Destiny 2's Season of the Witch introduces the Altars of Summoning activity
If you’re looking forward to Destiny 2’s Altars of Summoning activity, you’re probably wondering what to expect from the seasonal activity’s difficulty system. After all, there’s no better time to test the limits of your strongest builds than during seasonal events.
As the name suggests, Altars of Summoning features an opt-in difficulty system that allows you to select the difficulty of each encounter using specific Hive Offerings. Your choice will determine the damage dealt by enemies and the progress made towards the next reward chest. There are even global modifiers similar to Vanguard Ops and Nightfalls, so make sure to plan your loadouts accordingly.
Given that Power Level is disabled in this activity, you shouldn’t expect overleveling through the Artifact to increase your damage output or survivability – at least not directly. That said, there are still plenty of ways to make your Guardian more powerful, including equipping high-level weapons, armour, and other pieces.
It’s important to note that the encounters in Altar of Summoning are quite different from those in Savathun’s Spire. As you’ll see in the gameplay video below, each encounter features a different set of objectives, enemy types, and mechanics. Some encounters are reminiscent of the Taken King’s Court of Oryx, while others are more reminiscent of the Blind Well.
Regardless of the type of encounter, you’ll need to present an offering, complete the objective, and defeat the boss before the timer runs out. You’ll want to complete as many encounters as possible to progress towards the next reward chest. Progress towards the next chest is granted for completing encounters, with harder encounters granting more progress.
Don’t let the timer fool you; it’s actually more generous than it seems. Eris Morn will collect the energy of slain enemies as tribute, spawning a reward chest that can offer seasonal weapons, Hive Offerings, and Opaque Cards, a unique buff system that can greatly enhance a player’s character.
If you’re lucky enough to stay in the same match after completing an encounter, you’ll receive even more rewards. However, the enemies will also grow stronger with each completed encounter. Fortunately, you’ll still have time to retreat to the safety of the H.E.L.M. and start over with a new loadout.
Opaque Cards are one of the most interesting aspects of Season of the Witch. As you’ll see in the video above, players can earn these cards by playing Season of the Witch activities and configure them at the Lectern Of Divination in the H.E.L.M. Each card can be earned multiple times and can be configured to fine-tune the buffs received during runs.
If you want to maximize your card configuration, you’ll want to plan your team and loadout in advance. Having at least five cards owned will allow you to tweak your deck to complement your build and team. For example, you can use a card that increases melee damage to pair with a Guardian running the Stormcaller subclass, which offers melee damage buffs.
With a deck that complements your build and a good fireteam to back you up, you should be able to complete multiple Altars of Summoning encounters without much trouble. Nonetheless, it’s best to stay in the safety of the H.E.L.M. after completing an encounter for the first time.
