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Summary
The first week of Rite of the Nine inDestiny 2opens with Spire of the Watcher as the dungeon of choice. Those looking for a real challenge—and who wish to earn the new Eternal title—should jump directly into the dungeon’s hardest and newest difficulty mode: Ultimatum. This mode introduces a few modifiers and unique changes to each encounter that will force players to not only play their best but also come up with new strategies.
This guide will only go through the quirks of Ultimatum difficulty, and is not an explanation of the basic mechanics of the dungeon.
Ultimatum is a tier 4 difficulty activity (4 skull symbols), and your power is matched to it regardless of your light level. Here’s a breakdown of key modifiers.
The most important modifier to consider isNotswap, which means making loadout switches at any point within an encounter is highly discouraged, as players will lose out on all ability energy, including Supers.
The second most important aspect is the Ultimatum Mode main modifier:no deaths in an encounter means the fireteam gets the best rewards. With this in mind, having at least one player with Healing Grenades and a Support Frame auto rifle like No Hesitationor Adamantitein every encounter is handy.
Ultimatum difficulty changes:
Recommended loadouts:
Have at least one player with a long-range weapon (such as a sniper rifle) deal with the Cyclops that spawn on the upper edges of the arena, as they can be particularly deadly to players trying to complete the encounter mechanic, even with proper Void resistance mods.
Have two players complete the nodes, and let the third one handle the Hydras that spawn in the air, as well as the detaining Vex units.
The Harpies floating around the arena are particularly deadly in Ultimatum difficulty. Make sure at least one player has a long-range weapon capable of clearing them.
In the final room, have players spread out and ensure everyone picks up Arctrician, as the nodes are more scattered here.
During the mechanics phase, having one player distract the boss can be a game-changer if players are struggling to stay alive and find themselves dying to Void spam from Persys and Supplicant explosions.
