Destiny 2 Vesper’s Host Dungeon Guide: World First Race, Strategies, and Rewards

Destiny 2 Vesper’s Host Dungeon Guide

Introduction

The "Vesper’s Host" is the latest addition to Destiny 2, introduced with Episode: Revenant. This dungeon marks a historic moment as it is the first dungeon in Destiny's history to feature a world first race, complete with a unique Contest Mode. The competition adds an extra layer of excitement, as top Guardians around the world will be racing to complete it under strict power limitations, with thousands of fans watching live on Twitch Rivals.

While Vesper’s Host is smaller in scale compared to raids, only requiring three players instead of six, its introduction of a dungeon race and the additional difficulty provided by Contest Mode make it a fresh and challenging experience. With significant prizes for the first teams to finish and special rewards for Twitch viewers, there's no shortage of reasons to dive into this dungeon, whether as a player or a spectator.

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Vesper’s Host World First Race: Key Details

The Vesper’s Host world first race kicks off on October 11, 2024, at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM BST. The race will be broadcasted live on Twitch Rivals, showcasing some of the best PvE talent in the game. Even if you’re not participating, tuning in offers an opportunity to earn special in-game rewards like exclusive emblems via Twitch Drops.

Key Dates and Requirements:

• Start Date: October 11, 2024, at 9:30 AM PT.
• Contest Mode Duration: 48 hours, ending on October 13, 2024, at 10 AM PT.
• Recommended Power Level for Contest Mode: 1985.
• Dungeon Quest: Fireteams must have the “Rogue Network” quest from Spider in the Last City’s Seasonal Hub, and every member must own the Final Shape Dungeon Key.

How Contest Mode Works: During Contest Mode, player power is capped at a set level, so over-leveling won’t provide an advantage. This ensures a level playing field and emphasizes strategy, coordination, and skill over raw power. The mode will be active for 48 hours, after which the standard difficulty of the dungeon will become available. Contest Mode will be disabled after three teams clear the dungeon.

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Dungeon Structure and Encounters

The "Vesper’s Host" dungeon is designed for a fireteam of three Guardians. Unlike raids that accommodate six players, dungeons are more intimate, but that doesn’t mean they lack complexity. The encounters are tightly designed, focusing on cooperation, role distribution, and timing.

Encounter 1: The Shattered Bastion The opening encounter sets the stage for the dungeon. Here, Guardians must navigate a ruined fortress where enemies of the Darkness have begun to breach the walls. Your fireteam will need to deal with a mix of ranged and melee enemies, while simultaneously capturing control points to unlock the path forward.

• Key Mechanics: Capturing control points and defending them from waves of enemies is essential to progress. The longer you control a point, the faster the gate opens to the next section.
• Recommended Loadouts: Crowd control weapons, such as grenade launchers or pulse rifles, excel here, as well as subclasses that focus on area denial, like Warlock's Well of Radiance or Hunter's Tether.

Encounter 2: The Hall of Sorrow In this mid-stage encounter, the fireteam will face off against a Nightmare-infested hall, where darkness creeps in at every corner. Guardians must cleanse darkness-infested zones by defeating powerful Nightmare enemies while avoiding deadly traps.

• Key Mechanics: Infected zones need to be cleansed by defeating specific Nightmare enemies and carrying their Cleansing Orbs to a designated area. These zones will respawn if not dealt with quickly.
• Recommended Loadouts: High-damage output weapons like linear fusion rifles for taking down Nightmare enemies quickly. Mobility is key, so consider a subclass that enhances movement speed or allows rapid repositioning, like Titan’s Striker or Hunter’s Arcstrider.

Encounter 3: Final Boss - The Vessel of Torment The climax of the dungeon is the final encounter with the Vessel of Torment, a towering enemy that channels both the power of the Darkness and the Hive. This battle features several damage phases, requiring careful coordination to lower its shields before dealing damage.

• Key Mechanics: The boss fight revolves around disabling the boss’s shield by completing a series of objectives spread across the arena. One player must hold an Empowered Relic, which allows them to break the Vessel’s shield temporarily, while the other two deal damage. Beware of the boss’s enrage timer—if you don’t complete the phases quickly enough, the boss will wipe the team.
• Recommended Loadouts: High-damage weapons such as sniper rifles, rocket launchers, and exotics like Gjallarhorn. Subclasses that provide survivability, such as Warlock's Well of Radiance or Titan's Bubble, will be crucial during the boss's enraged attacks.

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Loot and Rewards

One of the most exciting aspects of the "Vesper’s Host" dungeon is the exclusive loot that players can earn. Dungeon completions during Contest Mode offer guaranteed drops of the Exotic weapon, which can otherwise only be obtained through random drops after defeating the final boss.

Vesper’s Host Loot Table:

• 4 Legendary weapons
• 1 Exotic weapon (Guaranteed in Contest Mode)
• 1 exclusive armor set per class (Warlock, Titan, Hunter)

For players who aren’t racing but still want a piece of the action, you can earn two exclusive emblems by watching the race on Twitch:

• Effortless Flow Emblem: Earned by watching any Twitch streamer with Destiny 2 Drops enabled for at least 2 hours.
• Broadcasting from the Dark Emblem: Earned by subscribing to a Twitch streamer during the world first race.

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How to Access Vesper’s Host

To participate in the dungeon, players must first acquire the “Rogue Network” quest from Spider in the Last City’s Seasonal Hub. The quest acts as a prerequisite to access the dungeon. Additionally, players need the Final Shape Dungeon Key, which is part of the Year 7 Season Pass or can be purchased separately from the in-game store.

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Final Tips and Recommendations

• Prepare your Fireteam: With Contest Mode enabled, every bit of coordination counts. Ensure each player knows their role, whether it's controlling adds, managing objectives, or delivering high DPS during boss phases.
• Optimize Your Loadout: Power alone won’t guarantee success in Contest Mode. Make sure your fireteam is equipped with meta PvE weapons and armor mods that enhance survivability and damage output.
• Watch and Learn: Even if you're not participating in the race, tuning in to Twitch Rivals or watching top-tier streamers can provide valuable insights into strategies and loadouts that could help you on your next run.