Destiny 2 - A Garden World Nightfall Guide
Learn the most efficient way to complete A Garden World when it appears as the Nightfall.
Destiny 2 players are presented with a different Nightfall each week. It’s basically a beefed-up strike that throws in some unique challenges and modifiers, tasking Guardians with completing it in a certain amount of time. There is no matchmaking with the Nightfall, so you either enter with an already assembled team, or you used Guided Games. Those who are successful are rewarded with the highest-level gear in the game, allowing you to reach the max level with each character.
Nightfall - A Garden World
A Garden World takes place on Mercury and was introduced with the Curse of Osiris DLC. This means that you must own Curse of Osiris to complete this Nightfall if it happens to pop up during the weekly reset. As Bungie introduces more DLC to the Destiny 2 game, players without any expansions will find that they have less options when it comes to completing weekly milestones.
January 2, 2018 Modifiers
- Torrent - Boundless Power erupts from within. Your abilities recharge much faster
- Timewarp: Zero Hour - The mission timer cannot be extended. Choose your battles carefully
Torrent means that you can throw your grenade every few seconds. If you are running as the Striker Titan, and someone in your fireteam should be, then you get two Pulse grenades if you’ve configured your subclass correctly. If you have two pulse grenades and Torrent is active for the Nightfall, you should barely be using any of your weapons. Throw grenades until your arm falls off. Even if you only have one grenade because you’re a Hunter or Warlock, you should still be throwing one every few seconds.
Timewarp: Zero Hour means that you can’t extend the mission timer. This isn’t so bad in this case because you’re dealing with the (not so) Infinite Forest. You should not be fighting any enemies as you make your way through. Just run past all of them until you are forced to fight. In fact, this will most likely be essential if you want to get A Garden World completed within the 22-minute timer.
January 2, 2018 Challenges
- Speed of Dark - Complete the Nightfall with at least five minutes remaining
- Unbroken - Complete the Nightfall with fewer than three deaths
- Shielded Minotaur Challenge - Kill the Shielded Minotaurs in under 90 seconds
Speed of Dark shouldn’t be that bad with the right fireteam composition and three capable Guardians. It only requires that you complete this Nightfall in 17 minutes instead of the allotted 22 minutes. Since you will be running past the entire Infinite Forest, plus a few other areas that don’t force you to fight, you ought to have a good crack at finishing this Nightfall with five minutes remaining. Completing this challenge is essential if you’re aiming to unlock the Rat King exotic side arm.
Unbroken is going to be tough for all but elite fireteams. Even my own will struggle. The platform where you fight Dendron, Root Mind is an absolute nightmare even in the heroic version of the strike, and it’s a lot worse on the Nightfall. You will need Guardians that are skilled killers, and skilled at staying alive, if you hope to get out of this with fewer than three deaths. You will need the Healing Rift from the Warlock, the Towering Barricade from the Titan, and the… Hunter to stay alive if you’re going to have a shot.
The Shielded Minotaur challenge is new and means you need to kill each Shielded Minotaur you find during the boss fight against Dendron, Root Mind in 90 seconds. You’ll need to work very quickly, dealing massive damage to Dendron, Root Mind to activate the Shielded Minotaurs, and then killing them as soon as they are vulnerable. Personally, I’m a big fan of using Saint 14’s Perfect Paradox shotgun on the Shielded Minotaurs, but you have to be careful not to get stomped.
Dendron, Root Mind
Dendron, Root Mind is one of my favorite boss fights in Destiny 2. I think it’s well thought out and unique in a way that few strikes in the game are.
If you aren’t familiar, Dendron, Root Mind will rotate around the outside of a round platform that you and your fireteam are stuck on. On the platform will be various barricades that spawn in and out, forcing you to continuously move to stay in cover and out of Dendron, Root Mind’s line of fire. Occasionally, Dendron, Root Mind will pause, allowing you to deal precision damage on a stationary target.
Of course, the fight is complicated by some rough enemy numbers. Expect to see all sorts of Vex here, but the worst are by far the Shielded Minotaurs. They will remain stationary for most of the fight, but as you damage Dendron, Root Mind, Shielded Minotaurs will activate. When they do you will not be able to damage them until you enter the bubble they emerge from and destroy the cube at the top. This will drop their shield, allowing you to hurt them. Take them out quickly, otherwise you’re likely to see the death toll of your fireteam climb.
Precision damage to Dendron, Root Mind is the way to go. Personally, my main class is the Hunter with the Gunslinger subclass. I use the Way of the Sharpshooter perk tree, and never leave home without my Celestial Nighthawk exotic helmet. This alters my Golden Gun to one shot that does six times the damage as the three I’d normally get. It takes a massive chunk out of Dendron, Root Mind, and gets this fight moving quickly. If I’m working with Masterworks weapons, I’m able to get a second Golden Gun near the end of the fight, finishing Dendron, Root Mind off in style.
You’re fireteam is also going to benefit from having a Titan with the Striker subclass. Have them bring the Pulse grenade and use the Code of the Earthshaker perk tree. This will give them two Pulse grenades, which is great for either taking out enemies as they walk through the portals and onto the platform, or for dealing sustained damage to Dendron, Root Mind. The Titan should also bring the Towering Barricade to give you additional cover when things get sketchy.
I’m least familiar with the Warlock class, but have enough experience with it to confidently say that you are going to want the Healing Rift, especially if your goal is to finish with fewer than three deaths to knock off the Unbroken challenge. Personally, I go with the Stormcaller subclass for the Pulse Grenade, and use the Attunement of the Elements perk tree that gives me Arc Soul. Those beautiful little blobs will do a bit of damage for you, and every bit helps.
That should help you knock out A Garden World when it shows up as the Nightfall in Destiny 2. It’s not the easiest strike in the world, but it’s interesting and there are lots of areas you can run through to finish it in quick order. Be sure to visit the Shacknews Destiny 2 complete strategy guide for Guardian goodness.
