The Insight Terminus is one of Destiny 2's easiest Nightfalls. Located on Nessus, Guardians are tasked with defeating a Cabal Psion named Kargen that's tampering with a Vex network. A short romp through the tunnels of Nessus will lead you to this boss.
As a Nightfall, The Insight Terminus is a great mission to farm for Nightfall guns and Masterwork materials. Even on Master difficulty, this Nightfall is trivial for players familiar with Destiny 2's mechanics or those in a well-coordinated fireteam. Whether you wish to solo farm this or get a group together, this guide should give you a clear idea of what you're up against and what strategies are worth using.
Modifiers And Recommended Loadout
The Insight Terminus is one of Destiny 2's easier Nightfalls. As long as you can keep melee Cabal at bay, this Nightfall shouldn't take much time to complete. Here are the Master modifiers:
Nightfall Modifiers
- Empath: Enhanced radar. Take increased damage from melee.
- Champions: Unstoppable: This mode contains Unstoppable Champions, which cannot be stopped without an Unstoppable mod.
- Champions: Barrier: This mode contains Barrier Champions, which cannot be stopped without an Anti-Barrier mod.
- Chaff: Radar is disabled.
- Equipment Locked: You will not be able to change your equipment after this activity starts.
- Match Game: Enemy shields are highly resistant to all unmatched elemental damage.
- Champions: Mob: This mode contains additional Champions.
- Kargen's Stratagem: Incoming Void and environmental damage increased.
Key Traits
- Champions: Barrier Colossi, Barrier Hobgoblins, Unstoppable Incendiors
- Shields: Void (Minotaurs and Incendiors)
- Recommended Power: 1,330
Only Void shields exist in this Nightfall, giving you a little more breathing room in terms of weapon selection. Most of the Vex you'll face will be during the opening encounter. Past that, expect to fight tons of Cabal and Barrier Champions. Sightlines in this Nightfall range from short to medium-range, so Scout Rifles, Rocket Launchers, and Sniper Rifles are great choices for this mission. The boss encounter is rather long, and Kargen is a rather tanky enemy, so consider using AoE weapons or Swords. As with other pinnacle PvE content, Warmind Cells and Charged with Light mods make this much easier.
Subclass
- Hunter: Typical picks for this one. Way of the Pathfinder with The Sixth Coyote is fantastic for staying alive. Revenant is also a good pick if a teammate is running Well of Radiance or Thundercrash.
- Warlock: Attunement of Chaos with Contraverse Hold is amazing here. A single grenade will half-health a stunned Champion. Attunement of Grace is also a good choice in a team setting.
- Titan: Code of the Commander is great for blocking damage for allies. If you're attempting this solo, Code of the Protector is a good pick.
Weapons
- The Lament: This Sword does everything you need. It heals you, counters Barrier Champions, deals absurd damage, and can pierce Void shields. Only use this if you have Passive Guard from the Seasonal Artifact.
- Anarchy/Witherhoard: Both weapons have excellent AoE coverage, something that's extremely useful for the final boss and certain encounters. These guns also allow you to damage Kargen from behind cover. Couple either weapon with a Sniper Rifle to make the boss fight less monotonous.
- Grenade Launchers With Blinding Grenades: Blinding Grenades are incredibly strong, forcing enemies to ceasefire for a few seconds when struck by one. Truthteller and Orewing's Maul are the only two Grenade Launchers that can roll Blinding Grenades currently.
- Telesto: This might come as a surprise, but the lack of other shield types gives Telesto a chance to shine. It's ammo-efficient, destroys weaker enemies, and can deal respectable damage against Champions. Be sure another ally can stun the Champion type your loadout doesn't support, as Telesto lacks anti-Champion properties.
Mods
- Passive Guard: This is mandatory if you're running a Sword in your loadout. Passive Guard makes you take 50% less damage from nearby enemies while you have a Sword equipped.
- Protective Light: Gain a 50% damage resistance buff after losing your shields, consuming all stacks of Charged with Light. This will save your life if melee enemies get a swing on you.
- Global Reach: It lets you spawn Warmind Cells with Seventh Seraph and IKELOS weapons. Warmind Cells are beneficial for clearing out waves of Cabal during the final encounter. Ignore this mod if you aren't using a compatible weapon.
Opening Encounter
Opening Encounter Enemies
- Three Barrier Hobgoblins
- Minotaurs
- Goblins
From spawn, hop on your Sparrow and head to The Mists. Once inside, take out the Goblin couple guarding the first room. Immediately when you leave the narrow tunnel will be a Minotaur and two Barrier Hobgoblins. Bait the Minotaur to charge you, then take it down with a Void weapon or ability. Now focus on the Barrier Hobgoblins, using your Heavy weapon to quickly take both of them down. Clear out the Goblins at the end of the room, then take out the third Barrier Hobgoblin on the perch in the back left of the room. Continue down the hallway to fight your first group of Cabal.
The Mists
The Mists Encounter Enemies
- One Barrier Colossus
- Legionaries
- Psions
- Goblins
After you handle the small Vex vs. Cabal skirmish in the pathway, you'll enter a rather large cavern filled with Cabal enemies. Defeat the Legionaries near your position, then take out the Cabal across the way one by one. Psions will try to snipe you as the Barrier Colossus pelts you with its cannon from the left side of the room. It should be fairly easy to dodge these projectiles or find cover from them at your current distance.
