Blind (No Info) Raid#

No information raids (and by extension, contest mode raids) are one of the hardest things you can do in destiny. Typically, preparing for a new raid has three steps:

  1. The power grind

  2. The loadout preparation

  3. Practice

The Power Grind#

The power grind is just application of the power leveling tools.

In general, if you want “optimal” you want to do powerful rewards before pinnacle rewards, but the current challenge layout gives many pinnacles and few powerfuls so largely irrelevant.

The last two expansions have given an item bundle to reach deep into the powerful range for completing the legend campaign. (Lightfall was 1750 against an 1800 Powerful cap)

When leveling, keep whatever your highest power item is in each slot.

A trick used by experienced players is to use dim’s power summary tool to find out how many points under your max a particular item is and use sources that guarantee a specific item and pull them when they can raise your power level to the next whole step.

The way this works is we break each point of power into 8 parts. So when you hear 1754 3/8 that means you need five more points of power across all equipment slots. If you have a piece that is -4 and a vendor has a reward that is +1 power in that slot, grabbing that item will give you a full point of power. The best sources of gear for this are campaign rewards, the season pass, and exotic quests. Outside of that, just play the game, Prime Engrams are always powerful drops, and Exotic engrams are always powerful rewards.

Loadouts#

For raids you know, every team picks a strategy per encounter that they know works. For a new raid, that information doesn’t exist so we have to be prepared to change strategies quickly.

The first thing you need to worry about it staying alive, so pick subclass builds and primary weapons you’re comfortable with. Have a couple of ranges in your gear, long, medium-long, medium, mid-short, and short range are the basic ranges, and feel free to ask in tower if you don’t know what covers each range.

The rest of your weapons are about the kinds of encounters common in raids.

Encounters#

The Lockpick (See Oracles in Vault of Glass): No bosses, but lots of enemies, often a handful of hardy things (sometimes champions!) and a puzzle or mechanic to solve. The advice is all things add clear. A shotgun or fusion rifle and a heavy GL or Machine Gun. Wave frame grenade launchers are also solid. Exotic picks here are wide open.

Mobile Boss (See Rhulk in Vow of the Disciple): This guys are wildcards. You’ll want short-mid weapons or get good at hitting a moving target with an Linear Fusion Rifle. Often useful is a divinity cage (only one team member needs this equipped, you probably want two in the fireteam.) Remember that the encounter will likely also have a lot of adds and mechanics on top of that so you’ll want to adjust your primary and special ammo accordingly.

Close range stand and deliver (The Templar in Vault of Glass): Once you make the boss vulnerable you’ll be at very close ranges. With the right buffs slug shotguns are a dream here, but more likely LFR or Rockets are going to be the name of the game.

Long range stand and deliver (Oryx from King’s Fall): These guys are usually a bunch of mechanics to make them vulnerable with some add clear duties, and then you all group up, warlock drops a well, hunter throws a deadfall, then you put long range weapons into the div cage for as long as possible. Bring an LFR, sniper rifle, rockets sometimes work.

Wildcards: Sometimes encounters defy expectations, and you need a really weird mix of loadouts to succeed.

Traversal Sections: There’s two flavors: Sparrow and jumping. If you’re not comfortable with puzzle like platforming, bring your mobility exotic (Stompeez for hunters, Lion’s Rampart for titan, Transversive Steps for warlocks) but you can wait for the more experiences players to guide you.