Power level is the ultimate stat players are chasing in Destiny 2. This single number determines your damage output and damage resistance against enemies in Destiny's various activities. The higher this number, the more damage you deal and the less damage you take.
To increase your Power level quickly, you'll want to complete Challenges. These weekly objectives are crucial for increasing your level and completing the game's hardest content. From Raids to the recent reprisal Trials of Osiris, Power level is critical to doing well in these activities. In this guide, we will go over what Challenges are in Destiny 2 and how to complete all of them.
9 What Are Challenges?
Challenges are weekly objectives that reward Powerful Gear for your character. The harder the activity, the bigger jump the gear is in relation to your Power level.
Nearly every activity you can imagine has a Challenge. Strikes, Crucible, Gambit, and certain planets have Challenges. Those who play a little of everything Destiny 2 has to offer every week will be ahead in Power level compared to everyone else, but you can still level your character by playing activities you like.
8 Crucible Challenges
One of the easiest Challenges players can complete is weekly Crucible objectives. Two core playlists grant Powerful Gear if you play 5 matches.
Classic modes such as Classic Mix or Rumble will progress one Challenge. Complete 5 matches in this category to earn a Powerful Engram. There is also a Challenge based on Rotating playlists such as Mayhem or Momentum Control. Finally, those who are skilled at PvP can try their hand at Trials of Osiris for Pinnacle Gear.
7 Vanguard Challenges
If PvP isn't your thing, plenty of PvE activities reward Powerful Gear. There are Challenges for Strikes and Nightfalls that reward higher Power items.
Strikes are one of the easiest to complete, only requiring you to complete 3 Strikes in the rotating playlist while matching their Singe element. For example, if that week's Singe is Solar, you run a Solar subclass to earn progress. As for Nightfalls, completing 5 of the easiest Nightfalls will grant Powerful Gear. If you are incredibly skilled, try your hand at completing a Nightfall with 100,000 score to obtain a Pinnacle drop.
6 Gambit Challenges
Introduced in Forsaken, Gambit is a PvEvP mode where two teams of 4 collect as many Motes from dead foes as possible. One member of the opposing team can invade and throw a wrench in the enemy's Mote collecting process.
It requires much more coordination, gear, and patience than any other matchmade playlist mode in Destiny 2. Because of this, Gambit and Gambit Prime reward tier 2 Powerful Gear instead of tier 1 like most activities, granting a larger Power bump for your character. Considering how powerful some of the Gambit Prime guns are, it's worth it to complete the Challenge for Gambit every week.
5 Flashpoint Challenges
Destiny has a wide range of planets for the player to explore, yet there is little reason to do so since newer planets reward more Powerful rewards. That is why the Flashpoint system exists.
Each week, a planet is chosen as a weekly Flashpoint. While a planet is a Flashpoint, completing activities on it will grant progress towards a tier 1 Powerful Reward. Public Events, Lost Sectors, and Adventures all contribute to this. Keep your eyes out for the Tangled Shore Flashpoint in particular, as it is required for a few Triumphs and rewards exclusive loot.
4 Moon Challenges
Since the Moon is haunted with hundreds of deadly apparitions, clearing out the Nightmarish patrol zone will reward Powerful Gear.
Unlike most planets, the Moon has multiple Challenges for players to complete. Nightmare Hunts grant Powerful Gear and the highest tier grants Pinnacle, and players can do a short quest for Eris Morn every week for more Powerful Gear. Pick up a few Bounties before completing her weekly so you can reap the most experience and rewards.
3 Seasonal Challenges
Bungie has pushed towards a quarterly seasonal model for Destiny 2 in the past two years with mixed results. Regardless of your stance on these seasons, they also grant ways of earning Powerful rewards.
This changes season to season, of course, so specifics will be hard to give. Most seasons follow the same model of playing the new activity and upgrading something through a meta-progression investment game. If you ever tinkered with the Chalice tied to The Menagerie, it's the same deal for almost every season.
2 Tower Vendor Challenges
Looking at The Tower in the Directory, you might notice how nearly every vendor has a Challenge. Indeed they do, but some don't reward Powerful Gear and should be ignored.
Ada-1 and Benedict 99-40 do not reward Powerful Gear, but instead a Legendary Engram. If you are after higher Power gear, complete 8 Bounties for Zalava, Shaxx, Banshee-44, and The Drifter to earn Powerful Gear based on their respective activity. It's a good idea to do Bounties whenever possible for increased experience games, but try not to do too many or you'll suffer serious burnout as many players have faced this season.
1 Pinnacle Challenges
What happens if you complete every Powerful Gear Challenge and hit the soft Power cap? You can either level up your Artifact for increased Power level or complete Pinnacle activities.
Pinnacle activities include the Garden of Salvation Raid, Master Nightmare Hunts, Trials of Osiris, and Master to Grandmaster Nightfalls. Unlike normal rewards, Pinnacle Rewards go 10 above the soft cap of the current season. For example, if the season's Power cap is 1000, you can get up to 1010 through Pinnacle loot. It is only meant for hardcore players, but it gives a great incentive to play Destiny's incredible Raids or try activities out of your comfort zone.