As Destiny 2 enters its fifth year this 2022, players finally get to unravel some of the darkest schemes of the Witch Queen Savathun and hopefully save the world in the process. Part of the way the game does this is through its newest slate of dungeons, part of which is the infamous Duality that takes players deep into the mind of Emperor Calus.
If players successfully traverse his mindscape, they get rather interesting insights regarding his intentions with the Traveler and his relationship with the Witness. However, this Destiny 2 dungeon also offers many rewards for players who manage to complete its challenging encounters. And for players who want to take the Duality dungeon to the next step they may want to try to solo the dungeon to reap all the rewards for themselves. However, just how should players approach this encounter?
Health Is Wealth
Unlike other Destiny 2 dungeons, the Duality Dungeon easily becomes hell for new Destiny players not used to mixing up both weird mechanics and intense firefights. Given how the Duality Dungeon has quite a lot of mobs, players may appreciate getting as much health as possible.
In this regard, stats-wise, 100 Resilience is always a recommendation. Players with 100 Resilience can appreciate as much as 40-percent damage reduction in PVE, making this a godsend, especially for non-tank builds. Likewise, recovery Mods such as Classy Restoration is great for improving survivability and sustains, especially since this Mod, in particular, heals players when using Solar Abilities.
Consider Mapping Melee To Different Buttons
While it’s easy for Destiny 2 players to launch their Melee Attacks and have their Charged Melee Attacks unbound by default, those attempting Duality Dungeon solo might want to map their punches separately. Ideally, players should have their uncharged Melee and Charged Melees on different keys. That way, players are able to consciously bash enemies who are on red bars to their deaths and trigger kill-based buffs. This is especially helpful for Roaring Flames, as kills with Solar Melees will trigger its regeneration.
Likewise, players need to be aware of exactly where they can rest and recharge their melee energies, especially in each segment of the dungeon. That way, players know where their most optimal safe spots are to avoid risky encounters.
The Lament Is A Best Friend
The recommendation for Destiny 2 players to keep close attention to their Health during this dungeon doesn’t just mean choosing Mods that give sustain, but this advice also applies to weapons in general. An ideal weapon of choice for this dungeon is the Lament, an Exotic Power Sword that can transform melee into an emergency lifesaver, especially when paired with more punchier Destiny 2 Pulse Rifles.
Thanks to Revved Consumption (Exotic Perk), damaging a combatant will heal the player immediately for a fraction of the damage. This benefit is compounded with Banshee’s Wall (Exotic Perk), wherein holding Block adds a “rev” mechanic to the blade that adds a Shield-Piercing quality to all attacks, gives stacks when dealing damage with revved attacks, and with more stacks boosting the sword’s damage and the damage resistance of heavies.
Death By Architects Is No Joke
Players who stayed in Destiny 2 gameplay long enough would’ve heard statements such as “killed by Architect.” This is a Halo reference, where an old glitch caused players to die randomly, meaning the devs have killed players. Since Destiny 2 is also developed by Halo developer Bungie, “killed by Architect” is the equivalent of a level killing the players instead of monsters themselves.
This very much applies to the entirety of the Duality Dungeon. Players hoping to solo the dungeon should remember level mechanics tied to the event and how they affect their respective stages. These not only include the Bellkeepers that activate the realm-switching Bells, but also the Phalanxes, Gladiators, as well as mechanics such as boss Caiatl’s stomps.
Key Against Gahlran Is To Be Slow And Sure
Solo players of the Duality Dungeon would immediately notice that Destiny 2 gameplay drastically slows down against bosses, particularly Gahlran, but this is exactly the ideal way to approach the encounter to avoid unnecessary wipes. Players shouldn’t rush as much when facing him, especially since various mechanics are against the players - particularly the limited stay in the Nightmare Realm.
When fighting Gahlran solo, Destiny 2 players shouldn’t rush to carry more than one Standard in the Nightmare Realm, as the stay here isn’t long enough for players to activate them anyway. Gahlran’s boss form still roams around and will chase players, so it’s wise to sneak around as well. Galhran is particularly vulnerable after defeating his Shadows the second time, so players should always try to get their attacks primed during these Nightmare Realm cycles.