Stun the Champion, eliminate the Psions, then focus on killing the Barrier Colossus, stunning it again if necessary. Sniper Rifles or Rocket Launchers do wonders here. When you've killed everyone, push towards the Champion's body to find the next room. Prepare to be jumped by a few headless Goblins on your way there.
Vex Plate
Vex Plate Enemies
- Two Unstoppable Incendiors
- Gladiators
- Legionnaires
- War Beasts
When you step onto the Vex plate, immediately back up. Kargen is going to slam the ground before leaving, spawning a wave of Cabal when he leaves. If you're near the plate when he does this, you'll be flung into a wall and most likely die. Head back to the plate to start charging it.
They'll be three waves spawning directly in front of you. The first two will consist of War Beasts, Legionnaires, and Gladiators. A single grenade, Witherhoard/Anarchy shots, and Telesto can easily kill these enemies. The third wave will spawn when you capture the Vex plate. This wave is much tougher, spawning two Unstoppable Incendiors simultaneously. Immediately run away and prep an Unstoppable shot. If you're in a fireteam, have your allies do so before charging the plate. Stun both, then focus on killing one of them. Retreat, stun the second one, then take the Incendior out. When you've killed both Champions, push forward into the Vinculum Cell.
Vinculum Cell
Vinculum Cell Enemies
- Seven Barrier Colossi
- Two Unstoppable Incendiors
- Gladiators
- Legionnaires
- Phalanxes
- War Beasts
- Minotaur
- Goblins
Right as you enter the room, there will be multiple Legionnaires and Psions that'll spawn beside you and on the opposite end of the room. Two Champions will be part of the first add wave, a Barrier Colossus and Unstoppable Incendiors. You can stick to the entrance of this room during this part, as this area provides the most cover and best sightlines. The Unstoppable Champions takes the place of the Arc Charge carrier, meaning you'll need to kill it to drop the Arc Charges. Before you do, focus on killing the rest of the enemies in the room, eliminating the fodder enemies first. After dealing with those enemies and the Barrier Champion, kill the Unstoppable Incendior to spawn the Arc Charge.
When the charge spawns, an additional Barrier Colossus will spawn, this time at the opposite end of the room. Gladiators and War Beasts will accompany it, so it's a good idea to clear them out first before escorting the ball. Stun the Champion if its ranged projectiles are giving you trouble. Eliminate the enemies, then dunk the ball into a deposit station at the end of the room.
The third wave of enemies will have two Barrier Colossi and another Unstoppable Incendior. You'll also face Phalanxes on top of standard fodder enemies here. Once again, take out the fodder enemies before you deal with the Champions. The entrance to the room that you came from offers great cover for this part. If the Barrier Champions are giving you trouble, stun both of them before focusing on one of them. Defeat the fodder enemies, then the Barrier Champions, then the Unstoppable Champion. Killing the Unstoppable Champion earlier will cause more enemies to spawn, making this part much harder.
One more wave will spawn when the second orb is spawned, this time consisting of three Barrier Colossi and additional Legionnaires. The first two Colossi will spawn beside you while the third one spawns at the back of the room. It's a good idea to take out the Champions from a distance before closing the gap. If you can't find the second Champion beside you, there's a good chance it teleported (due to latency, not a newly-introduced ability) to the other end of the room. Once the Champions are down, head near the deposit station to take out the Gladiators. Kill them, then deposit the second Arc Charge. Defeat the Minotaur and wave of Goblins behind the newly opened door, then make your way to Kargen's boss arena.
Kargen Fight
Kargen Fight Enemies
- Kargen Psion Boss
- Incendiors
- Gladiators
- Legionnaires
- Phalanxes
- War Beasts
There are no Champions during Kargen's boss fight. He does spawn quite a few enemies, however, so now's the time to use your Super and any AoE weapons you have.
Kargen will destroy a group of Vex when you arrive, making himself invulnerable from a Vex shield. To remove it, you must stand on Vex plates around the room for a long duration (around 20 seconds). You only need to stand on one plate to start the first damage phase. During this time, waves of enemies will flood the arena from Vex gates at the opposite end of the room. If you're using Anarchy or Witherhoard, place a few shots near these portals to make this phase trivial. Otherwise, keep your distance from the Cabal. Don't be afraid to hop off the Vex plate if the enemies apply a ton of pressure on you.
Capturing a plate will make Kargen vulnerable. You'll need to remove a third of his health to start the next phase. He's fairly tanky, so feel free to use your Super or Heavy weapons during this section. If you're using a Sword, close the gap with caution; Kargen's allies can easily kill you. Players with less aggressive loadouts can stick near the Vex plate you just charged and damage him from a distance.
When Kargen reaches 66% of his health, he'll become invulnerable once again. This time, you need to capture three Vex plates scattered throughout the area. If you're in a fireteam, have each person split up to capture each plate. Solo players should focus on killing Cabal waves first before capturing a plate to prevent getting overrun. Once again, toss a grenade or a Grenade Launcher shot near a Vex portal to weaken or kill an entire Cabal wave.
Every plate you capture will spawn additional waves of Cabal, some of which will be melee enemies. Take Gladiators and War Beasts out ASAP, moving away from your plate if need be.
Capturing three plates will make Kargen vulnerable again. Use the same strategy as before, either rushing him with a Sword or staying back. Phalanxes will also spawn to give Kargen some cover, but these enemies can be killed with a few shots of your Anti-Barrier weapon or any Primary weapon. Use everything you have to eliminate Kargen. Supers, Swords, Anarchy shots, and overcharged grenades will take his health bar down quickly. Once he's dead, run to his body to claim your Nightfall rewards.