How to Survive Every Raid in Destiny 2: Complete Guide

2 November 2025

If you’re diving into Destiny 2’s raids for the first time or you’re a seasoned Guardian looking to sharpen your skills, one thing’s for sure—raids are no walk in the park. These endgame activities are masterminded to challenge every ounce of your skill, coordination, and patience. But fear not! This guide will walk you through surviving every raid in Destiny 2 with tips, tricks, and strategies to keep you alive and victorious.

Pull up a chair, grab your Ghost, and let’s get into it.

What Are Raids in Destiny 2?

Before we get into surviving them, let’s talk about what raids are. Raids are the pinnacle of PvE (Player vs. Environment) content in Destiny 2. They’re six-player cooperative missions filled with challenging mechanics, intense combat, and jaw-dropping environments. And let’s not forget the sweet raid-exclusive loot.

Unlike Strikes or Nightfalls, raids demand coordination, communication, and strategy. They’re puzzles wrapped in chaos, and each one has a unique flair. Survival isn’t just about shooting your way through enemies—it’s about understanding mechanics and working as a team.

General Tips to Survive Destiny 2 Raids

Let’s start with some universal tips that apply to every raid. Think of these as your raid survival toolkit.

1. Communication Is Key

You’ve probably heard this a million times, but it can’t be stressed enough—talk to your team! Raids are about teamwork, and many encounters require players to perform specific tasks at the same time. Use a mic, be clear, and don’t hesitate to call out if you need help. Even a "Hey, I’m about to die!" can save your team from disaster.

2. Know Your Role

Raids often divide players into roles—whether it’s ad (enemy) clearing, boss damage, puzzle-solving, or carrying an important item. Before starting, make sure everyone in your fireteam knows their role and how to execute it. This isn’t the time for freelancing.

3. Gear Up Properly

Your loadout can make or break your survival chances. Pay attention to the raid’s mechanics and tailor your weapons and armor accordingly. For example:
- Use weapons with high DPS (damage per second) for boss phases (e.g., Linear Fusion Rifles, Rockets, or Exotic Primaries like Divinity or Arbalest if needed).
- Equip armor mods like Ammo Finders, Reserves, and Scavengers for your heavy and special weapons.
- Don’t underestimate the usefulness of resilience—it minimizes incoming damage and can save your life in tight spots.

4. Learn the Mechanics

Each raid encounter has its own set of mechanics. Whether it’s standing on plates, passing buffs, or solving puzzles, take the time to learn what’s going on. Sometimes watching a YouTube guide or running through a "teaching raid" with experienced players can be super helpful.

5. Practice Patience

Raids will test your patience, especially when you’re learning them. Wipes happen, mistakes are made, and sometimes you’ll spend hours on a single encounter. Don’t let frustration get the best of you—laugh it off, regroup, and try again. Remember, it’s all part of the experience.

Breaking Down Each Raid: Survival Strategies

The strategies can vary wildly depending on the raid you’re tackling, but here are some survival-focused tips for a few popular ones. If you’re not running one of these raids, don’t worry—the principles typically carry over.

1. Vault of Glass (VOG)

The OG raid from Destiny 1, Vault of Glass is no joke.

- Encounters: From Oracles to the Gorgon's maze, each section has unique challenges.
- Survival Tips:
- For Oracles, focus on ad-clearing first—those Hobgoblins hit like trucks.
- In the Gorgons' stealth section, take it slow. Running blindly is a recipe for disaster.
- During Atheon’s boss fight, communicate who’s taking roles for time-travel mechanics and call your shots when destroying Oracles.

2. The Last Wish

Known for its stunning visuals and intricate mechanics, this raid is a fan-favorite.

- Encounters: Includes the infamous Riven of a Thousand Voices.
- Survival Tips:
- Use weapons with high burst damage, like Izanagi’s Burden or a Rocket Launcher with Cluster Bombs, to keep up with damage checks.
- For the Vault encounter, memorize symbols (or pull up a cheat sheet if you have to).
- During the Riven fight, make sure someone knows how to navigate the "Eyes of Riven" mechanic. Also, keep an eye out for the floor—it loves to disappear.

3. Deep Stone Crypt (DSC)

A raid that takes you to Europa’s freezing tundras and beyond.

- Encounters: Features Operator, Scanner, and Suppressor roles.
- Survival Tips:
- Stick together in the outdoor segments to protect each other from the cold. Use the heat bubbles strategically.
- Designate roles early on and ensure everyone knows the mechanics of the augment system (like shooting specific panels or deactivating buffs).
- Bring long-range weapons for the first encounter—you’ll need to pick off enemies while dodging incoming fire.

4. King’s Fall

The raid that centers around Oryx, the Taken King, is both nostalgic and challenging.

- Encounters: Includes Totems, Warpriest, and Oryx himself.
- Survival Tips:
- During the Totems encounter, rotate players effectively to manage the Deathsinger’s power swaps.
- At the Warpriest, focus on staying alive during add waves—those Taken Knights are relentless.
- For Oryx, designate someone to handle the brand mechanic, and keep calm during the jumping puzzle sections.

5. Root of Nightmares

This raid introduces new light-and-dark mechanics that can confuse first-timers.

- Encounters: Unique mechanics involving light nodes and seeds.
- Survival Tips:
- Keep an eye on spawns and prioritize ad-clearing to avoid being overwhelmed.
- Communicate with your team to ensure the light-and-dark sequence stays on track.
- During the final boss fight, stagger your heavy ammo usage to ensure sustained DPS.

The Importance of Mods and Supers

Never underestimate the power of mods and supers. They can mean the difference between wiping a dozen times and finally clearing an encounter.

- Armor Mods: Equip mods that serve your role. For example, if you’re ad-clearing, slap on Charged with Light mods and pair them with Protective Light for increased survival.
- Supers: Use crowd-control supers (like Nova Bomb, Tether, or Stasis) for ad-clearing and damage-dealing supers (like Thundercrash or Blade Barrage) for bosses. Timing your supers correctly can literally save the run.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Raid Etiquette

Surviving isn’t just about skill—it’s about being a good team player. Here are some quick tips to maintain good raid etiquette:
- If someone’s explaining mechanics, listen. Don’t spam emotes or distract the team.
- Be patient with newbies. Remember, you were a first-timer once too.
- Own your mistakes. Nobody’s perfect, and admitting you messed up helps the team regroup faster.

Final Thoughts

Surviving raids in Destiny 2 is about preparation, teamwork, and keeping a cool head under pressure. Sure, you might rage a little (or a lot) along the way, but the satisfaction of finally taking down that raid boss is unmatched. And hey, that shiny piece of raid loot at the end? Totally worth it.

So grab your fireteam, pick your raid, and jump in. The Destiny universe is yours to conquer. Just don’t forget—stay calm, communicate, and for the love of the Traveler, watch out for those wipe mechanics!