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Shadowkeep wasn't a particularly well-received DLC when it comes to the PVE side of things in Destiny 2, and as a result, Garden of Salvation wasn't exactly a fan favorite among raids. Its infamous tether mechanic can be incredibly annoying for fireteams with weak synergy.
That said, now that Garden of Salvation is part of the weekly raid rotation in Destiny 2, newcomers and veterans alike will likely be returning to this raid to get their weekly rewards. When revisiting this raid, there are a few helpful tips to keep in mind to make finishing it a bit easier and more efficient.
7 Agree On A Tether Order
Screenshot by GameSpot.
The tethering mechanic has players stand in line to connect from point A to point B. The tether can be easily broken, and it also has a set range, so players moving around and changing positions while trying to quickly form a tether can become a major issue in Garden of Salvation.
Teams who are really struggling with this mechanic can simplify things by agreeing on a tether order right from the start. This means that whenever a tether must be formed, each player will stand in a numbered order. Even if not all six players are needed, those who stand in the tether only need to remember their order, which will speed up the process.
6 Prepare For Heavy Ad-Clear
Each encounter in Garden of Salvation is quite heavy on ad-clearing, a classic feature of any raid. That said, it's unique to see a raid where ad-clearing is so prevalent in just about every single part of the raid. This means players need to prepare accordingly. One of the best tools for this is the Witherhoard grenade launcher.
There will also be times when players might find themselves ad-clearing numerous Vex enemies on their own, so self-reliance and heavy ad-clear builds are key, at least until the final encounter, since Garden of Salvation doesn't have a strong damage check until the final boss encounter.
5 Use Swords In The Jumping Puzzles
Garden of Salvation has two fairly annoying jumping puzzle sections, which are made even more difficult due to blossoms that players can shoot to create temporary platforms to stand on. This means traversing these two areas might take a while and result in some untimely deaths.
Players who feel a bit less confident about their parkour skills can put on a sword with the Eager Edge perk to help them traverse these with ease. Consider also changing the type of jump in these areas, as players able to jump further will have a much easier time given the horizontal nature of these jumping puzzles. For Warlocks, Icarus Dash is also a lifesaver in this spot.
4 Watch Out For Overload Champions
Yes, the raid does actually have champions, but only in the first encounter where players are entering the garden. While the raid itself isn't high light and therefore players can technically just blast these champions to pieces with sheer damage, it's best to prepare with at least one player able to stun Overloads.
The reason for this is that Overload minotaurs tend to teleport frequently, which can sometimes make dealing burst damage on them a bit tricky. Moreover, if they manage to start regenerating while taking damage, they can waste a lot of time. Players can even use Stasis or blinding grenades to buy time with these champions if they don't wish to put on a champion mod.
3 The Mote Banking Phase Is Flexible
Screenshot by PC Invasion.
During the final boss, players need to teleport to two sides of the map and gather two types of Voltaic motes and bank them on the confluxes. This process is actually extremely flexible. Players don't have to wait to fill up one conflux but can send two people on the left side, and as the two people return, two other people immediately go to the right side.
It's even possible to only send one person, in case more people are needed to build platforms on the main arena and things get too hectic. The most important thing to consider is whether or not the player sent in can quickly clear ads in the area and return in time to deal with the shielded Vex that approach the confluxes.
2 Tether To The Boss Twice For Maximum Damage
Most players might prefer to play it safe and go for a simple damage phase where they only tether one conflux to the boss and then deal damage, but an organized fireteam can squeeze out even more damage if they quickly tether the second conflux to the boss as well.
This will require some planning ahead and good callouts, but by using the first tip to agree on a tethering order, it becomes incredibly easy for just about any fireteam to pull off. A second tether extends the DPS phase, allowing players to dish out even more damage to the boss.
1 The Best Damage: Precision & Linear Fusions
This might change as the meta shifts as well, but since the beginning of the Witch Queen era, the simplest way to deal with the final boss in Garden of Salvation is to use precision damage on his critical spot, which is his midriff. Snipers and linear fusion rifles are brilliant for this purpose, so anyone with a Stormchaser, Cataclysmic, and Izanagi's Burgen should make use of these weapons.
Of course, applying the right buffs and debuffs is also key, so Radiant for maximum damage and then Weaken on the boss to debuff him and prep him for damage.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.