In the MMO shooter Destiny the Nightfall, the weekly dusk strike, this time takes place on Mars, to Cerberus Vae III. None of the damage bonuses are active, making the strike safer but also significantly tougher than in previous weeks.
In Destiny, which Bungie refers to as a shared-world shooter, some classic elements of MMOs are present in the genre mix. This includes “Weeklys,” special missions that can only be completed once a week, guaranteeing a special bonus. In Destiny, this includes the dusk strike. Completing the weekly dusk strike grants a bonus of 24.5% to experience points and reputation until the next reset.
The modifiers of the dusk strike in the week of 11/4.
The so-called Nightfall leads to a different strike each week, with five different bonuses active. This week they are:
- Nightfall – this is always active and ensures that if all guardians are dead, the group must return to orbit. The strike resets after a wipe.
- Epic – the modifier guarantees that it will be more challenging than the heroic versions. The enemies are significantly stronger.
- Lightswitch – One should not let any enemy get too close, as their melee damage is significantly increased.
- Angry – Mobs are relentless and come aggressively at the guardians despite high damage.
- Juggler – No ammunition drops for the weapon used to take down the enemy.
Of Sherpas and damage modifiers
This week, no damage bonuses are active. Such a bonus triples a certain elemental damage. None, one, two, or three can be active. Right now, it just got a zero round. This also eliminates our typical weapon recommendation. Generally, sniper rifles are a good choice in the Nightfall. Many guardians have been waiting since the solar sniper rifle “Icebreaker” was available from Xur for the corresponding damage modifier. But even this week, their prayers to the sun god go unanswered.
In recent months, a trend has emerged to solo the Nightfall. The strikes are actually intended for three players. The solo performance in Destiny is not quite as impressive as in other games. This is because the instance scales somewhat with the number of players, making the mobs a bit easier.
Additionally, there is another trend where one player solos the strike up to the final boss and then brings in a friend, so he can also “finish” the Nightfall. The one who solos it up to the final boss and brings another to the peak is called a “Sherpa” from the mountaineering context. In MMOs, this is generally referred to as “pulling.”
Select Guides and Videos on Cerberus Vae III this week
This week we also have a selection of particularly impressive or successful runs for the Nightfall for you. These can serve as a guide or provide ideas on how you might try it. Generally, caution is advised this week. Due to the lack of burn, it is a grueling endeavor, and the enemies require many hits to go down. Especially the final boss Valus Ta’urc proves to be a tough nut.
“Slow and steady wins the race,” one might say about this solo run as a motto. It shows how important it is to never let yourself be hit twice in a row and to keep your head down when things don’t go according to plan.
Here is a full team of guardians on their way, shooting their way through the strike. For the final boss Valus Ta’Urc, they show a “cheese spot.” But even these heavily armed guardians are having a hard time without damage modifiers achieving the usual speed.
And in a third video, a guardian uses all the shortcuts and tricks she can think of to make life (her own) and death (the enemy) easier. Bonus: Icebreaker in action.
