KEY POINTS

  • The Hollowed Lair can be very difficult to finish, especially in the higher difficulties
  • Players are advised to move slowly but steadily to avoid any unnecessary deaths 
  • Long-range weapons are used to take out snipers and prevent Screebs from dealing damage

This week saw the return of Grandmaster Strikes with the Hollowed Lair as the featured mission in “Destiny 2’s” Vanguard Playlist, and any veteran Guardian will agree that this particular strike isn’t exactly a walk in the park, especially in the higher difficulties.

Players will have to deal with loads of Scorn on their way to the Fanatic’s lair and the way they fight can be overwhelming, especially with the droves of exploding Screebs, Stasis-empowered Ravagers and horde-focused final boss fight.

Despite the upfront difficulty that this strike has, players can efficiently farm this Nightfall for that rare Uzume sniper rifle and other rewards as long as they optimize their loadouts and strategies. Here are some tips on how to beat the Hollowed Lair in all difficulties, including its Grandmaster variant.

Destiny 2 Season of the Lost is the game's biggest update of the year
Destiny 2 Season of the Lost is the game's biggest update of the year Bungie

Loadout Suggestions

In the Hollowed Lair, players will commonly encounter Void and Solar shields for the majority of the strike. However, there will be some Arc shields present, so take that into consideration.

Make sure to have weapons or abilities that can stun Overload and Unstoppable Champions. Bows are very useful in this strike because of the presence of Overload Champions and sniper-type Raider enemies.

Trinity Ghoul and Ticuu’s Divination are great exotic bows to use for this strike; the former is excellent for clearing mobs in the easier difficulties while the latter is more suited for chunking down the health of tougher enemies. A Wolftone Draw with Dragonfly and Shoot to Loot can be a great alternatives for either bow.

For heavy weapons, bring Linear Fusion Rifles to quickly bring down tough targets and force the final boss to do his Tether move quicker. A Lorentz Driver or god-roll Threaded Needle is recommended.

Take note that the Arbalest can destroy all shield types with one shot, making this a great pick against the final boss. Ager’s Scepter is also an excellent pick for clearing large waves of enemies.

Recommended Tactics

Players will want to progress through this strike slowly but steadily. Mob density in this strike is quite thick and one unfortunate Screeb spawn can ruin a run entirely.

Clear each room thoroughly and focus on taking out the Raiders first while keeping an eye out on Screebs. Don’t hesitate to use Supers in target-rich environments, especially during the final boss room.

Grandmaster Difficulty Tips

  • Keep away from Stalkers as they will spawn Mini-Screebs upon death. This will also make any short-ranged or melee-centric loadouts completely unviable
  • Take Thermoclastic Strike with a Stasis or Solar sub-class to weaken Champions
  • Mob clear takes priority over boss damage
  • Try to take high Resilience armor pieces to prevent the final boss from one-shotting players
  • Have a Nightstalker with Smoke Bombs in the team in case of emergencies
RELATED STORIES