Destiny 2 has seen a resurgence in the last few years, with the player base as strong as ever. Thanks to the excellent quality expansions Bungie has been releasing. And now with Lightfall, we’ve got all new locations, enemies, quests and more to see and do. But the OG crowd now that the true test of your mettle is in Destiny 2’s PvP arena – The Crucible.

If you’re joining Destiny 2 for the first time the Crucible may be a little daunting. And even if you’re a veteran like me you can still easily lose most games. Veteran players have the advantage in the arena and if you want to go far then you might need some help. Whether you’re a new or old player you might find these tips useful in helping you dominate the Crucible.

 

Prioritise Resilience and Recovery Equipment

Better guns and armour don’t necessarily mean that you’ll dominate The Crucible, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Having the right exotic armour that focuses on Resilience and Recovery is going to be key to surviving firefights. It doesn’t matter which class you play, because the right armour will help reduce the damage you take and most importantly how fast your health recovers between bouts.

As for weapons with Destiny 2’s ever-changing arsenal, you should just look up the current meta at the time to give you the best advantage.

 

Play The Objective

This should go without saying for any PvP game but remember to play the objective. It doesn’t matter how many kills you get if, in the end, you lose the match. There are different game modes available at different times in Crucible. From a simple team deathmatch to objective-based modes like Control.

If you’re too focused on seeking out eliminations and don’t stay on the Control point you’re going to end up losing that map anyway.

 

Learn The Maps

There are many maps in Crucible, and all of them have different cover spots, spawn locations, and objective locations. If you want to dominate in The Crucible, take some time to study the various maps and utilize the best spots. It’s extremely useful to understand where the objectives are, where the vantage points are for firing at enemies, and where the enemy spawn locations are, so you can avoid or intervene with opponents.

In Crucible, the maps offer many different points of cover for players to make use of when in a match. These can determine who lives and who dies in any given exchange.

 

Reload With Cover

I’m a bit of a serial reloader, the kind that will reload after a couple of shots. This is normally okay for other missions but in a PvP arena, a simple reload can get you killed pretty quickly. Reloading recklessly in the middle of a heated firefight is probably just the moment that’s going to get you killed.

Instead, it’s alright to step back a bit and reload safely behind some cover. You may not get the kill that you wanted but it’s a lot preferable to you and your team than being dead. If there’s no cover around remember you can always swap to your secondary weapon as well.

Setting up healthy reloading habits and ensuring survivability is one of the ways to win the Crucible.

 

Related: Destiny 2 – Deep Dive The Witch Queen Expansion

 

Don’t Run Straight At The Enemy

New Lights are notorious for running directly into the line of fire — or at least into enemies’ line of sight. Even when fighting with NPC opponents, Destiny 2 players can fall into the trap of never actually using cover. In easier PVE content, that can mostly be true, but in PVP, a sharpshooter can take out a Guardian in mere moments.

You should make it a rule to never take a gunfight when not near cover unless you absolutely have to. There are tons of corners you can use to peek shoot and quickly hide behind if you start losing a gunfight. And being able to break the line of sight on your enemies at a moment’s notice is crucial to surviving many encounters.

 

Keep Moving

One of the best things about Destiny 2 is its fast-paced gameplay which is amplified by ten in The Crucible. In order to stay alive you’re going to need to consistently move around the map, get eliminations, and obtain different ammo.

Unless you’re sticking to an objective, you’ll find yourself constantly on the move to maintain cover and get the jump on the enemy team. It doesn’t need to be said but you also shouldn’t be standing still in the middle of a fight, keep moving and other players will have a harder time hitting you.

 

Take The High Ground

With Movement Modes, Destiny 2 adds a vertical component to firefights. Capitalize on opportunities to engage enemies from higher places since it’s much harder to aim at a target when they’re attacking from up high.

Take note of elevated surfaces to use as vantage points. Rooftops raised platforms, and even small cliffs can accommodate a sniper, an attack from above, or even allow players to survey the area. Likewise, maximizing Movement Modes in firefights can add terror in aiming as players need to adjust to fast-paced Jumps (Hunters), Lifts (Titans), and Glides (Warlocks).

 

Related: Destiny 2 – An Advanced Power Level Guide

 

Stay Alive Even If That Means Retreating

Crucible matches are often high stake aggressive matches. So it’s easy to forget that you can just retreat when you’re out of your depth. It’s much better to win the fight later after regrouping with allies or even just repositioning to a more advantageous position. It’s often better to retreat and regroup before pressing the attack once again.

A couple of exit strategies include retreating from where you came from or slipping into a corner to get to the other side. Given the three-lane nature of most Playlist maps, you’ll be able to spot these exits quickly with enough practice.