Destiny end-game guide - Top three things to do post level 32!

So you’ve completed Destiny.

You’ve truly become a guardian of the galaxy, pushed back the minions of the darkness on multiple planets, and proved your worth in the iron banner. So what’s left to do? Destiny has some crazy end-game content that may not seem apparent directly after smashing the Black Garden and topping level 20. Lots of players have been turned away by the lack of apparent goals or structure, after all there’s only so many times you can run tiger or roc strikes hoping for a Gjallahorn. Or you’ve already got one, and it feels like there’s nothing left to strike for. This is exactly what happened to me after completing Borderlands 2, a huge thrilling boss fight leading to a very lack-lustre end game, slightly soiling the experience. However Destiny has some brilliant alternatives than just melee-smacking Claptrap over and over, here’s my guide to things to do in end-game Destiny.

Raids

Raids are a big deal in Destiny, they’re a perfect platform to meet new Guardians and level yourself up to the next big step. Even old raids like the Vault of Glass still supply you with an overflow of glimmer and materials, plus are you sure you have all the exclusive raid weapons and armour? Better run Atheon again on hard just to make sure you have The Aspect of Glass custom ship. Helping newer Guardians through the raid can seem infuriating to some seasoned players, but there’s a first time for everyone and it can be genuinely uplifting to see a noobie level 28 get his first Fatebringer. Crota is arguably more of a challenge to first-time players, as everything must be performed so a set time and in a set order. Challenge yourself to own a full set of gear for each raid, after all with the upcoming House of Wolves DLC we can finally upgrade our old Vault of Glass gear to 336 attack damage, offering more high-end guardian customisation and new playstyles. I for one cannot wait to break out my Atheon’s epilogue again, for all its flaws it totally dominates Nightfall strikes that have Void Burn on. I still use it on its current damage cap sometimes! You can also meet new players through the raid system, it’s great to build up a raid clan and meet up weekly to smash Crota or succumb to the Oracles for the millionth time.

Collection

Along the same lines as the raid, having a full set of specific items is hugely satisfying. For example collect all the exotics, I’ve currently got all of them aside the Necrochasm (I’ve got the husk but still upgrading it) and the Vex Mythoclast. I’m currently spam-running the Vault every week with my team hoping for a drop, or mowing down Thrall on the moon to level up the husk of the pit. Utilise the new enlarged vault space that Bungie has blessed up with at long last and stack up your collection! You may even discover new playstyles through this, for example the Thunderlord dropped for me the other day and I’m so impressed by how fast it destroys in Crucible! Pair it with the Ruin Wings for your titan and you’ll find a whole new way to play, likewise the pairing of the Obsidian Mind with the          Bad Juju. No better combination was discovered since Oreos with milk. And you don’t have to just collect exotics, I’m trying to find/earn a whole set of New Monarchy weapons and armour. I’m only missing the boots from the armour set, but I’ve only found the Scout rifle, Fusion rifle and Shotgun from them so far. It’s a harsh grind, but run the nightfall and pour that buffed EXP into your preferred faction of choice and you’ll get a good 2-3 packages per week. These weapons and gear really stand out and have some really cool unique stats, I’m in love with my scout rifle that came with exploding rounds and grenadier! As I said, the grind can be tough but the rewards are worth it by miles. Look great and play great!

The Cryptarch and other assorted grinding.

After vanquishing the forces of evil, finishing both raids and maxing out to Level 32, it’s time to do battle with an even greater dark power; Master Rahool and his son-of-a-bitch RNG loot system. You can always push yourself to search for greater weapons or different stat rolls. Since pre-HOW we can’t re-forge gear yet, you’re just going to have to rely on lady luck’s charms to throw a scout rifle your way that’s packing Firefly rounds, or a shotgun with super long range. The amount of times I’ve said to myself “I’ll do one more Roc strike before I go to bed”, then ended up winning a legendary item is countless, I won a Plan C from grinding just before I said I’d come off. Part of Destiny’s lure is the completely random rewards, you never know what you’re going to get! Unless you solo the Nightfall just to be shown a few measly shards… But generally it’s always a nice surprise to suddenly have a purple pop up from a blue engram. This is a great way to get diverse loot too, I’m not even level 2 on Dead Orbit but I’ve still got the boots, scout rifle and rocket launcher all from random drops! There’s a cruel temptation to grind out a loot cave or farm the strikes till you’ve maxed out your marks. There’s a fun game to play called “don’t stop Roc till an exotic drops”, which’s name is self-explanatory. Keep running those strikes, maybe put some music or a podcast on in the background, the whole thing can be a very relaxing experience. Daily stories and bounties are another great way to spend the time, making you partake in all manner of activities. I especially like the daily story missions, they give me a reason to re-live the otherwise redundant campaign. They reward you with shards and I’ve even got a couple of purples out of them, they’re a perfect excuse to return to the game world and buff yourself up even just for a little bit every day. I normally set myself the goal to complete every bounty each day, that way if I’ve done the Nightfall I can pour max EXP into levelling my faction rank and guns. There’s a lot of self-gratification involved, but if you’re willing to put in the time and effort your Guardian can become a top range lethal space savior.

The Crucible and the Iron Banner.

I remember I used to hate PVP in destiny. I chose all my gear to boost me in strike running and boss fighting, until one specific time the Iron Banner came to the tower. Now I didn’t care much for the gear and guns, aside the Warlock chest armour; The Iron Regalia Vestments. I loved the look, it was amazing and individual, I’d seen maybe two other guardians with it. I spent a whole week slaving to Lord Saladin, doing all his bounties and desperately trying to level up while collecting glimmer. I eventually got the robe and it is gorgeous, I rarely take it off unless I’m doing a raid and I need specific buffs, It’s my prize signature piece of armour. Crucible is nowhere near as rewarding as running strikes or raids, buy it’s a fun challenging experience. Are things getting a little repetitive? Put away your Thorn and Suros, try using the No Land Beyond sniper to really make you work for those kills! I recently switched my hunter to Bladedancer and its made my Crucible experience crazy fun. The guns from the Crucible vendor in the tower are generally better quality than the Vanguard ones (in my opinion, just look at the Satterienne Rapier), and you’ll need Crucible marks to buy faction weapons and gear so it’s a good idea to farm a load of them for high-level personal rewards.