The Crypt Needs Care
After defeating Gahlran, players of Destiny 2 need to head down to the Crypt for the second stage of the Duality Dungeon. Entering the crypt and going to the pillar in the middle of the room will have the nearby coffins become platforms, setting the stage for this platform-heavy segment. Players need extra care when going to the Nightmare Realm in this stage, especially since the middle hole is a trap for low-lying fliers such as Warlocks.
In the Nightmare Realm, it’s ideal to grab an Eager Edge Sword when possible, as this allows players to quickly dispatch Bellkeepers and other Nightmare Realm enemies. When in the Material Realm, players need to be wary of Phalanxes as they can wall-throw or cause wipes, with an ideal way of getting out of reach is to stay on the stairs leading to the Colossus and attack enemies with Destiny 2 Sniper Rifles.
Caiatl Needs To Focus On Bellkeepers
As with other Destiny 2 dungeons, the Duality Dungeon also has a boss in the form of Caiatl. However, unlike other bosses, Caiatl forms one of the toughest boss battles in the game - especially as its DPS component is interspersed with rather dangerous platforming. Players need to take note that there are now four (4) Bellkeepers in the real world and six (6) Bellkeepers in the Nightmare Realm.
However, fans should be able to prevail when they know how to tackle this part of the dungeon through specific instances. These include dodging Colossus missiles, especially since not only do they disable Restoration but are powerful enough to push people off ledges. Moreover, respawning psions can be deterred through Fusion Grenades, effectively blocking enemies going through doors. Lastly, players may want to ensure using abilities and Fusion Rifles against Bellkeepers to ensure they vaporize, as they drop dangerous explosive packs if simply knocked out.
For Titans: Healing And DPS Go Hand-In-Hand
The Titan is an immediate recommendation for Destiny 2 players looking for a heavy-duty class capable of tanking most difficult dungeons, making them an ideal character to use in the tougher Duality Dungeon. More specifically, the Solar 3.0 Titan may be of use due to how Solar emphasizes survivability through DPS.
In fact, ideal Aspects and Fragments within Solar 3.0 boosts combat survival in the heat of battle. These are courtesy of effects that prolong Supers, quick ability regens, and grants Restoration buffs (Sol Invictus), prolongs the duration of Restoration and Radiant buffs (Ember of Solace) or boosts recovery with Solar final blows (Ember of Tempering). Mods such as Font of Might, Elemental Ordnance, and Golden Tricorn help this build greatly, especially since they prioritize buffing Solar damage and their immediate effects.
For Hunters: Knock ‘Em Out As Fast As Possible
The Hunter is the go-to damage class for Destiny 2 players looking to focus on those who can wreck enemies with as many damage numbers as possible. For Hunters who aim to solo the Duality Dungeon, perhaps a Solar 3.0-focused build may be able to do the job for them. The key here is to knock out enemies fast enough that Hunters don’t have to risk their survivability.
There are ideal Fragments and Aspects within Solar 3.0 that can do all of these for Hunters. For instance, Knock ‘em Down will have Blade Barrage shoot more projectiles, and being under Radiant will restore melee ability with every kill. Considering how Gambler’s Dodge (Class Ability) restores melee on hit, Hunters essentially have infinite knives. Other useful Destiny 2 Mods also include those that boost weapon handling and reload (On Your Mark), melee-based final blow Radiance (Ember of Torches), longer-lasting Restoration and Radiant (Ember of Solace), and the former but based on Solar-based final attacks (Ember of Empyrean).
For Warlock: Empowered Potential
Compared to Destiny 2’s tanky Titans and damage-dealing Hunters, the support-oriented Warlock focuses more on boosting their overall performance to get a better shot on both survivability and DPS. Thankfully, the Solar 3.0 build can give Warlocks more than enough supply of buffs and effects to give them a little bit of everything - especially in terms of Fragments and Aspects.
For instance, Warlocks get better sustains with an airborne-based rapid defeat cure (Icarus Dash) and longer-lasting Radiant and Restoration buffs (Ember of Solace). Likewise, they also get stronger attacks with double-exploding Fusion Grenades (Touch of Flame), stronger Orb of Power generation (Ember of Wonder), and reduced grenade recharges (Ember of Blistering). Mods should be focusing on Recovery and Resilience as well, with Classy Restoration, Bountiful Wells, and Well of Life being ideal starters.
Destiny 2 was released back in 2017 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.