Nightmare Hunts are fairly easy activities in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. In fact, you’ll no doubt complete a few of them as you’re progressing through the expansion’s campaign. Each one actually guarantees you one of the Nightmare Essence quests that you can use on the Lectern of Enchantment to obtain a brand new weapon. Completing three in one week would also award you with a powerful drop. That being said, what exactly are these Master Nightmare Hunts for? Well, let’s find out in our mini-guide.
Note: For more information about Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, head over to our guides and features hub.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep – Master Nightmare Hunts guide
First things first, Master Nightmare Hunts have a power level (PL) requirement of 980. Yes, everything that hits you is bound to hurt… a lot. As such, I’d advise you to check out our leveling guide so you can reach 950 base PL. From there, you can also take a look at our companion piece regarding the pinnacle rewards system and the grind past 950+ PL. Ideally, you should also be around 960+ power thanks to the artifact’s bonus.
There are also additional modifiers when you attempt to tackle Destiny 2: Shadowkeep‘s Master Nightmare Hunts. Here’s a list of what you can expect:
- Fire pit – defeated acolytes spawn fire pools that cause damage over time
- Champions: Unstoppable
- Champions: Barrier
- Champions: Mob – additional champions will spawn
- Chaff – radar is disabled
- Match Game – shielded enemies are resistant to elemental damage that does not match their type
- Equipment locked
- Torment of Crota (for Nightmare Hunt: Despair only) – increased void damage and environmental damage
- Torment of Fikrul (for Nightmare Hunt: Insanity only) – increased arc damage and environmental damage
- Torment of Phogoth (for Nightmare Hunt: Fear only) – increased void damage and knockback effects
The good news is that Master Nightmare Hunt that you complete can be more rewarding. Here are the drops that you can have:
- a higher chance of enhanced mods
- a guaranteed pinnacle drop for your first completion per character
Getting the Platinum score for rewards
Of course, just like the Nightfall: Ordeal, you’d need to get a Platinum score if you do want some top-tier rewards. The only way to do this is by making sure that all the champions are taken out. Given that each Master Nightmare Hunt has an assortment of champions, you’d have to ensure that your team’s load-out is more than up to the task:
- Barrier champions (knights and hobgoblins) – will pop an impenetrable shield that allows them to heal and shoot you at the same time
- Overload champions (minotaurs) – will often go berserk, shoot extremely fast, all while chasing you down
- Unstoppable champions (ogres) – will be tougher and near-impervious to damage unless they’re stunned; will one-hit kill most players
The Recluse tends to be the best go-to weapon due to its Master at Arms perk. Because it’s also a legendary submachine gun, you can put an anti-barrier or anti-overload mod on it. Other legendary submachine guns and auto rifles can also have these mods socketed.
The anti-unstoppable mod is solely for your hand cannons. Simply aim down the sights (ADS) for a couple of seconds and you’ll see the perk activate on the lower left-hand corner of your screen. Shoot the unstoppable champion and it’ll get stunned, allowing you and your teammates to pour as much damage as possible. The newly-added Leviathan’s Breath exotic bow also has an intrinsic anti-unstoppable perk.
Additionally, there are some skills and exotics that can help you out. The Golden Gun with Celestial Nighthawk will, obviously, take out champions with a headshot. A Striker Titan (top-tree) with Peregrine Greaves and the Thundercoil class item mod will easily demolish champions as well.
That does it for our Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Master Nightmare Hunts mini-guide. We hope this helps you out in farming the expansion’s endgame content.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is available on Steam. For everything there is to know about the expansion, check out our guides and features hub.
