Destiny 2's Season of Dawn is now live, and the main new activity it brings to the table is The Sundial, a cooperative player-versus-environment (PvE) activity that pits six people against hordes of Cabal troops that are trying to manipulate time in order to rewrite it and make the Guardians lose The Red War. In it, you'll need to complete some simple objectives, such as capturing zones or depositing Arc charges — all while fending off endless waves of deadly Cabal. Compared to the last season's activity, the Vex Offensive, The Sundial is actually quite challenging. However, if you follow these five tips and tricks, you'll have a considerably easier time in the fight.
Get access to the Season of Dawn
You'll need 1,000 Silver in order to buy the Season of Dawn Season Pass from Eververse with Silver, which in turn will allow you to access The Sundial.
Always stay on the move
Due to the increased Power level of Cabal in The Sundial compared to the Vex in the Vex Offensive (850 versus 750, respectively) and the lack of ample cover in the arenas, staying on the move is a great way to maximize your survivability. Make full use of your jumps and your ability to slide frequently, too, since these will throw off the aim of the enemies more than simple sprinting will. On top of this, avoid running in a straight line as well; mix in some zig-zags here and there so that your movement stays inconsistent and thus, more difficult for the AI to track.
Use short-to-mid range weaponry
Since you're going to be sprinting around so much, you'll very rarely have time to line up shots with precision-focused weapons like Scout Rifles, Pulse Rifles, or Sniper Rifles. As a result, your best bet is to go with guns that are best at short-to-mid range and have either a fast fire rate or strong burst damage.
I found the most success with Auto Rifles, Submachine Guns, and Shotguns, but Trace Rifles and normal Fusion Rifles are great choices as well. In the heavy slot, I would go with either a Grenade Launcher or a Sword. You don't need these weapons to be successful, but they're very helpful nonetheless.
Solar energy reigns supreme
Since all shielded Cabal have Solar shields, you're going to want to stick to Solar weapons in your energy weapon slot. The massively increased damage against Solar shielding will save you and your fireteam a ton of time defeating tougher foes, and the area-of-effect explosion that comes from a Solar shield getting destroyed by Solar energy can weaken the foes around the enemy you're shooting, too.
If you're looking for a specific Solar weapon to use, I personally have found great success with both the IKELOS Shotgun and the Prometheus Lens exotic Trace Rifle. The IKELOS shotty puts out huge damage when you punch something and activate its Trench Barrel perk, and the Prometheus Lens has a lot of ammo and is easy to use, making it pair well with the run-and-gun playstyle.
Coordinate your abilities
One of the best ways that you can improve your efficiency when playing through The Sundial is to coordinate your ability usage with teammates. For example, a group of Titans can place barriers around a location and fortify it in instances where you have to stay put for a while, and a Nightstalker Hunter's smoke grenade that turns allies invisible can get massive value if everyone on the team groups up so all six players can get the cloaking effect. When used alone and just on yourself, your abilities won't get a ton of value in a six-man activity like this. However, with some simple coordinating, a fireteam can make a big impact with them.
Use supportive Super abilities
Given the fairly tough nature of The Sundial, Super abilities that focus on defense and safety are generally better than offensive Supers. The best ones to use are the Warlock's Well of Radiance and the Titan's Ward of Dawn, as both of them increase your survivability by giving you an overshield and either healing you rapidly or blocking huge amounts of damage. If you're on Hunter, top-tree Nightstalker will slow down and weaken large groups of enemies, making them easier to kill and allowing you to generate a ton of Orbs of Light for the team (especially if you're wearing the exotic leg armor Orpheus Rigs).
Your thoughts
What do you think of these tips? Did you find them helpful? Do you have any of your own that you can share with other players? Let me know.
Access to The Sundial activity is available through a purchase of the Season of Dawn Season Pass on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. You'll need 1,000 Silver, or $10 worth, to be able to get it from the in-game Eververse store.
Get access to the Season of Dawn
You'll need 1,000 Silver in order to buy the Season of Dawn Season Pass from Eververse with Silver, which in turn will allow you to access The Sundial.
