Starting in Destiny 2's Shadowkeep DLC, grandmaster nightfalls were introduced as another endgame piece of content for only the bravest of guardians to interact with. This variation of strikes would add an absurd number of modifiers, double the number of champions, and put fireteams at a 40+ light-level defect. Those successful in clearing a grandmaster would be rewarded with an ascendant shard, exotic armor, and adept versions of nightfall-specific weapons.
Season 19 is the 10th season since grandmasters were introduced, and while the content has seen its ups and downs, it has shown to be a quality piece of endgame content thanks to its longevity. Since many things change from season to season, including the rotation of nightfalls, what was once considered difficult last season may be easier the next season and vice versa. While difficulty can be quite subjective, this list will break down the easiest to hardest nightfalls, why that is the case, and why guardians should always remember that every grandmaster is hard.
1 The Insight Terminus
Without a doubt, The Insight Terminus is the easiest grandmaster in Season 19. The mechanics of this strike are so basic that most fireteams won't need to coordinate when and how to proceed with it. There is even an instance where champions can be skipped if a mechanic is done fast enough. In the room where a plate must be activated to open a portal to follow the boss if all three members of the fireteam stand on the plate and do not allow any enemy to touch the plate, it can be completed fast enough to prevent any the two unstoppable champions from spawning.
On the topic of champions, The Insight Terminus also features the fewest of all the grandmasters in season 19, with only 14 champions. The nightfall also features a plethora of minor enemies with the occasional major enemy, seven of which will spawn with void shields. This is also the burn for the strike, meaning void damage will be 25% effective for players. The trickiest part of the strike is probably during the boss fight, where the boss goes immune and guardians must complete three separate plates. During this time, enemies will infinitely respawn; however, if at least one guardian brings a special grenade launcher with the "blinding grenades" perk, it will make this part a breeze.
2 Warden of Nothing
At first glance, Warden of Nothing may seem like one of the harder grandmasters to complete due to requiring all three champion's mods and being one of the longest strikes this season. However, it is quite easy to navigate. Rather than use overload and unstoppable weapon mods, resourceful guardians can instead use the seasonal anti-champion mods Low Entropy Superconductor and Lord Kelvin's Basilisk to accomplish the same goal and for only one mod slot point each.
Shields are also very minimal here. There are only 10 void shields, which can easily be dealt with by using one of the best exotics in the game: the linear fusion rifle Arbalest, which also has intrinsic anti-barrier rounds. Very few enemies in the grandmaster take advantage of the solar burn that is active, so fireteams should look to do so, especially with powerhouse weapons like the exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn. Said rocket will also help kill one of the easiest strike bosses in the game, almost completely removing the need for supers at the end.
3 Birthplace of the Vile
Introduced with the Witch Queen DLC, Birthplace of the Vile is another grandmaster that appears extremely difficult but is quite manageable for patient and disciplined fireteams. Shields and champions shouldn't cause too much of an issue, given that there are only 5 void shields and the seasonal anti-champion mods are easily accessible to handle the overload and unstoppable champions.
Where this grandmaster may catch fireteams off-guard is the void grenades that the stalkers constantly throw. These can instantly kill guardians due to the burn being void. Screebs are key to keep an eye out for due to their explosions being able to one-hit kill guardians if not properly accounted for. The boss can also be scary, as its main attack does void damage and can one-hit kill guardians.
4 The Scarlet Keep
Scarlet Keep is where fireteams can truly be punished if not played intelligently. Due to the grandmaster being arc burn, guardians should be very careful as a majority of the enemy types deal arc damage. This is especially true for Wizards, due to being a mix of major/ultra-tiered enemies. They have an annoying movement pattern and can deal arc damage very quickly.
What this grandmaster is truly known for is the boss room. Not only does the boss do arc damage, but also spawns major-tiered knights and wizards that can overwhelm even the most organized fireteams. Teams should also be wary that if too much damage is dealt to the boss, this will cause multiple spawns of enemies to occur at the same time. Worst-case scenario, bring the Forbearance grenade launcher and at least one arc titan utilizing the heart of inmost light exotic to make things a bit easier.
5 The Glassway
Glassway as a grandmaster is known to be one of the most frantic and unforgiving nightfalls in the game. Generally speaking, everything leading up to the final boss shouldn't give guardians too much trouble. There are two mini-bosses before the boss room that are accompanied by champions. This can make things tricky, but should be manageable if teams take it slow and deal with the champions and other enemies first before the mini-bosses. It's when teams make it to the boss room that The Glassway truly becomes a nightmare.
The Boss and overload champions deal void damage, so guardians can die in 2-3 hits from the attacks. Guardians must also be careful of doing too much damage to the boss or mini-boss hydra, because once a certain health threshold is reached, more enemies will spawn and can easily overwhelm fireteams. To make matters worse, the room to the right of the arena is not an option as it is smaller. The vex milk also makes it more dangerous to run around, especially with enemies coming in from all entrances.
6 The Corrupted
The Corrupted has been deemed the hardest grandmaster in Destiny 2. It isn't one thing that makes this grandmaster so difficult, it's a combination of what guardians will go through that truly tests even the most seasoned fireteams. Everything that has made each of the previously mentioned grandmasters difficult is here, and amplified times five. There are 10+ enemies with each shield type, over 15 champions, and multiple enemies types that do arc damage to take advantage of the burn. The strike is quite long as well, testing endurance.
Of course, it's impossible to mention The Corrupted without discussing the hectic nature of the boss arena. This arena features a mechanic that prevents fireteams from damaging it immediately, with numerous enemy spawns and the boss actively attacking the players. Even with the widely known linear fusion "melt" strategy for the boss, it isn't always consistent. Players will have to chase the boss through a portal to the next gauntlet filled with champions and deadly flying rocks. It's for these reasons that The Corrupted is the hardest grandmaster in Season 19.