Complete Guide to the Duality Dungeon in Destiny 2

he Duality Dungeon, introduced in Destiny 2 during Season of the Haunted, remains one of the most popular dungeons due to its valuable rewards, including exclusive weapons, armor, and the coveted exotic sword Heartshadow. This guide provides everything you need to know about the dungeon, from unlocking and completing it to maximizing your rewards.

How to Unlock the Duality Dungeon

The Duality Dungeon is part of the Witch Queen Deluxe Edition. If you own this edition, you can access the dungeon directly from the Moon destination tab. If not, you’ll need to purchase The Witch Queen Dungeon Key Bundle from Bungie’s in-game store.

• Normal Difficulty: No Power level requirements.
• Master Difficulty: Requires a minimum Power level of 2020.

To access the dungeon, pick up the quest A Single Thread from Hawthorne near the Bazaar in the Tower after meeting the above requirements.

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Preparation for Duality Dungeon

Loadout Recommendations

The dungeon challenges Guardians with both long-range and close-range combat. Equip weapons that can handle these scenarios:

• Area of Effect Weapons: Witherhoard, Osteo Striga.
• Boss Damage Weapons: Taipan-4FR (Linear Fusion Rifle), Gjallarhorn (Rocket Launcher).
• Resilience Mods: Equip Arc Resistance mods, especially for the first boss encounter where Cabal enemies deal Arc damage.

Recommended Classes

• Solar Warlock: The best option for solo players due to its healing and Scorch abilities. Use Well of Radiance and Empowering Rift for maximum survivability and damage output.
• Strand Builds: Builds utilizing Threadlings can effectively eliminate groups of enemies.

Fireteam Setup

Playing with a team simplifies the dungeon. Objectives often require multitasking, which is easier to manage in a Fireteam.

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Duality Dungeon Mechanics

The dungeon revolves around two key mechanics:

1. Bell Mechanics:

   • Shooting Bells teleports players between the normal realm and the nightmare realm.
   • In the nightmare realm, players must stand on plates near Bells when shooting them, or they’ll wipe.

2. Standard Essence Mechanics:

   • Kill Standard Bearers to collect Standard Essence.
   • Deposit Essences in specific locations to progress through encounters.

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Walkthrough

1. Entering the Dungeon

• Start in the room with the Calus statue. Jump into the green light to teleport.
• Use Bells to traverse between realms. Follow the path, climbing balconies and shooting Bells until you reach the first encounter.

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2. Nightmare of Gahlran, Sorrow Bearer

The first boss requires managing Standard Essence mechanics and defeating waves of enemies.

• Phase 1: In the nightmare realm, kill Standard Bearers to collect Standard Essence and return to the normal realm. Deposit the Essences in their designated locations.
• Phase 2: Kill the Colossus and Bellkeepers, then return to the nightmare realm. Defeat Visions of Gahlran to initiate the damage phase.
• Damage Phase:
  • Use Well of Radiance and heavy weapons like Cataclysmic or Gjallarhorn.
  • Collect damage buffs dropped by Visions of Gahlran to maximize DPS.

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3. The Vault Encounter

This encounter involves solving Standard Essence puzzles and defeating waves of enemies.

• Mechanics:
  • Kill Standard Bearers in the nightmare realm and deposit their Essences in the normal realm.
  • Trigger the damage phase by depositing two Essences.
• Damage Phase: Use DPS weapons like Stormchaser and support abilities to maximize damage.

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4. Nightmare of Caiatl, Princess-Imperial

The final boss battle tests your ability to manage mechanics and deliver consistent damage.

• Phase 1:

  • Collect Standard Essences by defeating Psions in the nightmare realm.
  • Deposit four Essences to activate the damage phase.

• Phase 2:

  • Stun Caiatl by shooting the Bell she approaches. This buffs your damage for 10 seconds.
  • Repeat the process with three Bells during the damage phase.
  • If Caiatl reaches the Bell, the damage phase ends prematurely.

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Secret Chests

The dungeon contains two secret chests, rewarding players with previously unlocked items:

1. First Secret Chest:

   • Found in the room with four statues before the Vault. Look for a partially opened door above the Bell platform.
     

2. Second Secret Chest:

   • Located in the treasure room with the violet floor before the final encounter. Slide under the large central structure to find the chest.
     

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Loot Table for Duality Dungeon

Weapon Name	Type	Perk 1	Perk 2
Lingering Dread	Stasis Grenade Launcher	Auto-Loading Holster	Chill Clip
The Epicurean	Void Fusion Rifle (Craftable)	–	–
Stormchaser	Arc Linear Fusion Rifle	Clown Cartridge	Firing Line / Frenzy
Unforgiven	Void Submachine Gun	Demolitionist	Adrenaline Junkie
New Purpose	Stasis Pulse Rifle	Perpetual Motion	Desperado
Heartshadow	Exotic Void Sword	–	–

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Armor from Duality Dungeon

The Deep Explorer Armor set is available in the dungeon, with Artifice Armor obtainable from Master difficulty runs. Artifice Armor provides a +3 bonus mod slot for extra customization.

• Deep Explorer Helmet
• Deep Explorer Chest
• Deep Explorer Arms
• Deep Explorer Legs
• Deep Explorer Class Item

 

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Bonus Rewards

• Heartshadow Exotic Sword: Higher drop chance from solo and Master runs.
• The Mandate of Strength Ship: Complete the dungeon on Master difficulty.
• The Deepest Truth Emblem: Earned by completing the dungeon.

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Final Thoughts

The Duality Dungeon offers one of the most rewarding experiences in Destiny 2. Its mix of challenging mechanics, unique weapons, and beautiful design make it a must-play for every Guardian. Whether you’re hunting for Heartshadow or farming for Artifice Armor, the rewards are worth the effort. Good luck, Guardian!