Competitive offerings in any first-person shooter can be daunting to master. Nearly every FPS has a wide skill gap that takes players thousands of hours to master. That is partially why so many Destiny fans gravitate towards the game’s Crucible PvP offering.
It combines the fast-paced combat of most shooters with Destiny’s loot. For a looter shooter, it has a much larger emphasis on gun skill than gear and, therefore, more opportunities for players to grow. One of the first steps to becoming a player is to break bad habits. Here are 10 things to avoid in Crucible to have a better time with Destiny 2’s PvP offerings.
10 Always Sprint
Sprinting allows players to traverse the map faster than normal at the cost of readiness. Players must spend a short duration bringing their weapon forward after sprinting.
This doesn’t sound like a large issue until players realize how often they’re dying by sprinting straight into enemy territory. Half a second of not being able to fire a weapon sounds inconsequential, but this short period gives a non-sprinting opponent enough time to get a few shots into a sprinting player, shifting the fight to their favor. Sprinting should only be used to cross gaps quickly instead of a default mode of movement. Players that want to move quickly with their weapons ready should consider investing in Mobility.
9 Push Solo
Unless the game type is Rumble or a similar solo mode, players should always have a teammate nearby when they plan to push the opposition. Challenging the enemy team solo is a recipe for disaster.
With one or two friendlies, it becomes much less daunting as players can take different firing angles and flank the enemy team. Doing so solo requires an incredible amount of map awareness and pure gun skill.
8 Using The Right Side Of Cover
Any cover is better than no cover in Destiny, but players should choose to fire from the left side of cover instead of the right side when possible.
This sounds strange, but the character models shift their bodies to the right while aiming. It isn’t much, but it is enough to make landing a headshot easier for the opponent. Firing from the left side hides the character’s head and torso better to prevent a lucky headshot from occurring.
7 Peak The Same Angle
The number of times a player dies by peaking the same angle is too large to count. Peaking the same angle refers to aiming at the same location from the same location moments after already doing so.
Enemy players will typically wait a few seconds before making a decision on how to approach combat, which means they’ll spend that time sitting at the angle and waiting for a player to reappear. When this happens, the opponent gets the upper hand and can easily shut down the player with a Sniper Rifle. Predictability is a player’s worst enemy in Crucible.
6 Ignore Armor Mods
Destiny is ultimately an action RPG, which means the game has a small emphasis on gear. Weapons can roll with perks that make them stronger while armor can equip unique mods to help support various playstyles.
Recently added mods focus more on enhancing PvE gameplay, but there are just as many PvP enhancing mods. Scavengers are a great example of this. Special ammo players grab from dead Guardians will yield more ammo if a scavenger mod is equipped on their boots. Mods that boost stats, such as Super recharge, can also be slotted into armor to allow players to cast their Super before anyone else.
5 Use The Same Strategy
As mentioned previously, predictability kills in Destiny 2’s PvP offering. Using the same strategy is a bad habit many players develop unintentionally that is hard to break.
Strategies can entail playing around the same part of the map, running the same loadout that isn’t working, or behaving in the same fashion to certain situations. Players adapt to these patterns and can easily exploit a player’s weaknesses. This is particularly important in Trials of Osiris since repeating the same strategy can result in a loss.
4 Spam Shot
During a gunfight, it can be tempting to fire as many rounds at the enemy as possible. It can work with auto rifles and certain machine guns, but players should try to avoid spamming their shots.
Instead, take a quarter to half of a second to readjust the reticle before firing again. Entering a rhythm of realigning sights with each shot will make landing headshots much easier.
3 Chase Players
Nothing feels worse than unloading a magazine into a player before they run away with a sliver of health. Chasing players can sometimes work in a player’s favor, but it is typically a bad idea.
In team-centered modes, players that retreat are running towards friendly Guardians. While this can be a field day for players with a Super or Heavy ammo, it can result in a quick death for anyone expecting to quickly finish off an opponent. Map knowledge will ultimately determine if pushing a low-health player is a good idea, but sometimes it’s better to regroup with the team and push together.
2 Hold Onto Abilities
Space magic is a core part of what makes Destiny special. Flinging lightning bolts or Void shields never gets old, yet so few players use their abilities when in the heat of the moment.
Learning when to use an ability is an important skill, but it is much worse to hold onto an ability than use it. Supers are especially prone to this. Unless it’s a round-based mode, players should be able to obtain and use their Super twice per game. Holding onto it for too long can reduce this to one Super or even none if the player never uses it. It’s better to use an ability against one foe than wait for a scenario that is unlikely to happen.
1 Hesitate
Confidence wins gunfights. Players that choose to run away mid-fight or back away from a decision are the most likely to die in Destiny 2’s Crucible game modes.
That doesn’t mean changing tactics mid-game is bad, however. On the contrary, it is important to prevent developing a predictable strategy. Hesitation is more noticeable for players wanting to push in for a shotgun kill, hold an angle to snipe, or retreat to get help. Once this decision is made, it should be carried out. Waiting for just a second longer on these decisions can result in a quick death.
NEXT: Destiny: Every Game And DLC, Ranked
