Lumina
Hand Cannon
Acquisition: Purchased from the Monument to Lost Lights, under the Forsaken tab. Requires the Forsaken Expansion.
Details
Exotic Perks:
- Noble Rounds - Kills with this weapon leave behind Remnants. Absorbing a Remnant converts your next hipfired shot into an ally-seeking Noble Round and partially refills the magazine.
- Blessing of the Sky - Using a Noble Round on an ally heals them and grants both you and them a weapon damage bonus for a short duration.
Lumina is a hand cannon which tends to be used as more of a support weapon. Through its Noble Rounds perk, Lumina provides a 35% damage bonus to both teammates hit with the Noble Rounds and the user, a damage buff overriding and exceeding that of Well of Radiance and Radiant (25%).
Raid Weapons
Under this section, we have included a summary of different weapons obtainable from each raid, and their most popular or unique perks. Full information on each weapon can be found on sites such as Light.gg. Click on the respective links to see an in-depth look at the weapons from each raid.
Crota's End
A raid from Destiny 1, reprised. Before we killed Oryx, we killed his son. Players will venture into the Hellmouth on the Moon to confront Crota, a powerful Hive deity. The raid is known for its intense encounters, teamwork requirements, and a final showdown with Crota himself. It offers a mix of puzzle-solving, combat, and coordination challenges, making it a favorite among Destiny 2 players seeking a formidable PvE experience.
* Free for all players.
Root of Nightmares
Root of Nightmares is an objectively simple raid, given by how someone has already managed to complete it solo and flawlessly. Most encounters only have a few players running with mechanics, leaving the rest on mobbing duty. Mechanics are easy to learn, and nearly unchanged throughout the whole raid. Relatively little comms are required, and the loot is desirable, so Root is an ideal raid for newer players to try out.
While half the encounters do not have bosses, the ones that do usually require rocket launchers. Machine guns are primo picks for dealing with waves of enemies elsewhere.
* Requires the Lightfall expansion.
King's Fall
A raid from Destiny 1, reprised. Kings Fall is a lengthy raid involving activating plates in the right order, and juggling a Brand shield that allows the team to exploit their enemy's weaknesses and guard against wipes. Communication must be timely and accurate, and all players are heavily involved in the raid mechanic roles.
Bosses are just so beefy, demanding both rocket launchers and LFRs for DPS. Machine guns are favored in some encounters for mobs.
* Free for all players.
Deep Stone Crypt
Introduced years ago, DSC was refreshed recently with new perks on each weapon, and the ability to craft them all. The raid features 3 unique buffs with different roles. As the buffs rotate between players, each member will familiarize themselves with their specific job at a given time. That being said, DSC is a fairly simple and short raid, and will train your skills to press buttons, tell left from right, and engage in light jogging while carrying potatoes (highly explosive ordnance).
Rockets are used for the final boss. For this raid, the Exotic Xenophage LMG and Parasite Grenade Launcher/The Lament Sword are a high priority to have.
* Requires the Beyond Light expansion.
Vow of the Disciple
In an epic clash against the true forces of the Darkness, Vow takes guardians into the heart of a pyramid ship. While mechanically simple, Vow is mentally intense as each player will have to memorize a list of symbols to communicate quickly and effectively with their team.
Feisty learners may wish to try their hand at an online quiz to prepare for the raid. Once the symbols are memorized, the raid becomes quite simple, and the weapon drops are some of the strongest ingame. Rockets are used for bosses.
* Requires the Witch Queen expansion.
Vault of Glass
Guardians make their own fate as the Vault of Glass makes its return from Destiny 1. Mechanics are not exceptionally complicated, and are reused throughout the raid. Much of the raid focuses on shooting Oracles in a specific order, so communications must be timely and accurate to ensure success. Being mindful of your team, individual roles and where enemy snipers are positioned is key for survival.
Rockets are used for bosses. For bossless encounters, the Xenophage exotic LMG is used to oneshot Oracles.
* Free for all players.
Garden of Salvation
Garden of Suffering is one of the least popular raids right now. Long, drawn out encounters backed by comparatively subpar loot in today's sandbox does not help it make a good case for itself. Furthermore, each encounter uses largely different mechanics with very little room for error. High learning curve, where players need to be careful of their own tempo, role rotation, taking out key enemies on time, buff durations and staying alive on top of it all.
The Divinity Trace Rifle may be the only thing worthwhile from this raid currently, as it is sorely in need of a loot refresh. Rockets and LFRs are used for bossing.
* Requires the Shadowkeep expansion.
Last Wish
While largely used as a farming spot at Shuro Chi, an encounter that spawns a great many taken thralls, you may be surprised to learn there is a raid in your farming spot. Last Wish is a long, difficult raid with tricky symbols to memorize. Communication, patience and haste is more important than ever. The loot is currently subpar, but rumors are that a perk refresh is on the horizon. Be brave, and take a dive into one of the most immersive raids in Destiny 2…o murderer mine.
A great many strategies are used for bossing, including rockets and The Lament exotic sword.
* Requires the Forsaken Pack.
Dungeon Weapons
Under this section, we have included a summary of different weapons obtainable from dungeons, and their most popular or unique perks. Full information on each weapon can be found on sites such as Light.gg. Click on the respective links to see an in-depth look at the weapons from each dungeon.
Ghosts of the Deep
Ghosts of the Deep is the first of Year 6's 2 dungeons. With a focus on a rune mechanic and Deepsight, GoTD has some of the most unique mechanics of a dungeon. A focus on Lucent Hive, long traversal paths involving underwater movement, and a boss with not only egregiously high health but also erratic movement and hitbox, GoTD is easily the most tedious dungeon so far.