Many Destiny 2 players avoid the Glory Crucible playlist as much as possible. Most argue that it has no worthwhile loot chase, it is filled with DDoSers or cheaters, and it is too "sweaty" to win at.
The first two points are true, but virtually every player can reach Legend rank if they put the time in. Leveling in this playlist grants Powerful Gear for each subdivision and division rank, making this one of the best Powerful Gear sources in the game. Those that want to achieve seven wins in Trials of Osiris should also practice in this mode. If you want to hone your skills or desire a fast leveling process, here are ten tips to make Glory Crucible games much easier.
10 Find A Team
Glory playlists in the Crucible have a standard matchmaking queue and a freelance queue. Freelance only pits solo players against each other, while the standard matchmaking queue can find pre-made fireteams.
As good as you might be at PvP, coordination is key to winning at higher rank brackets. If you don't have a clan or anyone to play Destiny 2 with, play in the Freelance playlist. Chat with any players on your team or the enemy team that's particularly good, and ask them if you can enter a squad with them. You'd be surprised how many people are open to the idea. Find a team you can play well with, and prepare for these matches to become much easier.
9 Use Stasis
Some PvP players might be demoralized to hear this, but if you aren't proficient with Destiny 2's movement mechanics yet, use Stasis. This spec is dedicated to shutting down players in their tracks, effectively reversing a combat's engagement in your favor.
Every Stasis Subclass—Revenant, Shadebinder, and Behemoth—are fantastic choices in PvP. They all have absurdly strong grenades, solid melee abilities, and powerful Supers that can stop enemies in their tracks. It's forgiving, allows you to control the battlefield, and can easily be tuned to counter the opposition. Light-based Subclasses are still useful in Destiny 2, but the top-tier ones have a rather large skill gap when compared to Stasis.
8 Strike With Intent
Crucible content creators will frequently state to move and attack with "intent." This refers to having confidence and a plan whenever you make any action. You might be able to go on a killstreak by running around with a Shotgun in 6v6 Control, but that play style seldom pays off in 3v3 game types.
Have a plan mapped out in your head of what's about to happen. If you rush in with a Shotgun, how will the enemy react? Are you fast enough to shut them down? Will you be exposed? These questions become easier to answer as you play more PvP. This mostly boils down to learning Crucible's game flow, something we cover more later in this list. For most, this will just take lots of practice and failed attempts.
7 Use Armor Mods
Don't neglect your armor! Armor pieces can equip powerful Mods that alter your Guardian's behavior. The Mods you should focus on using are the following:
- Helmet: Targeting Mods. These grant ADS speed and aim assist to certain weapon families.
- Gloves: Reload and Dexterity Mods. These improve your reload and swap speeds, respectively.
- Chest: Unflinching Mods. These reduce your reticle's jerkiness when you receive damage mid-firefight.
- Legs: Scavenger Mods. You gain extra ammo for grabbing ammo bricks. Use Scavengers for your Special weapon.
- Class Item: Any non-finisher Mods are great.
On top of all of these Mods, you can also take advantage of Combat Style Mods. These Mods alter your character through a mechanic called Charged with Light. To learn more about this mechanic, consult our guide.
6 Use What's Most Comfortable
Destiny 2's "meta" weapons are meta for a reason. These weapons typically walk a fine line between easy to use and devastating to wield. It's why most gravitate towards Hand Cannons and Shotguns.
But what if you don't like Hand Cannons and Shotguns? Don't use them. Use whatever you are most comfortable with. As strong as certain meta options are, you will suck in PvP if you're running a loadout you are not comfortable with. This is especially true if you play a different class for the sake of PvP. Stick with what you love! You'll do better than if you swapped to a loadout you aren't familiar with at all. With that said, still consider practicing outside of Glory playlists with these meta weapons to get a feel for what the playstyle enables and disallows. That information can be invaluable when you fight Guardians after Fabled I.
5 Question Your Radar
Your radar is single-handedly your strongest tool in PvP. It tells you how far a target is away from you, where they are, and even what elevation they are based on the radar ping's tint.
However, your radar's largest weakness is determining distance. When your radar projects a solid bar, that means the enemy is between 6-23 meters from you. That's a massive distance variance! Of course, skilled players will use this variance to apply pressure and confuse you. Even if your radar shows that a target is nearby, question exactly how far that distance is. The last thing you want to do is push an opponent with a Shotgun when they're actually 22 meters away from you. Again, this boils down to understanding game sense, something that occurs as you play more Crucible matches.
4 Take A Break After You Lose A Win Streak
This tip is pretty simple: take a break after you lose your Win Streak. Losing multiple games in a short time span will make anyone angry. As you lose your temper, you'll begin to make worse plays and lose sight of what's happening on the map. Take a break, even if you aren't getting agitated. It'll do wonders for your KD and enthusiasm when playing tough Glory matches.
3 The Two-Second Rule
The two-second rule is incredibly simple, yet so few people follow it.
If no enemies present themselves within two seconds of your current position, relocate.
This forces you to move frequently in PvP matches. Movement is power in Destiny 2. If you can play with confidence and frequently reposition, that brings confusion for the enemy. More than that, it gives you more opportunities to take advantage of an enemy's bad positioning or skittish playstyle. If you take this rule to Trials of Osiris, do this every second or even half a second instead.
For a more detailed breakdown of this rule and its application, YouTuber Ascendant Nomad has a fantastic video covering this concept. You can watch it here.
2 Pay Attention To The Details
While your radar is where most of your short-term information comes from, you can infer a ton about the enemy team and the game's pace just by looking at smaller details. These include the kill feed, scoreboard, and any behavior you've witnessed thus far.
99% of Guardians you'll fight have patterns. They'll open with a certain attack, use an ability in a certain situation, or retreat when they take enough damage. Exploit this. Applying this tip is much harder than it sounds, but victory is in the details. Are you fighting Revenant Hunters that love Withering Blade? Don't hug corners. Are you fighting a team of snipers? Fight them in close quarters. Every player has a preferred playstyle. Figure it out quickly, then punish it as much as possible.
1 Don't Give Up
Finally, the largest thing you can do to reach Legend is never to give up. You will lose games, get matched with horrible teammates, or suffer from poor connection quality. It happens, but you can't throw in the towel.
If you play three Glory games each week, win or lose, you'll get Glory points. Not only is this useful, but it encourages a resilient mindset. No matter how terrible you are at Destiny 2 PvP, you can reach Legend. You just need to stick to the playlist through thick and thin. Take breaks, stay calm, and never give up.