Trials of Osiris are the supreme PvP gamemode in Destiny 2, a type of Crucible that’s nominally meant for veteran players. They were reworked for Season 21, making it easier to enter this mode and start grinding towards the sweet rewards promised in the end. The biggest prizes are awarded for reaching a flawless run.
Trials of Osiris Explained Briefly
To enter the Trials, you need to seek out the Saint-14 NPC in the Tower. It’s a vendor that sells Passages necessary to access the gamemode. You also need to complete the “Trials Access” questline. It was formerly a very time-consuming activity but is now much simpler and less annoying.
The Passages are tickets that let you in and give you a specific bonus to XP, rewards, or your win count. At the start, you can only choose between the two beginner Passages. The other three are unlocked by earning the Trials reputation. The tickets track your wins, with up to 20 per Passage.
To get a flawless run, you need to get 7 wins in a row, and you can see how many you’ve already got by hovering over the ticket. You can only get one flawless run per Passage, though. Doing so will grant you a number of very coveted rewards, including Adept weapons, Masterworking, unique effects, and emblems.
Picking a Passage
Passages aren’t just tickets you can buy to sign up for the Trials. They also have sizeable bonuses that let you get more from this gamemode. There are 5 in total, some available only to higher-level players. The intuitive thing to do is to pick them (if you have them, anyway). However, you shouldn’t look any further than the Passage of Mercy.
The Passage of Mercy is available right away. It used to forgive one loss, stopping you from spoiling your streak. Now it writes off two defeats if you haven’t yet been flawless this week. If you have, it returns to the old single-loss mercy. It’s incredible for beginners who want to reach the Lighthouse badly.
The Passage of Ferocity is also a good choice. It gives you a free win halfway through the streak, making it just 6 victories to reach the Lighthouse. So, if you fully trust your team and just want to get the big prize faster, the Ferocity isn’t bad. The other three Passages will simply give you extra rewards, which isn’t the goal here.
Assemble the Team
Trials are a 3v3 mode, and these teams should be assembled manually. You can add anyone with access to this gamemode, but it’s best if you gather the most trusted, skilled players you know. Considering the type of loot obtainable from the Lighthouse, the competition is going to be incredibly rough.
You obviously need a good deal of coordination during your matches. Anything less than a dedicated Discord call with all three members is an insufficient level of communication. The best option is to take on the Trials with your buddies, even if they are less skilled than you’d like.
If you don’t have anyone familiar who plays Destiny 2, there are plenty of communities on Discord, Reddit, et cetera that help people find companions for this task. The other sound choice is buying a Destiny 2 trials carry from a trusted company. You’ll essentially be placed in a team of two other professionals, who will help you towards that flawless completion.
Practice Control
Elimination isn’t the core PvP mode in the Trials any longer. Come Season 21, it was replaced with Dominion, a completely new mode designed for high-stakes PvP. It essentially adds a control point you can capture instead of chasing after the enemies. To win, you have to either wipe the other team or secure the area.
It’s similar to Control, although the Dominion is more fast-paced. By playing the former, you can get accustomed to the timing necessary to capture the points efficiently. Staying still at the center of the map sounds pretty vulnerable, which is why you need some practice first.
Arm Yourself
The victory is partially about selecting the best weapons. You should pick guns that fit your style, but there’s also a specific meta for PvP arms that can help you choose what to bring. The current most popular PvP weapons are, for instance, Graviton Lance, Matador 64, Centrifuse, The Immortal, and Rose.
There are plenty of perks and modifications that can make a gun very effective against the opposing Guardians. You should carefully explore your options in this regard. Your build should generally stem from your preferences and competencies. There are plenty of powerful weapons that can fit your style, anyway.
There isn’t really a single guide meant to find you a good build, so the tip here is to search for materials that describe your exact approach. Try looking for class-focused guides, and from there you’ll be able to narrow it down. As a last resort, you could just copy a good build you find in the wild.
Use the Radar
At the top left corner of your screen, there’s a little minimap that doesn’t show much info. However, when the enemies get near, its sections will glow depending on where the hostiles are coming from. The intensity and direction change based on the proximity and, well, direction.
It seems like minor advice, but a lot of people forget about this useful piece of interface, being lost in the fast-paced Trials matches. There aren’t many general tips for combat, because each game and each player are different in many ways. The radar, meanwhile, will absolutely save your life a few times if you don’t neglect it.
Combat Tips
However, there are several combat tips that can come in handy regardless of what’s going on on the battlefield. These are, basically:
- Don’t stay still.
- Disperse but don’t move too far from your allies.
- Coordinate your actions and learn callouts.
- Set the controls to your personal comfort.
- Don’t play while agitated, you can always take a break without losing the streak.
And don’t forget that grinding Trials of Osiris is a tough, long job. It’s the most difficult PvP game mode because it offers the best loot. If you want to rush the flawless completion, you’ll likely have to reset the Passage more than a couple of times and spend some days filling the streak.
